The old man's name was Saburo Hanamori.
He was the last remaining descendant of the Hanamori family, who had protected their sacred flower for generations.
A young man suddenly barged in, stepping onto the engawa and walking straight into the house without a word.
Saburo was about to explode in anger.
But then—
Huuuuu…
He couldn't.
Thick smoke drifted through the room.
Saburo's eyes widened.
Only one person had entered, but now there were two inside the room. The smoke had come from one of them.
Shouldn't he be furious that someone had rudely entered his home and started smoking?
He would have been.
If it hadn't been for that face—still perfectly clear in his memory after all these years.
"It's been a long time, child."
Saburo was now nearly eighty years old.
The person casually calling him "child" was Camellia Sirin.
Saburo stumbled backward in shock.
He was so stunned that no words would come out.
Camellia smiled gently at his reaction.
"I'm glad you still remember me."
How could he possibly forget?
That mystical aura, the sweet scent of her smoke, her long flowing black hair, and those all-knowing eyes.
Nothing had changed.
She looked exactly the same as she had seventy years ago.
"I haven't forgotten you either. Your name was Saburo, wasn't it? The child of the great Hanamori family that protects the flower."
Camellia leaned forward, the corner of her mouth lifted.
"You've changed quite a bit. Back then, you had such chubby cheeks and were this small. You were adorable."
"Haha…"
The initial shock had finally begun to fade.
Saburo let out a weak laugh.
"So much time has passed. Nearly seventy years. Since the day you saved my mother and me from the plague."
"Hmm… Has it really been that long? I was too busy fighting some idiot and lost track of time."
Jinhyuk, standing beside her, quietly wiped the sweat from his forehead.
It felt completely unreal.
- I recognize that name.
He hadn't thought much of it when Camellia first said it.
But when she said the full name—
- Hanamori Saburo. I know that kid.
He couldn't help but stare.
Camellia exhaled another stream of smoke and looked around the modest house.
"It used to be quite a big residence. Has the family fallen into decline?"
"Yes… An obstinate fool inherited the family head position, and this is the result."
"It doesn't seem like your fault. You were never destined for great wealth, but you certainly weren't meant to end up like this."
Camellia narrowed her eyes as she studied Saburo's face.
"Something evil has attached itself to you. Something powerful enough to destroy your original fate."
"…As expected, I can't hide anything from you."
Saburo spoke calmly.
"Just as you said, I never enjoyed great riches. I didn't even desire them. Life wasn't too difficult—people still came looking for our flower. Then one day, a representative from Sugihara Corporation came. They said they knew of a flower that could bloom anywhere and offered to buy it. The amount they proposed was astronomical."
"Why didn't you sell it?"
Camellia tilted her head with a faint smile.
"You had something similar already, didn't you?"
"I couldn't give it to them. That seed is like my own child—the very essence of the Hanamori family and my life's work. I couldn't hand it over to people who would only use the flower as a tool for money."
That was when everything changed.
Visitors stopped coming.
Soon after, the Gamin Party forced someone into the house under the guise of "protecting national intangible cultural heritage."
"At first, I was grateful. They gave us a decent house, meals, and even a monthly allowance. But before long, everything was cut off, and we ended up like this."
Only later did he realize it might all be connected to Sugihara's visit.
"Are they stopping you from leaving the country?"
Saburo shook his head.
"No, I'm free to leave. I just… can't bring myself to go. There's nothing left for me out there. Just a crumbling house and barely enough food."
Saburo suddenly let out a hearty laugh.
"Sorry. I finally meet my benefactor after so long, and all I do is complain. By the way… what is your relationship with Lady Camellia?"
"We're friends."
"F-friends?"
Saburo looked back and forth between Jinhyuk and Camellia in disbelief.
He decided not to ask any more questions.
In this world, anything was possible.
"Grandpa, may I ask—do you have a passport?"
Another heavy silence.
Saburo thought to himself:
Maybe because he's Camellia Sirin's friend… this young man really isn't ordinary.
"I've never left Japan. I don't have one."
"Then how would you feel about living outside Japan?"
The intention behind the question was unclear.
But Saburo's answer was immediate.
"If possible… I would like to leave. I'm truly sick of this country."
"Perfect. Then please wait here for two or three days. I'll get your passport ready."
Jinhyuk turned and suddenly pulled out a large bundle filled with all kinds of food and drinks.
Saburo's eyes widened.
Where had that come from?
"Stay here for a few days. I'll handle the passport."
He bowed politely and walked out.
Camellia followed and quietly asked,
"The seed?"
"Let's go."
Their goal had been to obtain the seed capable of blooming in Frostheim.
But he couldn't bring himself to ask for it.
It was something Saburo treasured like his own child.
"How could I ask for something he protected with his life?"
Camellia smiled softly.
"Then let's find another way. Nothing is impossible in this world."
"Good. Life has countless paths. There will surely be a way."
Camellia turned back one last time.
"Farewell for now, child of Hanamori."
With those quiet words, Camellia released her manifestation and disappeared.
Saburo stood frozen, as if he had seen a ghost.
Just as Jinhyuk was about to leave—
"Wait."
Saburo bent down, pulled out an old wooden statue from under the floorboards, and smashed it hard against the ground.
Crack!
The statue shattered.
Inside was a single seed.
"I barely managed to save this one. You came for this, didn't you? I couldn't let you leave empty-handed."
Saburo handed him the seed and gestured toward the food.
"This is my way of repaying you for the delicious treats."
Jinhyuk accepted the seed with a bright smile.
"Thank you."
"I should be the one thanking you. I never thought I'd see you again."
"I'll visit often from now on. Thank you again. I promise I'll make it bloom into a beautiful, magnificent flower."
Saburo smiled warmly and waved them off.
Jinhyuk stepped out of the old house and walked toward the gate where Tsubasa was waiting.
"…?"
Tsubasa narrowed her eyes.
She had been certain he would fail.
But Jinhyuk's face was glowing with pure satisfaction.
Before she could say anything—
"Assemblywoman Tsubasa."
Jinhyuk spoke first.
"Could you make one passport for me?"
"…Pardon?"
The sudden request left her speechless.
Obviously, it was for Saburo Hanamori.
But before she could ask why—
Her phone rang.
"Yes, this is Sato Tsubasa."
# Assemblywoman! Why weren't you answering your phone!? Where are you right now?!
"I'm in Japan. I accidentally left it on silent. What's going on?"
# There's total chaos! Turn on NJK right now!
Tsubasa opened NewTube.
The NJK channel was already at the top of the trending list.
The screen showed a massive standoff in front of Sugihara Industries headquarters in Osaka.
*
Osaka, Japan – In front of Sugihara Industries Headquarters.
"Hah."
Cheon Se-yeon let out a short, bitter laugh.
She had expected some resistance from the Osaka Player Hunter Bureau.
But this was far beyond what she had imagined.
"Endo Tsuyoshi, Kamihara Utsu, Yoshida Mine… Almost every major Gamin Party lawmaker is here."
Kim Hyun-woong clicked his tongue.
They had arrived an hour ago, yet they still couldn't even enter the building.
A large group of lawmakers were blocking the entrance.
"…This is going to be troublesome."
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T/N:
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