Tokyo: They say it's just dating, but they're serious about it.

For Kenta's wedding.

Katsuhiko originally wanted to give a gift of 1 yen as a token of appreciation, but after glancing at the room that Sayuri had cleaned, he felt that giving such a small gift would be a bit unfair to Kenta's generosity.

Although it was directed at "the one who disappeared" and not at himself, he had already taken his place and accepted Kenta's generosity.

The current standard wedding gift is 3 yen. Even for ordinary friends, the minimum is 3 yen. Only those with a less close relationship who have to give a gift are given 1 yen.

According to the 9 yen dowry and speech prepared by "the missing man," he had obviously agreed to attend the wedding and was preparing to pay the gift on the day.

Kenta bought a second-hand apartment in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden as part of their wedding, and they also held their wedding there, which wasn't far away.

"Then give me 3!"

While we're at it, let's go to Maruyoshi yakiniku restaurant and see Sayuri's mom...

Chapter 6 Take a nap on the street

At eight o'clock in the morning, the sun was shining brightly.

Katsuhiko, dressed in his convenience store uniform, walked to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.

Passing by the nearby pedestrian shopping street, I saw college students handing out flyers everywhere, and many of the girls were wearing JK uniforms with pleated skirts that went above their knees, which made me glance at them a few more times.

April is a crucial time for recent graduates to find jobs, and the job market has been hit hard for the first time due to the recession of the bubble economy.

With the employment rate plummeting by more than ten percentage points, many recent graduates are unable to find formal employment and are forced to rely on their parents for financial support or take on part-time jobs to survive during this employment slump.

This group is known to later generations as the "employment ice age generation," or sometimes as "flexible workers."

Katsuhiko accepted every flyer offered to him. Although he couldn't guarantee that the students would actually buy anything, simply taking the flyers and not throwing them away was a way of supporting the university students' work.

Before I'd even walked halfway through the shopping street, I'd already accumulated all sorts of discount coupons and vouchers—a massive clearance sale!

People have started to be more frugal, and large corporations are also having a tough time. They've launched various discounts and are selling at prices 50% cheaper than small private shops, which has driven many private stores out of business.

Katsuhiko also received a coupon for "Marukichi BBQ Restaurant".

The matter of going to the barbecue restaurant to see Little Lily's mother was certainly not about going to the lock to claim kinship.

His subconscious thought was to confirm whether "Sayuri was lying."

He still couldn't quite believe that a female college graduate who couldn't find a job could be so good at saving money.

As a transmigrator, he inherently carries a sense of unreality, feeling out of place in this world. He wants to let loose here, but he feels like he's walking on thin ice. He doesn't even believe in cheat codes; he has to see things for himself before he can feel at ease.

With a keen eye, they soon spotted the barbecue restaurant with its black signboard and red lettering.

The restaurant was not open at this time.

Many shop staff members in uniforms were seen wandering around the restaurant handing out flyers to passersby.

When Sheng Yan looked over, a familiar figure holding a flyer suddenly shrank into the crowd and ran into the restaurant.

It would have been better if she hadn't hidden; the moment she did, Sheng Yan noticed her immediately.

Sayuri was still wearing that slightly oversized beige coat, and her lower body was still wearing the convenience store's knee-length brown pleated skirt.

Sheng Yan immediately pushed through the crowd, took two steps forward, and grabbed her by the back of the neck.

"Hey~ look who's here?"

Xiaobaihe's raised foot froze in mid-air before slowly falling back down. Then, she covered her forehead with the flyer, slowly squatted down, and even tried to take off her open coat and run away.

Sheng Yan patted her shoulder, turned her around, lifted the flyer and looked at her face.

Her oval face was flushed red, and her wide eyes trembled, darting around nervously, as if she was worried about being seen by someone...

She was probably afraid her mother would see her...

Her eyes were a little puffy, and although they were still bright, there were bloodshot streaks in the whites of her eyes from staying up all night.

Looks like he really didn't sleep all night...

Katsuhiko loosened the flyer, letting her continue to cover herself, then brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "Aren't you going to say hello to your boyfriend?"

As if struck by lightning, goosebumps immediately rose on the base of Xiaobaihe's bright red ears, and she whispered, "Hello."

"Hello to you too." Sheng Yan tilted his head and gestured to the lounge chair in the corner by the wall. "How about sitting there for a while? You sit inside, I'll block the view, your mother shouldn't notice."

Little Lily lifted the flyer, her eyes darting around, then turned her head to the corner of the wall, glancing around like a thief, before nodding like a chick pecking at rice.

"well……"

Katsuhiko continued to put his right hand on her shoulder, and together they walked to the corner of the wall and then sat down on a lounge chair.

Xiaobaihe kept her head down the whole time; the flyer she was holding to her forehead was almost crushed by her fingers.

Katsuhiko put his hand on her shoulder and gently pulled her towards his seat.

She stiffened her body and slowly tilted to one side, looking very cautious.

Sheng Yan glanced at the restaurant entrance and asked, "Does your mother disapprove of you dating at 23?"

Sheng Yan lowered his head and gave her a flirtatious wink.

“No, I…” Little Lily’s arms tightened around her, and she scratched her knees with her little hands. After a long pause, she tilted her head and whispered, “I don’t know how to say it.”

Little Lily was so excited last night that she couldn't sleep. She only dozed off for an hour before getting up again to mop the floor. She still feels like she's dreaming.

She hadn't quite adjusted to letting her parents know she was in a relationship. She was embarrassed to say it, and she didn't know what Sheng Yan's mindset was. She always felt uneasy.

Seeing her shy and embarrassed expression, Sheng Yan could roughly guess her feelings. After all, it was her first time in love, so she was thin-skinned and had a low threshold for emotional stimulation. Even the slightest emotional massage would make her bristle.

If someone has had one or two relationships, there's absolutely no way they would be hiding, unless they're cheating...

"The room you cleaned is fantastic, beyond my expectations. I'm very satisfied," Katsuhiko said, his hand on her shoulder gently sliding upwards, his finger flicking her earlobe. "You must have been exhausted last night."

"It's...it's alright," Little Lily said, squinting her eyes in apparent enjoyment, her body trembling as she giggled, "No, it's not that tiring..."

"Lie down here and take a nap," Sheng Yan released his arm from her shoulder, patted his knee, and continued, "Your boyfriend's legs are yours today, use them as you please."

"Huh?!" Little Lily was taken aback, her eyes wide with surprise.

Afterwards, she didn't move. Instead, with a troubled look on her face, she covered her eyes under the flyer and kept stealing glances at pedestrians on the street.

On the opposite seat, a couple was hugging and kissing, and she looked on with envy.

"Hurry up, don't keep your boyfriend waiting too long." Sheng Yan placed his hand on the top of her head and gently ruffled her soft hair.

Xiaobai lowered her head, clutching the flyer to cover half of her flushed face, and whispered, "There are too many people, we'll be found out..."

She was worried that the shop assistant would see her and then tell her mother... Although she was looking forward to it, she couldn't suppress her shyness and trepidation.

Sheng Yan tugged at the collar of her oversized coat and said, "Take off your coat."

It was a bright and sunny day, and Xiaobaihe was wearing a rather thick coat. Many people on the street who were wearing coats had already taken them off and were draping them over their arms as they strolled around.

What are you doing?

Little Lily lowered her head, her eyes filled with expectant curiosity as she asked.

"To shield you from the light."

As Sheng Yan spoke, he took the flyer from her hand, tucked it under his buttocks, and then grabbed her coat collar and pulled it up. She cooperated by raising her arm and easily pulling it down.

Sayuri was still wearing the white shirt uniform from the convenience store.

Then, Katsuhiko gestured for her to put her legs on the seat, lie down on it, and rest her head on her legs for a while.

Little Lily lowered her head and remained motionless, fidgeting.

Katsuhiko handled it himself, and she cooperated, neither taking the initiative nor refusing... In the end, he unfolded his coat and covered her with it, then folded a flyer and placed it on her forehead, leaving only her fair chin and pink lips exposed, as if to block out the light.

The morning sun felt warm and cozy on my skin.

Katsuhiko stroked Sayuri's fine hair near her ear with his left hand, and placed his right hand on her outer shoulder, patting it gently.

After Xiaobaihe's tense body relaxed, he also leaned back in his seat and became sleepy.

As for giving Kenta a gift of money, since we're not eating there, it's fine to arrive at noon... It'll count as a date, right? Kenta, being married, will understand his single brother's situation...

Chapter 7 Is this the real cheat code?

Even with the sun shining on his face, Katsuhiko couldn't fall into a deep sleep; it was equivalent to an hour of meditation.

Little Lily, resting her head on my lap, turned her head slightly. A small hole had appeared in the flyer that was covering her eyes.

Katsuhiko flipped open the flyer, and her bloodshot eyes, wide open, were staring at Katsuhiko's face.

His eyes were vacant, as if he were lost in thought, and he had a kind of dazed look about him.

This state usually only appears in people who are just beginning to experience romantic feelings... it's when they stare blankly at the person they like, their minds completely blank.

Katsuhiko asked, "Aren't you asleep?"

"Huh?" Little Lily's pupils focused sharply, her eyes quickly darting away as she whispered, "I...I can't sleep..."

At 9:30 a.m., the restaurant employees who had been handing out flyers on the roadside had already entered the store.

The restaurant's glass doors were open, and three or four women dressed as kitchen helpers were walking into the restaurant.

Katsuhiko helped Sayuri sit up and pointed to the restaurant entrance, saying, "Look over there."

As soon as Little Lily poked her head out, one of the aunties seemed to sense something and casually turned her head.

"Hiss—!" Sayuri gasped, then covered her face and leaned back, falling onto Katsuhiko's lap. She turned to face Katsuhiko's waist, muttering softly, "You can't see me...you can't see me..."

The woman seemed to pause for a moment, but she didn't stop. Instead, she looked around as she walked into the shop.

When Sheng Yan noticed that she seemed to be looking him up and down, he immediately smiled, waved to her, and then pointed to Xiao Baihe, who was hiding with her face covered.

The woman blinked, as if she had realized something, then nodded to Sheng Yan, smiled, and went into the store, turning back every few steps.

He seemed very curious, with a hint of gossip in his expression.

She looked to be around forty-five or forty-six years old, with a face shape similar to Xiaobaihe's. She was somewhat thin, and the skin on her hands had a whitish tinge from being submerged in water for a long time, along with some faded frostbite marks.

It was a pair of hands that had been wearing plastic gloves for a long time while washing dishes.

"Did they leave?" Little Lily covered her face, tilted her head, and asked softly.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Sayuri had to go to the convenience store to take over the shift from Mikoto, the store manager.

"Let's go," Katsuhiko said, considering she hadn't slept last night and probably wouldn't be able to stay awake. He then took out his keys and continued, "Going back to my apartment to catch up on some sleep..."