Kiyomi Ruri returned home in distress, shouting "I'm back" at the entranceway, kicking off her round-toed shoes, and running back to her own room without even changing her slippers. She began rummaging through her belongings, even smashing her childhood piggy bank, and ended up with a pile of coins and a few banknotes, totaling about 4,000 yen.

Although her family's financial situation was decent, her mother, Kiyomi Kako, managed the household well and taught her daughter to be frugal. As a result, she didn't have much pocket money and didn't have the habit of saving. She was basically a "spendthrift goddess." The fact that she was able to find so much loose change in her room was thanks to her habit of being careless and frequently misplacing things.

4,000 yen was far from enough, only about one-tenth of the debt. Where could she find the remaining 90%?

Did she really have to be called "Liar Kiyomi" or "Debtor Ghost Kiyomi" for three years?

Kiyomi Ruri started considering her old books, old manga, small accessories, and toys, thinking about selling them as second-hand items. She didn't know how much money she could get from these things, but how to transport them was another problem.

If her mother found out, she would definitely ask questions and most likely couldn't keep it a secret. Not only would she not be able to solve the debt problem, but she might also be punished by her mother.

Otherwise, she could say that she needed to pay for extra tutoring at school and borrow some money from her mother in advance to solve the urgent situation.

No, she couldn't do that. It would truly make her "Liar Kiyomi." She absolutely couldn't do such a thing! One must be upright and honest in life in order to look anyone in the eye.

Then how could she repay the debt?

That damn bastard who deserved to be burned by the fires of hell for a thousand years actually forced a girl to repay the debt without any grace. She couldn't stand him at all!

Kiyomi Ruri angrily beat her pillow as if it were Nanahara Takeshi. She endured until dinner time before coming up with an idea that wasn't really a solution—she could borrow half a year's worth of pocket money from her mother in advance and pay back that bastard first.

Of course, it couldn't end there. Once she repaid the money, she would cut ties with him and hide in the shadows, constantly observing him and waiting for an opportunity to strike him fatally. She would definitely take revenge on him and make him suffer. Otherwise, she couldn't let go of this grudge!

Yes, that's what she would do!

Kiyomi Ruri finally came up with a solution that wasn't really a solution. It was like a house slave who was about to finish paying off a thirty-year mortgage or a member of the most unfortunate house slave family who took over in the high years of 1990. She felt a great burden lifted from her heart, the air became fresher, and even the energy-saving light bulbs seemed brighter. Her whole life felt liberated.

Now she just had to deal with her mother!

She wasn't in a hurry. She patiently finished dinner and waited for her unlucky sister to go watch TV before sneaking into the kitchen. She found her mother peeling peanuts while looking at recipes.

She quickly approached her, mustering the cutest smile she had ever shown on her little face, and sweetly said, "Mom, are you peeling peanuts? You've worked hard. Let me help you." Her mother had told her to be kind and sweet when asking for help from others, and now she could put it into practice.

Hmm, she had always been quick to learn.

Kiyomi Kako glanced at her, thinking for a moment, and said, "Did you cause trouble at school again?" A mother knows her daughter best. Normally, her daughter either came up with a bunch of excuses or ran faster than a rabbit. How could she suddenly change her behavior?

"No, I just wanted to help. That's all!" Kiyomi Ruri was speechless. What did she mean by "again"? Mom, what kind of image do you have of me in your heart? But she didn't dare to complain. After all, she was asking for help now!

"No trouble?" Kiyomi Kako thought the same. It had only been a few days since she started high school. It wasn't likely that she would cause trouble so soon, at least not to the point of being called in by the parents.

She thought for a moment and asked, "So you need something from me?"

Kiyomi Ruri hesitated for a moment, feeling that all the fancy tricks wouldn't work on her mother, so it would be better to be straightforward. She leaned against her and said, "Mom, there's something... Can I have an advance on my pocket money? Not too much, just half a year's worth."

"No." Kiyomi Kako replied firmly and decisively.

"Huh?" Kiyomi Ruri complained, "You're saying no without even asking for the reason?"

"No means no." Kiyomi Kako was a full-time homemaker who kept account books. Moreover, she had already given her daughters more pocket money than the average. She didn't want her daughter to develop a bad habit of spending money recklessly. In the early 1990s, the average monthly pocket money for high school students in Tokyo was only 4,126 yen. She gave each of her daughters 6,000 yen per month, which was more than enough. In theory, it should be sufficient. How could she agree to an advance?

Kiyomi Ruri anxiously said, "But I really don't have enough pocket money now..."

"If it's not enough, learn to spend less, learn to only buy necessary things, learn to be frugal." Kiyomi Kako didn't back down. "Knowing how to use money effectively is a necessary lesson in life."

"Just this once, okay?" Kiyomi Ruri started to act spoiled, rubbing against her mother. "Please, Mom, just advance me six months' worth of pocket money. If not, five months' worth is also fine."

"I said no."

"Think about it, Mom. I really need the money. Can't you help me? Am I not your beloved daughter?" Kiyomi Ruri put her face aside for the time being in order to overcome this difficult situation. She started to act spoiled and used her mother's words against her.

Well, she had compromised her image a bit, but it was better than being called "Liar Kiyomi" by Nanahara Takeshi every day.

"The most beloved daughter? I didn't expect you to find out..." Kiyomi Kako's hand trembled as she peeled the peanuts. She sighed softly, with a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. Her acting skills were excellent, just one step away from earning the title of "rare talent." She said in a soft voice, "It was a snowy night when I had just arrived in Hirano with your father from Mt. Kumano. We were passing through a dark alley when we suddenly heard a noise from the trash can..."

Kiyomi Ruri was stunned for a moment and then realized what was going on. She couldn't believe it and said incredulously, "Mom, is it necessary to go this far? This is too much. I just want an advance on my pocket money. You don't have to treat me like an adopted child!"

"And are you still going to advance?" Kiyomi Kako stopped her "memory" and asked.

Kiyomi Ruri said angrily, "No advance then. If you advance, you'll kick me out of the house, right!"

Her daughter had become obedient, so Kiyomi Kako let her off the hook. She smiled gently and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? How could that happen? Your father took a look and found that it was just a dog..."

Kiyomi Ruri and her mother spent a long time bargaining but couldn't get a single yen. Instead, they ended up with Kiyomi Ruri being listed as an adopted daughter in the Kiyomi family's genealogy. She almost couldn't control herself from running away from home.

Of course, she didn't dare to actually run away. Her mother wasn't a kind person, and when she was her age, she was a bully in Mt. Kumano. She had to endure the humiliation and give up. The next day, she got out of bed feeling dejected, ate breakfast absentmindedly, put on her coat numbly, put on her shoes, and carried her backpack as she prepared to face Nanahara Takeshi's mockery.

She had become a debtor, and that bastard without personal integrity would definitely mock her mercilessly. Even without using her brain, she could guess that.

Both of them left the house at about the same time, and not long after, Kiyomi Ruri saw Nanahara Takeshi at the convenience store entrance. It was commendable that he didn't pretend not to see her and tried to avoid her. He just looked at her expressionlessly, waiting for her to repay the debt—there was no way to escape it. Sooner or later, she would have to face it. It was better to face it sooner than later.

"Good morning, Kiyomi." Nanahara Takeshi greeted her with a smile, pretending to be innocent.

Kiyomi Ruri took out more than 4,000 yen, with a Tibetan Fox expression on her face, and said expressionlessly, "Here's the first payment." Anyway, she had tried her best. If she couldn't get the money, she could only pay in installments.

If Nanahara Takeshi had any objections, she would say that she would pay him back slowly with her pocket money. It might take a long time, but she could offer to pay him a little extra interest.

She didn't want to be called "Liar Kiyomi." It was a matter of her personal dignity.

Nanahara Takeshi glanced at the pile of loose change and banknotes, his expression was quite gentle, and he motioned for her to walk with him. As they walked, he asked in a soft voice, "Is it because you can't come up with that much money at the moment?"

His attitude surprised Kiyomi Ruri. She had expected him to laugh like crazy and shout that she was unreliable, that she owed money and didn't repay it, that she was a big liar and a deadbeat.

She couldn't figure out what was going on for a moment, hesitated for a moment, and followed Nanahara Takeshi, saying honestly, "It's because I can't come up with that much money at the moment, but don't worry, I won't default on my debt. I will slowly repay you with my pocket money. It might take a long time, but I can pay you a little extra interest."

Nanahara Takeshi asked with concern, "Forget about the interest for now. You've given me all your pocket money. How will you manage in your daily life?"

"It's because you forced me to repay the debt!" Kiyomi Ruri felt extremely wronged. She didn't want to repay the debt like this, making it impossible for her to even afford a bottle of drink on a daily basis, and not being able to go out with friends. But what could she do?

Nanahara Takeshi hesitated and said, "Although you do owe me money, we're friends. If you don't have any money on you, I feel uncomfortable."

Huh, how did this guy suddenly become human?

Did he take the wrong medicine today?

Kiyomi Ruri was surprised and even felt a bit moved by Nanahara Takeshi's concern. She felt embarrassed and said, "But I did promise to pay you back. I understand that I should repay the money I owe. You don't have to worry about me defaulting on my debt. Even if you allow me to pay in installments, I'm already very happy. You don't need to blame yourself."

Nanahara Takeshi nodded and decided to call her "Tibetan Fox" from now on. She was indeed a silly girl. He thought for a moment and said, "No, as your friend, I can't accept that. We should find a win-win solution."

"A win-win solution?" Kiyomi Ruri asked curiously, "What solution?"

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"You can work for me as repayment. I need an assistant. The hourly wage will be 50 yen, so you only need to work for me for 800 hours to clear the debt."

"800 hours?" Kiyomi Ruri wasn't completely stupid. If she worked for two to three hours a day, it would take a year. She was dissatisfied and said, "Why is it that you get 500 yen per hour, but I only get 50 yen?"

"Because people have different abilities. I have stronger abilities, so I'm worth a higher price."

"No, at least it should be the minimum wage according to the law."

"That's impossible. The minimum wage in Hokkaido this year is 712 yen. When you hired me before, you didn't follow the law, so now you don't have to think about it." Nanahara Takeshi said, "But I'll make a concession. I can pay you 60 yen per hour."

"No, 490 yen!"

"70 yen. I can't make any more concessions!"

"I won't do it. I can't be worth only one-seventh of what you're worth!"

Nanahara Takeshi and Kiyomi Ruri bargained fiercely as they walked to school. In the end, Nanahara Takeshi insisted on 100 yen and refused to budge. If the price went up again, he would demand immediate repayment.

After hesitating for a while, even though she was reluctant, Kiyomi Ruri felt that she had no choice but to accept.

The hourly wage was super cheap, enough to make capitalists cry, but she had participated in several cases and experienced a joy she had never felt before. She already felt like she was earning a lot. It was only a few hundred hours of working for this guy, a high school student. What kind of trouble could there be?

At least she didn't have to worry about how to get the money anymore. She didn't lose out. Not losing out was winning. Winning was winning too much!

She agreed and said cheerfully, "Okay, we're friends. You helped me before, so it's only right for me to help you. I agree to be your assistant, the salary doesn't matter as long as it can offset the debt."

Nanahara Takeshi reached out and shook hands with her to seal the deal, smiling and saying, "Let's cooperate happily."

The word "assistant" could also read as "slave."