Mygo, you guys seem to be getting a bit heavy-hearted.

Page 3

He was naturally unaware that the somewhat eccentric father and daughter had misunderstood him, so he left without giving it a second thought.

...After Yanming left, Toyokawa Shoko and her father discovered that a set of silver keys had appeared on the wooden table in the living room at some unknown time.

The father and daughter looked at each other for the only time that night, then remained silent before turning to pack their luggage and bedding.

On the other side, Yanming had just pushed open his own door when the strategy system's voice started blaring again.

[Host, host, you're amazing! Look, look!]

What's wrong with this guy now?

Yanming didn't rush to pay attention to it. He first closed the door to avoid being mistaken for a lunatic by passersby before looking up.

【Name: Toyokawa Shoko】

[Current Intimacy Level: Strangers [7]]

[To be able to win over your target on the very first meeting... could it be that... you were actually a seasoned player with an incredibly rich romantic history before?]

"..."

Contrary to what the system said, Yanming has never even held a girl's hand in his entire life, let alone dated. He's been single his whole life...

"This matter should not be mentioned again."

To be clear, he didn't care much.

【But……】

Yanming really didn't care; he'd always been indifferent to these kinds of things. It was just that one of his friends might be a little upset if he heard about it.

"Say that again and I'll throw you away!"

【Hey hey hey——(?Д?)】

Chapter Four Vadasi↑

……

As sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains onto the somewhat tattered bedding, Toyokawa Shoko, already accustomed to this routine, had already put on her faded old clothes.

"Sigh..." Xiangzi sighed as he combed his light blue hair in front of the mirror.

Skillfully separating the two braids and tying them into the same hairstyle she'd never changed since childhood, the girl suddenly remembered the landlord from last night—a man who was both young and somewhat mature.

"Get some rest..." It feels like it's been a long time since anyone said that to her.

For some reason, Xiangzi's heart, which he thought had seen through joy and sorrow, began to pound again, the first time since that incident.

I haven't been to Crychic's place for many days, I wonder what Xiaodeng and the others are like...

Thinking of this, Xiangzi closed his eyes in frustration, clenched his teeth, and muffled noises escaped his nostrils.

There's no going back now. Once I'm settled, I'll find some time to cut ties with them.

This is good for everyone at Crychic.

"bang bang bang-"

"Please wait a moment." Xiangzi, who already knew who the visitor was, did not panic. After confirming that he had tidied his appearance and calmed his mind, he quickly walked to the entrance and opened the door.

The young man's polite and composed smile was dazzling in the sunlight, but what attracted Xiangzi's attention even more was the gleaming stainless steel kettle in Yanming's hand. Judging from the prominent veins on his arm, it was clearly filled with liquid.

Xiangzi asked, puzzled, "Landlord, what's this?"

"Just call me Yanming. We're not that far apart in age," Yanming said casually, then showed her the weapon in his hand. "This is a kettle I brought from my hometown. It's been used for over ten years and it's still in great shape without any problems. As for its function... I'll keep that a secret for now."

Anyway, it's a wonderful tool that we'll be using soon.

"Hold this for me, I'll go get the car." Before Xiangzi could understand what he meant, the water bottle, which was half a meter tall, was placed in her hands.

"...So heavy!"

Toyokawa Shoko's body slumped under the weight of the kettle, but thankfully, having endured the hell of part-time work, Super Shoko could barely hold on.

Mr. Yanming was able to lift such a heavy thing with just one hand?

Wow, that's amazing... You must be able to move at least 30,000 yen worth of bricks a day at a construction site.

"Boom—boom—" By the time she came to her senses, the rough and powerful roar of the motorcycle engine was already in front of Xiangzi.

Wow, how magnificent!

The all-alloy frame, the simple yet stylish black paint, and even the exhaust outlets are extraordinary, clearly designed to reduce carbon emissions.

As a motorcycle, its looks in the motorcycle world are comparable to those of Tomohisa Yamashita in the celebrity world!

She seems like the type Xiao Mu would like, but for me, she's a bit too rebellious... But thinking about it carefully, isn't what she's doing right now also a rebellion against her family?

Yanming took the water bottle and secured it to the cart, then tossed Xiangzi a pink helmet and said:

"boarding."

Xiangzi: “…”

However, although

That's awesome!

……

As they sped along, Xiangzi carefully gripped the clothes beside Yanming, and after some hesitation, finally asked, "Mr. Yanming?"

"Hmm." Even as he drove his motorcycle through traffic, the young man's voice sounded somewhat casual and lazy, as if in his eyes, this wild behavior, which symbolized a rebellious spirit, was nothing more than that.

"So, how exactly do you plan to help me get that agency fee back?"

When asked this question, Yanming gave a wicked smile hidden under his motorcycle helmet, out of sight of others.

"That's their business. We just need to pretend."

"?"

what does it mean?

Yanming said confidently, "You should know how to act fierce, right? Just put on an angry face and leave the rest to me."

Pretending to be fierce?

Xiangzi seemed to think for a moment, then tightly closed his mouth and tried to widen his eyes.

Angry little octopus.jpg

Is it like this?

They seem a bit... aloof and superior.

"Om-"

The motorcycle stopped in front of a building. Yanming took out the key and said, "We're here. Get off... What's with that expression?"

Through the transparent windproof mask, Yanming could see Xiangzi's face, which looked as if he had eaten two pounds of cilantro and was constipated.

Is his driving skill really that bad? It sounds like he's about to throw up.

When Xiangzi realized that the other side of his face was different, his face turned bright red. He quickly pretended to be nonchalant and took off his helmet, but in reality, he was trying to hide his expression.

"Ah...no, it's nothing."

Yanming didn't pursue the matter further. After gesturing for Xiangzi to follow him with the water bottle, he pushed open the glass door of the building.

The motorcycle engine was quite loud, which had already attracted the attention of the people inside.

"Oh my, oh my, what a great honor to have you here, Brother Yanming!" The man greeted the two with an awkward Kansai accent, rubbing his hands together with an embarrassed smile.

The middle-aged man, who looked rather sleazy, had a pair of shrewd eyes. He was the same person who had been in charge of receiving Yanming last time, and he had made a lot of money by taking advantage of the opportunity to receive Yanming.

However, Yanming wasn't buying his empty flattery. He gave him the middle finger and went straight for the greeting from his hometown: "You son of a bitch! You dare to cheat my tenant, huh? *Tokyo swear* You're finished today!"

As Yanming grew older, his bad temper was also worn away.

But a person's essence does not change with the passage of time or changes in status.

Uncle Yanming (?) Back in the day, I was a super delinquent who did everything from smoking and drinking to getting perms and playing rock music. In today's society, I would be arrested and imprisoned!

This doesn't seem like something to brag about...

Why do you have to speak up every time I try to show you even a little respect?

QAQ

Then, ignoring the strange look Xiangzi gave him and the middle-aged man's fear, Yanming strode over to the lush, thriving tangerine tree on the right side of the door, grabbed the kettle, pulled out the stopper, and scalding steam burst out. He then made a move to pour the hot water over it.

"What?! Wait, sir! You can't pour this on, sir!" Upon seeing this, the middle-aged man disregarded all manners and ran over crying, grabbing Yanming's arm.

Yanming remained unmoved, shaking his hand and saying, "Let go of me."

"No, sir! This child was planted by all the employees of our company on the very first day it was established. It's a precious memory for us..."

Yanming interrupted him sharply: "What does that have to do with me!"

Then tilt the spout of the pot slightly.

It was almost a hair's breadth away from being poured over by boiling water, which would have destroyed this important spiritual symbol that was like the spring sunshine on the C group.

"No!" A heart-wrenching scream escaped the mouth of the man with the Kansai accent, sounding utterly out of place. "Without this tree, Watashi..."

Chapter 5 You really only think about yourself.

Standing at the door, Xiangzi was completely numb. He hadn't been able to put on a fierce act as he had promised, and he just wanted to see what would happen next.

"I told you to let go." Yanming remained indifferent.

"boom--"

He knelt down?!

Xiangzi stared wide-eyed at the middle-aged man in a suit kneeling before Yanming, like a wooden statue. He felt as if he were dreaming, for the scene before him was so absurd it seemed unreal.

"This won't do, please! I'm willing to do anything I can!"

Upon hearing this, Yanming scoffed dismissively, but still slightly toned down his exaggerated, theatrical movements. He looked down at the other person and spoke coldly:

"What level of awareness did you have when you said that?"

"……What?"

Yanming continued, "You're just an ordinary adult who needs to pay off a mortgage and car loan, and also has a wife and children to support. Your basic monthly after-tax salary is less than 300,000 yen. Are you capable of taking responsibility for what you just said?"

The soul-crushing blow and the immense malice it contained shattered the will of this pathetic man in an instant.

This also deeply shocked Toyokawa Shoko, who was listening in.

This is...this is so strange! The other side has already knelt down, why are they still saying such hurtful things...?

Even Xiangzi, who hasn't fully grown up yet, could feel the unbearable heartache and exhaustion he was experiencing, let alone a middle-aged man who had just faced the first wave of impact...

Ha, they're already in heaven!

However, Yanming remained indifferent to the man who had already turned to ashes, acting like a villain devoid of any empathy, and continued to attack him:

"You see, 'willing to do anything' carries such heavy weight. Don't casually ask for something you can't do."

The man had calmed down a bit by this point, managing to pull himself back from the burden of "life" and struggling to continue gripping Yanming's arm.

"But I really..."

"Snapped."

And what awaited him was being coldly abandoned by the very person he had begged so desperately.

"You're the kind of person who only thinks about yourself no matter what you do."

man:"!"

Xiangzi: "!"

Toyokawa Shoko clutched her pounding heart, as if she were feeling some kind of call from destiny.

Even Yanming's lofty figure at this moment, in Xiangzi's eyes, was vaguely replaced by his own image.

It was as if fate, so elusive and intangible, was decreing that she witness these absurd and cruel words at this very moment, and that one day in the future she would utter them to another person…

However, Xiangzi believes that, given his personality, if he were to say such things to someone, he would definitely find that person extremely annoying... But are there really such people in the world?