Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 153 I Want to Stay in Osaka [Second Update, Requesting Monthly Tickets]

Upon hearing that Kiryu Yaya was actually willing to find her a job, Matsushita Saeko looked up in surprise.

Matsushita Yuki was stunned, her eyes wide as she stared at Kiryu Yaya, her lips moving a few times but no sound coming out.

"Mr. Kiryu—what did you say?"

Matsushita Saeko seemed not to have heard clearly, or perhaps she had heard clearly but couldn't believe it.

"I said, if you're willing to stay in Osaka, I can help you find a job."

Kiryu Yaya's tone was calm: "The salary might not be particularly high, but it should be enough to support a family. I'm not entirely sure about the specific job yet, but it certainly won't be something like a convenience store cashier."

Saeko Matsushita's lips trembled slightly.

"But—I—I only have a high school diploma—"

"I know."

Kiryu Yaya nodded: "Education is not important. What that company needs is a down-to-earth and hardworking attitude."

He paused, his gaze falling on Saeko Matsushita's face, his tone becoming more serious.

"But before that, I'd like to ask you a question."

Saeko Matsushita stared at him blankly.

"Do you really want to stay in Osaka, or are you just saying you don't want to go to Tokyo because Yuki forced you to?"

Saeko Matsushita's lips moved slightly.

"I----"

"to be honest."

Kiryu Yaya's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a power that was impossible to ignore.

"If you still want to go to Tokyo, you won't do a good job at the job I introduce you to. You'll just work there for a few months and then leave, wasting not only my credibility but also the other company's time."

Saeko Matsushita remained silent.

Under the streetlights, her face was half bright and half dark, her eyes were still red, but something in those eyes was slowly changing.

She spoke after about ten seconds.

"I want to stay in Osaka."

She looked up at Kiryu Yaya and said, word by word, "I want to stay in Osaka. I want to be with Yuki and Mom. I—don't want to go back to Tokyo."

Yuki Matsushita, standing beside him, finally burst into tears upon hearing these words.

She rubbed her eyes hard with the back of her hand, biting her lip, and didn't cry out.

Kiryu Yaya looked at Matsushita Saeko and nodded.

"Okay. I'll ask for you."

He paused, then softened his tone: "But I have one condition."

Saeko Matsushita watched him nervously.

"From today onwards, no matter what difficulties you encounter, you are not allowed to think about going to Tokyo anymore. You can do all these things in Osaka: find a job, earn money, and support your family."

"You have a mother who is willing to take you in, and a daughter who, though sharp-tongued, cares about you deeply."

He glanced at Yuki Matsushita, then looked back at Saeko Matsushita.

"This is something that many people would rather die than have."

Saeko Matsushita's tears finally fell.

She lowered her head, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and her voice was so choked that it was almost inaudible.

"I know—I know—thank you—Mr. Kiryu—"

Yuki Matsushita stood beside her, watching her mother cry like that. She pursed her lips again and again, but in the end she couldn't hold back and went over to take her mother's hand.

"Don't cry."

Her voice was muffled and nasal: "In the street, isn't it embarrassing?"

Matsushita Saeko held her daughter's hand and cried even harder.

Kiryu Yaya looked at the mother and daughter and remained silent for two seconds.

Then she took out a notebook from her briefcase, tore off a blank page, wrote down a string of numbers, and handed it to Saeko Matsushita.

"This is my phone number. I will get back to you by tomorrow night. If you can't get through, leave a message and I will call you back."

Saeko Matsushita took the paper with both hands as if it were something precious, carefully folded it, and put it in her pocket.

"Mr. Kiryu—thank you so much."

"You're welcome."

Kiryu Yaya put the notebook away and glanced at Matsushita Yuki.

"And you."

Yuki Matsushita raised her head, her eyes still red, but the desperate madness from before was gone.

"No matter what happens in the future, don't say those kinds of things again."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was very earnest.

"You're only eighteen; your life hasn't even begun. Using yourself as a bargaining chip is the stupidest thing you can do."

Yuki Matsushita's lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just lowered her head and softly hummed in agreement.

Kiryu Yaya didn't say anything more about her.

He turned around and looked at Saeko Matsushita.

"Ms. Matsushita, it's late. You should go home now. I'll call you later."

Saeko Matsushita bowed deeply.

"Please."

Then she took Matsushita Yuki's hand and turned to walk towards the apartment.

After taking a few steps, Matsushita Yuki suddenly turned around and glanced at Kiryu Yaya.

Under the streetlights, her eyes were still red, but all that remained in them was gratitude.

She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something.

In the end, she said nothing, only nodded slightly to him, and then disappeared into the darkness at the alley entrance with her mother.

Kiryu Yaya stood there, watching their figures disappear into the night, and then gently exhaled.

He got on the motorcycle and started the engine.

Instead of leaving immediately, he found a phone booth and dialed Keiko Miyazawa's number.

The phone rang twice before being answered.

"Kiryu-kun?"

Keiko Miyazawa's voice came through the receiver, tinged with surprise and barely concealed joy: "It's so late, what's wrong?"

"Did I disturb your rest?"

"No, no, I just finished reading a document and was getting ready to go to sleep."

Keiko Miyazawa's tone became much lighter: "What's wrong? Is something the matter?"

"It's nothing serious."

Kiryu Yaya leaned back in his car seat and said casually, "I'd like to ask you to help me find someone a job."

"Looking for a job?"

Keiko Miyazawa chuckled softly. "Kiryu-kun, you actually asked me for help? That's rare. So, who is it?"

Kiryu Yaya leaned back in his car seat, carefully considering his words.

"She's the daughter of my former apartment landlady. She's 35 years old and has a high school education."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, as if they were waiting for him to continue.

"She did a lot of help to the bank in the Higashi-Osaka Seiko case."

"Without the clues she provided, it would have been impossible to recover Kajiwara Masazō's hidden assets so quickly."

He did not mention the relationship between Saeko Matsushita and Shozo Kajiwara.

It's unnecessary and inappropriate.

Simply saying that Matsushita Saeko helped would allow Miyazawa Keiko to understand the favor without making the matter seem too complicated.

"I see."

Keiko Miyazawa's tone became more serious: "Then we should definitely help."

Kiryu Yaya nodded and said, "With her educational background, she can't do very complicated work. Ordinary jobs will do, like administration, logistics, or general affairs. Any job that pays her a regular salary and doesn't require a high level of education will do."