Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 80 The Pledge of Allegiance

More than 700,000 yen.

This is certainly not a large sum of money.

Compared to the bills of some hostesses in Beixindi for one night, it even looks rather meager.

To those who casually signed up for golf memberships worth tens of millions during the bubble era, it's not even a fraction of the total.

But for him now, this is enough to make his life a little better.

After leaving the ATM, Kiryu Yaya did not immediately return to his apartment, but instead rode his motorcycle slowly south along Midosuji.

Until we arrived at the door of a real estate agency.

He gripped the brakes.

He plans to move to a different place first.

Although the old apartment in Esaka is habitable and the old lady Matsushita is a nice person, it's ultimately not very convenient.

There isn't even a private bathroom, making it inconvenient to use the toilet or take a shower.

He used to only have tens of thousands of yuan, and he had no choice but to endure it; but now that he has some spare money, it would be no virtue to continue to wrong himself.

"Welcome! Are you looking to rent a room?"

The young agent at the front desk immediately became much more enthusiastic when she saw his suit and Mitsubishi Bank employee ID.

"I'm looking for a 1K or 1DK apartment with a private bathroom, preferably close to Midosuji, with a budget of under 70,000 yen."

The term "一K" is a common way to write the layout of rental apartments in Japan, which means one bedroom with a kitchen; "一DK" means one bedroom with a kitchen and living room.

The young real estate agent quickly flipped through the folder beside him and soon pulled out three property listings.

"With this budget, there are some good options in Esaka and the Higashi-Sankoku area. They are studio apartments built after the first year of the Heisei era, with a full bathroom and kitchenette, and convenient for commuting."

In one morning, Kiryu Yaya looked at three apartments and then took a liking to the third one.

It's about an eight-minute walk to the subway station from a quiet side street in Ezaka.

21 square meters, 1K, with a full bathroom, washing machine space and small balcony, rent is 68,000 yen.

He stood inside, opened the balcony door, listened to the not-too-noisy street sounds outside, and nodded.

"This one will do."

The agent was visibly taken aback for a moment, then smiled even more sincerely.

"Mr. Kiryu makes decisions very quickly."

"Work habits".

After Kiryu finished speaking, he calculated the deposit, key money, and the first month's rent together.

The rent is 68,000 yen.

Two months' deposit, two months' key money, plus the first month's rent, the cash I have to hand over on the day of signing the contract is already 340,000 yen.

The so-called "key money" is, simply put, a "thank you gift" to the landlord, to express gratitude for the landlord's willingness to rent the house.

Unlike a deposit, a gift of money is gone once it's given.

This is a very strange aspect of postwar Japanese culture, which many modern people cannot even accept.

Therefore, in later generations, many landlords would advertise "0 key money" to attract tenants.

But in Osaka today, this is perfectly normal.

Kiryu Yaya could only feel the pinch and pay as usual.

340,000.

Almost half of my savings will be wiped out in one go.

But Kiryu Yaya only glanced into the house once more.

Twenty-one square meters.

Private bathroom.

It has a washing machine space, a balcony, and is not far from the subway station.

Compared to that old apartment in Ezaka, this place is already quite a decent place to live.

Moreover, it's already very cost-effective.

He turned his gaze away from the balcony and spoke calmly.

"Okay, let's do it."

……

After finalizing the move, Kiryu Yaya went back to his old apartment to talk to Mrs. Matsushita about the move and canceled the lease on the old apartment.

Mrs. Matsushita felt both sorry for him and happy for him.

After all, she knew that the apartments she managed were indeed somewhat dilapidated.

Employees like Kiryu Yaya from Mitsubishi Bank will have to move out sooner or later.

After delivering his few belongings to the new apartment, Kiryu Yaya went to the basement of the department store and an electronics store.

He bought new bed sheets, pillowcases, two towels, an electric kettle, a small refrigerator, and a desk lamp.

I went to the suit store and picked out two white shirts of better quality, a dark blue patterned tie, and a pair of black leather shoes.

Finally, he also equipped his Honda Super Cub with a decent full-face helmet and a raincoat.

After all that, I still have 281,200 yen left in my account.

It was already evening when I returned to my new apartment carrying all my bags.

The entryway is small, but the house is very clean.

Open the window, and the wind blows in from the balcony, revealing dense buildings and old Showa-era streets in the distance.

It's not particularly luxurious.

But since his parents passed away, Kiryu Yaya hasn't lived in such a clean place for a long time.

Having settled down, he stood by the window, clutching the business card of Shuichi Kuroda in his hand, his gaze deep and thoughtful.

Although both Kouda Hiko and Kuroda Shuichi were associated with Kiryu Metal back then.

However, Kiryu Yaya is still unclear about their current relationship and whether their interests align.

Kiryu Yaya flicked the business card with his finger, had an idea, and reached for the landline in the apartment.

dial.

The phone rang three times.

The call was then connected.

"Feed?"

On the other end of the microphone was Shuichi Kuroda's voice.

Kiryu Yaya opened his mouth:

"President Kuroda, it is I, Kiryu."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Then, Shuichi Kuroda chuckled softly.

"Kiryu-kun? Calling so late, looks like you've thought it through?"

I guess so.

Kiryu Yaya walked to the table and sat down, speaking in a calm and unhurried tone:

"I have carefully considered the conditions you offered at Songfeng Temple that day."

Shuichi Kuroda's voice sounded noticeably more energetic:

"Oh?"

Kiryu Yaya said calmly:

"A 20 million yen annual salary, it would be a lie to say I'm not tempted."

"With my current income at Mitsubishi Bank, even if I work normally for more than ten years, I may not be able to reach that figure."

"so--"

"In terms of the outcome, I am willing to accept President Kuroda's invitation."

On the other end of the phone, a cheerful chuckle came from Shuichi Kuroda.

"Haha...very good. I knew it, Kiryu-kun isn't the kind of person who would be trapped by rigid rules."

"However, judging from your tone, there should be a 'but' following this, right?"

"certainly."

Kiryu Yaya did not deny it.

"Because I can't leave Mitsubishi Bank right now."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

But Kuroda Shuichi wasn't angry; his tone just held a hint of scrutiny.

"What's the reason?"

"It's very simple."

Kiryu Yaya gazed at the night view outside the window, a hint of a smile in his voice:

"Since President Kuroda is willing to offer me an annual salary of 20 million yen, I can't just go there empty-handed without doing anything, can I?"

On the other end of the phone, Kuroda Shuichi's breathing quickened slightly.

"Kiryu-kun, what do you mean by this?"

"I want to take the Miyazawa family case first, as a token of my loyalty to President Kuroda."

The moment those words were spoken, the air on the phone seemed to freeze for a moment.

Then, Kuroda Shuichi slowly spoke:

"A pledge of allegiance?"

"right."

Kiryu Yaya rested his elbows on the table, his voice steady:

"Rokka Club"