At six o'clock in the evening, Toru drove his Panamera back to the Western-style mansion in the North Ward.
In front of the metal gate, a girl stood quietly. She wore a faded dress, but her posture was upright and dignified. Both hands held a bag as she waited.
Toru honked the horn, startling Sakiko, who immediately bowed and said, "Mr. Fujiwara, good afternoon!"
Toru rolled down the car window and looked at her. "How long have you been waiting, Toyokawa-san?"
"Just under ten minutes."
Sakiko was lying. She had actually been waiting for half an hour, but since they agreed on six o'clock, she didn't want to be considered impatient or desperate.
She didn't want to lose this job, so she treated it with great seriousness.
Her lie was obvious, but Toru didn't mind. He simply gestured. "Come in with me, Togawa-san."
After parking the car in the garage, Toru opened the front door.
Sakiko stepped inside, bent down to take off her uniform shoes, and put on the indoor slippers Toru had prepared for her.
She immediately bowed toward Haibara. "Excuse me for disturbing you, Haibara-san."
Even though Haibara looked like an elementary school student, Sakiko didn't dare treat her as a child.
Haibara, who was sitting in front of her computer, glanced at Sakiko sharply.
That kind of look made Sakiko feel a little intimidated.
"Togawa-san, first I need to ask—what kind of cooking skills do you have?"
"I can make basic Japanese dishes. I also know some simple Western and Southeast Asian recipes."
During her year as a fallen rich girl, Sakiko had studied cooking in order to eat better. She wasn't a professional, but she could handle homestyle meals.
"Oh? You can cook Western food too?"
"Yes. Just simple home-style dishes, though. I probably can't make anything too fancy."
She answered honestly.
"Today is your trial day, Togawa-san. I'd like to see your ability first. Is that alright?"
"No problem, Mr. Fujiwara."
Sakiko was actually grateful for his words.
If Toru had just hired her without a trial, she might've felt insulted, thinking it was out of pity.
But pity doesn't last. Only by proving herself could she secure the job long-term. Sakiko understood that clearly.
"The fridge is over here. I stocked it yesterday. You can choose ingredients freely and cook whatever you're best at today."
"Also, I hope you'll treat this job seriously. During your off time, please research nutrition and improve your cooking skills."
"Your work hours are two hours a day. In addition to cooking, the rest of your time is for cleaning. Specifically, only the rooms Haibara and I use."
"You don't need to touch the rest of the house. I'll hire a professional service for those areas. Just make sure the places we live in stay clean."
"Your pay is 5,000 yen a day, paid weekly. During that time, I hope you'll keep improving."
"If your skills improve, your pay will too. What do you think?"
Toru laid out the job clearly and respectfully.
His attitude toward labor only made Sakiko feel more certain that accepting this job was the right decision.
"I've made note of everything, Mr. Fujiwara."
"Great. If everything's understood, go ahead and get started. Oh, and this is your uniform. I wasn't sure about your size, so it may not fit perfectly. Let me know your measurements later and I'll order two more."
Sakiko looked at the uniform Toru handed her.
It was black and white. It looked somewhat like a maid outfit, but also resembled standard housekeeper attire—right on the edge, making it unclear whether it was intentional or not.
She opened her mouth, hesitated, and chose not to say anything.
As someone working for others, she wasn't in a position to complain. And besides, the job itself was already very decent, and Toru wasn't mistreating her.
"If there are no issues, let's sign the contract first."
Toru handed her the agreement. Sakiko read it carefully.
He didn't rush her. Only after she finished reading the entire thing and confirmed there were no problems did she pick up the pen and sign it, stroke by stroke.
She didn't really need to worry. Contracts like this were often unenforceable unless they followed labor law anyway.
"Alright. From today on, you're officially under my employment."
Toru put the contract away.
It was signed under a company he had registered in his name. The coffee shop, for instance, was also under this company.
Toru was considering opening more businesses in the future to generate income.
With his access to Central Intelligence Agency resources, not taking advantage would be wasteful. Things like... arms dealing. That's where the real profit was.
Japan didn't manufacture enough to supply conflicts like the U.S., but it could still act as a proxy. Toru could be a broker, a middleman.
Sakiko went to the changing room, changed into the uniform, and began preparing dinner in the open kitchen.
Toru brought a drink and sat down beside Haibara, handing her one as well.
Haibara took a sip through the straw, her soft lips pressing against it, and said coldly, "You know I don't like strangers. Why'd you hire a high school girl? Do you need a maid?"
"She's a pitiful case. If we can help, we should."
With that, Toru explained everything Sakiko had gone through.
But Haibara didn't seem moved.
To her, life had always been cruel.
Her parents were gone. Her childhood had no freedom. Everything she learned was to serve a criminal Organization.
Compared to her own life, going from rich girl to broke girl wasn't even worth pitying.
At least Sakiko had a happy childhood.
"You're so kindhearted."
She didn't even know if she was being sarcastic.
"Don't say that. I've always been kindhearted. Otherwise, why would I keep you around?"
"If I'm such a bother, just kick me out." Haibara puffed out her cheeks.
"Haibara Ai, being tsundere is outdated. Don't say things like that."
"Isn't it because I'm useful to you..." Haibara muttered, the words slipping out without thinking.
The moment she said it, she regretted it.
There were things that didn't need to be said. They both understood them. That was their silent agreement.
Saying it out loud was like exposing the wires behind a beautiful display, like dissecting their relationship. It broke the unspoken balance. Haibara felt afraid.
Toru's serious expression and stern face made her uneasy.
After a long silence, Toru finally said gently, "Haibara Ai, you're not an ordinary girl. You know that. It's exactly because of what you're capable of that people value you."
"If you were just some helpless nobody, why would anyone care about you?"
"Isn't the reason you stay by my side because I'm strong enough to protect you?"
"There's nothing shameful about that. You just need to understand it. But whether you call it pride or decorum, please don't say it out loud."
"I've treated you sincerely through all of this. I believe you've done the same."
Haibara lowered her head. "I'm sorry. I misspoke."
"To correct a mistake upon realizing it is a virtue."
Toru patted her head and smiled. "...Besides your abilities, there's something else I value."
"Like what?"
"You're beautiful!"
Haibara slapped his hand away and huffed, "Go flirt with your fiancée Kaguya. She's also beautiful and from a rich family."
But the corners of her lips betrayed a smile she couldn't hide.
Sakiko's cooking was indeed good. The food had that warm, comforting, home-style flavor.
The contract also included meals for Sakiko, but she couldn't eat at the main table.
As a housekeeper, she ate separately.
Rules were rules. Without structure, things fall apart.
"I like mayonnaise or blueberry sandwiches," Haibara said suddenly after finishing her meal.
Sakiko blinked. She bowed slightly and said, "I'll work on learning pastry-making."
As a girl, Sakiko had always been interested in pastries. She just hadn't had the chance to learn before. Now she did.
Haibara nodded in satisfaction.
She only disliked one type of person—idiots.
Sakiko didn't seem to be one.
Around eight o'clock, after finishing her work, Sakiko prepared to leave.
Before going, she hesitated, face red, and stammered, "Mr. Fujiwara, c-could I… maybe get an advance on my salary?"
She lowered her head in shame.
But there was no helping it. The debt collectors had taken everything, and she didn't even have enough to live on.
Toru didn't say anything. He grabbed an envelope, slipped in three ten-thousand-yen bills and one five-thousand-yen bill, then handed it to her.
"A week's wages, paid in advance."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Fujiwara!"
Sakiko held the thirty-five thousand yen tightly, as if it were a fortune.
Watching this, Haibara finally felt some sympathy for her.
It was just thirty-five thousand yen. Was it really worth getting that emotional?
Even though she'd lived under surveillance her whole life, she'd never worried about money. The Organization had always paid her well.
(To be continued.)
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