As the sky slowly dyed itself orange beneath the setting sun, the clock struck 5 p.m.
Inside Cafe Mami, I watched quietly as Chisato finished her shift and made her way toward my table. When she stopped in front of me, I found myself studying her once more—the bespectacled girl who worked herself to exhaustion every single day. My resolve to help her only hardened.
Chisato sat down across from me and tilted her head slightly.
"You said there was something you wanted to talk to me about, Tachibana-san?"
"Yes, Chisato," I replied gently. "It's about your living conditions… specifically, your family."
Her shoulders stiffened.
"W-What do you mean?"
I let out a quiet sigh. "It's about your dad. Before anything else, I want you to know this—I truly want to help you. I know your family has been struggling financially, and that you lost everything because of loan sharks. I won't judge your father's choices. I've never been in his position, so I don't have that right. But…"
I paused briefly.
"My sources tell me your father is still alive, and—"
Bang!
Chisato suddenly shot up from her seat, hands slamming against the table. Her eyes trembled violently, overflowing with tangled emotions—shock, disbelief… and unmistakable joy.
"W-Where?" she blurted out, her voice shaking. "Where is my dad now? Please, Tachibana-san, tell me! What is he doing? Why—"
I raised a hand, cutting her off before she could fire questions at me at mach speed.
"Calm down, Chisato," I said with a tired smile. "Sit down. I'll explain everything."
"S-Sorry," she muttered as she slowly returned to her seat. "I was just… too excited to finally hear something about my dad."
"I understand," I said softly. "Now then… your father is currently living as a fisherman in Puerto Rico. When he couldn't repay his loan, the loan sharks tracked him down and forced him overseas to work until his debt was cleared. Your house and your father's car were used as collateral. However, the properties registered under your mother's name were never part of that agreement—despite the fact that they were seized anyway."
As I spoke, I watched her expression crumble, joy draining from her face and being replaced by disbelief.
"The loan sharks who threatened your mother and took over her hotpot restaurant chain were acting on their own greed. Their leader never authorized that move. They exploited your family, plain and simple."
I clenched my fists beneath the table.
"Seeing you work yourself to the bone… surviving on scraps, enduring the cold, living like—excuse me for saying this—beggars… it hurt me more than you can imagine. That's why I decided to investigate everything."
I met her gaze squarely.
"What I want to do for you is simple. I'll take back everything that was stolen from your family—with interest. And I'll make sure you can live like a normal high school girl, without carrying your entire family's burden on your shoulders."
The moment my words settled in, Chisato broke down.
She cried uncontrollably, sobbing as if years of pain were finally pouring out all at once. I didn't interrupt her. She deserved this release. No one should have to endure what she did.
Those bastards…
They were going to pay.
After she calmed down, Chisato told me everything—how brutal life had become after they lost everything, how her mother had worked herself past her limits, and how she was now confined to a hospital bed. She admitted she had believed those dark days would never end.
I assured her that everything would be resolved within three days.
The very next day, I paid a visit to the loan sharks' headquarters.
Their boss nearly pissed himself when he realized who I was—and what my relationship with the Saiko group entailed.
He wasted no time summoning the two subordinates who had seized Chisato's mother's restaurants.
One was a skinny man with buck teeth.
The other was fat, with narrow, slitted eyes.
Using my psychic powers, I immediately located every place they had hidden their money—both legal and illegal. To my surprise, they hadn't ruined the restaurants. In fact, they had elevated their status and made them even more profitable.
Idiots.
I used mind control to force them to transfer every last yen into a new account I had opened for Chisato's family.
3.5 billion yen.
After that, I retrieved the deeds to the restaurants from their boss, instructing him to deal with the two men however he saw fit.
I left immediately.
Not long after, gunshots rang out behind me.
…Not my problem.
They deserved it.
I headed straight to Kusuo's house and explained Chisato's situation, asking if he'd be willing to use his time control abilities on her mother.
Chisato's mother was suffering from cancer. At most, she had one or two years left.
Kusuo agreed without hesitation.
At the hospital, he removed his limiters and rewound the cancer by seven years, reducing it to a microscopic state that could be safely removed through surgery.
Once that was done, I purchased a fully furnished villa in town for the family—complete with modern appliances.
Three days later, I returned to Chisato's old, run-down house with a surprise.
Her mother greeted us at the door—healthy, energetic, and glowing with life.
I had everyone change clothes before driving them straight to their new home.
There, I returned the restaurant deeds and granted full access to the bank account.
They cried.
They thanked me endlessly.
I stayed for dinner that night, then quietly took my leave and returned home.