Chapter 56 Finding Money

"I need to use the restroom." Kuroha Yitsu was alone in the private meeting room, sitting on the sofa. Feeling excited yet nervous, a sudden urge to urinate washed over him.

"I should go take care of it first."

Kuroha Yitsu decided he wanted to spend the ten minutes alone with Watanabe Remu in his absolute best condition. He set down the glowing sign in his hand, opened the door to inform a staff member standing outside, and after getting directions to the restroom, broke into a light jog.

Thud.

"I'm sorry."

As Kuroha Yitsu spotted the restroom and hurried inside, he collided squarely with someone coming out. Judging by the physical impact, the person had a rather substantial build, and because he had been moving in a rush with the momentum of a jog, he made direct, intimate contact with the stranger.

"Ah," the person cried out in pain, landing flat on their rear end.

This fellow had some serious weight to him. What if he couldn't get back up after falling? That would be a real headache.

Kuroha Yitsu felt the floor tremble slightly as the man hit the ground.

"It's you? Are you alright?" Kuroha Yitsu reached out to help the fallen chubby man to his feet. He recognized this man in the pink shirt as the same person who had "guided" him earlier when he first arrived.

The fat man didn't make a sound, eyeing Kuroha Yitsu with wary suspicion. A flash of panic crossed his eyes when he heard Kuroha Yitsu say, "It's you."

"Mister, I'm really sorry. I was in too much of a rush and didn't mean it."

Although Kuroha Yitsu noticed the panic flitting through the man's eyes, he didn't read anything else into it, assuming the man was still shaken up from being knocked flying by the sheer strength of his physique, which only deepened his sense of apology.

"Are you hurt anywhere? Let me take a look, I've studied a bit of medicine." Kuroha Yitsu squatted down, thinking the man might have been injured pretty badly, and genuinely wanted to check on him.

"Get lost." The fat man cast a suspicious glance at Kuroha Yitsu, slapped away the hand reaching out toward him, braced his hands on the floor, and struggled to his feet before scurrying away.

"You..."

Kuroha Yitsu blankly watched the retreating, stumbling figure of the fat man.

What was on his hands just now? Could it be... No, no, it was probably just water.

Kuroha Yitsu walked over to the sink, turned on the faucet, and splashed water on his hands. Seeing the liquid soap nearby, he pumped a bit, rubbed his hands together thoroughly, believing in the importance of cleanliness.

After finishing his business, Kuroha Yitsu returned to the sink to wash his hands carefully once more.

In the mirror, the young man possessed a pair of bold, sharp brows, deep-set eyes, and thick, neat eyelashes that looked as though someone had delicately traced a faint eyeliner around them, lending him a hint of wickedness. His skin rivaled a woman's in fairness, and his pinkish lips curved into a confident smile. A blue stud earring gleamed under the restroom lights.

"Huh, what's that?"

In the reflection near his earlobe, Kuroha Yitsu spotted a black travel bag resting on top of the restroom stall partition.

He turned around and reached up to pull down the black travel bag.

"So heavy. Judging by this feel, what could possibly be inside..."

Kuroha Yitsu placed the travel bag on the floor and slowly unzipped one of its corners.

Stack after stack of red bank notes came into view.

There had to be at least several million yen in here. Who could have left this behind and forgotten it? Was it that fat man's?

Kuroha Yitsu reached in and rummaged through the contents. It was entirely filled with bundles of high-denomination cash.

"I should take it and ask the staff. With this much money, the owner must be frantic." Kuroha Yitsu zipped up the bag, hoisted it, pushed open the restroom door, and stepped out.

Having never seen this much money before—especially now that he understood its true value—it would be a lie to say Kuroha Yitsu wasn't tempted. The money here could instantly resolve his desperate situation of having nowhere to live, and it could help Suzumiya Akari so she wouldn't have to work herself to the bone anymore.

He was tempted; he had been tempted all evening, and he would likely be even more tempted shortly. But money simply could not compare to the excitement Watanabe Remu brought him. Several million yen might be crucial to him right now, but it wasn't his. Such a large sum meant the owner would surely panic upon realizing it was missing.

Carrying the bag along the corridor, he pondered where to turn it in. Should he just hand it to the theater manager and ask for help finding the owner? Right now, the only thing on his mind was his upcoming private meeting with Watanabe Remu.

"Jack?" Kuroha Yitsu spotted a familiar dark figure pressing flat against the wall around a corner. Recalling the man's identity as a police officer, he figured handing the bag of cash to him to track down the owner was the wisest choice, so he quickened his pace.

"Yitsu-kun?" Hearing someone call him, Jack turned his head and saw Kuroha Yitsu walking toward him.

"Hey, long time no see. What are you doing here?" Kuroha Yitsu asked curiously, noticing the man's furtive behavior.

"Well, I..." Jack hesitated, unable to give a straight answer. After all, he couldn't casually leak details about an ongoing operation, especially since he and Kuroha Yitsu had only met once and he knew nothing about the young man's background.

"You're a fan of Mint too, right? Sneaked in after the show to see your idol?" Kuroha Yitsu thought he understood and chuckled, patting Jack on the shoulder.

"Ah..." Jack blinked, choosing not to deny it.

"Then I won't disturb you. Oh, right, I just found a bag of money in the restroom. Since you're a cop, could you help find the owner? I have to go, I'm busy." Without waiting for Jack's response, Kuroha Yitsu thrust the handle of the black travel bag right into Jack's hand.

With that, Kuroha Yitsu turned and walked away.

*Ha, there's no way I'm letting you know you're sneaking around trying to see your idol, while I'm actually heading off to a cozy little room for a private meeting with mine.*

"Report, Captain. Chuan Lingfeiqi and the others have all been apprehended, but the money and drugs were not on them. We are currently dispatching teams to search the area." Just as Jack stood there in bewilderment, having placed the heavy travel bag Kuroha Yitsu had forced upon him onto the floor and unzipped it, his miniature radio earpiece crackled to life.

"I think... I've found the money," Jack muttered, standing up and rushing around the corner, but Kuroha Yitsu's figure had already vanished down the corridor.

When Kuroha Yitsu walked back to the private meeting room, the theater manager was already waiting by the door.

"Sorry about that, had to make a trip to the restroom," Kuroha Yitsu hurried over, offering an apologetic smile to the theater manager.

"No problem, Remu is already inside. Go on in, I'll come notify you in ten minutes." The theater manager politely opened the door for Kuroha Yitsu.

Inside the room, Watanabe Remu, dressed in a white sleeveless mini-dress, sat composedly on a blue sofa like an angel. Hearing the door open, she politely stood up to welcome the fan.

"It's you."

Watanabe Remu looked startled upon seeing Kuroha Yitsu. She had expected it to be...

"Remu, is something wrong?" Kimura Yunduan asked.

"No. Kuroha-kun, please sit." Hearing Kimura's voice, Watanabe Remu collected herself, flashed her signature idol smile once more, and invited Kuroha Yitsu to take a seat.

"I'll step outside then." Seeing that Watanabe Remu seemed to know Kuroha Yitsu, Kimura stepped out, pulling the door closed so it remained unlatched.

Standing outside the door alongside Kimura Yunduan was a burly security guard. While selling private meeting passes was a good way to boost ticket sales, it carried inherent risks. To prevent any unforeseen incidents, the door was left ajar rather than fully shut, with two staff members guarding the entrance, ready to rush in and intervene at a moment's notice.

"You go ahead and sit."

Feeling nervous and somewhat constrained, Kuroha Yitsu walked over and sat down opposite Watanabe Remu.

"Um, thank you."

Watanabe Remu didn't stand on ceremony. After offering a polite word of thanks, she smoothed her skirt and took her seat first.

Only after seeing Watanabe Remu sit down did Kuroha Yitsu follow suit.

The sofa, normally soft and comfortable, now felt as though it were covered in thorns. Kuroha Yitsu shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"What's wrong? Is the sofa uncomfortable?"

Watanabe Remu tilted her head, looking at Kuroha Yitsu with a smile.

"No, it's not that."

Gazing at the figure he had been dreaming of for the past two days, listening to her melodic voice, and catching the unique scent lingering around her, Kuroha Yitsu's heart hammered frantically in his chest. His face grew hot, his mind went blank, and he had no idea what to say.

"No need to rush, take your time."

Watanabe Remu didn't seem unaccustomed to fans freezing up and being rendered speechless during their first private meeting with her; she offered a gentle, elegant smile.

This was completely different from the cold rejection Watanabe Remu had given him during the cleanup duty that afternoon. Had she changed her mind? Did she think he wasn't so bad after all? Did she feel even a tiny spark of attraction toward him?

Kuroha Yitsu let his imagination run wild with unearned narcissism.

How could he possibly know that Watanabe Remu was currently in "work mode," treating him simply as an ordinary fan who liked her? Why would she put on a cold face for a fan who adored her? Besides, there were two cameras in the room recording her "friendly" interactions with fans every second, footage likely destined to be used in promotional videos.