Tokyo: Love Begins with Controlling the Rich Girl

"Here, is a question about honorifics in Chinese, about how to address elders." He took out his notebook, placed it on the table, and pointed to the question he had written, explaining it.

Yuki Ayase looked up, her gaze sweeping across his face before quickly shifting back to the notebook. "Let me see."

Shimada Sho pushed the page with the questions copied over to the side.

She glanced down, then pulled a pen from the pen holder and began writing in the blank space beside it.

"This question tests the difference between honorifics and humble expressions. Option A is an honorific, used to describe the other person's actions."

"B is a humble term used to describe one's own actions. The question asks for the most appropriate term of address for elders, so A should be chosen."

Yuki Ayase spoke very quickly, and there was a hint of urgency in her voice.

It seems like they want to resolve this matter as soon as possible.

Shimada Sho understood immediately. After glancing at the note she had written, he asked, "What about C and D?"

"C is a formal expression, and D is a colloquial expression; neither is suitable for addressing elders in formal settings."

"I see."

Shimada Sho understood and didn't ask any more questions.

"Any more questions?"

"It's gone."

"it is good."

Yuki Ayase pushed the notebook back and inserted the pen into the pen holder.

But perhaps because she was too nervous, she put the black pen into the red pen holder.

She only realized it after putting it away, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

But she didn't take the pen back; instead, she lowered her head and continued reading the documents on the table.

Shimada Sho looked at her profile.

Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a thin halo of light on her fair cheeks.

Yuki Ayase's expression was as calm as a still pond, her lips pressed into a thin line, and the red on the tips of her ears had not yet completely faded.

But apart from that, there are no other flaws.

It was as if the girl who had just tiptoed to ask for a kiss never existed.

Shimada Sho looked away and down at the neat handwriting on the notebook.

Choose A, it's a polite way of speaking, and he remembered it.

"Then I'll go first."

Shimada Sho picked up his notebook, turned around, and said goodbye.

"Ah."

Yuki Ayase didn't even look up.

Shimada Sho walked to the door and reached out to pull the doorknob.

"Shimada-kun." A voice came from behind.

Shimada Sho stopped in his tracks.

"...If you feel I have offended you..."

"Offend? What do you mean?" Shimada Sho looked puzzled when he saw the difficulty in her tone.

While Ayase Yuki was slightly taken aback, he gave her a carefree smile and said, "Thank you, Ayase-san."

After saying that, without waiting for her to respond, he turned and left.

Throughout the entire process, it was as if they had no idea what had just happened.

The moment the activity room door closed, he heard a very soft exhale behind him.

It was like a drowning person finally surfacing.

Shimada Sho stood quietly in the corridor for a while.

Then he raised his hand and touched the corner of his mouth.

The spot where Ayase Yuki's lips just touched.

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I feel like there's still a lingering fragrance and warmth.

"Damn it." Shimada Sho cursed himself for being too repressed, shook his hand, and turned to go downstairs.

At the same time, in the activity room.

Yuki Ayase remained motionless, her head bowed as she looked at the folder.

Two minutes later, she slowly raised her head, took off her glasses, and placed them on the table.

Then, she buried her face in her hands.

The girl's ears were so red they looked like they were on fire.

"It's over..."

Her voice was muffled in her palm, and a slight tremor could be heard.

"He saw it... ugh..."

Chapter Ninety-One: Tenkai Chizuru's Test, The Promised Day

In the afternoon classes, Shimada Sho was not paying attention.

On the podium, Natsumi Yonekura is explaining the usage of honorifics in Japanese.

His voice was melodious and varied, and he would occasionally tap the blackboard to emphasize key points.

Shimada Sho stared at the examples of respectful and humble language in the textbook, but his mind was filled with the image of Ayase Yuki standing on tiptoe.

The way her eyelashes fluttered, the warmth of her breath on my neck when she got close, the touch of her soft lips on my lips...

And when she discovered he was awake, the fear and surprise that instantly welled up in his eyes.

Shimada Sho closed his eyes tightly for a moment, then opened them again.

"Grass!"

He never knew that Yuki Ayase had such feelings for him.

That woman who calls him "Mr. Pervert" all the time and speaks in a sarcastic tone, actually does this kind of thing behind his back.

No, that's not right, this is no longer happening behind closed doors.

It was done right in front of him.

Although it was assumed he was still sleepwalking.

But for Shimada Sho, this was happening right in front of him.

This inexplicable feeling of having intimate contact with a girl...

Shimada Shoya couldn't say whether he liked or disliked it.

My mind was a complete mess, filled with memories of what I had experienced again while immersed in them.

Yuki Ayase poked his cheek, ruffled his hair, made him squat down and call her "sister," and reacted with a mix of nervousness and anticipation when he hugged her.

Every frame is frighteningly clear.

And now, there are new scenes.

She took the initiative to hug him, stood on tiptoe, and lowered her eyes to ask for a kiss. Her eyes were full of emotions that were about to overflow, an emotion that was hard to describe as either longing or affection.

Shimada Sho turned a page in his textbook, pretending to be reading it carefully.

"Shimada-kun".

Natsumi Yonekura's voice came from the podium.

Shimada Sho raised his head.

"Can you answer this? What's wrong with the use of honorifics in this sentence?"

Shimada Sho stood up and glanced at the example sentences written on the blackboard.

"The subject and honorifics are inconsistent. The first half of the sentence uses honorifics to describe the other party's actions, but the second half uses humble language. They should be consistent."

“Correct.” Natsumi Yonekura nodded, somewhat surprised. “Sit down.”

Shimada Sho sat down and continued to stare blankly at the textbook.

He was able to answer the question because the question that Yuki Ayase had just explained to him in the activity room involved the difference between honorific and humble language.

Thinking this, the image of her writing in her notebook unconsciously came to mind again.

He looked like a child who had done something wrong, completely lacking his usual composure.

Beneath the feigned calm exterior, the hand writing was using all its strength, so much so that it tore the paper without even realizing it.

Shimada Sho took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed these images.

Ayase Yuki did not come to the classroom again for the entire afternoon.

When the school bell rang, Shimada Sho didn't linger. He packed his bag and quickly left the classroom.

As I passed the entrance to Class A on my way downstairs, I caught a glimpse of Hoshino Yuuki walking out with a few girls.

She noticed that Shimada Sho paused for a moment, as if he had something to say.

But Shimada Sho had already gone downstairs without stopping.

He needs to do something else now to clear his mind of all those messy images.

Convenience stores are the best choice.

……

The streetlights in front of the Imperial Garden were just coming on at dusk.

Sho Shimada pushed open the glass door of the 7-24 Shinjuku Gyoenmae store, and the wind chimes made a crisp sound.

"Good afternoon, Genji-kun!"

Rena Takikawa was leaning over the counter scrolling through her phone when she saw him come in, and her eyes lit up.

"You arrived just in time today~ Perfect timing, I have an appointment to see a movie, I'll be going now!"

She grabbed the handbag lying beside her and strode out in her high heels.

As he passed by Shimada Sho, he reached out and patted him on the shoulder, then leaned in and whispered in a suggestive tone, "By the way, Genji-kun, your little girlfriend has been waiting inside for ages~ She looks super cute today, good luck~!"

"She's not my girlfriend," Shimada Sho habitually denied.

"Okay, okay~"

Rena Takikawa winked at him and left in a hurry.

Sho Shimada sighed and went into the staff area to change into an apron.

As I came out, I immediately spotted Chizuru Amami standing next to the magazine rack.

Reina Takikawa is right, she is indeed dressed differently today.

She no longer wrapped herself up so tightly as before.

She was wearing a light blue knitted cardigan over a white tank top.

The neckline of the knitted sweater wasn't low, but the presence of a certain area was just too prominent, stretching the soft fabric into a full curve that undulated gently with her flipping through the magazine.

She wore a dark blue denim mini skirt, the hem of which was just a hand's width above her knees. On her feet were a pair of low-cut black leather shoes, and black socks that went past her ankles, revealing her fair calves.

Her long, jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders, the ends curling slightly inwards, making her already petite face appear even more delicate.

Her makeup was very light, with almost no trace of foundation, but she did wear eyeshadow, which made her bright eyes gleam with a moist sheen under the convenience store's fluorescent lights.

Today, Chizuru Amami wasn't wearing a hat, only a face mask that covered half her face.

Standing in front of the bookshelf now, flipping through a fashion magazine, she looks completely different from her radiant self on variety show stages.

If you ignore her slightly immature face and her somewhat awkwardly hunched shoulders, she looks like an artistic young woman who has grown up on the street.

After glancing at it, Shimada Sho walked to the cashier, stood still, and picked up the register to organize the shipment records.