Coming back to his senses, Asai Yu stood up, preparing to leave RiNG, only to be stopped by a girl with long brown hair.
"Saki, playing piano must have been tiring. I ordered you a cup of Darjeeling tea—would you like to sit down and chat for a bit?"
Nagasaki Soyo spoke in a gentle, carefully modulated tone.
Black tea? Not really interested.
Asai Yu shook his head and refused politely.
"Thank you, but no need."
With that, he turned to leave.
Seeing this, Nagasaki Soyo's expression changed. She grabbed the blue-haired girl's right hand and asked directly, "Then… Saki, why are you playing the piano here? Is it for money?"
Her voice wasn't quiet. In an instant, it drew the attention of most people in the café—including Shiina Taki and Takamatsu Tomori.
Seeing this scene, Togawa Sakiko grew uneasy inside.
Is Soyo trying to embarrass me in front of everyone?!
Even though she didn't hold much hope, she still hurriedly pleaded, "Yu, please… don't tell her the truth…"
Hearing that, Asai Yu fell silent for a moment before giving Nagasaki Soyo his answer.
"You probably don't know this, but I've loved the piano for over ten years now. I've realized that playing piano in a place like this greatly improves my mental state."
"So this is for the sake of pursuing the art of piano that lives in my heart."
With that, he left the café.
Nagasaki Soyo stood there blankly, her expression a mix of shock and loss.
…Did I misunderstand again?
"Thank you…"
The moment he stepped out of RiNG, Togawa Sakiko's voice of thanks echoed in his mind.
"It's nothing. I was just telling the truth," Asai Yu replied.
At that moment, a familiar figure flashed past the corner of his vision.
Turning his head, he saw Togawa Kiyotsugu.
He still looked worn down and dispirited, but at least he didn't seem to be in a state of barely surviving on scraps anymore.
"He's here again. Hurry, Yu—let's go."
By now, Togawa Sakiko had vaguely guessed what was going on. Coupled with the fact that her bastard of a father had been squatting near RiNG every day recently, all she felt toward this man now was disgust.
Asai Yu naturally understood. Before the other man could say anything, he quickly turned into a nearby alley.
"Saki—" Togawa Kiyotsugu hurried after him, but upon entering the alley, he found no one there anymore. In the end, he could only leave, dark circles under his eyes reddened almost to black.
That damn middle-aged creep has really lost it.
I need to find a chance to beat him up.
After returning to his apartment, Asai Yu noticed a message from Wakaba Mutsumi: Saki, has something happened to your father recently…?
Asai Yu replied: If there's something, just say it directly. Don't worry.
Seeing that reply, Wakaba Mutsumi paused.
This felt like… a different Saki.
She didn't notice that the tension she'd been holding onto was gradually easing.
"Tell her quickly, Mutsu," Mortis urged in her mind.
Wakaba Mutsumi quickly typed a response: He… seems to have been following me lately. Every time after school, he follows me to near my house…
Thinking of what had happened today, a wave of fear rose in her heart.
Thankfully, Mortis had accompanied her through that stretch of the road.
Seeing the message, Asai Yu hadn't even spoken yet when Togawa Sakiko snapped angrily,
"That bastard—!"
She knew that her bastard of a father was following Wakaba Mutsumi to find her, but that kind of behavior still felt utterly despicable.
After thinking for a moment, Asai Yu replied: After your tutoring tomorrow, come straight to my place.
Wakaba Mutsumi: Is that okay?
Asai Yu: It's fine. Just come directly.
Wakaba Mutsumi: Okay…
Putting down her phone, much of the unease in Wakaba Mutsumi's heart finally dissipated.
"So you're planning to lure that bastard over, then make things clear and tell him to stop following Mutsu and us?" Togawa Sakiko guessed.
"You got the first half right. The rest is wrong," Asai Yu said.
Hearing that, Togawa Sakiko suddenly realized something. She shut her mouth and didn't say another word.
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
Asai Yu walked to the door, glanced through the peephole, then opened it.
What came into view was an upright piano.
"Ma'am, this is your piano. Would you like us to move it inside for you?" one of the workers asked.
A piano?
Asai Yu clearly remembered that he hadn't bought any piano.
Then that meant only one thing…
Seeing the piano finally delivered, Togawa Sakiko let out a sigh of relief. Then, in a slightly smug tone, she said, "Surprised? I bought this piano. From now on, you can practice piano at home anytime."
Using the money he earned, secretly buying a piano, and then saying she bought it.
Asai Yu genuinely didn't know where she found the confidence to say that.
Still, considering that Sakiko-sensei really had been thinking about him, he didn't say much.
"Thank you. Please help move it inside," Asai Yu said politely.
After the workers finished moving it and the paperwork was signed, the piano was officially squeezed into a corner of the living room.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Are you moved?" Togawa Sakiko even pushed her luck a little.
"What do you think?"
Asai Yu sighed.
"Honestly, my high-efficiency piano practice window every day is only two hours. That's already taken care of at RiNG. Practicing outside that time barely improves anything, so this piano is basically a wasted purchase for me."
Hearing that, Togawa Sakiko felt as if she'd been struck by lightning.
"How could that be… then those 300,000 yen…"
"Three hundred thousand yen, huh…"
For a moment, Asai Yu had the urge to punch her until she cried—but he held it back, quickly calming himself.
"Next time something this big happens, you need to discuss it with me first. Otherwise, it's not a surprise—it's a scare. Do you understand?"
"I understand… I'm sorry…"
Togawa Sakiko realized her mistake, her voice carrying a faint sob.
Where did this soft, squishy Saki come from?
Asai Yu looked at the piano, thought for a moment, and finally suggested, "I can't really use it, but you can practice on it."
The moment she heard that, Togawa Sakiko's mood instantly recovered.
"That makes sense! I understand—I'll work hard!"
Time moved on to the next day.
Asai Yu called up the system panel.
[Life Experience Target Selection:]
[1. Togawa Sakiko]
[2. Pending]
[Use Life Experience Target Card?]
Asai Yu chose to decline.
There was no helping it—there were still things to deal with on Togawa Sakiko's side today.
After selecting Option 1, Togawa Sakiko, Asai Yu's consciousness entered the girl's body.
Today was Sunday, so there was no school. He directly woke Togawa Sakiko from her sleep and started pushing her to compose music and make money.
"Isn't it Sunday? Why do I still have to get up so early?"
Togawa Sakiko's voice was filled with bitterness.
"As punishment for recklessly spending money to buy a piano, you're getting up early to work today," Asai Yu replied.
"How could you do this…"
Togawa Sakiko wanted to protest, but she had no grounds to stand on. In the end, she could only accept it unwillingly.