Most importantly, the rent wasn't expensive either—only 96,000 yen a month.
A 30 m² apartment for under 100,000 yen in Tokyo was already a very good deal.
After discussing the details, Asai Yu left and headed to RiNG.
He quickly spotted Matsugi Ririko, who was receiving guests on the first floor.
"Ririko-san," Asai Yu greeted her, deliberately using a more familiar form of address.
"Togawa-san, welcome. It's been a while," Ririko replied. Then she leaned in slightly, lowering her voice with a hint of mystery.
"Please, come with me."
Asai Yu nodded and followed her into an empty room.
"Here is the 100,000 yen—"
Before she could finish, the system voice popped up in Asai Yu's head.
[Part-Time Job Buff Lv.1 (205/100)]
[Lv.1 → Lv.2]
[Part-Time Job Buff Lv.2 (105/500)]
[Reward settled: 100,000 yen, stored in system inventory and can be withdrawn at any time]
One hundred thousand yen, secured.
A pity that the reward was calculated before the buff upgrade—otherwise this payout would've been 200,000 yen.
Still, pocketing 100,000 yen with zero pressure was more than satisfying.
Worth every bit of effort.
At this rate, he could really start shearing Togawa Sakiko like a sheep.
"I didn't expect you to be this capable, Togawa-san," Ririko said, pulling him back to reality.
"You sold a song this quickly, and your very first job already earned 100,000 yen. I'm honestly impressed."
"It's all thanks to your recommendation, Ririko-san," Asai Yu replied smoothly. "That's what made the first success possible."
"That's only because you have real skill."
A brief, professional exchange of mutual flattery followed.
Then Asai Yu spoke up, his expression turning serious.
"Ririko-san, I have a proposal."
"I'd like to work under RiNG as a composer. You'd be in charge of sourcing and communicating with clients; I'll handle the composition. RiNG takes a 20% cut. Contracts, copyrights—those can all be handled by RiNG."
Ririko listened carefully, then frowned slightly.
"Wouldn't it be better to go through an agency?"
Asai Yu shook his head.
"Too troublesome, and the competition is fierce. I prefer RiNG's environment. Of course, if it's not possible, we can keep things as they are."
Ririko didn't reject him outright. She stroked her chin, thought for a few seconds, then replied:
"I'm sorry, but I don't have the authority to decide this. I'll need to consult my superior. I'll get back to you as soon as I have an answer."
"Thank you," Asai Yu said with a nod.
If this worked out, things would really start looking up.
Back at the run-down rental, Asai Yu began packing: black socks, white socks, bear-print shorts—everything went into the suitcase.
Togawa Sakiko looked around the room she knew all too well, feeling unexpectedly sentimental. She'd lived here for quite a while.
"I'm done packing. Tomorrow morning, get up early and go to the new apartment yourself," Asai Yu said.
He checked the time—his twelve-hour experience window was almost over—and flopped onto the bed.
"Me?" Sakiko felt inexplicably nervous. "Okay."
A few seconds later, she realized she had regained control of her body.
Resting her hand on her forehead, Sakiko thought that only having to shoulder half a life wasn't so bad. Many troublesome things didn't require her direct involvement anymore.
Still… sometimes it felt strange.
No—she shook her head. That kind of thinking was dangerous. It was like letting someone else carry her life for her.
Don't think about it.
Just keep things as they are.
Morning came quickly.
Sakiko woke up early, grabbed her luggage, and headed for the door.
Just as she opened it, a middle-aged man suddenly spoke from behind her.
"Little Saki… where are you going with that suitcase? Are you moving out?"
Togawa Kiyotsugu looked miserable, his voice heavy.
"So… you've finally made up your mind?" he continued.
"Go, then… staying away from me is probably for the best."
Sakiko turned to look at the dejected man. Pity flickered in her eyes—but in the end, she turned back, grabbed her suitcase, and moved to leave.
"Go on. Go," Kiyotsugu muttered.
But his hand reached out, gripping the handle of her suitcase.
A chill ran through Sakiko. Gritting her teeth, she yanked the suitcase free and fled without looking back.
Some time later, she arrived at the new apartment, paid the next month's rent, and successfully moved in.
Whew—new environment.
Lying on the bed, Sakiko took several deep breaths. Strength flowed back into her.
Then she felt lighter.
Yu was back.
"You're already moved in?" Asai Yu asked, sitting up and looking around.
"Yeah." Sakiko nodded.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally voiced her worry.
"Yu… are we really just… not going to care about that bastard dad at all? What if he—"
Her concern was natural. No matter how awful he was, he was still the man who raised her.
"Don't worry," Asai Yu replied firmly.
"Nothing will happen to him. I guarantee it."
That scumbag's private stash alone held at least 16.8 billion yen.
He'd be just fine.
Hearing his certainty, Sakiko gradually relaxed. By now, her trust in Asai Yu was nearly absolute.
It was Saturday—no school. Plenty of free time.
Which was a problem for Asai Yu.
First, he couldn't supervise Sakiko's studying—depriving her of the joy of learning… and suffering.
Second, without a special reason, he couldn't enter Tsukinomori Girls' Academy. He needed a piano to practice.
Rent a piano room?
As he was thinking, his phone chimed.
A message from Matsugi Ririko.
She'd spoken with the manager.
The manager wanted to meet him in person to discuss it.