diymy Chapter 11 Shinsaibashi
Chapter 11 Shinsaibashi
Exhausted from a long day, Kiryu-sensei didn't want to go shopping, and he was about to decline:
"I might..."
But before he could finish speaking, Keiko Miyazawa added:
"If you haven't had dinner, how about I treat you to some?"
Can I save a dinner?
Upon hearing this, Kiryu Yaya's style changed drastically, and he spoke with great passion:
"How could I possibly be unavailable today? I have to accept Miyazawa-san's invitation no matter what, but... I'll be getting off work a little late."
"Then I'll wait for you at the bank entrance!"
After a busy signal, Keiko Miyazawa hung up the phone.
What followed was endless waiting and painful pretense for Kiryu Yaya.
The workday is supposed to end at 5 PM, but no one in the financing review department left until 6:30 PM.
Because the section chief hasn't left work yet.
If the section chief hasn't left work, the department head can't leave early; if the department head hasn't left work, the director can't leave; if the director hasn't left work, ordinary staff can't leave work.
Even those people mentioned above haven't left work yet, so Kiryu Yaya, as a newcomer, has to stick to his post even more.
That's utterly stupid.
Kiryu Yaya cursed inwardly, finally seeing Yamada Masakazu walk out of the office.
He breathed a sigh of relief and waited a few minutes, watching as the department heads, including Chihaya Yuri, left one after another, followed by the directors, and finally the ordinary staff.
6:30 PM.
Kiryu Yaya finally got off work.
He stopped in front of the Osaka branch of Mitsubishi Bank, loosened his tie, and looked at the street in front of him.
As dusk began to fall, the streetlights along Midosuji lit up one by one. The wind of late April blew in from the south, mingling with the noise of the crowds leaving get off work and filling the entire street.
Then, he saw Keiko Miyazawa.
She stood by a stone pillar outside the bank's main entrance, holding a beige handbag in one hand and gathering her long hair, which was being blown about by the wind, with the other.
She was wearing a light cherry blossom-colored cardigan over a plain round-neck top, and a knee-length dark gray skirt—very ordinary clothes that a girl would wear after get off work to go shopping.
But when she wears it, there's an indescribable beauty to it.
Although she had been waiting for a long time, Keiko Miyazawa did not show any impatience. She simply stood there quietly, tilting her head slightly, watching the neon lights on the rooftop of the building opposite Midosuji light up one by one.
"Sorry, have you been waiting long?"
Kiryu Yaya walked over quickly.
Keiko Miyazawa turned her head, saw it was him, and her eyes crinkled into a smile.
"No. I just arrived."
She paused, her gaze lingering on him for a moment, then smiled softly:
"Kiryu-kun actually looks quite convincing in a suit."
Kiryu Yaya looked down at himself.
Wearing a dark blue formal suit with the Mitsubishi Bank logo pinned to his left breast pocket, he certainly looked quite sharp.
At least it looks better than the cheap clothes he usually wears.
Kiryu Yaya smiled:
"Thank you for the compliment. Where shall we go for a stroll?"
"Just taking a casual stroll?"
"Okay, let's go."
As they spoke, the two walked into the evening crowd.
They walked south along Midosuji for a while, then turned left at the Nagahori-dori intersection towards Shinsaibashi.
That's one of Osaka's busiest shopping streets.
The Shinsaibashi-suji shopping street in 1991 still retained the unique vibrancy of the late Showa era.
An arched canopy about 600 meters long covers the entire street, and at night, fluorescent lights turn on one by one, illuminating the whole street.
The streets were lined with all sorts of shops.
Daimaru Department Store's South Wing occupies the best location at the street corner, with a huge spring clothing banner hanging on the exterior wall, and female mannequins in dresses showing just the right smiles.
This is the first year after the bursting of the economic bubble.
The stock market has been plummeting since last year, land prices are also loosening, and newspapers are discussing every day whether the "Heisei boom" is really over.
But on this shopping street in Shinsaibashi, those things seem to happen in another world.
Keiko Miyazawa walked beside Yaya Kiryu at a moderate pace, just shoulder to shoulder with him.
Unlike other young girls browsing the shopping street, she didn't look around aimlessly or stop in front of any shop windows, seemingly uninterested in the dazzling array of goods.
It seems she simply wanted to browse around.
Kiryu Yaya could understand this, after all, he had just experienced the grief of losing a close relative, and it was inevitable that he would be mentally exhausted.
Seemingly sensing the somewhat silent atmosphere, he casually asked:
"Where does Miyazawa-san work now?"
Keiko Miyazawa paused, raising her hand to gather her long hair, which had been tousled by the night breeze.
"Me..."
"I originally planned to find a job after graduation, but after my father passed away, there was no one to manage the family business, so I had to bite the bullet and take the plunge myself."
"That must be very tiring, right?"
"There are some business matters to handle at home... They're big in some ways, but small in others. At least I'm not qualified to say I've truly taken over yet. There are countless little things to deal with every day, and since I'm not very familiar with business matters, I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed..."
Kiryu Yaya nodded and affirmed:
"That Miyazawa-kun has managed to build such a successful career, that's really impressive. Most people couldn't do that!"
Keiko Miyazawa turned her head slightly and glanced at him.
The lights of the shopping street fell on Kiryu Yaya's profile.
His expression was normal; there was no deliberate attempt to comfort him, nor any further questions. He simply said sincerely, "That's still amazing."
Keiko Miyazawa smiled gently:
"I feel more relaxed when I'm with Kiryu-kun."
Kiryu Yaya did not respond.
He was about to say something—
A semi-transparent interface popped up in front of me.
[New life options have been triggered]
After her father's death, Keiko Miyazawa took over the business he left behind. The immense pressure, the complex situation, and the loneliness of having no one to confide in left her feeling almost suffocated. She asked you out tonight hoping for a brief escape, but your words touched her deeply.
At this moment, looking at her weary figure, you have three choices.
The options are as follows:
[Fork in the road 1: Stop interfering. You've already noticed her exhaustion, but in the adult world, some burdens must be borne alone.]
(Bonus: Bank deposit increased by 5000 yen)
[Fork in the road two: Stop and look at her with deep affection, tell her, "No matter what happens in the future, you won't be alone."]
(Reward: Bank deposit increases by 10 yen, with a high probability of unlocking the romance route)
[Branch Three: Don't say much. Help her relax in your most unique way, and help her unload the burdens in her heart in the simplest way.]
(Reward: Bank deposit increased by 5 yen)
Kiryu Yaya's gaze lingered on the three options.
Fork one, 5000 yen.
Branch Two: 10 yen + romance.
Fork three, 5 yen.
Kiryu Yaya made his choice almost without hesitation.
He pulled his hands out of his pockets, turned around, and looked at Keiko Miyazawa:
"Miyazawa-kun."
"Um?"
"Come with me somewhere!"
"what?"