Chapter 710 - 710: Queen's Society Gathering

The setting sun crept slowly across the edge of the bed, casting the silhouette of the two nestled together.

The warmth of lying in each other's arms was enough to soothe their heartbeats into the same rhythm.

But just as Hikari was accompanying Hisatono Kasui and enjoying this rare moment of tranquility, a noisy ringtone shattered the silence.

"Mrs. Yoshino?", Hikari picked up his phone, glanced at the name 'Yoshino Ayaka' on the screen, and answered.

["Hikari-kun?"], Yoshino Ayaka's soft voice came through the receiver, carrying a note of seriousness, ["Secretary-General Itsuki just informed me that the Queen's Society will be holding a congregation gathering tonight."]

["Didn't we talk about how if I were to attend a gathering, I'd take you along with me?"]

["So, what do you think, are you free tonight? Want to come together?"], Yoshino Ayaka's voice held a hint of anticipation.

"Sure, I'll go with you, Ayaka-san," Without much hesitation, Hikari agreed.

After all, the Queen's Society controlled by the evil god Itsuki Shima was far too dangerous, he had to intervene.

And at that moment, the Pure Love Radar in his mind suddenly pulsed, a faint red warning signal locking onto Yoshino Ayaka. Something was going to happen at tonight's congregation gathering...

["Great,"] Hearing Hikari agree, Yoshino Ayaka's voice instantly brightened.

["The gathering starts around eight. I'll come pick you up at your building around seven, okay?"]

"Fine," Hikari agreed, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and hung up.

Hikari didn't ask Yoshino Ayaka to come pick him up directly here.

After all, Yoshino Ayaka might not know the way, and besides, his clothes were dirty now, stained with some traces of pure blood, so he needed to go home and change anyway.

Hearing that Hikari had business, Hisatono Kasui was a little reluctant but sensibly told him he could leave whenever he needed.

Hikari spent a little more time with her, then redeemed a 'Pure Love Amulet' from the Pure Love System and handed it to Hisatono Kasui.

"Keep this on you, it'll protect you."

"Thank you, Hikari-kun!", Taking the delicate jade-like amulet, Hisatono Kasui's eyes lit up with delight.

She remembered that the beautiful girls around Hikari all seemed to wear this apparently valuable accessory around their necks or on their chests.

Without a doubt, this wasn't just a protective charm, it was also an unspoken symbol.

And now Hikari had given one to her as well.

Though she had initially given herself to Hikari mainly out of gratitude, without expecting too much in return, seeing that Hikari acknowledged her feelings and gave her a clear response, an indescribable warmth still swelled in Hisatono Kasui's chest.

She first carefully clutched the amulet in her palm, then happily put it on as if holding a rare treasure.

Then she leaned in slightly and pressed a soft, sweet kiss to Hikari's cheek, "Hikari-kun, I really like you!"

Hikari bent down and kissed her forehead, "Get some rest. See you at school."

"Mm!", Hisatono Kasui nodded obediently.

Watching Hikari leave the room, she slowly closed her eyes, a satisfied smile on her lips, and drifted into a deep sleep.

———

[Asou Apartments]

The light in the third-floor hallway flickered with the motion-sensor lamp, stretching Azuma Norihiko's shadow long and short alternatively.

Azuma Norihiko stood in front of room 303, his hand on the doorknob for a long moment, but in the end, he didn't turn it.

He pressed his forehead against the cold door, letting out a long breath, his expression grim.

Because at work today, he'd been scolded by the company president, Kamezo Gozou, yet again.

This had already happened more times than he could count recently. After all, his earlier negligence had cost the company a huge sum of money.

But today, when Kamezo Gozou had pressured him again in front of many colleagues to repay the company the hundred million yen, the stress had become unbearable.

A hundred million, how could he possibly pay that back anytime soon.

("President, with so many people around just now, I'm kneeling before you now.")

("Please, give me a chance, give me a little more time...")

After getting the president alone in his office, Azuma Norihiko knelt directly before Kamezo Gozou and begged pitifully.

Kamezo Gozou glanced down at him and said flatly, ("Norihiko, don't say I didn't give you face. Didn't I tell you before, as long as you pay back a portion every month, I'd go easy on you and let bygones be bygones?")

("But what about this month's payment? I've reminded you several times, and you still haven't paid!")

("I run a company, not a charity. If you keep dragging this out, my business will go bankrupt!")

Hearing Kamezo Gozou's furious scolding, Azuma Norihiko lay prostrate on the ground, cowering and not daring to speak.

But then Kamezo Gozou sighed, suddenly bent down, and personally helped the kneeling Azuma Norihiko to his feet.

("Norihiko, I'll give you a little more time.")

("But here's the thing, I want you to persuade your fiancee, Azuma Hisato, to come work as my secretary.")

("Now, it's not that I'm desperate for a secretary.")

("But I absolutely hate being rejected. Azuma Hisato agreed before and then went back on her word, that's the kind of person I despise most.")

("But we've known each other for years, so I'm willing to give Norihiko-san one more chance. If she goes back on her word again, don't blame me for being ruthless!")

Recalling what had happened at the company, Azuma Norihiko's face was filled with helplessness, the pressure crushing him inside.

Letting out a long sigh, heavy with worry, he pushed open the front door.

A sweet aroma hit him. Azuma Hisato poked her head out from the kitchen, wearing an apron, holding a plate of freshly baked pancakes, their golden surfaces drizzled with amber honey.

"Norihiko, you're back. I just made some sweets, want to try some?"

"No thanks," Azuma Norihiko's voice was dry as he cut her off, "We still owe nearly a hundred million yen. How can I have the appetite for this?"

Azuma Hisato's hands froze in midair, the plate suspended, her smile crumbling bit by bit, though she still tried to maintain the curve of her lips, "It's okay, we'll work hard and pay it off together. I just got back from work, I ran around to several places today. Eating something sweet might lift your spirits..."

Azuma Hisato was doing her best to stay positive, but that positivity didn't rub off on Azuma Norihiko at all.

Azuma Norihiko shook his head and refused the pancake she offered, "I really don't have the mood for sweets right now."

"President Kamezo was pushing me to repay the debt again today at work. I feel so much pressure. A hundred million, there's no way I can pay that off with my salary. It feels endless, like there's no light at the end of the tunnel. I honestly feel like I can't hold on much longer."

"Hisato-chan, why don't you just agree to be President Kamezo's secretary?"

"President Kamezo said that if you agree to be his secretary, the debt... can be renegotiated, or even waived entirely. This is the fastest way, Hisato!"

Azuma Hisato's smile froze completely on her face.

She remembered Kamezo Gozou's fat, greasy, lecherous face, the way his eyes had roamed over her like she was prey, and the humiliating terms written directly into the contract demanding she give up her body.

Recalling those sickening scenes, Hisato's stomach churned.

"I won't go!", Hisato's voice trembled, but her tone was resolute, "Norihiko, I will never agree to be that Kamezo Gozou's secretary. Let's just work hard together and pay off the debt."

Azuma Norihiko shook his head repeatedly, staring at Azuma Hisato with disappointment, "Hisato, you graduated and became a full-time housewife right away. You barely have any work experience, you can't even find a proper long-term job, just odd gigs here and there."

"You don't understand how society works. Otherwise, you wouldn't be wasting your days making sweets like this."

"I'm serious, instead of making useless pastries at home every day, you'd be better off being President Kamezo's secretary."

His words stabbed into Hisato's heart like needles. She jerked her head up, glaring at him with red-rimmed eyes.

"Norihiko, how can you say that?"

"What do you mean I don't understand? What do you mean I'm wasting my days?"

"I'm working too, I'm working hard to help pay off your debt!"

"I was out delivering newspapers at five this morning, then I worked eight hours at the supermarket checkout, and before coming home, I washed dishes at a restaurant for a few hours..."

"I've been working from morning till night, doing multiple jobs today. I made you those sweets because I wanted you to feel better when you came home!"

"How can you say I'm not trying hard enough or that I'm unreliable?"

"In any case, I will never agree to be Kamezo Gozou's secretary. Let's just work together and slowly earn the money to pay off the debt, isn't that better?"

Azuma Norihiko was silent for a while, then suddenly grabbed his hair and growled, "Slowly earn the money to pay it off? That's a hundred million!"

"With my salary? With you killing yourself working odd jobs? We'd never pay it off in a lifetime!"

"Hisato, you're not a student anymore. This is society, this is reality!"

"You can't find a proper long-term job, so you're stuck doing these menial tasks. You have no idea what a hundred million really means!"

"Instead of making useless sweets every day, face reality and agree to be President Kamezo's secretary. That's the real solution!"

Azuma Norihiko's voice rose to a harsh growl at the end, "Stop being so stubborn. Get real, Azuma Hisato!"

"Reality is that I will never sell myself to be that Kamezo bastard's secretary!"

By now, Hisato, pushed to her limit, was completely red-eyed. She tilted her face up, trying not to let the tears fall, but they streamed down from the corners of her eyes like broken pearls.

"Azuma Norihiko, look at these calluses on my hands, they're all new! From the day you got into trouble, I've been working three part-time jobs a day, newspaper delivery, supermarket checkout, restaurant dishwashing..."

"You say I'm not trying? Unreliable? Then tell me, what does 'reliable' mean to you?"

"And it was your mistake, why do you have to take out all the pressure on the people around you?"

"Azuma Norihiko, you're not young anymore. Learn to take some responsibility!"

Hearing Hisato's words, Azuma Norihiko's lips quivered, but he couldn't find any words to say.

Because everything Hisato had said was true.

Shame and helplessness washed over him.

He wanted to argue back but couldn't find a single valid point.

He wanted to apologize, but the crushing debt and Kamezo's threats had him by the throat.

Finally, Azuma Norihiko spun around, grabbed the coat he'd just taken off, and said in a low, hoarse voice, "I have nothing more to say to you. I've got work to do. Don't wait up for dinner."

The door clicked shut softly.

Azuma Hisato stood there for a long time, until the sound of footsteps faded away.

She slowly slid to the floor, picked up the plate of cold pancakes, and ate them one bite at a time, very slowly.

The pancakes that should have been soft and sweet now tasted bitterly sweet.

———

After finishing the pancakes, Hisato dragged herself to the refrigerator and pulled open the door.

She fished out a cheap bottle of sake, didn't bother finding a cup, twisted off the cap, and took a big swig.

The harsh liquor burned down her throat, making her cough a few times, but the tears came out with it.

"Just as they say, poor couples have nothing but sorrow, huh?"

The exhaustion from her day of work, the hurt of being misunderstood, the fear of Kamezo Gozou, and the uncertainty about the future all surged up at once.

Hisato didn't understand why things had turned out this way.

Or why Azuma Norihiko had to push her to sell herself and become Kamezo Gozou's secretary.

The bottle in her hand was already more than half empty without her realizing it.

Feeling down, Hisato had been drinking alone and was already a bit tipsy, her fair cheeks flushed pink.

Just then, the sound of a door lock turning came from next door.

Hisato's eyes suddenly lit up, "Could that be Hikari-kun coming back?"

With that thought, Hisato hastily set down the bottle and stood up.

She didn't even grab a jacket, still wearing only a thin camisole dress, she slipped on her shoes and hurried out the door.

Sure enough, the moment Hisato opened her door, she ran straight into Hikari, who had just returned from Kasui's apartment.

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