After returning home and putting away his keyboard, Amaya Yuu boarded a train according to the approximate address in his memory.
It wasn’t that he didn’t have the money to take a taxi directly, but Tokyo’s taxis were so expensive they made one’s head spin.
Although his old man had made a fortune, it wasn’t exactly like the money had been blown in by the wind (though it kind of seemed like it was…), and his daily expenses in Tokyo were already much higher than back on Shodoshima.
He had to save wherever he could.
After the train arrived at the station, he turned into that somewhat familiar old neighbourhood again, weaving through the narrow alleys before finally stopping in front of a dilapidated two-story apartment building.
Even in the daylight, the building looked ruined and gloomy, with mottled walls and a damp scent permeating the surroundings.
If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, it would be hard to believe that such a dilapidated corner was hidden within an international metropolis like Tokyo.
In his impression, Tokyo should be a place of brilliant lights, with bustling streets beneath the towering Tokyo Tower and the never-ending flow of the Shibuya Crossing, full of modern atmosphere everywhere.
The Shibuya Crossing!
Mentioning that, he couldn’t help but associate it with those desolate scenes in Resident Evil; looking at the cramped and broken environment around him, he subconsciously shuddered.
But this small two-story building was partitioned into eight rooms.
The one on the first floor that didn’t face the sun had a relatively new renovation, likely where the landlord lived.
Of the remaining seven rooms, including the Togawa Family’s, it seemed three were rented out.
Dust had settled on the doorknobs of the others that hadn’t been leased.
He stepped onto the dusty concrete stairs, walking up step by step.
The steps were worn very smooth, and the sound of his footsteps echoed clearly in the silent hallway.
Room 201 on the second floor was the Togawa Family’s.
Standing before the door, unsure if anyone was inside, he gave a tentative knock.
Seeing no response, he knocked a few more times with more force while raising his voice to ask, “Is Togawa-san home?”
He called out two or three times and knocked for half a minute, but there was still only silence behind the door.
“Let’s explore the area ahead later~~”
Amaya Yuu felt as if he heard such a phrase coming from the void.
He shook his head helplessly, preparing to turn and leave.
Just as he took a step, intending to go downstairs, the door behind him marked ‘201’ suddenly slid open with a ‘clatter’.
A haggard middle-aged man with messy hair stood inside.
A heavy stench of alcohol rushed out with the draft from the opening door, making Amaya Yuu instinctively knit his brows in disgust.
“Looks like he’s been drinking again this morning…” he thought silently to himself.
“What are you here for?” Togawa Kiyotsugu’s voice was somewhat weak and listless.
“Um, excuse me, is Togawa-san home?” Amaya Yuu asked, maintaining basic politeness.
“Why are you looking for her?” Hearing Amaya Yuu mention Sakiko, Togawa Kiyotsugu’s tone became cautious.
“I’m her classmate; I sit behind her.
We agreed to meet at school today to discuss schoolwork, but I haven’t seen her, so I was worried and took the liberty of coming to check.
I’m very sorry for disturbing your rest.” Amaya Yuu calmly spun a lie on the spot.
Togawa Kiyotsugu let out a disdainful scoff.
“You lie without even blinking.”
After saying that, he moved to close the door.
Amaya Yuu stepped forward and grabbed the door panel with his hand.
Seeing that he couldn’t fool the man, he changed his strategy.
He said, as if casually, “Togawa-san seemed to be a young lady of a wealthy family before…”
Sure enough, at the mention of this, Togawa Kiyotsugu’s momentum instantly withered.
His movement to close the door stopped, and he merely muttered to himself, “It’s my fault for being useless…
I’m useless…
it’s all my fault…”
Taking advantage of his lapse in concentration, Amaya Yuu slipped inside the door.
“Just saying you’re ‘useless’ won’t solve the problem.
What exactly happened?
If you tell me, maybe I can help.” Amaya Yuu softened his tone, trying to keep the conversation going.
Seeing the other party still not responding, he went further: “You should still remember, right?
That night at the entrance of the police station, it was Sakiko and I who brought you back together.”
To close the distance, he deliberately used the more intimate name “Sakiko”.
These words seemed to flip a switch.
Togawa Kiyotsugu snapped his head up, a flicker of light appearing in his murky eyes.
He suddenly reached out and gripped Amaya Yuu’s shoulders tightly, his fingers trembling slightly from the force.
“Is it true?
If you can really help her…
please, let her leave me!
I have nothing left; I can’t keep dragging her down to suffer with me!” His voice was raspy yet urgent, like a man grasping at a final straw.
“She was supposed to be the young lady of the Togawa family…
she shouldn’t have her whole life ruined by someone like me!”
At the height of his emotional outburst, tears actually began to fall.
“Take it slow, tell me everything…” Amaya Yuu hadn’t expected the other’s emotions to be so intense.
While soothing him, he helped him into the living room.
Calling it a living room was a stretch; it was really just a cramped space with a small square table placed on the tatami mats.
The two sat cross-legged by the table.
Togawa Kiyotsugu’s tears slid down his haggard cheeks; he didn’t wipe them, simply letting them flow.
“I…
I was originally a Managing Director at the Togawa Group,” he said in a low, raspy voice.
“Because of a failed real estate investment, the group lost 16.8 billion yen…
After it happened, I was removed from the family register by my father, and all my assets were frozen…”
His hands fell weakly onto the tatami, his gaze staring blankly at a mottled corner of the wall.
“Sakiko…
Sakiko was supposed to have the best of everything.
The best school, the best life…
not like this, living in a place like this, having to go work part-time until late every day after school…
for this useless father…” His voice choked up, and he could barely continue.
Amaya Yuu listened in silence, not interrupting.
He looked around; this tiny apartment looked even messier than it had during his nighttime visit.
Empty beer cans were piled in the corner, and the air was a mix of smoke, alcohol, and the smell of mold.
Eerie beams of light reflected off the glass of the inner sliding door, appearing even more dismal in this shabby environment.
“She must hate me, right?” Togawa Kiyotsugu suddenly looked up, a thirst for an answer in his murky eyes.
“She must absolutely loathe me, the father who ruined her life…”
“As long as I act completely pathetic, she will definitely leave this trash heap…”
Amaya Yuu chose a cautious answer:
“All of this is too heavy for her.
She might…
just not know what to do.”
“Why don’t you tell her these thoughts of yours?”
A long silence spread through the room.
After a long time, Togawa Kiyotsugu finally calmed down.
“You…
you said you could help her?” He looked up, not answering Amaya Yuu’s question, his gaze holding a final spark of hope.
“Then take her away.
Convince her to go back to the Togawa family, convince her to leave this quagmire!”
Amaya Yuu didn’t reply immediately, because at that moment, he received a prompt from the system:
『Quest: The Moonlight Falling into Darkness』
『Quest Content: Investigate why the once innocent and romantic Togawa Sakiko has become so cold and unapproachable.』
『Completed』
『Quest Rewards: 1 Attribute Point, Customer Service Skills (Basic), Piano Playing Technique (Master), and Electronic Keyboard Playing Technique (Master) have been delivered!』
Just for the sake of these quest rewards, he couldn’t bring himself to be ungrateful.
Although there was no way for him to return the father and daughter to their original life for now, he could certainly work on helping Sakiko pull herself together again.
He looked at Togawa Kiyotsugu seriously: “Whether she returns to the Togawa Group or not is not something I can decide.
That depends on Togawa-san’s own choice.”
He paused, then added, “But I can promise you, I will do my best to help her cheer up.”