Business hours had finally come to an end.
The shop was quiet and empty.
It was 6:57 AM. The torrential rain had long since stopped.
It was early summer, and the sky outside was already growing bright, leaving only a faint, lingering hint of blue-gray on the horizon.
In about half an hour, that cool tint would burn away entirely and the humid heat of the day would set in.
Yuto stood in the kitchen, carefully packing up the massive pot of congee he had cooked
Inside each paper bag, he also placed a generous portion of his specialty braised meat and vegetables.
There were dozens of bags—far too many to carry all at once.
He planned to make the deliveries in several trips.
As the old clock struck seven, Yuto stepped out the front door, his arms loaded with heavy bags of warm food.
Since the storm had just passed, the uneven bluestone slabs of the alleyway were dotted with small reflecting puddles.
He stepped out of the narrow alley and onto the flat pavement of the main street.
As he had guessed, the heavy rain had absolutely ruined business for the red-light district.
In the various brothels and clubs lining the street, groups of hostesses, managers, and bouncers sat together, chatting idly.
They showed none of the usual, bone-deep exhaustion that normally followed a long night shift; instead, they were all quite lively and relaxed.
After all, it had been a rare, quiet night with almost no customers.
When Yuto walked into the first club, the women immediately greeted him with warm, bright smiles.
Yuto carefully placed a stack of bags containing the steaming porridge and braised dishes on a table in the lobby.
Then, he took a step back and bowed deeply to the people in the room.
"Thank you... to all my sisters and brothers here. Thank you for your help yesterday," Yuto said, his voice thick with genuine gratitude.
His earnest thanks brought soft, fond smiles to the faces of both the men and women in the club.
This was exactly why they adored him.
A cute pretty-boy face alone couldn't win the fierce loyalty of the red-light district.
What they truly cherished was the purity of Yuto's heart.
It shone brightly, like an unpolished gem.
It was an innocence and kindness that these workers secretly longed for, something the harsh reality of their industry had stripped away from them long ago.
Because they had lost it themselves, they fiercely protected it in him.
They refused to let anyone tarnish or disturb his peace.
Yuto continued down the street, stepping into one club after another to deliver the warm meals and his heartfelt thanks.
When he finally reached Aunt Hanako's upscale karaoke bar, he first handed out food to the staff in the lobby, thanking them for standing in the rain for him.
"Is Aunt Hanako here?" he asked.
"She's upstairs," one of the bouncers smiled, taking a bag of food.
Yuto headed up to the second floor.
The rooms up here were all high-end, featuring luxurious, well-arranged private suites for VIP clients.
Hanako's personal quarters were also on this floor.
She practically treated the club as her permanent home, having converted one of the suites into a small, fully furnished bedroom for herself.
Yuto knocked lightly on her office door first, but there was no response.
He moved to her bedroom door and knocked again.
"Who is it? Whatever it is, wait until I come out," a sharp voice called from inside.
"Aunt Hanako, it's me."
"Oh! It's Yuto-chan! Come in, come in!" Hanako's voice instantly softened into a warm, maternal tone.
Yuto pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Hanako was sitting at her vanity, carefully applying a deep red lipstick.
She was wearing a bright elegant kimono, looking very much like she was getting ready for a special occasion.
"Yuto-chan, wait just a moment. Let Auntie finish applying her lipstick," she said, looking at him through the mirror.
"Take your time," Yuto nodded, waiting quietly near the door.
He took the opportunity to glance around the bedroom.
The furnishings were surprisingly simple—just a comfortable bed, a wardrobe, and a vanity cluttered with high-end cosmetics.
Everything was kept immaculately clean and tidy.
It was clear that, despite her chaotic line of work, Hanako cared deeply about maintaining a sense of peace and order in her personal life.
"Alright, Yuto-chan, what's the matter?" Hanako asked, capping her lipstick and turning around to face him with a warm smile.
"I wanted to thank you, Aunt Hanako. For everything, I'm so sorry for troubling you," Yuto said earnestly, bowing his head slightly.
Upon hearing his apology, Hanako's expression instantly turned stern.
"Yuto-chan, if you keep talking like that, Auntie is actually going to get angry with you!" Her tone carried a mix of sharp reproach and deep, protective gentleness.
Her scolding warmed Yuto's heart, and he offered a sheepish, embarrassed smile.
"Yuto-chan, it was truly no trouble at all. It was just a small thing," Hanako sighed, her stern mask melting away.
"Honestly, Auntie was incredibly upset that you didn't come to me for help sooner!" She put her hands on her hips, feigning anger, though her eyes were brimming with kindness.
"I was just worried about troubling everyone," Yuto admitted quietly.
In truth, he had never expected the people on the street to drop everything and march out into a storm just to protect him.
"Honestly child... everyone on this street looks out for each other. You're overthinking it. In a situation like that, every single person out there was more than happy to stand up for you," Hanako said, stepping closer and gently patting his cheek.
"After all, we all adore you, Yuto-chan!"
When Hanako smiled, her eyes crinkled warmly.
Even under her careful makeup, the faint, hard-earned wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and mouth were visible.
They were the marks of a woman who had survived a difficult life.
Her soft words touched Yuto deeply.
Across his two lives, he had met countless people—from wealthy heirs to brilliant, promising young talents.
But none of them had ever moved him as profoundly as the people in this district. Society loved to judge people based on their status and profession, but the true value of a human soul had nothing to do with either.
Having lived two lifetimes, Yuto had found the most undeniable warmth and sincerity in the ordinary, humble people working in the shadows of the city.
It was a beautiful truth.
"I made some congee for everyone. Would you like some, Aunt Hanako?" Yuto asked, taking a light breath to steady his emotions.
"Oh, you cooked for us? Thank you so much, sweetheart! But... Auntie actually doesn't have time to eat right now. I'm sorry, Yuto-chan," Hanako apologized, though a hint of happiness seemed to shine from her crinkled eyes.
Yuto was curious. "Do you have somewhere to be this early?"
"Yes! Auntie is going out to meet her boyfriend," she beamed.
A woman in her forties no longer possessed the timid shyness of a young girl.
When it came to love, she was completely open and honest.
The sheer joy in Hanako's voice made Yuto feel incredibly happy for her.
After drifting through a hard, chaotic life for so long, she had finally found a safe harbor.
She was like a dandelion that had floated in the wind for a very, very long time, finally settling peacefully onto the ground.
"What kind of person is he?" Yuto asked with a grin.
"Ah... he's a very capable, reliable man. And his looks are exactly my type! Oh, and he's also a regional manager under the Shinomiya Group!" Hanako bragged happily.
"Wow—that sounds amazing. I'm so happy for you," Yuto said, genuinely thrilled that she had found someone successful and stable.
...
After returning to the shop, Yuto quickly tidied up the kitchen and prepared to head back out.
He had already delivered the food to every club on the street.
Today, his main tasks were to visit the market and then buy the crop seeds and industrial blueprints Rimuru had requested.
He pulled down the shop's metal security shutter and headed toward the backyard to grab his bicycle.
Ring, ring, ring...
Before he reached the yard, his phone went off.
He pulled it from his pocket and saw it was Utaha calling.
Yuto was a bit surprised.
'Is something wrong? It's barely past seven.'
He answered the call.
"Hello? What's going on?" Yuto asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Kamisaka-kun! Are you okay after last night?!" Utaha's voice was tight with anxiety.
So the girl had woken up worrying about the gang incident.
Yuto felt a small, fond surge of warmth in his chest.
"I'm fine. Perfectly fine."
"Oh, thank god... So that means the Hosen guys didn't come looking for you, right?" Her tone carried a massive wave of relief, but that relief was brutally short-lived.
"No, they found me," Yuto answered casually as he pushed open the back door and stepped into the yard.
"WHAT?! Didn't you listen to a word I said?! I told you to hide!" Utaha practically shrieked into the phone, her voice a frantic mix of furious anger and raw panic.
"I didn't go out looking for them on my own! They found the restaurant, so I went outside to meet them," Yuto explained, walking over to his trusty Bike.
He held the phone to his ear with one hand while slowly walking the bicycle out to the alley with the other.
"And then what happened?!" she demanded.
"Well, what happened next is a bit complicated... but in the end, all those bald Hosen guys were arrested and taken away by the police," Yuto summarized.
The conflict had taken so many bizarre, unexpected turns—from the intimidating mob of hostesses to Hayasaka casually commanding the Tokyo police force—that explaining it all over the phone would be exhausting.
"Is that so..." Utaha sounded deeply suspicious.
"If you want the full details, we can talk about it tonight when you come in. I need to go buy groceries now," Yuto laughed.
After briefly saying goodbye, he hung up, slid his phone into his pocket and pushed his bike up the stone steps.
He needed to hurry to the supermarket.
The morning vegetables were always the freshest, but they were also the quickest to sell out.
He had to get there fast.
...
Back in her bedroom, Utaha lowered her phone, feeling incredibly confused.
Based on everything she knew about the law, because the Hosen gang members were minors, they were almost never arrested by the police.
But Yuto wouldn't lie to her.
What exactly had happened in that alley? She was burning with curiosity!
Nevertheless, her racing heart finally settled down.
It was such a massive relief to know he was safe and sound.
"Alright! Time to get up!" she called out energetically, throwing off her blankets and sitting up in bed.
The very first thing she had done upon waking up wasn't getting dressed or washing her face—it was frantically calling Yuto.
It was only 7:30 AM, and she still had plenty of time before her university classes started.
Besides, she was a top student even if she was a few minutes late, the professor wouldn't dare say anything.
She got dressed and padded into the kitchen in her slippers.
Usually, her mother would make a hot breakfast for her, but since her parents were currently away on a business trip, she settled for two simple slices of toast with jam.
While chewing on her toast, she habitually grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, automatically switching to the local morning news channel.
She had just taken a bite of her bread when she froze, nearly choking.
"...The Shinjuku Police Department has announced a major unprecedented crackdown on juvenile crime, focusing their efforts on underage violent syndicates. Early this morning, a massive task force successfully arrested the entire notorious Hosen gang. The Chief of Police declared that they will continue to strictly and mercilessly crack down on juvenile crime in the future. This sudden, aggressive move has received widespread support from the public..."
Utaha sat at her kitchen table, completely stunned.
How could it be that just last night, Hosen had gone after Yuto... and now... the entire gang was arrested?
The news footage cut to a live feed outside Hosen High School.
A massive line of bald students, their faces blurred by the network, were being aggressively handcuffed and shoved into a fleet of waiting police buses in batches.
Utaha was utterly shocked.
This time, the police were actually being serious!
In the past, due to their status as minors, the police would only offer harsh warnings and release them to their parents.
But this time, they were making formal arrests.
And not just a few of them—they were arresting the entire school.
"...The Shinjuku Police announced that they will subject the Hosen leadership to severe juvenile trials, with the leading organizers facing a minimum of three to five years in maximum-security correctional education facilities..."
The news anchor continued to report, repeating the shocking details over and over.
Hosen was finished.
Completely eradicated overnight.
Utaha quickly drank a glass of cold milk to calm her racing nerves.
The situation had developed in a way that was entirely too terrifying and unexpected; she needed a moment to process it.
She knew deep down that Hosen's sudden catastrophic downfall was related to whatever had happened with Yuto last night.
Tonight, she absolutely had to go to the restaurant and interrogate him properly!
....
"Good thing I made it in time," Yuto breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled up to the local supermarket.
He wasn't too late after all.
The bins were still fully stocked with crisp, fresh morning vegetables.
He carefully picked out the best produce he needed and paid the elderly cashier.
Next on his list: buying crop seeds and industrial blueprints for Rimuru.
He remembered there were a few specialized agricultural and hardware shops located near Ichinosuke Street.
He could buy everything he needed on his way back home.
He hopped back onto his bicycle and pedaled toward his neighborhood.
Because Ichinosuke Street was a thriving red-light district, there was always a massive amount of foot traffic in the area.
As a result, several normal businesses had gradually opened on the surrounding, safer streets to capitalize on the crowds.
Although it wasn't nearly as bustling as the massive commercial hubs of Shinjuku Square or Shibuya Avenue, the area still had a lively, commercial vibe.
However, the variety of shops wasn't extensive, and they were somewhat sparsely distributed.
Although there were a few local vegetable sellers nearby, Yuto always preferred to pedal a bit farther to the main supermarket, as the quality and consistency of the produce there were vastly superior.
There were, however, quite a few general stores and hardware shops located on the seto street, which was only two or three hundred meters away from his alley.
Yuto rode his bike down Seto Street, enjoying the cool morning breeze.
But as soon as he arrived, he saw something that made his blood boil.
Four teenage boys were surrounding a tiny, helpless little girl in front of a closed shop.
It wasn't entirely clear what they were doing, but one thing was painfully obvious: they were bullying her, and the little girl was on the verge of tears!
There weren't many people out on the street at this hour, and the few adults who did notice the situation just quickly glanced away and kept walking, not wanting to get involved with delinquent teenagers.
Yuto didn't hesitate.
He slammed on his brakes, kicked down the stand on his bicycle and marched straight over.
The four boys noticed him approaching and immediately turned their glares toward him.
"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Yuto shouted, his voice ringing with absolute authority.
"Back away from her, now!"
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