Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 60 The Flames of Revenge

The sound of rain under the eaves suddenly seemed very distant.

Keiko Miyazawa stared blankly at Yaya Kiryu.

For a moment, she didn't even know what to say.

She understood.

I understood every single word.

Because I understood, I felt as if something was pressing heavily on my chest, making it difficult to even breathe.

original……

Kiryu's father did not simply lose to the times or to the collapse of the bubble economy.

Instead, they were gradually cornered by that person cloaked in the guise of bank rules, who used contracts, collateral, and loan withdrawals.

Keiko Miyazawa's eyes slowly reddened.

She finally understood why Kiryu Yaya got into Tokyo University and why he joined Mitsubishi Bank.

Why is it that, despite being quite young, he always seems to carry a lot more unseen burdens than his peers?

That's not maturity.

It's just a wound.

It was the pain that remained in his body after he heard the truth with his own ears in the corridor of his father's funeral when he was seventeen.

"Kiryu-kun..."

Her voice was very soft, so soft that it was almost drowned out by the sound of the rain.

The next second, she took a step forward, reached out, and gently hugged him.

It's like embracing that seventeen-year-old boy standing in the funeral corridor, and it's also like making up for myself for not being able to reach out many years ago.

"I feel so sorry for you."

When she said those words, her voice was already trembling with tears.

Kiryu Yaya's hand froze in mid-air.

Rain dripped from the edge of the eaves, hitting the steps and breaking into small splashes.

After a long while, he slowly raised his hand and gently placed it on Miyazawa Keiko's back.

The movements were very gentle, as if he were comforting her, or perhaps comforting himself.

"This is not your fault."

Keiko Miyazawa closed her eyes and gently rested her forehead against his chest.

"But I still feel sorry for you."

Her fingers slowly tightened, her voice low and trembling.

"The thought of you standing there all alone when you were seventeen, hearing those words, and keeping them hidden for so many years... makes me feel terrible."

"Kiryu-kun, why do you always suffer alone...?"

Kiryu Yaya did not answer.

Because some questions simply have no answers.

Who could he tell at that time?

Some things are destined to be borne alone.

The sound of rain continued.

The warm light from the hotel entrance fell on the two of them, clearly illuminating Miyazawa Keiko's reddened eyes.

After a long while, Kiryu Yaya finally spoke in a low voice:

"Huizi".

This was the second time he had called her by her name like that.

Keiko Miyazawa's shoulders trembled slightly.

She slowly raised her head.

Her eyes were still red, and there was still a little bit of moisture clinging to her eyelashes.

Kiryu Yaya looked down at her.

"That's why I can't agree to your request right now."

Keiko Miyazawa's eyes flickered slightly.

She didn't let go immediately, but just stared at him blankly.

Kiryu Yaya's voice was calm, but not cold.

"It's not because I don't understand your feelings."

"It's not because I hate you."

"Not now."

Keiko Miyazawa's lips moved slightly.

Why?

Kiryu Yaya looked at the rain curtain outside the eaves.

The streetlights were blurred by the rain, and occasionally a car would drive by in the distance, its tires screeching through the puddles and leaving a long trail of sound on the wet road.

"You just lost your father."

"The Miyazawa family has run into trouble again. Miyazawa Hara, Rokko, the main family's shares, the letter of appointment—everything is on your shoulders."

"At that moment, I happened to be standing next to you and shielded you from a few things."

"You will rely on me, trust me, and feel at ease if I'm around."

"I understand all of that."

Keiko Miyazawa's fingertips slowly tightened.

Kiryu Yaya looked at her again.

"But if I agree to you now, I can't tell if it's because you really want to be with me, or because you're in a storm and just happened to grab onto me as a lifeline."

"That's not fair to you."

Keiko Miyazawa's eyes reddened even more.

She said softly:

"I didn't say those things because I wanted you to take the pressure from the Miyazawa family for me."

"I know."

Kiryu Yaya answered quickly.

This time, he did not hesitate.

"I know you're not that kind of person."

Keiko Miyazawa was stunned.

Kiryu Yaya continued:

"That's why I can't agree now."

"If I nod, it's like taking your hand when you're at your most insecure and vulnerable."

"Perhaps one day in the future, when you look back, you won't be able to tell whether it was a choice you liked or one you made under pressure from circumstances."

"I don't want you to regret it."

Keiko Miyazawa lowered her head.

Tears fell and landed on the back of her hand.

But she didn't cry out loud.

After a while, she asked softly:

"What if... I still think this way in the future?"

Kiryu Yaya remained silent.

Rain dripped from the tip of the umbrella and splashed on the ground.

After a moment, he said in a low voice:

"Let's wait until then to talk about it."

Keiko Miyazawa looked up.

Kiryu Yaya looked at her, his tone very serious:

"Wait until this storm passes."

"When you've truly stood firm, when I'm no longer just being pushed forward by revenge."

"If you still want to ask me the same question by then, I will answer you seriously."

Keiko Miyazawa stared at him blankly.

This is not a promise.

However, it wasn't a complete rejection.

It's like leaving a light that hasn't gone out between two people.

She took a deep breath and tried to steady her voice.

Where is that person now?

Kiryu Yaya did not answer immediately.

He simply raised his head slowly and looked into the depths of the rain.

The night view of Osaka was cut into blurry shadows by the tall buildings and rain.

Further east, and a little further away, is Tokyo.

Miyazawa Keiko followed his gaze and suddenly understood.

Kouyuhiko is there.

His final destination was also there.

Kiryu Yaya continued:

"I joined Mitsubishi Bank not just to find a decent job."

"From the day I learned the truth, there was only one thing on my mind."

"I want to go up."

"I need to understand banks better than anyone else, to understand auditing, to understand credit granting, and to understand the rules they use to kill people."

"Then one day, using the bank's own rules, ledgers, and evidence, they dragged Kouyuhiko down from his most proud position."

He said these words without clenching his teeth or shouting.

But the more this was the case, the more Miyazawa Keiko could feel that the hatred was no longer just a flame.

It was compressed, polished, and sealed into his bones, becoming a part of him.

Keiko Miyazawa looked at him and suddenly said:

"I can help you."

Kiryu Yaya shook his head.

"no."

Why?

"This road is not clean."

Kiryu Yaya said:

"If Kouyu Tianyan could survive this long using those methods, he couldn't possibly have only one person by his side."

"Real estate developers, clubhouses, financing brokers, fellow accomplices in the banks... who knows how many other things are intertwined."

"I need to keep investigating, keep going upwards, and I'll run into those things sooner or later."

"It would be very dangerous."

He spoke calmly.

"Keiko, the Miyazawa family is already in danger enough."

"What you need to do first is to protect what your father left behind and secure your position."

He paused.

"If one day you can truly stand by my side, it shouldn't be because you were dragged into revenge by me, but because of your own choice."

Keiko Miyazawa remained silent.

She just looked at him.

After a long time, she finally slowly loosened her grip on him.

She took a half step back, but not too far.

The night wind blew the stray hairs on her forehead, and her tears were already slightly cooled by the wind.

She took a soft breath and then looked up.

"I see."

Her voice was still a little hoarse, but much more stable than before.

"Kiryu-kun, I won't force you to answer me now."

"However, I will not take what I just said as a momentary impulse."

She looked at him, her eyes red, but she didn't look away.

"I will not take it back."

Kiryu Yaya gazed at her quietly.

no promises.

There was no denial.

After a moment, he simply raised his hand and gently tidied her hair, which had been ruffled by the wind.

"It's very late."

He spoke very softly.

"I'll take you back to your room to rest."

Keiko Miyazawa nodded.

"Um."

The two entered the hotel one after the other.

The warm yellow light kept the rainy night outside the revolving door out.

The receptionist greeted them in a low voice, and the elevator doors slowly opened.

After Miyazawa Keiko went inside, she turned around and looked at him again.

Her eyes were still a little red, but her expression was no longer as shaky as before.

"Kiryu-kun."

"Um?"

"See you tomorrow."

Kiryu Yaya nodded slightly.

"See you tomorrow."

The elevator doors slowly closed.

Kiryu Yaya only turned and walked out of the hotel after the door was completely closed.

Outside the eaves, the rain still hadn't stopped.

[The host did not choose the predetermined world line]

[No staged reward distribution]

[The second act of "The Miyazawa Family Storm," the "Sumitomo Bank briefing"—has begun]

[Mission Introduction: Miyazawa is attempting to solidify his financial dominance within the Miyazawa Group through a briefing held by Sumitomo Bank, and to continue shifting the risks of the Rokko Golf Development Project to the Miyazawa Tourism Development Project.]

[Mission Objective: Prevent Sumitomo Bank from extending the lease for Rokko Golf Course]

[Task Rewards: Depends on Completion Rate]

The system sent a notification.

Kiryu Yaya glanced at it, then opened the long black umbrella and stepped back into the depths of the rain.

Tokyo.

Ko Utahiko.

One day, we will meet there.