[BL]The Hero and his Party Won't Let Me Go-Chapter 231: Ch : Please have a job first

Hope returned to Shuu’s eyes at those words, and his heart suddenly felt lighter. He had a feeling that things would be fine for him and Rin now.

"Then, does that mean I can adopt Rin? Can I process my papers and all that?"

Shuu asked in an excited voice, but the police officer was quick to rain down on his happiness.

"You might have shown that you are not a threat to the kid, but adoption is a separate matter. The most important criterion to adopt another living being is the ability to provide for them. Since you still have no source of income, I cannot allow you to legally adopt the kid... for now."

The situation was becoming more and more complicated by the second.

Shuu had proven that he was innocent and the right person to adopt Rin. And yet, he could not adopt Rin because he did not have a job.

It was not a situation without any solutions, and Shuu knew what he needed to do next.

"So, if I have a steady flow of money and the means to look after Rin, can I legally adopt him?"

Shuu asked to make sure he was covering all the grounds. The police officer sighed and then nodded.

"Yeah, sure. I don’t see why you would want to adopt an esper legally when you can just live as you are already living. Most people never make it official anyway."

The officer tried to convince Shuu that it was fine for him to stay as he was with Rin, but Shuu wanted to do things the proper way.

"It’s fine. I want to make sure I give Rin all the best things in life, and that includes having a stable home. Then I will be back soon."

Shuu promised, and the officer hesitated before he called him back.

"Hey kid, there is another way for you to be legally able to adopt if you want. All you have to do is get together with someone who is financially stable and list them as a significant other on your papers. Then you can ask for the child’s custody once you separate from your partner."

The officer yelled, but Shuu did not even pretend to hear those words.

As easy as that solution sounded, Shuu was not sure he would be able to handle it. It felt too much like emotional cheating, and he did not want to do such a thing even accidentally.

He had already loved once and lost it all. He did not want to meet other people and repeat that experience.

Rin grabbed Shuu’s hand, and his innocent eyes looked at Shuu with awe and wonder.

"It’s alright for you to not adopt me if it’s troublesome. I just... want to be together."

Rin assured Shuu, and Shuu could tell that it had taken Rin a lot of time and effort to say those words out loud.

It made him feel proud but sad at the same time that Rin had to pretend to be a grown-up so quickly in his life.

"It’s alright, Rin. I need a job to support us anyway. And if it helps me adopt you, then it’s even better, right? Anyway, we should head to the next place that is opening up applications. I heard that this place even has a play area for kids, so I can bring you along."

Shuu tried to make Rin feel better about the situation, but he had a feeling that it was not helping much.

Rin tried to smile, but the smile did not reach his eyes. Nor did he say anything. He silently followed Shuu toward the meeting spot.

__________

The halls of the guild Shuu had applied to looked clean and neat. It had a soft and beautiful sofa right in the middle, and the receptionist looked like she was on her last straw.

Her eyes landed on Shuu, and her irritation spiked even more. But she maintained a professional smile and decided to greet Shuu in a cheerful voice.

"Welcome, sir. What can I help you with today? What kind of service would you like to avail today?"

The lady asked, and Shuu felt like he had to step back from her or he might somehow get hurt.

But he forced himself not to react. Instead, he coughed into his fist to clear his throat and finally spoke.

"I am here for the vacancy position application. I was told that I could do a walk-in test anytime..."

Shuu pointed out, and the front desk lady suddenly looked like she had seen her savior.

"Oh! Is that so? Then what is your name, and what position have you applied for? I will quickly process your request through the portal."

The sudden excitement in the front desk lady’s eyes made Shuu feel like something was wrong here. He suddenly felt like he should not be here anymore.

But thinking about money and finally being able to adopt Rin kept Shuu rooted in place.

"I was told that there was an opening in the dungeon survey team, so I wanted to apply."

The happy smile quickly disappeared from the woman’s face, and she looked disappointed.

"Tsk, so you are someone who is willing to throw away your life for some money? I would reconsider your options, kid. You have a decent face and youthful energy. Somewhere like the front desk might be a better option for you compared to the survey team..."

Shuu had a feeling the female front desk worker was desperate to get more help. He could not help but feel sorry for her position and whatever she was going through. So he decided to lie to her this time to make her feel better.

"I will see if I can apply for this position as well. I am not too hopeful, but maybe a miracle will happen. Who knows?"

Shuu let out a nervous laugh, and the woman in front of him sighed and handed him a small slip.