"Hina… your name is Amano Hina…"
"Yeah, that's right. Why?"
Hina turned to look at Rinji, who stood motionless behind her.
She noticed his eyes looked strange—filled with memories, joy, and a faint trace of pain.
"Are you okay?"
Worried, Hina stepped closer and peered at his face.
"You've been acting weird ever since just now. Is there something wrong with my name?"
"…No, that's not it."
Rinji shook his head, then asked hurriedly, "Do you… have a younger brother named Amano Nagi?"
"Eh? How do you know that?"
"So it really is you… Thank God…"
Rinji smiled bitterly in relief, as though a heavy weight had finally been lifted. He leaned against the wall of the corridor, feeling drained.
"That's great."
"Huh?"
Hina tilted her head, puzzled by Rinji, whose expression had been hard to read from the start.
"So, what exactly happened?"
"I'll explain it all to you later. You must be hungry right now—come on, I'll take you out to eat."
"Eh... okay."
Though she didn't understand why Rinji's gaze had suddenly become so gentle, Hina followed him.
She had a feeling he knew something about her—something important she didn't know herself.
---
"Um... Takamine-kun."
"Don't be so formal. Just call me Rinji," he said with a smile. "Order anything you like."
"This..."
Hina held the menu in trembling hands.
'A drink costs 5000 yen!? Are you kidding me!? Where the heck is this place!?'
The luxurious decor around them made the restaurant look like something out of a palace. And the two of them were seated in a private room in this high-end restaurant.
Rinji had taken Hina straight out of school and brought her by car to an expensive restaurant in the port district.
'One drink costs the equivalent of five hours of my hard labor... As expected of a rich kid from Shuchiin Academy. Damn rich people.'
Hina took several deep breaths to compose herself, sneaking glances at Rinji, who had been smiling consistently from the moment they sat down.
"Takamine... I mean, Rinji, why did you suddenly bring me here?"
"Just to eat," Rinji replied with a smile.
"No, I mean why here specifically? Wouldn't anywhere do?"
"That would make me look cheap."
"..."
'Is this rich boy seriously pretending to be humble?'
Hina narrowed her eyes at the smiling Rinji.
'Why is he suddenly being so nice to me? I'm just a poor girl, not like I'm anything special... Wait. I've heard that these rich heirs like to mess around with common girls. Could it be...?'
She looked at Rinji with a hint of fear in her eyes.
But she quickly calmed herself.
'But... even if that's the case, it might not be so bad. If I had money, things at home would improve. Ever since I got fired, life's been getting harder and harder. Forget Nagi's tuition—we can't even cover utility bills now... But if he's just playing with me...'
Hina wavered.
She was teetering between financial survival and her pride.
"Hina, have you decided what to get?"
"Eh... ah, I'll leave it to you, Rinji." She gave a nervous laugh and handed him the menu.
Rinji accepted the menu, called the waiter, and casually ordered a few dishes. The total bill exceeded 200,000 yen, and Hina felt dizzy just hearing it.
After ordering, Rinji turned to Hina, his expression serious.
"Hina, there's something I need to tell you."
'Here it comes.'
Hina closed her eyes, bracing herself for what was coming.
'Fine. I'll accept it. This is all for Nagi. Better than ending up in a brothel...'
"Actually..." Rinji looked at her seriously. "By seniority, you should be calling me uncle."
"...Huh?"
Hina was completely thrown off by this turn of events.
"I know it's hard to accept right away. A high schooler just a year older than you being considered a generation above."
"Wait, hold on." Hina quickly interjected. "Didn't I already say? I'm a college student..."
"That's a lie."
"..."
"Your real age is fifteen. You're just one year older than Kei. And your brother, Amano Nagi, is eleven and currently in fourth grade."
"...How do you know that? Did you investigate me?"
Her eyes were now filled with wariness.
"Don't be nervous. Someone told me."
"Who?"
"Your father."
"..."
Hina calmed down, but her expression turned cold.
"I don't have a father."
"But—"
"He abandoned us a long time ago. So as far as I'm concerned, I don't have one."
"That's not true!"
Rinji stood up, visibly agitated.
"Uncle Amano always cared about you two. He even wanted to get back together with your mom. He was always thinking about home."
"Then why didn't he ever come find us!?"
Hina also stood up, eyes brimming with tears.
"He wasn't there when Mom was seriously ill. He wasn't there when we could barely afford to live... He didn't even show up for her funeral. Tell me—why!?"
"...She... passed away?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Last year."
"...So I was too late again?" Pain was clearly written across Rinji's face.
Seeing his expression, Hina swallowed her anger.
"Sorry... I shouldn't have yelled."
"It's not your fault," Rinji whispered. "But don't blame your father either... He died four years ago."
"...Huh?"
Hina's eyes widened at the revelation.
"I should never have left Japan back then. Just because of a failed relationship, I ran away and left you all behind. Your lives were so hard. She died... If only I had stayed... I'm such a piece of trash!"
"Rinji, don't—"
Seeing his bloodshot eyes and twisted expression, Hina felt a strange pang in her chest.
"Sorry, I lost control a bit."
Noticing her concern, Rinji pulled himself together.
"Let's talk seriously. Your father and I were friends despite the age gap. When he passed, his company went bankrupt. But I've recently restarted it."
"Okay... so?"
"Technically, you and your brother Amano Nagi each now own 35% of the company's shares."
"..."