The Underworld, Starting with Debt

“Okay, then I’ll buy these.” Shizumiya Natsumi picked up three hats from the pergola: one blue, one pink, and one green. She took them to the counter to pay.

After paying, Natsumi Murasaki took the blue hat out separately, put it back into a gift bag, and handed it to Ito Koshitomo. "Hehe~ This is a gift to reward Koshitomo-kun for his help, so you'd better cherish it!"

Ito Koshitoshi reached out and took the gift bag, looking at Murasaki no Natsuha with a strange expression.

"Um, Xia Ye, is the pink one you wore yourself?"

"Of course! How could a big boy like Yuuta like wearing pink? What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Perhaps it was the strange look in Ito Koshino's eyes that was so intense that it filled the air, and Murasaki Natsumi asked curiously.

"...No, it's nothing." In Japan, a green hat doesn't symbolize anything like it does in China. But for Ito Koshitomo, from another world's superpower, the idea of ​​Natsumi Murasaki giving Yuta Yamano a green hat seemed incredibly strange. Wasn't this just like an adult game heroine completely falling into depravity, actively saying goodbye to her victim, and willingly throwing herself into the arms of a blond guy, becoming his complete sex slave?! Ah! That blond guy is me, then it's alright.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As the sun sets, the clouds on the horizon are dyed a brilliant orange-red. The sun gradually sinks below the horizon, its afterglow bathing every corner of the city, draping the bustling metropolis in a golden cloak. At this moment, the city's silhouette softens, and neon lights gradually illuminate the cityscape.

After parting ways with Natsumi Murasaki, Ito Koshitomo first went to the supermarket to do some shopping before returning to his small rented room. He wanted to put some things down there before heading to his landlady, Miyuki Aso's, room to cook.

Miyuki Aso didn't live in the same building as the other tenants like Koshitomo Itō; instead, she lived in a small, elegant house at the nearest intersection.

Ito Koshito locked the door, picked up the bag of groceries, and headed towards Aso Miyuki's residence. As the sun set and night fell, a single streetlamp cast a soft, hazy light. In this dim light, a mature, slightly melancholic woman leaned quietly against the lamppost, her shapely figure gradually becoming visible. Her dark blue coat seemed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding atmosphere. This was indeed Takahara Kasumi, whom Ito Koshito had met briefly before.

"Mrs. Takahara, why are you staying here instead of going home?" Upon seeing the familiar figure, Ito Koshito stepped forward to greet her.

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuanxia looked over and saw a familiar face. She quickly lowered her hands, which had been rubbing each other's shoulders, and forced herself to remain calm as she sent a polite WeChat message in response.

"Hello, Mr. Ito. Where are you headed?"

Ito Koshito looked at Takahara Kasumi. Her drooping eyes made her look even more frail against her soft facial features. Even when she forced a smile, she couldn't hide the bitter curve of her lips. Her slightly furrowed brows revealed an unspeakable melancholy.

“I was going to cook,” Ito Koshitoshi said, waving the bag in his hand without going into details. “Mrs. Takahara, it would be better to go home early. The security around here isn’t very good.”

Ito Koshitoshi did not inquire further about Takahara Kasumi's difficulties, after all, they were only neighbors who had met twice and were not very familiar with each other.

"Okay, I understand. Thank you for reminding me, Mr. Ito."

"Then, goodbye."

"Goodbye"

Ito Koshi watched Takahara Kasumi's dazed figure walk away, her loneliness accentuated by the dim light. Perhaps because her back was to Ito Koshi, Takahara Kasumi unconsciously crossed her hands and stroked her arms back and forth, as if trying to comfort herself.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Arriving at a charming house, Ito Koshitomo rang the doorbell. "Ring ring—"

Then came a series of light footsteps, followed by a rustling sound. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Ito..."

Before Ito Koshitoshi could finish answering, Aso Miyuki seemed to recognize Ito Koshitoshi through the peephole and quickly opened the door.

"Welcome to my home, Ito-kun."

As soon as the door opened, Ito Koshitoshi saw Aso Miyuki standing on a bench in the entryway and immediately went to her side to help her.

"Asou-nee, why are you standing on the bench? It's dangerous."

Upon hearing this, Asou Miyuki rolled her eyes at Ito Koichi with annoyance, gave a soft snort, and turned her head away from him.

Ito Koshito glanced through the peephole of the door, then looked back at Aso Miyuki's height, and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Ito-brother—brother—, you still dare to laugh?" Asou Miyuri's eyes were like an endless darkness, radiating an aura that made Ito Koshichi despair. Despite her small stature, which only reached Ito Koshichi's waist, the imposing aura emanating from her arms crossed was constantly pressing down on Ito Koshichi's knees.

"I was wrong, Aso-nee." Ito's younger brother, Koshito, readily admitted his mistake and apologized, carefully lifting Aso Miyuri and placing her on the ground from the bench.

"Hmph~"

"Aso-neechan, I was wrong. Let's cook first, okay? We can't let Aso-neechan go hungry, can we?"

Asou Miyuki's delicate eyes scrutinized Ito Etsushi for a moment before she finally spoke.

"Alright, I'll reluctantly forgive you this time."

What she really wanted to say was, isn't it common sense to take your clothes off when apologizing?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After a flurry of activity in the kitchen, Ito Koshitomo served a variety of popular dishes on the table.

"I'm starting to eat." Two pre-meal prayers intertwined and overlapped, issuing the order to begin the meal.

"It's delicious, Ito-kun." Asou Miyuki seemed to have forgotten the unpleasantness from earlier. The delicious food and the handsome man were stimulating her appetite, making her enjoy the food with great relish.

"Thank you."

"Oh, by the way, is Asou-nee familiar with Takahara Kasumi, or Mrs. Takahara?"

"Hmm? Why are you asking about Mrs. Gaoyuan?"

"I just saw her and noticed she seemed down, so I asked her out of curiosity."

"I see, Miss Gaoyuan, she..."

During his conversation with Miyuki Aso, Ito Koshitoki learned about the basic situation of Kasumi Takahara's family, who had only moved here a month ago.

Kasumi Takahara and her current husband, Mr. Takahara, are both in their second marriages. They reportedly met through family introductions and married after being generally satisfied with each other. Kasumi Takahara has a daughter with her first husband, now named Hazuki Takahara. According to Miyuki Aso, who learned from Kasumi Takahara, Hazuki and her husband get along very well and are very happy, so Kasumi Takahara doesn't need to worry about family relationships.

Although the Gao family wasn't wealthy, they were a harmonious family. When Gao Yuanxia moved in a month ago, she was always all smiles. Although Gao Yuanxia needed to return to her hometown every week to take care of her ailing parents, the harmonious relationship between her husband and daughter reassured her. She didn't complain about the frequent trips between the rented apartment and her hometown and remained optimistic and positive.

Just a week ago, when Aso Miyuki spoke with her again, she suddenly became very sighy and frequently lost in thought.

This is the basic information that Miyuki Aso has roughly gathered about Kasumi Takahara.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After having dinner at Aso Miyuri's house, Ito Koshitomo planned to take a walk to digest his food before going back to study.

Night fell, stars twinkled, and the bright moonlight shone through the sparse clouds into the grove of trees. This was a small park near the rented house, but because the area was not very safe at night, with hooligans and thugs roaming the streets from time to time, the park was now deserted, with perhaps only a few figures passing by occasionally.

Walking along the path lined with lush green grass under the cool moonlight, Ito Koshitomo, dressed in only a thin shirt, felt no chill from the refreshing evening breeze. He strolled slowly along the quiet path, enjoying the tranquility of the night.

Strolling along the park path, stopping and starting, suddenly, a trickle of water gradually gathered into a river, and an indescribable sense of oppression began to spread within him, as if something was trying to break free, yearning for release. This compelled Ito Koshito to head to the restroom next to the park. Entering a stall, he unbuckled his belt, and after a moment of relief, shook himself off. Just as he finished flushing and was about to leave for home, a sound suddenly rang out, echoing in the quiet restroom, piquing his curiosity.

Is anyone there? Is anyone in the restroom?

Ito Koshi didn't answer. He wanted to see what he was up to. What kind of idiot would ask if anyone was in the bathroom? Wasn't that just making things worse, like he was deliberately trying to tell people he was going to cause trouble?

The man called out several times and carefully pushed each door open. Fortunately, he only opened one door slightly to check if anyone was there, giving Ito Koshito a chance to hide behind it. Otherwise, Ito Koshito might not have gotten any of this gossip.

After going back and forth several times, the man seemed to be sure that no one was in the restroom. He tiptoed to the restroom door and whispered.

"...Moon, there's no one inside."

Because the voice was so faint, Ito Koshitomo could only hear the calls intermittently.

At the man's call, the sound of small leather shoes clicking on the floor echoed from the restroom. Then, a soft, sweet, yet slightly childish girl's voice gently responded, "Oto-san. Hug me." (I originally wanted to write "baba," but I'm afraid it will be blocked by the censors, so I'll use the Japanese equivalent from now on.)

"...Moon, there's no one here, let's...hurry up and go home."

"Old man, don't rush, go to the toilet stall first."

"Click—" After the sound of the door opening, there was the rustling sound of a collar being fiddled with.

"Hazuki..." Having been half-asleep, eavesdropping on the filthy affair between the despicable man and the girl, Ito Kozue couldn't help but despise the man for being so beastly, even harming his own daughter. She was instantly startled by the name he uttered. 'Hazuki, wasn't that what Aso-nee said...?'

"Ooh-san!" The little girl's soft murmur interrupted Ito Koshito's thoughts. His mind went blank, as if a gong was being pounded wildly in his head, plunging him into a sea of ​​confusion. He couldn't help but sigh, 'The Takahara family, they really know how to have fun…'

"Pfft-"

"Puchi-"

"Pfft-"

After a moment of silence, the rustling sound of clothes rubbing together came from the next room.

"Hazuki, let's go back. Be careful, don't let your grandpa find out."

"Okay, Uncle." Hazuki Takahara didn't seem to care. Her eyes, which resembled her mother's, gleamed with a faint green light, as if some conspiracy was brewing within them.

After leaving the Gaoyuan family, Ito Koshi sat quietly on the toilet seat, lost in thought. He was still unable to shake off the affair between them. The shock he felt from reading about it in books was vastly different from what he experienced in reality!

He finally understood why Gao Yuanxia had been so absent-minded lately. She had probably discovered something, and the shock of reality had left her completely disoriented. But was Gao Yuanxia discovering something she didn't want to believe? Or did she lack evidence and only harbor suspicions about them?

A moment later, Ito Koshito also emerged from the restroom and quietly followed the two until they reached the small rented room. Only then did all his doubts vanish. It seemed they really were from the Takahara family! However, this was exactly what he wanted, because…

'The harm done to the Gaoyuan family will one day push their most prized possessions into the mouths of covetous hunters. As for which hunter will emerge victorious and seize the spoils, that will depend on whose methods are more skillful!'

The bright moonlight shone on Ito Koshitomo, casting his shadow on the ground in an eerie shape. Like a ghost in the night, he silently lurked in the shadows, quietly waiting for his prey to come to him.

Ito Koshito grinned, the corners of his mouth curving like a crescent moon, but instead of the moon's sacredness, it exuded a sinister aura.

He's already looking forward to it! What will Mr. Takahara or Hazuki Takahara do to make his wish come true?

Chapter Twenty: The Secret of the Private St. Hua Girls' Academy

This chapter is also known as "Miss Mira Personally Gives Her Baby Cabbage to Her Best Friend".

Time flies, like a fleeting moment. It passes silently, changing everything without leaving a trace. In the blink of an eye, it's Friday.

The weather was fine and sunny, cherry blossoms were falling, and as the bell rang for the end of the last class and the teacher said "Class dismissed," the students in the class were already excited, discussing with their small groups how to spend their weekend.

"Zhi-kun, I'm going to the club now. Goodbye."

Goodbye, Xia Ye.

Since that day, the relationship between Shinomiya Natsuha and Ito Koshitomo has progressed rapidly, but Shinomiya Natsuha seems to still have some concerns. She has begun to realize that she is gradually falling in love with another man, Ito Koshitomo.

Although she realized that her feelings for Ito Koshito were love, her childhood friend Yamano Yuta remained an insurmountable obstacle for her.

As for Tsushima Rina, she still believed that the wicked, glamorous woman was after Ito Koshito and wanted to corrupt him! Since she liked Ito Koshito, she couldn't let that wicked woman take him away!

Although Tsushima Rina is... hot, she won't lose! Murasaki Natsuha confidently strutted her proud, greasy fat, said goodbye to Ito Koshitoshi, and walked out of the classroom.

After Natsumi Murasaki left, Rina Tsushima invited Tomo Itō to go out and have fun on the weekend.

"Tomo, do you want to go out and have fun this weekend?" Rina Tsushima naturally took Tomo Ito's arm and asked in a coquettish voice. She hadn't been able to find a chance to spend time alone with Tomo Ito these past few days.

"I'm sorry, Rina, I really don't have any time!"

"Emm... Oh, I see. There's a new movie showing next Friday night. You'll have to come with me."

"it is good."

"Hehe, it's a promise then." Tsushima Rina gently bit Ito Koshichi's cheek in front of everyone, her soft, glistening lips feeling wet and sweet to him. It was precisely because Tsushima Rina frequently and boldly expressed her affection in public, making intimate contact with Ito Koshichi, that she reduced the number of girls pursuing him.

After Rina Tsushima left, Tomoya Ito packed his bag and prepared to leave, but when he saw Ayato Haruno sighing, he curiously asked him about the only male friend he knew in his class.