But after some hesitation, Sakiko still agreed.
And the thing she hesitated about wasn't even concern for her own safety. Rather, she was worried about causing trouble for him.
The reason was simple.
'With Kaito-senpai's looks'
'If he really wants a girlfriend, the number of girls lining up to apply would probably stretch from Ikebukuro to Mount Fuji, right?'
Togawa Sakiko even seriously considered, 'Compared to the possibility of Kaito-senpai having ulterior motives, the chance of me, myself being seduced by his looks seems even higher.'
And that was exactly the case.
Kaito personality was just like his appearance. He could only be described as beautiful and kind.
Not only that, he was also an excellent cook.
Even ordinary high-end ingredients, once handled by him, became visually appealing, aromatic, and delicious, and seemed to faintly glow with golden light.
But Sakiko chalked that up as a hallucination from her hunger.
By the time she came back to her senses, she realized her stomach had already been filled up.
Satisfied, she rubbed her bulging belly. The girl's amber eyes sparkledvisibly happy.
"Thank you so much for the meal!"
"As long as it suited your taste."
"Dinner was delicious!"
Togawa Sakiko pressed her palms together, looking at him very seriously, "That was the most delicious meal I've ever had. Despite being around the same age as me, to have such amazing cooking skillsKaito-senpai, could you be from a legendary chef family?"
"No, it's just a little hobby of mine."
To be precise, Kaito had developed this cooking skill not long after joining the Courting Death Sect.
At that time, he had just started cultivating and hadn't reached the stage of fasting, and since there were no other forms of entertainment, he had no choice but to delve into cooking as a way to pass time.
Later, as his cultivation grew, so did his understanding of detachment from emotions.
It had been a long time since Kaito last picked up the familiar pots and pans, but luckily, the skill hadn't rusted.
"Ah, it's already almost eleven!", Glancing at the wall clock, Togawa Sakiko was startled, and immediately lost the interest to keep chatting with Kaito. She'd been too happy eating just now and had forgotten that that bastard of a father was still home alone.
So she hurriedly said goodbye.
Kaito didn't try to keep her, nor did he have any intention of asking Togawa Sakiko to stay the night.
Since it was a brief encounter, it was enough to leave it at that. If the girl misunderstood and thought he had other intentions, that wouldn't be good.
He simply handed her the small shoulder bag she had left on the sofa, "Your thing."
"Thank you very much."
Sakiko smacked her head in annoyance, 'How can I be this careless? So impolite.'
Then she gave Kaito a slight bow, once again expressing her thanks, and finally turned to leave.
She was once again walking alone down the quiet street.
But Sakiko's mindset was completely different from before. Now filled with life, full of hope.
"Kaito-senpai really is a wonderful person."
The girl couldn't help but think, 'He isn't just unmatched in looks, even his personality is so gentle.'
If she were still that carefree girl of the past, perhaps she would've fallen for him and never gotten out.
But
Things had changed. She was no longer that naive young lady. She and Kaito-senpai were people from two different worlds.
He was a stunningly handsome boy from a well-off family.
And she was just a nobody working part-time in Tokyo.
The gap between the two of them was as wide as the heavens.
"That bastard old man still hasn't had dinner", She sighed, no longer thinking about these meaningless worries, and turned her attention to another problem.
Though she had just been treated to a full meal by Kaito-senpai
Out of pride, she absolutely couldn't ask for a takeaway portion.
But the money in her pocket was pitifully little. She couldn't even afford a half-price pork cutlet bento.
Originally, if she hadn't run into Kaito, Sakiko had planned to use all her money to buy a bento for that bastard father.
As for herself, she'd already gone hungry for a whole day. Missing another meal wouldn't matter.
As long as she held on until tomorrow's payday, everything would get better.
But after being treated to dinner by Kaito, Sakiko, though full and satisfied, also felt guilty for enjoying the food alone.
After hesitating for a moment, the girl still walked into a nearby convenience store, planning to see if there was any cheap food she could afford. She couldn't let that bastard starve.
After carefully picking through, she finally found a fully vegetarian bento, just within her budget.
"One set, 98 yen. Thank you for your patronage."
The young store clerk scanned the item skillfully and then looked up, only to find the customer staring blankly at his shoulder bag for some reason.
"Miss? Miss, hello? Are you ready to check out?"
Helpless, he waved a hand in front of the blue-haired girl.
"Eh? Sorry, I spaced out," Togawa Sakiko finally snapped out of it. After hurriedly paying, she left the convenience store.
When she got home, she opened the shoe cabinet at the entrance and habitually called out "I'm home", but naturally received no response.
The dim living room light wasn't turned on. A middle-aged man in a wrinkled dress shirt was lying on the floor, snoring like thunder, surrounded by toppled beer cans.
"You bastard old man, here's your dinner," With a cold face, Sakiko tossed the shopping bag at the man she was supposed to call "father," then headed straight for her bedroom without looking back.
Leaning wearily against the wall, she slowly squatted down, staring blankly at the five ten-thousand-yen bills in her hand.
She had found them in her shoulder bag. At some point, someone had secretly tucked them into the side pocket.
'Didn't we agree, after one dinner, we are even?'
'And yet, he still took it upon himself'
'Is it charity? Or pity?'
She clearly hated being treated like a weakling. She had even refused Komugi's help.
Yet at this moment, a strange and unprecedented feeling stirred in her heart.
A little sour and a little sweet.
She blinked hard, not wanting the tears to fall.
But the emotions surged like a tide, like a rock rolling down from a mountain, once it started, it was hard to stop.
Sakiko thought she was strong.
When her parents divorced, she didn't cry.
When her father was kicked out of the Togawa family, she didn't cry either.
When her father turned into a useless drunk, when she lost her carefree rich girl life, when she had to maintain her studies and bear the burden of life, even under the suffocating pressure, Sakiko still didn't cry.
She just clenched her teeth, telling herself: just hang in there a little longer, just a little longer, and it'll get better.
But now, just a few bills, bills that once meant nothing, completely broke Sakiko's emotional dam.
Like a young man who just got fired pretending everything's fine while reporting to family, only to completely fall apart at a single "come home if you're tired" from their mother, heart shattered in an instant, no longer able to pretend.
The suppressed sobbing lasted a long, long time.
When Sakiko finally composed herself, she gently smoothed out the bills, making sure there wasn't a single crease.
Then, she carefully tucked them into her most treasured diary, like hiding a one-of-a-kind treasure.
The tidy bed was soft, lifting the girl's exhausted body.
Her sea-blue hair spread out like coral, and she held the diary tightly in her arms, as if she were holding the entire world.
Outside the window, the moon hung high. The spring night breeze brushed gently, unexpectedly soft.
In the pin-drop silence of the room, only a faint whisper echoed.
"Kaito-senpai"
"Good night."
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Chapter 5: Grass Guardian
A rare clear day, with not a single cloud in the sky.
Brilliant morning sunlight spilled into the room through the floor-to-ceiling window, coating the sleeping figure on the velvet bed with a soft halo, like a layer of golden shards scattered on the floor.
When Kaito woke up, the clock had just struck eight.
Many schools in Japan practiced "happy education," with a very relaxed class schedule.
The first class in the morning started at nine, and students were dismissed as early as three-thirty in the afternoon. Shuka Academy was no exception.
Of course, no matter where, there were always "grinders" and "slackers."
In his past life, Kaito belonged to the grinders.
Even if school started late, when it came to cultivation, he was the most diligent among many disciples of the same generation.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have become a Celestial Sovereign in just four hundred years. This was, of course, due to his outstanding talent, but it was also inseparable from effort and sweat.
There was still an hour before the first class.
But Kaito didn't seem to be in a hurry. His home was not far from Shuka Academy, only about ten minutes by train.
He got dressed, got up, washed up, and went to the kitchen to make a simple breakfast.
By the time he finished everything he needed to do, the wall clock had only turned half a circle.
After finishing the last slice of bread with blueberry jam, he changed into shoes at the entrance.
Only then did Kaito, carrying his shoulder bag, slowly walk out the door, ready to go to school.
But at the train station, he saw a familiar figure.
"Togawa-san?", Blue twin-tails, black inner layer matched with a light-colored school blazer, the ribbon on her chest tied into a beautiful bow.
The girl stood gracefully in the wind, like a narcissus flower, her skirt fluttering, her hair dancing.
"Good morning, Kaito-kun~", Togawa Sakiko slightly lifted her skirt and gave a lady-like greeting.
Gone was the nervousness and unease from yesterday. The girl's pretty face wore a gentle smile, her large and spirited eyes sparkling like gemstones, putting people in a good mood.
"Fancy seeing you again," Kaito nodded at her. As if remembering something, he asked, "You live nearby too?"
"That's right," Togawa Sakiko pressed her lips lightly together, "My house... is just across from Kaito-kun's place."
Not only did they live next to each other, they even wore the same Shuka school uniform.
'Perhaps this is the guidance of fate?'
"I see," Kaito nodded with understanding, "I just moved in not long ago. Since it's such a coincidence, I'll come by and visit someday."
In Japan, people generally had the custom of visiting new neighbors after moving in.
It helped build relationships with those next door and also symbolized a new beginning in life.
Although Kaito wasn't interested in visiting strangers, since he already knew Togawa-san, spending a little time wouldn't hurt.
"No need for a visit," Togawa Sakiko decisively refused. Not because she wanted to distance herself from Kaito.
Simply because... she didn't want him to see that drunkard father who only knew how to drink.
Worried Kaito might misunderstand, Togawa Sakiko hesitated for a moment and added, "How about I come visit you instead, would that be okay?"
"Of course, no problem."
The two chatted for a few more moments before the train finally arrived.
The carriage was fairly spacious, though there weren't many empty seats left.
Sakiko reacted quickly and pulled Kaito to sit in a corner seat.
Their close posture could easily be mistaken by outsiders as a school couple.
Especially since both had extremely high attractiveness, drawing plenty of amazed stares from passersby.
In this world, the male-to-female ratio was very abnormal, about 1 to 4. The number of female students in school was obviously much higher than male students.
So the office workers on the train were mostly OL big sisters in black tights and pencil skirts, rarely any men in suits.
Because of that, handsome guys drew even more attention.
If it weren't for the dazzling presence of Sakiko beside him making these OL big sisters lack confidence, someone would've already come up to strike a conversation.
Even so, the fiery, burning gazes from people around made Sakiko's willow brows slightly furrow.
Then, without drawing attention, she stood up and used her body as a shield, standing in front of Kaito.
Since they were in a corner seat, when Sakiko stood up, she happened to block out most of the outside gazes.
'Girls these days, is their possessiveness always this strong? That is way too protective!'
Facing the OL big sisters' discontented gazes, Togawa Sakiko didn't back down one bit.
Her amber eyes were cold like ice and snow, staring back at each one.
Perhaps because her attitude was too righteously confident, or perhaps because peeking was unjustified to begin with, in any case, this round was Sakiko's victory.
It wasn't until the train reached the next station that Sakiko lowered her head again. Looking at the handsome boy just a step away, she softly said: "Kaito-kun, time to get off."
Kaito had been thinking about how to start a spirit-exorcism business and hadn't paid much attention to the undercurrents on the train.
He always had the attitude of 'being stared at a few times doesn't matter, it's not like I'll lose a chunk of flesh.'
Walking out of the carriage with Togawa Sakiko, the school gate of Shuka was just a short distance away.
But suddenly, the girl stopped in her tracks, apologetically saying: "I just remembered I forgot to buy something. Kaito-kun, go ahead. No need to wait for me."
That was a lie.
Though she had great affection for Kaito-kun, Togawa Sakiko understood very well.
If she just walked through the school gate with him like this, it would only stir up troublesome gossip and bring trouble to Kaito-kun.
Moreover, with her current situation, she didn't even have the qualifications to take a further step.
Even if she boldly pursued love and decisively confessed, what then?
She couldn't even guarantee basic food, clothing, and shelter. Even if they dated, she'd only become a burden to Kaito-kun.
So she had to endure.
The current Togawa Sakiko, the only thing she could do, was help Kaito-kun block the stares from the obsessed women on the train.
