Hakuto felt a bit helpless because Eriri was gripping his hand tightly.
Originally, Hakuto had no intention of leaving. However, given the current situation, continuing the conversation seemed pointless—he might as well go back to being a mascot.
With Hakuto's strength, pulling Eriri off would have been easy.
However, since she was the boss's daughter, treating her so roughly would be inappropriate and somewhat heartless.
"Eriri, how long do you plan to stay like this?"
Eriri remained silent, merely shaking her head slightly.
Regardless, Hakuto was only brought back as a mascot. His presence or absence made little difference, and at this hour, no one would be looking for him.
So, he had the time and patience to talk it out with Eriri.
"Then, Eriri, can you let go? I need to make a call."
Faced with this situation, Hakuto decisively sought external help—he really had no idea how to handle this.
Eriri didn't respond, but her firm grip answered for her.
"I won't leave, I promise. I just need to make a call..."
"I don't want to hear it. You can make your call right here, Hakuto."
Hakuto genuinely thought Eriri was being unreasonable. Since when could someone just "not hear" something at will? Who in their right mind could cut off their own senses like that?
"Forget it, I'll send a message instead."
Left with no other choice, Hakuto opted to text instead, hoping that Sayuri would respond quickly.
After all, having a message ignored was something everyone had experienced at some point.
Fortunately, Sayuri was very concerned about Hakuto's situation and replied in no time.
[Hakuto, how are things going over there?]
Hakuto glanced at Eriri, who was still holding onto him, sighed, and replied.
[Not great... Eriri told me a lot...]
[Hakuto, how do you think Eriri is feeling right now?]
[Sister Sayuri, you probably know the details, so I'll be blunt. Eriri's feelings toward me are likely possessiveness or guilt...]
[Of course, it could also be love.]
Hakuto didn't want to make an absolute judgment, as Eriri was clearly not in a normal state.
[Do you have any ideas on what to do?]
Sayuri placed all her hopes on Hakuto—after all, the one who tied the knot should be the one to untie it.
[What else can I do? Either I tell her about the contract, or I keep her hanging.]
[So... what do you think, Hakuto?]
[Sister Sayuri, you know that the latter option only treats the symptoms, not the cause... Of course, you could take a gamble and see if Eriri will eventually realize her feelings if I keep her hanging.]
If Sayuri was willing to hire Hakuto to toy with Eriri's emotions, he could agree to it—so long as it didn't interfere with his schedule.
However, Sayuri was unlikely to go along with that. If Eriri never came to her senses, it would mean she'd essentially be hiring Hakuto for life.
[Hakuto... maybe we should just reinstate the contract?]
Seeing Sayuri's message, Hakuto instinctively clicked his tongue.
[So, Sister Sayuri, you're choosing the second option?]
[I can't bring up the contract with Eriri.]
Simply ending the contract had already left Eriri in a state of complete collapse. If the contract itself were revealed, the consequences would be unimaginable.
[Sorry, I'm still an exchange student. I'm afraid I can't sign a contract with you right now.]
[That's easy to solve. I can talk to the school and transfer you back.]
[Hmm... I don't think you can, Sister Sayuri.]
Otosaka Shunsuke had amassed a fortune that could be described as astronomical.
Moreover, because he knew how the future would unfold, he had a considerable amount of influence over politicians and other powerful figures.
The Sawamura family was strong, but Shunsuke was no pushover either. Hakuto didn't believe Shunsuke would let him go so easily.
The only way that might happen was if Otosaka Yuu had completely dealt with the issue of ability users.
Hakuto also had a feeling that Shunsuke had seen him before—though maybe not in this time period or even in this timeline.
However, Sayuri was completely unaware of all this. She had no knowledge of ability users.
When she saw Hakuto saying he wasn't capable of handling it, she was a little surprised.
[Hakuto, maybe you don't understand... The name Sawamura carries weight.]
[I know... If possible, I'd even consider marrying into the Sawamura family. But Sister Sayuri, you might not know much about the school Hoshinoumi.]
Hakuto didn't intend to explain it to Sayuri in detail. With her status, it wouldn't be hard for her to investigate.
Those scientists were certainly aware of Hoshinoumi, but because their research couldn't be made public and because Hoshinoumi had political backing, they hadn't been able to act.
For all Hakuto knew, his personal information was already sitting on some scientist's desk.
Or worse, they might already be fighting over who got to study him.
This was precisely why, after realizing his abilities had side effects, Hakuto had chosen to join Hoshinoumi.
It was an excellent shield of protection. Otherwise, did people really think he joined for just a few million yen?
Well, in that case... they'd be absolutely right! Sharp judgment!
[In any case, I can't sign a contract with you, Sister Sayuri. Let me clarify—this is due to external circumstances, not my personal choice.]
[Personally, I'd love to work with you, Sister Sayuri.]
Hakuto quickly distanced himself from the issue. Sayuri was still his biggest client; all his other clients combined didn't even come close to her.
Having a client like this was like winning the lottery in a past life! Hakuto would never let go of such an opportunity.
Seeing Hakuto's response, Sayuri had no other options left.
[Hakuto, name your price.]
[Huh? What do you mean?]
Seeing the words "name your price," Hakuto felt as if someone had just hit a nerve—he shivered all over.
[Honestly, I'd love for you to just walk away, Hakuto... but I don't want to see Eriri in such a miserable state anymore.]
[At the same time... I don't want to make things too difficult for you either.]
[Just say something nice to her and then let go, leave it to fate. I believe time will heal everything.]
After a long internal struggle, Sayuri, as a mother, ultimately chose to stand aside.
[Are you serious, Sister Sayuri?]
[Yes.]
[Alright then. I will always remember your kindness, Sister Sayuri. If you ever need me again in the future, as long as I have time, I won't refuse.]
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