Chapter 48

"We can't leave it like this."

Ran was very dissatisfied: "He broke the law! How can he claim his salary after it has already been paid?"

"Even if it's a fine, it should be deducted from next month's salary, not recover the money that's already been paid!" Right?"

"It's unacceptable for employees to have their salaries deducted like that!"

Lin Yi not only took her by the hand but also placed a hand on her back, giving her gentle pats: "Let it be... After all, I also made many mistakes on my part..."

Lin Yi tried to calm Ran as...

He led her back to her seat in the cafeteria.

"In other words, I've ruined someone's reputation, I've tarnished their prestige..."

"In business, especially in the food sector, one must be very honest."

"It's understandable that the manager deducted my salary..."

After trying to persuade her, Lin Yi got her to return to her original seat and said, "Besides, the mistake was mine..."

"You, you..."

Ran rested her chin on her hand and looked at Lin Yi pouting, murmuring: "You only think of others, and that's why they bully you!"

"Wouldn't it be better to avoid conflicts?"

Lin Yi looked at the coffee, as if lost in memories. With a slight smile on his face, he said, "It's not that important. Things that can be resolved with an apology and money are easy to settle."

Ran saw the nostalgic expression on Lin Yi's face and wondered what experiences he had lived; she really wanted to know what kind of things he had gone through to be so kind and understanding.

"Let's forget about that for now."

Lin Yi changed the subject and looked at his watch. "It's already late... Would you like to have dinner together?"

Ran, of course, was not going to refuse Lin Yi's invitation.

On one hand, Lin Yi had cared for her and confronted the unpleasant manager, even sacrificing his salary in the process.

On the other hand, Ran didn't want to go home so early, as her father asked many questions about what had happened with Shinichi. Besides, she needed to talk about her feelings with someone.

So, with all these considerations in mind, Ran accepted the invitation.

"There's a good restaurant near my house... so let's go... uh..."

As Lin Yi spoke, he noticed that he was still wearing the delivery uniform and blushed a little, saying somewhat embarrassedly, "Before that, I must go home to change."

"That's fine," Ran said understandingly.

——————

Lin Yi mentioned that the restaurant is near his house.

Therefore, Ran naturally decided to accompany Lin Yi home.

During the way back, the two chatted casually.

Seeing a bus pass by, Lin Yi mentioned that he had had a problem with a pickpocket on a bus in the past and how the local police had notified him to recover his wallet, even though the money had already been stolen.

Ran told him that she had a similar experience, but the thief failed and was subdued by her before she took him to the police station.

Lin Yi immediately expressed admiration for her bravery.

Upon seeing a popular ice cream shop, Lin Yi commented that he hadn't had ice cream in a long time and mentioned his favorite vanilla ice cream in Ikebukuro, wondering what the flavor of one from that shop would be like.

Ran mentioned that the chocolate ice cream from Parm in Ginza was also excellent and that the size was perfect, suitable for a bite.

Lin Yi said he would like to try it, and Ran suggested that they do it together next time.

...…

In summary, Lin Yi effectively directed the conversation, ensuring that Ran actively participated. When he noticed she didn't have much to say about a topic, he smoothly changed the subject.

Thanks to this, on the way back home, Ran not only didn't get bored, but time flew by.

Although the journey took half an hour, she had the impression that only ten minutes had passed before they arrived, which felt very quick.

This outcome made Ran feel very comfortable; she thought she could keep walking like this without any problem.

Upon arriving back at Lin Yi's house, Ran couldn't help but feel a bit dazed.

The surroundings evoked memories, and unable to contain herself, she began to think about what had happened that night.

It still seemed absurd to her how suddenly she and Sonoko had had sex with Lin Yi.

However, if it hadn't been for what happened that night, probably, due to Lin Yi's cold personality, she wouldn't have gotten to know him so quickly, right?

This led her to think about the Japanese concept of "一期一会" (ichi-go ichi-e), which means "destiny."

Ran always felt that there was a special destiny between her and Lin Yi.

Otherwise, how could she explain all the encounters between them?

If Lin Yi could hear Ran's thoughts, he would probably mock her, saying that destiny had nothing to do with it, that it was all due to his own effort.

Lin Yi didn't know what Ran was thinking, but he could sense that she was nervous and reflective.

In reality, it wasn't hard to guess. This was the place where Ran had lost her virginity. Anyone in his position would feel a little uncomfortable remembering the place where they had sex for the first time and would also reflect on the event.

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