Chapter 38: Volume 1, - 38: After White Day, Suzune Called Aya
Suzune walked toward the izakaya near Kawaguchi Station, her feet adjusting to the pavement after ten hours on the shop floor.
Inside Toriyoshi, Aya Nishino waved loudly from a back booth. Aya, a neighbourhood hairdresser with a sharp copper bob and a bold personality, was already pouring lemon sours. Beside her sat Haruka Sato, a local nursery teacher whose quiet, calm presence usually balanced Aya’s noise.
"Over here, Suzune!" Aya called out. "You said Kisaragi-san was coming by around two. What did he bring you?"
Suzune sat down with a quiet sigh of relief, placing a cream-wrapped square box on the wooden table. "Galettes de Pont-Aven from Omiya."
Aya whistled softly, inspecting the dark green ribbon. "Three thousand yen at least. Very proper. He definitely didn’t buy that last minute."
"He was so stiff when he handed it over," Suzune admitted, a flush warming her cheeks. "He pretended it was just polite etiquette, but he obviously overthought it."
"He cares what you think," Haruka said gently, pushing a warm towel across the table.
Haruka hid a smile behind her glass, while Aya leaned back with a smirk. "You said he’d been looking healthier lately. Was it noticeable today?"
"A bit," Suzune acknowledged, tracing her napkin. "His suits fit better now. He carried himself with much more confidence. And... I like that he tries to impress me. I’m not going to pretend I don’t."
"Good," Aya said. "Did you talk about anything else?"
"He stayed during the afternoon rush," Suzune said. "We had a slip mix-up with two corporate orders. Mum and Dad sorted out a substitution, and afterward Mum asked Kisaragi-san what he noticed. He pointed out how often we rewrite order slips. Later, Mum discussed it with Dad, and they agreed his company could give us a written quote."
"Wait," Aya paused. "Your parents want to hire him?"
"They asked for a quote," Suzune corrected. "I made sure to tell Kisaragi-san, Mum and Dad should pay his company properly if he does it. No free work."
Haruka nodded approvingly. "Good. Setting boundaries early keeps things clear."
Aya set her glass down, her tone turning more guarded. "Suzune... what do you actually know about his business? Or his money?"
Suzune blinked. "What do you mean?"
"A month ago, you told us he was working shifts at QuickMart, looking exhausted and quiet," Aya said. "Now he runs a business, has an office in Kawaguchi, and buys expensive imported cookies. Where did the capital come from?"
"He does small-business support," Suzune said defensively. "He told me some of his opportunities came through an estate arrangement."
"Why did he leave university?" Aya asked directly.
Suzune hesitated. "His family had financial problems. I thought... I thought some debt came from that."
"You thought?" Aya pressed. "How much debt does he actually have left?"
"It was... significant," Suzune said. But as the words left her mouth, a sudden coldness hit her chest. She knew his family had gone through financial trouble, but she had never been given a number. He had never explained how much was left, or how his new company was financed.
"You see?" Aya said softly, her irritation giving way to concern. "You like him, Suzune. So when there’s a gap in what he tells you, you fill it in yourself with the best possible explanation."
Haruka glanced at Aya. "That doesn’t mean there’s something terrible behind every gap."
"I didn’t say there was," Aya replied. "I just don’t like Suzune having to guess."
Haruka looked back at Suzune. "Neither do I. But the money isn’t the problem by itself. If he tells you the truth before you make a commitment, then you can decide what matters to you."
Suzune rubbed her thumb along the edge of her napkin. That distinction was important. She wasn’t looking for proof that Ren was secretly dangerous. She wanted enough truth to make her own choice.
She looked down at the cream paper box on the table. Mentally sifting through her conversations with Ren over the past month, she realized how many blanks she had quietly bridged. Whenever his past or his finances came up, Ren became polite, offering short summaries before turning the focus back to her or the bakery. He was attentiveness itself, yet his own background remained wrapped in generalities.
Haruka placed a gentle hand on Suzune’s wrist. "Suzune... if Kisaragi-san asked you to become his girlfriend tomorrow, what would you need to know first?"
The ambient noise of the izakaya seemed to drop away. Suzune stared at the green ribbon, her mind clearing.
"I’d need him to tell me what’s actually going on," Suzune said slowly. "Not the neat version, but the real situation. If his work or debt is going to affect my life, I need to know what I’m stepping into."
Haruka nodded quietly, waiting.
"And I need to know there’s still room for my work, my family, and you two," Suzune continued, looking at her friends. "His life is moving so fast. I won’t just be swept along into his schedule."
"And the third thing?" Haruka asked softly.
"I need time," Suzune said, her amber eyes steady. "I don’t want to be pushed into saying yes before I understand what I’m agreeing to."
"That sounds entirely fair," Haruka said with a warm smile.
"Do you still want him?" Aya asked quietly.
Suzune felt the genuine warmth that had settled in her chest when Ren had handed her the galettes over the glass counter. The quiet, steady way he looked at her.
"Yes," Suzune admitted gently. "I really do. That’s why I need to know."
By ten o’clock, the three of them said goodbye outside the station. Suzune rode the local bus home, watching the quiet streetlights pass in the window.
She pulled out her phone, opened LINE, and selected Ren’s chat window.
Suzune: I really enjoyed seeing you today, Kisaragi-san. I hope you got home safely. Have a good night!
She sent the text and locked her screen. It was a warm, ordinary message. Whatever she needed to ask him deserved a real conversation in person, not a late-night LINE exchange.
As the bus turned down her street, Suzune looked out into the dark, her decision firmly made. The next time they sat down together, she was going to ask him the questions she had.