"What's wrong? Are you in a bad mood?"
Artoria, sitting in the back seat with Rika, noticed her low spirits.
Rika looked up at Artoria.
She did not sense any ill will from her. Instead, there was a reassuring sense of safety.
However, Rika subtly glanced at Eichi, who was driving, from the corner of her eye.
This man was a little frightening.
Although he did not radiate malice, he felt like a dark abyss.
Darkness had always been terrifying.
Based on her past experiences, the safest choice now would be to say she was fine, just a little nervous.
The correct decision would be to wait until the man in front was gone and then quietly ask the beautiful older sister beside her.
But if I stay silent now, I will be taken to Tokyo and forced to separate from Yuta. Yuta…
Rika made up her mind.
"Um, can I stay and live here?"
Her small voice carried strong unease.
"What's wrong? Don't you want to live in Tokyo?"
Eichi asked knowingly.
"No."
Rika quickly shook her head. She was afraid Eichi would think she did not want to be adopted and send her back or to an orphanage.
"It's just that I go to school here. If I go to Tokyo, I won't be able to see my friends…"
She spoke cautiously.
"I see."
Eichi nodded, pretending to think.
"But we usually live in Tokyo. If Rika wants to stay in Miyagi, she would have to live alone."
Live alone?
Hearing this, Rika did not feel afraid.
Instead, she felt a trace of happiness.
"I can take care of myself. Living alone is not a problem."
Her tone became firm.
Because she had never been favored at home, she had developed strong self-care abilities.
She even looked forward to living alone.
If I can live alone, I will call Yuta to come over. Yuta will definitely not refuse. Then it will just be the two of us…
Thinking of this, her gaze became even more resolute.
"I see. That's not entirely impossible."
"Really?"
Rika's eyes lit up.
I can live alone. I can see Yuta anytime and invite him home…
For a moment, countless imagined scenes flashed through her mind.
"However, it's not appropriate for a child to live alone. We are about to visit a family. They have two children about your age. We will see if they can look after you."
Eichi's words shattered her fantasy.
"Who are they?"
Rika asked curiously.
As Eichi spoke, she sensed his presence more clearly.
Although he was intimidating, she did not feel malice from him. Instead, there was an inexplicable goodwill.
Could it be that this uncle likes little girls?
She secretly glanced at the petite Artoria beside her.
Then she shook her head.
No. I should not assume things without evidence.
"It's the Okkotsu Family. After visiting them, we will return to Tokyo."
"Okkotsu?"
Rika's mouth fell open in shock.
"Among your friends, there is a boy named Yuta, right? Is he the friend you cannot bear to part with?"
Eichi narrowed his eyes and smiled as he observed her expression through the rearview mirror.
"N-no. We're just friends."
Rika's face turned red.
Confessing to Yuta was one thing. Being teased by an adult was another.
Eichi found her shy expression amusing.
Perhaps only when Yuta was mentioned would she show an expression appropriate for her age.
At other times, she always seemed far too mature.
After teasing her for a while, they arrived at the Okkotsu residence.
Although the Okkotsu Family's bloodline traced back to Sugawara no Michizane, making them distant relatives of Satoru.
They had not produced a Jujutsu Sorcerer for a long time and lived as an ordinary family.
Yuta was a case of generational inheritance.
Ding-dong. Ding-dong.
"Coming."
Click.
"May I ask… oh, Rika."
Yuta, who opened the door, looked at her in surprise.
"Good evening, Yuta."
Rika placed her hands behind her back and leaned forward, her forehead almost touching his.
"Rika, you're too close."
"Hehe."
The two children quickly started chatting and laughing.
"Yuta, who is it?"
Seeing that Yuta had not returned, his mother came out to check.
"Oh, Rika. Please come in. Are you Rika's relatives?"
Recognizing her as her son's close friend, Yuta's mother warmly welcomed them inside.
Since it was the weekend, Yuta's father and sister were also home.
"Excuse me, are you Okkotsu Kenichi?"
After entering, Eichi approached Yuta's father directly.
"Yes, I am. And you are?"
Kenichi looked confused. The young man seemed to know him.
"Hello. I am from the HR department of Oriental Financial Technology Company. I would like to ask if Mr. Okkotsu is interested in joining our company."
Eichi took out a contract and handed it over.
Oriental Financial was established by Eichi in 2008. By preparing for the financial crisis in advance, it accumulated substantial capital and grew into a major financial enterprise.
With the advantage of foresight, his companies were always at the forefront of trends. Combined with generous overtime pay and bonuses, they attracted many talented individuals.
The company was dynamic, had clear direction, and was even backed by the Zen'in Family.
As a result, it expanded rapidly and was now approaching conglomerate scale.
"You are really…"
Kenichi looked at Eichi skeptically.
On one hand, Eichi looked too young and did not carry the typical presence of a corporate professional.
On the other hand, it was hard to believe such an opportunity would suddenly fall into his lap.
If the contract was genuine, his income would multiply several times. It would not take long for him to rise from comfortable to middle class.
After years in the workforce, he knew he was no Genius.
He had long since lost the ambition and confidence of his youth.
Now, as a mature man, he feared nothing more than making the wrong decision and burdening his family.
(To be continued.)
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