Chapter 266: Rine's Number

In silence, Haruto cursed the previous owner of the body—a man who had left deep wounds in the lives of Kaori and her daughter.

"Come on, let's go," Kaori said in a flat tone, trying to hide her embarrassment behind her tough expression.

However, Haruto couldn't take his eyes off them. 'How could I let this happen?' Haruto thought angrily, not at Kaori, but at his former self who had caused all of this.

Haruto took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. 'I have to take responsibility,' Haruto told himself.

Haruto knew that even though this body belonged to him now, the sins left by the previous owner were still a burden he had to bear. He couldn't change the past, but he was now determined to fix what had been broken.

'I will protect them. I will atone for all these mistakes, no matter how long it takes,' Haruto promised himself.

With steady steps, Haruto approached Kaori and Kyoko, then took one of the worn bags that Kaori was carrying. "I'll carry this," Haruto said gently but firmly.

Kaori looked at Haruto for a moment, appearing hesitant, but eventually nodded slowly without saying anything. Kyoko simply looked at Haruto with innocent eyes, not really understanding what was happening, but seeming a bit comforted by the presence of the man.

"Aunt Mio, then I will go..." Kaori slowly shifted her gaze to Mio, looking reluctant.

"It's okay. Once the issues in the Southern District are resolved, I will definitely let you know," Mio replied with a gentle smile, trying to reassure Kaori.

"Thank you, but... how will you contact us?" Kaori asked with a doubtful expression.

"Why not just use a cellphone?" Haruto interjected with a confused look.

Both women, Kaori and Mio, immediately fell silent.

"I... I don't have a cellphone..." Kaori finally admitted, her face turning red with embarrassment.

Haruto let out a small sigh, then quickly took out his cellphone from his pocket. "I have one. You can use mine. I don't use it often, so it's better if you use it for now," Haruto said as he handed the cellphone to Kaori.

Kaori looked at the cellphone for a moment, then swatted it away in annoyance. "I don't want it!"

Seeing that reaction, Haruto fell silent, unsure of what to say.

"Kaori, just accept it," Mio tried to persuade her. "I know you have issues with this man, but he came here to help you. Besides, I want to stay updated about you and Kyoko. Just take it for now, until everything is settled. The problems in the Southern District might only last a few days or weeks."

Kaori bit her lip, hesitating. Her gaze shifted between Mio, Haruto, and the cellphone still being offered.

"Mom...?" Kyoko looked at her mother in confusion, then tilted her head towards Haruto, curious about the small object in the man's hand.

Finally, Kaori let out a long sigh. "Alright, I will use this... just until all of this is over," Kaori said, her voice sounding full of reluctance.

Haruto said nothing, just carefully handed the cellphone over.

"This is my Rine number," Mio said as she took her cellphone out of her bag and showed the screen. "Does your cellphone have the Rine app?"

"Rine?" Kaori asked, confused.

Haruto took the cellphone back, opened the Rine app, and noted down Mio's number. After that, he sent a text message to ensure that Mio's number was saved correctly.

"Rine is an app for communication," Haruto explained as he handed the cellphone back to Kaori. "You can send messages, make voice calls, or even video calls. If you don't understand how to use it, I will teach you later."