Starting a New Life in Tokyo by Inheriting a Shopping Street [13]

Chiba Shuuichi, whose taste in women could only be described as "mature," was currently eating dinner at the Yoshinoya near the street entrance, scrolling through the new system notifications in his head.

[Ogawa Fumika's Sense of Belonging +10. Manager Monthly Salary +100,000 yen.]

“So that’s a total of 500,000 a month now… Definitely beats working part-time,” he muttered to himself. Looked like Ogawa Fumika had been quite happy. She really was easy to get along with.

But then he glanced at Ogawa Sayuki’s meager [Sense of Belonging: 10] stat and felt a headache coming on. Compared to the “easy to tease” Fumika, this younger sister was a much harder nut to crack.

After wolfing down his meal, he cast another glance at the utterly average-looking male store manager and once again contemplated replacing him.

Mind drifting, Chiba Shuuichi headed home. As he stepped inside and turned on the lights, his eyes landed on the small box he’d left on the bed that morning.

As if possessed, he walked over, opened it, and picked up the pair of stockings inside.

The sensation from the previous day’s ear-cleaning session came flooding back—those soft, curvy thighs, the perfectly contoured pencil skirt, her intoxicating scent, the quickened rhythm of her breath… It was all too vivid.

Chiba let out a long sigh and put the stockings back into the box, closing it carefully.

“This is getting dangerous… I need a cold shower.”

The heat in his body eased—barely. Not extinguished.

That night, he dreamed again.

Soft white clouds cradled him, carrying him down the Sumida River. But this time, they felt even more tangible… and there was a lingering floral scent in the air. Midnight shimmered overhead, and the Milky Way glowed like a sky spun from sheer black silk.

...

The next morning, Chiba Shuuichi hadn’t set an alarm—but the doorbell rang and jolted him awake.

Still in pajamas and half-asleep, he stumbled downstairs and opened the door—only to find Ogawa Sayuki standing there.

She gave him a once-over with a smirk, then shoved a small box into his hands. “Fresh. Should go nicely with a drink. But make sure you don’t overdo it, okay?”

“…” Chiba stared at her, speechless. Telling me to show restraint while handing me stuff like this? And for the record—I haven’t done anything!

Still, he reached out and took the box.

“When my fitness studio is done, I’ll personally help you train. Otherwise, I worry that your body might not hold up,” Sayuki said, glancing pointedly downward. Then she added, in a tone as casual as it was vulgar, “Hmm? Not bad. Should be enough to satisfy my sister.”

Chiba snapped out of his groggy haze. Wide awake now, thanks.

He didn’t bother pretending. With a resigned look, he muttered, “Hard to believe someone as gorgeous as Sayuki-neesan talks like this… Honestly, you scared me a little.”

Sayuki’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “What, you think it’s strange for a woman my age to speak her mind? You should hear the housewives in the apartment blocks—those women are brutal. Married guys can’t even handle them.”

“Well, I’m not a married guy, so I should inform you that your actions, Sayuki-neesan, are bordering on harassment,” Chiba said, playing innocent with a straight face.

Sayuki gave him a sidelong glance. “Oh? You gonna call the cops on me?”

He sighed. “If it were anyone less attractive than you, I might actually consider it. Gotta protect myself, you know. Us boys have to stay safe out here.”

“Ugh, you’re such a smooth talker,” Sayuki muttered, rolling her eyes dramatically.

Just then, Ogawa Fumika came running over, her gray knit sweater bouncing with every step.

Panting slightly, she burst into the management office—only to catch sight of the small box in Chiba’s hand.

She froze like a startled deer, eyes wide.

Then she turned on her heel and fled in a panic.

“…What just happened?” Chiba looked at Sayuki, baffled. She’s even more flustered than last time.

Sayuki shrugged. She was a little confused too. “I’ll go ask.”

With that, she left him behind and jogged after her sister.

Fumika hadn’t gone far. She was just outside, near the wall, anxiously stomping her feet in place. She didn’t know what to do. That wicked Sayuki didn’t even warn her this time…

“What’s got you so worked up?” Sayuki tapped her on the shoulder from behind.

Fumika gasped, clutching her chest and trying to calm her pounding heart. “D-don’t just give my stockings to Chiba-kun like that again!”

“We already agreed he’s into your legs, right? There’s no way he’d dislike it, so what are you worried about?”

Sayuki stared at her curiously. As her twin, she knew Fumika better than anyone. This reaction was definitely a little too extreme.

“It’s… not the same…” Fumika murmured, eyes darting away from her sister’s gaze.

Sayuki narrowed her eyes. With mock injury, she sighed, “So now that you’ve got a man, you’re keeping secrets from your own sister?”

“Th-that’s not it…” Fumika’s face flushed red, but she couldn’t bring herself to explain. She turned to flee again. “I—I’m going to check on the renovation!”

...

Meanwhile, Chiba Shuuichi had gone back upstairs to wash up and change into regular clothes. Curious, he opened the small box.

It wasn’t the same as the last pair, which had a tear in them. But he was pretty sure it was the exact pair he’d touched yesterday.

This can’t go on, Chiba thought, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He had no intention of drinking with stockings for company, but this kind of temptation was seriously hard to resist.

He stored the second pair carefully in the same drawer as the first, but before he could go find breakfast, a message from Akiyama An popped up.

She’d just arrived at the street entrance with her mom.

Chiba grabbed a random slice of bread from the fridge, shoved it in his mouth, and headed out.

The shopping street was just over a hundred meters long. Starting from the middle, he arrived quickly and spotted An from a distance, standing on tiptoes and looking around with childlike curiosity.

Today, she wasn’t wearing her school uniform. Instead, she had on a pale blue dress that made her look extra cute.

Next to her stood a woman with her hair tied up to one side—a more mature version of An—watching her daughter with a gentle smile.

“Class Rep, over here.” Chiba took the bread from his mouth and called out casually.

“Ah! There he is—it’s Chiba-kun!” An’s eyes lit up as she pointed him out to her mother.

“My, my… what a cute young man,” Mrs. Akiyama said, eyes narrowing in amusement as she gave her daughter a meaningful look.

---

This is a fan translation of 从继承商店街开始东京生活 by 净消尘土 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!