Eriri immediately explained everything to her mother. After hearing the full story, Sayuri let out a heavy sigh.
"Eriri, I'm not trying to lecture you, but please stop being a tsundere at critical moments. Who exactly are you trying to impress with that attitude? In the end, aren't you the one who lost everything?"
Eriri's eyes welled up with tears. "Then what do you want me to do, Mom? I don't have his private contact info. Even now, I have no idea where he is."
"Haaah..." Sayuri exhaled a long breath, feeling at a dead end. If it truly came down to it, she would have to use her connections to investigate the boy's whereabouts.
It wasn't as if she hadn't searched over the years, but it had been futile. The boy had been running across the globe since he was a child; traces of him were found in Canada, America, and even Russia, leaving everyone speechless. Just how incredible was that child's ability to run for his tracks to be everywhere? He was truly like a superhuman.
Consequently, even when Sayuri managed to track where the boy had gone, she still couldn't find him because, in the very next moment, he might have already appeared in another country.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Elsewhere, at Ryunosuke's newly built house.
Ryunosuke and Ai woke up in a large bed designed for four people. As usual, Ai was wearing her panda pajamas. With her character as an expressionless girl (a kuudere), her sleeping face looked incredibly adorable. Ryunosuke couldn't resist gently pinching her cheek without waking her, then gazed at the scar on the girl's arm with a sense of pity.
Ryunosuke had only learned today that in order to limit Megumi's movements—or more precisely, to be able to detect Megumi's presence—Ai had left a permanent scar on her own arm. In truth, this scar could be removed with laser technology, just like the gunshot wound on Ryunosuke's own arm.
To avoid worrying the other girls, Ryunosuke had already gone to the hospital to have his scar removed by laser. Otherwise, while they were enjoying themselves today, it would have surely been discovered.
He sat up slowly and climbed out of bed to begin changing his clothes. As the "boss" of the girls, Ai held the privilege of "eating first" without anyone daring to protest.
Ai sat up and rubbed her eyes. Seeing Ryunosuke's movements as he changed, she asked in a flat tone, "Sorry... did I wake you?"
Ai shook her head, then lay back down and hugged Ryunosuke's pillow. She rolled over, intending to sleep a little longer, and waved her hand, telling him to go on ahead.
Ryunosuke resignedly tucked her in properly, kissed her forehead as a parting gesture, and closed the bedroom door. He planned to head over to Chisato's place to take on agent assignments to find the funds for the medical expenses for Yuki and their two daughters.
In reality, Ryunosuke didn't need to be in such a rush because Maruo wasn't hounding him. However, he felt uneasy; after all, he was indebted to the man. If he didn't work hard to repay the money, it just didn't feel right.
After Ryunosuke left, Ai slowly opened her eyes, stopping her pretense of sleep. She sat cross-legged on the bed, grabbed her phone, and called her father. The call was answered immediately, and the voice of a dignified and slightly surprised man could be heard.
"My daughter? Aren't you at the closed-off dormitory of the High School for Advanced Nurturing? How are you able to call Father?"
Her father felt bewildered. The reason was that the school did not permit contact with the outside world. His daughter did indeed have late-stage chuunibyou symptoms, and he had sent her there in hopes of fixing them. He hadn't expected her to still be able to contact the outside world.
Ai puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction. "At this school, points can buy everything, including the right to contact the outside world."
She was clearly lying, hiding the fact that she had already left the school. Otherwise, her father might not be willing to help her.
Her father seemed to understand and then asked, "So, what business does my beloved daughter have calling me?"
Ai didn't waste time and told him the truth. "Help me with one thing, Father. Can you increase the sponsorship funds for the Yu-Gi-Oh! Tournament? Raise the grand prize to 1.2 billion Yen. After all, that industry is under our umbrella."
Her father frowned; the tapping of his fingers on the desk stopped. He was confused. "Is there a specific reason? Why raise the prize by that much? Isn't it usually only 100 million Yen?"
Ai bit her lip, then finally spoke honestly. "An acquaintance of my boyfriend is seriously ill; he needs 1.2 billion Yen to pay for the medical bills."
This time, her father was truly shocked. Someone actually wanted his somewhat strange daughter?
"Ahem." Her father cleared his throat to break the ridiculous thoughts in his head.
That was very impolite; after all, she was his own daughter. Her face was beautiful; it was just that her mental state was a bit abnormal and she often acted strangely. He immediately agreed. Consider this an initial investment for a future son-in-law.
Ai hung up the phone and lay back down. Previously, she had looked into why Ryunosuke had asked for help from Suzune, Haruka, Nino, and the others. It turned out her husband wanted to fund Yuki's treatment. She had also asked Maruo exactly how much the treatment costs were lacking. It turned out to be exactly 1.2 billion Yen.
If she gave the money directly to Ryunosuke, it would diminish her husband's pride and could hurt him. Ai hugged her body pillow as if it were Ryunosuke, wrapping her legs tightly around it. She understood her husband best. This was the only way she could help him.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Not long after, Ryunosuke discovered the fact that the Yu-Gi-Oh! Tournament prize had increased twelvefold. Remembering that the tournament was sponsored by Morishita Ai's father's company, he immediately understood its origin.
Ai simply stood in the corner of the room, looking away. "I'm not giving you charity. Whether or not you get that money depends on whether you can win the tournament."
"Win my cards back, understand?"
Ryunosuke expressed his thanks. He knew Ai was doing this indirectly to protect his pride. Human relationships are about mutual understanding.
Ai wanted Ryunosuke to have his dignity by letting him win the competition, receive the prize, and pay for Yuki's medical expenses. That way, her husband would feel he had won through his own efforts, leaving no resentment between them.
If Ai helped openly, even if Ryunosuke accepted the money, there would be a burden on his heart. That could make their relationship difficult in the future.
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