The burning twilight heralded the night's mystery, and so the crescent moon quietly visited, treading the dark river.
Next to the LeBlanc's door, a flickering orange-red flame glowed intermittently.
Sakura Sojiro, with a cigarette in his mouth, looked up at the sky. He heard footsteps approaching from a distance, took the burning cigarette from his lips, and turned his face to Kurusu Akira, saying, "Oh, you're back."
It was completely dark now, the streetlights were on, and in the dim yellow light, a slender shadow could be seen swaying closer.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Kurusu Akira stopped in the middle of the road, panting, carrying his instrument case.
This malnourished and out-of-shape body, having to carry such heavy objects back and forth, left him so exhausted that snowflake-like bright spots constantly flashed before his eyes.
Sakura Sojiro pressed the cigarette butt he was holding onto the cement ground to extinguish it, then stood up and looked at Kurusu Akira.
"Have you decided to work part-time here?"
"Yes, I'll be relying on your care from now on."
"Care, huh... I've already printed out the contract. Come inside and take a look."
Kurusu Akira glanced down at the scattered cigarette ash at Sakura Sojiro's feet, then followed him into LeBlanc.
The time was 7:40 PM.
Sakura Sojiro walked into the empty coffee shop, went behind the counter, took out a pen and a three-page contract, placed them on a dining table, then went back behind the counter to start selecting coffee beans.
"You look tired... Would you like a cup of coffee? It might perk you up."
"I'd be most grateful."
Sakura Sojiro looked up from behind the counter at Kurusu Akira, who had sat down at the dining table and was carefully reading the contract, then put on a mask and skillfully began grinding coffee beans.
"I thought you'd be back earlier."
"The day before yesterday, I wanted to rent a place in Shibuya and had already paid the 'down payment,' but I still haven't received a notice that I can move in. So this time I went to get a refund... I've been a bit short on cash lately."
The initial payment for renting a house in Japan is called the "down payment." This typically includes: deposit, key money, guarantee money, agency fee, monthly rent, and various other expenses.
Since Kurusu Akira hadn't moved in yet, he was, of course, able to get an unconditional refund, receiving a full 1.5 million yen back, which truly solved his immediate financial woes.
He even had the confidence to walk into a bustling ramen shop, bang on the table, and loudly tell the chef, "One bowl of the signature classic fish bone ramen, plus an extra portion of char siu, a pork cutlet, a fish cake, a scoop of back fat, and some squid tentacles. No green onions, no bean sprouts."
Then, with an air of extravagance, he pushed four 1,000-yen bills across the counter, prompting the chef, amidst the busy dinner rush, to rare patience in listening to a customer's demands.
...
"Where are you planning to stay tonight?" Sakura Sojiro asked, forcefully pressing down on the mortar, carefully grinding the coffee beans in the bowl.
"I found a capsule hotel near LeBlanc, and I plan to stay there for a while until I can afford rent and move out."
Kurusu Akira answered Sakura Sojiro while flipping to the second page of the contract, which stipulated his daily working hours and duties.
"A capsule hotel? Won't many things be inconvenient?"
"When you come to Tokyo alone for studies, how can everything be convenient?"
"If you don't rest well at night, it might affect your daytime classes, you know."
"Of course, I can only try my best to overcome such things, like using soundproof earplugs when sleeping... After all, I don't have much money."
Kurusu Akira flipped to the last page of the contract. Although it was a part-time job as a coffee shop assistant, the salary was only slightly lower than the hourly wage of a resort hotel server.
He signed his name after confirming everything was correct.
"You're just a minor, but you see things with unexpected clarity. I wish my daughter could be as sensible as you."
Sakura Sojiro sighed with a hint of melancholy.
Then, he pressed the ground coffee powder firmly into the coffee pot, took out a clean glass, and said, "Regarding the accommodation issue, I actually have a better solution here."
Kurusu Akira, having signed the contract, sat upright in his original seat, "I'm all ears."
Sakura Sojiro took a cup of hot water from the kitchen and began brewing coffee.
After a minute, he walked out from behind the counter with a steaming cup of coffee and sat opposite Kurusu Akira.
A clear, mellow aroma filled the air.
"You've already met Iseri Nina. She's my friend's daughter, and because of some family and school conflicts, she came to Tokyo alone to study... Originally, I planned for her to stay in the LeBlanc's attic, so I specifically cleaned it up today and added some simple furniture."
"But then I thought it really wasn't safe for a girl to be alone in the attic at night, so I'm trying to figure out how to make another empty room in my house available for her to stay in."
Kurusu Akira took the coffee, feeling a warm sensation flow from his palm through the glass cup and spread throughout his body.
Knowing the "supply and demand" in the workplace, he quickly probed, "So this attic is now vacant?"
Hearing this, Sakura Sojiro showed a gentle smile.
"If you're willing to get up at six every day and clean the shop, you can use this place temporarily. There's hot water in the bathroom, so you can shower at night. If you find the space too cramped, there's a bathhouse open just around the corner to your right, and next to the bathhouse is a laundromat, so you won't have to worry about not having clean clothes."
"This 'temporarily' refers to..." Kurusu Akira's words were cut off by Sakura Sojiro before he could finish.
"Amamiya, remember not to play the guitar at night." Then, a key was pressed onto the table and pushed towards Kurusu Akira.
Sakura Sojiro then stood up, "You can read any of the magazines and newspapers on that bookshelf, and the TV can be used too. The remote control is in the first drawer of the counter. After you finish your coffee, remember to wash the cup and pot."
The shop door opened and closed, and that reliable figure quickly disappeared from Kurusu Akira's sight.
LeBlanc was quiet, with only a slight night breeze squeezing through the door crack, rustling a few old, curled magazines on the bookshelf, making faint scratching sounds.
What good luck.
Kurusu Akira held the glass cup and took a sip of coffee, his mood bright.
After satisfying their basic needs, humans subconsciously begin to fantasize about countless beautiful futures.
But before such fantasies could even begin, they instantly collapsed... Kurusu Akira covered his face, his expression pained, then he remained motionless.
The bitterness of the coffee set in.
He remembered the good life he once had in another world.
He also remembered the notebook full of debts stuffed in his schoolbag now.
The coffee was too bitter, but life was even more bitter.
He suddenly pinched his nose, then picked up the glass cup and gulped down the coffee.
"Now, do three simple sets of strength training, then shower, change clothes, wash the cup and coffee pot, and finally watch some trending anime or game live streams on TV for a while. Lights out promptly at 10 PM."
Tomorrow, he had to learn from Sakura how to do various tasks in the shop, so he had to go to bed early today.
Kurusu Akira planned out his remaining time.
Ten million yen in debt couldn't buy his life.
No matter how much debt there was, there would always be a time when it was paid off; there was no permanent debt in the world.
It's just that all expenses have become tight...
If the dignified Phantom Thief couldn't survive in this city as Amamiya Ren, that would be truly shameful.
"Watch closely, Amamiya Ren, I'll only demonstrate this once."
"It's just a mere ten million yen in debt, watch me pay it all off before I graduate high school!"
So full of ambition, Kurusu Akira enthusiastically began his strength training, focusing on push-ups and planks.
Night deepened gradually.
The boy's heavy breathing echoed in the LeBlanc's room.
"Damn."
A sudden curse.
Accompanied by a thud.
Kurusu Akira, completely exhausted, collapsed to the ground, unable to get up again.
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