lovenovelstory Chapter 1 Kiryuya Zai joins
Chapter 1 Kiryuya Zai joins
April 1991, spring.
Osaka, Kitashinchi.
In a humble izakaya (Japanese pub), high school students sat in a circle, their glasses clinking together.
Kiryu Yaya sat in the corner.
In front of him was a cup of oolong tea that had long since dried up.
The hustle and bustle was very close to him, close enough to see the snow-white nape of Miyazawa's neck, yet it was also very far away, as far as the various people before he transmigrated.
Nobody noticed him.
Until his friend Kato Dan returned from the restroom, plopped down next to him, and, fueled by alcohol, shoved him:
"Hey! What are you doing hiding here all by yourself?"
The sound drew the attention of those around them.
"Kiryu-kun hasn't said much."
The one who spoke was Keiko Miyazawa, the class monitor in high school. She sat opposite me, her head slightly tilted, her long, black hair gleaming softly under the warm yellow light of the izakaya.
Even years after graduation, her earnest yet gentle demeanor as a class monitor remained unchanged, only now she possessed a more mature and composed air than in high school.
"Oh, this guy!"
Kato took a swig of beer and patted Kiryu Yaya on the shoulder:
"He's never been a talkative person since high school. But who would have thought that someone as quiet as him would actually get into Tokyo University?"
"Tokyo University?"
"It's not just the University of Tokyo."
Kato emphasized:
"He's a legitimate bank employee at the Osaka branch of Mitsubishi Bank now."
The air was silent for a moment, then someone whistled.
"A bank employee?!"
Keiko Miyazawa's voice suddenly rose several octaves, her almond-shaped eyes widening slightly as she looked at Yaya Kiryu with undisguised surprise:
"Kiryu-kun, are you a full-time employee at the bank now?"
All eyes turned to them.
Kiryu Yaya raised his head, met their gazes, pursed his lips, and nodded slightly:
"Yes, I just started this month."
In Japan in 1991, getting a job in a bank, especially a top-tier one, was an unattainable dream for almost all liberal arts graduates.
In Japan, banks are known as the "mother of all industries," enjoying a superior position in terms of both income and social status.
Mitsubishi Bank is the core of Japan's zaibatsu system.
Even though the economic bubble has begun to burst, the allure of banks remains dazzling, and people still believe that working in a bank is like having a golden rice bowl.
The students' eyes fell back on him, and they suddenly felt that this once inconspicuous boy in the class had gained a new radiance.
Keiko Miyazawa stared at him for a few seconds, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.
In high school, Kiryu Yaya sat at the desk behind her.
During her second year of high school, she was in charge of coordinating the class's program for the cultural festival, and she was extremely busy.
Fortunately, Kiryu Yaya helped her compile a complete list of supplies and rode his bike a long way to buy them when she forgot to order decorative items.
She remembered that evening when he handed her the things, sweating profusely, and only said, "It should be enough time," before turning and leaving.
She stood at the classroom door, watching his figure disappear at the end of the corridor, and a feeling she couldn't quite describe welled up inside her.
Later she thought that it was probably the simplest kind of heart-fluttering feeling of her teenage years.
However, before that feeling could take root and sprout, it was nipped in the bud by reality.
In my second year of high school, stories about the Kiryu family began to circulate among my classmates.
Some say his father's company went bankrupt and he was heavily in debt; some say his father committed suicide and his mother passed away; others say his family even sold their house and Kiryu Yaya moved into a small apartment alone.
The news spread like wildfire, with truth and falsehood mixed together.
Keiko Miyazawa initially did not believe it.
She deliberately walked around to his seat, wanting to ask what was going on, but seeing his calm, almost expressionless face, she swallowed her words.
Kiryu Yaya was still the same, but she always felt that something had changed.
He spoke less, and seemed to grow further apart from his classmates.
Most importantly, she found herself subconsciously avoiding him.
It's not that I hate it, nor do I dislike it.
I don't know how to face it.
Seventeen-year-old Keiko Miyazawa didn't yet know how to offer appropriate comfort when others suffered misfortune.
So she chose the easiest way out, which was to walk away.
She was still in the same spot at the back of the table, but she turned around less and less often.
When Kiryu Yaya occasionally looked up at her, she would pretend to be busy with something else and quickly look away.
After graduation, everyone went their separate ways. She was admitted to Waseda University, made new friends, and started a new chapter in her life.
The name Kiryu Yaya was gradually buried deep in her memory. When she occasionally thought of it, she would only sigh, "I wonder how he is now," and then it would soon be submerged in the trivialities of life.
until today.
It wasn't until Kato uttered the words "Mitsubishi Bank" that things changed.
Mitsubishi Bank.
That's a place that even the best graduates from their university might not be able to get into.
The boy she had once silently distanced herself from, the orphan whose family went bankrupt, whose father committed suicide, and whose mother passed away, actually got into Tokyo University on his own and even received an offer from Mitsubishi Bank.
She suddenly remembered the autumn of her sophomore year when he rode his bike, covered in sweat, to buy decorative items.
That time seems like it was just yesterday.
……
The party ended at 10 p.m.
The noren curtain of the izakaya swayed gently in the night breeze. A few people stood at the door, exchanging pleasantries and polite phrases like "Let's get together again next time."
Kato Dan, his face flushed from drinking, put his arm around Kiryu Yaya's shoulder and said "You're really something" several times before being dragged into a taxi by another person's arm.
People dispersed one by one.
Kiryu Yaya stood under the eaves of the izakaya, his hands in his trench coat pockets, watching the neon lights across the street reflected in the puddles.
The April night breeze was still cool, causing the wisps of hair on his forehead to sway slightly.
Watching these people leave, Kiryu Yaya suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity.
In his previous life, he worked as a corporate client manager at a commercial bank in China.
The endless social engagements and drinking sessions he had to deal with every day brought back this memory.
"Kiryu-kun."
A voice came from behind me.
He turned around and saw Keiko Miyazawa standing at the entrance of the izakaya, holding a handbag in one hand and gathering her long hair, which was ruffled by the wind, with the other.
"Want to take a walk together?"
Kiryu Yaya glanced at her but did not answer immediately.
The night breeze blew through the gap between the two, carrying away the lingering smell of alcohol and the noise in the izakaya.
The streetlights cast long shadows on the damp sidewalk, like two silent trees.
However, at that moment—
Without warning, a semi-transparent interface popped up in front of Kiryu Yaya:
The Life Choice System has been activated.
[Keiko Miyazawa, deeply saddened by her father's passing, recalls your experiences during high school and, feeling a sense of shared sorrow, invites you for a walk after the gathering.]
The options are as follows:
[Fork in the road 1: You choose to pretend you didn't see her, exchange polite greetings, and then part ways.]
(Reward: A peaceful night's sleep, nothing happens.)
[Branch Two: You are willing to listen to her, but only listen.]
(Reward: Bank deposit increased by 5 yen)
[Branch Three: You not only listen, but also proactively offer your business card, indicating that you can help her to the best of your ability.]
(Reward: Skill "Banker's Eye" - Allows you to obtain information about the target's assets and liabilities.)
[Fork in the road 4: You choose to press her for details about her father's death and her current situation, then hold her in your arms and say, "Miyazawa-san, let me be your support!"]
(Reward: Increases Keiko Miyazawa's affection level, with a certain probability of unlocking a romance route)