Starting a New Life in Tokyo by Inheriting a Shopping Street [8]

Ogawa Fumika had a sinking feeling. She was almost certain her sister had just messed with her again.

“W-what kind of… payment are you talking about?”

Sayuki replied with complete nonchalance, “Those ripped stockings you wore yesterday. I gave them to him as a little treat to go with his evening drink. Wonder if he’s ‘sampled’ them yet. He had class today, so he might not get around to it until tonight.”

Fumika’s brain short-circuited on the spot.

She might be shy, yes—but she wasn’t some naïve little maiden. She understood what that kind of innuendo meant.

“Sayuki! How could you?!”

Her peach-blossom eyes instantly welled up with grievance, shimmering with tears. She looked heartbreakingly pitiful.

Too bad Sayuki had the exact same eyes—and was completely immune.

“What, were you planning to wait for him to ask you out formally?” Sayuki said dryly. “Go on a handful of dates first? Build up some romantic tension, then maybe finally get a hotel room together?

This isn’t some youthful romance. You’re a grown woman. A divorced one, at that. Time to act like it.

The guy’s clearly into you, and you don’t flinch around him like you do with other men. You even like him a little, don’t you? So what’s the holdup? Cut to the chase already.”

Fumika couldn’t argue with her. She miserably pinched the soft flesh of her thigh. “Still… giving him that kind of thing… It’s too embarrassing. He’s probably disgusted…”

“Wanna bet?” Sayuki snorted. “That guy was practically glued to your thighs yesterday. Don’t think I didn’t notice. He was very interested in your legs.”

“…It’s not necessarily because he liked them,” Fumika mumbled, recalling the intense heat of his gaze. She could still feel the scorch of it—her legs had almost gone weak.

“My legs aren’t even that nice. They’re kind of thick… not firm or toned like yours, Sayuki. Without stockings to hide them, they’re awful to look at…”

Sayuki raised an eyebrow and reached over, her hand running down her sister’s thigh with practiced ease.

“Oh, please. These aren’t thick—they’re plush. Voluptuous. Some people love that soft, pillowy feel. It’s a whole aesthetic.”

Fumika clamped her legs together, trapping her sister’s hand, her breath a little unsteady. “D-don’t…”

“Don’t what?” Sayuki teased.

Fumika looked like she was about to cry again, but just then Sayuki’s phone buzzed. She clicked her tongue in disappointment and pulled her hand back to check the screen.

“Looks like our renovation problem’s solved. Gotta say, that rich young landlord of yours gets things done.”

...

Back in the classroom, Chiba Shuuichi hadn’t even had time to nap when Sayuki’s message came in.

Reading her request, he thought about the new paid support feature in his system—this seemed like the perfect chance to test it out. So he agreed, albeit with a vague response: “I’ll see what I can do.”

He mentally summoned the steward through the system and silently requested a reliable renovation team for both shops.

Immediately, a new system prompt popped up:

[Administrator has requested renovation support for the beauty salon and gym. Total cost: ¥100,000 × 2. Proceed?]

Chiba’s eyes widened. Seriously? That much? He wasn’t asking for free renovations—just a trustworthy referral! This was robbery.

But then he remembered how cutthroat the renovation industry could be.

In his previous life, before he bought that uncertain, under-construction property, he’d researched renovations thoroughly.

And his conclusion?

You will get scammed. Period.

Strangers will rip you off halfway. Friends and family? They’ll bleed you dry. No money? They’ll scam you anyway. Got money? They’ll scam you more.

So, a mere ¥100,000 for guaranteed quality was actually… a steal.

Still, Chiba frowned. Why the times two? That’s a separate charge per unit?

The ¥300,000 monthly salary from the Ogawa sisters hadn’t even hit his account yet, and he was already about to burn ¥200,000.

With a quiet sigh, Chiba pressed confirm.

It’s a one-time cost, he reasoned. Their rent is recurring income. Maybe this favor will boost their “sense of belonging” and earn me even more later. Worth the investment. Let’s see where this goes.

...

Chiba’s class schedule wasn’t particularly heavy—by three or four in the afternoon, he was usually done. The rest of the day was for club activities.

His club, the camping club, didn’t really do anything.

Its core members were a bunch of seniors obsessed with expensive gear. They mostly sat in the clubroom showing off their latest camping equipment to each other, rarely going on actual trips.

Chiba packed up and left the classroom, only to find Nase Sumire waiting at the door with arms crossed, looking like she was guarding a prison cell.

“I know your club doesn’t do anything. Don’t try and wiggle out of this with club activities. Let’s go. Today, we’re doing that home visit!”

“Hey, I never said I wasn’t going,” Chiba said with a laugh. “You’re acting like I’m on the run or something.”

“You are on the run,” she snapped. “Blowing off your future like it’s nothing is a serious crime. Understand that!”

“…Fair point,” Chiba admitted. If I didn’t have this system and the shopping street, she’d actually have a solid argument.

They left the school building together and headed toward the station.

That’s when Chiba finally noticed—Nase had changed into casual clothes. Her hair was freshly brushed, no longer that messy ponytail.

Freed from the horrors of her baggy tracksuit, she actually looked… kind of radiant.

“Y’know, Sensei,” Chiba said, “if you just dressed up a little more often, you’d probably be really popular. Why stick to the tracksuit all the time?”

Outside the school grounds, Nase seemed a bit more relaxed. She glanced sideways and huffed.

“Mornings are hectic enough. If I have time to put on makeup, I’d rather sleep ten more minutes. Besides… being too popular just makes things complicated.”

Chiba grinned. “So Sensei likes to sleep in, huh—”

He shut up mid-sentence as she shot him a glare.

“Alright, then why is being popular such a bad thing?”

Nase didn’t want to elaborate. “It just is. Gets messy. Trust me.”

“But Sensei, you’re almost thirty, right? If you keep staying single, doesn’t your family nag you about it?”

Nase visibly flinched like she’d taken a hit to the chest. She turned and suddenly clung to a nearby concrete pole, pounding it with her fist.

“I’m twenty-six! And it’s bad enough getting nagged at home—why do I have to hear it from a student, too?! Damn it!”

Ah, yes—the adult breakdown. It always hits fast and hits hard.

Chiba gave her a sympathetic look. “Sorry. That was just an offhand comment. I didn’t mean to strike a nerve. Want to scream into the river for a bit? Might help.”

Nase immediately bristled. “Don’t even try to change the subject! You’re not getting out of this visit. I will see your parents today. You’re not escaping that!”

---

T/N: ... the teacher is my type

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!