Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture. On the outskirts of the urban area, within a residential district composed of scattered, cluttered detached houses.
A young girl with long black hair, draped in a light brown wool coat, stopped before a slightly dilapidated detached house. She took a key from her shoulder bag, opened the door, and dragged her somewhat heavy steps inside.
"I'm back."
Her clear, melodious voice carried a trace of exhaustion as it echoed through the cramped, dim, and oppressive interior—a bizarre, god-awful layout shaped like a long triangular wedge, with a floor area of less than 40 square meters.
She had grown accustomed to the empty room where no one replied "You're back" or "Welcome home." After arranging her shoes in the genkan, she walked straight into the inner living room.
The tiny living room could be seen in a single glance. First, she took off her coat and hung it on the rack nearby. Then, she went to the counter of the open kitchen integrated with the living room, poured herself a glass of water, and drank it in one go. Finally, she took a bag out of her shoulder bag and headed toward the stairs to the second floor.
The house's old wooden structure meant that every step on the stairs was accompanied by an annoying creak, creak, which made the girl even more irritable.
At the same time, the terrible soundproofing meant not only could she clearly hear the sounds of the neighbors' lives, but the two nearby railway tracks with their frequent traffic, day and night, often disturbed one's sweet dreams.
Furthermore, the neighbors were packed tight on all sides, leaving this house with almost no natural lighting to speak of. Without lights on during the day, it was as dark as night, making the girl's heart, already covered in haze, feel even gloomier.
There were only two rooms on the second floor. The girl turned the handle of the room right at the top of the stairs.
"You're back. Welcome home."
Responding to the girl was a boy of about the same age.
The boy had a handsome face with a hint of sickly pallor. He was tall and slightly thin, draped in a somewhat oversized gray haori. He sat at a desk by the window, idly playing with an exquisite fountain pen in one hand while scratching his head with the other, seemingly distressed about something.
The boy's voice possessed a warm, lazy, and indescribably soothing magic. However, a week ago, the boy before her had not been like this at all.
"Why did you open the window? Can your body handle it? If you catch a cold, we can't afford the medical bills anymore."
As she spoke, the girl stepped forward to close the window, preventing the still-chilly winds of early April from knocking down this boy who was essentially still a patient.
"Don't. I'm really fine now. I just wanted some fresh air."
The boy turned his head, smiling at the girl, and blocked her movement.
No matter how many times he looked, the boy still felt like he was dreaming. It felt somewhat unrealistic.
He had merely watched a pirated version of the Chainsaw Man movie, lamented that Denji and Reze were truly a pair of ill-fated lovebirds, and then, the moment he stepped out, he hit the jackpot.
And the girl before him looked too much like Yukinoshita Yukino from the anime Oregairu.
Having read plenty of crossover fanfiction and self-indulgent novels, he initially thought he had transmigrated into Oregairu.
He thought he could finally say to his bro with confidence, "Although you might not believe it, this is just my daily life."
However, it was, and it wasn't.
Over the past few days, Tsushima Kagami had finally figured it out. This girl was not Yukinoshita Yukino, but rather, as described in the original work—possessing Yukino's aura and looks, but Haruno's personality and temper—their mother, Yukinoshita Shizuku!
And his own identity turned out to be the adopted son-in-law of the Yukinoshita family.
Ah, the woman who could have been my mother has become my fiancée? Is that how this unfolds?
Tsushima Kagami, or rather Yukinoshita Kagami's original parents and the Yukinoshita adoptive parents were all originally former kazoku and close friends.
After Japan's economic bubble burst, Tsushima Kagami's father unsurprisingly became a "flying man," and his mother followed suit that same night, committing lovers' suicide in a red wine bath.
The Yukinoshita family couldn't bear to watch him perish on his own, so they adopted him, changing his name to Yukinoshita Kagami in the family register.
Though called adoption, it was tacitly understood that he was being raised as a mukoyoushi—an adopted son-in-law.
Who would have thought that the Yukinoshita family, having survived the bubble bursting, would ultimately fail to withstand the Asian Financial Crisis?
After the bubble burst, his adoptive father had pivoted, gradually investing funds into Thailand. But this time, Thailand bore the brunt of the financial crisis, and the Yukinoshita family's assets evaporated instantly once again.
Unable to withstand the blow, his adoptive father ultimately followed in the footsteps of Tsushima Kagami's biological father.
As for his adoptive mother, Mrs. Yukinoshita, she sold off all the Yukinoshita real estate in Tokyo at rock-bottom prices to repay debts.
After all, even if she kept them, there were high fixed asset taxes and land management taxes to pay annually. Without selling, she wouldn't even be able to pay the taxes, and the debt would only pile up.
Finally, with the addition of their entire family fortune from their hometown in Chiba Prefecture and help from the main family, they barely managed to extricate themselves.
After the liquidation was complete, Mrs. Yukinoshita took her daughter, Yukinoshita Shizuku, and her adopted son, Tsushima Kagami, from Tokyo back to their base in Chiba Prefecture.
Originally, the Yukinoshita family had status and prestige in Chiba. But now, in the eyes of outsiders, the Yukinoshita family was just a ruined former kazoku clan that had gone bankrupt in Tokyo, whose family head had committed suicide, and who had fled back to their hometown in disgrace to become commoners.
Upon returning to Chiba, Mrs. Yukinoshita rented this cheap detached house to settle the three of them. Relying on the last bit of capital and her remaining connections, she started a small construction company.
Yukinoshita Shizuku, still just a student, disregarded her mother's opposition and found a part-time job nearby.
As for Tsushima Kagami, his naturally inferior and cowardly character, after successively causing the deaths of his biological parents and adoptive father, fell into self-consumption and denial. In the end, he swallowed pills to commit suicide in his room.
Fortunately, he was discovered by the Yukinoshita mother and daughter and rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. However, when Tsushima Kagami woke up, he didn't recognize them at all.
When he was sent to the emergency room, the doctors realized there was no need for resuscitation. However, thinking of the thick envelope Mrs. Yukinoshita had presented, the leading professor decided to try a bit harder—at the very least, to show he wasn't letting down the value of that envelope's thickness.
Unexpectedly, a miracle actually happened in his hands. In short, everyone was happy; it was a cause for celebration.
As a result, not long after, Mrs. Yukinoshita was hospitalized due to overwork from the startup company, and the burden of life suddenly fell entirely on Yukinoshita Shizuku, the former young miss.
Just as Yukinoshita Shizuku was worrying about the subsequent hospitalization fees, she didn't expect Tsushima Kagami to voluntarily propose being discharged to recuperate at home. After hesitating again and again, she finally brought Tsushima Kagami back home.
In truth, Yukinoshita Shizuku had never had a good attitude toward Tsushima Kagami. Aside from his inferiority and cowardice, no one would have a pleasant expression if they suddenly had a fiancé arranged by their father.
But these past few days, she discovered that Tsushima Kagami, who claimed to have lost his memory and remembered nothing, seemed indeed somewhat different.
"How is Mother?"
It was that same warm and tranquil voice that pulled Yukinoshita Shizuku's thoughts back.
"The doctor said there are no major issues. She just needs to stay in the hospital and rest for a few more days."
Tsushima Kagami nodded. "You've worked hard during this time."
Yukinoshita Shizuku said with a flat expression, "As the only male in the Yukinoshita family, if you had this kind of awareness earlier, I wouldn't have been this tired."
Tsushima Kagami smiled and said, "Aren't I working hard to share the burden now?"
Yukinoshita Shizuku looked at the manuscript paper on Tsushima Kagami's desk. "So, you haven't started writing your novel yet?"
"I'm just thinking about what to write that would fit the current era and environment."
"Alright, stop thinking about it. I was just joking. If you really want to help, come work part-time with me once you've recovered."
After speaking, Yukinoshita Shizuku lifted the bag she had been holding and took out a cheesecake packaged in an exquisite small box.
"It was taken off the shelf yesterday because it was nearing expiration. The store manager saved it especially for me this morning. Eat it, and then help me with the housework."
"Thank you."
Tsushima Kagami took the tempting golden-yellow cheesecake, and something seemed to strike him.
Lost in thought for a moment, he stared blankly at a train passing by on the railway in the distance outside the window.
His room was the only place in this detached house where sunlight could enter through the window. The sky, which had been overcast for days, suddenly cleared at this moment.
The room was instantly filled with the first rays of sunlight of early April, and Tsushima Kagami was illuminated by the sunlight of this world for the first time.
Suddenly, a noise, accompanied by a "meow," attracted both of their gazes.
It was a "black-and-white cat"—black on top, with a white muzzle, belly, legs, and paws, a pattern commonly known as "Dark Clouds Covering Snow." It had jumped from the neighboring roof onto his windowsill and was now staring intently at the cheesecake in Tsushima Kagami's hand.
Tsushima Kagami smiled slightly. After opening the lid of the cheesecake box, he gently pushed it in front of the black-and-white cat.
Yukinoshita Shizuku wanted to stop him, but seeing Tsushima Kagami pick up his fountain pen as if preparing to write something, she closed her mouth.
She watched as Tsushima Kagami wrote in the center of the first line of the manuscript paper: My Poverty in the Shape of a Cheesecake.
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