Tokyo: Love Begins with Controlling the Rich Girl

Immediately, he noticed Shimada Sho, who was a step behind the young lady.

So, the words of surprise she was about to say stopped in her throat, and her expression froze for a moment.

Then, her face flushed red again.

"Shimada-kun, you...you're here too!"

She looked somewhat surprised, but her voice was stammering.

It seems like they lack any confidence.

Shimada Sho asked, puzzled, "What's wrong with you?"

"N-nothing! Please come in, welcome!"

Sasaki Nozomi reacted quickly, replying that she should move aside.

"Excuse me." Shimada Sho nodded and walked into the house with the young lady.

The entryway was more spacious than I had imagined, and although the decor was old, it was kept very clean.

There was a small potted green plant on the shoe cabinet, and several photos on the wall.

This floor seems to be the former pastry shop. Even though it has been converted into residences, the aroma of pastries still lingers.

"Mom! Dad! Kamishiro-kun is here!"

After entering the house, Nozomi Sasaki called out to the inside.

Soon, a middle-aged woman and a middle-aged man came out of the inner room.

The woman looked somewhat haggard, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, seemingly cooking.

The man was dressed simply and looked tired, but thankfully his spirits were still relatively good.

"Miss Kamishiro!"

Upon seeing Yukine Kamishiro, Yoshino Sasaki rushed forward excitedly, "It's so good to have you here! Our family has been wanting to thank you in person for what happened before!"

"Uncle, you're too kind." Yukine Kamishiro bowed slightly, took the shopping bag from Ichiyo Kiryu and handed it back to him. "It's my first visit, so this is just a small gift. Please accept it as a token of my appreciation."

"I can't accept this..." Sasaki's mother hesitated before taking it.

"Of course." Yukine Kamishiro's attitude towards the woman was unusually gentle.

Nozomi Sasaki watched this scene from the side, her eyes slightly reddening.

She stood next to Yukine Kamishiro and whispered, "Thank you, Kamishiro-kun."

"You're welcome." Yukine Kamishiro's lips curved slightly.

At that moment, Yoshino Sasaki noticed Sho Shimada.

He quickly walked over and said happily, "Young man, you must be Shimada-kun?"

"Hello, uncle."

"Thank you so much for what happened last time! If you hadn't stepped in for me that day, I probably wouldn't have made it back."

"Uncle, you flatter me," Shimada Sho said with a smile. "I just did what I should do."

"Shimada-kun, there's no need to be so modest. You've helped Nozomi more than once, so please accept our family's gratitude."

As parents, they already knew that their daughter had run into trouble outside.

Shimada Sho stepped in to help several times.

They don't know how to repay such a great debt of gratitude.

Shimada Sho felt a little uncomfortable with this enthusiasm and subconsciously looked at Kamishiro Yukine.

It turned out that the young lady was also looking at him.

Unlike him, the young lady had a smile on her face and was observing with great interest.

They seemed to be enjoying his flustered state.

"Uncle and Aunt, actually we came here today mainly to handle some business-related paperwork for the shop."

She only looked away and helped to get out of the predicament when Shimada Sho was about to collapse.

"Yes, yes, yes! Please come in!" Sasaki's father nodded hurriedly and invited them into the house.

After we sat down and tea was served, I asked, "What do you need us to do?"

Yukine Kamishiro glanced at Ichiyo Kiryu.

The maid understood and took a document from her briefcase.

She walked to the coffee table, unfolded the documents, and then took out a pen and placed it aside.

"Mr. Sasaki, this is the final confirmation document for the transfer of the property rights of the shop. You only need to sign here."

The Sasaki father and daughter went forward to examine the document, and the terms were very clear.

Shimada Sho glanced at the document, then looked at the young lady.

Previously, it was mentioned that there were still some unresolved disputes within the Sasaki family, and that he was needed to come forward as a witness so that the matter could be resolved once and for all.

He thought it might involve him testifying to prove the ownership of the shops, Owada Financial's illegal activities, or Sumiyoshi's involvement.

But now the young lady says that all she needs to do is sign her name.

Why call him here?

"Is there anything I don't need to do?" Shimada Sho couldn't help but ask.

Yukine Kamishiro turned to look at him, a sly smile playing on her amber eyes. "Shimada-kun's presence is the greatest help you can give."

Shimada Sho: "???"

So after all that, it turns out you don't need to do it yourself at all.

The excuse of helping with paperwork was just something made up on the spot.

The purpose was to have him accompany me on my visit to the Sasaki family.

After going through all that trouble, I didn't have to do anything at all...

"Shimada-kun?" Yukine tilted her head. "What are you thinking about?"

"It's nothing, I just think that Kamishiro is quite efficient."

"Thank you for the compliment." Her smile became more genuine.

After signing the papers, the matter concerning the Sasaki family's shop was completely resolved.

Sasaki Nozomi's mother said happily that they could put the sign back up tomorrow.

Shops can also officially open for business.

Sasaki Yoshino kept asking Shimada Sho a series of questions.

Perhaps the last time he made a move against Owada Financial left such a deep impression on him that he now looks at Shimada Sho as if he were a peerless master.

One minute they'd ask him what martial arts he'd learned, the next they'd ask him if he had any lineage to follow.

When it was time to leave, they insisted that I stay for dinner.

Nozomi Sasaki's mother said that she plans to open the business tomorrow and made pastries in advance so that they can taste them no matter what.

Unfortunately, Shimada Sho ultimately decided to stay.

"Nozomi, this is Ms. Kamishiro and Mr. Shimada's first visit. Let's show them around."

Sasaki's mother was too busy making pastries to attend to the guests, so she asked her daughter to do so.

Sasaki Nozomi responded and came over. When she saw Shimada Sho, her face turned red again. She lowered her head and said, "Kamishiro-kun, let's go. I'll show you my house."

What's up with her?

Whether it was just his imagination or not, Shimada Sho always felt that Shimada's reaction was a little off when she was with him.

Chapter Sixteen: Slacking off? That's called a reasonable division of labor!

After agreeing to the tour, Nozomi Sasaki led the way.

She took small steps, as if deliberately slowing down to wait for them to catch up.

Shimada Sho and Kamishiro Yukine walked side by side behind, their eyes scanning the surrounding walls and furnishings.

The first floor used to be a pastry shop.

The counter is still there, the glass cover is very clean, and it's empty inside, but you can still see traces of pastries that were once displayed there.

There were also some molds and baking trays neatly stacked on the shelf against the wall.

The air was filled with the smell of flour and icing sugar, instantly reminding one of freshly baked bread.

"This used to be my uncle's shop."

Nozomi Sasaki walked to the counter, her steps slowing down and her voice becoming softer. "He opened this shop after moving here from Hokkaido and made pastries for over twenty years. Later, he passed away, leaving the shop to my father."

Shimada Sho glanced at the wall behind the counter, where a faded wooden plaque hung with a few words engraved on it, the strokes of which were blurred and difficult to read.

Yukine Kamishiro also noticed the wooden sign and stopped to look at it for a while.

It looks like there was a price tag, but it's no longer in use.

"What kind of pastries does Uncle make?" Shimada Sho asked casually.

“Wagashi (Japanese sweets).” Nozomi Sasaki’s eyes sparkled as she spoke of her uncle’s craftsmanship. “His yokan (sweet bean jelly) is especially delicious, and even now, the regular customers in the neighborhood still ask for it.”

"That's amazing," Shimada Sho exclaimed in admiration.

Sasaki Nozomi seemed to have gotten used to it by now, and replied, "Yes, Mom has been trying to learn his recipe, but she always says she can't make it taste the same."

Her tone carried a hint of nostalgia and a touch of regret.

Shimada Sho didn't ask any more questions.

The four people walked through the counter area, entered through a small door at the back, and went up the stairs leading to the second floor.

The staircase was narrow, and the wooden steps made a slight sound when stepped on.

Several framed photos hung on the wall, mostly landscapes, but also a few group photos of people. The people in the photos were wearing old-fashioned clothes, and the background was snowfields and mountains, which looked like the scenery of Hokkaido.

“These were taken by my uncle.” Nozomi Sasaki paused at the corner of the stairs and pointed to one of the photos. “He used to love photography and would go back to Hokkaido every year to take pictures.”

Shimada Sho glanced in the direction she pointed. The snowfield in the photo was vast and silent, with only a narrow road stretching into the distance, like a gray line cutting through the white earth.

"It's a very good shot."

Yukine Kamishiro made a rare comment.

Sasaki Nozomi smiled upon hearing this and continued walking uphill.

When he reached the top of the stairs on the second floor, Shimada Sho slowed down.

A suit of armor stood against the wall at the end of the corridor.

The color had faded, the iron armor plates were covered with tiny scratches, and some of the paint on the helmet had peeled off, revealing the grayish metal underneath.

Its appearance is old and rough, unlike ordinary decorations, and more like a tool that has been used for many years.

Standing quietly in the corner, it resembles a silent guardian.

Shimada Sho's gaze lingered on the armor for a moment, then he noticed that Kiryu Ichiyo was standing two steps behind him, not moving any further.

Her gaze fell on the armor, and she stood rooted to the spot, as if she had been nailed to the ground.

Those eyes, which were usually cold and aloof, now held a seriousness that Shimada Sho had never seen on her face before, a look that had never been seen before.

It was as if the armor in front of them was something that had to be taken seriously.

Kiryu Ichiyo didn't look at Shimada Sho, nor did she explain her reaction.

She simply stood there, quietly gazing at the silent armor, as if performing some kind of silent ritual.

Shimada Sho glanced at her, then turned to Sasaki Nozomi and asked, "Is this armor also Uncle's?"

"Yes, Uncle seems to also like to study martial arts, but I don't know the specifics. That's what Dad said," Nozomi Sasaki answered truthfully.

She didn't know much about her uncle either, because the family only moved to Tokyo after he passed away.

Before this, she was studying in the countryside of Hokkaido and rarely saw her uncle, so she had no way of knowing him.

Shimada Sho listened to this explanation and seemed to be deep in thought.