My dear wife, I still love you more.

“Boss, you really are something else—but the other party didn’t call the police.” Kenichi Hasegawa shrugged.

"No one called the police—wait a minute." The izakaya owner's eyes widened: "So, that means you, you, actually, actually did it, right? You, you, such a beautiful woman, I knew that a young man your age couldn't resist her. Damn it, she didn't even call the police. You're so lucky."

The izakaya owner exclaimed, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes, after all, he had noticed that Hiratsuka Shizuka was truly beautiful.

"Of course I didn't call the police. After all, I didn't do anything, why would I call the police? To get an award from them?" Hasegawa Kenichi joked to the izakaya owner.

"Uh, you idiot, the way you put it, I thought you'd succeeded. Explain yourself clearly." The izakaya owner couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"You were the one who teased me first, weren't you?"

"What an unlovable young man, he never suffers a loss."

Just then, Kenichi Hasegawa suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Excuse me, are you hiring any waiters/waitresses?"

"Waiters? Sorry, we already have enough staff at our izakaya, we're not hiring any more." The izakaya owner responded loudly.

"Oh, I see. Well, thank you for your time."

"Wait!" Hasegawa Kenichi called out as the person was about to leave.

"Huh? Hasegawa-kun? What are you doing here?" Mrs. Yuihama asked, somewhat surprised, as she looked at Kenichi Hasegawa coming out of the kitchen.

"Yes, I work as a kitchen helper here. Mrs. Yuihama, are you here looking for a job?" Hasegawa Kenichi looked at Mrs. Yuihama. It was clear that Mrs. Yuihama had put on makeup, which added a touch of color to her originally gentle and quiet demeanor. However, Hasegawa Kenichi could still see a hint of unease in her eyes. Obviously, being a housewife for a long time and now coming to look for a job was something that required a lot of courage for her.

“Yes, yes. After all, I need to repay Hasegawa-kun’s money, and I also need to repay that group of people’s money.” Mrs. Yuihama said, her eyes dimming slightly.

"Is that so? Actually, if Mrs. Yuihama doesn't mind, I know of a job that would suit you, and the salary would be higher than that of a regular waiter. I wonder if Mrs. Yuihama would like to take it?" Hasegawa Kenichi thought of a few jobs he had seen on Aki Tomoya's job postings.

"Really? Thank you so much, Hasegawa-kun." Mrs. Yuihama said with gratitude.

"Please wait a moment, I'll go talk to the boss and then I'll take you there."

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for Hasegawa-kun?" Mrs. Yuihama was happy for Hasegawa Kenichi to take her, but she also felt that it would bother Hasegawa Kenichi.

"It's okay, wait a moment." Hasegawa Kenichi ran back.

He briefly explained the situation to his boss and stated that he could ask for a reduction of one or two hours' pay. Under these circumstances, the boss did not make things difficult for Hasegawa Kenichi, and since it wasn't a busy time yet, he was very understanding and allowed Hasegawa Kenichi to leave temporarily.

After taking off his work clothes and changing into his own, Kenichi Hasegawa ran out.

"Let's go, Mrs. Yuihama."

"Yes, thank you, Hasegawa-kun."

"Well, didn't I say? No need to thank me, after all, it's not a difficult thing. By the way, Mrs. Yuihama, have you thought about what to do next?" Hasegawa Kenichi asked meaningfully.

"After that? I guess I'll work hard to earn money and then use all of it to pay off my debts," Mrs. Yuihama said after thinking for a moment.

"No, I mean, you and your husband—well, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said this, but your husband seems to have developed a gambling addiction. This time he borrowed ten million yen. So what happens next? Even if you try your best to pay it off, will he borrow even more? What will you do then?"

"Ah?" Mrs. Yuihama's face turned pale instantly.

"So, Mrs. Yuihama, let's get a divorce. Divorce your husband. Besides, even if it's ten million yen, it was borrowed by your husband. If we divorce, we should be able to give up a large portion of it. That way, you won't have to work so hard, and you won't end up in a situation where you work hard and spend all your earnings to pay off the debts." Hasegawa Kenichi analyzed it for Mrs. Yuihama in this way.

“But, but, divorce, this kind of thing, this kind of thing—” Mrs. Yuihama’s face was melancholy. She was gentle and had never even thought about divorce before.

"At least, after the divorce, this kind of thing won't involve Yui Yuigahama, right?" Hasegawa Kenichi knew that Yui Yuigahama was extremely important to Mrs. Yuigahama, so this was one of her weaknesses.

"Yui? Fine, I... I'll get a divorce." Mrs. Yuihama's eyes hardened.

“That’s right. Although I may be going a bit too far, Mrs. Yui, your husband has already become like this. If you don’t divorce him, you and Yui will both be implicated. Those Black Dragon Group members are clearly not good people.”

"I understand. I will get a divorce."

"Find another lawyer, tell the lawyer about the situation, and see if we can get rid of that ten million yen debt as well."

"Yes. I will, thank you. Hasegawa-kun." Mrs. Yuihama looked at Kenichi Hasegawa with her gentle eyes full of gratitude, as if she wanted to rely on him.

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P.S.: Because my level isn't high enough, I can't leave comments in the book review section, but thank you all very much. As for the cover, it's true that using Mrs. Alice's name isn't appropriate; I'll change it.

Chapter Forty-Eight: The Good Guy Card?

"This is it. I saw they're hiring a pastry chef here. Mrs. Yuihama's pastries are delicious; even the ones you buy outside aren't as good as yours. So, I think this place would suit you better." Hasegawa Kenichi led Mrs. Yuihama to a coffee shop. Although it was called a coffee shop, it also offered tea and pastries in addition to coffee. Young women generally like to come to places like this.

Kenichi Hasegawa had considered working here, but unfortunately, the pastry chef position was for a long-term job, and Hasegawa was clearly not qualified for a part-time job.

"A pastry chef? But—" Mrs. Yuihama was a little worried. Although she often made desserts at home, she didn't think her skills were that high.

"It's alright, Mrs. Yuihama. You should have confidence in yourself and give it a try. It's okay if you fail. If you succeed, you'll find a good job." Kenichi Hasegawa encouraged Mrs. Yuihama with a smile.

"Well, alright. I'll give it a try." Mrs. Yui took a deep breath and nodded through gritted teeth.

Kenichi Hasegawa walked in front, with Mrs. Yuihama following behind.

As soon as the two entered, a waitress dressed in a maid outfit immediately came over. Well, this was a maid cafe after all. Hasegawa Kenichi looked around and noticed that there were no otaku here—the kind of creatures that many normal women find disgusting. Most of the people sitting here were women who seemed quite intellectual.

Clearly, even maid cafes don't hold much appeal for otaku. Of course, there is some attraction, but this isn't Akihabara; there aren't many anime-related things around. And the reason otaku are called otaku is because they spend most of their time at home and rarely go out. Even when they do go to maid cafes, they'll go to those in Akihabara, since they can buy some anime merchandise and then enjoy the sightseeing.

Furthermore, most of the customers here are professional white-collar workers or similar individuals, giving off an elite vibe, and most of them are women. Male nerds would be even less inclined to come.

It's a bit strange that the maids don't cater to otaku. However, this environment actually made Hasegawa Kenichi feel much more at ease. At least with Mrs. Yui working here, he didn't have to worry about her encountering any disgusting harassment. Well, actually, as a pastry chef, Mrs. Yui spent most of her time in the kitchen, so there was simply no chance for harassment to get close to her.

"Welcome, sir and madam. Please have a seat here," the maid greeted Hasegawa Kenichi and Mrs. Yuihama with a professional smile. The maid's expression remained unchanged after looking at Hasegawa Kenichi; after all, he wasn't particularly handsome. However, a hint of amazement flashed in her eyes when she looked at Mrs. Yuihama. Even though most of the guests here were young professional women, it was extremely rare to find someone as beautiful as Mrs. Yuihama.

"Excuse me, we're here to apply for a pastry chef position."

"Applying for a pastry chef position? Are you both? But although we are hiring a pastry chef, we only need one." The maid paused for a moment, looked at Kenichi Hasegawa, and then at Mrs. Yuihama.

“We know that the person who actually applied for the pastry chef position was Mrs. Yuihama; I just accompanied her,” Kenichi Hasegawa quickly said.

"Mrs. Yuihama? So you're not mother and son after all. But that makes sense, since you two don't look alike at all," the maid said with a sudden realization.

"...I know, I'm pretty ordinary-looking." Kenichi Hasegawa said with a hint of helplessness. Although he didn't really care about his appearance, he still felt a little annoyed when he encountered this situation frequently.

"Ah, sorry, that's not what I meant. Um, please come with me. The manager is inside." The maid quickly apologized and changed the subject. Otherwise, it would have been too awkward. After all, it was incredibly impolite for a maid to comment on a customer's appearance. Well, Hasegawa Kenichi didn't seem to be a customer. Thinking this, the maid felt a little relieved.

The manager of this coffee shop is a woman who looks to be about the same age as Mrs. Yuihama. Although she has a good temperament, she is not as good-looking as Mrs. Yuihama.

The shop manager didn't make things difficult for Mrs. Yuihama. He simply asked her to make some pastries, and seeing that they looked good and tasted decent, the manager readily agreed and hired Mrs. Yuihama as the coffee shop's pastry chef, requiring her to come to work the next day.

"Yes, I did it! I did it. Hasegawa-kun, thank you, thank you so much!" Mrs. Yuihama walked out of the coffee shop, her face full of excitement. She even subconsciously wanted to hug Kenichi Hasegawa, but she was still quite sensible. She had just opened her arms when she realized what she was doing and withdrew her arms, blushing slightly.

Seeing this, Kenichi Hasegawa felt a little disappointed, but he didn't show it on his face: "No need to thank Mrs. Yuihama. After all, we are neighbors, and it is only right to help each other. Besides, I didn't put in any effort, did I?"

"Hasegawa-kun, you, you are such a good person. You have helped me time and time again. I could have not helped you, but whether it was the money before or the job now, it is all thanks to Hasegawa-kun's help. Thank you, thank you, Hasegawa-kun." Mrs. Yuihama thanked her with gratitude, and her eyes even became a little moist.

"Well, Mrs. Yuihama, you said I'm a good person, so naturally a good person should lend a helping hand when others need it." Hasegawa Kenichi scratched his head and said with a smile, but he had just received another "good person card." And this was the first "good person card" he had received since coming to this world. But thankfully, it wasn't from Mrs. Yuihama after he confessed his feelings.

However, after having this thought, Kenichi Hasegawa couldn't help but pause for a moment. The reason he helped Mrs. Yuihama was simply because he felt that Mrs. Yuihama was his type. He had never thought of confessing to Mrs. Yuihama. After all, Mrs. Yuihama was a married woman before. He had no intention of being a bastard who would destroy someone else's family.

Even things like dating or getting married were things that Kenichi Hasegawa had never considered before.

However, now, it seems... it seems that Mrs. Yuihama is getting a divorce. In other words—no, no, no, Hasegawa Kenichi couldn't help but shake his head. How could he have such a thought? Hasegawa Kenichi took a deep breath, shaking off the jumbled thoughts in his mind.

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P.S.: I don't know why I suddenly wanted to eat cake, but it's so expensive, I can't bear to buy it. I'll just make it myself. I just didn't expect making a cake to be so tiring. I don't even know if it will taste good in the end.

Furthermore, is "bailing" a sensitive word?

Chapter 49 Debt and Divorce

Kenichi Hasegawa took a day off from school and spent the morning accompanying Mrs. Yuihama to finalize their divorce.

"Hasegawa-kun, divorce... I... I think I might need to think about it some more. Before, I felt like I was being a bit too impulsive," Mrs. Yuigahama said to Kenichi Hasegawa as they went to process the divorce papers. It seemed she was starting to have second thoughts.

Actually, it was because Mrs. Yuihama agreed too quickly before. After returning home and calming down a bit, she became a little hesitant again. That's just her personality.

"Mrs. Yuihama, I know. If possible, no one wants a divorce, after all, a happy family will be torn apart. But, Mrs. Yuihama, your husband—perhaps I'm not being kind—has become like this; he's beyond saving. If you don't divorce him, you'll continue to be affected. Perhaps you won't care too much, but what about you, Yuihama?"

"To be honest, Yuihama was a very cheerful girl in middle school, but since entering high school, because of her family situation, she has become very cautious and avoids contact with outsiders. Her cautious demeanor is heartbreaking to see. In fact, if I hadn't intervened, she might have been bullied at school. So, Mrs. Yuihama, even for Yuihama's sake, you can't hesitate." Hasegawa Kenichi earnestly advised her. He genuinely cared about Mrs. Yuihama's well-being and had no other intentions whatsoever. Well, maybe there was a tiny bit of something else, but really only a tiny bit.

"Huh? Yui, she... she's become like this? I... I didn't even know. Okay, okay. Even if it's just for Yui." Mrs. Yui's eyes hardened again.

Seeing that Mrs. Yuihama's attitude had become firm, Kenichi Hasegawa breathed a sigh of relief.

Actually, there was no need for Kenichi Hasegawa to handle the divorce proceedings. However, he felt that Mrs. Yuihama was too weak-willed, and to prevent any unexpected situations, he thought it would be better to go with her.

However, Kenichi Hasegawa did not expect that the divorce procedures in Japan would be surprisingly simple.

Of course, even in other countries, this would be a simple matter; everything just needs to be done according to procedure. However, Mrs. Yuihama was handling the divorce proceedings without her husband present. Although it was a matter for two people, Mrs. Yuihama was able to handle it all by herself.

Of course, this might also be related to the national conditions in Japan. In addition, Mrs. Yui's husband had disappeared and his whereabouts were unknown. Furthermore, he had borrowed ten million yen at exorbitant interest rates. After telling the lawyer about this, the divorce proceedings were surprisingly simple. (I've never been to Japan, nor have I lived there, so I'm not familiar with the divorce procedures there. Just assume that's how it is in the book.)

Kenichi Hasegawa inquired and found out. Actually, cases like Mrs. Yuihama's are not uncommon in Japan, so lawyers have long had such procedures in place. As long as you follow the procedures, it's very simple to get it done, although it costs some money.

Furthermore, under normal circumstances, even if the Black Dragon Group owed ten million, Mrs. Hihama would not actually have to repay it.

This relieved Kenichi Hasegawa, and he was even a little happy. Japan is different from China. In a divorce, the wife doesn't have to worry about the family's debts at all.

However, the situation was somewhat different for Mrs. Yuihama.

"Mrs. Yuihama, I have some bad news for you." The lawyer, wearing glasses, gently pushed up his glasses.

"Bad news? Yes, what is it?" Mrs. Yuihama clenched her hands, looking somewhat worried.

Under normal circumstances, if your husband borrowed money in his own name, you wouldn't be liable for any debt. However, your husband used your ID when he took out the loan. This means that although your husband is the borrower, legally, you are! Therefore, if you divorce, this 10 million yen debt will fall on you. Of course, if you and your husband can reach an agreement, you can still share the debt. So, Mrs. Yuihama, are you sure you want a divorce?” The lawyer looked at Mrs. Yuihama seriously.

Kenichi Hasegawa and Mrs. Yuihama were clearly not expecting things to turn out this way.

"But, but, I, I have no idea at all!" Mrs. Yuihama's face was full of panic, and she was almost crying.

"I know this matter shouldn't concern you. However, your husband used some means to ultimately borrow ten million yen in your name. All the procedures were legal, and the contract clearly shows it's you—that can't be changed. Perhaps, from the very beginning, those people were targeting you, Mrs. Yuihama!" The lawyer sighed; he had encountered similar situations before.

Even though the Black Dragon Group is a triad, it has its own businesses. However, most of them produce action movies, the kind with two or three people.

In order to gain greater profits, they often set traps for beautiful women. Some of them start directly from the woman's perspective, while others, like Mrs. Yuihama, start from her husband's perspective.

Finally, unless they can come up with the money to pay off their debts, they have no choice but to become movie stars. Most women end up in this situation because, under the machinations of the triads, they are simply unable to repay their debts and have no choice but to submit.

Mrs. Yuihama is so beautiful, with such a refined and gentle demeanor that it directly arouses desire. No wonder the Black Dragon Group has their eyes on her.

"Let's get a divorce. Even if there's a debt of ten million yen, if we don't divorce, that ten million might turn into a hundred million or even more," Kenichi Hasegawa said, patting Mrs. Yuihama on the shoulder.

“That’s right. If you, Mrs. Yuihama, have the ability to repay your debts, I also hope you can get a divorce. Otherwise, you will really be stuck in a quagmire and unable to get out.” The lawyer agreed with Kenichi Hasegawa’s opinion.

"I...I understand." Mrs. Yuihama nodded heavily: "Divorce!"