Just like that, Ginko, who had originally planned to take a break, immediately started an intense training regimen after hearing Hakuto's words, all in preparation for next week's promotion match.
However, the coach for this devilish training was not Hakuto.
Although Hakuto was incredibly skilled at shogi, his strength came purely from his own calculating ability.
Playing against him might offer some experience at first, but after a while, there wouldn't be much left to learn.
For geniuses like Ginko, studying different strategies was the best way to improve, so everything had to be left to her master to handle.
It's worth mentioning that even though Hakuto had only worked for a single day, Ginko still paid him for two.
In other words, Hakuto had taken Friday off, yet he still received his full salary from Hoshinoumi while also getting paid by Ginko, effectively giving him an extra day off!
Holy crap! This was an absolute steal!
"Ginko... I love you!"
On his way home, Hakuto instinctively wiped at the nonexistent tears in the corners of his eyes.
"How long has it been since I last enjoyed a proper Saturday?"
It was around ten in the morning, meaning Hakuto had plenty of time to fully enjoy his weekend.
However, after a brief moment of joy, he suddenly sank into a deep sense of melancholy, as if a dark cloud had settled over his head.
"Can I tell Ms. Shizuka that I don't want to be a tutor anymore…?"
"No, wait?! Why am I even thinking this?! I'm here to make money!"
Hakuto felt like he was getting a little too complacent! This was a sign of impending poverty! In a panic, he slapped himself twice, snapping back to his senses.
Just as he was about to send a message to the Nakano quintuplets while walking down the street, his phone suddenly rang.
"Big Boss...? Who's that?" Looking at the contact name, Hakuto frowned, unable to recall who it was for a moment.
"Oh! Sayuri! How could I forget?!"
Hakuto instinctively scratched his head, realizing his memory had been slipping lately.
After patting his face and adjusting his mindset, he answered the call.
After all, Sawamura Sayuri was one of his biggest clients—even if that was in the past—so he still treated her with basic respect.
"Hello, Sayuri-san, good morning."
"Good morning, Hakuto."
"Is there something you need, Sayuri-san?"
Hakuto knew that Sayuri wouldn't call just to say good morning. A little small talk was fine, but he preferred to get straight to the point.
On the other end of the call, Sayuri glanced up at Eriri's room, hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
"Hakuto, do you have time today? I need your help with something…"
"Sayuri-san, you should know I'm busy on Saturdays…"
Although Ginko had gone back to her intense training, Hakuto still had other obligations, so he couldn't just agree to whatever Sayuri wanted.
"What about tomorrow?"
"Sorry, Sayuri-san… I'd love to help, but if it's something urgent, you can tell me over the phone. I'll see if I can free up some time."
"Sigh… It's a bit hard to explain over the phone… I'll just get straight to the point. It's about Eriri."
"Did something happen to Eriri?"
Hakuto had already guessed that Sayuri was calling about her daughter. After all, she had no other reason to contact him.
However, he couldn't figure out what had happened to Eriri that required his help.
"This isn't something I can explain in a few words… It won't take long, Hakuto. Just stop by after school one day. Consider it as doing me a favor, okay? Please…"
To be honest, Hakuto was a little surprised to hear such a pleading tone from Sayuri.
In his impression, Sayuri wasn't exactly a cold and domineering businesswoman, but she was definitely the one in charge at home.
That nonchalant attitude, the ever-present smile, the sense that everything was within her control…
That was why Hakuto had always maintained a certain level of respect for her. Beyond gratitude, this was the main reason.
And now, this same woman was actually humbling herself to ask him for a favor. Hakuto couldn't wrap his head around it.
"Sayuri-san, you don't have to be so formal… You probably know I'm an exchange student now, so my schedule isn't very flexible. But I'll do my best to make time, okay?"
There was no way Hakuto could refuse Sayuri's request, especially after how far she'd gone to ask him. Turning her down now would be heartless.
"Then I'll thank you in advance, Hakuto."
Sayuri quickly hung up and looked up at Eriri's tightly shut door, sighing deeply.
"At least I still have some sway with Hakuto…"
Truthfully, Sayuri hadn't wanted to ask Hakuto for help. She had been waiting for her daughter to sort things out on her own.
However, just moments ago, when she went to bring Eriri a meal, she found her daughter in a terrible state.
Eriri was sitting at her desk, hugging the teddy bear Hakuto had given her, staring blankly at her drawing. It was unclear what she was thinking.
Dark circles had formed under her eyes, and she looked like a refugee who had just escaped from a disaster. Even her once-radiant golden hair had lost its luster.
"Eriri? Eriri? What's wrong?"
Hearing Sayuri's voice, Eriri simply glanced at her blankly before returning her gaze to the drawing.
Sayuri had no idea what was going on with her daughter, but she knew she couldn't just sit back and do nothing.
"Honestly… where did she inherit this stubbornness from?"
She muttered to herself, frustrated. Even now, her daughter refused to acknowledge her own feelings, even if it meant suffering alone in her room.
Meanwhile, Hakuto, staring at his phone after the call ended, made a mental note of Sayuri's request and decided to visit when he could.
But for now, he had a tutoring session to attend.
"Hopefully, everything works out…"
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