My love is abyss mode

Chapter 59 That Night, from Shirakawa Momo's Perspective

On August 31st, a little past 9 o'clock, the air was still hot and dry in the late summer night.

Momo Shirakawa held a damp towel and wiped the stainless steel tabletop. The damp marks left on the tabletop glowed a warm yellow under the light.

She wiped it carefully and repeatedly, her mind filled with all sorts of random thoughts.

Her father said she could leave that wretched home, but she had to repay his kindness in raising her with 500 million yen, after which all ties would be severed.

That damn gambling addict has become a completely different person since his mother passed away.

The best course of action is to give up on the expectation that he will be a good father, give him 500 million yen, let him leave the family, and protect himself.

The conversation she heard interrupted her thoughts.

"Please enjoy your iced lemonade."

"Thank you, can you add me in contact?"

"Sorry, there are no extra friend slots at the moment."

Shirakawa Momo glanced disdainfully at the girl in the JK uniform, who was about the same age as her and had her fingers, which were holding a lemonade, beautifully manicured.

They can still afford lemonade and enjoy their youth freely, yet they put on such a dejected posture.

"A love-obsessed idiot"—after labeling the other person in her mind, Shirakawa Momo turned to look at the boy behind the bar who was engrossed in his phone.

With a refreshing aura like mint, he is slightly tall, rugged and handsome. His arms, exposed by his black short-sleeved T-shirt, seem ordinary, but in fact, they possess the power to crush the Jade Dragon Flag.

Kurogane Kiba, her classmate.

He is very popular, and countless girls approach him every day. Although his personality is a bit rude, he gets along with her unexpectedly well.

During the six months we worked together, we got along fairly well. He was the only one in the entire private Qunqing Academy who wasn't annoying—he didn't feign concern, he wasn't hypocritically polite, and he would take the initiative to take on overly strenuous work.

Unfortunately, he's about to transfer schools.

Once the new college offers scholarships, we probably won't be working together anymore.

Life is always like this; it will inevitably get worse.

Shirakawa Momo withdrew her gaze and continued wiping the table. On her last day working here, she wanted to leave a good impression on the manager so that she might come back to work here again in the future.

Under the continued scrutiny of the gaze, she frowned and tilted her head to look at Kuronuma, her golden eyes flashing with impatience. Trying to suppress her emotions, she asked softly, "What is it?"

"There is indeed something I want to ask you."

Kuronuma Fang looked away, turned on the tap, and washed the popsicles he had just used: "I haven't seen the manager all day. Will I get my salary for the past few days tonight?"

"Here I am."

Shirakawa Momo put down the wet towel in her hand, walked behind the bar, stood on tiptoe and took down the old backpack from the top of the cabinet. There were two envelopes inside. She threw the thinner envelope in front of him: "I was planning to give it to you after get off work."

This month's salary is 30 yen, plus a bonus of 5 yen.

My savings have reached 485 million yen, but I'm still short 15 yen. Considering the rent and living expenses after moving, I need an additional 30 yen.

Troublesome, I thought I could save enough over the summer vacation.

I'll go to Shinjuku later and find another night job. I heard that internet cafe staff can choose to work only night shifts.

"Are you afraid that I'll just run away after getting the money?"

A playful question came from beside her, but Shirakawa Momo ignored him. She put her backpack back on top of the cabinet and turned back to continue cleaning: "That's right."

She found it much more pleasant to be with him. Although many people said that Kuronuma was a bad person because he was unsociable, she actually enjoyed the atmosphere.

They speak their minds directly and without beating around the bush. Junichi Watanabe's book says that people from Hokkaido speak with elegance and sophistication, and it's certainly true.

"Shirakawa-san, are you short of money?"

It sounded like a dog was barking—Shirakawa Momo turned to look at Kuronuma Kiba, her golden eyes scrutinizing him with a questioning gaze: "Who doesn't need money?"

The conversation ended there, and she went back to continue cleaning the shop and thinking about her night shift. If all else failed, she'd have Liang introduce her to a job with room and board included.

Try to make an effort yourself first. The better the relationship, the less you should bother the other person, otherwise the relationship will change.

After closing time, the two left work together and walked to the tram station. Just as they were passing through the ticket gates, the tram was pulling into the station.

The wind was a bit hazy tonight, Shirakawa Momo thought to herself as she boarded the train to Shinjuku. Hearing Kuronuma Kiba's words, she casually responded and sat down in her seat with her backpack.

Finishing one job and having to find the next one leaves you feeling utterly exhausted.

Looking up, Shirakawa Momo saw Kuronuma Kiba giving her a strange look. She argued with him for a few moments, but her mood unexpectedly lightened.

"You've missed your stop home," she kindly reminded her as the tram passed the transfer station.

"The wind is a little uneasy tonight, so I decided to find the meaning of life."

His pleasant voice was as refreshing as sparkling water; no wonder girls always wanted to talk to him, even though he had a terrible personality and said things that seemed completely nonsensical.

Shirakawa Momo was too lazy to pay attention to him and wanted to take a break.

"Shinjuku—Shinjuku—"

The train slowly came to a stop, and an announcement came over her ear. She got up, got off the train, and walked through the crowded Shinjuku Station toward the area with a high concentration of internet cafes.

Ten minutes later, Kuronuma was still following behind.

Is he usually this annoying?
Shirakawa Momo stopped and turned back to Kuronuma Kiba with a cold expression, her golden eyes sending a sharp glare through him: "Stalker? It's not far from the Shinjuku Police Station."

"It just happened to be on the way," Kuronuma said casually, his expression unchanged.

He just said he was going to find the meaning of life?
Shirakawa Momo recalled the conversation from earlier, turning her head to look at the street deep inside. She happened to be near Okubo Park, surrounded by strange people, and the figure of the girl waiting for help was particularly eye-catching.

Unpleasant memories surfaced in my mind.

My father was originally a senior executive in a company, but one time he was blinded by lust and seduced by a bad woman. He embezzled public funds, lost his job, and ended up with huge debts.

She was only 7 years old that year.

When he was 10 years old, his father began trying to pay off his debts through gambling, while his mother struggled to keep the family afloat.

When she was 12, her mother threatened suicide and died unexpectedly in front of her.

Recalling her experience of falling into the abyss, Shirakawa Momo gritted her teeth and muttered under her breath, "I never thought the meaning of your life was so superficial."

The thought that Kuronuma Fang might also end up like this sent a jolt of pain through my heart.

Was it because the Jade Dragon Flag was attacked?
How could he not react to something like that? It's normal for him to want to vent his feelings through this.

Understanding is one thing, not wanting Kurozuma to go down the wrong path is another.

"With the money you got by selling your dignity?" Shirakawa Momo sneered coldly, trying to confirm his thoughts.

"Don't you think that using the money earned by selling your dignity to buy the dignity of others is the best choice?" Kuronuma Kiba stepped forward, leaned down and looked her in the eye.

Shirakawa Momo gazed into his dark eyes, and in the end, she couldn't deceive herself.

She was somewhat concerned about Black Swamp Fang; someone like him should shine, not rot in this stinking mud.

"Are you short of money, Shirakawa-san?"

Since life is already bad enough, if we can help him, wouldn't that leave him with some good memories of his terrible youth?
50 yen can also start a new life.

Shirakawa Momo lowered her head, struggling with her decision repeatedly, before finally making up her mind.

That's fine, I really couldn't bring myself to ask Ryo for help.

If it were him, many people would probably envy him, and there might even be people on the college forum cursing him for taking advantage of the situation.

(End of this chapter)