It only took a smile - Zetro Translation

*Ding* *Dong*

Hearing the doorbell, Mayuri hurried to the door.

*Click*

As she opened it, a familiar face greeted her.

Her shoulders trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Kenji stepped forward, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry,” he said softly. “I won’t let anything happen to you or my daughter.”

Mayuri lowered her head, unable to speak.

Kenji walked past her into the living room.

From the kitchen, Chihiro was pouring juice when she noticed him. Their eyes met briefly before Kenji turned his attention to the three men sitting on the couch.

His expression darkened. “Coming to a single mother’s house like this… I suppose patience isn’t one of your virtues.”

The man in the middle let out a sharp scoff. “I’ve been patient for far too long, Kenji-san. Four long years.” He slammed a file onto the table.

Kenji frowned and picked it up.

He flipped through the pages, scanning each clause carefully. The deeper he read, the tighter his expression grew.

“As you can see,” said the man on the left—clearly a lawyer, “if the receiver fails to pay the principal amount by the third year, they are to hand over all property in their possession to the lender.”

Four years ago, Mayuri took a loan from the man since her father needed a heart transplant.

At that time she didn’t have anything but the house with her so she put it as collateral.

At that time, the man said they didn’t even need to form a contract.

However, now…

Kenji’s jaw clenched. “What kind of ridiculous clause is this? You mean to say, for a loan of three million, you want her to give up this entire house?”

The bald man in the middle slammed his hand on the table, his tone rising. “That’s the clause! Don’t think you can bark at me and expect me to just sit here and take it!”

Crossing his arms, the man let out a mocking snicker. “And weren’t you two divorced? Trying to play the hero in your ex-wife’s eyes so you can win her back?”

Kenji’s grip on the papers tightened, his knuckles turning white as fury flashed across his face.

Before he could respond, the man on the right—silent until now—rose to his feet.

He towered over Kenji by at least a foot, his broad shoulders and heavy build making his intentions clear. He wasn’t just a friend—he was muscle, there to make sure things went their way.

But that didn’t faze Kenji. He met the man’s glare head-on, refusing to take a single step back.

Mayuri quickly reached for his arm, shaking her head gently.

Kenji took a slow breath, forcing himself to calm down. Then he turned toward the lawyer. “So if I pay three million, this contract becomes void, right?”

The lawyer shook his head. “Not three million, Kenji-san. With the accumulated interest, the total has reached fifteen million.”

“…!!”

Kenji’s eyes widened—but before he could speak, another voice cut in.

“That’s insane!” The youngest person in the room finally spoke up. “Even with ten years of interest, it can’t possibly reach fifteen million! And Mom’s been paying you back every month!”

Chihiro’s hands trembled slightly as she stared at the men.

It was hard to believe.

The man her mother had borrowed from wasn’t some stranger—he was an old classmate, someone she trusted.

And Mayuri had been paying him back diligently, month after month.

Now, out of nowhere, he shows up at their doorstep demanding an outrageous sum.

It was beyond unreasonable—it was madness.

The bald man shouted at her, “You keep your mouth shut, kid! This is not something you should meddle with!”

Chihiro growled, “Asking for such an absurd amount…maybe it’s not me who is a kid but your lawyer who has forgotten basic mathematics.”

The man clenched his fist, “You…!”

Kenji was prepared to jump in the way if they took a single step toward his precious.

The tension in the air rose passing each second.

Just then, “May I come inside?”