Tokyo: Let the wicked women pay the price!

I left the school gate.

Saki, nestled in Fujino's arms, stretched.

He couldn't help but lower his eyes to look over, where her exquisite curves and girlish charm were displayed to the fullest extent by her raised arms.

Saki slowly opened her large eyes, which had been moistened with tears from yawning.

She looked at Fujino and smiled:

"Ugh~~"

"Put me down, Fujino-san."

Fujino nodded and gently placed her small feet on the ground.

He then turned around, took a few steps forward, and kept complaining, "Your old man is really irresponsible."

"Even if it were sunk in Tokyo Bay, I should have at least let you know."

But instead of a response from Saki behind him, Fujino felt a weight on his back.

Saki whispered in his ear, "I want you to carry me on your back."

Fujino felt utterly overwhelmed.

Is it now fashionable to whisper in a man's ear and exhale until he stands up?

His hand hesitated on the outside of Saki's bare thigh, not daring to touch it for a long time.

What did they say?

This guy has a history of scamming people.

Fujino only breathed a sigh of relief when Saki took his hand and placed it under her thigh for support.

But clearly, he loosened his grip too early.

"Fujino-san, why are you being so polite now?"

"Wasn't it just now in the office?"

Fujino's body stiffened slightly.

In the office?

Are you referring to me accidentally pinning you down... or was it that your teacher accidentally kissed me...?

Let's just play dead.

The trick that Saki taught him was really useful.

While avoidance doesn't solve the problem, it certainly makes things easier.

He silently carried Saki on his back, feeling the weight behind him, and walked towards the tram station.

Saki rested her chin on Fujino's neck, turned her head to look at the hickey left by her homeroom teacher, pursed her lips, and tears welled up in her eyes.

But she did not whimper.

She was afraid Fujino would hear.

This was the first time she had truly felt this—

This complex, yet reliable person I've only known for a week...

It is possible that she could suddenly disappear from her world, just like her father.

And... their connection...

Saki looked somewhat bewildered...

What is the inseparable bond between them?

Two overlapping figures, one large and one small, moved slowly forward with the setting sun.

Taking a taxi would have been a more convenient option, but neither of them mentioned it.

I just walked on silently.

......

It's the same McDonald's as last time, in the same spot.

It's even the same guy who paid for it.

Fujino and Saki sat facing each other.

The atmosphere, however, was no longer the same.

Saki, unlike her usual lively self, ate her fries in small bites.

Fujino sat opposite him, not knowing what to say.

Is there anything I can ask?

Fujino was also asking himself the same question.

An adult's lack of boundaries seems utterly detestable at this moment.

He wanted to ask Saki about her family situation, but he was afraid of being presumptuous.

Fujino swallowed the last bite of his burger and started by saying, "Saki-chan, is there anything else you'd like to eat? I'll go order more."

"Fujino-san... I want some chicken nuggets... please hurry."

Fujino noticed that Saki's knuckles were gripping her skirt so tightly that they turned white.

He knew this was a sign that he was determined to say something.

Damn it! If he didn't know micro-expression analysis, at least some sense of surprise could have been preserved.

Now, he only had a sliver of anticipation for what Saki was going to say.

Saki didn't look at Fujino coming downstairs; she was spinning the fries in front of her.

Who would want to eat this kind of junk carb fried food?

Her eyes were a little red as she recalled the day she was kicked out of the Ruoye family villa.

Her father, Shinnosuke Wakaba, is the owner of a real estate company valued at several hundred billion yen.

In the first half of her life, Saki had never eaten such "unhealthy" junk carb fried products.

She took a big bite out of the French fry in front of her.

When exactly did I start craving these cheap junk foods?

It seems like that was the first time I found out how much debt my family actually had.

She sat in the convenience store where she worked, looking at the countless zeros on her phone's debt collection text messages, eating the fries left over by customers that day.

From then on, she loved eating French fries...

Or rather, she likes to remember the mountain of debt.

Although it was just a drop in the ocean, she wanted to try, to support herself and repay some of her father's debts.

It would be even better if we could redeem the villa where I grew up.

35 billion is still an astronomical figure for a young girl who doesn't even have a formal job yet.

After all, she was just an unemployed person who couldn't even afford rent and had to sleep in convenience stores.

In the moment she was lost in thought, Fujino sat down opposite her with a plate of food.

"What are you thinking about?"

Fujino's voice remained gentle, like a lullaby to Saki's ears, giving her the same sense of security as being in her mother's arms.

"Fujino-san..."

Saki put down her fries and looked at Fujino seriously: "I have something to tell you."

Upon hearing this, Fujino straightened his posture and sat up straight.

He stared blankly at the panel in front of him.

[Wakaba Saki: Should I show Fujino my true self? He'll probably look down on me. Oh well, I'll just use my tragic past to gain his sympathy and get him to give me half of the house.]

[Worldline 1: Saki reveals her situation and tragic past, and you feel deep sympathy for her, deciding to sponsor her. (Reward: 2 Memory Breads/day)]

[Worldline 2: You don't think Saki's situation is particularly difficult, but out of a sense of friendship, you're willing to let her stay at your house. (Reward: Special rent)]

Let's hear what Saki has to say first.

Fujino's eyes flashed...

If it really is a few hundred thousand yen, then it's not something we can't discuss.

I guess you could say we're friends.

"Fujino-san, my family situation is complicated." She lowered her eyes, her misty blue hair blocking Fujino's view so he couldn't see her eyes.

"My father owes a huge amount of debt, probably several hundred billion or more..."

"Therefore, I was also kicked out of my home, and the house was taken away by debt collectors."

"And so, I stayed in Tokyo... mainly near schools, working part-time as a convenience store clerk, a telephone customer service representative, and so on..."

Fujino nodded but didn't interrupt; he had already guessed it.

But I didn't expect the number to be so huge.

This is not something I can get involved in.

There may only be one option left.

"Is that why you always skip class?"

Saki nodded almost imperceptibly: "This is something I wanted to tell you. It was the same when we first met. That girl, Himegami Ayame, said we could blackmail those perverts, and they wouldn't dare call the police..."

"I think you're the most respectable guy on the tram... I'll try my luck with you and see if I can get any gold coins."

"No, so that was your first time doing that?" Fujino scratched his head. "No wonder I was so stupid as to go home with me to get money... How could I possibly go home with a stranger?! It's too dangerous."

"Luckily, I'm a good person."

Saki clearly disagreed with that statement.

She looked up, her eyes red-rimmed, but a hint of mockery still lingered in them.

"What kind of decent person would be fooling around with a teacher in the office?"