"...I must have misheard you. Can you repeat that?"
"Let's rob a bank!" Kousuke said, his voice unusually cheerful than before.
"That's not what you said earlier!"
"Oh, sorry. I thought you were testing your hearing or something. Alright, alright—I'll say it again: let's open a business together. You and me."
He spread his arms theatrically. Mei stared at him for a few seconds, then sighed.
"Listen here. Starting a business isn't child's play. First of all, you need assets—money. A lot more than any normal high schooler could dream of. Then there's the entire operation. You'll need people to ensure everything runs smoothly, and that means more money. In short, it's a bottomless money pit, and—"
"In short, you need a lot of cash," he cut in smoothly. "Because you can't hire anyone without paying them, right?"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. A stunning one. At its center was a crystallized gem, shimmering with an alluring glow that immediately caught Mei's eyes. It looked even more expensive than the one he had given his mother.
"How much do you think I could get for this if I pawned it?"
"Where did you—no, wait, assuming it's real... that alone still wouldn't be enough. If it's real," she added, crossing her arms.
Kousuke smiled faintly. Then, once again, he reached into his pocket. Mei's heart skipped a beat. Don't tell me…
To her horror, he did indeed have more. Necklaces, rings, bracelets, even earrings—he held them out in a glittering pile like some sort of RPG loot drop. Mei's eyes widened like saucers.
If he really could pawn all of that… starting a business wouldn't just be possible, but a reality.
"You… where did you steal these from?! Tell me now before I call the cops!"
Mei panicked, grabbing him by the collar and shaking him. He simply grinned and said, "I'll tell you. But let go of me first."
She complied, reluctantly. Instead of answering, he handed her the jewelry, then reached into his pocket again and pulled out a sheet of paper.
It was a contract. Specifically—a non-disclosure agreement.
"...An NDA? Really?"
"Yup. I'll explain everything, but first, you have to sign this."
He took the jewelry back, handing her the NDA and a pen in exchange.
She looked at him skeptically but signed anyway, assuming it was just for show. Unbeknownst to Mei, this wasn't a normal piece of paper.
It was enchanted with a powerful binding spell. Its effects were absolute. Kousuke had used these types of contracts many times in the Other World.
"There." She handed it back, unaware of the faint aura that pulsed briefly around her before vanishing.
Kousuke smiled as he looked at the signature. "Alright then. Listen closely."
He leaned in.
"I made them."
"…Huh?"
"All of those? I made them. I've got an abundance of ore stockpiled. At some point, I got bored and decided to pick up a new skill."
He wasn't exaggerating. He had learned craftsmanship from the Dwarves themselves. It took years of training, but it paid off. And while diamonds were considered precious on Earth, they were common goods in the Other World—especially valuable for enchanting purposes.
As the only Enchanter, he had a lot of them stored in his inventory.
"…You're saying you made all those? Jewelry like that—the kind you only see in luxury boutiques?"
"Yes ma'am. I'm something of a master craftsman meself," he said, doing a thick dwarven accent.
Unfortunately, Mei wasn't in the mood for jokes. She grabbed his collar again and leaned in close.
"I'd rather believe you did steal them."
"Hey, I'm an honest high schooler. I don't do crime!"
At least not on Earth. Other World on the other hands, it's better to not speak of it. He lost count of them after Demon God decided letting the Demon kinds loose, and the rest was history.
"No. Why did I even believe they were real to begin with? The pawn shop's gonna laugh in my face..." Mei mumbled, shaking her head.
"Come on, Sis Mei~ You should have more faith in your future CEO."
"Whatever. I'll know the truth soon enough."
...
The next day, in front of the Pawn Shop.
"…It's the real deal," Mei muttered, her voice flat.
Her bag felt heavier than before—now loaded with cash from pawning just a few of the jewelry pieces. She had stored the rest safely at home, tucked away in her makeup cabinet.
If her math was correct, she didn't just have enough to open a business—she could start countless of them.
"That kid… just where the hell did he get all this?"
The image of Kousuke flashed through her mind. She still couldn't believe his explanation. Jewelry like that wasn't just pretty—it was flawlessly cut. Professionally made. Artisan-level quality. It wasn't the kind of thing a bored teenager learned to do on a whim.
Then she recalled something the pawn shop worker had said earlier:
"This isn't just luxury jewelry. When I wore one, I felt less tired… kinda like it has some special power, hahaha."
'Just what kind of person did I get involved with…?' Mei thought, staring at the cash-filled bag in her hands.
Later that evening.
Mei sat on the floor of her room, surrounded by open notebooks, her laptop, and a stack of real estate brochures. Her fingers tapped rapidly against the keyboard as she jumped between tabs. On her bed, several velvet boxes containing the rest of Kousuke's jewelry were carefully arranged, hidden under a folded blanket just in case her mother barged in.
"This is insane," she muttered, eyes narrowing at the screen.
But it was a good kind of insane.
She had already checked her math twice. The money from pawning just a few of those pieces was more than enough to lease a shop space, renovate the interior, and still have enough leftover for initial staffing, legal paperwork, and promotional costs. In short, it was enough to start a legitimate jewelry business—with plenty of room to grow.
Still, the sheer reality of it was just starting to hit her.
'I'm really doing this, huh?'
Except she wasn't. Not alone. It was Kousuke's plan. His resources. His jewelry. She would just be the public face of the operation. The legal name, the manager on record—the person people would talk to and see. Which meant she had to be careful. Professional. Competent.
And above all, discreet.
She glanced over at the NDA paper, now tucked in a plastic folder. There was something strange about it—like it glowed faintly under certain angles of light. But she wasn't going to question it anymore.
Instead, she focused on her task.
"Alright. First step: location."
Opening a physical store meant choosing the right place. She wasn't about to throw this opportunity away by setting up in some run-down alley or deserted shopping arcade. After browsing a few options, her eyes settled on a promising candidate: a boutique-sized commercial unit inside a mid-range shopping mall not far from the train station. Moderate foot traffic, affordable rent, and—more importantly—it had an available corner lot, meaning great visibility.
She marked it down on her shortlist, already imagining the store's sign glinting in the morning sun.
'Next...'
"Staffing."
There was no way she'd be working the counter 24/7, especially since she'd still have to keep appearances at home. She needed two receptionists, preferably with some sales experience, and a part-time accountant to help manage inventory and balance the books. She began drafting a job listing, trying to sound as legitimate as possible without making it seem like she was definitely working with a mysterious teenager who may or may not be a magical craftsman.
The whole thing felt like she was building a castle out of someone else's bricks. But instead of feeling burdened, it almost felt like… a challenge. A weird, exciting challenge.
She leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms overhead.
"…I need to talk to him."
Before anything went forward—before contracts were signed and staff recruited—she had to make sure they were on the same page. She still didn't know how far Kousuke wanted to take this. Was it just a side project for him? A one-time setup? Or was this something more long-term?
She texted him.
[MEI: Coffee shop near station, tomorrow after school. We need to talk business. Seriously.]
He responded almost immediately.
[Sussy Brat: Roger that, Sis Mei~]
She rolled her eyes.
"…He's not taking this seriously, is he?"
And yet… she smiled.