It seemed like life never let Shuichi take it easy. He had planned to go home, laze in the sun, and daydream, but as soon as he walked through the door, he got a call from Sumire.
She told him that she was about to arrive with her good friend, someone she always referred to by her surname.
Shuichi had no choice but to set aside his plans for wasting time and prepare to get to work. After all, you needed money to afford the luxury of idling your time away.
It didn't take long—about ten minutes or so—before Sumire arrived at the management office with her friend in tow.
"This is the friend I mentioned to you before, Kitagawa," Sumire said, introducing her with an air of pride, clearly eager to see Shuichi's reaction.
Shuichi looked at the woman standing beside her, and just as Sumire had expected, he froze for a moment.
Judging purely by her looks, she was even more stunning than the two Ogawa sisters! Her features were more refined than the Akiyama sisters'! Without a doubt, she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen in real life!
Even an unfiltered, unedited photo taken casually would outshine the countless cookie-cutter influencer faces plastered across the internet.
The key was that Ichika exuded an air of intellectual sophistication and gentle elegance, the kind of refined demeanor that could only be described as the 'white moonlight' of a man's dreams.
No wonder she attracted so many admirers… What man wouldn't feel his heart race at the sight of her?
Under normal circumstances, Shuichi figured he'd also be deeply smitten. He might even go so far as to slap himself in the face, reverse his usual cynicism, and decide to plunge into romance.
But after Fumika's passionate entanglement last night and the domineering 'exploitation' to the obsessive president this morning, his heart was now as still as water. Completely calm and detached, he appreciated her beauty with pure objectivity, free of any worldly desires.
Her figure wasn't as explosively curvaceous as the Ogawa sisters', but it was far superior to the petite frames of the Akiyama siblings. And compared to Sumire's flat and slender build, there was simply no contest.
Combined with her elegant demeanor, her figure felt just right—harmonious and fitting, without the slightest hint of discord.
"So, what do you think? I wasn't exaggerating, was I?" Sumire said, clearly pleased with herself.
Shuichi snapped out of his thoughts and turned to her. "You weren't. She's way prettier than Sensei."
"…" Sumire's proud smile froze in place. "Why does that feel… wrong somehow?"
"What's wrong with it?" Shuichi spread his hands. "That's exactly what you said, isn't it? I'm just quoting you."
"…" Sumire was momentarily at a loss for words, her eyelid twitching as she turned to Ichika and said, "You know what, maybe let's drop this idea. This guy doesn't seem very reliable."
"Sensei, that's too harsh. How am I not reliable? Just because I said two honest sentences?" Shuichi retorted, then turned to Ichika.
"Apologies if I was a little rude earlier. Nagase Sensei always speaks so highly of you, so I couldn't help being a bit curious," He said sincerely.
Ichika smiled gracefully, completely unbothered. She spoke her first words since they met: "It's all right."
Her voice was beautiful—calm and soothing, with a touch of warmth that seemed to comfort the soul. However, her demeanor was slightly distant, giving the impression that she wasn't very easy to approach.
Shuichi was silently calculating in his mind. It seemed certain that she'd meet the requirements of being an excellent shop owner, but the issue of where her sense of belonging would lie afterward might be a problem.
But based on experience, people who seem difficult to approach on the surface are often quite different when you get to know them. They might just be introverted or unsure how to communicate with others.
Once you become familiar with them, they can be surprisingly trusting. You could sell them out and they'd still thank you for it…
Cough What am I even thinking about? That president has really corrupted my mind!
Shuichi quickly stopped his dangerous train of thought.
"Please, have a seat, both of you. Yes, that's right, Sensei, you too," He said, gesturing for them to sit.
Sumire immediately became displeased. "What do you mean by that? Are you emphasizing that I'm not welcome here?"
"Of course you're welcome, Sensei. How could I not welcome you? It'd be even better if you stayed here tonight." Shuichi said with a light laugh.
Upon hearing this, Sumire immediately frowned, "Kitagawa, I think we should leave. I get the feeling this place isn't right for you."
Shuichi quickly countered, "You've come all this way, wouldn't it be a waste not to at least take a look at the shop? What do you think, Kitagawa-san?"
Ichika smiled lightly, observing the banter between the two with apparent interest. "Then please, Chiba-kun, go ahead and give us a tour."
Sumire wasn't really planning to back out; otherwise, she wouldn't have brought Ichika here in the first place.
The two of them took their seats, and Shuichi pulled out a stack of documents, asking, "Kitagawa-san, what kind of business are you planning to run?"
"A flower shop." Ichika answered softly.
"A flower shop…" Shuichi mused, thinking it was quite fitting for her. But what kind of effect would a flower shop have as a business?
Would the flowers smell even sweeter?
But if the scent were too strong, it might become overwhelming, right? It could even be a disadvantage rather than an enhancement.
Or maybe the effect would lie in its purpose? Like, doubling the chances of a successful confession? Or perhaps… doubling the karmic merits when visiting a grave?
While his mind wandered, Shuichi continued to sift through the available shops and quickly found one.
Coincidentally, it was right next door to him— the ramen shop was on the right.
This wasn't by design, as the layout of a shopping street is naturally like the game, where there are strategic positions, with the golden corners and silver edges being the most valuable.
Shops closer to the street entrance are worth more.
The vacant spaces tend to be in less desirable locations, so the management office naturally wouldn't take up prime real estate, which is why the shops were all concentrated in the middle of the street.
"There's a two-story shop with a total of 90 square meters, and the second floor is for both commercial and residential use. Does that sound good to you, Kitagawa-san?" Shuichi said as he pushed the documents over.
As the introducer, Sumire took the initiative to ask, "What's the price? I remember you mentioned a discount."
"Of course, since it's an introduction from Nagase-sensei, I'll definitely offer a discount," Shuichi said with a smile as he looked at Ichika. "Kitagawa-san, you're the shop owner, right? Can we sign the contract today?"
"Yes," Ichika replied, picking up the documents and giving a slight nod, her gentle smile never fading. Every gesture she made was full of grace.
"In that case..." Shuichi pretended to think for a moment, but in reality, he was checking the system's pricing. "The monthly rent is 120,000 yen, management fees included, with no deposit or key money. Is that acceptable?"
After speaking, Shuichi silently wondered. Despite Ichika's stunning looks, her discount was the same as the ogawa's sisters. Does that mean the discount for excellent tenants is always the same?
As for the ramen shop... did that mean the two shopgirls got a 10,000 yen discount each?
It kind of sounded like the usual 'top-up and get a bonus' deal…
Sumire was slightly taken aback by the price. She had thought the discount would only be a 10% reduction, or at most an 8% discount.
But this price…
Though she wasn't particularly familiar with the market, 120,000 yen for a 90-square-meter shop in Taito Ward seemed like an absolute steal!
"Is there... a ghost here?" Sumire knew that Ichika wouldn't ask so directly, but she didn't mind doing so herself, since this guy always managed to annoy her anyway.
Shuichi rolled his eyes. "What are you saying, Sensei? If the place was really haunted, do you think I'd be staying here? Besides, since you're asking me for help, there's no way I'd cheat you, let alone cheat Kitagawa-san."
"...Well, thank you for being so reliable."
Sumire sighed, crossing her arms.
"You're not losing out, either. Honestly, if Kitagawa agrees to teach at the private school, her tutoring fees would be pretty substantial."
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