Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 242 Could Kiryu-kun be being kept by a sugar daddy? [Basic update: 5k words]

At this point, Kiryu paused for a moment.

"Later, something happened in my family, and I don't know where those design drawings went. After that, I went to university and got a job at a bank, and I never thought about it again."

"But when I get older and retire, I might continue to think about these things."

7

Keiko Miyazawa's gaze lingered on Yaya Kiryu's profile for a long time.

Suddenly, she took a small step forward, stood in front of him, and tilted her head slightly to look at him.

"Then—can I be Kiryu-kun's first customer?"

"customer?"

Kiryu Yaya chuckled softly, then reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair that had fallen across her cheek behind her ear.

"If I were to actually start a clothing brand, my first model would definitely be you."

Keiko Miyazawa paused for a moment, then asked, "A model?"

"Hmm."

Kiryu Yaya nodded, his tone a mix of seriousness and teasing: "Because you are the most beautiful girl I know, having you wear my designs and stand in front of the camera is enough to make this brand a bestseller both at home and abroad."

9

Keiko Miyazawa blushed instantly, even her ears turned a light pink.

She lowered her head, her voice also becoming softer: "But—I'll be old by then."

Time never defeats a beauty.

9

Kiryu Yaya smiled and lowered his voice even further.

"Haven't you heard that poem?"

He paused, his gaze falling on her lowered eyelashes, and slowly recited a few lines: "When you are old, your hair is white, and you are deep in sleep—"

"I sat wearily by the fire, took down this book, and slowly read, dreaming of the look in my eyes from those days—"

"That gentle and beautiful expression and the deep, mysterious shadows."

3

"How many loved your moments of glad grace, and admired your beauty, whether with love or with falsehood."

"Only one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, and loved the sorrows of your changing face."

He stopped there.

Keiko Miyazawa stood there, stunned, her eyes welling up with tears.

She knew the poem.

"When You Are Old" by Yeats.

When she was studying literature at Waseda University, she had imagined countless times that her future husband would recite this love poem in her ear.

Little did they expect that Kiryu Yaya would read it aloud in such a casual manner at that very moment.

This caused a strange tremor within her.

"so"

Kiryu Yaya looked at her again, his eyes smiling: "It doesn't matter if you become an old lady, I'll still ask you to be my model."

Keiko Miyazawa stood there, wrinkling her nose with emotion: "Kiryu-kun—you make it sound so nice, but I can't wait until then."

As she spoke, she gently took his hand: "I want to be your model tomorrow."

Kiryu Yaya was slightly taken aback, then smiled.

He raised his hand and gently rubbed her head.

"That won't do."

7

He said, a hint of helplessness in his voice, "I can't even produce a single sample garment right now. I can't expect you to stand in front of the camera wearing nothing, can I?"

Miyazawa Keiko shrank her neck as he rubbed her, but didn't pull away. Instead, she seemed to enjoy the touch and slightly narrowed her eyes.

Following up on his question, she earnestly asked, "Then—approximately how much money would be enough?"

Kiryu Yaya withdrew his hand, put both hands into his coat pockets, and tilted his head to think for a moment.

"If it's just about making a few sample garments, finding a tailor to make patterns, select fabrics, and create some basic designs—"

"Those few million yen should be enough."

"But for a brand to truly enter the market—"

He paused for a moment, as if making a mental estimate: "Registering a company, renting a venue, purchasing the first batch of fabrics and accessories, finding a OEM factory to make samples, preparing the first batch of finished products for inventory, and also setting aside money for promotion and channel development."

"It should cost at least fifty or sixty million yen."

"Fifty or six million yen——"

Keiko Miyazawa repeated the number, as if she were seriously estimating something, and then nodded.

"Not many."

Kiryu Yaya glanced at her and couldn't help but smile.

"President Miyazawa is speaking more and more like a president these days, but fifty or sixty million yen is an ordinary person's life savings."

, 9

Keiko Miyazawa smiled sheepishly, then looked at Yaya Kiryu and said earnestly, "If Kiryu-kun really wants to do this, please let me pay for it!"

Kiryu Yaya was slightly taken aback, then couldn't help but chuckle.

He turned his head and looked at Miyazawa Keiko's serious, almost solemn face.

"Keiko!"

His voice carried a hint of helplessness: "I know you are now the president of the Miyazawa Group and have a lot of funds at your disposal, but fifty or sixty million yen is not a small amount that you can just throw away."

Keiko Miyazawa shook her head, but her tone was more determined than before: "I know this is not a small amount, but I also know that Kiryu-kun is not the kind of person who would waste money casually. Since you said you wanted to do it, you must have thought it through carefully. Since you want to do it, then I am willing to support you."

"And 7"

She smiled slightly and looked at him with a determined gaze: "If this is Kiryu-kun's dream, and I happen to be able to help, I will be very, very, very happy."

Kiryu Yaya looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and then gently exhaled.

"Huizi, do you know?"

"Um?"

"What you just said moved me more than Yeats's poetry."

Keiko Miyazawa blushed again.

"So—so you agree?"

"no."

Kiryu Yaya shook his head, his voice now filled with seriousness.

I can't accept your money.

95

Keiko Miyazawa's smile faltered slightly.

Why?

He raised his eyes, his gaze falling on her face with resolute seriousness: "I don't want our relationship to be tainted by money."

Hearing this, Keiko Miyazawa's heart softened.

She knew that Kiryu Yaya standing in front of her was never because of her status.

Because Kiryu-kun is a really good person.

From the cultural festival in my second year of high school, to the business card from the dinner party with my classmates.

Kiryu-kun's kindness towards her was never because she was the heiress of the Miyazawa Group, but simply because she was Miyazawa Keiko.

Therefore, out of respect for this sincerity, she is even more determined to support Kiryu-kun's dream.

That's—

Kiryu-kun's dream!

Moreover, she couldn't wait to become Kiryu-kun's model.

if--

It would be even better if Kiryu-kun could design wedding dresses.

After these thoughts flashed through her mind, Miyazawa Keiko's gaze fell on Kiryu Yaya's face, and she remained silent for a few seconds.

Then she said very seriously, "Kiryu-kun, I understand your concerns."

"But you just said that if we really want to build a brand, we need fifty to sixty million yen."

"But have you considered that if you stop because of this number, will you really have the energy to realize this dream after you retire at sixty?"

She blinked, her tone light yet earnest: "Kiryu-kun, I don't want you to regret not taking that step when you're old."

"and"

She tilted her head slightly, a hint of sly laughter in her voice: "I'm not giving this away for nothing."

"I am the president of the Miyazawa Group. If I invest in you, of course I will take a share. Once your brand becomes bigger, I will become a shareholder."

Kiryu Yaya looked into her bright, sparkling eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then chuckled softly.

"shareholder?"

"Yes, a shareholder."

Keiko Miyazawa nodded and said seriously, "I want to own 10%, no, 20% of your brand. Once you become famous throughout Japan and even the world, I can sit at home and count my money."

As she finished speaking, she couldn't help but laugh, her eyes curving into two beautiful crescent moons.

Kiryu Yaya did not answer immediately.

He just stared at her for a few seconds, then reached out and gently pinched her cheek.

"Huizi, you've gone astray."

Where is the 7?

"You're starting to negotiate with me now."

"whee!!"

Why would someone refuse a gift from us?

Keiko Miyazawa smiled gently.

Kiryu Yaya was speechless at her antics and could only smile helplessly.

He was silent for a moment, then finally let out a soft breath, lowered his head, and gently hugged her.

"Huizi".

"Um?"

"I won't let you lose money."

"I know."

Keiko Miyazawa leaned against him and gently closed her eyes.

Then, as if remembering something, she gently left his embrace, turned around, walked to the row of clothes racks next to her, and took down the light beige knitted cardigan.

Keiko Miyazawa turned to look at Yaya Kiryu, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

"Then consider this the first gift you've given me."

"Okay, I'll buy it for you."

Kiryu Yaya walked to the cashier, and the clerk turned over the tag on the light beige knitted cardigan.

"Hello, this item is..."

The clerk glanced down and said, "Twenty-four thousand eight hundred yen."

Without hesitation, Kiryu Yaya took out three 10,000 yen bills from his wallet and handed them over.

The shop assistant took the money, skillfully gave change, packed the item, put the folded cardigan into a light gray paper bag, and handed it back with both hands.

Thank you for your patronage.

7

Kiryu Yaya handed the bag to Miyazawa Keiko, who accepted it with a smile.

Looking at her sweet smile, he couldn't help but sigh.

He managed to leverage 50 million yen with only 30,000 yen; he must be a genius trader.

Kiryu Yaya politely declined Miyazawa Keiko's offer to buy him clothes and suggested instead that they go to a food stall.

Just like what happened in Shinsaibashi not long ago.

Keiko Miyazawa readily agreed.

The night breeze blew in from the street corner, carrying the unique scent of early summer nights, a mixture of grass and asphalt.

Without hesitation, Keiko Miyazawa took that hand back.

Then, she spoke, "Kiryu-kun."

"Um?"

"The fifty or sixty million yen you mentioned earlier, isn't that just the bare minimum for a brand to truly enter the market?"

"But if we do it well, it will be much more than that."

"So if you need more funding later, just let me know."

Kiryu Yaya looked at her, paused slightly, and then smiled and said, "Keiko, if you're this good to me, I'll be so touched I won't be able to sleep tonight."

Keiko Miyazawa tilted her head and chuckled, "Who said that?"

"I like Kiryu-kun, don't I?"

Looking at the gentle and lovely Keiko Miyazawa, Kiryu Yaya gently pulled her into his arms.

Her hair brushed against his chin, carrying a faint scent of shampoo.

Kiryu Yaya didn't say much, he just hugged her quietly for a while, then let go and took her hand in his, their fingers intertwined.

"Let's go, I'll take you to get something to eat."

Upon hearing this, Keiko Miyazawa looked up and asked, "Where are we going?"

"On my way here, I saw a small oden stall in the alley on Hankyu Higashi-dori. The broth smelled really good when I passed by."

"You actually noticed the roadside stalls?"

Keiko Miyazawa curled her lips into a smile, her tone slightly mocking: "I thought Kiryu-kun only cared about bank statements and loan documents."

"You underestimate me too much."

He squeezed her hand: "You're still in my eyes."

77

Keiko Miyazawa's ears turned red again for a moment. She glanced around, then quickly pecked Yaya Kiryu on the cheek. Yaya Kiryu was slightly taken aback, then lowered his head: "A sneak attack?"

"That's called open and aboveboard expression."

Keiko Miyazawa turned her face away, pretending to look at the window of a shop that had already closed.

"May I also express my opinion?"

"No, no, you can't!"

Keiko Miyazawa skipped away, laughing, as she left his attack range.

The next day.

The weather in Osaka turned gloomy.

The air was damp, as if it were about to rain at any moment.

Kiryu Yaya had already visited Chihaya Yuri's house and brought her to the bank.

Perhaps because of the shocking news last night, his colleagues in the classroom were looking at him strangely today.

Kishigami Wakako sat in her seat, a faint smile playing on her lips, her gaze slowly sliding from Kiryu Yaya to Chihaya Yuri.

Wow, that's hilarious!

Yamada Masakazu seemed to have heard about what happened yesterday, and he walked past Kiryu Yaya several times, looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated.

It looks exactly like a certain meme from a past life.

On the contrary, Kiryu Yaya and Chihaya Yuri, who were at the center of the storm, sat motionless in their seats, as if it were none of their business.

Chihaya Yuri's personality is what makes her so appealing.

And what about Kiryu?

They're just shameless.

Just after 10 a.m., the phone ringing in the office area gradually decreased.

Kiryu Yaya had just finished the small task left over from yesterday when the black internal telephone on the desk rang.

Yuka Nakamura, sitting at the workstation in front, subconsciously reached out to answer the call. After listening for a couple of minutes, she turned to look at Yaya Kiryu: "Kiryu-kun, this is an outside call transferred from the switchboard. A lady named Miyazawa is looking for you."

As she said this, Yuka Nakamura bit her lip, her eyes seemingly holding a thousand unspoken words.

Kiryu Yaya looked at the seat he was sitting in.

To the right is the corridor, and behind it is a water dispenser.

This is all normal.

But on the left is Section Chief Chihaya, and in front of her is Yuka Nakamura.

All the seats available for people to sit in were taken up by his fans.

This made Kiryu Yaya feel somewhat passive.

He looked at Nakamura Yuka, got up, walked over, and took the receiver: "Feed?"

Keiko Miyazawa's cheerful voice came from the other end of the phone: "Good morning, Kiryu-kun."

Her voice was lighter than yesterday, as if she had been in a good mood since waking up.

Good morning. What brings you to call at this hour?

"Because there's something I need to tell you."

9

Keiko Miyazawa paused on the other end of the phone: "The start-up capital you mentioned yesterday has been transferred. Please check your account!"

Kiryu Yaya exclaimed, "Huh? So fast?"

Keiko Miyazawa hummed in agreement, then playfully said, "Because I can't wait to become Kiryu-kun's model!"

"I have some things to take care of here, bye~"

Before Kiryu could say anything, Miyazawa Keiko hung up the phone.

Hearing the busy tone on the phone, he shook his head helplessly.

He then left the financing review department and walked down the corridor to the first floor.

In Japan in 1991, the most direct way to check your balance was to go to the counter at the branch office.

Although he didn't bring his passbook, Kiryu Yaya was, after all, a prominent figure at Mitsubishi Bank.

After Kiryu Yaya gave his bank account number, the teller immediately checked his balance.

"How much is left in the balance?"

The female colleague at the front desk looked down at the screen, tapped the keyboard twice, and then suddenly stopped.

She blinked, looked at the numbers on the screen again, then looked up with an uncertain expression in her eyes.

"Kiryu-san—please wait a moment, let me take another look."

She looked down to check again, then looked up, her voice filled with barely concealed surprise: "The balance is 13,408,400 yen. 100 million yen of it was just deposited this morning, and the remitter was Keiko Miyazawa."

Upon hearing this number, Kiryu Yaya was slightly taken aback.

Previously, he only had 3.4 million yen in his Mitsubishi Bank account.

Now there's an extra 100 million yen in front of me.

In other words, Keiko Miyazawa gave him 100 million yen at once!

What a disobedient fellow.

Kiryu Yaya nodded helplessly and smiled at the receptionist, saying, "Thank you for your help."

After saying that, he turned and left the counter.

What he didn't know was that after he left, several female colleagues at the counter started gossiping about the huge sum of money that had been deposited into his account.

The first one to lose control was the short-haired young woman by the window.

She turned her head and said to her bespectacled colleague next to her, "Did you see that? One hundred million yen! One hundred million! Transferred from the heiress of the Miyazawa Group!"

The bespectacled man next to him gasped, "I've heard about it. It's the Miyazawa Group that caused such a stir before? I heard their new president is a rich young lady who just graduated from university?"

The girl at the front desk who was helping him check his balance was still staring at the screen, as if trying to glean something from that string of zeros.

She looked up, her expression subtle: "I remember Kiryu-kun has only been with the company for two months, right? One hundred million yen—it would take him more than twenty years to save that up."

The short-haired young woman considered a possibility and lowered her voice, saying, "Kiryu-kun—"

"Could she be being kept by a sugar daddy?"

Just then, Mizuna Yayoi came downstairs after delivering the materials.

The short-haired young woman, knowing that Yayoi and Kiryu Yaya were close, called out to Yayoi Mina, "Mina-chan! I have something to tell you!"

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