"Pfft—"
"Pfft—"
"Pfft—"
Asu Mei was woken from her sleep by some unknown sound. Sunlight streamed through the screen window, and Asu Mei slowly opened her eyes, fumbling for her phone.
Seeing April 29th, 8:30 AM displayed on her phone, she jolted upright in fright.
Today was Sunday, with no holiday, and her work started at 8:20 AM, meaning she was already ten minutes late.
She frantically threw off the covers, her fair body exposed to the air, and then Asu Mei realized she didn't need to go to work anymore.
She already had five million yen in compensation and two million yen saved for Hoshino Jun's tuition.
Of Takayanagi Yuki's three and a half million yen, two million had also been transferred to her.
Plus the twenty-five million yen Hoshino Jun gave her.
Now Asu Mei was a wealthy person with a total of thirty-four million yen. She was also going to open a convenience store with Takayanagi Yuki.
She was about to become a boss.
"Work? What work?"
"Damn capitalists, don't even think about exploiting us. Go to hell!"
"Yuki-nee, you agree, right?!"
She buried her head, falling back into the covers, then turned to look at the empty space beside her.
Huh?
Where was Yuki-nee?
Asu Mei clearly remembered that Takayanagi Yuki had stayed in her room to sleep last night because they had talked too late.
Could it be that she went home?
Suddenly,
Asu Mei recalled the sound that had woken her up. It sounded a bit like kneading dough, and a bit like playing cards, but listening closely, it was neither.
Although she couldn't distinguish what the sound was.
Asu Mei could guarantee that the sound was definitely coming from inside the house.
Because the apartment's soundproofing wasn't good; if there was a slightly louder movement, it could definitely be heard in the next room.
"It couldn't be…"
Asu Mei sat up again, narrowing her eyes, a cold light bursting forth from them.
Asu Mei had felt strange since last night. Yuki-nee had always referred to her Little Piglet as "Jun" before, so why had it suddenly changed to "Jun-kun"?
Was there some secret she didn't know about in between?
Little Piglet was already an adult; Asu Mei knew that.
Yuki-nee next door was a beautiful widow who had been lonely for many years; Asu Mei also knew that.
Moreover,
As a twenty-eight-year-old single woman, Asu Mei wasn't completely ignorant about such matters. She sometimes secretly watched love-making films from the island nation.
The plots often included things like widows falling in love with neighborhood youths.
Asu Mei's gaze became incredibly sharp. She firmly believed her pig baby was pure and adorable.
But if the aunt next door was seductive and lonely, actively luring him, could a pure pig resist the temptation of such a ripe, mature cabbage?
Thinking of Takayanagi Yuki's plump and smooth figure, Asu Mei felt it was doubtful.
After all, last time, she had caught the two of them embracing at the door, and Little Piglet's hand was still on the ripe cabbage's backside.
Although in Asu Mei's impression, Takayanagi Yuki had always been a proper woman, not one to seduce men.
But her pig baby was the best in the world; what woman wouldn't like him?
"I hope I'm just overthinking."
Quietly.
Asu Mei got out of bed and silently walked out of the bedroom.
"Clap!"
"Clap!"
"Clap!"
The sounds grew louder, interspersed with a soft, subtly charming voice.
"Jun-kun. Gently, don't be so, forceful."
As neighbors for many years, Asu Mei was a hundred percent certain that this was the voice of her good friend, good subordinate, and good older sister, Takayanagi Yuki.
And the boy's voice that followed immediately, Asu Mei couldn't possibly forget.
That was her Little Piglet.
"I'm very hot-tempered; just bear with it."
Upon hearing this, Asu Mei's face instantly turned pale. She felt a buzzing in her ears, as if a gong was wildly clanging in her head.
The pig she had painstakingly raised.
Its meat was really being stolen and eaten.
"Whoosh—!"
Asu Mei's eyes had lost their focus. At this moment, she only wanted to drag the two people in the kitchen out.
Her brows furrowed in a cold frown, and slowly, imperceptibly, she crept closer and closer to the kitchen.
"Hmph, dog and bitch, even closed the door."
Asu Mei felt her lungs were about to burst from anger. She had taken such good care of Takayanagi Yuki all this time, and this was how Takayanagi Yuki repaid her.
"One."
"Two."
"Three."
She yanked open the kitchen door, Asu Mei's red lips parted furiously, a roar of anger about to escape.
However.
Upon seeing the scene inside, she froze.
"Huh, what are you two doing?" Asu Mei was momentarily stunned, then asked.
Inside the kitchen, Hoshino Jun was stir-frying with a wok, while Takayanagi Yuki stood beside him, holding a seasoning box.
Both of them looked at Asu Mei, equally bewildered.
"Is it that hard to tell?" Hoshino Jun blinked, saying nonchalantly, "Of course, we're cooking."
Takayanagi Yuki, whose face was flushed for some unknown reason, also nodded, "Jun-kun, you're stir-frying too vigorously. You should be gentler, or you'll damage the pot."
Uh.
So, 'gently' meant gentler stir-frying.
And 'hot-tempered' must have meant the stove fire was too high.
But what about the "pfft," "pfft" sounds earlier, and the "clap, clap" noises?
At this moment, a grain of rice suddenly flew out of the wok, was scorched by the flame, and made a "pop" sound.
"Of course I can tell, haha." Asu Mei's eyes were blank, and she awkwardly put her hands behind her back, "I was just wondering when you two would finish cooking; I'm hungry."
She had misunderstood.
How embarrassing.
Fortunately, she hadn't cursed them out yet.
Hoshino Jun waved his hand, smiling at the embarrassed Mei-auntie, "Such a glutton. Go wait at the dining table; it'll be ready soon."
Asu Mei's face was as red as Guan Yu's. She nodded and scurried back to the living room.
In an instant, Hoshino Jun and Takayanagi Yuki both sighed in relief. The beautiful woman next door went limp, completely collapsing into Hoshino Jun's arms.
"You scared me to death."
"Me too."
Hoshino Jun swallowed, his T-shirt soaked with cold sweat.
Almost, just a tiny bit.
If he hadn't activated "Invisibility" just as Asu Mei opened the door, he would have been cut down by Mei-auntie today.
Lust had clouded his judgment.
He thought Mei-auntie wouldn't wake up, but she did.
"Jun-kun, why didn't Mei discover us?" Takayanagi Yuki looked back, her delicate face flushed, her eyes subtly misty with moisture.
She had been really scared just now, thinking Mei was about to scold her.
But surprisingly, nothing happened. Following Hoshino Jun's reminder, they successfully passed the difficult moment.
There was all kinds of food in the kitchen.
Hoshino Jun's entire hand couldn't hold one meat patty; he had to use force to grip it firmly.
"Mei-auntie is a bit groggy when she first wakes up in the morning, in a state of half-awake, half-asleep. That's why she didn't notice us, understand?"
"But I feel like Mei was awake."
"Why so many 'buts'? Stop talking and focus on eating."
One hand holding the meat patty, the other supporting his friend's mother's slender waist to prevent her from falling.
At the same time, he had to wholeheartedly serve his friend's mother to ensure she ate well and was full. Hoshino Jun was truly having a tough time.
Only a diligent and hardworking young man like Hoshino Jun could endure such hardship.
Eating too quickly, her mouth full, Takayanagi Yuki couldn't help but let out a muffled groan of happiness.
So satisfying.
Before she met Hoshino Jun, Takayanagi Yuki sometimes missed her deceased husband, but now she didn't at all.
Her deceased husband's meals had never made Takayanagi Yuki feel full.
Only Hoshino Jun was so generous, letting her eat her fill.
She just felt a bit guilty towards Mei. When eating Hoshino Jun's food, she always had a strong sense of shame.
--- At ten o'clock in the morning, the morning rush hour had passed, and the lunch rush hour hadn't yet begun.
It was the best time of day for those with leisure.
After breakfast, Asu Mei and Takayanagi Yuki gathered on the sofa, searching online for available storefronts to rent.
Hoshino Jun didn't disturb them. He went into the bathroom to take a shower.
Then, he changed into more casual clothes, announced his intention to go out for a stroll, and left the apartment alone, heading to the train station to take a train near Kato Nana's house.
"The sun in Tokyo is truly getting more and more scorching."
Blue skies, white clouds, and bright sunshine symbolized the beginning of a beautiful day.
The Takasaki House and the Kato House were directly across from each other. As Hoshino Jun walked to the middle of the two houses, he first looked in the direction of the Takasaki House but didn't find Takasaki Yusuke in the room where he had been before.
'Yusuke-kun, I'm at your doorstep. Aren't you going to come out and greet me?'
Hoshino Jun had intended to send Takasaki Yusuke such a message, but he couldn't find him in his friends list.
The answer was obvious: he had been deleted.
"It seems Yusuke-kun has made his choice, intending to fully side with Yamada Tsukasa and then embezzle my one million yen."
"I've already been scammed out of one million yen. If the system doesn't give me an A-rank debt, is that even reasonable?"
[Ding!]
[Detected malicious deception from Takasaki Yusuke!]
[Choose not to pursue, and you will acquire an A-rank emotional debt.]
Hoshino Jun was very satisfied with the system's task-issuing speed.
He decisively chose not to pursue.
The reward for an A-rank debt was five million yen and a special skill. To get all these things for a mere one million yen.
It was a huge profit.
[After evaluation, Takasaki Yusuke is unable to repay this emotional debt. The debt has been automatically transferred to his mother, "Takasaki Tamako."]
"Eh?"
"It's not transferred to Nana, surprisingly?"
Hoshino Jun was a bit disappointed, thinking this debt would be easy.
But it was actually transferred to Takasaki Tamako.
[Hint: Kato Nana has unilaterally declared a complete severance of ties with Takasaki Yusuke. The connection between them no longer exists. Even if Kato Nana's position in Takasaki Yusuke's heart is high, the transfer cannot occur.]
Huh?
Door to door, and they could still completely sever ties.
Nana was quite ruthless.
But that's how you should treat a simp.
Hoshino Jun scratched the back of his head, somewhat helplessly, then turned to ring the Kato House's doorbell.
"Ding-dong—!"
After waiting for more than ten seconds, a hurried patter of footsteps was heard first, and then the door opened.
The girl who opened the door, upon seeing Hoshino Jun, had her eyes light up, joy surfacing from her heart and showing on her face, bringing a smile to her lips.
"Hoshino-kun, you really came!"
Seemingly not expecting Hoshino Jun to actually come, Kato Nana exclaimed that, then happily bounced around.
Her heavy, abundant fruits bounced with her, like the moon escaping Earth's control, the fruits also wanted to break free from the constraints of her clothes.
Hoshino Jun was truly worried they might actually pop out, so he quickly pressed down on Kato Nana's shoulders, entering the Kato House house with her and closing the door.
He scanned the room but didn't see anyone.
Just as Kato Nana had said yesterday, there was no one home today.
She seemed to have realized that her reaction just now had been too excited and not like how she usually behaved with Hoshino-kun. After a while of happiness, Kato Nana's expression turned to one of fear.
"H-Hoshino-kun."
"Hmm?"
"Although Papa and Mama both went to Grandpa's house in Kumamoto, and Nana is the only one home right now, if Hoshino-kun tries to bully Nana, Nana will resist."
This little girl was truly suited to be an actress. When the drama queen possessed her, her acting skills surpassed many famous actors.
After only two sentences, tears welled up in her eyes. She retreated, on the verge of tears, and indignantly said, "Even if Hoshino-kun punches and kicks Nana, Nana will never yield to the evil Hoshino-kun."
As she spoke, the girl vigorously shook her body, her ear-length short hair lifted by the airflow, revealing her clear and adorable face completely.
Today, Kato Nana was wearing her most suitable everyday JK sailor uniform, the girl's youthful beauty fully displayed beneath her pleated skirt.
Not only did she like it, but Hoshino Jun also liked it very much.
"Kato-san, I didn't come here to bully you." Hoshino Jun took off his shoes, stepped onto the wooden floor, and approached Kato Nana step by step.
Watching the fiercest and worst Hoshino-kun in the world get closer and closer, Kato Nana's heart pounded "thump, thump, thump."
'Hoshino-kun really came!'
'No, that's not right.'
'I shouldn't be so happy. I need to be a little sad.'
'Hoshino the demon actually came, how hateful!'
'Fortunately, I didn't go to Grandpa's house with Papa and Mama.'
'Again, not right.'
'Why didn't I go to Grandpa's house? Now Nana is home alone, facing a big bad guy, so scary!'
Stabilizing her excited emotions, Kato Nana looked up and met Hoshino Jun's gaze, who was now less than a fist's distance from her.
"Then what is Hoshino-kun's intention?"
"I'm here to inform Nana-chan that it's time to pay back the money."
Hoshino Jun reached out and gently stroked Kato Nana's smooth cheek, his tone calm.
He said, "Your childhood friend, Takasaki Yusuke, borrowed one million yen from me and ran off without paying it back. I can't find him, so I had no choice but to come to you, Nana-chan."
What?
Takasaki Yusuke actually owed Hoshino-kun money?
And it was one million yen!!!
Kato Nana believed Hoshino Jun had that much money, but she didn't expect Hoshino Jun to lend it to Takasaki Yusuke, nor did she expect Takasaki Yusuke to borrow money and not pay it back.
How could such a lowly person exist in the world!
"Hoshino-kun, is what you're saying true?" Kato Nana asked.
"Do I have a reason to lie to you?"
Hoshino Jun pinched the girl's chin, gazing into her eyes, "Now I'm giving Nana-chan two choices. One is for Nana-chan to bear the debt for your childhood friend and be bullied by me."
"And the other?" The girl pouted her small lips. She was somewhat displeased that Hoshino Jun was still associating her with Takasaki Yusuke.
She had already stopped bothering with Takasaki Yusuke.
Now they were just ordinary neighbors.
"The other is for Nana-chan to take me to find Yusuke-kun's mother."
"To make her pay back the money."
Sorry, Yusuke-kun, you were the one who was unethical first.
Don't blame me.
For attacking your spawn point.