Tokyo: Love Begins with Controlling the Rich Girl

With these thoughts in mind, Shimada Sho silently made a decision.

I took out my phone and checked the time; it was almost nine o'clock.

I can leave work in ten minutes at most.

Considering Sasaki Nozomi's reaction earlier, he decided not to wait for her.

Give her some time to process this.

After things calm down, I'll explain what happened today properly and tell her that I didn't mean anything by it.

Thinking about this, Shimada Sho tidied up the bar counter.

However, before he could finish tidying up, the bar door was pushed open.

The person who pushed the door open used considerable force, as if kicking it open, making a dull "thud".

Immediately afterwards, a group of young people with brightly colored hair filed in.

These people were dressed in flashy clothes, with chains hanging all over their bodies. The one walking in front had curly blond hair, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, and wore a floral shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his shoulders, revealing intricate tattoos on his forearms.

Upon seeing this, Shimada Sho's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

In island nations, organized crime is legally permissible; you can encounter it on the streets, and I've heard that most of the businesses they run are legal.

He didn't know if the local gangsters had a habit of collecting protection money.

But suddenly walking into a newly opened shop, it didn't seem like they were there to drink.

If it's about causing trouble...

Shimada Sho was prepared to deal with trouble.

"Tsk, is this the boss's new shop?"

While he was observing the newcomer, the newcomer was also observing.

However, he wasn't looking at him, but rather his eyes were darting around the shop.

The man in the floral shirt took the cigarette from his mouth, looked around, and casually remarked, "The decor is alright."

“Much better than the one last month,” a younger man behind him chimed in.

Then another younger man complained, "That place doesn't even have air conditioning."

A group of people walked in talking, making quite a commotion, which disrupted the previously quiet atmosphere of the bar.

The two tables of customers who were still in the corner glanced up, then quickly lowered their heads again, afraid of being seen.

Shimada Sho put the cleaned cups back on the shelf and glanced at the group of people.

Their attire and manner of speaking were exactly the same as those of the yakuza members I had seen in Hyakunincho before.

But upon closer observation, one will find that their attitudes are quite different.

Although it was flamboyant and exaggerated, it lacked any aggressive hostility.

As Shimada Sho observed, the man in the floral shirt who was leading the group approached the bar.

He placed his hands on the counter, peeked inside, then looked at Shimada Sho with a grin, "Hey buddy, you're the new guy, right?"

"What newcomer?" Shimada Sho asked, his expression unchanged.

The man in the floral shirt immediately said, "It's the new guy that Rena-nee mentioned!"

Shimada Sho didn't rush to answer. He folded the dry cloth and put it aside before looking up and asking, "Do you know the shop manager?"

"You know her?" The man in the floral shirt turned around and exchanged glances with his thugs behind him. When he turned back, his smile became even more enthusiastic. "She's our boss."

"..." Shimada Sho was speechless for a moment.

He never expected that the store manager, Reina Takikawa, would have such an identity.

He usually seems carefree and unserious, but is he actually involved in organized crime?

"Nice to meet you. My name is Sugita. I work for Rena-nee. She mentioned you to us, saying that a reliable young man has joined the store and asked us to keep an eye on him when we pass by."

While Shimada Sho was still processing this information, the man in the floral shirt in front of him enthusiastically introduced himself and extended his hand.

Seeing this, Shimada Sho reached out and shook his hand. "Shimada Sho, it's a part-time job."

"A part-time job?" Sugita was quite surprised.

Shimada Sho asked, puzzled, "Is there a problem?"

"Of course, no problem! But you must be quite something to be able to work part-time under Rena-nee, haha!"

The woman in the floral shirt was very enthusiastic, and her smile never left her face as she spoke.

Completely devoid of hostility, Shimada Shoya lowered his guard.

The relaxed atmosphere made the henchmen behind him laugh as well.

However, some people just can't put their minds at ease.

Nozomi Sasaki was startled when she heard the noise at the door.

When he came out and saw the group of delinquents in front of the bar, he became even more nervous.

But she was a waitress, and no matter how scared she was, she still had to do her job.

Gathering her courage, she stepped toward the bar.

Fearing being noticed by someone with ill intentions, she hunched her shoulders and dared not look up.

Perhaps due to her long-standing sensitivity, Nozomi Sasaki soon felt several gazes falling on her.

As a result, I became even more nervous.

Fortunately, at that moment, Shimada Sho's voice came through.

"Go help out in the back."

Upon hearing the voice, she instinctively looked up.

She saw Shimada Sho standing behind the bar, calmly watching her.

Even though there had been some awkward moments before, she instinctively felt much more at ease when she met that gaze.

"Um……"

Nozomi Sasaki responded softly and turned to walk back towards the kitchen.

Sugita craned his neck to look towards the kitchen, then turned back to Shimada Sho, a knowing look on his face: "Girlfriend?"

"colleague."

"Oh?" Sugita drawled out the last syllable, his tone carrying a hint of knowing mockery, but he didn't press further.

He walked to the bar stool in front of the bar, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and was about to light it when he glanced at the no-smoking sign on the bar, clicked his tongue, and put the cigarettes away.

"There are many rules since we just opened," Shimada Sho explained with a smile.

"I understand, I understand." Sugita waved his hand. "It's Rena-nee's shop, we'll abide by the rules."

The other guys also sat down on the bar stools in front of the bar.

One of the youngest-looking men was a tall, thin guy with dyed blond hair. After sitting down, he rested his arms on the counter and curiously looked at Shimada Sho: "Hey bro, how long have you been working here?"

"Not long ago, I just arrived yesterday," Shimada Sho answered truthfully.

The blond delinquent was immediately surprised, "It's only the second day, and Rena-nee-san dared to entrust this place to you alone?"

"The bartender and security guard are in the back; they don't count as one person."

"That's impressive too." The blond delinquent said with admiration, "That's a testament to Rena-nee's trust!"

After he said this, his delinquent companions wholeheartedly agreed.

Shimada Sho, however, became somewhat curious.

"Who exactly is the store manager?" he asked, looking at Sugita.

The other person instinctively wanted to answer, but then, as if remembering something, they kept quiet and smiled slightly, saying, "It's our big sister."

This is clearly a reserved answer.

Since he was unwilling to talk about it, Shimada Sho didn't ask any further.

Anyway, there will be plenty of opportunities to learn more.

If you really don't believe me, you can just ask her directly.

After the delinquents sat down at the bar, they started chatting amongst themselves.

The conversation ranged from the shop's renovation to a newly opened izakaya nearby, and then to some recent gossip on the street.

Or perhaps someone you know has gotten into trouble again.

Shimada Sho stood behind the bar, listening listlessly.

Occasionally, when asked, I would respond with a word or hand over some water.

His attitude was neither warm nor cold; he handled the situation with ease.

However, Shimada Sho didn't notice that Sasaki Nozomi, who had entered the kitchen, was peering through the door, secretly observing the scene.

In the girl's eyes, the men dressed in flashy clothes in front of the bar were chatting and laughing, the smell of smoke and alcohol mixed together. Shimada Sho stood behind the bar, occasionally chiming in with a few words, or pouring drinks for the delinquents sitting at the front. His movements were brisk, his expression relaxed, as if he had completely blended into the atmosphere.

"Shimada-kun... is amazing."

In the dim light, the girl murmured to herself.

Meanwhile, the drinking party continues at the bar.

The group of delinquents chatted for a while longer, and the topic gradually shifted to Takikawa Rena.

Shimada Sho wiped the cup, listening quietly without making a sound.

"The boss has been making increasingly big moves these past two years."

The blond delinquent was leaning on the bar, lost in thought, and sighed.

A thug chimed in, "Yeah, they used to just run a shop, but now they're starting to dig their way west."

"That's Hyakunincho, Owada's territory."

"Are we really going to have to confront Ōwada in a real fight?"

"The disparity is quite significant!"

"Don't worry, since the boss has decided to develop in that direction, she must have her own plans."

"That's right! We just need to follow the boss's instructions!"

The delinquents' initial worries quickly turned into confidence.

Shimada Sho had been listening, but now he couldn't hold back any longer.

He looked at Sugita and asked, "Isn't Owada part of the Sumiyoshi-kai's territory?"

"Hmm?" Sugita's expression changed slightly.

He didn't expect that the young man in front of him would know about the Sumiyoshi-kai.

After exchanging a glance with the blond-haired younger brother, he looked back at Shimada Sho with a more scrutinizing gaze. "Young man, you know about the Sumiyoshi-kai?"

"I've heard people say that before."

"I see." Sugita put his worries aside.

He laughed heartily and explained, "The area around Hyakunincho is indeed the Sumiyoshi-kai's sphere of influence, but it has been loosening in the last two years. It's an old-established force, and it's not a monolithic entity. The boss thinks there's an opportunity and wants to try to win over a few capable people."

"Win them over?"

"It's nothing major," Sugita waved his hand. "There are a few shops over there, and the managers are looking for new avenues. Our boss happens to have some connections, so we'll see if we can negotiate a deal."

"I see." Shimada Sho said thoughtfully.

Takikawa Rena is a woman who appears simple on the surface.

It turns out that they were secretly developing underworld influence.

And now, it seems they've extended their reach into Owada's territory.

That's interesting.

Owada came from the Sumiyoshi-kai. Although he is now independent, he still has many connections with his former employer.