Chapter 39: Teaching Chikawa Ryoka a Lesson!

Dim light fell quietly upon Kitahara’s face.

He surveyed the izakaya; it was old and dilapidated. The only other patrons were a few weary workers who had just finished their shifts. In the cramped, stifling space, they lit up cigarettes—a cheap brand that smelled harsh and acrid.

Kitahara looked away, a slight frown creasing his brow as he glanced at the grease on the tabletop. He was a man with a touch of mysophobia and could not stand such a filthy environment.

Senkawa Ryoka seemed to notice his expression. She hurriedly grabbed a rag and scrubbed the table a few times, offering a conciliatory smile. Yet, she seemed not to have learned how to smile properly; the way her mouth curled up looked forced and awkward, making one feel only uneasy.

However, Kitahara had no high expectations.

A girl who usually wore a cold, stoic mask was now smiling intentionally for him—the money was not spent in vain.

But the rag, saturated with stories and odors, only seemed to make the table dirtier the more she wiped it. Kitahara shook his head, cutting her efforts short.

"Forget it. That’s enough."

"Oh... alright."

Senkawa Ryoka watched as Kitahara placed his clean clothes on the table, the pristine fabric suddenly marred by a layer of grease, and a flicker of embarrassment stirred in her heart.

"I give you ten thousand yen every day, not so you can go out and work," Kitahara tapped the table, speaking to himself. "Logically speaking, while ten thousand isn't a fortune, it should be more than enough to cover your monthly expenses."

Ten thousand yen.

Converted to other currencies, it was a significant sum. For a Japanese high school student, the monthly allowance was only five thousand yen, yet Kitahara was giving her ten thousand a day.

Conditions like these were practically equivalent to being kept.

He did not know what this delinquent girlfriend was spending her money on to still find the need to work a part-time job.

"I'm sorry."

Reprimanded, Senkawa Ryoka dared not say another word.

She was merely a kept girlfriend. As her boyfriend and the one paying the bills, Kitahara had every right to lecture her.

Watching her lower her gaze, Kitahara felt no real desire to blame her; he was simply concerned and spoke his mind. Whether Senkawa listened or not was her own business.

"What time do you finish work?"

"In half an hour."

Half an hour.

Kitahara checked the time. It was 11:30 PM, meaning she would finish at midnight. Past the stroke of midnight—was she not afraid to be out so late?

He stared at her for a few moments, making her head sink lower and lower, before he finally withdrew his gaze.

"Pour me a cup of tea."

"Oh..."

Senkawa Ryoka held the teacup, carefully placed it before Kitahara, and then stood silently by his side like a personal maid.

Kitahara flipped through the menu.

It was a very ordinary yakitori shop. Besides chicken skewers, there were only cheap fruits and vegetables, and aside from those, the most popular item was beer.

"Damn it! That bastard boss..."

As he pondered, a customer at the bar complained. Senkawa instinctively looked over, moving closer to Kitahara. When people encounter danger, they subconsciously gravitate toward what they perceive as a safe harbor.

Kitahara glanced back, indifferent; it was just a drunkard.

"Do you work here often?" he asked while scanning the menu.

Senkawa shook her head. "I don't usually have the chance. It's just that someone called in sick today, so the owner let me cover for the day."

Kitahara was surprised.

He hadn't expected that beneath the veneer of a delinquent "gyaru," she was actually a hardworking laborer. This meant that sleeping in class wasn't due to laziness, but sheer exhaustion.

Recalling the rumors at school—about her being a member of a delinquent girl gang, or a girl selling her time after school—it seemed they were all just misunderstandings.

But that was fine, too.

Kitahara preferred "good" girls. Especially with a woman he was intimate with, he hoped for someone kind-hearted with a normal worldview. A gold-digger might be sensible, but they always required a price.

Kitahara flipped through a few pages of the menu and, finding nothing to his taste, set it down with a lack of interest. Suddenly, a subtle, delicate sound emanated from his companion’s stomach. He couldn't help but lean in to look.

Senkawa Ryoka remained silent, but a flush of embarrassment appeared on her cold, pale face.

If she was hungry, she should have just said so...

Kitahara ordered a dozen small dishes at random.

"That's all. Tell the kitchen to serve them quickly."

"That's so much. Can you eat all of that by yourself?" Senkawa Ryoka was shocked. It was quite a large amount; even for her, it would take some time to finish.

"I have money to burn, and I’m capricious."

Possessing forty million yen, Kitahara spoke with grand nonchalance. "If I can't finish it, I'll just throw it away."

Senkawa Ryoka muttered something under her breath. Kitahara heard it clearly; it was a rural Kyoto dialect, roughly meaning that this rich man was incredibly wasteful.

"The next time you whisper behind my back, I’ll go into the classroom and announce to everyone that you’re my girlfriend," he remarked casually.

"I'm sorry!"

The delinquent girlfriend apologized immediately, a miserable look on her face. It was bad enough she had bad-mouthed him, but that he had actually heard it...

Kitahara, however, had no intention of letting her off the hook. He cast a sidelong glance at her. "You answered so quickly. Do you find it embarrassing to be my girlfriend?"

Senkawa Ryoka’s eyes widened. She hadn't expected Kitahara to find so many ways to make things difficult for her.

Hadn't she already apologized? Why did he have to be so aggressive?

"No, that's not what I meant," she said, her face turning bright red.

"Then what was it?"

Senkawa Ryoka’s train of thought stalled. Looking at Kitahara’s intrigued expression, she bit her lip. "I was just worried that you might be looked down upon because of my reputation..."

Not a bad answer.

"Is that so? Then I misunderstood you. My apologies." Kitahara’s expression softened. "Let’s go. Don't forget my things."

"..."

Senkawa Ryoka let out a sigh of relief, though a trace of resentment stirred in her heart. Ten thousand yen a day was tempting, but he seemed a bit difficult to please.

Kitahara closed his eyes to rest for a moment. He had spent an hour trading wits with a gold-digger earlier that night and was truly exhausted.

When he opened his eyes again, a dozen dishes were already on the table. As he rubbed his eyes, Senkawa Ryoka brought over the final drinks and set them before him.

"I ordered a bit too much. Sit down and keep me company while I eat," he yawned, speaking softly.

"Is that allowed?"

"If I tell you to eat, then eat. Don't waste your breath," Kitahara said bluntly.

Senkawa pouted, but she sat down across from him quite happily, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, and began to eat ravenously.

[Ding!]

A mission arrived.

Kitahara checked the system.

[On a night unknown to others, you encountered your old classmate, Senkawa Ryoka. You saw her enter a hotel with a man... The fake smile blooming on her face left you standing there, at a loss.]

[You once thought you had truly redeemed Senkawa Ryoka, but that is not the case...]

[A woman like this has long since fallen into the abyss, beyond saving!]

[Sigh, pity, sorrow...]

[You realize your methods were wrong... Just like the female teacher, she is a kite without a string; someone must hold the tether for her to soar freely...]

[From today on, dominate Senkawa Ryoka. Make this shameless woman feel your wrath!]

[Mission: Take her to a hotel and give Senkawa Ryoka a harsh lesson!]

[P.S.: This woman is sensitive to whips; it is best not to use such things...]

[Reward: Appearance Optimization Card!]