Tokyo: Love Begins with Controlling the Rich Girl

After thinking for a moment, Shimada Sho said, "You should go back first."

Where is the shop assistant?

"work."

"Oh..." Tenkai Chizuru responded, remaining standing still.

"Is there anything else?"

"Um..." she hesitated for a moment, "Sir, may I come to the store to find you again?"

"Don't you come every day?"

"Hmm...but now..."

“…Okay.” Shimada Sho readily agreed.

Even if I refuse, this girl will probably still come over against her will.

It was just a meeting, nothing serious.

"Okay!" Having received the answer she wanted, Tenkai Chizuru's eyes curved into crescent moons.

She waved happily to Shimada Sho and turned to walk out of the school gate.

She took a few steps, then turned back, smiled at him, and jogged away, disappearing around the street corner.

Shimada Sho watched her retreating figure, shook his head, and turned to walk towards the convenience store.

……

As dusk falls, the lanterns in front of the Imperial Garden begin to illuminate the scene.

Shimada Sho pushed open the door of the convenience store, and the wind chimes tinkled.

Rena Takikawa was scrolling through her phone on the counter when she saw him come in. She lazily raised her hand and said, "Genji-kun~ Why are you so late today?"

"Something came up at school."

"Oh~" she drawled, looking at him with a smile, "Did you go on a date with your girlfriend?"

"……no."

"You're lying~ You smell like a girl's perfume."

Shimada Sho lowered his head and sniffed his collar, but there was nothing there.

"There's something wrong with your nose."

“It’s Genji’s nose that’s the problem.” Rena Takikawa stood up from her chair, picked up her bag, and said, “I’m leaving now. You’re in charge of the shop.”

The wind chimes tinkled as her figure disappeared around the street corner.

Shimada Sho changed into an apron, put his phone on the shelf and started recording, then sat down at the cashier and opened the registration form.

There weren't many customers in the evening, except for a few students buying drinks and office workers buying cigarettes.

For the past few days, he has been using the smart hosting login to log in to Miss.

But the mess caused by the last time he used the system left him with lingering fears. That broken system was completely unreliable, and who knew what kind of trouble it might cause next.

I'll log in myself when I get back today.

Just as I was making plans, the wind chimes on the door rang again.

"Welcome, light!"

Shimada Sho looked up, only saying half of his welcome.

A girl wearing a light gray coat and with her hair tied in a low ponytail stood at the door.

Short hair to ear length, fair skin, and clean, clear eyes.

She was holding a plastic bag from a convenience store, standing at the entrance, probably not expecting to run into Shimada Sho here, and she stood there stunned.

Nozomi Sasaki.

The two stared at each other for two seconds.

"Shimada-kun?" Her voice was uncertain.

"Hmm," Shimada Sho replied. "What are you doing here?"

"I...I'm here to buy something..." she said timidly as she entered the store.

Shimada Sho didn't say much, just nodded, "Oh."

Although the misunderstanding from last time has been cleared up, the girl probably still harbors some resentment.

He didn't say much, just watched Sasaki Nozomi enter and then walk around the shelves.

After taking a bottle of water, I walked to the cashier.

Shimada Sho scanned the code, quoted the price, she paid, and took the change. The two of them didn't exchange a single word throughout the entire process.

She turned and walked to the door, then stopped.

"Shimada-kun".

"Ok?"

“Um…” she hesitated for a moment, “Thank you for the umbrella last time.”

"You're welcome."

She nodded, pushed open the door, and went out.

Shimada Sho thought she had left, so he lowered his head and continued flipping through the registration forms.

About five minutes later, the wind chimes on the door rang again.

Nozomi Sasaki returned, carrying a small paper bag.

"This," she said, placing the paper bag on the counter and pushing it towards him. "It's for you."

When Shimada Sho opened it, he found several exquisite sushi pieces.

Salmon, tuna, tamagoyaki—each dish was made with great care and arranged neatly.

"This is?"

"A thank you gift." Nozomi Sasaki's face flushed slightly. "I haven't properly thanked you for what happened last time. This is something I made myself; I don't know if it's good..."

Shimada Sho looked at the few pieces of sushi, then looked up at her.

She stood there, clutching the hem of her clothes with both hands, as nervous as if she were waiting for a verdict.

"Thank you, it should be delicious." He gave an affirmative answer.

Sasaki Nozomi's shoulders relaxed, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

"No, you're welcome."

She turned to leave, but stopped after taking two steps.

"By the way, Shimada-kun."

"Ok?"

"That friend you mentioned last time...Is there any chance I can thank her in person?"

Shimada Sho was taken aback. "What friend?"

"It's the one that helped our family deal with the shop."

Nozomi Sasaki turned around and explained earnestly, "Yesterday, another person came and chased away those gangsters loitering around the shops. Mom said we should thank them properly, but I don't know who it was..."

Shimada Sho frowned. "Did someone come again yesterday?"

"Yes, a girl, who looked about our age, with short hair, wearing black clothes, and didn't talk much," Nozomi Sasaki recalled. "She came with a few people, and the yakuza left when they saw her. Before she left, she left her business card, saying that no one would bother her again."

A face flashed into Shimada Sho's mind.

Short hair, black maid outfit, expressionless.

It is Kiryu Ichiyo.

Chapter 180 Mr. Thug, can you explain this?

As a member of the Sumiyoshi-kai and the daughter of a high-ranking official, Kiryu Ichiyo holds a very high position within the Sumiyoshi-kai.

With her involved, the Sasaki family's affairs could be settled with just a word.

But she had no reason to step forward and help.

To put it more negatively, sending her henchmen to harass the Sasaki family might have been part of her plan.

After all, Shimada Sho had seen that woman's true colors before when he was with the Owada Group.

The only way she could be persuaded to abandon her goal and instead resolve the matter would be by order of someone of higher status than herself.

It's not hard to guess who this person is; it's the young lady.

If it was her, then it would explain why Ayase Yuki looked so confused when he thanked her.

The person sent wasn't Yuki Ayase, but the young lady herself.

She learned of the conflict between the Sumiyoshi-kai and the Sasaki family and sent someone to settle the debt.

Upon learning that the yakuza were still causing trouble, he verbally gave Kiryu Ichiyo the order.

The question is, why would the young lady want to help?

Is it because Nozomi Sasaki is her friend, or...?

"Shimada-kun, what's wrong?"

Nozomi Sasaki's voice interrupted Sho Shimada's thoughts.

"It's nothing." Coming back to his senses, he shook his head and said, "If it's a girl, she's probably not my friend. Do you know someone who can help you?"

If it's the young lady who's helping, he thinks it's best to remind Sasaki Nozomi.

Putting everything else aside, at least it allows her to thank the person in person.

This can be considered as maintaining contact with friends.

"Shimada-kun, are you referring to...Kamishiro-kun?"

Nozomi Sasaki seemed to realize something, and her eyes lit up.

Shimada Sho asked in confusion, "What classmate?"

"Ah, I forgot you don't know Shimada-kun."

Sasaki was unaware of his relationship with the young lady, and when he realized it, he smiled sheepishly.

She quickly lowered her head and muttered to herself, "Kamishiro did ask me about my family before... but she's transferred schools, I thought..."

"You can ask her," Shimada Sho said, going along with her suggestion.

Nozomi Sasaki nodded. "Okay, I'll go back and ask."

After saying that, he smiled at Shimada Sho and said, "Thank you, Shimada-kun."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for reminding me." She waved. "I'm off now, goodbye Shimada-kun."

After the wind chimes rang, she pushed open the door and left.

Shimada Sho stood behind the cashier, watching her figure gradually disappear around the street corner.

I was a little confused as to why Sasaki was here.

The last time he went shopping with Yuki Ayase, the store they went to was quite a distance away from here.

This must just be a coincidence, right?

With that thought in mind, Shimada Sho refocused his attention on his work.

……

At 9 p.m., Rena Takikawa returned to take over her shift on time.

Shimada Sho took a bento box and ran home; by then, he was already covered in sweat.

After taking a shower and lying in bed, he opened the system panel.