Bab 33: Chapter:33 Hurdle
Renko nodded,
"Yes, Mr. Kurosawa. I have all the necessary documents right here."
She handed over her passport and the required financial proof. Kurosawa quickly reviewed the documents, checking each page meticulously. A slight smile crept on his face as he reviewed her financial statement.
"Thank you, Ms. Renko. Everything seems to be in order. Now, if you could follow me, we still need to talk about it for a bit more and then we will move to proceed with the transfer process."
The real estate agency had a modern and professional interior design. Kurosawa led Renko to a private office where they could discuss the details and complete the necessary paperwork.
As they sat down, Kurosawa began to take out a small pile of folders and documents from under the drawer. Soon, he began to inform her of the privacy rights and whatnot. The entire protocol seemed straightforward, and Kurosawa spoke it fluently as if he had practiced it several times before,
"Well, now that the formalities are out of the way, let's begin with what I wish to inform you about."
Renko listened attentively as Kurosawa delved into the details. He explained the current state of the property, including any existing structures, potential renovations, and the surrounding environment. He highlighted the historical significance of the shrine and its grounds.
"I understand your demand for privacy but this situation calls for a compromise."
He pushed forward her bank details and the property's taxation documents.
"The 'Back Mountain Property,' before its reputation of being haunted, was worth well over 400 Billion Yen..."
Renko frowned, what the hell was he getting at?
"If you do somehow survive the ownership of this property, the revaluation of the property will take place on the 1st of January, and seeing as you are alive and well, the taxations would resume."
His smirk faded as he began to glare at the documents,
"Your financial statements state that you currently have roughly 400 Million Yen in your bank account. You receive roughly 6 Million yen a month from an overseas account, your reason being personal and thus not shown on the legal documents."
Kurosawa heaved a long sigh as he leaned back in his seat,
"There's no way you can pay the yearly taxation of 4 Billion Yen or am I wrong?"
He stared at Renko who maintained her composure, though her mind raced to process the information. The figures Kurosawa mentioned were astronomical, and it was evident that this property came with significant financial burdens.
"And what do you suggest?"
His grin broadened,
"Look for a smaller property. There are plenty of peaceful housing environments for ten-thousandth of the price that this property has on it."
Renko thought for a moment before looking up at him,
"What if I don't want to?"
Kurosawa... smiled. His false grin vanished as a professional smile took over it.
"There's no way you can pay the yearly taxation on the property unless... you maintain the shrine. Then only can you apply for a 'Religious Property Rebate.' Under this, you don't have to pay a single coin for the entire mountainside. All of which would fall under the shrine's religious property parameters."
Renko absorbed the information, letting it sink in. The magnitude of the financial obligations attached to the property was becoming clearer. The idea of maintaining a shrine to benefit from a religious property rebate seemed like a unique solution, but it also posed its own set of challenges.
"So, you're suggesting that I take on the responsibility of maintaining the shrine to offset the hefty taxes?"
Renko clarified.
Kurosawa nodded,
"Exactly. If you can prove that you're actively managing and preserving the shrine, you'll be eligible for a Religious Property Rebate. It's a legal provision that can significantly reduce your tax burden."
Renko thought about it. The task didn't sound easy, especially considering her lack of experience in shrine management. However, the potential savings were too substantial to ignore.
"Tell me more about this rebate. What does maintaining the shrine entail, and what are the requirements?"
Renko inquired.
Kurosawa leaned back, folding his hands,
"To qualify for the rebate, you need to demonstrate that the property is being used for religious or spiritual purposes. This involves regular rituals, ceremonies, and overall upkeep of the shrine."
He chuckled while looking at Renko who's eyes were twitching faster and faster after hearing all the responsibilities.
"Relax, I might be saying all that but you only need to hold a 'Setsubun,' 'Obon,' and the New Year's Eve prayer. Those would be enough to show that you have the Shrine functioning properly."
Renko finally heaved a sigh of relief,
"Oh, but you might also need to hold the 'Cherry Blossom Festivals' as per the community guidelines, although, there hasn't been one in that shrine for years."
Renko contemplated the implications. The prospect of hosting festivals at a personal property was intriguing enough but it also felt like a pain in the ass.
"Are there any guidelines or specific rituals that need to be followed?"
she asked.
Kurosawa thought about it for a moment before answering,
"Not really. You just need to make sure all the formalities are followed and the rituals take place on time. It doesn't matter if people attended these events or not, the only thing that matters is that these events took place."
He leaned forward, flipping through the pile of documents to search for a specific one,
"You might need to hire priests or caretakers unless you're planning to take on those roles yourself. Additionally, there will be periodic inspections to ensure compliance. Also, your case would be under quite a bit of scrutiny since you will profit immensely from this venture."
Renko skimmed through the papers he handed to her, noting the various clauses, effects, and contracts. At this point, this much seemed bearable due to the potential rewards.
"Now that you know the advantages, let's get down to the disadvantages."
"You mean to say all these restrictions were advantages?"
Renko inquired bewilderedly.
Clearly, he must be joking, after all, these many restrictions were already pushing it.
Kurosawa sighed,
"Sadly, yes. So far these have been mostly the positive parts of your venture. Now I am going to tell you about the biggest disadvantage of this purchase, please don't freak out."
Renko's frown deepened, she didn't like this one bit.
"If you apply for a 'Religious Property Rebate,' you will not be allowed to use the entire property, outside the shrine as well, for any commercial purpose."
She wanted to speak but he continued talking,
"Including the forest all around the shrine."
"That's taking it too far! What am I supposed to do with it then? Become a shrine maiden? Cosplay around the place?"
Kurosawa shrugged,
"I only suggested this as an alternative. Of course, the government wouldn't allow you to use the property for commercial purposes while masquerading as a religious institute."
"What if I decide not to pursue this rebate? What are the alternatives?"
Renko inquired.
Kurosawa sighed,
"If you choose not to pursue the rebate, you'll have to bear the full burden of the property taxes, which, as I mentioned earlier, are substantial. The choice is yours, Ms. Renko."
Renko leaned back in her chair, weighing her options. The disadvantages far outweighed the advantages, what was she supposed to do with this much land if not for some sort of commercial activity?
"I'll take some time to think about it,"
She couldn't decide on the spot, it was too important to be another one of her whims. Kurosawa nodded understandingly,
"Of course, Ms. Renko. This is a significant decision, and I appreciate your consideration. But if we are to begin now, it would take about a month to finish all the formalities with the administration. So you have about a month to make up your mind, once you are certain, we can proceed with the necessary steps accordingly."
Renko stood up, signaling the end of their meeting. Kurosawa gathered the documents, neatly arranging them back into the folder.
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Kurosawa. I'll be in touch once I've reached a decision."
As she exited the real estate agency, Renko couldn't shake off the feeling that she might just have to spend a couple more sleepless nights thinking about this topic.
At first, she thought it was merely a haunted property with a couple of low-ranking curse spirits. But after she visited the shrine, she understood that the danger was quite potent and that the investigators were most likely Jujutsu Sorcerers.
Another thing she had been thinking about. If there were so many curse spirits all around the city, there must be others who can see them and hunt them right? So her new occupation must have a root in this world to be considered an occupation.
Yeah, her thoughts were a mess. But what she was thinking about was that there must be others like her who can hunt for curse spirits and that 'Jujutsu Sorcerers' was most likely their chosen name. So there must be a community of these 'Sorcerers' right? Then could she maybe try and find out more about them?
But that was for a later date, now she was wondering what the hell should she do with all these choices she had pilled upon herself.
[05:15]
The evening air was crisp and Renko strolled through the streets, making her way to the driving school. The neon lights of the city began to illuminate the surroundings, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
Soon, the two small buildings of the driving school came into view and Renko made a beeline to them. At the door of the second building, her instructor, Mr. Tanaka was standing with a notepad in his head. Jotting down stuff as he slowly remembered them.
"Evening, Instructor."
He finally looked up to see Renko standing before him,
"Ah, Renko. Good Evening, it seems you are a bit late today."
She shrugged her shoulders,
"Some stuff came up."
After observing her face for a moment, Mr. Tanaka heaved a sigh,
"You know, I still suspect that someone punched you in the face... twice."
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
EchoingDusk
EchoingDusk Question for myself and the readers:
- Should I make a discord account?
- Should I not have mass released and instead put them on patron?
- Am I doing an Ok job so far?
Requests:
- Please drop a comment and let me know what you think of my work so far.
- Please comment regularly, it's one of my stress relief methods.
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
Anyway, have a good day... or night... or whatever.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone