The nostalgic, run-down apartment. But the air inside was far colder and damper than before.

  ?After Hikari left for work, I headed to the bathroom sink for a "Strategy Meeting." Dreaming of the birth of a beautiful-cat-author who would heal the world, I peered into the mirror. What awaited me was a magnificent "thief-mustache" pattern right under my nose, looking as if it had been drawn on with a permanent marker.

  ?"...Mya. (You've got to be kidding me...)"

  ?Former author, Mikio Umada. The second great despair of my life. But I didn't have time to wallow.

  ?That evening, Hikari returned home, looked worriedly at my sister cat's awkward gait, and resolutely took her to the vet. I snuck into her bag and heard the "verdict" there.

  ?"...Her joints are deformed from birth. The chances of a full recovery with surgery are high, but it'll cost no less than 300,000 yen."

  ?300,000 yen. A number impossibly far out of reach for the current Hikari. On the way back, she nearly tripped on the dark road several times, crying as she hugged my sister.

  ?Waiting in our apartment was a care package from the bento shop lady, along with a note: You can keep working with us as long as you need. It was a stark reminder of the reality that Hikari was being treated as a "burden" at her workplace.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  ?Amidst this chain of despair, Hikari lit a cigarette with trembling hands. Purple smoke drifted up. But that smoke looked like a symbol of her "resignation," and my strategic brain violently rejected it.

  ?(Bullshit. You expect me to just sit here and watch my woman waste away in a place like this!?)

  ?I locked my eyes on the cigarette near her mouth. Channeling my inner champion prizefighter.

  ?(Gouge into the inside corner... and strike!!)

  ?Swish!!

  A sharp left hook smacked the cigarette away. Ignoring Hikari's surprised gasp, I made a vow to my sister. I will cure your leg with my production skills. We're going to become Cat-Tubers and cross this river of gold.

  ?[Next Time: Chapter 4 Preview]

  ?A single medical certificate Hikari brought home.

  Written on it was a countdown to Hikari's own "blindness"—a reality far more cruel than my sister Kira's leg.

  ?Ten million yen.

  Faced with the astronomical sum required for the latest treatment, former author Mikio Umada's strategic brain catches fire.

  ?"...Listen, Kira. You're going to be the brightest star in this house. I'll take the dirt as your shadow."

  ?The names bestowed by Hikari: "Hige" (Mustache) and "Kira" (Sparkle).

  Armed with a smartphone unlocked by the password "0310" (Mi-ki-o), Producer Thief-Stache's reckless challenge begins!

  ?Chapter 4: Hige and Kira, and the Ten Million Yen Wall

  ?"...What, nude modeling? I refuse."

  "Sis, we're just hairy. We're always naked."

  ?Note on Localization: The "Joe Yabuki" boxing reference was adapted to "champion prizefighter" to ensure the joke lands instantly for Western readers without needing cultural footnotes, keeping the pacing fast.

  ?