Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 11 "Bookstore and Chat"

Junkudo Bookstore is located near JR Motomachi Station. As a well-known large-scale bookstore chain, it has numerous branches nationwide. The one in Motomachi is the first store, established in 1, making it a long-established store.

When Masumi was in Tokyo, she went to the Ikebukuro main store. It is a 9-story stand-alone building, with a total of 10 floors including the underground floor. It is famous for having the largest business area in Tokyo.

After walking into the bookstore with Linyin, the two of them separated to pursue their respective goals.

Masumi followed the signs to the light novel bookshelf and opened the Line chat interface at the same time.

The ridiculously long light novel title suddenly filled the entire screen.

How Can I Be Your Lover? No No No! (Is It Not Impossible?!) Volume 6
"Things About Buying Classmates Once a Week ~ Time for Two, Five Thousand Yuan as an Excuse ~" Volume 4
Volume 7 of "A Yuri Story: A Girl Who Says It's Impossible Between Girls Will Be Completely Conquered Within 100 Days"
"Compared to him, am I better?" Volume 1

……

Ryujinin Michiyo: "I'll take care of all of this."

Ryujinin Michiyo: "I have 5000 yen on my library card. If there's any book you like, Masumi-kun, feel free to buy it. You're welcome."

Ryujinin Michiyo: "(*￣︶￣)"

It took Masumi quite a while to find all the light novels that Mami had requested. Some of them were newly released, with covers featuring cute girls prominently displayed, so they were easy to spot as you walked by.

Some of them were completed works several years ago, and they are difficult to find because you can only spot the titles between the rows of spines.

Putting the plastic-wrapped light novel into the shopping cart, Masumi left the light novel area and walked to the comic bookshelf to look for the comic he had been reading recently.

The comic he was reading was a free comic for a limited time. The latest chapters of the comic could be seen on the website within a certain period of time, and the previous content would be removed from the shelves regularly, so only the single volume could be purchased.

Masumi started reading from the fourth volume. He put the first three volumes into the shopping cart and walked to the counter to pay.

"Please pay separately for light novels and comics. Light novels require a library card."

After walking out of the bookstore and waiting at the door for a while, Rin also came out.

She bought more books than Masumi and was carrying two heavy shopping bags in her hands.

Looking down from a high vantage point, you can see through the plastic bags the brightly patterned picture books, comic books, and some textbook reference books.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting so long."

The bag looked very heavy, and her slender fingers were trembling slightly as she held the plastic bag.

"It won't be long."

Masumi said this, reaching out to help her share a bag, but she took a half step back to avoid his hand.

"It's getting late, let's go back to the store."

Rinone said, looking at Masumi.

It was around four in the afternoon when they drove back to Fanxing. The two of them moved the things they bought into the store and were busy for nearly twenty minutes.

After carrying the potted plants into the store and placing them on the ground, Masumi's forehead was covered in sweat. He straightened up and rested for a while.

The moment I straightened my waist, a feeling of soreness, swelling and numbness spread from my lumbar vertebrae. This was much more tiring than moving equipment during a performance.

He glanced at Rin. Although her shoulders and arms were shaking with fatigue, she kept up the cycle of lifting, carrying, and putting down. She was like a ruthless carrying machine.

Masumi felt a bit embarrassed and quickly threw himself back into the process of moving the goods. When he finally finished moving everything, he sat down on a chair, panting and resting, his eyelids drooping.

White and slender legs passed before my eyes.

He looked up and saw Linyin walking out with a plastic bag full of books.

As if to answer his silent question, the girl spoke softly.

"I have to go out for something and will be back late. Tell Mami-san and Mirai-chan that they don't have to wait for me for dinner."

"Is it about work at the store? I'll go with you."

"Thank you, but it's not necessary. This is my personal matter."

"……OK."

Her black hair swayed as she left with her slim figure, leaving Masumi alone in the store.

The coffee shop was deserted on a holiday, the fluorescent lights were not on, it was a bit dim, and there was a deserted atmosphere.

A feeling of lethargy came over Masumi, as if he had taken a nap and didn't wake up until the evening. He suddenly felt like he was the only one left in the world.

Unspoken thoughts swirled around him, and Masumi stared at the floor, waiting for the wave of emotion to subside.

In the past, when he was alone in Tokyo, he would play the piano. The wild sound of the strings would be so loud that he had no time to feel sad. This may be the reason why lonely people like music.

But now, he no longer had the mood to play the piano.

Just before he was caught by nothingness, he heard the creaking sound of wooden stairs being stepped on.

A pair of white slippers came into view.

He looked up and saw Seno Asami pulling out a chair and sitting down next to him. Her legs were crossed, stretching out the lines of her long legs, and her thighs pressed together, gently rubbing against each other, creating a voluptuous and soft curve.

"Why did you come back alone? Where's little Rinne?"

"She said she had something to do outside. It was a private matter and she would be back late."

"Ah~ He should have gone to the welfare home."

Asami said nonchalantly, straightening her legs and changing her crossed-legged position.

The slippers slipped off the toes and rolled to the ground, revealing the toes hidden in the shoes, as beautiful as petals.

"Orphanage?"

Masumi was stunned at first, then asked, "Is it okay for you to tell me this so easily?"

"I made a slip of the tongue. In romance comics, things like this should be left to the hero to discover on his own."

"You're talking nonsense again."

"Just kidding."

The white toes hooked up the slippers on the ground, and Mami raised her feet, hooking the slippers with her toes and swinging them back and forth.

"It's okay. Little Rinyin goes to the welfare home once a week. She hasn't hidden it from anyone. You'll find out sooner or later if you stay here."

"Oh."

Masumi took out his comics from the shopping bag on the table and handed the plastic bag to Asami, "The light novel you asked for."

"Hey! Thank you!"

As she opened the bag, Mami's slender eyes lit up.

With a satisfied smile on her face, Asami put down the bag and moved closer to Masumi.

"I say, Masumi-kun, don't you want to ask me about Rin-ne?" "Didn't you say that the hero should find out for himself?"

The latter answered seriously.

Masumi's words made Asami laugh. She was stunned at first, but then she pressed her forehead with the light novel in great joy. Her back was shaking with laughter, and her slippers were dangling on her toes.

"Well, actually, I want to hear you say that too."

Masumi spoke his mind honestly.

"Tell me about what happened while I was gone."

He really wanted to know more about Kamijou and what happened after he left.

"That's right, Masumi-kun." Asami patted his shoulder loudly.

"Cough cough!"

Clearing her throat as if before going on stage to perform Rakugo, Asami leaned back in her chair, staring at the table not far away with a nostalgic look on her face, her lips parted.

"Xiao Linyin originally came to Fanxing for a part-time job."

"She was a student at Peking University High School at the time and was looking for a part-time job nearby. Mr. Jing Jian knew that the orphanage where Xiao Linyin lived was far from the school, so he considerately let her stay at the store."

"Little Rin is very grateful for Mr. Jing Jian's care. While balancing her studies, she helps out in the store as much as possible every day and has become the store's poster girl."

"Mr. Jing Jian told me all this after I came to the store."

"Mr. Jing Jian is really nice. He doesn't require a deposit or a key fee, and the rent is cheap. All I have to do is help out in the store occasionally."

Asami said, letting out a sweet sigh.

"Since last year, Mr. Jing Jian has been in and out of the hospital frequently due to health reasons. He proposed to Xiao Linyin that she become the heir of Fanxing, but was rejected."

"Mr. Jing Jian initially thought she didn't want to stay in Kobe. After all, with her deviation value, she could have gone to a top university like Kyoto University."

"But that's not actually the case. Rinone said she won't leave Kobe to settle down, and she chose the Faculty of Economics at Kobe University."

"Why is that?" Masumi asked curiously.

Even the relatively popular Faculty of Economics at Shinkansen University cannot compare with Kyoto University in terms of deviation value.

"Because of that orphanage."

Mami lowered her eyelashes quietly. The sunset glow coming in through the glass window dyed the store red, and the afterglow of the sunset seeped into her eyes.

"Little Rinyin told me that she has been living in that orphanage since she was 10 years old. She is very grateful for the orphanage's shelter and care."

"Under the municipality's new social welfare policy, subsidies for orphanages are determined based on the proportion of children with disabilities. Rin'in's orphanage was designated a Level 2 facility, and conditions there have deteriorated dramatically..."

"Because of this, Xiao Linyin has always been worried about the welfare home. She goes back every week to visit the director and everyone else, so she doesn't want to leave Kobe."

I see, it’s because I still care about the welfare home where I used to live.

"But I think now there's another reason, and that's this coffee shop."

"For little Rin, she has already regarded this place as her home..."

"Shelter?"

Masumi chewed on this word over and over again. It was hard to imagine that it came from the mouth of the seemingly frivolous Mami.

"Yes, shelter."

Asami narrowed her eyes, an unfathomable smile plastered on her lips.

"Do you know why Mr. Jing Jian must find someone to inherit the stars?" Mami asked.

This question came too suddenly. Masumi was still thinking about the meaning of the previous sentence. It was a beat late before he understood the meaning of this sentence.

He shook his head honestly.

"Little Rinyin knew that Mr. Jing Jian had a son, and she kept making excuses to shirk responsibility. In order to not burden her, Mr. Jing Jian exaggerated and told us a lot about you."

"After hearing that you once said you wanted to inherit the coffee shop and then abandoned it and ran away from home, Xiao Linyin was very angry."

"Mr. Jing Jian was hospitalized last month. In order to live up to his hard work, I finally decided to take over Fanxing."

"So that's why she reacted so strongly to me when we first returned to the store?"

"Ah."

Mami tilted her head slightly, her soft long hair sliding across her cheeks and falling to her chest.

"I hope you can get along well, and I believe Mr. Jingjian feels the same way. Creating hostility between my designated heir and Masumi-kun would probably just backfire."

She ran her fingers through the ends of her hair, pulling it into curls.

"Kamiyo her...what happened before?"

Masumi asked, "I mean before the welfare home."

"I am not sure as well."

Asami shook her head.

"It's up to the hero to discover this himself."

She repeated her old joke and suddenly tilted her head to ask Masumi, "You don't hate your father, do you?"

"Yes."

"It's amazing that you can answer immediately without hesitation."

"Although he is very strict, no one is more gentle than him. I am very grateful to him and do not hate him."

"So... Masumi-kun, do you like working with coffee?"

"Why do you ask this suddenly?"

Masumi stared at Asami in confusion, her long, gently swaying bangs obscuring her expression. Asami was still waiting for his next words, a clear answer.

After a moment's silence, Masumi replied:

"……it's OK."

"Is that so? Then I think my guess is correct."

Asami stretched out her body and said in a nonchalant tone.

"Mr. Jingjian has been guarding this store all this time, probably because of you, Masumi-kun."

(End of this chapter)