Time slipped away into the late afternoon.
Yuto had spent the entire day holed up on the second floor of the restaurant, completely immersed in a movie marathon.
From gritty gangster flicks to laugh-out-loud comedies, he watched them all.
He also discovered a rather entertaining perk of his newly enhanced physique: his dynamic vision was so sharp that he could crank the playback speed up to several times the normal rate and still follow the plot flawlessly.
For anyone who loved binge-watching, it was an absolute godsend ability!
By the time the sun began to set, he had blasted through the entire stack of DVDs he'd bought.
Yuto blinked hard, his eyes feeling a bit dry.
He looked down at the plastic cases scattered across the floor and let out a satisfied sigh.
Movies really were a wonderful invention.
He made a mental note to buy another batch tomorrow.
Ring, ring, ring—
His phone suddenly buzzed.
He pulled it out and saw the caller ID: Yaeko Nishimiya.
After speaking with her that morning about the lease transfer, he had saved her number.
Glancing at the clock at the top of the screen, he was shocked to see it was already 6:15 PM.
He hadn't realized he had been glued to the television for that long!
"Nishimiya-san?" he answered, his voice a bit raspy.
"Yes, it's me. I'll be arriving at your location shortly," the woman replied. "I apologize, I forgot to ask this morning—how should I address you?"
"My name is Kamisaka Yuto. Kamisaka-san is fine," he offered.
"Alright. Then, Kamisaka-san, please wait just a moment. I'll be there very soon."
Yaeko hung up.
Even through the tiny phone speaker, her tone was brimming with an exhausted but undeniable joy.
It seemed Yuto's willingness to take over her failing flower shop had lifted a massive weight off her shoulders.
Yuto stretched his stiff limbs and headed to the bathroom to wash his face.
Since he was about to sit down for a formal business negotiation, he needed to look presentable and the movie marathon had left him feeling a bit groggy.
...
Across town, Yaeko lowered her phone and let out a long, shuddering sigh.
She closed her eyes, forcing her racing heart to calm down.
"Ah, have you settled things with the gentleman?" Her mother appeared in the doorway of her bedroom, looking at her with hopeful eyes.
If Yuto had been there, he would have instantly recognized the elderly woman as Shouko's grandmother.
"Yes. I'm going to meet Kamisaka-san shortly," Yaeko said, her tone smoothing back into its usual strict composure.
"Please take good care of Shouko tonight, Mother. Don't let her run off on her own again."
The older woman lowered her gaze, looking guilty.
"This morning... it was only because Shouko wanted to go out and buy medicine for me, so..." She trailed off with a heavy sigh.
She didn't make any further excuses, she knew she had messed up by letting the deaf little girl wander out alone.
"I know," Yaeko said softly, her strict facade cracking just a fraction as she let out a tired sigh of her own.
The Nishimiya family of the past had never been this fractured and desperate.
"Speaking of which, what is this Kamisaka-san's full name?" the grandmother asked curiously.
"Kamisaka Yuto. Honestly, judging from his voice on the phone, he sounds quite young. Almost like a high schooler," Yaeko noted as she unbuttoned her stiff work blouse, changing into a pair of clean, sensible trousers for the meeting.
When they had first spoken, the youthful timbre of his voice had puzzled her, but she had quickly dismissed the ridiculous idea that a minor was trying to buy commercial real estate.
Because her back was turned, she didn't notice the sudden, shocked change in her mother's expression.
"Yaeko..." the elderly woman began, her voice trembling slightly.
"The young boy who rescued Shouko and brought her home this morning... his name was Kamisaka Yuto."
Yaeko froze.
Her hands stopped mid-air as she turned to stare blankly at her mother.
The older woman gave a gentle, helpless nod.
Yaeko's movements slowed to a crawl as her tired brain tried to process the impossible coincidence.
...
By 6:20 PM, Yuto had finished freshening up and headed downstairs to the empty restaurant.
He unlocked the front door, planning to discuss the lease transfer right there in the dining room.
Unlocking the door didn't mean he was officially open for business just yet, the magical properties of the restaurant wouldn't activate until he physically flipped the wooden sign in the window from 'Closed' to 'Open'.
He sat quietly at a table, waiting for Yaeko to arrive.
In his mind, he was carefully strategizing for the upcoming negotiation.
This was, after all, a serious business deal.
If he could save some money, he absolutely would.
The maximum price he had in mind was 3.5 million yen.
At that price point, it would be downright impossible to buy out a commercial lease anywhere else in Shinjuku.
Near the bustling Shinjuku Central Square, even a tiny run-down space would demand tens of millions of yen upfront.
But this alley was entirely different.
Because of the cognitive magic hiding his restaurant, this particular backstreet was practically invisible to normal foot traffic.
Even if the neighboring shops remained closed, the owners were likely bleeding over a hundred thousand yen a month just on rent and basic utilities.
Factoring in the sheer desperation he had heard in Yaeko's voice, Yuto knew he held a massive advantage as the buyer.
Still, 3.5 million yen wasn't exactly cheap and he had no intention of ripping off a struggling family.
It was a very fair, reasonable offer.
After running his restaurant for two months, his total liquid savings hadn't even broken the ten million yen mark.
His net worth wasn't exactly astronomical yet.
If the owner stubbornly demanded an outrageous sum, he would have no choice but to walk away.
Ring, ring, ring—
"Kamisaka-san, we are just arriving at the entrance of the alley. Where exactly are you located?" Yaeko's voice came through the speaker.
"I'm inside my restaurant right now. I'll step outside to meet you," Yuto replied.
"Alright. See you in a moment."
After hanging up, Yuto hesitated slightly, his hand resting on the doorknob.
'We?'
Was Nishimiya-san bringing someone else along with her?
A lawyer, perhaps?
Or a real estate agent?
Wondering if she would even be able to find his cognitively hidden restaurant, Yuto pushed the heavy wooden door open and stepped out into the cool evening air.
As soon as he stepped outside, his eyes locked onto a very familiar adorable little face peering up at him.
It was Shouko.
And the tall, exhausted-looking woman holding her small hand tightly?
'Nishimiya Shouko... Nishimiya Yaeko...' Yuto took a sharp quiet breath, putting the pieces together in an instant.
Had his wild guess from that morning actually been right?!