"Hmmm..... I guess we gotta make some money?"
The absolute raw bewilderment on both the women's faces were priceless, and Reiji was regretting not being able to take a picture.
"....What?"
Haruna's slow reaction made him almost burst out with laughter, but he held it in for the sake of the matter at hand.
"Well, you want to pay the rent, don't you?" Reiji replied, placing the notice down and continuing to make the iced tea.
"Yeah but....I'm...Huh?"
Of all the things she had expected him to say, that one wasn't even on the list.
She thought maybe he'd be a little awkward, or embarrassed that he found the letter. At worst maybe he'd laugh or mock them playfully, but she'd instantly scoffed at that internally because she simply couldn't picture him doing that.
The most likely reaction in her opinion, based off her interactions with Reiji so far, would be worry and a questioning lecture, which she didn't want to happen.
She didn't want to trouble anyone with her problems, especially him.
Seeing that they were both still in a daze, Reiji put down his knife and looked at them with a serious face, the steaming sound of the rice being cooked the only noise within the silent apartment.
"....I feel like I know the answer to this question, but I have to ask. What would the two of you say if I were to pay off your rent and any other shortfalls you may have?" he asked cautiously.
Haruna's eyes widened in shock, while Granny glared at him with real anger.
"Absolutely not! This is our problem to solve, don't you dare do something that stupid!" she snapped.
"I agree Reiji-tan, I'm happy that you even offered, but there's no chance we'd let you pay it for us," Haruna replied, her surprise replaced by a stern determination.
Reiji smiled wryly at their adamant perspective, shaking his head with a hint of dissatisfaction.
'Yeah, guess we have to do it the hard way.'
Maybe he could have paid it off secretly, ensuring that it could never be traced back to him.
But this was a pivotal moment for Haruna's development, it was in this stressful and trying period that she rolled up her sleeves and tackled her problems with determination.
Her growth as a person was tied to this personal situation of hers, so even if they wouldn't mind him paying off their debts, Reiji would probably have chosen this route either way.
In all of his playthroughs, and the variety of ways to get through this speedbump in her life, Haruna's best version of herself was when she overcame this trial with her own efforts.
But it wasn't an easy choice.
It would also hurt him to see her and Granny go through this pain, but if that meant bringing the best out of her, then so be it.
"Tch, I knew you two stubborn fools would say that. That's why I said we gotta make money," he snorted, turning away to get ice from the freezer.
While he was facing the other way, Haruna and Granny exchanged glances as if they were still trying to understand what he meant by that.
Haruna mouthed, 'what should we do'.
To which the old woman just shrugged, sitting back down on the sofa with a weary sigh.
"Why are you even sticking your nose into this? You don't have any obligation to help us, focus on the problems you have first," she remarked, referring to his supposedly involuntary ties with the syndicate.
Reiji chuckled, distributing the cool drink into three different glasses and replied, "Scared that I'm gonna scam you or something?" and handed one to each of them.
Then he turned to Haruna, who was clutching her iced tea tightly with her eyes glazed over.
"As for why? Aren't we friends?"
Neither of them responded, choosing to drink from their cups instead. As the delicious and refreshing taste cooled down their currently overheated brains, they began to process his words carefully.
"....What do you even plan to do?" Haruna asked hesitantly.
"Hmmm..... I need more time to think of a concrete plan, but I think I have an effective short-term solution."
"Really? What?"
"Yesterday, didn't Kahawara Sensei say that the Top 10 students in the midterm rankings will be reimbursed for this semester's school fees? That should be enough to pay the rent as well as the shortfall," Reiji said, clapping his hands as if it was settled.
Haruna was baffled, because this was the exact same idea she had thought of! One that would definitely solve the current predicament with the landlord.
In fact, the reason that they were in this situation in the first place was because Granny had been paying the rent only partially for the past few months in order to save up for her tuition fees.
Which meant that if they were given back that amount, they could easily make up for the shortfall.
Except for one caveat.
"....I thought of that too, but I don't think I can do it. I passed the entrance exam purely due to luck. I was actually one of the lowest-ranking students who entered. It would be impossible to realistically shoot up that high in the ranks with a week's worth of studying. "
Even when she had considered asking for Hina's help, she didn't believe it was realistically possible to succeed, and now that they were thinking about it out loud, it sounded even more ridiculous.
"Don't worry, honey. I'll think of something, so don't pressure yourself about this," Granny interjected, her voice soft and reassuring.
But Reiji merely smirked.
Haruna was smart.
Exceptionally so.
All the heroines were, maybe because the devs wanted them to stand out not only physically, but intellectually as well.
After all, if she did get help from Hina, she would be able to sneak into tenth place with just a week's worth of studying, albeit barely.
She simply hadn't been able to focus on her studies out of worry and stress about a lot of things in her life.
The debt, her grandmother's health, her insecurities, etc.
And fear? Fear is not good for grades.
He recalled how Haruna went on to be incredibly successful, no matter what field she entered in the game. As long as the debt was paid off before she graduated, nothing could stop her from becoming rich.
Well... Except for OG Reiji.
But that wasn't an issue anymore.
Even the idea that could help them make money after the midterms was one of the techniques used by this brilliant girl in the game.
So, saying that she had no chance of making the Top 10?
It was nothing short of laughable.
"If I brought up the idea of ranking in the Top 10, it means I have confidence that you can do it." Reiji rolled his eyes and took a swig of his drink.
*DING*
The rice cooker announced its completion, cutting through the words about to leave Haruna's lips.
He walked back to the kitchen to scoop it out of the cooker and onto the plates while the green-eyed beauty tilted her head in disbelief.
"....Why are you even so confident in me? I'm telling you that I'm not great at studying!"
Reiji glanced at her in amusement, his right eyebrow raised playfully as he moved to ladle the curry over the bed of rice.
"You misunderstood. I never said I was confident in you; I said that I had confidence that you can do it. If I'm the one teaching you, it's more unlikely for you not to make the rankings," he smirked, his entire demeanor oozing a lazy confidence.
Haruna and Granny both blinked at him, then turned to look at each other....
And then simultaneously broke down with laughter.
"PFFT HAHA, REIJI-TAN YOU?? OH GOD THAT'S SO FUNNY!"
"Hehe, this brat thinks it's that easy!"
Reiji crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter, enjoying their playful derision. He wasn't offended, not at all.
He had the evidence to back it up.
"Go ahead, laugh all you want. Just know that I was the top scorer in the entrance exams for Souhei High," he yawned mildly.
"...."
"...."
Reiji would pay anything to have their speechlessness painted into a beautiful portrait, one that he could hang on his wall so that he could tease them every now and then.
"....Is that a joke?" Granny narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
The rankings were not publicized; one would only know where they ranked amongst the first years, so they weren't aware of this before.
"Hmph, you want me to show you my transcripts? What you should be focusing on is the fact that I'll be tutoring Haruna from today, so after we have lunch, take out your books and we'll get started," he snapped.
He laid the warm dishes in front of them, the mild yet balanced aromas intruding their nostrils to whet their previously non-existent appetite.
"Wait, today?" Haruna reigned in her drool and looked up at him, puzzled at his decisive tone.
Everything was happening so fast that she was a little disoriented, to the point that she thought she was dreaming. She even pinched her thigh instinctively, wincing at the pain.
"What, you want to waste the precious time we have? It's not just today either; you'll be studying every day from now on, including the weekend and after school. I have club activities from Monday to Thursday, but I'll come over right after I'm done, so there's no slacking off."
Reiji closed his eyes as he chewed on the food blissfully, leaving the other two to rub their heads in equal parts confusion, joy, and guilt.
"....But when will you have time to study, you brat? Don't get so cocky," the old woman questioned, but her tone was soft and warm despite the harsh words.
"Tutoring her will help me revise too, it's not a big deal."
"But you still need to work on the parts you have trouble with!" Haruna fidgeted with worry.
"Geez, you two!" Reiji placed his fork down and glared at them with exaggerated anger. "You already denied my offer to help you directly. If you're going to refuse this as well, I'm actually going to get mad! Do you not see me as a friend??"
"Of course I do, bu-"
"No buts. That's it. We're gonna start studying after this meal, so just eat quietly," he muttered with his deep voice, turning his attention back to his meal.
The two women stared at him with complicated expressions for a few more seconds before they picked up their own forks and joined in.
"....It's delicious."