Time came to six in the evening.
After all, having run around for a whole day, needless to say for Saitou Miyako, Yuji and Hoshino Aqua on the other side had long since started to feel a bit hungry.
Therefore, Saitou Miyako didn’t hesitate, picking up the phone and simply ordering three portions of takeout—it wasn’t that she wasn’t good at cooking, but at this time, going out to buy ingredients, prepare vegetables, and cook would take far too much time.
Might as well just order takeout to make do.
But she at least considered the children’s nutritional issues, and the takeout she ordered belonged to a relatively balanced nutrition set meal.
During this period, Yuji also asked the question he was quite curious about—where did Hoshino Ruby go?
Indeed.
Hoshino Ruby at this moment was just an ordinary 8-year-old child; generally speaking, Saitou Miyako should have kept her in the agency and let the staff take care of her on her behalf.
Yet from earlier until now, he hadn’t seen a trace of Hoshino Ruby at all.
As soon as he raised this question, he quickly got an answer.
It turned out that Saitou Miyako was worried her work was busy, and recently Hoshino Aqua was filming again, so Hoshino Ruby, with no one to look after her, would feel lonely, so she was sent to the countryside in advance to be looked after by her parents.
“I see.”
Yuji nodded.
A reliable adult didn’t have any particular thoughts about a child like Hoshino Ruby, but after all, she was also a reincarnator, and he still wanted to explain his matters to Hoshino Aqua and her.
But since she wasn’t here for the time being…
then there was nothing to care about.
Just like that, while eating, they chatted idly.
When they had eaten halfway through, Yuji suddenly put down his chopsticks.
“Aunt Kyoko.”
“Hm?” Saitou Miyako stopped her chopsticks and looked over curiously.
“Can you order another portion of this takeout?” He pointed to the set meal in front of him that was half-eaten.
“I suppose I can…
Is one portion really not enough to eat?”
Saitou Miyako opened her mouth, slightly surprised.
In order to cater to the appetite of Hoshino Aqua and Yuji, she had specifically ordered adult portions.
Such a big appetite?
So much stuff isn’t enough to eat?
Could it be that a perfect child actor’s appetite is also perfect?
“No, it’s just that there might still be someone at home who hasn’t eaten, and I was thinking of bringing some back for her.”
Probably sensing Saitou Miyako’s curious expression, Yuji still offered an explanation.
But what he clearly didn’t expect was that this sentence instead further stimulated Saitou Miyako’s curiosity, and even Hoshino Aqua on the other side stopped his chopsticks, silently pricking up his ears.
After all, even though Yuji was signed with [Strawberry Productions], until today, his legal guardian had not visited [Strawberry Productions] even once.
In regard to this, Saitou Miyako had actually muttered to herself several times inwardly, feeling that the other’s guardian was far too carefree.
You must know that the other party was only an 8-year-old child!
Even if this 8-year-old child was Yuji, a guardian shouldn’t just be completely hands-off…
Uh…
It seemed…
they actually could?
Recalling Yuji’s behavior over these past three days, which really didn’t look like an ordinary child’s.
Saitou Miyako swallowed her bellyful of mutterings back silently, but still couldn’t help speaking out: “Takeout is fine, but I’d also like to meet Yuji-kun’s guardian.
I wonder if I could pay a visit later?”
To be honest, she really wanted to meet the other person.
Even if possible, she also wanted to ask how the other person managed to educate an extraordinary talent like Yuji.
It’s just that the past few times, Yuji seemed to have intentionally waited for her to pick him up and drop him off at a bus stop quite far from home, so she hadn’t found a suitable opportunity to visit.
“Meet…?”
Yuji, who always acted decisively and neatly, was rarely silent for a moment.
Raising his head, he first glanced at Saitou Miyako, then glanced at Hoshino Aqua, and only then nodded.
“Fine.
However, my home environment isn’t very suitable for receiving guests, so you two should prepare yourselves mentally.”
He said so.
Yuji was the most talented person in Yazayama Relief Station.
Regarding the words of Director Minami Mao…
which were those of her adoptive mother, Minami Reiko deeply agreed.
Because she had watched Yuji grow up all the way—truly watched him grow up since childhood.
From walking upright beyond ordinary comprehension before even turning one year old, to being able to run, jump, and speak eloquently by the tender age of two, winning the favor of adults, and even making it onto Mame Island’s local news by effortlessly solving high school exercises, instantly becoming a true local celebrity.
‘Prodigy!’
‘Miracle!’
‘Extraordinary talent!’
Almost all the adults who knew Yuji evaluated him this way, and some even discussed whether to send Yuji to Tokyo, after all, if they could hype him up, they could definitely ride on a lot of clout and make a lot of money.
But in the end, it was Director Minami Mao who used her own strength to suppress these outside discussions.
“Can you guys still be considered adults like this?”
“Don’t you feel that such behavior is shameful?”
“Yuji is only two years old!”
The usually amiable Minami Mao got angry for the first time back then.
Yet even so, quite a few news reporters still came with admiration, wanting to see this ‘Mame Island prodigy’.
Time…
also amidst such a process, arrived at Yuji being five years old.
At that time, Minami Reiko felt that she probably held a slight sense of fear towards Yuji.
Because she could always see some rebellious children who had still been full of disdain the day before and even spoke harshly to the director being called away by Yuji.
When leaving, they even wore fierce expressions, clamoring to ruin Yuji’s pretty little face.
Yet when they returned…
Whether Yuji’s face was ruined or not aside, those rebellious children really became incomparably well-behaved.
No matter what adults asked them to do, they would immediately do it, and they would properly greet people when they saw them, polite to the point that it was as if they had turned into completely different people!
If it were just one person, that would be easy to talk about.
Yet almost every child called away by Yuji was like this.
This outright bizarre scene directly planted the seeds of dread within the heart of Minami Reiko, who was only 14 years old.
Still in junior high school age, having read too many comic books, she even suspected whether Yuji was an alien who came to Earth from an outer star system and mastered evil brainwashing technology.
Otherwise, why would those rebellious children, who looked much stronger than Yuji at a glance, listen to him so much?
They were not people who would listen to Yuji reason things out.
And this kind of fear remained until she was 18 years old and graduated from high school.
As Yazayama Relief Station took care of more and more orphans, the beds and rooms that were originally somewhat extra gradually became crowded, coupled with the erosion of the sea breeze, some places needing repairs, and Director Minami Mao’s failing health, the barely sufficient funds began to tighten.
And regarding this current situation, Minami Reiko was actually quite hesitant.
Because with her grades, she had the opportunity to attend college.
She wanted to walk out of Mame Island!
She wanted to live a brand-new life of her own!
Similarly, this was also her only chance.
However—
“I, I will work hard!
I will definitely go to Tokyo and find a good job!
Director Mao!
And everyone!
You must wait for me to send money back to you!”
Although very reluctant, Minami Reiko still gave up the opportunity to attend college.
“Is it okay, Reiko, going to Tokyo alone?”
By the pier, seabirds called out.
Minami Mao, whose sideburns were already dyed with a layer of white frost, looked at Minami Reiko in front of her.
Behind her were a crowd of children looking over with curious and worried gazes.
As the director, Minami Mao knew that Minami Reiko’s personality was delicate, and she was definitely not a strong child.
“No problem!”
Minami Reiko remembered answering like that.
But…
actually that was a lie.
Unease, fear, anxiety.
Even the fingers hidden in her pockets were slightly trembling.
Having just graduated from school, she was about to start living alone, taking care of herself while also seeking employment and making a living in Tokyo.
Not to mention an 18-year-old girl.
Even many men would probably feel a bit uneasy in their hearts, right?
To be honest, if it weren’t for Minami Mao and the other children in front of her eyes, she would really have cried out.
It was also at that moment that someone spoke up.
“I’ll accompany Reiko.”
Dragging a suitcase slightly taller than others, a small figure walked out.
Minami Reiko felt that at that time, she should have been saved by Yuji.
“I will make money and come back with her.”
The sea breeze blew past.
The sunlight broke through the dark clouds and spilled down.
The black-haired boy’s hair strands fluttered with the fishy-smelling sea breeze.
He said so.
So—
“Haven’t the director and Yuji-kun already explicitly expressed rejection many times?
Why do you guys still always come knocking?
You guys—”
The ingredients close at hand scattered all over the ground.
Yet Minami Reiko completely ignored them.
She just gritted her teeth and stared at the several figures in front of her.
“People of the Toyokawa Family!”