章節 191: Xinyi's Operation (2)

"Thank you, Xinyi. We never imagined we could bring this much happiness to these people in such a short time, especially outside of a big holiday like Christmas," said the woman from the shelter, her tone soft but filled with surprise.

Xinyi scratched the back of her head, trying to downplay the compliment. "Hehe, it's nothing, Miss Shino. I just thought a little sweetness could go a long way. Cupcakes and cakes seemed like a good idea. And, of course, that extra little something."

Shino smiled warmly, shaking her head before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Xinyi. "You're too kind, sweetie. We don't deserve you."

Xinyi returned the hug, her cheeks warm but happy to feel the gratitude.

A little farther off, Yasushi, Jingliu, Furuya, and Catherine moved through the crowd of people gathered at the shelter, handing out cakes, cupcakes, and drinks. Conversations sparked naturally, as some shared pieces of their stories — struggles that weighed heavily on them, their eyes distant, reflecting past hardships.

Others kept it simple, their appreciation showing in the way they held onto their food. A few even wiped their eyes, unable to hold back emotions from receiving something different, something that felt less ordinary, something kind.

"I'm telling you, boy, marry that girl you're with, but make sure you get a prenup. You never know these days, especially with women," the older man muttered, shoving the cupcake into his mouth, crumbs falling onto his lap. Furuya stood next to him, feeling the awkwardness creep in.

"What do you mean by that?" Furuya asked, not sure how to take the man's words.

The man gave a rough grunt, then said, "Everyone's hiding something. The person you think you know, that's just a mask. My two wives? They played nice until I ran out of use for them. Once I had nothing left, they threw me aside. All women are like that. You gotta be careful, always."

Furuya's brows pulled together as he listened. "I'm sorry you went through that, sir, but not everyone's like that. Assuming they are doesn't really seem fair." He thought about Catherine, about everything they'd been through together, especially after that brief separation. She wasn't like that — he was sure of it.

The old man let out another grunt, grabbed a few more cupcakes, and waved Furuya off without much thought. Frustrated but not wanting to argue, Furuya moved on, hoping to find better conversation.

When he reached the next man, though, he was hit with the same attitude. More bitterness about women, more distrust. It left him puzzled, wondering why so many seemed stuck on that same idea. But he didn't stick around long, leaving after that one, determined to find someone else with something different to say.

He eventually found himself near Yasushi, who was busy handing out cupcakes and chatting with two older men. Furuya paused, catching bits of the conversation as he watched Yasushi offer them fresh cupcakes.

"Let me tell you, boy, if you treat your woman right, and if they're good people, they'll return that to you. It's a partnership, ya get me?" one of the men said, nodding to himself like he was reinforcing his own words.

The other man chimed in without hesitation, "True, but don't forget, relationships aren't always split down the middle, not always fifty-fifty."

That last comment left Furuya puzzled. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, wanting to hear what the man meant by that. He could already feel his thoughts circling back to his own relationship.

"You've got to go into marriage knowing you're going to take on more than what seems fair. Now, that might sound off to you, but picture this: your wife gets sick, really sick, can't even get out of bed. She's doing her best, getting whatever help she can, but physically, emotionally, mentally, she's not able to do much. That means you're taking on 80, maybe even 90 percent of the load at home," the man started, his voice steady as he shared his story.

"You don't complain. You just do it. If you really love her, you carry that weight, take care of her, handle everything. And when she gets better... don't expect her to pay you back for any of it. Just keep going with your life." He paused for a moment, looking like he was thinking back. "It might feel like it's not worth it. But if she loves you the same way you love her, she'll do the same thing when you need it."

The man leaned back, folding his arms across his chest. "This isn't just some idea I'm throwing out there. I lived it. My late wife went through postpartum depression, then got hurt at work. I handled everything. Didn't complain once. Then, after a few months, when I got sick, she stepped up and took care of everything — more than I even did. That's real love. It's not some fairy tale. It takes work. Real work."

Furuya and Yasushi stood there, caught off guard by the man's words. Neither of them knew how to respond. Before they could even think of what to say, the other man let out a laugh and slapped his friend on the shoulder. "He gets carried away sometimes, but he's just being real with you. We're all just doing what we can in this life. So, take it or leave it, but maybe keep some of it in mind," he said before waving them off like it was no big deal.

As they walked away, the two of them stayed quiet, each of them stuck in their thoughts, trying to process what had just been said. They eventually found another group, handing out cupcakes and smaller cakes, chatting with the folks there while offering them something to eat.

Once they were a bit further off, Furuya broke the silence. "I think I'm going to start working a bit harder, you know? Not sure if it'll change anything, but after hearing what that guy said, I want to be better somehow."

Yasushi didn't react much. His face stayed the same as he replied, "It's good to want to improve. Just be careful. Change is fine, but don't push yourself to the point where you can't even see who you were anymore."

Yasushi and Furuya split up, moving to different areas to keep things going. Yasushi glanced at his phone, checking the progress of the day's work. The others had nearly finished with the people here. Six more shelters still waited after this, but they were making good time.

He picked up the pace, circling around, handing out more cakes, and starting casual conversations with those gathered. Each person had something to share. They weren't all addicts or people who had messed up their own lives. Some had fallen victim to things beyond their control, decisions made by others that led to their downfall. Not everyone here had chosen this life, and he knew that.

Those who were messed up from drugs? They weren't even in the shelter anymore. They'd either left on their own or been forced out for causing too much trouble. Yasushi knew there was no saving everybody.

As he moved, the man's earlier words stuck with him, echoing in his mind. 'A love you have to work towards, huh?' It was a heavy thought. His gaze drifted, and he found himself looking over at Jingliu, who was busy talking with a group of people, giving them food and hearing them out. She seemed to have a way with people. She made it look simple.

+-+

"Cheers for the Cake Queen!!" The shouts echoed through the shelter as a bunch of homeless folks celebrated. They lifted Xinyi up, carrying her around like she was some sort of deity. Yasushi's group had just arrived at this shelter, their last stop for the day, and now they were witnessing something they hadn't expected at all.

Furuya looked on, puzzled. "Is she, like, queen of the homeless or something?"

Catherine, standing nearby, crossed her arms. "Word must've gotten around for this to happen."

Furuya shook his head, not fully understanding. "Yeah, but for the news to spread this quick? Overnight? The homeless network is something else."

Yasushi didn't bother with their conversation. He just turned and started unloading the boxes they'd brought along. "We've got work to do," he said, barely glancing at them. "Let's focus on that."

The others exchanged a quick glance, then got moving, following Yasushi's lead. They grabbed the cakes and cupcakes from the boxes and began handing them out. The people who weren't busy carrying Xinyi around were more than happy to take their share. There was no time for standing around gawking. They had to finish their rounds.

The noise from the impromptu celebration gradually faded as Xinyi was lowered to the ground. She jumped right back in, lending a hand without missing a beat. The atmosphere remained light, with the homeless folks still buzzing, sharing stories, laughing, enjoying the small joy that came from a simple treat.

As the cakes were passed around, Yasushi kept his focus elsewhere. He listened to the conversations around him, picking up fragments of how these people ended up here. Like the last shelter, some fell into hard times by no fault of their own. Others, well, their stories were tangled in mistakes or strange turns of events. It wasn't just one thing that landed them in this situation. Yasushi knew that too well. He didn't have any illusions of solving it, not yet.

But as the stories kept coming, he couldn't shake the thoughts that circled in his head. He couldn't stand the idea of governments and programs failing these people, leaving them stuck in a cycle.

Maybe he couldn't help right now, but someday, he would. That much he clung to. He didn't see himself as some savior, but the way things worked? It needed to change. And if it took years, or until he had enough power, enough money to make even a small dent, he'd find a way. Those were the ideas swirling in his mind — part of him knew they might be naive, but he couldn't ignore them.

"Something eating at you, kid?" The voice cut through Yasushi's thoughts, forcing him to look up. The man who spoke stood nearby, scruffy and rough-looking, with a tangled beard and clothes that had seen too many days. "You've been thinking hard, even with all this noise around you."

Yasushi blinked, clearing his head. He handed the man a cupcake and a bottle of water. "Nah... just thinking about what comes next," he replied. "I'm almost done with high school. Got a lot on my mind."

The man let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "That's something you worry about later. Not today. But I can tell there's more going on up there," he said, tapping his own head. "Come on, spill it."

Yasushi paused. He felt weird. The guy didn't come off like the others in the shelter. There was something in his eyes, like he wasn't meant to be here or maybe he just lost it. Either way, Yasushi took a deep breath and laid it out. He talked about the shelters, the broken system that left people out here, and his wish to make things better.

The man listened without a word, letting Yasushi get it all out. When he finished, the man didn't say much, just a smile that didn't seem to belong in a place like this.

"Your heart's in the right place," the man began, his voice steady as he watched Yasushi. "But you're not just up against paperwork and laws. It's deeper than that. You'll be fighting the ones at the top, the rich who want things to stay how they are. You'll deal with people's opinions, too, and they can be just as hard to change. It's not just about showing up, handing things out, and hoping for change. You'll have to break through the way things work now."

He stepped closer, resting a hand on Yasushi's shoulder for a moment. "But if you ever manage to pull it off, I'll be there backing you."

For a moment, they both stood there, just looking at each other. Then the man's face broke into a wide grin. "Looks like Little Hakufubuki wasn't wrong about you," he added before turning and walking away without another word.

Yasushi stood there, his thoughts tripping over themselves, his body frozen. He replayed the words in his head, trying to grasp what just happened. Snapping out of it, he whipped around, trying to spot the man again. Nothing. He was gone, like he'd never been there at all.

"Another god...?" Yasushi muttered under his breath, still trying to process. "But who?"

Yasushi felt a tug on his arm, pulling him from his thoughts. He looked down and saw Yinhaie standing there, her eyes searching his face.

"Something bothering you?" she asked, her voice steady.

He stood there for a few beats, trying to pull himself together. Finally, he gave a slight shake of his head. "No... nothing," he said, brushing it off. "Let's keep moving," he added, stepping away from her and heading back to the task at hand, the rhythm of their work drawing him in again.

They didn't stay much longer, only another couple of hours before packing up and heading home. Even as they finished up, Yasushi couldn't shake the thoughts spinning in his head. The night left him uneasy, the words from that man clinging to him, gnawing at the edge of his mind. His suspicions started to grow, and he found himself questioning those around him, wondering if Japan's gods — or maybe even gods beyond its borders — had started watching him from the shadows.

But the real question that haunted him? Who the hell was that man?