Chapter 67: Volume 1, - 67: The First Day He Spent Like He Was Free
The GINZA Global Style Comfort store inside Omiya Kadomachi was quiet, smelled faintly of wool and cedar, and had no off-the-rack size tags hanging like public judgments.
Ren stood on the low fitting platform before a full-length mirror while Mr. Takahashi, a silver-haired senior stylist, smoothed a dark navy wool sample jacket over his shoulders.
"The shoulder seam sits cleanly here," Mr. Takahashi said, using chalk to mark near the armhole. "You have a wide chest and thick back, Mr. Kisaragi. Standard suits pinch across your shoulder blades while leaving excess fabric around your waist. We will cut specifically for your current proportions, with enough inlay in the seams so we can adjust it later if your measurements change."
Ren looked at his reflection. For years, entering a fitting room had been an exercise in embarrassment. Cheap jackets had either strained across his stomach or draped over him like a cardboard box. Now, under the warm lights, the mirror showed a heavy young man, but his posture was upright, his neck was clear, and the structured navy jacket framed his shoulders without pulling.
"We will select two Egyptian cotton shirts in white and soft blue," Mr. Takahashi continued, pulling swatch books. "For the trousers, a charcoal wool with a clean single break over leather Oxford shoes. We will also include dark knitwear for layering."
The tailor worked with Ren as he was. His custom navy jacket, shirts, trousers and knitwear would take two weeks to finish. After placing the order, he stopped at the Yofuku no Aoyama Omiya West Exit store, where a clerk found a navy blazer in his size that sat cleanly across his shoulders. It was not made-to-measure, but it fitted well enough for that evening.
The Executive Wardrobe Credit settled both clothing purchases through approved direct-pay channels. Ren then drove across the station district to HIRO GINZA BARBER SHOP Omiya for a same-day appointment, paying the grooming bill from his Founder Freedom Distribution. Over the next forty minutes, a barber trimmed his hair, cleaned the edges around his neck and temples so his face appeared less round, shaped his eyebrows and finished with a light facial treatment that left his skin cleaner and less dry.
When Ren stepped back onto the street, he looked polished, well dressed and more self-assured than he had ever felt.
As he reached his car, blue and silver light flashed briefly across his field of vision.
[PRESENTATION PURCHASES VERIFIED]
[EXECUTIVE WARDROBE CREDIT TRANSACTIONS: ¥185,000 DEDUCTED]
[REMAINING WARDROBE CREDIT BALANCE: ¥115,000]
[OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE COMPLETE: USE WEALTH FOR CHOSEN PLEASURE]
[REWARD ALLOCATED: +5 LEGACY POINTS]
[TOTAL LEGACY POINTS: 55 LP]
Ren smiled, closing the notification as he started the Crown’s engine.
Suzune stood near the station clock tower at seven o’clock, checking her phone. She wore a beige skirt and a cream cardigan bearing a faint mark of flour near the cuff from her afternoon baking shift.
When Ren stepped out of the Crown and walked across the pavement toward her, Suzune lowered her phone and went still. Her eyes widened, sweeping over him in a long look that lingered far longer than she usually allowed herself in public.
She noticed the clean line around his throat, the jacket hugging his broad shoulders, the reduced puffiness around his jaw, and his steady posture.
"Ren..." Suzune said softly. Heat rose into her cheeks as her gaze shifted to his newly styled hair. "You look... incredible. What happened to you today?"
Ren’s smile widened, as though her long look had told him everything she had failed to say. "I had an appointment with a tailor in Omiya, then a proper grooming session. I decided it was time to look the part."
Suzune stepped closer, resting her palm gently against his jacket lapel. "It’s amazing. Though..." She let out a soft laugh, looking at his structured jacket and then down at her own flour-dusted cardigan. "Are you going to wear your founder costume every time we go out now?"
Ren chuckled, leaning in slightly. "Only if you promise to keep wearing your executive baker uniform."
Suzune laughed, her eyes crinkling. "It’s a deal."
Ren took Suzune to Restaurant RPR on the nineteenth floor of Royal Pines Hotel Urawa. Soft amber lamps lit the white tablecloths, while the large windows captured the lights spreading across Saitama below. A waiter in a dark suit led them to a window table, pulling out Suzune’s chair before offering them menus.
Ren read the menu, choosing the RPR evening course built around seasonal fish and beef, and ordered ordered sparkling mineral water.
"This view is stunning, Ren," Suzune murmured, gazing out at the carpet of lights before looking back across the table. "It feels surreal. Just a few weeks ago, we were sharing convenience store tea on a bench."
"Yesterday’s final clock-out felt stranger than I expected," Ren said. "Then I woke before my old alarm and realised no shift was waiting. It felt quiet. Light, too. I reviewed my health records from the clinic and Takeda Gym. I’ve officially dropped 5.2 kilograms since my baseline check."
Suzune’s face lit up with pride. "5.2 kilos! Ren, that’s wonderful! You’ve really been sticking with it. I know that hasn’t been easy."
"It’s just the beginning," Ren said, taking a piece of fresh bread. "The records showed my resting pulse, breathing recovery and sleep consistency are improving too. I feel like my body is actually responding to the effort."
They ate slowly, enjoying the attentive table service and rich flavours. They talked about Suzune’s afternoon at the bakery, the spring rush of customers, and the plans Ren was formulating for Kisaragi Business Support.
As the waiter cleared their dessert plates, Suzune rested her chin on her hand, looking at him thoughtfully across the candlelit table. "So, Mr. Founder... now that you’re debt-free, running your own office and dressed like a proper founder... what do you actually want to do next?"
Ren paused, looking down at his glass before meeting her soft amber eyes. "Honestly? A part of me wants everything at once. I want to build the company, buy better tech, get a larger apartment, drive to the coast on weekends, and eat meals like this without thinking twice." He smiled. "I spent so long having nothing that enjoying wealth feels almost overwhelming."
"You earned it, Ren," Suzune said softly, reaching across the table to lay her hand over his. "You don’t have to apologise for enjoying your life."
An hour later, Ren parked the Crown in a quiet side street near Suzune’s apartment building. The streetlights cast dim amber patterns through the windscreen, leaving the interior of the sedan warm and private.
Ren unbuckled his seatbelt and turned toward her. Suzune shifted in her seat, leaning across the console. Her hand reached up, her fingers tracing the clean line of his jaw before pulling him down into a kiss.
Ren wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close against his chest. The faint scent of vanilla from her mingled with the clean trace of the barber’s aftershave. Suzune let out a soft sigh against his mouth, her arms tightening around his neck as the kiss deepened, unhurried and full of affection.
When she finally pulled back, her breath was shallow, her cheeks flushed in the dim dashboard light. She rested her forehead against his, her thumb gently stroking his cheek.
"Thank you for tonight, Ren," she whispered. "It was wonderful."
"I’m glad," Ren murmured, kissing her lips once more.
Suzune sat back, smoothing her cardigan with a small, decisive nod. "Now, listen to me. You have planned almost everything else lately... so I’m planning our next date."
Ren raised an eyebrow, amused. "Is that an order, Miss Executive Baker?"
"It is," Suzune said, her eyes sparkling with quiet confidence as she opened her door. She looked back at him over her shoulder with a brilliant smile. "I already know exactly where I’m taking you on Saturday. Don’t make any plans."