Starting a New Life in Tokyo by Inheriting a Shopping Street [26]

Watching the two “twin ladies” leave, Chiba Shuuichi rubbed his chin, sinking into thought as he analyzed Ogawa Sayuki’s situation.

From his interactions with her these past few days, it was obvious: Sayuki had a strong personality, always wanting to take the lead, to be on top.

Yeah—in every sense of the word.

Chiba couldn’t help but suspect that, even when it came to that sort of thing, Sayuki liked to be on top, taking control.

A woman with a serious competitive streak… Was it just a drive to win, or was it actually a need to conquer?

The more he pushed back, the more difficult he made things for her, the more interested Sayuki seemed to get—her enthusiasm only grew.

Chiba covered his face. What am I even thinking? This is all getting too tangled and weird… And haven’t the roles gotten a little flipped?

It’s probably Akiyama Tsuki’s influence, warping the way I think about these things.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and decided to look at it from another angle. There were two things Sayuki had said earlier that stuck with him:

“So I’m just extra now, huh?”

“I’m fine eating alone.”

Her expression had shifted when she said those words, just a little off—was that worry? Sadness?

Her tone, too, had an edge of sulky resentment.

She’s bold and open, but still can’t leave her sister behind. Maybe she’s afraid of being left alone?

If that’s really the case…

“Then why split up at all?” Chiba murmured. “There’s no reason they can’t just keep living together.”

He pulled up his system interface. As expected, Fumika’s sense of belonging had risen by another 10 points, which meant another 100,000 yen monthly salary added to his account.

Here was the current situation:

[Ogawa Fumika, Sense of Belonging: 50]

[Ogawa Sayuki, Sense of Belonging: 20]

[Akiyama Tamako, Sense of Belonging: 30]

Every 10 points meant another 100,000 yen monthly, plus a base admin salary. At this rate, his monthly total was up to 1.1 million yen!

Chiba couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction at the thought.

Of course, salary would only be paid at the start of next month. For now, he could only enjoy the feeling—he was still spending from his savings.

That afternoon, Fumika didn’t visit again. With nothing else to do, Chiba spent the whole afternoon watching anime. The previous host’s collection really was pretty good—Shima Rin was so cute, he almost wanted to go camping himself.

Of course, it’d be best if he could bring the lady from across the hall with him. That would be amazing.

...

On Monday morning, Chiba was washing up when the doorbell rang. He went downstairs to answer, and there was Akiyama Tsuki once again.

“Mom asked you to come over for breakfast,” Tsuki said, lightly biting her lower lip in that same stubborn way.

“But you aren’t open for business yet, right?” Chiba asked, not at all thrown by Tsuki’s attitude—he’d gotten used to it. This odd girl always liked to pretend she was being forced into things.

“It’s just the sign that’s missing. Everything else is ready, and the movers even set up the kitchen, so cooking isn’t a problem.” Tsuki spoke, but her eyes darted around cautiously, and her hands slid down toward her skirt.

“And, here, check this.” She slowly lifted the hem, revealing blue-and-white stripes and a perfect band of pale skin above her socks.

Compared to their private encounters upstairs, doing this on the first floor was much bolder, much more thrilling.

The rush made Tsuki’s body tremble, her cheeks flushing as she bit her lip hard.

Chiba pretended to inspect her coolly, then nodded. “You’re good.”

Tsuki let her skirt drop, basking in the afterglow but also feeling it had ended too quickly—she wasn’t quite satisfied.

“Sit next to me at breakfast,” Chiba said, knowing this girl was never satisfied easily. He threw her a little extra for good measure.

“!!!” Tsuki’s heart skipped; her eyes shone with excitement, though she put on a pout. “You really are a pervert, wanting to do that in front of my whole family…”

“If you’re going to keep playing coy, I’m done,” Chiba cut her off bluntly.

“…Fine,” Tsuki muttered, all her sass instantly gone, shifting bashfully.

“Good girl. Go on ahead—I’ll change and come over.” Chiba patted her on the head and headed upstairs.

Tsuki absently touched the spot he’d patted, deep in thought, unsure just what kind of play this was supposed to be.

Good girl…

Does he mean…?

She returned to the family shop, mind still spinning from the possibilities.

If it’s what I think… That’s so exciting!

“Tsuki-chan, where’s Chiba-kun?” Mrs. Akiyama, in an apron and busy in the kitchen, called out.

“He’s changing. He’ll be here soon,” Tsuki replied, reverting to her usual self. “Where’s An? Still not up?”

“I’m here, I’m here…” An came down the stairs, yawning, her clothes a mess. With the stairs so steep, she nearly tumbled headfirst.

Tsuki scolded her, flicking her forehead and straightening her clothes. “You’re really going out like this? If someone sees you, your reputation’s done for!”

Thinking about a ruined reputation, she shivered a little herself. If her own secret ever got out, she’d be doomed for sure.

It was getting harder and harder to lecture her little sister with a straight face.

“Wow, something smells amazing! How come breakfast is so fancy today?” An sniffed the air, her little nose twitching like a puppy as she gazed hungrily at the kitchen.

“It’s our first real breakfast here, and Chiba-kun is coming, so of course I wanted to make something special,” Mrs. Akiyama said, smiling.

Just then, Chiba arrived, immediately enveloped by the delicious aromas the moment he walked in.

The shop was long and narrow, with a bar and a row of tiny tables where two could sit face to face. Chiba made his way down the aisle, greeting everyone.

“Good morning, Mrs. Akiyama. Sorry for intruding.”

“Oh, nonsense! I’m happy to have you, Chiba-kun~” Mrs. Akiyama set the abundant food on the counter. “I didn’t know if you liked Western or Japanese breakfast, so I made both. Just take whatever you like.”

Chiba looked at the overflowing bar. Every dish was beautifully arranged, each bowl and plate with something different:

Tofu miso soup, tuna onigiri, grilled salmon, cheese, sautéed chicken breast, tamagoyaki, fried pumpkin, sunny-side-up eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, salad, and of course, ramen to suit the shop’s specialty…

For drinks, there was genmaicha, milk, and fruit juice.

Chiba, who usually made do with nothing but a piece of bread and some milk, had never seen anything like this in his life!

Thick-skinned as he was, he couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. “This is way too much trouble, really—you don’t need to go all out. Usually I’m fine with just bread and milk.”

“Don’t worry about it—it wasn’t any trouble at all. We don’t eat much less than this normally. Otherwise, An-chan would protest,” Mrs. Akiyama said indulgently, looking over at her greedy little daughter.

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This is a fan translation of 从继承商店街开始东京生活 by 净消尘土 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!