Chapter 606: The Only Way to Stop a Spring (1/2)

"Really?" Tsukuyo's face lit up with joy. "Do you really like it?"

"Yes! I love it the most!" Kawaki replied, smiling as he set down the now-empty hot pot.

But the next moment, his taste buds, which had just come back online, suddenly reacted. Kawaki's face turned beet red in seconds, and his eyes widened in shock.

"I'm so glad! I was worried you might not like it," Tsukuyo said with relief. "I heard you like spicy hot pot, so I used ghost peppers as the base today. I didn't expect you to love it this much."

"W-water... water..." Kawaki croaked, clutching his throat with one hand while tremblingly reaching out to Tsukuyo with the other. "Quick... water, please... hurry..."

...

After gulping down a large glass of water two minutes later, Kawaki's condition finally stabilised.

Seeing Kawaki drenched in sweat, with more sweat still pouring from his face, Tsukuyo asked, puzzled, "Hey, are you okay? Maybe you're still pushing yourself too hard. Maybe I should sign up for a cooking class to learn other dishes?"

"No! No need! Hot pot is just fine!" Kawaki immediately raised his hand in refusal. "I absolutely love it! If I had to name my favorite dish in life, hot pot would be number one!"

"Good grief..." Tsukuyo turned her slightly blushing face away, covering it with her sleeve, her eyes avoiding his. "Ever since then, you've been changing more and more, saying things that make people happy so boldly. Men... really are strange creatures..."

[Ah, I just want to die!] Kawaki cursed himself inwardly, gritting his teeth, then forced a smile as he raised a finger and said, "Actually, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"From now on, try not to go out unless it's absolutely necessary for something like a checkup. Otherwise... no, it's better if you don't go out at all."

"You... noticed, didn't you?" Tsukuyo turned her face away again, speaking softly.

"Uh... yes, I did." Kawaki's mouth began to twitch uncontrollably. "I can still notice things like that. And if you do need to go for a checkup, make sure to tell me in advance so I can accompany you. Got it?"

"I... I understand."

Seeing Tsukuyo shyly covering her face with her sleeve, Kawaki mentally punched himself and called himself a scumbag.

"And one more thing..." Kawaki continued, "Regarding the vacation time we gave the Hyakka members earlier, I'm hoping... to extend it a bit longer."

"Huh?" Tsukuyo looked confused. "You want to extend it? Won't it be tough handling everything by yourself?"

"No, it's not tough at all!" Kawaki immediately countered. "Honestly, I've completely fallen in love with working! I don't feel tired at all, even working all day! I'm seriously thinking about working all the time! Wow, work is so great! Ahahaha..."

"Is that so..." Tsukuyo turned her face away again, her voice growing softer. "You really... are reliable..."

[Stop! I don't want to hear it! I don't want to listen to things like 'such a reliable father'!] Kawaki screamed internally, [Please, spare me! The guilt is already overwhelming me! All that's left is guilt! I'm being consumed by it!]

"How long do you want to extend the vacation?"

"How about a year?" Kawaki suggested hesitantly, raising one finger.

After a long silence, Tsukuyo finally spoke, "A year... is that maternity leave? No, maternity leave isn't that long."

"No—it's not!" Kawaki stood up, panicking, and loudly explained, "Trust me, Tsukuyo! It has nothing to do with maternity leave! It's just a regular break! It might seem like maternity leave, but it's not! I just wanted to give them a longer break because they've been working so hard!"

"Alright, I understand." Tsukuyo nodded but then pointed her finger at Kawaki. "But are you really okay? Your face is covered in cold sweat."

"No problem at all!" Kawaki patted his chest confidently. "It's just that I felt a bit hot after eating. This sweat is from the heat, nothing else!"

"Oh... okay, I see."

"Well..." Kawaki waved his hand as he walked towards the door, "I'm going to work now. Please... please don't go out randomly! Your health is the most important thing right now!"

"Understood."

"Absolutely don't go out! Absolutely!!"

"I've heard that men often become like this at times like these," Tsukuyo remarked with a smile.

"That's right! Men do become like this at times like these! Just stay in your room! I'll do the shopping! I'll do the laundry! I'll clean the house! You just rest!"

"I... I understand."

...

From that day on, Kawaki began his new life, following an impossible human schedule.

He would wake up at four in the morning, go to the market to buy ingredients for sixty meals, and then deliver each portion to all the women's rooms.

After sixty breakfasts, he would start his workday, patrolling all the shops in Yoshiwara by himself and solving any problems the women encountered, whether dealing with demanding customers or fixing leaking rooms. Kawaki handled it all on his own.

At seven in the evening, dragging his exhausted body, he would eat sixty dinners, spend no more than a minute at each meal, and then resume work until one morning.

Time to sleep? Still waiting. This was when he started cleaning the rooms of all sixty women, collecting their dirty laundry to wash and hang.

By the time he finished, it was almost four in the morning.

From then to four, Kawaki had his rest time, which ranged from two to ten minutes, depending on the day.

...

A week later, during the rare break he had at lunchtime, Kawaki found himself on the streets.

He bought a pack of cigarettes from a vending machine and leaned against a wall, head down, unwrapping the bag and placing a cigarette in his mouth.

However, he quickly realised he didn't have a lighter than someone who never smoked.

"Hey, can I borrow a light?" Kawaki tapped the shoulder of a young man who was buying cigarettes nearby, speaking hoarsely.

"Oh, sure." The young man quickly responded, pulling a mayonnaise-themed lighter from his pocket and handing it to Kawaki.

"Thanks." Kawaki lit his cigarette, taking a deep drag before slowly exhaling.

"No problem." Hijikata took back his lighter but then noticed that the person who had borrowed it was Kawaki—and he looked... very rough.

"Are you... okay?"

To put it simply, Kawaki's current state could be described in two words as "worn out," three words as "very worn out," and four words as "extremely worn out."

His hair was messy, his beard looked like it hadn't been groomed in days, his eyes were half-open and lifeless, and his dark circles were darker than a panda's.

His clothes seemed alright, freshly changed, but the man looked like he was about to break down completely.

"It's you..." Kawaki muttered, cigarette in hand. "It's been a while, hasn't it..."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Hijikata lit a cigarette for himself, eyeing Kawaki suspiciously.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Every day is so fulfilling, so happy," Kawaki replied nonchalantly. "Especially when I'm working, I feel extremely happy. Who knew work could be so enjoyable? It helps me forget all my worries, guilt, and pain... haha..."

"Hey! Are you really okay?!" Hijikata was shocked, grabbing Kawaki's shoulders and shaking him. "Why have you broken down so much in just a few days? What happened?!"

"Phew..." Kawaki took one last drag from his cigarette before extinguishing it in a nearby trash can. "I should get back to work. If I stay here too long, I'll start thinking about the cold, harsh reality again. See you."

...

"Who was that?" Okita Sougo asked as he approached Hijikata, watching Kawaki walk away. "Was that the boss? But his vibe seems a bit different..."

"Who knows..."

...

A week later, at noon, in Kabukicho Park.

"Why did you call me out? I'm currently looking for that guy with the natural perm who went missing after a date with his girlfriend on the 7th. I'm really busy." Zenzou asked as he looked at Kawaki, who was smoking on a park bench. "And are you really okay? You look like you're about to fall apart. Have you even slept?"