4/4
22:10
Renji, who got off work under the moonlight, hurried home.
He had previously agreed with Yuki that he would work until nine o’clock at the latest and then go home to have dinner together. However, because he was attracted by the chubby guy’s “Fallen Chornicles II” in the middle and got too invested in the conversation, he forgot about the time.
By the time he came back to his senses, it was already almost ten o’clock.
Yuki should be asleep, right?
At the door of his home, Renji didn’t use the access card Yuki gave him, fearing that the sound of the electronic lock opening would disturb her. Instead, he switched to the key to open the door gently, trying to keep the noise to a minimum.
Click.
After opening the door and seeing the pitch-black entrance hall, Renji breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Yuki was still foolishly waiting for him.
However, when Renji changed his shoes and walked into the living room from the corner, an orange-yellow small table lamp on the dining table in the darkness was emitting a faint glow.
With the help of the small table lamp, Renji could see several dishes on the dining table, covered with lids, and beside these dishes, a woman was lying on the dining table, as if she had fallen asleep after waiting too long.
It was now early autumn, and the living room didn’t seem to have air conditioning. The very low temperature made the sleeping Yuki subconsciously wrap the cloak draped over her body tighter.
The cloak was the one that belonged to him before. Renji could recognize it at a glance.
But in Renji’s memory, the many holes and tears on the cloak now had traces of being stitched and mended.
Moreover, the mending was not simply and crudely patched up, but seemed to follow a very new artistic style. Yuki didn’t lie to him; she was indeed very good at weaving clothes.
It was the same tattered cloak, but after the latter added a few elements of vicissitudes, it seemed to immediately become different. It was as if the entire cloak had gained a few touches of charm under Yuki’s mending.
In addition to the dishes covered with plates on the dining table, there was also a sewing box. Renji could already reconstruct the scene of Yuki waiting for him to come home for dinner while mending his cloak.
Renji’s heart was tightly gripped, and the feeling of being moved was secondary. He was more filled with self-blame.
He hurriedly walked over and gently shook the woman who was sleeping on the dining table.
“Yuki, Sister Yuki.”
“Mmm… you’re back…”
After being woken up by Renji, Yuki rubbed her sleepy eyes. Seeing the young man who had finally returned home, she showed a bit of relief. However, very quickly, Yuki apologized with a guilty look,
“Ah! I’m sorry, I wore your clothes without permission…”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. You can wear my clothes anytime you want!”
Renji just said it casually, but Yuki seemed to really continue the conversation, showing an eager expression, “Oh! Really?!”
“Uh…” This left Renji at a loss.
“Hehe! Just kidding. But this cloak, I can’t return it to you for now. I need to mend it a bit more. There are still many places that aren’t done yet.”
“That… actually, there’s no need…”
Renji wanted to say that there was no need to go to so much trouble. Isn’t it enough as long as the cloak can be worn?
But seeing Yuki’s determined eyes, he swallowed it back and finally nodded in understanding, following Yuki’s arrangement.
“Mm-hmm, so obedient~!”
“Alright, go wash your hands quickly. I’ll go heat up the dishes!”
The very satisfied Yuki stood up from the dining table.
Although Yuki was considered tall among girls, she was still slightly shorter than Renji. But even if she had to tiptoe slightly, she seemed to be in the mood and had to ruffle Renji’s hair first before taking the plates to the kitchen to heat them up.
Looking at Yuki’s back and the lingering warmth on his head, Renji had an indescribable feeling.
It always felt like…
He was being treated like a little brother by Yuki.
When the food was heated up later and they were eating at the dining table, this feeling became even more obvious.
“Come on, eat more. You worked overtime for so long today, you must be starving.”
“No, no, don’t be picky! Green peppers are very nutritious! Eat them quickly!”
“Is that enough? There’s still rice in the pot. Should I get you another bowl?”
“Don’t rush, don’t rush. Eat slowly. Here, have some water. Hmm, should I go make you some soup? It’ll be quick!”
Seeing that Yuki was really about to get up, Renji quickly stopped the woman, saying that he had enough and didn’t need any more soup. He also told Yuki not to keep talking about him and to eat more herself.
However, Yuki shook her head, saying that she had already eaten while waiting earlier and that she was happy just watching Renji eat now. She cheerfully told Renji that for her, watching others enjoy the food she cooked was a pleasure in itself.
After a whirlwind meal, the three or four dishes on the table were actually swept clean by him, which surprised even Renji. In his memory, he didn’t have such a big appetite.
After eating, Renji seemed to suddenly remember something. He quickly fumbled around his body and then took out a 2000 yen bill and handed it to the woman across from him.
“This is…?”
“This is my salary for today.”
Renji’s job at the convenience store was hourly, and for those working under the table like him, they were paid daily. He worked from six in the morning until ten at night today, working for sixteen hours at 155 yen per hour, earning a total of 2,480 yen.
Not only did Yuki provide him with such a nice place to live at a low rent, but she also covered his meals except for lunch and even mended his clothes for him.
If it weren’t for the remaining 480 yen being too small and embarrassing to give out, Renji would have really given all his wages to Yuki to pay off his debt.
“I see. Then I won’t stand on ceremony and will accept it!”
Seeing that Yuki didn’t refuse and accepted his money, Renji finally felt a little more at ease. Otherwise, he would have really felt uneasy.
Afterwards, when cleaning up the dining table, Renji also took the initiative to do it and let Yuki rest.
After washing the dishes and utensils, wiping the dining table clean, and re-laying the tablecloth, Renji took a deep breath and stretched his slightly sore waist.
During the sixteen hours of working at the convenience store, except for the last hour when he was pulled by the chubby guy to slack off for a while, he had been standing for more than a dozen hours. Not to mention, Renji also worked very diligently, wiping the counters, arranging the shelves, and doing many things that the chubby guy considered unnecessary for a temporary employee.
This kind of work indeed had a bit of a mismatch between effort and reward, but Renji had no choice. He had to do this job well first, slowly get familiar with life here, and strive to find his identity documents. Once he had a resident card, he could try to make a change. At that time, perhaps the “game streamer” that the chubby guy suggested to him would also be an option…
Read atst chapters at (f)rewe(b)novel.com Only