Night.
Heavy clouds pressed down over the city, as if the sky itself were about to collapse.
Fat raindrops slammed against the asphalt, bursting into little white splashes.
"..."
Utaha walked the road home, shivering as the cold seeped into her bones.
The resolve she had found in the hospital wavered again.
She was still only seventeen. Before her father's accident, she had been showered with love at home. At school, her beauty and top grades had placed her among the elite.
To suddenly sell herself like this... it was more than she could accept.
…
Meanwhile.
Seiji Fujiwara returned to the old apartment, ready to pack his things.
The new place still needed some appliances moved in and a proper cleaning, so he couldn't move right away.
As soon as he reached the building entrance, he heard the voice of Ms. Sato, the manager.
"Oh my, Fujiwara-kun, coming back in weather like this?"
From the front office, Ms. Sato poked her head out with a smile.
Seiji closed his umbrella, giving it a gentle shake before returning a polite smile. "Good evening, Ms. Sato. The rain outside is really something."
"Isn't it just!"
She came out, and when her eyes fell on the rental contract in his hand, she froze in surprise. "Ah—Fujiwara-kun, you're moving out? Congratulations! Found a better place, have you?"
"Thanks to you, I managed to find something I'm satisfied with in Minato Ward," Seiji said with a faint smile.
"Minato Ward?!" Her voice jumped an octave, eyes wide. "Goodness! A place there… Fujiwara-kun, you're really going places!"
She sighed in admiration, though her gaze wandered almost instinctively to the dark window on the second floor.
"When you leave, this building's going to feel even lonelier. Especially the Kasumigaoka family next door… such a pity. That girl's practically a ghost of herself these days."
A faint glimmer passed through Seiji's eyes.
He furrowed his brow, feigning ignorance. "Kasumigaoka? The girl next door—the underclassman from Toyonozaki Academy? What happened to her?"
"What else could it be?" Ms. Sato's words spilled out immediately, laced with sympathy. "Her father was in a car accident, left the family drowning in debt. Just when things had barely stabilized, her mother had a brain hemorrhage and landed in the hospital…"
She paused to sigh.
"I hear after the first operation, they already need a second one. Costs three million yen… Where's a high school girl supposed to find that kind of money?"
"Her relatives have all run off, treating her and her mom like the plague."
"That poor child… she's probably crying alone in her room right now."
"So tragic," Seiji echoed, sighing along.
In truth, his focus was on the glowing system panel before him.
[Rare Collectible Panel]
Target: Utaha Kasumigaoka
Rarity: SSR (Super Special Rare)
Status: Not Collected
Core Attributes:
Peerless Beauty: A natural-born temptress. Face and figure at the very peak of humanity. Exceptional both to behold and to possess.
Pride of the Peak: Confidence born from top-ranked intellect and extraordinary beauty. Like an unyielding iceberg—yet fragile at the core.
Dormant Talent: A well of creative genius buried deep within her soul, still untouched. A raw gem awaiting polish.
Collection Strategy: This Collectible boasts immense potential and high training value. It is recommended that the host shatter all her pride in one decisive strike, then rebuild dominance from the ruins. This will maximize growth and enjoyment.
…
Seiji's lips curled into the faintest of smirks.
A few days ago, he had offered Utaha a deal—and she had rejected him with fury.
But now?
Now she was out of options.
"Yes…" Ms. Sato sighed again, oblivious to the thoughts hidden behind his polite mask.
After some small talk, Seiji said goodbye and climbed the stairs.
But he didn't return to his own room.
Instead, he stopped in front of Utaha Kasumigaoka's door.
He raised his hand and knocked.
Thunk, thunk, thunk.
There was a faint stir inside.
The peephole darkened—someone was checking.
Seiji stood calmly, letting the girl behind the door look at him through the glass.
"..."
Silence hung heavy.
After ten seconds, maybe fifteen, the door opened just a crack.
Utaha's tear-stained face appeared.
She looked terrible. Her long black hair hung in messy strands, her skin so pale it looked drained of blood.
Those bright wine-red eyes were dulled, rimmed red from crying.
"What do you want?" she asked, glaring warily.
Seiji ignored her tone, smiling lightly. "Kasumigaoka-san, I heard from Ms. Sato that your mother needs a second operation. It won't be cheap, will it?"
They went to the same school—Toyonozaki Academy. The difference was that Seiji was in his third year, while Utaha was just a first-year.
"Why not reconsider my earlier offer?" Seiji's words were steady, deliberate. "Five hundred thousand for a month. However much the operation costs, I'll cover you that long. For anyone else, I'd never even make such a generous proposal."
His words pierced her like needles, and Utaha flared instantly.
"Seiji Fujiwara, don't you dare!"
Her voice shook with anger, her whole body trembling.
"Stop looking down on me with that arrogant charity!"
"You make me sick!"
"I would rather beg on the street than accept your filthy conditions!"
Her eyes blazed, full of fury, as she glared him down.