Tokyo: They say it's just dating, but they're serious about it.

Although there is a transparent glass window facing the roadside, there is no need to open a new door.

We don't have much money right now, so we'll just do a quick tidy-up and not renovate.

Sheng Yan tentatively plans to use this shop to buy and sell low-priced secondhand items such as game cartridges, celebrity autographs, records, valuable postcards, and photo albums. He expects to earn enough money in about six months, at which point he can start buying high-priced luxury goods, as well as old household appliances, and even begin smuggling overseas to Hong Kong and Guangdong.

It is said that a guy who robbed a gold shop with an AK-47, after escaping death, discovered that the bag of gold he risked his life to steal was not as profitable as someone else smuggling a ship full of second-hand household appliances.

After finishing his work, Sheng Yan was covered in sweat. He took the towel that Mikoto handed him, wiped his face, and said, "This afternoon I'll take Sayuri to the secondhand market to familiarize her with the process. I'll hand this shop over to her later."

"Are you going to hand the shop over to her?" Mikoto asked, tilting her head.

"She's good at saving money; she'd be good at business,"

Katsuhiko handed the towel to Mikoto, turned his back, and gestured for her to wipe his back. He continued, "We won't register a new business license. You can use your convenience store business license and apply for an antique dealer license. You'll be joint legal entities, each holding half, tied together..."

Although Mikoto had accumulated over ten million yen in debt due to poor management of her convenience store, the addition of the secondhand store would quickly revive her business. Once it was fully operational, she would be able to secure even more loans from the bank.

"Shall we tie ourselves together?" A hint of anticipation flickered in Mikoto's wandering eyes.

“I noticed last night that she was becoming clingy.”

Sheng Yan frowned, his eyes serious yet somewhat brooding, and continued, "I won't be able to stand it. But I can't bear to get rid of her, and I'm worried she'll run away. I definitely have to tie her down. Once the shop is up and running, you take her to the bank to get a loan, the more the better, so she can't shake you off, can't run away..."

If only I could have kept Xiaobaihe hanging for another month, things are progressing so fast now that it's making her feel insecure.

Based on his past experience, Sheng Yan knew that these kinds of people would ask "Do you love me?" every three minutes, and if he didn't get a satisfactory answer, they would lean close to his ear and keep asking.

Like the buzzing of mosquitoes, "buzz—buzz—buzz—"

Which man could stand it? Even Sun Wukong couldn't.

"Huh? Um..." Mikoto opened her mouth, rubbed her temples in confusion, and looked a little uneasy. She continued, "Although I... I really don't want to pry into your love life, but... um, will you take responsibility for Sayuri-chan?"

Xiaobaihe is a wonderful girl, beautiful and cute, and she knows how to save money. She's never been in a relationship, a pure and innocent girl. Her clinginess is her strength, but unfortunately, she met a womanizer who makes her both lovable and infuriating.

"Of course! I've already said I'm going to marry her."

Katsuhiko answered decisively, then paused before continuing, "But I can't cut off contact with you either. You're so wonderful, I can't bear to let you go. Anyway, all men in the world with the means make mistakes, I can't be that kind of pure love exception."

"Uh, okay..."

Misaka got the answer she wanted: as long as he could take responsibility...

"From now on, you'll be my trusted secretary. You'll have to remind me of things I might not think of."

“Me? No way, you’ll be getting into so many ‘mistakes’ in the future, it’ll kill me,” Mikoto shook her head quickly, continuing to rub Katsuhiko’s back, and asked, “Since you’re planning to give the shop to Sayuri, what are you going to do next?”

“I’ll use the money you lent me to enter the film and television media industry, the entertainment industry… um,” Sheng Yan estimated that the amount of money lent out was far from enough, “Let’s see how much we can borrow first! Investing in stocks is also a good option.”

"Investing...investing in stocks?" Mikoto's legs went weak, and she hugged Katsuhiko's waist, looking up at him and saying, "You're not kidding, are you?"

It's 93 now, and there have been several waves of people who jumped off buildings after speculating in stocks...

Katsuhiko placed his hand on Mikoto's chin.

"Miss, Mikoto, the store manager?" A slightly trembling, almost tearful voice suddenly rang out from the doorway, "Husband...husband, what...what are you doing?"

Sayuri put her convenience store uniform back on: a beige jacket over a white shirt and a brown knee-length pleated skirt, along with her usual white knee-length stockings and black leather shoes.

However, her hair was already styled in a bun, resembling a married woman's hairstyle. If she were walking down the street, she would give passersby the impression of "the charm and shyness of a newlywed bride."

Of course, her current state was somewhat peculiar; her face was pale, her eyes were darting around, and she was filled with tension and disbelief.

Mikoto's body suddenly stiffened, and she turned her head stiffly, her face turning pale and then red, her wide eyes filled with panic and helplessness.

It was so sudden... She wasn't mentally prepared to deal with it.

"Ahem!" Katsuhiko coughed lightly without changing his expression, took the towel from Mikoto's hand, then patted Mikoto's shoulders with both hands to help her up. He then looked down at her ankle and asked, "Manager Mikoto, why did you suddenly fall? Did you twist your ankle?"

“Uh, oh, yes, yes,” Mikoto quickly twisted her left foot, bowed her head, and said, “Mr. Takenaka, I’m so sorry for being so rude and offending you…”

"Oh dear, that's really troublesome," Katsuhiko said, turning to Sayuri, and then added, "Honey, don't just stand there, quickly help Manager Mikoto to the rest chair."

"Huh?" Sayuri looked around blankly, then quickly walked into the store, took Mikoto's arm, and led her to a bench. She asked softly, "Manager Mikoto, are you badly injured?"

"It's alright..." Mikoto hopped on one leg, "It's just a little sore..."

Katsuhiko, waving a white towel, said, "You can't even handle something as simple as handing over a towel. No wonder your convenience store is about to go out of business."

Mikoto turned around as if "ashamed," biting her lower lip, and said, "I'm so sorry to have disappointed you..."

Judging from Katsuhiko's calm and collected demeanor, Mikoto could basically conclude that Katsuhiko was only lying to protect his own feelings, and that he was still somewhat dissatisfied.

Knowing his personality, he'll probably just be honest... I feel both touched and helpless, it's so awkward...

Sayuri glanced at Mikoto in a flustered manner, then turned back to Katsuhiko, a hint of worry in her eyes, and said cautiously, "Manager Mikoto, it's very good."

Sayuri is trying to make amends for Katsuhiko's "rude" words and actions. Besides having a good relationship, they both work at Mikoto's shop and rely on her for their salaries; jobs are hard to find...

“Coward, all you’re good at is being hardworking and capable,” Katsuhiko said, holding the towel upright and rubbing it on his back. “Tonight, let’s see who dares to come among those harassing gangs. I’ll beat them all up.”

It's the beginning of the month, and the yakuza's monthly protection money collection campaign has begun.

Xiaobaihe's reaction seemed to be out of sync; she simply nodded stiffly.

After sitting down, Mikoto immediately lay face down on the long dining table, then covered her flushed cheeks with her arms. To an outsider, it looked as if she was overwhelmed with shame and self-blame.

"Honey, could you pour this water out for me?" Katsuhiko noticed that Sayuri still seemed suspicious and preoccupied, as if she were looking at something strange...

"Huh? Oh!" Sayuri quickly walked over, picked up the basin and headed towards the sink, but she still felt a little uneasy. She subconsciously turned around and saw Katsuhiko right behind her, almost dropping the basin.

"What's wrong?" Katsuhiko asked.

"Um... I, I just saw..." Sayuri stammered, then subconsciously glanced at Mikoto's location, poured the water from the plastic basin into the sink, and then whispered, "You... you pinched Manager Mikoto's chin..."

The faint voice carried a deep sense of grievance.

"Sigh!" Katsuhiko sighed with a hint of melancholy, then lifted Sayuri's chin with his index finger, making her tilt her head back. "I was a little dazed at the time. The way she tilted her head back was exactly the same as how you look now. I saw your shadow. I mistook her for you. Now everyone I see looks like you. Do you think I'm sick?"

"Ah~" Little Lily couldn't stand this cheesy pickup line. Her face flushed red, and she gripped the plastic basin with both hands, not knowing how to respond.

Sheng Yan placed the basin of water she was holding on the sink, then put his arm around her shoulder, pulled her into his arms, and asked, "Didn't I tell you to sleep in a little longer at home?"

"I...I miss you..." Sayuri rested her head against Katsuhiko's chest, swaying slightly.

"It's like we're telepathically connected. I missed you so much that I mistook Mikoto for you."

"No, you can't..." Sayuri pressed her head against Katsuhiko's chest, trying to burrow deeper. "Manager Mikoto already has a boyfriend, don't do this..."

Chapter 21 Birthday Dinner

"Mikoto has a boyfriend?" Katsuhiko turned to look at Mikoto, who was lying on the table and peeking in their direction, and raised his voice to ask, "When did this happen?"

Katsuhiko was habitually suspicious, and he knew that in Mikoto's case it was a "bad habit," since he could tell from his interactions with Mikoto that she was honest.

But since I've already fallen into this "bad habit," I won't feel at ease until I get to the bottom of it.

At the dining table, Mikoto buried her face in her arms, her shoulders trembling. She probably felt jealous and was secretly laughing to herself.

Hmm, we can add the act of "jealousy" to our daily conversations from now on. For example, Little Lily, who is prone to anxiety and insecurity, would really benefit from this; it should really tickle her sore spot.

“It was the afternoon before yesterday that she told me,” Xiaobaihe said, still keeping her head down. “If her boyfriend saw you pinching her chin like that, he would definitely misunderstand…”

"Then I'll be more careful in the future..." Katsuhiko said dismissively, then asked, "Have you eaten?"

When Sayuri woke up in the morning, she saw the note left by Katsuhiko and rushed over. She hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

The store has been cleaned up now.

Mikoto only sat for a short while. After easing the awkwardness, she said she was fine and then urged Katsuhiko to take Sayuri out to eat. She needed to close the shop and go home to take care of Chinatsu...

Mikoto hopped on her bicycle and sped off.

Little Lily stared, somewhat dazed.

Katsuhiko took her little hand and walked towards the breakfast stall across the street, saying, "Let's go to the flea market after we eat."

Katsuhiko bought Sayuri a Japanese omelet, but Sayuri didn't seem to have much of an appetite and could only eat half of it before she couldn't eat anymore, so Katsuhiko ate the other half.

It's only a 10-minute walk from Okubo 2-chome to the flea market in Shinjuku Central Park, so there's no need to take the subway.

Katsuhiko continued to hold Sayuri's hand and slowly walked along the pedestrian street in that direction.

On the second day of the Golden Week holiday, not many people were at work. It was only 7:30 a.m., and there weren't many pedestrians on the pedestrian street.

In the garden on the right, rows of cherry trees have already finished blooming, and clusters of emerald green leaves adorn their branches.

Sayuri linked arms with Katsuhiko's with one hand, while idly fiddling with the green leaves that brushed past her head with the other.

"husband……"

Little Lily suddenly let out a faint, hesitant sound.

It's coming, it's coming, it's coming... A strong sense of foreboding instantly rose in Katsuhiko's heart. He slowly turned his head to look at Sayuri.

Little Lily kept her head down and asked softly, "Do you...do you like me...?"

"I love you! I love you to the core!" Sheng Yan exclaimed, his scalp tingling. "I won't marry anyone but you, I won't marry anyone but you!"

Sayuri seemed startled. Her shoulders trembled, and she clung tightly to Katsuhiko's arm. She shrank back and quickly glanced around, her face flushing pink. She whispered, "Don't be so loud, it's so embarrassing."

"No way! Love should be said out loud." Sheng Yan's head was buzzing, and he felt like he was going into a state of stress. "I won't marry anyone but you!"

"Hmm..." Sayuri tilted her head slightly, leaning against Katsuhiko's arm, a slight smile on her lips, and murmured softly as if to herself, "I...I also...I won't marry anyone but you..."

Katsuhiko cautiously glanced at Sayuri's face; she seemed lost in her own thoughts, she'd probably calm down soon...

The two strolled into the park, and seeing the bustling crowd, Katsuhiko's heart, which had been pounding, finally settled back into his stomach.

Next, browse the stalls and select various secondhand goods.

Xiaobaihe showed great interest and was very perceptive about the prices of secondhand goods, even going so far as to haggle.

She often goes to flea markets with her mother, and most of her daily necessities and clothes are also found at second-hand markets.

Katsuhiko was quite pleased and pleasantly surprised by this; she was so good at managing money and had a knack for business.

The current target for purchasing items is various game cards, collectible records, photo books, and autographs. However, since Sheng Yan already went through the entire stock yesterday, he didn't buy much more.

Mikoto Convenience Store has various small tools for displaying counters and authenticating goods on its shelves, such as shelves and safes, which you can also use directly.

As noon approached, the two got tired of walking and rested on a park bench.

Xiaobaihe lowered her head, clutching the half-bag of game cards she had just bought. While fiddling with the cards, she glanced at Shengyan's face and whispered, "Honey, do you like..."

Here we go again… Katsuhiko’s hair stood on end, and he quickly said, “Mikoto’s convenience store has already vacated half of the area. Next, we’ll start setting up the game corner. As for how to set it up, it’s up to you. I’m going to give you that store and let you take over. All the money you make is yours, and you don’t have to pay rent to Mikoto. Do you like that?”