My dear wife, I still love you more.

"Mom, are you alright—Mom—"

Yui Yuigahama had been hiding, after all, she was a timid girl, and her mother, Mrs. Yuigahama, had told her not to come out. But now, she secretly saw that the men in black suits had been chased away by Kenichi Hasegawa, and she was so excited that she immediately ran out.

At the same time, because she secretly saw Hasegawa Kenichi protecting her mother all by himself, and driving away those men in black suits with just a wooden sword, Yui Yuigahama felt that Hasegawa Kenichi, who originally had an ordinary appearance, looked more dazzling than ever before. His ordinary face looked exceptionally handsome.

However, when Yui Yuigahama rushed downstairs, she saw her mother being held in Kenichi Hasegawa's arms. For a moment, her mind went blank and she felt completely confused. She whispered "Mom," and then stood there dumbfounded.

Upon hearing Yui Yui's voice, Mrs. Yui immediately snapped out of her daze and found herself nestled in Kenichi Hasegawa's arms. Moreover, at that moment, she felt an unprecedented sense of security that made her somewhat intoxicated, and she almost didn't want to break free from Kenichi Hasegawa's embrace.

Fortunately, Mrs. Yuihama knew what she was doing. Aside from her social standing, she was far too much older than Kenichi Hasegawa, and she was already married. Most importantly, Kenichi Hasegawa was the man she had specifically chosen for her foolish daughter, Yui.

She quickly struggled out of Hasegawa Kenichi's arms, but her originally pale cheeks flushed crimson, and her shy demeanor almost made Hasegawa Kenichi unable to resist pulling Mrs. Yui into his arms again. Well, almost. So Hasegawa Kenichi restrained himself. After all, the difference in their social status was quite significant.

"Thank you, thank you so much, Hasegawa-kun. Otherwise, who knows what might have happened today. Yui, come here quickly. Come and thank Hasegawa-kun." Mrs. Yui expressed her gratitude to Kenichi Hasegawa, and then hurriedly waved to her daughter.

Yui Yuigahama was still a little confused and walked over to Mrs. Yuigahama in a daze.

Looking at her daughter's silly appearance, Mrs. Yuihama had a headache. She was already slow-witted enough, but now she was acting even sillier. What if Hasegawa Kenichi didn't like her?

If before, her initial concern for her daughter's future and her perceived lack of intelligence led her to try and matchmake Hasegawa Kenichi and Yuigahama Yui, then now, after what had just happened, she genuinely hoped that Yuigahama Yui and Hasegawa Kenichi could be together. After all, Hasegawa Kenichi gave off such a reassuring aura; it was as if he could shield them from any storm.

If Mrs. Yuihama misses out on such a perfect son-in-law, she'd be devastated.

Furthermore, Mrs. Yuigahama originally thought that Kenichi Hasegawa was of average appearance and probably wouldn't be very popular with girls. After all, nowadays, girls, especially middle or high school girls, are all obsessed with looks. People with average looks simply don't catch their eye. So she wasn't too worried that other outstanding girls would compete with Yui for Kenichi Hasegawa.

However, it seems that although Kenichi Hasegawa's appearance is a bit ordinary, he is exceptionally outstanding in other aspects. Anyone who gets even a little closer can see his excellence; perhaps some outstanding girls will notice him and even pursue him.

Therefore, Mrs. Yuihama is now really worried that her daughter is not competitive enough.

Seeing her daughter still looking so silly, Mrs. Yui Hama got a little angry and slapped the silly Yui Hama Yui hard on the back, causing Yui Hama Yui to stumble and almost fall headfirst into Hasegawa Kenichi's arms.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Yui Yuigahama finally stopped in her tracks, avoiding a hug from Kenichi Hasegawa. Instead, she turned to Mrs. Yuigahama and complained.

Mrs. Yuigahama felt an urge to cover her face. Her daughter was truly an idiot. Shouldn't Yuigahama Yui be nestled in Hasegawa Kenichi's arms right now? Her idiotic daughter was hopeless.

It has to be said that women, especially mothers, are really mentally strong. She was clearly terrified before, but now, for the sake of her daughter, her mind works faster than anyone else's. The psychological shadow from before has completely disappeared at this moment.

However, for some reason, the thought of her daughter possibly marrying Kenichi Hasegawa made her feel a little awkward and uncomfortable.

Mrs. Yuihama didn't quite understand why this was happening, but thinking about it, she figured it was probably because she was thinking about how her daughter, whom she had raised with such care for over ten years, was about to leave with another boy, and that's why she felt reluctant and uncomfortable. That's what Mrs. Yuihama thought to herself.

Kenichi Hasegawa was a little taken aback. He didn't understand. Just moments ago, both Mrs. Yuigahama and Yui Yuigahama seemed flustered, but in the blink of an eye, the atmosphere had completely changed. They no longer seemed flustered at all. So, women are really strange; you can never guess what they're thinking.

"Hasegawa-kun, thank you so much this time. As for the money you advanced, I will try my best to repay you." Mrs. Yuigahama said gratefully to Kenichi Hasegawa again, but thinking about ten million yen, she was just an ordinary housewife with no earning power whatsoever. She had no idea how to repay ten million yen. Thinking of this, her face turned slightly bitter.

At the same time, she decided to go out and find a job the next day. However, because of her education level and the fact that she had only been a housewife before, finding a job would be extremely difficult for her, let alone earning ten million yen. For her, it was an insurmountable challenge.

Chapter 40 Anomalies in Proficiency

Hasegawa Kenichi didn't take Mrs. Yuigahama's promise to repay the 800,000 yen to heart. He understood the situation in Japan; a housewife like Mrs. Yuigahama simply didn't have the ability to earn money. She didn't know how long it would take her to earn 800,000 yen. Not to mention the 10 million yen from the Black Dragon Group that would follow.

In fact, Kenichi Hasegawa didn't even want Mrs. Yuihama to repay the ten million yen owed by the Black Dragon Group. Just as Kenichi Hasegawa himself said, he would repay the ten million yen himself.

Kenichi Hasegawa felt that a mere ten million yen was nothing to him. It was like a migrant worker spending 100 yen on a meal – that's only for holidays or birthdays. He wouldn't dare spend that much on a regular day. But for Jack Ma, spending 100 yen on a meal would be too embarrassing.

The same number can have completely different meanings for different people.

Of course, while Kenichi Hasegawa is capable of repaying the debt, he will be short of money for at least a period of time, just like he is now.

"I'm so sorry, I'm really sorry. Because of some unexpected events at home, I can't afford to buy an air conditioner. I'm truly sorry." Hasegawa Kenichi hung up the phone and couldn't help but sigh. An air conditioner would be out of his reach again. At least for now, it wouldn't be making it into his house.

Looking at the laptop he bought for 2,000 yen on his desk, Kenichi Hasegawa felt a little relieved that he hadn't lost it before, otherwise he would have had to rummage through the trash to find it again.

"As expected, for me, a laptop is enough as long as it can type. Other functions and stuff are unimportant. Yes, none of them matter." Hasegawa Kenichi sighed. "And right now, the most important thing isn't the air conditioner, nor the laptop. It's that I'm completely broke. I've even run out of money for my usual expenses. An empty wallet. Damn it. Those bastards, Mrs. Yui's bastard husband, and those bastards from the Black Dragon Group."

He took out his wallet and pulled out a few coins, which added up to less than a thousand yen.

The original plan was for the novel to be published, the royalties to be paid, and there would be no need to worry about money at all. But now: "Sigh, it seems that I still have to go and work, find a job, at least to earn enough to cover my living expenses."

Kenichi Hasegawa covered his face. Back at Mrs. Yuihama's house, he had acted so generously, throwing 800,000 yen to the Black Dragon Group as if he were a real man. But now—he was just putting on a brave face. If he had known, he should have at least kept 100,000, no, 50,000, no, even 10,000 yen for living expenses.

Kenichi Hasegawa couldn't help but sigh.

Looking at his phone, Kenichi Hasegawa dialed a number.

"Dududu-"

After a long time, just as Hasegawa Kenichi was about to hang up, the call was finally connected.

"Kenichi? Sorry, I was working, so it wasn't convenient to answer the phone." Aki Tomoya's voice came through the phone.

"It's alright. No, I should be the one apologizing for bothering you at this time."

"It's alright. Kenichi, you're calling me at this hour, there must be something you want to tell me. Is it about the sales of your novel? Hahaha, I've already heard the news. Tokyo Ghoul is selling really well, and at this rate, it won't be long before it's published a second time." Aki Tomoya laughed heartily.

"Yes, Editor Machida already told me that the publisher has confirmed a second edition."

"Really? Kenichi, you're amazing! Congratulations!"

"Thank you. Tomoya, I called you this time for two reasons. First, to talk about the second publication of my novel. Second, I really need your help." Hasegawa Kenichi felt a little guilty; he seemed to have completely forgotten to tell Aki Tomoya about the second publication of his novel. Well, it wasn't entirely his fault. He had only just received the news when Mrs. Yuihama's family had that incident; he hadn't been able to think about anything else. So it wasn't his fault, really. Thinking this way, Hasegawa Kenichi felt a little more justified.

"what's up?"

"Yes, I need to find a job now. So, could you send me the information you've compiled about part-time jobs?"

"Huh? Looking for a job? Working part-time? No way? Kenichi, you should be getting your royalties by now."

"There was a little accident in the middle. So now I need to find a temporary job to earn some living expenses," Kenichi Hasegawa said vaguely.

"Is that so? No problem, I'll send it to you right away." Aki Tomoya didn't ask any more questions and agreed immediately.

Soon after hanging up the phone, an email arrived from Aki Tomoya. The email contained information he had compiled about part-time jobs, ranging from supermarket and convenience store jobs to restaurant waiter/waitress positions and coffee shop barista positions—all were listed.

Aki Tomoya has practically gathered all the job information in this area.

"Such a wealth of information! It would be very appropriate to pass it on to Mrs. Yuihama—wait, if I give this to Mrs. Yuihama, won't she misunderstand that I'm eager for her to repay the money?" Hasegawa Kenichi couldn't help but frown: "Never mind, it's better not to give this information to Mrs. Yuihama."

After reviewing the information, Kenichi Hasegawa found several jobs that caught his eye and decided to visit the locations before making a final decision based on his preferences.

Having made his decision, Hasegawa Kenichi breathed a slight sigh of relief. He recalled that when he faced the man in the black suit, his kendo skills seemed to have leveled up. Checking his stats, he saw that he had indeed reached level 4. However, although he had practiced kendo every day, he should have been a little short of leveling up, so this time the upgrade was surprisingly quick, leaving Hasegawa Kenichi somewhat surprised and puzzled.

"Why did it suddenly level up? My proficiency increased dramatically. Hmm. Could it be because of actual combat? Kendo is something that's inherently for fighting, so it's normal to gain more proficiency through actual combat." Hasegawa Kenichi pondered, but wasn't quite sure.

The number of favorites seems to be increasing faster today than the previous two days. Well, I'm not quite sure why. But it's a good thing.

Chapter 41 The Drunken Hiratsuka Shizuka

"The coffee shop needs a pianist, the bar needs a bartender, and the coffee shop needs a pastry chef—hmm, these jobs all pay relatively well and are quite respectable. Unfortunately, I don't have any of these skills. While I can learn, I'd need to practice for a while to meet the hiring requirements. So, those are out. It seems that finding a job with the skills I learned before won't be so easy. Although I have musical skills, I've never played the piano. Even with a musical foundation, you need at least a piano to practice."

Kenichi Hasegawa shook his head. He realized that the skills he had learned seemed rather, well, how to put it, a bit outdated compared to these jobs.

Although his cooking skills are good, he's more like a chef in a restaurant. As for pastries, while he can make them, he's clearly not a professional, and it would only be a short-term job, so I'll pass.

"Oh well, it's just a part-time job anyway." Kenichi Hasegawa shook his head, but couldn't help laughing. He wasn't looking for a long-term job; it was temporary, so any kind of work would do.

Since he didn't have any specific requirements, Kenichi Hasegawa chose somewhat casually and eventually went into an izakaya (Japanese pub). After all, he had worked in an izakaya before, so he was quite familiar with the work there.

Unfortunately, although Kenichi Hasegawa's cooking skills are now no less than those of izakaya chefs, he still hasn't been able to become an izakaya chef.

After all, even if Kenichi Hasegawa is a good cook, a high school student who's only coming to work for a few days wouldn't be hired as the head chef at an izakaya. Besides, most of the kitchen staff have already been decided; randomly adding someone would only affect efficiency. Even if it doesn't affect efficiency, what if Kenichi Hasegawa leaves after a while?

Kenichi Hasegawa didn't care. Being a kitchen helper or a chef didn't affect him much. Even if he was just chopping and cutting, his culinary skills would still improve rapidly.

After changing into his kitchen helper's clothes, Kenichi Hasegawa began working at the izakaya.

As time went by, it was almost eight o'clock when Hasegawa Kenichi suddenly saw a familiar face.

Ms. Shizuka Hiratsuka, Kenichi Hasegawa's teacher and part-time homeroom teacher.

Most importantly, Hiratsuka Shizuka looked unwell and ordered several bottles of alcohol as soon as she came in.

Kenichi Hasegawa had initially intended to go over and say hello, but seeing Hiratsuka Shizuka's state, he decided it was best not to show up. After all, it would be awkward for both the teacher and the student to see a teacher drowning their sorrows in alcohol.

"Gudong-"

Hiratsuka Shizuka downed a glass of sake in one gulp—a rather large glass, no less. Hasegawa Kenichi watched with a strange expression. Hiratsuka Shizuka was undeniably beautiful and outstanding on the outside, but her usual behavior was brash and lacked any feminine reserve. She smoked and was known for her habitually brandishing her fists. He never expected her to drink so readily; she was practically more manly than a man. No wonder Hasegawa Kenichi had heard that Hiratsuka Shizuka didn't have a boyfriend. Who would dare mess with someone like that?

One cup after another, one bottle after another.

Soon, Hiratsuka Shizuka became quite drunk. She was half-slumped on the table, muttering repeatedly, "Why, why? I, I, Hiratsuka Shizuka, Hiratsuka Shizuka, am a beauty no matter what. Hiccup, why, why do those bastards, those bastards, not like me?"

"Another failed blind date. Damn it!"

"Clearly, clearly he's just a lowly wage slave."

"You actually look down on me? Pshaw, I look down on corporate slaves too."

"This guy, who looks prematurely old and is almost bald, actually rejected me? What a bastard!"

"Waaah, even though I smoke, drink, and sometimes hit people, I really, really am a good woman."

"You, you bastards, you look down on me. I—"

"Waaaaah, what other bastards are there? They're the same age as me, yet they got married so early, and some even became mothers. Bastards! We graduated from school together, so why are you able to get married? Why are you able to have children? You bastards!"

"Hiccup—I, you, you will definitely, definitely regret it, regret it, yes, you will definitely regret it."

"I am such an outstanding woman."

"He looked at me like that. He clearly wanted to lay a hand on me. I... I just hit him a little too hard when I tried to stop him and broke a rib. Why, why am I being ostracized, you bastard?"

Hiratsuka Shizuka muttered to herself as she continued drinking until she was completely drunk. Even as the izakaya was about to close, she was still slumped drunkenly on the table.

When Hasegawa Kenichi finished work and received his paycheck for the day, he frowned as he looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka, who was drunk and almost unconscious.

To be honest, Kenichi Hasegawa didn't really like women like Shizuka Hiratsuka. Compared to Shizuka Hiratsuka, who smoked, drank, and even hit people, and didn't have much feminine charm, he thought women like Mrs. Yuihama were the best.

However, if they are just ordinary friends, it's fine. Also, after all, Hiratsuka Shizuka is his teacher, so he can't just abandon her.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, Hiratsuka-sensei," Hasegawa Kenichi gently nudged her and called out.

"Hey kid, what are you doing? Let me tell you. Even though you're just a student, it's still illegal to do that kind of thing while someone's drunk." The izakaya owner shouted as he watched Hasegawa Kenichi go to Hiratsuka Shizuka, worried that something bad might happen and implicate the izakaya.

"Boss, this is one of my teachers from school. I didn't expect her to be this drunk," Kenichi Hasegawa said to the izakaya owner with a wry smile.

"Teacher? A teacher at your school?"

"That's right, she's still our class's homeroom teacher. Hiratsuka-sensei, Hiratsuka-sensei, wake up, Hiratsuka-sensei!"

"Hmm, huh? Hasegawa?"

"That's right, it's me, Hiratsuka-sensei. How are you feeling?" Hasegawa Kenichi asked again as he looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka, who was still half asleep.

"boom--"