34 Suzuki Kōen

The efficiency of the work in the Dark Swamp was quite high. Early the next day, after Yuga had soaked the Pokémon eggs in the gene-repair elixir, he led his team to report for duty, bringing along construction materials.

Accompanying them was Yuga uncle, Mine Kurosaki.

Yuga was clueless about construction matters, but he trusted his uncle, so he was willing to put his faith in the Dark Swamp team brought by his uncle.

All the materials brought had been paid for by Yuga in advance, and they were entrusted entirely to Dark Swamp responsibility.

Seeing Mine Kurosaki coming with the construction team so early, Yuga asked, "Uncle, you have work today. Why did you come so early?"

Mine Kurosaki smiled and said, "If I take charge of something, I must see it through to the end."

Yuga felt happy that Mine Kurosaki cared about him, but he also worried that his uncle hadn't rested well because of this.

"The construction team is here, and the materials are all gathered. You don't need to worry. If you don't rest well and it affects your work, the gain won't be worth the loss."

Mine Kurosaki waved his hand and said with a smile, "It's fine, it's fine. I slept early last night, so don't worry about my rest. If I don't handle your matters properly, I'll always feel uneasy."

Yuga felt somewhat helpless and could only laugh, saying, "Then you should take care of yourself. If you exhaust yourself, Auntie Hisako might come to me to settle the score."

Hearing Yuga words, Mine Kurosaki burst into laughter, "Your aunt cares about you too much. She won't come to settle the score with you. If anything, she'll say it's my fault."

Afterward, Yuga went with Mine Kurosaki to the backyard to greet the members of the construction team, and the construction of the Ecopark officially began.

Mine Kurosaki didn't stay at Yuga place for long since it was almost time for work. He left in a hurry.

As for Yuga himself, he didn't know much about construction, so apart from explaining some layouts and structural details, he played the role of a bystander.

In this way, a week passed, and the construction of the Ecopark was only halfway done. During his free time, Yuga returned to the shop to continue business.

On this day, Yuga was sitting bored behind the cash register, wondering if he should set up a website for the shop.

When his Ecopark could start sending out Pokémon, he could use the website for promotion. Relying solely on the current shop situation would be challenging to improve business.

"Boss, what are you thinking about?"

Yuga, who was deeply lost in thought, was startled by this sudden voice.

He let out a sigh of relief and looked up. Standing in front of his cash register was an exceptionally elegant and beautiful lady, Miss Suzuki, the first customer in the shop since he reopened.

Yuga relaxed, saying, "So it's Miss Suzuki."

Yuga had a deep impression of the shop first customer, especially since she was such a stunning beauty.

Seeing Yuga jump at the unexpected voice, Miss Suzuki chuckled, "Well, who else would you think it is? You seem quite jumpy. You aren't up to any mischief, are you?"

Only now did Yuga notice that Miss Suzuki was holding a Skitty in her arms. He commented, "What kind of mischief could I possibly be up to? I was just lost in thought. So, Miss Suzuki, your Skitty hatched."

Upon hearing Yuga comment, Miss Suzuki spoke with delight, "Yes, indeed. How do you find it? Isn't it adorable?"

While Miss Suzuki spoke, she even gave Skitty a hearty kiss on the forehead, clearly very fond of her Skitty.

Yuga smiled and said, "It's very cute and healthy. Congratulations."

The Skitty in Miss Suzuki arms might be small, but its fur was glossy and smooth, and its bright eyes showed its good health.

"Really? I also think my Strawberry, is incredibly cute. By the way, Strawberry is the name of my Skitty."

Miss Suzuki seemed to enjoy others complimenting her Skitty, and her constant smile reminded Yuga of a cat owner from his past life.

"Your cat master... Oh no, your Skitty is indeed well-suited to the name Strawberry. With its pink fur and round body, the name is quite fitting."

Yuga words slightly deviated from the topic, almost letting the words "cat master" slip out. Fortunately, Miss Suzuki mind was elsewhere.

"Did you have a specific reason for coming today, Miss Suzuki?"

After talking for so long, Yuga still didn't know why Miss Suzuki had come today. He curiously inquired.

Upon hearing Yuga question, Miss Suzuki hesitated for a moment, seemingly uncertain how to put her thoughts into words. She finally said hesitantly, "Is it just you running the shop here?"

Even though he didn't know why Miss Suzuki was asking these questions, Yuga truthfully replied, "Yes, it's just me. Is there a problem?"

"Ah, no, there's no problem. I was just wondering if you could manage the shop on your own."

Although he didn't know what she was getting at, Yuga didn't answer her question. Instead, he continued to watch her without moving.

Seemingly embarrassed by Yuga intense gaze, Miss Suzuki bit her lip and finally revealed her purpose.

"I was actually wondering if you need extra help here. I'm thinking of finding a job at your shop."

"Finding a job here?"

Yuga had never considered recruiting a shop assistant. When his parents were around, they never hired any additional staff either. They had always managed the shop by themselves.

But back then, his parents were both working at the breeding center. Now, Yuga was the only one.

Indeed, there were times when Yuga felt it was a bit inconvenient to run the shop alone. Going out meant leaving the shop unattended, but he hadn't reached the point of needing to recruit help.

"Um... I haven't really thought about this issue. As you can see, the business in my shop isn't doing very well."

Yuga felt somewhat embarrassed.

Upon hearing Yuga words, Miss Suzuki knew she was being turned down, but she didn't show any disappointment. Instead, she smiled and said to Yuga:

"I see. Well, never mind then. To be honest, I wasn't necessarily looking for a job. I just really like it here. Plus, now that I'm settled in Verdanturf Town, I don't have much to do during my free time. That's why I had the idea to come and take a look here."

Through her conversation with Miss Suzuki, Yuga got a rough understanding of her situation.

Miss Suzuki, whose full name was Suzuki Kōen, hailed from the city of Rustboro and was 32 years old, exactly twice Yuga age of 16. She had taken on the Suzuki name after marrying her husband.

She and her husband had grown up together, childhood friends who had eventually become a couple and married. It all seemed natural, and their lives were happily fulfilled.

Her husband was talented and owned his own company, and business was thriving. The only issue was that he was a workaholic. Whenever he started working, he couldn't stop, ignoring everything else.

Miss Suzuki felt very concerned about her husband habits and worried it wasn't sustainable.

She wasn't upset that her husband was so focused on work that he neglected her. She understood that his hard work was for the family. Her worry was that his relentless dedication might damage his health.

But workaholics are just that, addicted to work. If they could be swayed by advice, they wouldn't be workaholics. Her husband hadn't changed his ways despite her admonitions.

Finally, her ominous premonition came true three years ago. Her husband died suddenly at his workplace due to excessive fatigue, leaving behind Miss Suzuki and their one-year-old son.

Now, Miss Suzuki no longer felt sorrow when mentioning these things. After all, three years had passed, and tears could only be shed so much.

Miss Suzuki wasn't short of money now. Her husband had left her and their son a substantial inheritance upon his death, enough to live a comfortable life without worries.

Miss Suzuki had settled in Verdanturf Town with her son because of the pleasant environment. It was suitable for living, with a slow pace of life—quite unlike Rustboro City, where people worked day in and day out.

"My son goes to school during the day, and I'm alone at home with nothing to do. It gets quite boring. So, I thought about finding something light to do and passing the time."

Miss Suzuki spoke regretfully. She genuinely liked it here. Since coming here, she found it very comfortable, and even the air seemed fresher than outside.

Miss Suzuki certainly couldn't know that her feelings were largely influenced by the presence of the large tree in the shop.

"I see. I just haven't thought about hiring a shop assistant for now. But after the Ecopark is built, I might get busier. At that time, recruiting a shop assistant could be necessary. It would save me a lot of time."

Yuga thought that when the Ecopark was completed, he might become busier, and it could be a good time to consider hiring an assistant to save time.

"Really? Well, then I'll wait for your decision. I don't have anything else specific to do right now, so I'll wait for your notification. Here my phone number."

Miss Suzuki didn't anticipate a twist in the situation, happily handing over her phone number to Yuga.

Taking the note Miss Suzuki handed him, Yuga glanced down and saw her phone number written on it. He nodded and said, "Alright, I'll give you a call when the time comes."

Seeing Miss Suzuki off at the shop entrance, Yuga returned to his place behind the cash register, waiting for customers to come in.