With Rena leading the way.
The two left the bustling district of high-rises and entered another, quieter part of the city.
They wound through intersecting alleys and narrow streets, traveling a considerable distance before finally arriving in front of an unremarkable house.
Teiichi studied the house. It bore some resemblance to the simple wooden houses in the mountains, giving it a rustic, peaceful feel. He let his guard down a little, thinking that he probably had not been deceived.
"Boss, this is my home." Rena turned around and smiled at Teiichi behind her.
Teiichi nodded without saying anything more.
Rena took a deep breath, unlocked the front door, and stepped inside.
Then she walked straight through the living room to a closed door. She knocked softly, then slowly pushed it open and called gently, "Dad, I'm home!"
Teiichi followed Rena into the room. A middle-aged man lay quietly on the bed, his face turned toward the world outside the window.
"Didn't you say you were going to..."
Hearing Rena's voice, the man turned his head and spoke, but his words stopped as Teiichi came into view.
He hesitated for a moment, his gaze lingering on Teiichi briefly, before slowly asking, "Who is this?"
As Rena walked toward the bed, she deftly drew one of her father's arms out from beneath the thin blanket and began moving it for him. She answered with a smile:
"This is my boss for the next few days. It's his first time in Aomori, so he hired me as his guide."
Teiichi looked down at Rena's father. After confirming that he was indeed bedridden with paralysis, he took an envelope from inside his clothes, gently set it on the table beside the bed, and said:
"Hello, I'm Kato Teiichi, Rena's employer for the next few days. I heard about her family's circumstances, so I wanted to come by and see you, and offer what little help I could."
Seeing Teiichi's actions, both father and daughter guessed what was inside the envelope. Rena's father hurriedly said:
"No, no, I'm already very happy that you came to see me. There's no need for this."
With that, he turned to Rena, a hint of reproach in his voice:
"Did you bring Lord Kato here of your own accord?"
Before Rena could speak, Teiichi explained from beside her:
Before Rena had a chance to speak, Teiichi beat her to an explanation:
"Please don't blame Rena. I wanted to come and take a look myself."
Hearing Teiichi say that, Rena's father could hardly keep assigning blame. He could only say:
"Thank you very much! But please take that envelope back!"
Teiichi smiled and made no move to do so. Instead, he asked another question:
"If you don't mind me asking, what kind of work were you doing before that left you like this?"
Rena's father sighed and slowly began:
"I used to do manual labor, helping load and unload goods. Then once, while we were moving things, a coworker's carelessness caused a load to come crashing down on me. It left me in this half-dead state."
At that point, Rena's father's expression grew downcast, and he said:
"Sometimes I think it would have been better if I'd been crushed to death back then. Then I wouldn't have become a burden to Rena."
"Dad, how many times have I told you? Don't say that! Having you alive is what matters most!"
Hearing her father say that, Rena immediately protested, agitated.
Rena's father smiled at his daughter's words without arguing. He turned to Teiichi and asked, "Lord Kato, has Rena been causing you trouble these past few days? She hasn't inconvenienced you, has she?"
"Rena is very bright and considerate, and she knows Aomori City very well. Thanks to her help today, I had a wonderful time!" Teiichi replied.
"That's good! That's good!" Rena's father sighed in relief.
Looking at Rena's father, who could only lie in bed, Teiichi asked curiously, "Doesn't your body get stiff and uncomfortable when you lie like this for so long?"
After they had chatted for a while, their topics seemed to gradually run out, and a brief silence fell over the room.
"Rena, hurry up and make Lord Kato some tea!" Her father's voice broke the brief silence, carrying a hint of apology and warmth.
"I'm terribly sorry, Lord Kato. Our home is humble, and we really have nothing nice to offer you," he continued, a trace of guilt in his voice. "Why don't you and Rena have some tea in the living room? I'll have her go out and buy a few things later. Please stay for dinner!"
Teiichi smiled and shook his head, politely declining. "There's no need to trouble yourselves. We ate before coming here. But you've been home alone, so you probably haven't eaten yet."
With that, he looked up at Rena and said, "Why don't I head out so you can make your father some dinner?"
Rena was just about to answer when her father interrupted.
"Oh, at least have some tea first. How could we let you come all this way without even offering you a drink of water?"
Then he turned to urge Rena, "Hurry and take Lord Kato to the living room for tea."
Rena nodded and led Teiichi into the living room. They sat down beside an old-fashioned table. Rena picked up the kettle and deftly began boiling water. While the water was heating, she suddenly stopped what she was doing and turned to Teiichi.
"Lord Teiichi, I'm going into my father's room for a moment."
Teiichi smiled and nodded, watching Rena leave.
With a creak, Rena entered her father's room.
Not long afterward, accompanied by another soft creak, Rena came out of her father's room. She gently closed the door, tightly clutching the envelope Teiichi had left beside the bed.
Rena walked over to Teiichi, bowed respectfully, then slowly straightened. Holding the envelope in both hands, she offered it to him and said in a clear, firm voice:
"Lord Teiichi, thank you very much for your concern for our family! But please take this envelope back."
Teiichi smiled and shook his head, trying to push the envelope back toward Rena.
"This isn't much to me. You don't need to make too much of it. Just accept it."
Rena, however, shook her head firmly, her eyes full of resolve and gratitude.
"We appreciate your kindness, but there really is no need for this envelope."
She explained,
"Life is a little hard for our family, but we haven't reached the point where we can't get by. If we were in the countryside, I might accept your kindness, but this is Aomori City. I may be young, but I can still find work, and we can still manage."
"So please, you must take it back!" she emphasized once again.
Teiichi looked at the stubborn girl before him. Her expression was solemn, her eyes fixed firmly on him. Through those eyes, he felt as though he could see her resolve and self-respect.
They looked at each other for a while before Teiichi finally nodded slowly and took the envelope.
When the girl saw Teiichi accept the envelope, her face finally broke into a smile.
After staying in the living room a little longer, Teiichi bade father and daughter farewell.