Tokyo: Love Begins with Controlling the Rich Girl

"Go down."

Ayase Yuki's voice interrupted Shimada Sho's reflection, "Don't keep them waiting."

"Okay." Shimada Sho bent down to pick up the photo, put it back on the bedside table, and then went downstairs.

When he arrived on the first floor, he found Maki Ayase waiting for him at the top of the stairs.

Seeing her "older sister" come down, she gave her a sweet smile, "Older sister, let's go together~"

Her voice was clear and melodious, like a cheerful little bird.

However, her face was still streaked with tears.

This girl clearly didn't actually cry just now.

The two of them walked into the restaurant together.

The meal was already laid out on the table, exquisite and plentiful, showing that a lot of thought had been put into it.

Sitting in the main seat was a middle-aged woman in her forties, dressed in casual clothes. She was well-maintained and had a shrewd look in her eyes.

Seeing Yuki Ayase come down, she gave her a gentle smile.

"Yuki, come and sit down, we've been waiting for you."

Shimada Sho sat down at the dining table.

Ayase Maki sat opposite him and, without waiting for everyone to arrive, directly picked up a piece of tamagoyaki with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

"Mom's tamagoyaki is so delicious!"

"Eat more if you like it." The middle-aged woman looked at her daughter with a gentle smile.

After saying that, she turned to Shimada Sho and asked, "Yuki, how was school today?"

"good."

"That's good." The middle-aged woman nodded. "Are you settling in well at school?"

"Habit."

"If you need any help, just tell Auntie, don't hesitate to ask."

"Ah."

The question and answer session was polite yet distant.

Shimada Sho could sense that his stepmother always maintained a subtle distance from him.

Maintain appropriate politeness and avoid being overly familiar.

“Yuki.”

As the two were talking, a male voice came from their side.

Shimada Sho looked up and saw a middle-aged man walking over.

She was around fifty years old, wearing a dark gray suit, her hair was neatly combed, and her eyebrows and eyes bore a resemblance to Yuki Ayase.

Yuki Ayase's father, Seiichiro Ayase, is the chairman of the board of directors of Dongli High School.

His complexion was not good, his expression was gloomy, and he was holding a document in his hand, as if he had just come out of the study.

“Dad,” Shimada Sho called out in Ayase Yuki’s voice.

“Hmm.” Seiichiro Ayase sat down in the head seat, his gaze sweeping across the table before finally settling on Maki Ayase.

Seeing something, he frowned. "Why is Maki crying?"

Upon hearing this, Ayase Maki lowered her head, clutching the hem of her clothes with her fingers, looking as if she had done something wrong.

"Dad, it's not my sister's fault. I accidentally broke her things..."

Her voice was soft and carried a hint of grievance.

Shimada Sho's brows furrowed instantly.

Before she could even say anything, she was already acting all wronged.

The key point is that she only said that she cried because she broke something, but she didn't say what happened afterward; she wasn't held accountable at all.

He only said half of what he meant, leaving it entirely open for interpretation!

As expected, Seiichiro Ayase's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

"Yuki, what's going on?" His tone was very stern.

“Seiichiro,” the middle-aged woman suddenly spoke up, “Maki is clumsy, it’s not Yuki’s fault.”

As she spoke, she looked at Shimada Sho and gave him a broad smile, "Besides, Yuki has been used to being alone since she was little, so it's normal for her to feel uncomfortable having a younger sister all of a sudden."

The more Shimada Sho listened, the more uneasy he felt.

The woman seemed to be speaking up for me, but why did her words imply that I was difficult to get along with?

He glanced at Ayase Maki again.

The other person still looked aggrieved and with their head down.

But at one moment, she secretly glanced at him.

After their eyes met, they quickly lowered their heads again.

Okay.

From the very beginning, this mother and daughter had no good intentions.

One played the good cop and the other the bad cop; their collaboration was seamless.

He couldn't find a way to refute it.

Because Ayase Maki spoke up for her sister from beginning to end, and the middle-aged woman also came to Yuki's rescue.

If he reacts at this point, he will only appear petty and immature.

It's unexpected that Yuki Ayase would face this kind of situation.

He was thinking about how to get out of this predicament.

Before he could come up with a way to prove himself, Ayase Seiichiro waved his hand and said, "Alright, let's eat."

With the head of the household speaking up, the matter was considered closed.

"I'm starting to eat." After putting his hands together, Shimada Sho picked up his chopsticks and ate in small bites.

Perhaps because it was the first time we were eating at the same table, the atmosphere was very quiet.

After taking a few bites, Ayase Seiichiro looked at the middle-aged woman.

"How's the club stuff going?"

"It's not going too smoothly." The middle-aged woman sighed. "The reform of teaching methods is progressing very well, but there is still resistance to the restructuring of student organizations."

"What kind of resistance?"

“The various clubs have already reached a considerable size. If the students do not cooperate, it will be difficult to force them to disband and reorganize.”

The middle-aged woman explained, her words revealing her worry.

"Your stepmother also works at the school?" Shimada Sho wondered to himself.

From the woman's words, it seemed that she also had responsibilities at school.

Yuki Ayase did not answer, not just because she was too lazy to respond, but also because she was unsure.

At this point, the woman added, "What the school needs most right now is a representative club that can stand out."

“If we can get a place in this sports festival…” She suddenly remembered something and looked at Ayase Seiichiro, “Do I remember telling Yuki to contact that boy named Shimada Sho?”

Chapter 189 The Love That Leads to the Disappearance of a Girl

Ayase Seiichiro looked at Shimada Sho and asked, "Yuki, how did things go?"

Upon hearing his words, Shimada Sho paused in his act of picking up food.

whats the matter?

He didn't expect that this would bring up his own situation.

However, upon closer reflection, he immediately remembered that Ayase Yuki had asked him to go to the activity room earlier.

At the time, it was said that the school's higher-ups might make some arrangements.

But in the end, she didn't mention it.

Shimada Sho initially thought it was just a casual excuse.

It turns out that it really happened?

And it's not just an intention.

The school wanted him to represent the club directly in the competition.

Perhaps thinking he wouldn't agree, she even asked Ayase, a former classmate, to encourage her.

However, for some reason, she didn't mention it.

Is that why Yonekura-sensei came looking for me again?

"Not yet." Shimada Sho's thoughts raced, but he didn't forget to answer aloud, "But it should be fine."

“Should?” Seiichiro Ayase frowned instinctively. “You’ve said that more than once.”

Shimada Sho did not respond to this.

He wanted to ask Ayase Yuki what she thought.

After all, it's her body, so how she answers is up to her.

But Shimada Sho called out in his heart, while Ayase Yuki remained silent.

She seemed to have chosen complete silence.

This silence easily evokes the word "feeling wronged."

She did nothing wrong, yet she had to bear her father's disappointment.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about work while we're eating," the middle-aged woman said with a smile, trying to smooth things over. "Yuki knows what she's doing."

Ayase Seiichiro snorted and said nothing more.

The family ate their meal in this awkward atmosphere.

After the dishes had been seasoned five times, the middle-aged woman was the first to stop.

"Oh, right, Yuki."

She put down her chopsticks, picked up her handbag from the side, opened it, and took out an exquisite box.

Pushing the box in front of Shimada Sho, she smiled and said, "Saturday is your birthday, right? We're going on a trip that day, so we can't celebrate on the actual day. I'll give you the gift in advance."

Shimada Sho looked down at the box but didn't reach out.

Birthday gifts should be received by the person receiving them.

Besides, who delivers things in advance? Shouldn't they be given on the same day?

"Sister!" Ayase Maki also took out a small, well-packaged box, held it out with both hands, and sweetly introduced, "I made this myself, I hope you like it~"

Shimada Sho looked at the two boxes, then at Ayase Seiichiro.

He was eating with his head down, not looking this way.

"Yuki?" The middle-aged woman called out in confusion when she saw that he didn't move.

Shimada Sho did not answer.

He asked himself, "Was this how I always celebrated my birthday?"

Yuki Ayase remained silent for only a moment this time.

"...I used to live with my dad."

Upon hearing this, Shimada Sho understood.

Before, when it was just the two of them, Yuki Ayase celebrated her birthday with her father.

Now that there's a mother and daughter involved, birthdays have become a day for exchanging gifts in advance, and the whole family goes on a trip on the actual day.