Daisy was taken aback by this uniquely Japanese sense of devotion.
She stammered, “My financial situation isn’t very good right now, so…” The consul, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally spoke.
“Please rest assured, Miss Johnson.
You bravely saved our citizens, and we would like to offer a reward as a token of our gratitude.
Maki is also fully capable of working, so you have absolutely nothing to worry about.” The other three women and several consulate staff members all wore expressions that clearly said, ‘Agree to it.
Agree to it.’ Meanwhile, Maki waited quietly for Daisy’s decision, looking completely determined not to give up until she reached her goal.
Daisy found herself unable to refuse.
The Japanese consul hinted that the authorities would deal with the criminal organization through official channels, ensuring there would be no future trouble.
In the end, Daisy accepted the ten-thousand-dollar reward in a daze and left the consulate with Maki—her newly acquired “retainer.” A cool breeze brushed across her face, and only then did she fully understand the old consul’s smiling expression.
He hadn’t wanted her making a public issue out of the incident.
Now that she had accepted both the reward and the “retainer,” she had little reason to spread the story around.
In this era, people placed great value on keeping their word.
Someone like Daredevil’s heroine, who accepted compensation yet continued investigating the truth, was actually quite rare.
Sighing at the craftiness of politicians, the penniless Daisy happily accepted the ten thousand dollars.
She turned to Maki.
“So, what skills do you have?” Firearms?
No.
Driving?
No.
Melee weapons?
No.
Stealth?
No.
Assassination?
Definitely not.
The only qualification Maki possessed was a Japanese law license, and she hadn’t even completed her internship before being deceived into coming to the United States.
Her credentials weren’t recognized here.
She would have to qualify all over again, and before that, she needed to improve her English.
Food, clothing, housing, transportation…
Everything would now have to be paid for by Daisy.
On the way home, Daisy hacked into several security cameras around the apartment building.
None of the people she had expected to see appeared, making her suspect that the consulate had already stepped in.
Even so, she couldn’t shake the feeling that they should be cautious.
The people involved had already seen her face.
Hell’s Kitchen was large, yet somehow still small.
Finding someone as striking as she was wouldn’t be especially difficult.
After telling Maki to wait, Daisy called Angela and asked her to stay with her parents for a few days.
She then took a shortcut and hurried back to the apartment to pack.
Her electronic equipment had to go.
Once a hacker’s tools were seized, the advantage shifted to the other side.
She packed her clothes as well.
They were inexpensive, but they were still hers.
Besides, she had no idea what kind of unpleasant things people might do if they got hold of them.
She also packed her friend’s belongings before leaving with a backpack and a suitcase.
After meeting up with Maki again, the two rented an apartment in Brooklyn, where there was a larger Asian community.
“I’ll lend you a couple of outfits.
Your clothes are already ruined.” Daisy handed Maki two sets of her own clothes.
The ones Maki had been wearing were already torn during the escape.
After thanking her, Maki seemed to think nothing of it and began changing right there in front of Daisy.
Daisy intended to look away.
For reasons she couldn’t quite explain, she didn’t.
Maki was slightly shorter than Daisy, and her calves were a little thicker, lacking Daisy’s lean, athletic shape.
On the other hand, her figure was exceptionally well-proportioned.
Daisy couldn’t accurately judge the measurements, but Maki’s shirt stretched noticeably across her chest, leaving Daisy momentarily speechless.
After unpacking, Daisy discovered another pleasant surprise.
Maki could cook.
Curious, Daisy asked where she had learned.
Maki explained that home economics was part of the school curriculum back home, so most girls learned basic cooking from an early age.
The answer made Daisy sigh.
In another timeline, she remembered that in a certain country, cooking had gradually become something more commonly done by men.
As a former struggling writer, Daisy knew how to prepare a few simple dishes herself.
She had simply been too lazy—and too poor—to bother.
Now that she had a little money, she instinctively rolled up her sleeves to help.
“Please don’t.
This isn’t something you should be doing.” Maki politely but firmly refused, leaving no room for discussion as she ushered Daisy out of the kitchen.
Since she wasn’t allowed to help, Daisy didn’t insist.
She wasn’t particularly hardworking to begin with.
She had spent the morning washing a car, kidnapping an American, fighting members of the Russian mafia, and then fighting another group of gangsters.
After such a hectic morning, she was genuinely hungry.
Many people in the United States placed relatively little emphasis on lunch, eating proper meals mainly in the morning and evening while simply grabbing something quick at noon.
Daisy had never been able to get used to that habit.
Now, at last, she could eat something decent.
It wasn’t long before Maki served two dishes.
One resembled mapo tofu, while the other consisted of stir-fried vegetables and bean sprouts.
According to Maki, this counted as Chinese cuisine.
The staple food was plain steamed rice.
“I’m terribly sorry.
There wasn’t enough time today.
I’ll do much better in the future.” Kneeling formally on the floor, Maki lowered her head in apology.
Daisy felt embarrassed.
This meal was already a hundred times better than the bread she had been surviving on.
“Let’s eat together.
It’s relatively safe here, but you should still keep a low profile for the next few days.” “I’ve caused you so much trouble.” After exchanging another round of polite formalities, the two finally began eating.
Daisy’s superpower allowed her body to digest food at an incredible rate.
That was one of the main reasons she was always short on money.
Most of it went toward food.
What she really wanted was meat—huge portions of it.
Unfortunately, Maki’s cooking emphasized modest servings.
It was delicate and delicious, but nowhere near enough.
After finishing most of the rice and both dishes, Daisy was still less than half full.
She wanted to shout, “I want meat!” just like Luffy.
Since they had only just met, however, she didn’t want Maki to think she was a glutton.
Instead, she smiled and claimed she was full.
Once the meal was over, Maki immediately began clearing the dishes before busily cleaning the apartment.
Meanwhile, Daisy lounged on the couch with her legs crossed, digesting her meal.
She felt far too guilty to stay there watching.
Leaving Maki to finish cleaning, Daisy went out and bought a stack of law books along with several introductory English textbooks.
She also contacted the consulate, which agreed to help Maki process some of the paperwork she would need.
When Daisy returned home carrying the books, she took off her shoes and immediately noticed that Maki had already finished cleaning.
She was now washing clothes.
Daisy’s clothes.
Including several pieces of underwear.
“Whoa!
This is way too embarrassing!” She hurried over to stop her.
Maki answered calmly, “It’s all right.
I often helped my family with the laundry back home.
Please don’t feel uncomfortable.” Then she casually added a sentence that made Daisy’s entire body stiffen.
“Miss Johnson, your clothes have a very pleasant scent…” A cold sweat instantly broke out across Daisy’s back.
She hurriedly changed the subject.
“I bought you some law books.
Since you already have the basics, you should focus on getting your legal qualifications here.
And you’ll also need to improve your English.
Your pronunciation still sounds a little unusual.” Maki bowed deeply once again, repeatedly expressing her gratitude.