Chapter 12: Kamikawa Chie

Tokyo, Japan, Arakawa Ward.

Relying on the original owner's memories recalled at the Metropolitan Police Department, Kamikawa Mitsu walked along the street toward home.

He glanced at both sides.

The streetlamps were old, their light dim; occasionally, aging circuits caused the lights to flicker and darken.

The lamplight stretched Kamikawa Mitsu's shadow very long.

"Truly fitting for the name Arakawa," Kamikawa Mitsu said, scanning the houses on both sides.

They were all Japanese-style old houses: some small bungalows, some small apartments, mostly not tall, at most no more than five or six stories.

Judging by their style and degree of aging, even the newest houses were over ten years old.

The scenery here bore no relation at all to the word "prosperous" describing Tokyo.

Indeed, it could be called old, traditional, and poor.

Tokyo, as Japan's capital and traditionally one of the world's four major global cities, is naturally prosperous, with dazzling night markets and a life of luxury.

However, strictly speaking, Tokyo's prosperity refers to the six central wards.

That is, the six central wards of Tokyo Metropolis:

Chiyoda Ward, Chuo Ward, Minato Ward, Shinjuku Ward, Bunkyo Ward, and Taito Ward.

Besides these, Tokyo has other wards.

Tokyo is divided into twenty-three wards in total.

Due to development and many other factors, the economic levels of each ward are not the same.

There is a clear gap.

The gap is so great that the per capita income of the top-ranked ward and the last-ranked ward differs by nearly three times.

In Japan, netizens often launch regional attacks online against Tokyo's twenty-three wards, dividing the twenty-three wards with severe polarization of wealth into high-class wards and commoner wards.

And the Arakawa Ward where Kamikawa Mitsu lives does not even qualify as a commoner ward.

It belongs to something worse than commoner wards: the slums.

Among Tokyo's twenty-three wards, there are three slum wards, and Arakawa Ward is clearly one of them.

Recalling information about Tokyo, Kamikawa Mitsu did not know whether to laugh or cry.

Arakawa Ward is bad, but if one insists on finding something fortunate amidst misfortune,

it can be found.

The only fortunate thing is that Arakawa Ward is at least not ranked last, but second to last.

After laughing for a while, Kamikawa Mitsu could no longer laugh.

He had just clarified a bit more of the original owner's memories.

Kamikawa Mitsu's current situation is dire.

The direness here is not only in life, but also in finances.

The original owner's suicide was partly due to financial reasons.

As things stand, if he does nothing, it won't be long before Kamikawa Mitsu, due to financial difficulties, will have to move to Adachi Ward.

Adachi Ward is precisely Tokyo's last-ranked ward.

However, the reason Kamikawa Mitsu could not laugh was not only financial; there was another part.

His younger sister!

The original owner, Kamikawa Mitsu, was not from a single-parent family; he had a younger sister.

"Sister..."

Kamikawa Mitsu stopped in his tracks and looked up at the night sky.

Tonight.

A silver moon hung high in the night sky, shimmering softly; starlight was magnificent.

Gazing up, countless stars formed a winding galaxy, adorning the starry sky, so beautiful it stirred the heart, like a young girl's faint smile.

In his deep eyes, the brilliant stars were reflected.

Until a gentle evening breeze brushed past, blowing his short hair on his head, did Kamikawa Mitsu withdraw his gaze.

Kamikawa Chie.

The name of Kamikawa Mitsu's younger sister.

She is two years younger than Kamikawa Mitsu, only fifteen years old, an age where "three years is the starting point."

Currently, Kamikawa Chie attends Arakawa First Middle School and is a third-year junior high school student.

According to the Chinese school system, that would be third year of junior high.

She is about to graduate and enter high school.

And precisely because Kamikawa Chie was about to enter high school did the original owner, Kamikawa Mitsu, commit suicide.

Because for a younger sister to enter high school means tuition fees must be paid.

Like in China, Japan also implements free nine-year compulsory education.

Only when reaching high school do students need to pay their own tuition fees.

Kamikawa Mitsu's family was different from other families.

His parents died early, leaving only him and his sister in the family.

As the only male in the household and the eldest person, he must shoulder the family's heavy burden.

Ask yourself: what financial ability does a Gao Zhongsheng have?

The answer is obvious.

Basically none.

The only sources of income were odd jobs and the meager savings left by his parents.

To ensure he wouldn't starve and could survive until adulthood to find a proper job, Kamikawa Mitsu had to consider budgeting far beyond what was appropriate for his age.

He had to plan how much to spend each day to fill his stomach without overspending.

He also had to consider expenses in every other aspect.

Almost every day, Kamikawa Mitsu lived in straitened circumstances, saving on food and clothing.

It was too bitter.

The key was that he could not show this bitter emotion, as it would worry his young sister.

He loved his sister dearly.

How dearly? Whenever there was fish to eat, the fish meat always went to his sister, while he kept the fish head; whatever was delicious or good to drink, he gave to his sister first.

It could be said that without Kamikawa Chie, he would not have been able to hold up the entire family alone until now.

So he did not want his sister to worry.

However, all he could do was this.

After all, as a teenager whose parents died too early, who had no time to enjoy life, and who had to face the cruelty of life directly.

The burden on his shoulders... was too heavy!

Originally, Kamikawa Mitsu's daily budgeting, combined with his busy work, and facing matters from life, school, and other aspects, had already reached his limit.

It was about to crush him until he couldn't breathe.

Now, his sister was about to enter high school.

Facing a high school tuition fee that was expensive for him...

This was like the final straw that broke the camel's back; under the overload of pressure, Kamikawa Mitsu finally could not hold on.

He chose to commit suicide.

As fragments of the original owner's memories flashed through his mind, Kamikawa Mitsu sighed.

Is it very irresponsible for Kamikawa Mitsu to commit suicide?

Indeed, it is irresponsible.

Leaving his sister behind to die.

But looking at a memory scene within the memory fragments...

When the original owner Kamikawa Mitsu wrote his suicide note, he repeatedly emphasized the theme, hoping that a kind person could take care of his sister.

The pleading tone appeared extremely humble.

By the end, tears stopped falling.

They dripped onto the suicide note, turning into droplet-shaped tear stains.

Until death, he could not let go of his sister.

One could say the original owner Kamikawa Mitsu was wrong, that he should not have committed suicide, but should have continued to bear the burden.

Actually, that is also incorrect.

The burden the original owner Kamikawa Mitsu bore was too heavy, not something his age group should have to bear.

If any Gao Zhongsheng, or even an adult, were in his place, their chosen course of action would likely be no better than the original owner's.

"Since I died in my past life and traveled to your body to be reborn, as a thank you, I will help you take good care of your sister, which is also fulfilling your wish."

Kamikawa Mitsu murmured the words and took a step forward again.

In his past life, he died.

Having accidentally traveled and been reborn, he naturally would not waste time for nothing.

The first thing he could do now was to take good care of the original owner's sister.

After all, his principle of being a person was very simple: repay kindness, avenge wrongs.

A dilapidated old Japanese-style apartment building.

Kamikawa Mitsu stood before one of the apartment doors.

This was the only inheritance left by the original owner's parents besides the meager savings, enough to prevent Kamikawa Mitsu and Kamikawa Chie from freezing outside.

He took the key out of his schoolbag.

He turned the keyhole and opened the door.

Kamikawa Mitsu exhaled a breath, then lifted his foot and stepped into the home:

"I'm back."