Mash-Up: Anything for Money

What happened after that, Eriri couldn't quite recall. All she remembered was that after Hakuto had tossed the plush bear in through her window, she had placed it on her nightstand.

As for when it had fallen under the bed, she had no idea.

Thinking back to that afternoon—

Under the scorching sun, his face covered in sweat, Hakuto had still insisted on doing something she saw as utterly meaningless.

Eriri stared at the plush bear in her hands. The once golden fur had dulled, coated in a layer of dust.

"Might as well wash it..."

Now that she had decided not to throw these things away, it didn't seem right to just leave them in such a filthy state.

"Oh? Eriri, are you going to wash that plushie?"

"Yeah… That idiot Hakuto even said this plush bear looks like me. Only he would say something that ridiculous."

Eriri turned the plushie around in her hands, examining it from every angle, but she couldn't see any resemblance at all.

"Is that so? Well, I actually think it's just as cute as you are, Eriri."

Sayuri didn't know exactly what had happened, but at the very least, her daughter no longer seemed intent on throwing those things away.

As expected.

Sayuri had long anticipated that the contract's end would bring a series of troublesome matters, but at least for now, they still seemed manageable.

"Leave the washing to me."

Before Eriri could react, Sayuri swiftly snatched the plush bear from her hands.

"Mom? Since when did you get so... hardworking?"

"Ah… did I?"

Sayuri let out an awkward laugh before tossing the plush bear into the cardboard box and lifting the whole thing into her arms.

"Either way, just leave this to me. Eriri, you can relax in your room."

Before Eriri could say another word, Sayuri had already walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"Honestly..."

"Seriously..."

As the door shut, mother and daughter both sighed and rubbed their temples—

One was baffled by her mother's strange behavior.

The other was exasperated by her daughter's ridiculous actions.

"I just ended my contract with little Hakuto yesterday, and today Eriri's already doing something like this?"

"Isn't this withdrawal reaction a little too fast?"

Sayuri glanced down at the box in her arms. The reason she had taken on this task wasn't because she had nothing better to do—it was to prevent any unnecessary drama.

As someone with experience, Sayuri knew all too well how people only learn to cherish what they've lost.

Sure, her daughter hadn't seemed to care much about Hakuto these past two years. But what if? 

Weren't those cliché romance novels always written like this?

So, better safe than sorry.

Washing a few things was a small price to pay if it meant avoiding a whole mess of complications.

Otherwise, what if her daughter suddenly started reminiscing, regretting, having a change of heart, and spiraling into a melodramatic love chase?

Before she knew it, Sayuri had already played out an entire K-drama in her head.

"A parent's love truly knows no bounds~"

At this moment, Sayuri felt like the greatest mother in the world—she had accounted for everything!

Sayuri carried the cardboard box into the bathroom. 

The plush bear was so dirty that throwing it into the washing machine wasn't realistic anymore—hand-washing was the only option.

"What a hassle..."

Though she muttered complaints, she still rolled up her sleeves.

She picked up the golden plush bear again, filled the basin with water, poured in a little detergent, and started washing.

However, as she scrubbed, she suddenly felt something off—the plush bear felt... oddly rigid in some areas.

"No way..."

Swallowing nervously, Sayuri unzipped the plush bear and reached into the soft cotton stuffing.

Moments later, a round metal badge appeared in her hand.

As a seasoned otaku, Sayuri instantly recognized what it was.

A tinplate badge—the kind that anime fans treasured. Costing barely a dollar to produce, yet the moment it had an anime character printed on it, its price skyrocketed several times over.

Anyone would say, the anime merch business really is a gold mine.

By this point, Sayuri could already guess what was printed on the other side.

"What a tragedy..."

She slowly turned the badge over, and sure enough—it featured Eriri sitting on a grassy field, hugging the very same golden plush bear.

Though covered in dust, Sayuri could still tell that the plush bear in the image was identical to the one in her hands.

"No wonder he said it looked like her..."

Protected by the stuffing, the badge was in pristine condition, without a single scratch.

Sayuri wiped it down with a towel, thought for a moment, then tucked it into her pocket.

She had considered throwing it away, but in the end, it was a heartfelt gift from Hakuto. Tossing it out didn't feel right—yet at the same time, she couldn't let Eriri see it either.

"No wonder Hakuto stopped liking Eriri."

The plush bear wasn't that big, and the badge had been hidden inside—yet it wasn't exactly difficult to find.

And yet, judging by the situation, the badge had been in there for over a year.

In other words, Eriri had never once mentioned it to Hakuto.

Wasn't this basically saying—

"Hey, your gift has been collecting dust in a corner. Be grateful!"

Sayuri could already imagine Hakuto's expression—starting with anticipation, then disappointment, and finally, quiet indifference.

"So in the beginning, Hakuto really did like Eriri..."

"Being treated like that, anyone would feel hurt. But... it's all in the past now."

Shiratori Hakuto: Achoo! Huh? Is someone talking about me?

After pocketing the badge, Sayuri zipped the plush bear back up and continued washing.

Once it was clean, she reached into the box for the next item—

And that was when she discovered something shocking.

Almost half of the gifts had hidden surprises inside—expired movie tickets, stale candies, and even a chibi Eriri figurine!

She had to admit, Hakuto had a knack for hiding surprises—concealed, but not too concealed. Just subtle enough that someone would eventually find them.

For example, the expired movie ticket—it had been tucked right in the middle of a sketchbook.

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