Starting a New Life in Tokyo by Inheriting a Shopping Street [10]

The silence stretched between them, growing a little awkward—at least from Nase Sumire’s perspective.

She felt like this was the most humiliating day of her entire teaching career. Getting schooled in real-world practicality… by a student.

Nase cleared her throat and tried to recover some ground. “Your parents’ success must’ve come from years of hard work. You should inherit that spirit of perseverance—not let yourself slack off now.”

“Uh…” Chiba Shuuichi raised a hand gently, interrupting her with as much tact as he could. “Sorry to say, Sensei… but this shopping street wasn’t something my parents earned. I actually mentioned it in my post-graduation survey.”

And then it hit her—his first-choice career goal: inherit a rich distant relative’s fortune.

Wait… that actually happened?! Like something out of a drama?!

The realization made Nase feel even more sour.

Why couldn’t I have a rich distant uncle or something? If she did, she could buy all the cosplay costumes she wanted! No limits! Unlimited outfits!

Chiba could tell his teacher was struggling to process it all, so he kindly offered, “Sensei, would you be interested in opening a shop here? Like a small tutoring center or cram school? I can offer you a discount.”

By his estimation, Nase would definitely qualify as a “top-tier tenant” in the system’s eyes. She was already here—would be a waste not to try recruiting her. More tenants, more salary.

But Nase refused without hesitation. “No thanks. Dealing with school kids is already more than enough.”

While that was the official reason, deep down, she also felt it would be shameless to take advantage of a student’s offer—never mind that Chiba wouldn’t have minded one bit.

“But,” she added a moment later, “I do have a friend who might be interested. Would the discount still apply?”

Chiba chuckled. “If your friend is as beautiful as you are, I don’t see why not.”

Nase rolled her eyes at him. “Flatter me all you want, it’s not going to get your grades bumped. And in terms of looks, I can’t compare to her at all.”

“Not fishing for extra credit, I promise. Honestly, even if I flunk, it’s not the end of the world for me.” Chiba shrugged, though inwardly he was intrigued.

Stripped of her frumpy teacher tracksuit, Nase was honestly on par with the Ogawa sisters in the looks department—at least from the neck up. So for her to say she couldn’t compare to her friend…

Just how stunning is this mystery woman?

“Don’t be so flippant about failing!” Nase snapped. “It reflects badly on me too, you know! I get judged on my students’ academic performance!”

“I’ll do my best,” Chiba replied sympathetically, giving her a look that was one part pity, one part sincerity. Being a working adult sure is rough. Thank god I’m not on that track anymore.

Nase didn’t appreciate that look at all. Was that pity she saw in his eyes?! How dare he?! Was she really that pathetic?!

“…It’s getting late. I should get going.” She stood up, defeated. “I’ll talk to my friend and let you know.”

“If she’s serious about it, I hope you’ll look after her a bit. And in exchange… I can tutor you after school. Free of charge.”

“No need for that. I don’t help people expecting payment.”

Chiba politely declined the tutoring offer. While school life here was amusing enough, the idea of extra lessons was another matter entirely.

Especially in Japan, where the supplementary education industry was brutal.

From elementary school to university, even stay-at-home housewives—there were cram schools and tutoring services for everyone. The competition was brutal, the system mature, and the burnout real.

His disinterest was plain as day, and Nase could tell. For the first time in a while, she felt like she had the upper hand. So he did have something he dreaded.

“Well then, it’s settled. She’s had a rough time, so you’re not allowed to bully her.”

With that, Nase turned and bolted before Chiba could respond.

Chiba sighed softly.

Reborn into a new life, and I still have to deal with tutoring? Ugh…

Too bad she wasn’t an English teacher. That might’ve been fun.

Just then, the Ogawa sisters stepped in. Sayuki waved. “Chiba-san, do you always leave school this early? No club activities or anything?”

“I’m in the camping club,” Chiba explained. “But we rarely do anything outside of holiday breaks.”

He quickly switched topics. “I passed by earlier and noticed the renovations had started. Is the team working out? Satisfied so far?”

Sayuki gave a thumbs-up. “Absolutely. Fair prices, great design team, and communication’s been smooth. Couldn’t be happier.”

“Glad to hear it.” Chiba nodded, then looked at Fumika standing slightly behind her.

She’d been avoiding eye contact from the moment she entered, her expression hidden. But the red tips of her ears and the way her legs shifted restlessly said it all—embarrassment and anxiety.

Chiba decided to test the waters—with a look.

Fumika fidgeted under the intensity of his gaze. Her thoughts flew straight to the stockings she’d… unintentionally gifted him.

And now he’d seen her again. She was dying of embarrassment.

Sayuki, watching the whole thing unfold, smiled mischievously. “So, Chiba-san—did you enjoy the omiyage we brought this morning?”

Chiba turned to her calmly. “The taste was quite nice.”

“Oh?” Sayuki raised her eyebrows at the bold answer. Fumika’s heart started thumping wildly.

He… he really liked that kind of thing? “The taste”… what does that mean…?

“I meant the cookies,” Chiba added with a light smile.

Fumika let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Though oddly… there was a twinge of disappointment too.

“Then… you didn’t like my gift?” Sayuki asked, eyes narrowing playfully.

“Well,” Chiba said, glancing meaningfully at Fumika, “if I said I didn’t like it, would that mean I get something else next time?”

His tone was ambiguous—neither confirming nor denying. But the subtext?

More, please.

Still, it could also be taken innocently—like a suggestion to bring snacks or towels instead of… more suggestive items.

Sayuki, unable to land a clean jab, pouted. “You’re sneaky.”

Chiba played dumb, blinking at her as if he hadn’t the faintest idea what she meant.

But then, he added, “Speaking of which—since using honorifics all the time makes things a bit stiff, would it be alright if I called you Fumika-neesan and Sayuki-neesan instead?”

“There is such a thing as just using our first names with a polite suffix, you know,” Sayuki snorted.

“True, but that still feels a little formal. Don’t you think, Fumika-neesan?”

Chiba turned his gaze to her, full of warmth and mischief.

Fumika, face now pink to the tips of her ears, looked up at him—at that annoyingly charming smile—and felt her head spin. Her peach blossom eyes lost focus as she nodded hard without thinking.

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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!