In the living room, Akiko curled up in the chair, hugging her legs, sleeping with her head tilted;

Perhaps because her chest was too heavy, Miyuki Saeki lied down on the dining table to sleep.

"Good morning! Mr. Xiaoquan!" Dubian Che called out loudly.

"Hmm? What is it?" Akiko was startled awake, nearly falling off her chair.

Miyuki Saeki slowly woke up, arching her back and yawning for a good seven or eight seconds, her pajama top almost giving way.

Really, really, they were just too big, almost against the rules.

"Come and help," Xiaoquan Aonai called out.

"I'm on it!" Dubian Che was very eager.

During breakfast, as they were going to look for apartments later, Dubian Che brought up the topic of houses again.

"Mr. Xiaoquan, have you really decided to buy this apartment?" he asked.

"Of course," Akiko replied matter-of-factly.

"What if you get married in the future?"

"Have the husband move in."

Dubian Che closely examined the sleepy-eyed Akiko: "That doesn't seem appropriate."

"Young man, you're not with Aonai yet, so you don't need to think that far ahead," Miyuki Saeki said.

"I heard that!" from the kitchen, Xiaoquan Aonai's voice came through.

"Buying a house here is my dream," Akiko picked up a slice of toast.

"Dream?"

"At that time..."

"Wait, when exactly?" Dubian Che asked.

Interrupted, Akiko clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction: "When I first came to Tokyo."

"Please, continue."

"Back then, the three of us were crammed into a broken apartment in Shinbashi District, spending a ridiculous amount of time on the train every day."

Dubian Che thought for a moment; 'Shinbashi District' was in between Shinjuku District where Goda lived and 'Nakano District', so the daily commute to work did indeed take a lot of time.

However, to save on expenses, the cheap housing there was not a bad choice.

"Each time the train passed 'Shinano Town' station, and I heard the conductor announce 'Next stop, Shinano Town', I'd resolve that I would definitely buy a luxury apartment here one day. It was almost like a curse."

"Why Shinano Town specifically?" Dubian Che asked curiously.

"How much money can a person earn in their lifetime?" Akiko suddenly asked.

Dubian Che hadn't looked into this information, but he had read many books, and those novelists, in their writing, knew a little about all sorts of things.

The novel "Three Days of Happiness" by San Qiuzhu included the following passage:

"I had read in a book that the lifetime salary of an office worker is between two hundred million and three hundred million yen, so perhaps that's what a person's life is worth."

This book was published by Kadokawa, and it was quite popular, so there shouldn't be too much of a problem with it.

"Between two hundred million and three hundred million yen," he replied.

"Then, among those who can earn between two hundred million and three hundred million yen in their lifetime, how many can afford an apartment in 'Shinano Town'?"

"Mr. Xiaoquan, I can't answer this question," Dubian Che turned to inquire towards the kitchen.

"Don't bother with her," Mr. Xiaoquan responded, "She's not thinking clearly when it comes to buying houses."

Akiko ignored Xiaoquan Aonai and continued to lay out her ideals to Dubian Che.

"I," she pointed at herself, "Aonai, and Miyuki Saeki, if the three of us, not eating, drinking, or spending a penny, combined our savings, it would take ten years to buy an apartment."

Having said that, she added contentedly, "It's a grand dream."

Looking at Akiko, who was proud and lost in her dreams, Dubian Che couldn't help but think of his father.

Did his father, who rode a motorcycle up Mount Fuji when he was young, also have grand dreams?

But more than dreams, more than the Yamaha motorcycle he took up Mount Fuji, he chose a Honda Cub for deliveries, he chose family.

'What one considers a treasure is a personal affair,' he recalled the words of Kiyono Lin.

"If you've really decided to buy, have you considered a loan?" Dubian Che asked.

"We're planning to enquire with the bank soon," Xiaoquan Aonai came over and handed him a cup of hot milk, "If we can secure a mortgage with zero down payment or a low-interest loan with only 10% down, we've decided to go through with the purchase."

"For an apartment worth one hundred and fifty million yen, with our identities as three teachers... unless Aonai's students rank first nationally every time," Miyuki Saeki lazily ate her strawberries with a fork and knife, "Kid, being an adult isn't easy."

"I believe in you teachers," Dubian Che encouraged.

"Ah—, Dubian, when are you going to marry our Aonai? I don't want to try, I don't want to save, I just want to eat barbecue every day! Buy the latest clothes, the newest phones!" Akiko wailed.

After wiping her hands, Xiaoquan Aonai sat down.

"Don't listen to Akiko's nonsense; she's the most active saver among the three of us," she said as she picked up her chopsticks.

"I've gotten used to it in the three months since I moved here," Dubian Che didn't mind.

"Watching my savings grow is the only thing that cleanses the fatigue of work," Akiko said as she speared a cherry tomato with her fork and knife.

She gazed at it affectionately, as if it were her not-so-substantial yet steadily growing savings.

Dubian Che took a bite of the fried egg and said with admiration,

"Mr. Xiaoquan, your fried eggs are getting more delicious."

"Really?" Xiaoquan Aonai laughed, "Then eat more."

"Hey, Dubian, I'm talking to you about the house thing, did you hear me?" Akiko wouldn't let them off easily.

"I heard you, we're going this afternoon."

With that, Dubian Che responded, causing Akiko to lose her zeal.

What she wanted to see was the two of them hastily denying it, not growing a thicker skin and treating her as if she didn't matter.

After the meal, Dubian Che helped with the dishes.

Then, he left Room 501.

Xiaoquan Aonai planned to wait until Akiko and Miyazaki Miyuki were fully awake and then go to Mizuho Bank to inquire about a loan before driving to Hakone for a day out.

Dubian Che and Asuka Mayi, along with the agent, went to negotiate with the landlord about buying the apartment.

The agent and the landlord were especially surprised to see the two of them.

However, as long as the cash was forthcoming, it didn't matter if it was a thirty-year-old adult, an eighteen-year-old college student, or even a ghost, a monster, or a deity.

The rental yield of this apartment was high, but after a bit of haggling by the agent, it was sold for 5% below market value.

Asuka Mayi signed and stamped, and they could get the deed in about two weeks.

The deed in the Island Country is called "Registration Identification Information", a document with the real estate identification number—something Dubian Che learned later.

Dubian Che transferred another 500 million yen to Asuka Mayi.

After that, the two took a taxi to the Muehoku District, strolled around Liberty Hill, and incidentally bought a bassoon.

The rhythm of life in Liberty Hill is leisurely; its streets, delicacies, desserts, and furniture all exude intricacy; in short, the kind of place that would charm any artistic soul upon first sight.

Perhaps there are those like Akiko who dream of life in such an idyllic place.

The two walked along a road called "Jiupin Buddha".

Lining both sides of this road were a plethora of shops and benches.

Cherry blossom trees stood in the middle of the road, and now in spring, their pink petals formed an umbrella over this commercial avenue, turning it into a covered walkway.

"Want to get some milk tea?" Dubian Che suggested, spotting a milk tea shop with a line of girls waiting.

"Too many people."

"That's okay," Dubian Che said leisurely, "we've got plenty of time. We can take it slow."

Asuka Mayi looked at him and nodded, "Hmm."

After waiting for fifteen minutes, it was their turn.

They walked under the cherry trees with their milk tea, examining the display cabinets around them and stepping into any shop that caught their eye.

When they got tired, they'd just sit down anywhere, sipping their milk tea and teasing the pigeons that came close.

"Senpai," Dubian Che said with one arm casually resting on the back of the bench, relaxed in his seat.

"Hmm?" Mayi Asuka turned her gaze away from a pigeon at her feet.

"Now that we have our own home, do you suddenly feel like living more seriously?"

"With Che, I'm happy."

"What I mean is..." Dubian Che paused to think, "For example, do you ever think about cooking every day, taking proper baths, getting up early, or going out weekly?"

Holding her milk tea, Mayi Asuka arched her pale, slender neck to look up at the blossoming cherry trees above.

She seemed to be carefully tasting her feelings, seeing if she shared any of the sentiments Dubian Che mentioned.

For her, apart from liking Dubian Che, other desires were vague—without close attention, it was hard to tell if they existed or not.

"How about trying baking?" Dubian Che suggested, gazing at her delicate profile, "Make some cakes, bake some cookies?"

"Do you want some?" Mayi Asuka met his eyes.

"Yeah, I'd like to try some made by senpai."

Suddenly, Mayi Asuka stood up.

"What's wrong?" Dubian Che asked, puzzled.

"Buying ingredients." She paused, then added, "And a baking reference book."

"No rush," Dubian Che said, pulling her back down to the bench, "let's talk about it after we've rested."

"Hmm."

Mayi Asuka rested her head on Dubian Che's shoulder.

Not a single cloud marred the sky; the morning's chilly air had turned warmly pleasant.

A flawless early spring day.

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