I'll Take You Home

[Ding!]

[Successfully initiated revenge against Chiba Shoko!]

[Reward — 100 Revenge Points!]

[Ding!]

[Character: Chiba Shoko]

[Age: 19]

[Attribute: Delinquent Girl]

[Revenge Progress: 30%]

[Ding!]

[Host: Fujii Itsuki]

[Age: 18]

[Revenge Points: 700]

[Available Cash: 110,000 yen]

[Skills: 1. Charged Punch 2. Voice Recording 3. Basic Professional Knowledge Mastery]

[Items: None]

[Revenge Targets: 1. Shimizu Aimi 2. Chiba Shoko]

......

At the Arakawa District University bicycle parking area.

Ogihara Saki deftly unlocked and wheeled out a maple-colored ladies' bicycle from the parking shed.

"Ogihara-san, where do you live?" Fujii Itsuki asked softly, giving her long bangs a curious glance.

"Ki... Kita-Senju..." Ogihara Saki replied in her usual timid manner, her voice gentle and weak.

"In Adachi area?"

"Yes."

"Would you like me to take you home?"

"Ah? Well..."

"Never mind if you don't need it."

"No, that's not it, I..."

Ogihara Saki frantically explained, her voice unconsciously rising.

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for Fujii-kun?"

She lowered her head shyly, secretly peering at Fujii Itsuki's face from behind her round glasses with hopeful eyes.

"It's no trouble, I'm heading that way anyway."

Fujii Itsuki said casually, taking off his backpack and stuffing it into Ogihara Saki's arms before taking charge of her bicycle.

"Hop on, I'll take you home."

"Ah? Okay..."

Hearing Fujii Itsuki's voice, Ogihara Saki gingerly sat on the back seat. Despite having ridden this bicycle for two or three years, today it felt strangely unfamiliar.

Glancing at the young man's back, Ogihara Saki's heartbeat quickened.

"Ding-ding!"

Fujii Itsuki rang the bicycle bell and pushed hard on the pedal.

Along with the crisp bell sound, the bicycle chain began turning in the slightly sultry September evening.

Technically, carrying passengers on bicycle back seats is prohibited in Japan, but like checking ID for alcohol purchases, few people actually follow this rule.

Riding along the Sumida River embankment, the breeze was mild and the sunset perfect.

However, Fujii Itsuki somewhat spoiled the mood by turning back to ask, "Ogihara-san, why didn't you choose to leave the bathroom earlier?"

"Um, well..." Ogihara Saki pondered for a few seconds like someone being asked an embarrassing question during a street interview, finally giving an ambiguous answer: "I'm not really sure myself."

"It's just..."

"I just felt I couldn't leave Fujii-kun there alone."

"I see..." Fujii Itsuki gradually slowed down.

"But don't you know this could get you into trouble?"

"Chiba Shoko isn't exactly known for her forgiveness. She'll probably seek revenge on you later."

Hearing the seriousness in Fujii Itsuki's voice, which seemed to carry a hint of concern, Ogihara Saki felt a warmth in her heart.

"I know..."

"But if anything, I'm the one who got Fujii-kun involved."

"Fujii-kun was just passing by to use the bathroom, and got caught up in this mess because of me."

"That's not true..." Fujii Itsuki said while pedaling through a traffic light.

"The school isn't that big. Chiba Shoko would have bullied me sooner or later anyway."

"Besides, she's bullied me plenty before."

"Still..." Ogihara Saki clutched the edge of Fujii Itsuki's school uniform. "I'm sorry, Fujii-kun."

"Why are you so stubborn? I told you it's not your fault," Fujii Itsuki said irritably.

"Ah, whatever."

"Think what you want."

Some people are just born overthinking everything.

Fujii Itsuki gave up trying to explain and just pedaled a bit faster.

The breeze swept through her bangs as Ogihara Saki gazed at Fujii Itsuki's handsome face in the rearview mirror, lost in thought as her mind wandered.

After dropping Ogihara Saki off at home, Fujii Itsuki took the Toei Arakawa Line train at the station. However, he wasn't heading home, but to his part-time job at a convenience store in Nishi-Ogu.

As a struggling part-timer in Tokyo, Fujii Itsuki rarely even showed up late, let alone took days off.

He worked at a 24-hour convenience store located at the entrance of the Nishi-Ogu shopping street.

With the bustling commercial district of Machiya to the east, bordering Nishi-Nippori and Kita Ward to the south, and connected to Nishi-Ogu to the west, the location was extremely advantageous due to its high foot traffic.

Naturally, the rent was also very expensive.

However, it was said that the store manager, Matsumoto Yuriko, owned an entire apartment building in Taito Ward and received more than enough rental income each month. The rent for a mere convenience store was nothing to her.

Moreover, for a wealthy person like Matsumoto Yuriko, running a convenience store in Nishi-Ogu as the manager might just be a way to add some color to her otherwise boring rich lady life.

"Ding-dong!"

The automatic sensor door chimed.

The cashier reflexively called out, "Welcome..."

"Oh, it's Fujii!"

"Yuko-senpai, I'm here for my shift."

Entering the convenience store, Fujii Itsuki looked up at the woman at the counter.

Sakura Yuko, his coworker who shared the same shift.

She had just turned 20 and was a student at a nearby women's university.

Japanese national university tuition fees are expensive, with better national universities costing over 800,000 yen per year, while private universities are even more expensive, starting at one million yen. Ordinary families can barely afford it.

That's why many university students in Japan take out student loans while working part-time jobs to support themselves.

Sakura Yuko was one of them.

"You're almost half an hour later than usual, that's not like you at all," Sakura Yuko said, glancing at her phone screen.

"Ah, sorry, I got held up by something on the way."

Usually, Fujii Itsuki would arrive ten to thirty minutes early for his shift, but today he was unusually late.

"It's fine, I still have a few minutes left on my shift anyway."

"Go change first."

Sakura Yuko said nonchalantly, and Fujii Itsuki nodded slightly before walking to the employee break room at the back of the store.

Taking off his casual jacket and changing into the dull brownish-green convenience store uniform, Fujii Itsuki put on a face mask and baseball cap, then locked his clothes and backpack in the locker.

After finishing all this, he left the break room and headed to the store's checkout counter.

He picked up the shopping basket beside the counter, which contained items that customers had either abandoned or decided not to purchase at checkout when they realized they were over budget.

Fujii Itsuki needed to return these items to their proper places on the shelves.

"Fujii, watch the counter for me while I go change."

"Okay, Yuko-senpai."