Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Kenji (2)
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The next day, Ren and Saki approached me with worried looks on their faces.
“Yu. Did something big happen?”
I waved my hand dismissively.
“Nah, nothing major. I just couldn't check my messages, so I went to apologize to Harumi and the boss for the trouble it caused.”
“Oh... I see.”
In truth, the bit about the boss was just tacked on. I'd rushed over because Harumi had seemed so unstable, but I couldn't exactly say that—not with my two girlfriends right there. Admitting I'd gone purely because I was worried about another girl would've stung.
“For real? If something's up, you have to tell us.”
Ren still couldn't hide her concern.
She stepped closer and wrapped her arms gently around me.
She used to get so shy about this sort of thing, but now she was completely at ease.
Judging from how she disliked her own “cold personality,” she'd probably been practicing to fix her behavior—at least with me. Vowing to be more honest.
“Ah, wait! Me too...”
Saki, who'd been standing there blankly, suddenly realized she'd missed her chance for some skinship and jumped in late.
I pulled both of them into a hug.
“To be honest, I've got some stuff to take care of for a bit.”
“Take care of? You're not gonna come back all banged up like last time, are you!?”
Saki smacked my back, and Ren pouted a little as she nodded along.
“No, it's nothing like that. Remember Harumi's family situation I mentioned? We're getting a lawyer involved now, preparing to help from every angle to sort it out.”
“Ah...! So it's about her.”
“No wonder you've seemed so out of it. Tch... Once everything's wrapped up, you have to make Harumi hang out with us for sure.”
“Got it, got it.”
I was totally on board with that.
I needed to officially bring Harumi into our group soon. That way, I'd finally relax.
After school.
Just as I'd expected.
No reply came, but that smile said it all.
I hurried to the hospital.
Striding boldly into the lobby, I saw Harumi standing there gripping her hands tightly in tension. True to her word that she had no intention of playing babysitter, Kamijo-san maintained a cold expression, clutching her briefcase without offering Harumi any comfort.
“Ah! Sanghyeon!”
Harumi came running over—dododo—and threw herself into my arms.
She must've been really scared on her own.
*Mwah♡ Mwah♡*
“Hii...♡”
True to my promise, I hugged her tight and planted several kisses on her lips. We'd slept together so many times now that this level of affection felt completely natural. We weren't officially dating, but it was close enough that no one could argue otherwise. Harumi probably couldn't bring herself to suggest dating properly because of her messy family situation.
She was likely worried that getting too deeply involved would chain her to it, preventing escape. On the surface she seemed so childish, but she was actually a year older than me—a big sis with a surprisingly deep mind.
...I had to wrap this up fast.
We told the lobby nurse we were there for a VIP room visit, then took the elevator to the top floor.
*Ding—*
-The doors are opening.
As the room door slid open, Kenji and his lawyer were already waiting to greet us.
“Ah~ Sis came...”
A short guy. Boyish face. A voice still in the middle of puberty, subtly high-pitched.
So that's the bastard, Kenji.
“...What?”
He looked incredibly flustered.
He'd clearly expected Harumi to show up alone today as usual, not with a sharply dressed big sis and a hulking 190cm+ tower of a man barging in.
After glancing around wildly for a moment, Kenji forced the corners of his mouth up and scanned Harumi up and down.
“Ooh~ Sis, you've gotten kinda human-looking, huh?”
“...There are other people here. Use the proper title, Uncle.”
“Heh~ Embarrassed? You're gonna be doing plenty of shameful stuff from now on anyway. Fawning over rich old men and—”
He was pressuring her to sell her body if she couldn't pay the overdue bills. Kamijo-san picked up on the sleazy intent behind it and stepped forward, cutting him off.
“Sorry for the late introduction. I'm Kamijo Misaki, dedicated attorney for Kanemochiru Harumi. We're starting an open recording now.”
She flicked on the recorder blatantly, for all to see.
“It might be presumptuous of me to advise you, but any more inappropriate remarks will work against you in court. You currently view Harumi in a very... special relation. I'm not sure such behavior would be seen favorably by a judge.”
She'd claimed no interest in babysitting, but she had a warm heart after all. If she truly didn't care, she'd have just quietly hit record and let Harumi suffer the humiliation. That would've been the smarter strategic move. But she couldn't stomach a much smaller girl being treated like a whore.
Kenji's face twisted savagely at Kamijo-san's intervention.
Utterly spoiled and lawless. What a brat.
“Fine, I'll watch my mouth. Yeah, yeah. More importantly, Harumi—this month's bill is overdue too. Forget the rest; just cough up 5 million yen right now. You know what happens if you can't pay, right? Ah~ Ah~ Not like I'm gonna do anything, of course. Even if the hospital director's a softie, they can't keep treating a deadbeat's family for free forever, y'know?”
Harumi's face went pale. She glanced up at me briefly.
Her eyes were asking if it was really okay to blow through that huge sum I'd given her all at once—the precious money from me.
I gave a faint smile and nodded.
“I'll pay it.”
Harumi declared firmly.
Kenji's expression wavered for a split second.
A look like he couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
“What...?”
“I'm paying the 5 million yen.”
“You? Where the hell did you—”
Unable to hold back any longer, Kenji started striding toward Harumi—only for Kamijo-san to block him again. Good eye on my part hiring her.
“Enough with the interrogation. There's no obligation to disclose the funds' origin.”
*Grind.*
Up until now, Kenji had summoned Harumi at will, tormenting her to satisfy his base urges. But today, a solid shield was blocking his vile attacks. Nothing going his way, he grew furious, veins bulging in his eyes.
“Shut...”
“As I said, we're recording—”
“Shut up...! You... how the hell can a nobody like you have 5 million yen!?”
Suddenly, Kenji's previously stoic lawyer grabbed his arm.
“...Kenji-san. That's enough.”
Her voice was utterly dry. The metallic edge suggested she rarely spoke beyond necessities.
Graying hair slicked back. Sunken cheeks and rimless glasses. She vaguely reminded me of Kurogami Ryūichi I'd met recently—sharp, almost mechanical.
So Kenji was just a front man, and she was the real power. Not that it made me any more inclined to go easy on him.
“Damn... Damn it...!”
Kenji stomped around fuming. Then his gaze shifted sideways—to me, who'd been quietly observing. He glared daggers. Clearly planning to take out his anger on an easy target.
“Who the hell are you? Lawyer's gofer? Or trying to mooch off some fallen rich girl like a parasite? Hoping for scraps? Built like a gorilla but acting all shady.”
Shady?
That's rich coming from you.
I'd planned to just get a read on his face and personality before leaving, but this I couldn't ignore.
I let out a short scoff.
“That scrap alone's worth more than your entire pathetic life.”
“What? You little shit!”
Kamijo-san quietly tapped my arm, and the gray-haired lawyer gripped Kenji's.
“Ugh...!”
“Enough.”
Firm grips that no one could mistake for gentle. Kenji ground his teeth, dropped his head, and backed off.
“My apologies. I'm Kurogami Ryoma, Kenji-san's dedicated attorney.”
Kurogami?
Kamijo-san tilted her head, mirroring my own suspicion.
“Familiar surname. Not a common one.”
“Who knows.”
One side probing for info, the other sealing lips tight.
Kenji vs. Harumi. Kamijo vs. Kurogami.
This setup was getting really interesting...
“If you can pay the 5 million yen immediately, we have no reason to hold you any longer.”
Unlike the raging Kenji, Kurogami Ryoma seemed perfectly fine letting us go without fuss.
“Exactly. Let's not waste each other's time.”
The taut standoff ended on an anticlimactic note.
Maybe because it was a large one-time payment, or due to the VIP patient involved, but a staffer from billing came up personally with the receipt.
Harumi's expression was utterly drained as she clutched the proof that the 5 million yen arrears had been fully cleared. Just the lack of this one scrap of paper had caused her so much suffering.
“Good work, missy.”
I patted her shoulder and stepped back.
“Hey, gorilla. Don't think this is over. As long as sis-in-law's here, the bills keep piling up every day.”
“Who said Harumi's mom is staying here?”
“What?”
“Arrears paid in full, so we're discharging now.”
“Who the hell decides—!”
“Harumi does, obviously. She's the daughter. Family makes those calls. Who are you to decide where your sister-in-law goes?”
“Yu-san.”
With some emotion creeping into my voice, Kamijo-san tapped my arm again.
“...Tch...”
Kenji seemed out of retorts, so maybe that was enough.
“Then we're off.”
I'd already arranged the transfer to a hospital I knew, and with no outstanding bills, they accepted readily. Medical staff would be on constant watch from here on, and Kenji's side now knew Harumi had real backup. No funny business from them.
“Kamijo-san, take Harumi straight to family court.”
“Understood.”
“Give me a call once everything's done.”
“Of course. See you.”