Chapter 73: Sakujiro!

"...!"

Luke glanced at Taka before turning his attention to the person accompanying him. He felt an intense aura coming from the elderly man.

He looked back at Raymond, his expression serious.

Raymond nodded, indicating that he recognized the significance of the situation.

It was evident that the old man Taka had brought with him was not someone to be taken lightly, and they needed to proceed cautiously.

Luke discreetly signaled to their men as they all tensed up, ready for a potential confrontation.

The air grew heavy with anticipation.

"..."

The old man could see through all this as he could feel the atmosphere slowly tense.

Meanwhile, an oblivious Taka, unaware of the brewing tension, suddenly erupted in anger.

Pointing an accusing finger at Raymond, he shouted, "You thief! Give me back my money!"

But instead of facing Raymond head-on, Taka stood behind the old man as he kept himself safe by seeking protection from the old man as he threw the accusations. 

"..."

The scene left everyone speechless, with all eyes fixed on the peculiar display.

"Ahem..."

Taka cleared his throat, feeling a bit embarrassed by his outburst.

He stepped forward, positioning himself beside the old man, and extended his hand toward Raymond.

"Hand it over," he demanded, his voice more subdued this time.

The old man shook his head, his gaze fixed on Raymond.

Though he remained silent, an unspoken tension seemed to radiate from him. This caused everyone to shift their position, preparing for a potential conflict subtly.

"There's no need to be so tense," Raymond remarked, shaking his head with a chuckle, though the old man's frown remained unchanged.

"...Young man, I'm too old for this nonsense. Why don't you give it back?"

The old man grumbled.

Ignoring the old man's grumble, Raymond turned to Taka, explaining, "He stole my stuff first. I simply gave him a taste of his own medicine."

"...!"

Taka visibly flinched at Raymond's words while the old man's frown deepened.

He sharply turned his gaze to Taka, who immediately looked away as the kid felt awkward.

"Explain. You didn't tell me about this," the old man demanded.

Taka tried to evade the question, but the old man's piercing stare made him sweat nervously.

With an awkward scratch of his head, he reluctantly confessed the truth.

"..."

The old man's deep frown persisted as he processed the story, laying the blame squarely on Taka.

"It's alright. I don't need his money," Raymond said, his tone calm yet firm. "But still..."

He stepped forward, extending his hand for a handshake. "I'm Raymond. Just moved here today."

The old man hesitated before accepting the handshake. Their grip was firm as they exchanged introductions.

"Sakujiro, I'm just a baker..."

Raymond chuckled at this, "Just a baker, huh? I'd definitely love to try your stuff sometime."

Turning his attention to Taka, who avoided eye contact, Raymond noticed the sudden shift in demeanor.

However, it was Sakujiro who intrigued him the most.

His hands didn't feel like those of a baker.

They bore the roughness of someone accustomed to higher intensity of physical labor.

Meeting Sakujiro's gaze, Raymond sensed a hidden fire behind the otherwise deadpan expression.

"A baker, huh? Is he telling the truth, or is he messing with me?" Raymond mused silently.

Sakujiro's stern voice interrupted his thoughts, "But still what? Why don't you complete your sentence, young man..."

Raymond glanced at Taka, who looked at him with a mix of hope and fear.

He chuckled at the sight.

Taka seemed genuinely worried that Raymond wouldn't return his belongings.

Without missing a beat, Taka retrieved Raymond's pouch and hastily handed it over.

"Here, your chopstick. I'll give it back to you, Aniki. Please give me back my money!" he pleaded anxiously.

"...Chopstick?"

Luke and the others exchanged puzzled glances.

"You actually brought a chopstick with you? Out of everything that might be useful for us here, you brought a chopstick?" Luke spoke up, voicing their confusion.

Sakujiro's expression mirrored Luke's disbelief as he regarded Raymond with a perplexed look.

Raymond's frown deepened.

"Just a chopstick?"

He repeated, shaking his head, "It's not just a chopstick, it's MY chopstick..."

"..."

Everyone fell into silence, their expressions a mix of confusion and disbelief, especially Sakujiro, who now saw Raymond as if he were looking at a mentally ill person.

"Well, technically, it's not just a chopstick..." Raymond shrugged, his tone casual as he swiftly retrieved the pouch from Taka's grasp.

The suddenness of his action left Taka wide-eyed and unable to react as he protested, "Hey! Give me back my pouch first!"

"Just hold on a second, kid," Raymond replied, shaking his head.

With deliberate movements, he opened his chopstick container, revealing a hidden compartment within.

Taka's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected discovery.

"The container had a container?"

He muttered, clearly astonished by the revelation.

"...?"

As Raymond unveiled the contents of the container, a hush fell over the group as they gathered around him.

Inside was a fine white powder that caught everyone's attention.

Luke was dumbfounded as he turned to Raymond with disbelief, "Are you pulling my legs?"

"What's that?"

Taka piped up, his curiosity piqued. Sakujiro remained silent but fixed his gaze on Raymond, clearly intrigued by the revelation.

Raymond grinned proudly as he explained, "This is the King of Flavor! It's a miraculous white powder that can transform any shitty food into a masterpiece. MSG!"

As Raymond spoke, a mixture of surprise and admiration swept through the group. Luke couldn't help but palm his face in disbelief, while the others seemed impressed by the the mysterious powder.

Luke couldn't help but wonder why Raymond suddenly became fixated on food after his time in the slums.

He shook his head, pondering what might have influenced this change in him.

"Alright, that's enough," Raymond announced, replacing the container and returning his chopstick to its holder.

He then retrieved Taka's pouch, catching the young boy's eager gaze.

"I'll give this back to you, but..."

Raymond hesitated, glancing between Taka and Sakujiro.

"But what?"

Sakujiro interrupted, his brow furrowing in concern.

Taka mirrored the sentiment, his expression growing more anxious, "I returned yours, so you should return mine!"

"You stole my stuff first, so consider this a way to make amends," Raymond shook his head, signaling for Taka to listen. 

Taka scratched his head, feeling annoyed.

He thought about protesting but couldn't shake the thought of Sin's well-being as he said, "Fine! As long as I'm not losing any body parts."

Raymond grinned mischievously, "Actually, I need your whole body."

"Excuse me?"

Sakujiro's stern voice cut through the tension.

Raymond remained unfazed, "Relax, old man! I just want him to work for me."

"What kind of work?"

Taka chimed in, looking puzzled.

"I need you to work as a waitress at my restaurant," Raymond replied with a bright smile.

"...Restaurant?

Sakujiro and Taka exchanged confused glances.

Raymond gestured grandly to the dilapidated building behind him as he opened up his arms wide, "This will be my restaurant."

As if on cue, a pillar in the building gave a groan and collapsed with a loud thud.

"...?"

Sakujiro and Taka exchanged skeptical looks, totally unconvinced.

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