Arrival in Sendai City

A week later, Hijikata Shichiro had the crematorium running in perfect order, busy but organized, and Hijikata Izumi had also been laid to rest peacefully.

Naturally, Hijikata Shichiro had taken Lin Ran's schooling seriously and had already arranged everything. He could officially enroll in half a month.

Today was also the day Lin Ran bid farewell to Hijikata Shichiro and the other crematorium staff.

"Lin Ran, remember to come back and visit me often!" Hijikata Shichiro waved reluctantly at the bus by the country road. Lin Ran sat in the window seat at the very back, leaning against the window with one hand as he looked at the four or five people behind him.

"I'll come back when I have time. Oh, and Shichiro, if you run into any trouble, you can tell me too. After all, I'm brave!" Before Lin Ran had even finished speaking, the bus engine rumbled and the vehicle sped forward.

"I will!" Hijikata Shichiro still wanted to say more, but the bus had already gone far away, leaving him no choice but to lower his hand.

Actually, he still preferred calling Lin Ran... Ran-chan. It sounded more intimate that way, but he couldn't bring himself to say it with people around. Besides, he was the one in charge here now, so he naturally had to maintain a little authority.

"Ahem... All right, the farewell ceremony is over. Everyone, get back to work." Hijikata Shichiro spoke with a solemn expression, utterly unlike his previous reluctance to part.

"Shichiro... oh, no, Boss, look, the sun's already set. What work is there left to do..." A balding man raised a hand and pointed at the setting sun on the horizon, indicating that it was already time to get off work.

"Oh, oh, then go on home. Remember not to be late tomorrow morning." Hijikata Shichiro smiled awkwardly, then quickly turned and headed toward his room.

Since work was over, he had to hurry and catch up on the recently released anime.

"Looks like it'll be another sleepless night..." Hijikata Shichiro chuckled. He had been saving up those newly released shows for a long time. Today, he could finally dig in.

Four young and middle-aged men stood at the foot of the hill, watching Hijikata Shichiro's shaking shoulders with some concern.

"Do you think Shichiro can really take good care of Old Izumi's crematorium?"

"Hard to say. That kid puts on quite an act in front of us, but once I caught him watching that kind of thing..."

"What kind of thing?"

"Oh, you know..."

"What? Come on, say it."

"All right, all right, stop talking. Shichiro may be a bit carefree, but he's handled things very efficiently lately. I think he'll be fine."

"Ahem... Besides, we shouldn't meddle in other people's personal hobbies, right?"

"Haha, true, true."

"Come on, come on, work's over, work's over!"

Lin Ran rested his head against the window, gazing sidelong at the lingering glow of the setting sun, lost in thought.

There were very few people on the bus. Aside from the driver and Lin Ran, there were only two other passengers, so it felt very spacious.

The fields along the narrow road were especially green, flashing past his eyes in a blur.

Lin Ran lowered his head and glanced at the somewhat weighty envelope in his hand. Inside were this month's wages and a letter of introduction.

Normally, his wages would never have felt so substantial. Before he left, Hijikata Shichiro had given him an extra month's pay for rent and daily expenses. After all, Lin Ran was all alone, and Hijikata Shichiro had worried about him, insisting on giving him so much.

Lin Ran was not someone who failed to appreciate kindness. Since Hijikata Shichiro was being so generous, he naturally accepted it. After all, once he got there, he would have to take care of everything himself.

All of a sudden, Lin Ran felt a sense of freshness. In such an interesting world, and with abilities of his own, he could live a more exciting life and make his days more fulfilling.

Given his current strength, he did not feel much urgency. He did not need to actively seek out cursed spirits for Points, either. Of course, if some cursed spirit was foolish enough to come looking for him, he would gladly accept it.

With beautiful hopes in his heart, Lin Ran fell asleep. He slept soundly and sweetly.

The people in the front seats paid no attention to the boy sitting alone in the back, and the bus continued onward in silence.

"Passengers, we've arrived."

The middle-aged driver called out by habit. Only then did Lin Ran wake up. He looked out the window and saw that the sky had already gone completely dark. Looking around, he saw buildings of all sizes before his eyes.

"Looks like we're in Sendai City." Lin Ran stretched, thanked the driver, then picked up his cloth bag and backpack and got off the bus.

From here on out, he would have to rely on himself. Hijikata Shichiro had already done everything he could to help.

"Then the first thing to deal with is a filling meal!" Lin Ran licked his lips. At Hijikata Shichiro's place, he had been famous for his enormous appetite. His food intake alone could match that of three laborers.

For a fourteen-year-old, that was indeed rather outrageous.

But that was simply the truth, and Lin Ran did not hide it. All the crematorium workers knew.

"Miharashi Ramen Shop, you'll do!" Lin Ran carried his bags and walked toward the Miharashi Ramen Shop in the distance.

The moment he entered, he said, "Boss, three bowls of noodles!"

"Coming right up. Find yourself a seat inside, and I'll bring them over soon." The Boss was a rather trendy old man. Though his hair was white, Lin Ran felt that he had dyed it that way himself, and he dressed quite youthfully as well.

Still, when the Boss saw Lin Ran sitting there alone and waited for a while without anyone else entering, he could not help but feel puzzled.

"This boy is eating three bowls by himself? No, no, that can't be it. Maybe his companions will be here soon." The Boss thought this, but his hands never stopped moving. Before long, three bowls of the most basic Miharashi noodles were served.

It was only after Lin Ran finished all three bowls by himself that the Boss stared at him in astonishment. He really had eaten them all alone?

That appetite...

To the Boss, Lin Ran seemed like a monster. Honestly, one bowl of Miharashi noodles was enough to fill a construction worker, let alone a teenage boy.

Lin Ran cheerfully paid for the three bowls and left. As he walked out the door, he did not forget to let out a satisfied burp.

"Burp..."

"This kid!" Hearing Lin Ran's satisfied belch, Boss suddenly smiled. He stopped guessing and simply watched Lin Ran leave with a trace of pity in his eyes. Carrying all those bags must have been exhausting, right?

Lin Ran really was full. The portion of noodles had been generous, and they tasted pretty good. Next, he planned to spend the night at an internet café. The next day, he could rent a place and buy some daily necessities.

Japanese internet cafés were less like internet cafés and more like hotels. They had everything one could need and were no different from hotels. If there was any difference, it was that the conditions were even better than at a hotel.

Private rooms, enormous monitors, clean bathrooms, complete toiletries, microwaves, washing machines, refrigerators—they had everything.

If Lin Ran had had more money on him, he might have been willing to stay here for a while. The service was excellent, and there were even people specifically assigned to clean.

But Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, was only a small city. Renting a place was still much more cost-effective than staying at an internet café. Tonight, he would experience the Japanese-style internet café he had never tried in his previous life. He could deal with the rest tomorrow!