Chapter 8: It Was Not Over Yet

Senkawa Ryoka had inquired about it; the streetwalkers in Tokyo’s Okubo Park charged between 15,000 and 20,000 yen per session. By handing over 500,000 yen, Kitahara was getting nothing but the hollow title of "boyfriend." In the market, this was essentially driving up prices—a behavior that invited contempt.

Was he an idiot?

Looking at the Fukuzawa Yukichi bills before her, Senkawa Ryoka’s hands trembled slightly. She was desperate for money—truly desperate—and this half-million was life-saving. But she couldn't accept it, because his affection wasn't something she could truly offer in return. She had no future to give Kitahara.

But... in the end, she took it. She didn't dare look at him as she accepted the cash. Deep down, she knew this was fraud, but she had no better options. She shoved the money into her pocket, looked at him in silence, and whispered, "I'm your girlfriend now."

"I don't think I've added you as a contact yet."

Kitahara pulled out his phone. Senkawa Ryoka hurriedly retrieved hers, a faint smile tugging at her heart. He claimed to have liked her for a long time, yet he didn't even have her contact information—what kind of secret crush was that?

"My name is 'Ichibanhoshi'—it means the first star you see in the evening." She added Kitahara to her sparse contact list and, right in front of him, set him as a priority contact.

"That’s a lovely name."

Kitahara’s compliment was effortless, making Senkawa Ryoka feel bashful. In truth, her grandmother had named her that; she certainly didn't have that kind of talent.

Senkawa Ryoka hesitated, finally remembering the business at hand. Since she was now Kitahara’s girlfriend, there were things boys naturally wanted to do. She didn't know how to handle that, so she just whispered, "I... I'm not really prepared for that right now. If you want it, you’ll have to wait half a year... no, two months. Two months is enough."

She knew she had no right to make demands, but she wanted to be prepared for her first time.

"Two months, huh..."

Kitahara didn't actually care about that; he was seeking the perfect lover—a girlfriend who would never betray him, shared his personality, and was in perfect harmony with him. Everything he was doing now was merely to save Senkawa Ryoka, not out of any desire for her body. However, Kitahara felt he couldn't just let it go; he always lived by the law of equivalent exchange. Since he had paid, Senkawa Ryoka should provide a return. It was a matter of mutual respect.

"I can wait two months. Before then, what can you do for me?" Kitahara asked.

"What can I do..."

Senkawa Ryoka thought for a moment. She didn't understand these things either, so she simply murmured, "Let's kiss."

She was giving away her first kiss just like that. To say she didn't regret it would be a lie, but she felt that was all the value she had left.

And so, the girl closed her eyes, her cherry-pink lips pursed slightly, then parted with a tremble.

Watching her nervous expression, Kitahara smiled. He had called her a delinquent, but what kind of delinquent was this innocent? It was enough to stir one’s pity. Kitahara stepped forward, lowered his head, and captured her lips, tasting them as if they were fruit jelly.

Senkawa might look pathetic, but Kitahara would not betray his principles. Equivalent exchange was the foundation of mutual respect.

"Mmph..." Senkawa Ryoka’s eyes widened. The boy before her was inches away, his breath against her cheeks like steam. Hormones surged, and she felt her heart skip a beat.

***

A long time later, they parted. Senkawa Ryoka’s heart felt like it was about to leap from her chest.

"Fruit-flavored," Kitahara remarked.

It was like fresh fruit mixed with milk candy—creamy yet sweet. He had half-expected the smell of cigarettes; he was relieved it hadn't ruined his expectations. It was Kitahara’s first kiss too, and he would have been disappointed if it tasted like smoke.

Senkawa Ryoka’s face flushed crimson. She touched her lips, avoided his gaze, and said, "I have something to do, I have to go..."

"Wait a second..." Kitahara suddenly grabbed her. "I haven't given you tomorrow’s money yet."

"Huh?"

Amidst her confused gaze, Kitahara pressed 10,000 yen into her hand and instructed, "This is your daily girlfriend fee. Don't skip class anymore."

"There's no need..." Senkawa Ryoka refused. She said earnestly, "500,000 is enough." She would find a way to manage the rest.

"Take it. I'm afraid you'll go looking for someone else behind my back and cheat on me," Kitahara said casually.

"..."

Senkawa Ryoka was speechless; she wasn't that kind of person. However... "Okay." She nodded slightly and took the bill.

Senkawa Ryoka was certain now: she was Kitahara’s girlfriend, so she wouldn't hesitate to take his money in the future. She would provide a return... just like that kiss.

As for when this mistaken romance would end, it would be when her father was discharged from the hospital. When that time came, she would tell him everything and work to pay back every cent of Kitahara’s money.

After Senkawa Ryoka left, Kitahara checked his system; the reward had arrived. Twenty years later, it wouldn't be this easy to help someone actively seeking death, let alone receive a reward that felt disproportionate to the effort. Another person might have ignored it entirely.

[Ding—]

[You have successfully saved Senkawa Ryoka, yet you notice her inner turmoil remains unresolved. You prevented her suicide today, but tomorrow, or perhaps the day after, such a scene may repeat.]

[Perhaps, there is another secret hidden within her.]

[Seek the root cause of her miserable life.]

[Reward: 1,000,000 yen.]

Saved, but not entirely saved. Something was still missing. Was it related to the teacher? No, if it could be solved with money, it wasn't the teacher's doing—at least, that person didn't have that kind of power.

Still, Kitahara narrowed his eyes. A teacher who threatened students was scum, whether in reality or on TV. It was a pity Senkawa had run off so quickly, or he could have asked her. There was no rush; she was only sixteen, not thirty-five, so he didn't need to worry about her safety just yet.

Then again, he hoped to solve it quickly. That was one million yen on the line.

***

Kitahara walked out of the swimming center to prepare for his afternoon art class. Also, he needed to find a way to deal with the stockings. Would Takagi wear them? That seemed unlikely.

...

Before the first class in the afternoon, Kitahara saw Yoshimizu looking down, so he went over to ask.

"I heard the model ran off. We have to draw fruit this afternoon..."

"Oh, did they say why?"

"Supposedly, they made enough money."

"What a pity."

Kitahara didn't care who he drew. He glanced at the desk next to him; it was empty. As soon as Senkawa got the money, she disappeared. Did the homeroom teacher not care?

With nothing to do, Kitahara decided to chat with Takagi. She was sitting by the window in the front row, basking in the sun, head bowed over a book. When Takagi Akane was quiet, she looked like a well-raised, high-achieving rich girl—the kind that was hard for boys to approach. Considering she was a "Tokyo native," she might actually be quite wealthy. Kitahara recalled the apartment he visited last time; it seemed to be in Yushima 3-chome. People who hadn't been to Tokyo might not know the name, but Yushima 1-chome housed one of the best hospitals in the city—the Medical University Hospital. One could imagine how high the cost of living there was.

Kitahara went to talk to her, but she turned away and ignored him.

"Don't worry about failing to pick her up, Gotham welcomes you," Yoshimizu Yu joked as he came over to comfort him.

Watching the boys in the distance snickering at his lack of self-awareness, Kitahara didn't take it to heart. He might have looked like the clown, but he was the one winning big.

Takagi wasn't comfortable responding when there were many people around, especially in an unfamiliar environment; she needed time to adapt. She might be ignoring him now, but she would make it up to him later.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Takagi Akane stood up to leave the classroom. As she passed Kitahara, she dropped a strawberry milk candy on his desk.

He picked it up, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth. It was sweet and sugary, enough to spike his blood sugar.

"Kitahara, that’s your name, right?" A boy leaned over, winking. "Takagi is hard to approach, right? Actually, not just you—I had some ideas too, but seeing you fail, I’m glad I didn't try!"

Kitahara stayed silent, shaking his head inwardly. If they had tried to talk to her from the very beginning, they might have had a chance. But now that she had established her spot in the classroom, they shouldn't even think about engaging with someone who had social anxiety.

Socially anxious creatures were always best approached as early as possible. Just like a girlfriend. It was best to start knowing them back in kindergarten.

Don't misunderstand—he meant knowing them *since* kindergarten, not knowing someone *from* kindergarten.