Yasushi had been wrestling with a question for a while now: how to solve homelessness. Ever since he'd decided he wanted to change the situation in Ginsukimura, the question had circled back, over and over, making him realize just how tangled the issue really was.
It wasn't just a matter of finding people places to stay for the night — if it were that simple, the problem wouldn't have persisted. No, this needed more than a temporary fix. Tackling the roots meant digging through layers, addressing not just the surface-level struggles but the buried causes that kept people stuck.
He started scribbling down ideas, things he'd tackle as he got older, when he'd built the funds and connections needed to make a real dent. His approach wouldn't be about one-off handouts. Yasushi wanted to build a network of support, laying a foundation for long-term stability and independence. This wasn't just about survival, it was about giving people the tools to find their footing again.
In his notes, Yasushi wrote out a plan, starting with a Housing First approach — securing stable homes as a baseline, without any hurdles or prerequisites. He followed that with a focus on mental health and addiction services.
These weren't issues he could ignore, not if he wanted the change to stick. Employment programs, job training, and pathways to healthcare came next on his list. He jotted down ideas for transitional housing, places where people could get steady support as they worked towards independence.
Dedicated social workers were also high on his list. He wanted people who'd actually get involved, one-on-one, helping individuals manage their unique situations. Expanding the affordable housing supply seemed crucial too; without that, the whole system would keep clogging up. He added policy changes to the list, targeting those that could remove barriers rather than add more.
Yasushi also saw value in community outreach and prevention — finding ways to help people before they hit rock bottom. Finally, he noted the importance of working with nonprofits and community organizations. No single person could fix the entire system, but together, they might be able to create something that held up.
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"Lord Yasushi, there's something I've been curious about. Why is it you're so driven to solve homelessness in this city?" Nandini asked, her voice steady as she watched him jot down another line on the sheet.
Yasushi paused, lifting his gaze before leaning back in his chair. "Why? Hm…well, I guess it's just… I've seen it too many times myself. I've been to those shelters, the ones Xinyi took us to. And a lot of those people — some of them ended up there without any say in it. Life threw them into that corner. People make mistakes, but condemning them for it… it just doesn't seem right."
He let out a laugh, glancing back down at the paper, fingers tapping idly. "Maybe it's naïve. Maybe I'm being unrealistic, but... I want to help. Even if it's just here, this place I've known my whole life. I figure it's a start. Better to try something, anything, than just sit here while nothing changes, right?"
Nandini's gaze stayed on him a little longer, a small smile breaking on her lips. "I see…" she murmured, turning her eyes elsewhere, something unreadable flashing through them.
Yasushi caught her expression and felt a flicker of confusion, but he let it go. He had more pressing things on his mind. Picking up his pen again, he went back to jotting down ideas, reminders for his upcoming meetings.
He knew he was young, that most of these people might not take him seriously. But he hoped — at the very least — they'd give his ideas a look, even if it was just a glance.
In the last six months, Yasushi had decided to dive into stock trading. With help from Xinyi and Jingliu's father, he had managed to turn 500,000 yen into 12 million. It wasn't life-changing, not yet, but it was a start.
And if he could grow it, maybe he'd have something to use, something to put toward the plans he'd sketched out. All those winnings from the lottery years ago — they were finally going to something real, instead of the odd things he used to buy back then.
"Dinner, Yasushi," Yunxue called as she stepped into the room, her gaze settling on Nandini. Nandini shot her a smirk, a quiet challenge hanging between them.
Yasushi got up, let out a sigh, and gave a gentle karate-chop to Nandini's head. "You two seriously need to chill with the competition. Think Shiva would let me keep both of you on my side in the future?" He let out a chuckle and headed toward the door, Nandini following close behind.
Though older than both Yasushi and Yunxue — closer to Yinhaie's age — Nandini carried herself with a kind of confidence, one sharpened by years of working as Shiva's right hand.
She wasn't the first person to serve in that role, but she took the position as a personal honor. To her, it was a privilege to stand beside Shiva, seeing parts of life others only heard about.
As they left the room and walked side by side, she found herself intrigued by Yasushi. The way he moved, the way he spoke — it didn't fit the image she'd had in her head of him.
She'd heard stories about him, whispers of an old mind in a younger body, but she'd never asked him about it directly. And yet, that thought lingered, always just beneath the surface, leaving her wanting to understand the mystery behind his eyes.
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Yasushi drew in a breath, feeling the weight of the City Hall looming over him. The winter air bit through his coat, though a warmth he couldn't explain simmered inside as he stood in the snow, staring at the building's imposing entrance.
After another pause, he glanced back at Nandini and Yunxue, who would wait outside. Then, his focus narrowed, and he stepped forward, crossing the threshold into the building.
What came next would hinge on how he spoke, on whether his plans held up under scrutiny, and on how he presented himself. He knew that letting emotions lead the way would risk others dismissing him outright. If he didn't hold himself with the professionalism expected here, there was a good chance his ideas would be brushed off.
Still, Yasushi held onto a flicker of hope that the people he was meeting might give him a fair chance. Whether it was the council, the housing officials, or even the mayor herself — he wanted to believe that they'd listen. That they'd treat him and his vision as something worth hearing.
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Xinyi let out a lazy hum, her head resting in Jingliu's lap, her phone tilted toward her face. "Heeey~ Jingliu," she drawled, her gaze locked on the screen.
"What is it?" Jingliu asked, not looking up from her tablet, where documents her father had sent over demanded her attention.
"Do you think Yasushi will be okay?" Xinyi asked, peeking up at her.
Jingliu didn't answer right away. She glanced down briefly, taking in the question, then replied, "He survived having a hole punched through his chest, just missing his heart. I think talking to a few council members isn't going to be the thing that breaks him."
Xinyi chuckled, shaking her head. "True. But that's not what I'm getting at. I mean…he's going into a fight that doesn't call for fists. Do you think he can actually handle it?"
Jingliu let out a sigh, setting her tablet aside for a moment. "It doesn't change my answer. He's taken on challenges before that don't need him throwing punches."
"But did you consider," Xinyi pressed, "they might just brush him off because he's young?"
Jingliu let out another sigh, her gaze not shifting from the screen. "Yes, I've thought of that. But we both know Yasushi's a lot older than he looks. He can push his point hard enough to be both convincing and… let's say, intimidating, when he needs to. He'll be fine," she said before her attention returned to her work.
Xinyi's shoulders sank, but she nodded. She tried to settle back, letting herself believe in Yasushi, but that gnawing feeling wouldn't quit. Minutes ticked by, with her growing more restless. Finally, she got up from Jingliu's lap and slipped out of the room, the urge to move overpowering her need to sit still.
She roamed the halls, looking for something to distract herself, until she drifted into the kitchen. There, Yinhaie stood by the counter, a cup of tea in hand, her gaze changing over as Xinyi entered.
"Lady Xinyi, is something on your mind?" Yinhaie asked, offering a quiet smile.
Xinyi shook her head, a faint tension in her voice. "No, not really… just thinking about Yasushi," she answered, opening the fridge. She grabbed a bottle of juice and downed it in one gulp.
"About Yasushi?" Yinhaie asked, her eyes settling on Xinyi.
Xinyi nodded. "Yeah, about him going to talk to those people at City Hall. I feel like he should have waited a little longer. Maybe until our second or third year in college. They'd probably take him more seriously then, you know? Right now, they might just see him as too young."
Yinhaie paused, closing her eyes as she weighed Xinyi's words. Finally, she nodded. "I see where you're coming from, but there have been others around his age who spoke up there. Even though their concerns were smaller, the council did hear them out, and changes happened in time."
Xinyi exhaled and sank into a chair. "I get that, but honestly, in the two years I've been here, I haven't seen the council do much. They were practically asleep when Hakufubuki's storm hit. We had to fix up the shrines ourselves. If we hadn't, I wonder how long it would've taken them to even realize the problem was there."
Yinhaie closed her eyes for a moment, giving a slight nod. "I see your point, and I agree, but we truly don't know how they'll react in the end. Like you, I've only been in this city for two years. Despite digging deeply into its history, I'd say their response time is fairly ordinary when it comes to events like this."
She moved over to the fridge, carefully selecting ingredients one by one, her mind seemingly lost in thought as she set them out on the counter to prepare dinner. "In the end, all we can do is wait for Yasushi to return and tell us what happened during the meeting. Only then can we start making our own judgments about the situation."
Xinyi released a soft sigh but gave a nod in agreement. She knew there was little use dwelling on the negative thoughts that crept into her mind, so she brushed them aside and joined Yinhaie in preparing dinner. Other staff members gradually filtered into the kitchen, each one pitching in to help set up the meal.
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Two long hours slipped by, and eventually Yasushi returned, accompanied by Yunxue and Nandini. Yet the moment they crossed the threshold into the house, an uneasy mood trailed behind them. Yasushi's face, as he stepped into the grand entryway, was difficult to interpret, his mood cloaked behind a veil that was nearly impossible to read.
Yinhaie, who had come to greet him, noticed his expression right away. But before she could speak, Xinyi and Jingliu entered the hallway as well, catching sight of him with the same unsettled look on his face that Yinhaie had just seen.
"Did…something happen? You don't seem happy," Jingliu asked, stepping closer to him, her hands reaching out to hold his.
Yasushi briefly closed his eyes, then let out a heavy sigh that seemed to carry both exhaustion and irritation. He glanced up at her, his tone laced with frustration.
"When I brought up my proposals, they laughed at me — mocked every single one. I had to restrain myself just to keep from losing my temper. It's no surprise nothing's being done about the homelessness crisis when the people in charge are this useless."
Everyone who had gathered around to hear his account was caught off guard, completely taken aback by his words. They had all been expecting a different outcome, something more hopeful, and now found themselves stunned by the bitter reality he'd just revealed.