Tokyo: Love Begins with Controlling the Rich Girl

Seeing this, Shimada Sho simply emphasized, "I'll say it again, I don't hate you, and there's no particular reason why I'm ignoring you. I was just in a bad mood that day, that's all."

He felt he had explained things clearly enough.

The reasoning is plausible.

"Mm." Nozomi Sasaki nodded gently, as if she had taken his words to heart.

But after a moment, he asked uncertainly, "Really?"

"real."

She looked up, her eyes reddening without her noticing.

Fortunately, the gloomy mood from before was gone.

"Then, then I can..."

"What can I do?"

"Can... I continue talking to Shimada-kun?" Her voice was tentative and cautious.

Shimada Sho asked in confusion, "Haven't you been saying that all along?"

Nozomi Sasaki turned her head and looked out the car window.

It's still raining.

A layer of fog covered the glass, blurring the street scene outside.

Nozomi Sasaki lowered her head, a faint smile playing on her lips.

The uncle in the front row probably had a problem with his internet connection; his short video was interrupted, and the carriage was quiet for a while.

"Shimada-kun," she suddenly spoke, her voice a little louder than before.

"Ok?"

“A few days ago… I went to see Shimada-kun to thank him.”

Shimada Sho turned to look at her.

“My dad told me everything about what happened last time,” Nozomi Sasaki said, her head down, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the corner of her schoolbag. “He said that the night we went to Owada Financial Center, Shimada-kun stood up for our family. Although we didn’t get the land back in the end, but…”

She paused for a moment, then said, "Shimada-kun is the first person who was willing to stand up for our family."

Shimada Sho remained silent.

“Later, a government official came,” Nozomi Sasaki continued. “He said it was an instruction from higher-ups to help us with the paperwork for the shop. Now the contract has been re-signed, and the shop is completely back in our family’s name.”

Her voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly. "Mom cried for a long time after she found out, saying she could finally rest easy. Dad also said we must thank the person who helped us properly."

As Shimada Sho listened, a complex emotion suddenly welled up inside him.

The girl did come to thank him, but not just for what happened at the Owada Financial Center headquarters.

There's more to come.

It was an instruction from the government, from high-ranking officials.

It's Yuki Ayase.

She took meticulous care of him for a long time when he was injured and hospitalized last week.

When the incident happened, the district attorney arrived immediately, and later, Aunt Island Flower's property transfer procedures were completed.

He thought the ordeal would end when he was discharged from the hospital.

Unexpectedly, Yuki Ayase had done so much in secret.

Even the shops owned by Nozomi Sasaki's family were dealt with.

Moreover, not a single word was mentioned from beginning to end.

"Shimada-kun?" Nozomi Sasaki's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"what happened?"

"Is that government official... a friend of Shimada-kun?"

Shimada Sho thought for a moment, "I guess so."

"Then... could you please thank her for me?" Nozomi Sasaki said earnestly. "If it weren't for her, our family might really not have made it through."

"I will."

Nozomi Sasaki nodded, then lowered her head again.

After a while, he looked up and smiled: "Although those gangsters still show up near the shops, the family business is no longer affected."

You could tell she was very happy.

The family's troubles have been completely resolved.

I want to thank Shimada Sho. Although I was met with a cold shoulder several times, this time the misunderstanding was cleared up, and I was finally able to speak my mind.

But at this moment, Shimada Sho's brows furrowed involuntarily. "The yakuza are coming again?"

“Hmm.” Nozomi Sasaki responded, forcing a smile. “But it’s already very good. Mom never dared to imagine that we could get the shop back. Although those gangsters still show up often, they haven’t really done anything to our family.”

Shimada Sho's brows furrowed even more.

Last time in Hyakunincho, Nozomi Sasaki's father said that Sumiyoshi would want that piece of land, not because he wanted to build a house on it.

He didn't think much of it at the time, but now, looking back, he realizes it wasn't so simple.

Owada Financial wanted to use that land as a pledge of allegiance to the Sumiyoshi-kai.

Sumiyoshi wants that land; he has ulterior motives.

Now that the Ayase Yuki family has intervened, the procedural issues have been resolved, but those people won't give up easily.

The district prosecutor's office can investigate the illegal operations of Owada Financial, but it can't control what happens when they walk on the street.

As long as those people are still hanging around, Nozomi Sasaki and her mother will always have a knife hanging over their hearts.

“It’s much better now than before.” Seeing Shimada Sho’s worry, Sasaki Nozomi comforted him, “At least the shop is ours now, and Mom doesn’t have to worry about being kicked out. We’ll just pretend we don’t see those people loitering outside.”

Looking at her feignedly relaxed face, Shimada Sho felt a slight pang in his heart.

"Don't worry, Shimada-kun." She seemed to notice the change in Shimada Sho's expression and quickly said, "It's really much better now, we're very content."

Shimada Sho did not respond.

The bus swayed and rattled past several stops, raindrops tapping against the windows with a soft, pattering sound.

“Shimada-kun,” Nozomi Sasaki spoke again.

"Ah."

“Um…” Her voice was hesitant, “Dad said he’d like to invite Shimada-kun to our house for a meal.”

"Eat?" Shimada Sho turned to look at her.

She explained, "Well... Mom and Dad really want to thank you. Mom even said that without Shimada-kun, our family might..."

She couldn't continue, lowered her head, and her fingers began to unconsciously tug at the strap of her schoolbag again.

Looking at her nervous appearance, Shimada Sho recalled the first time he saw her inside Kamishiro Yukine's body.

That's how it is; she speaks with her head down, looking nervous.

She has always been very timid.

It must have taken a great deal of courage to extend this invitation.

I was terrified of being rejected again.

“Okay,” Shimada Sho readily agreed.

Nozomi Sasaki looked up immediately and asked excitedly, "Really?"

"Ah."

"Um, um..." she stammered excitedly, "When is Shimada-kun free? Is the weekend okay? Or next weekend? Mom said I need to prepare in advance..."

"I don't have time right now," Shimada Sho interrupted her. "I'll contact you in a few days."

"Okay, okay!" She nodded vigorously. "Then I'll wait for news from Shimada-kun."

Looking at her face, flushed with excitement, Shimada Sho's lips unconsciously curved into a smile.

"Higashi-Nakano-Sanchome—We've arrived at Higashi-Nakano-Sanchome."

The broadcast started.

Nozomi Sasaki stood up. "I...I've arrived."

"Ah."

She walked to the back door, hesitated for a moment, then turned around and bowed to Shimada Sho.

"Thank you for today, Shimada-kun."

"Ah."

She straightened up, looked at Shimada Sho, her lips moved, but in the end she just smiled.

"Then, I'm leaving."

"Ah."

The car door opened, and she got out.

Raindrops immediately began to pelt her.

"Wait a minute." Shimada Sho stood up, walked to the door, and handed over the umbrella. "Here you go."

Nozomi Sasaki hesitated for a moment, "N-no, I..."

"Here you go." Shimada Sho shoved the umbrella into her hand. "Give it back to me tomorrow."

Nozomi Sasaki looked at the umbrella in her hand, then looked up at Sho Shimada.

Raindrops fell on her face, mixed with tears that had started flowing without her noticing.

"...Thank you, Shimada-kun."

She opened her umbrella and stepped into the rain.

Shimada Sho stood at the car door, watching her back.

Unlike the previous times, this time she didn't lower her head or hunch her shoulders.

She held the umbrella, her steps light and quick, occasionally glancing up at the umbrella above her head.

When she reached the alley entrance, she suddenly stopped, turned around, and waved in the direction of Shimada Sho.

Then he turned and ran into the alley.

Shimada Sho looked away and sat back down in his seat.

The bus restarted.

Shimada Sho leaned back in his chair, his mind replaying the conversation he had just had.

Yuki Ayase.

That woman never said anything, but she did everything in secret.

I helped him investigate Owada Financial, got the district prosecutor's office involved, dealt with Aunt Shimahana's property, and even resolved the issue of Sasaki Nozomi's shop.

These seem like trivial matters.

"I should thank her properly," Shimada Sho thought to himself.

I only paid back part of the money from our last date, and I still owe her half a day.

I'll thank you in person next time we meet.

The bus passed two more stops, and Shimada Sho got off in Nakano Ward.

I originally planned to go directly to Aunt Daohua's house, but my stepmother said she was going to treat him to dinner today.

But they ran into Nozomi Sasaki on the way and took her back to this side.

Seeing that there was no time left, Shimada Sho had no choice but to send a message saying he couldn't go.

Because of this message, Hoshino Yuzuki sent several eye-rolling emojis.