After gathering the information he needed, Ryunosuke prepared to take his leave. On his way home, he sat on a park bench, mentally organizing the timelines in his head.
Currently, Chisato hadn't met Inoue Takina yet. Based on his calculations, Ryunosuke would have to wait at least another three months to cross paths with the person who had installed Chisato's mechanical heart. Since he had no idea where that man was, his only option was to stay close to Chisato and wait for the trail to appear.
Ryunosuke massaged his temples as a headache began to bloom. He really had no other choice.
The Yu-Gi-Oh tournament was only a month away. He estimated that once it ended, his first wife, Morishita Ai, would likely drop 20 million Yen to "fetch" him back home. His time was running out. He couldn't afford to wait that long to meet Chisato's savior.
However, he had no intention of giving up; this was the only lead he had. Ryunosuke planned that once he returned, he would negotiate with Ai again to be allowed out in the future. After all, now that his debts were cleared, his remaining points had to be used as effectively as possible.
Arriving back at the house, Ryunosuke realized he had forgotten to buy a blanket and a pillow. Out of necessity, he slept on the weathered wooden floor, just to get through the night. Needless to say, it was far from a restful sleep.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
The Next Morning.
The construction team Ryunosuke had booked arrived early. They were quite punctual—likely because the pay was generous, ensuring their service was top-notch.
Ryunosuke intended to raze the old structure and rebuild a three-story home with a small yard. While the plot wasn't large enough for a sprawling luxury villa, it was his own land; he didn't want to forget his roots. More importantly, this place held the memories of his mother.
His memory of his mother's face was frustratingly hazy. He couldn't see her features clearly, and he wondered if it was due to the blood clot in his brain. He figured he would eventually need surgery to remove it.
The demolition process was surprisingly efficient, taking only a few hours. With the help of an excavator and a loader to clear the debris, everything was leveled by midday. As a gesture of gratitude, Ryunosuke treated the workers to lunch at a small local eatery.
Perhaps due to Japan's serious aging population issues, the manual labor was still being carried out by men in their 50s and 60s. Among them was even a 72-year-old grandfather. Ryunosuke felt a wave of anxiety watching him and couldn't bear to let him do the heavy lifting, so he asked the foreman to assign him lighter tasks to avoid exhaustion. Even if he wasn't legally liable if something happened, it just didn't sit right with him.
They chatted and laughed at the eatery over a casual meal. The workers were incredibly grateful to the "young boss." Usually, employers wouldn't treat them to lunch; they were expected to bring their own meals to save money. Ryunosuke's gesture was kind—at the very least, he treated them like human beings. Having been a hard worker in his previous life, Ryunosuke understood their struggle all too well.
As he flipped through a newspaper, Ryunosuke told them they were free to order whatever they liked, though he reminded them not to overdo it with the alcohol to avoid workplace accidents. The workers had been craving cold beers to quench their thirst, but they knew the young boss was right, so they settled for bottled cold drinks instead.
Ryunosuke was actually using the newspaper to gather information about the outside world. He was still quite out of the loop regarding current affairs—he hadn't even known about the "Big Four Financial Groups" that everyone else took for granted. If he had known better, he wouldn't have been so reckless as to become a "plagiarist author," which had ended in a mess he was now forced to clean up.
He would handle the Arima Kousei and Miyazono Kaori situation later, as he still had a decent window of time. Suddenly, Ryunosuke spotted a familiar figure in the paper.
"New Top Idol, Hoshino Ai, Set to Perform at Tokyo Dome."
Ryunosuke rubbed his chin. "Hoshino Ai, huh?"
"If I recall correctly, she's in the same world as Shinomiya Kaguya."
"An adult Kaguya even interviewed Hoshino Ai's daughter, Hoshino Ruby."
Tragically, Hoshino Ai died young at the hands of the father of her children, Kamiki Hikaru. Ryunosuke closed the paper and began to contemplate.
"I should find an opportunity to help that poor mother, and while I'm at it, figure out a way to take out that bastard Kamiki Hikaru."
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
After Lunch.
Ryunosuke let the workers rest for an hour and a half, resuming work at 2:00 PM to avoid the peak afternoon heat.
The crew worked systematically while Ryunosuke supervised from under a shade umbrella. He didn't strictly need to be there, but since it was his home, he wanted to witness the construction process. Perhaps only a homeowner could truly understand that feeling.
Ryunosuke noticed the 72-year-old grandfather pushing a wheelbarrow loaded with heavy bags of cement. His brow furrowed. He turned to the foreman, who was also cooling off beside him, and spoke with clear dissatisfaction.
"Didn't I tell you not to give him the heavy work? Why is he still hauling cement?"
The foreman looked conflicted. "I tried to give him the light stuff, but the old man refused because his daily wage would be cut in half."
"I felt sorry for him; his whole family depends on him, so I agreed."
Ryunosuke was puzzled. "Where are his children?"
The foreman replied, "All of them have passed away..."
Ryunosuke fell silent. He watched the old man, whose spine could no longer straighten, struggling to push the wheelbarrow. It seemed every family truly had their own crosses to bear.
The foreman added, "He has a granddaughter who is reportedly studying at a prestigious university. The tuition and dorm fees are incredibly expensive. The old couple is really fighting an uphill battle. The grandfather works these projects, while his wife runs a small tavern and inn at home. But it's still not enough to cover those high fees. The grandmother even takes on odd jobs, working three positions at once just to make ends meet."
The foreman shrugged. Ryunosuke smirked; he knew exactly what this cunning foreman was playing at. Eventually, he reached into his own pocket.
"Raise his wage, and give him only the light work. I'll cover the difference myself; it won't cost you a dime."
The foreman's eyes lit up instantly. He slapped Ryunosuke on the shoulder enthusiastically. "You got it! You're a truly kind-hearted man, kid!"
Ryunosuke just stared at him with weary eyes. He knew full well he had just been "played" by the crafty old foreman.
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