39. Money is the Only Truth

The arrival of the young blonde woman in the white beret brought a sharp drop in the atmosphere, a stark contrast to the pleasant surprise of earlier encounters.

Her expression was particularly mocking, a trace of derision curling the corners of her light red lips. She carried herself with the condescending air of someone who had once thoroughly defeated Hoshino Ruka. Now, she stood like a victor, sneering while barely suppressing a laugh, clutching her boyfriend's arm as if to show off.

The scene fell into silence. Only the crisp sound of bowling balls striking the wooden lanes nearby broke the quiet. No one spoke, including the two men.

After a long moment, Haruno Tsukasa saw Hoshino Ruka, who stood beside Eguchi Mio, lower her eyelids. Her voice was devoid of emotion as she said, "It has been a long time."

"What’s this, Ruka? You don't seem very happy to see me."

"You're overthinking it."

"Overthinking? Don't be so cold. You were so intimate with Mio just now, but you pull such a long face for me. Honestly, that hurts my feelings."

"Hurts? Then cry for me, let me see."

"I’m the type who doesn't shed tears; my tear ducts aren't as well-developed as yours, Ruka, so I’m afraid I can’t."

"Then go find somewhere else to be sad."

From the very start, their verbal sparring was like a sudden storm. They barely maintained a shred of civility, indifferent to the gazes of others. But it was clear: since Hoshino Ruka’s expression had soured the moment she saw the woman, while the other was full of arrogance, it was obvious that Ruka had been on the losing end before. She hadn't gained the upper hand in their exchange either.

"Why so heartless?" Ikeda Saki remained smiling, though her next words carried significant weight. "You’re still as quick to lose your temper as ever. I don't know what Kitahara-kun ever saw in you back then—maybe he liked your bad temper and your constant drama? But that doesn't matter now; after all, that guy was a liar. It's a good thing I had you, otherwise, I would have been the one getting scammed."

Perhaps struck by a painful memory, Hoshino Ruka completely lost her previous composure. Her face darkened, her distress unmasked, and her slender fingers dug deep into her palms. Even though her purpose for coming out today was to test Haruno Tsukasa’s true nature and find an opportunity to escape her predicament, she could no longer hold back.

"Saki, stop it," Eguchi Mio said, unable to watch any longer. She stepped over to pull at Saki’s arm.

With a mocking laugh, seemingly to save face for her friend, Ikeda Saki stopped taunting Ruka. Instead, she turned her head slightly toward Haruno Tsukasa, who was sitting to the left, sipping mineral water and watching the drama unfold from start to finish.

"Almost forgot. Speaking of which, who is this..."

"Ruka’s new boyfriend?"

It was clear that, compared to spoken words, body language reveals more. Even though Ikeda Saki was looking at Haruno, her words were aimed at Hoshino Ruka. She wasn't about to let Ruka off the hook, nor did she care to show any respect to Haruno.

To be honest, Haruno Tsukasa was quite curious about the composition of this woman who was so eager to pick a fight. A pale red interface quietly unfolded before his eyes.

A wealth of information came into view.

I see. A gold-digger.

[I really want to tear Hoshino Ruka’s face off right now.]
[Slapping her face feels so good; I want to keep doing it.]
[Later, I’ll make Ken-kun buy me another LV bag. He should still be able to steal quite a bit of money from home.]

Haruno Tsukasa’s eyes flickered with understanding. He realized this was a duel between gold-diggers, but he felt no ripples in his heart. Instead, he replied with a polite, well-mannered smile: "Hoshino-san and I are former colleagues and friends."

***

Former colleagues? The look of disdain in Ikeda Saki’s eyes deepened.

So, a public servant from the ward office?

Honestly, if Haruno Tsukasa had shown even a hint of wealth or connections to the upper class, she wouldn't have been so brazen. It wasn't worth offending someone with unknown but potentially dangerous capabilities just for a moment of satisfaction. However, when Hoshino Ruka had invited him out today, Haruno hadn't driven her from the Metropolitan Government Building; instead, he had gone back to Ikebukuro to change into casual wear.

The casual clothes were from Uniqlo. Aside from the outfit he had bought at Takashimaya with Hoshino Ruka, none of his original clothes cost more than 5,000 yen. Having been worn for a long time, they looked quite shabby. Coupled with his status as a public servant—a profession arguably worse than a corporate slave working late into the night at a major firm—she didn't care at all.

"May I ask your surname?"

"Haruno."

"Former colleague? Heh. Since you aren't dating yet, as Ruka’s good friend, I have to give you a piece of advice, Haruno-kun. If you want to pursue her, you must have patience and a thick skin. Otherwise, it would be a shame if she gets you wrapped around her finger and then tricks you, only to make you angry later."

This time, Ikeda Saki didn't even bother pretending. While twisting the knife in Hoshino Ruka’s heart, she made sure to disgust Haruno, whom she assumed was just another suitor. In her eyes, Haruno was undoubtedly pursuing Ruka—or at best, another fish in her pond. Although Saki knew that a desperate suitor wouldn't be swayed by a few words, planting a seed of doubt in his mind to prevent Ruka from easily taming him was a victory in itself. She was well-versed in these tactics.

She didn't realize, however, that her assumptions were entirely backwards.

"That won't be necessary," Haruno Tsukasa replied with a chuckle.

Seeing the atmosphere sour further, Eguchi Mio hurriedly pushed Ikeda Saki. "Alright, alright, Saki. Let’s go play billiards with Yamashita-kun and the others."

"But I’m tired of playing."

"Oh! Then let's go to the lounge area on the east side. I saw some cookies fresh out of the oven over there just a moment ago!"

"I don't want any. I'm on a diet."

"Then let's go have some fruit."

"I'm not thirsty. I just had juice. Forget it."

Ikeda Saki seemed to remember something. She turned to the man she was clutching and asked in a spoiled tone, "Ken-kun, didn't you say you ordered a watch at Cartier in Parco a while ago? Has it arrived?"

"The Cartier consultant called last night. It should be at the store by now," the young man replied without hesitation.

"Then let's go browse at Parco. I was just thinking of picking out some earrings. I can't decide between Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier—help me choose," she said.

Hoshino Ruka remained silent, as if she hadn't heard a word.

Haruno Tsukasa narrowed his eyes slightly at this. Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier. Both were symbols of luxury. The former was famous for jewelry, and the latter was known for both jewelry and watches, though their style leaned toward the delicate and feminine. Ikeda Saki’s intent in saying this here was painfully obvious.

Before anyone else could respond to the suggestion to head to the mall, the boyfriend of Eguchi Mio, the one called Yamashita, piped up: "Hey, hey! Miss Nakano, why do you always drag my Mio to those places? Ken-bro can afford it, but I can't. It’s so embarrassing every time we go look!"

"Then you should work harder to make money," Ikeda Saki said with a coy laugh.

"Money isn't that easy to come by! Ken-bro, can’t you manage your lady? Every time you buy her a bag or piece of jewelry, I get a beating from Mio at home. Have some pity on me, will you?"

"I listen to Saki. Sorry about that, Yamashita," Dazai Ken said, coughing and offering an apologetic smile.

"Damn rich people."

"Hahahaha!"

The two couples began flirting with each other right beside them, treating the others like air. Honestly, it was a clever tactic. As long as they weren't embarrassed, everyone else would be. By ignoring Haruno and Hoshino and chatting away, they made the two of them feel like the outsiders, especially since the conversation kept veering toward money.

However, a moment later, Haruno Tsukasa, having finished his bottle of mineral water, suddenly said:

"Hoshino-san, shall we go for a walk, too?"

Hoshino Ruka, who had been hanging her head, looked up. She was momentarily stunned. She opened her mouth, wanting to say what was on her mind, but seeing the familiar smile on Haruno’s face, she suddenly realized something. Her heart began to race. Understanding that he might be planning to show his strength just like last time, she steadied herself and asked, "Go for a walk where?"

"My sister’s birthday is coming up soon. Your friend’s reminder made me realize it. The girl is quite picky about gifts—would you mind helping me choose?" Haruno asked, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Then... what kind of things are you looking for?"

"I just heard them mention Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier. We could check those out, or other brands."

"O-okay. Then, what is your budget..."

"No budget. I can buy whatever I want. Even though the current economic climate isn't great, money is always inflating. For brands like these that any Tom, Dick, or Harry can buy now, I don't need a budget," Haruno replied with a smile.

Ikeda Saki and her group, having heard their exchange as if they were a couple in sync, all shifted their gazes toward them in unison.

Ikeda Saki sneered. Anyone can talk big. The key is whether you can back it up. Even though she saw how calm Haruno was, she felt a flicker of doubt, but she scanned him from head to toe once more. Finding no luxury brands or anything she had missed, she felt at ease.

She leaned over to whisper something to her boyfriend, her eyes growing cold.

Haruno Tsukasa, however, paid no mind to their strange stares. He simply stepped forward, took Hoshino Ruka’s soft hand in his, and led her toward the exit of the club. Even without looking back, he knew they would follow him to the mall.

The comparison between gold-diggers is simple. In the end, money is the only truth that matters!