By the ninth month, Casa City had returned to normal. Food prices had stabilized, and many everyday necessities had become cheaper than they had been before the crisis. The great firms had little choice but to lower their prices, since customers had become reluctant to enter their stores. As competition intensified, the reductions spread to other commodities, making life a little easier for ordinary families.
Higanbana lowered its prices as well, but its popularity continued to grow. People remembered how the firm had treated them during the food crisis, and they had also discovered that its food products were considerably better than those sold elsewhere. Even when competing stores offered cheaper alternatives, customers increasingly preferred Higanbana's supplies.
