I Just Want A Single Ending!

Could it be that, as a fan of CRYCHIC, he's paying me this way so I don't have to worry about money and can keep playing in a band?

After thinking it over, this was the only somewhat reasonable explanation Togawa Sakiko could come up with.

Before he invited her to help manage his Instagram account, he'd actually asked her to join his band.

At the time, she'd turned him down, saying she was too busy with her part-time jobs to have time for a band.

Only after that did Kamigawa Saku suggest this job and offer such a high salary.

If she looked at it from that angle, the logic seemed to hold up, albeit barely.

"A fan…"

Togawa repeated the word, her feelings a tangled mess.

Of course, this was just her own theory—a guess that felt plausible.

Other explanations weren't out of the question.

For example, maybe he liked her or something.

But she didn't think that was likely.

She always sensed a certain distance from Kamigawa Saku, a vibe that didn't feel like he was dealing with someone he was interested in.

Especially considering the time he'd gotten her a set of matching bracelets; he kept both bracelets instead of giving one to her.

If he really liked her, wouldn't he have taken that opportunity to give her one?

In that situation, he'd have had plenty of easy excuses to do it.

Like saying he couldn't wear two at once, or that the two bracelets were naturally one each for both of them.

But he hadn't done any of that.

So, Togawa Sakiko didn't think he was romantically interested in her.

As for his real motives, only he knew.

All she had were her speculations.

After mulling over this, one more question continued to nag at her.

'Why didn't I notice how unreasonable this pay was at the start?'

Setting down her phone, Togawa started analyzing this critical question.

It didn't take her long to find the answer—the lawyer.

She'd had a lawyer look over the contract, and they'd assured her there were no issues.

So, she'd assumed everything was fine.

After all, lawyers should know better than a newbie like her. It was only natural to trust the professional instead of relying on her own inexperience to judge.

Plus, the job came with a generous base salary and a 50% cut of ad revenue—she could hardly ask for more.

It wasn't like she could demand Saku give her more than 50%, right?

That would be totally unrealistic.

And Kamigawa had always praised her, saying things like she was unique, making her think maybe she deserved that kind of pay.

Another thing was that, at the time, she was so unfamiliar with the field that her main concern was whether she could actually handle the job.

Taking all of this together, it made sense why she'd overlooked such a glaring issue.

No—she hadn't exactly been fooled.

If anything, she'd come out with an incredible deal.

Thinking of it as "being tricked" would be downright ungrateful.

But even so, Togawa Sakiko didn't feel happy.

She could accept a high reward for hard work, but she couldn't shake off the discomfort of receiving such an unearned amount.

It felt like charity from Kamigawa Saku.

Whatever his real reasons, she couldn't feel comfortable accepting pay that wasn't truly hers.

She'd agreed to the job on the basis of a fair exchange.

She brought her talents, and Saku happened to need them.

But now, it seemed her talents had been grossly overvalued.

Taking a few deep breaths, Togawa picked up her phone again, opening the chat with Kamigawa.

Their conversations had been ongoing for a while, but they mostly stayed professional, discussing work tasks she needed to complete.

Re-reading their exchanges, Sakiko gave a small, self-deprecating smile.

She'd really thought her job was so important.

The tasks Saku assigned seemed like a lot at first glance, but none of it was hard—just a little tedious.

It was, in fact, quite simple.

All she had to do was watch something for a few minutes, then summarize and analyze it.

It was work that didn't need someone in her position to handle.

Her work couldn't compare to the intensity of that assistant in the article.

Clearly, Kamigawa Saku had chosen her specifically for… whatever reason.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have structured the tasks in such a professional way.

He'd made her feel like her salary was genuinely earned.

'Turns out I've been living in this fake little bubble…'

With a sigh, Sakiko began typing.

She needed to get to the bottom of this with Kamigawa Saku, to understand his intentions.

After finishing her message and just before hitting send, she paused.

No, for something this important, she needed to ask him in person.

If she messaged him, he could easily ignore it and pretend he hadn't seen it.

So, Sakiko deleted her typed message and instead sent a request to meet in person.

Sent!

---

Meanwhile.

Kamigawa Saku was lazily scrolling through his phone, while Nagasaki Soyo dozed on his shoulder.

The next second, a notification popped up.

Without thinking, Saku tapped it.

Togawa Sakiko: Hello, do you have any time soon? There's something important I'd like to discuss with you in person.

[Accept]

[Decline]

The system options appeared as soon as he finished reading the message.

Faced with these choices, Saku quickly made his decision.

Saku: Sure, I have time. You can pick the time and place.

He was more than willing to meet with Togawa Sakiko.

This was a great opportunity to deepen their connection.

And considering she mentioned something important, it wouldn't make sense to refuse.

The only thing left to wonder was, what exactly did she need to talk to him about?

After thinking about it, Saku guessed it had to be something related to the account.

It was, after all, their main connection.

[+20 Stamina]

Togawa Sakiko: Then, how about tomorrow afternoon at Hazawa Café?

She was feeling quite anxious and eager to know the truth.

The sooner they could meet, the better.

If it weren't for the ongoing typhoon, which made going out impossible, she'd have preferred to meet today.

Kamigawa Saku: That works for me.

He had plenty of free time lately, after all.

Togawa Sakiko: Great. It's a plan, then.

---

Greetings, esteemed reader.

Your presence throughout this chapter's journey is deeply appreciated. In Liyue, we hold that every tale, much like the enduring stone, gains strength through the appreciation of those who encounter it.

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With sincere regards,

Zhongli