Shuichi Chiba noticed the faint outline of a ring on Sayuki Ogawa's left ring finger as she removed her hand from his shoulder. He pondered while turning his gaze, 'So, this lady is also married. But neither of them is wearing a wedding ring. Could they be divorced?'
Sayuki Ogawa turned and draped her jacket over her sister, then asked, "May I use the restroom here?"
"Of course." Chiba replied.
He watched as the teary-eyed Fumika Ogawa was gently guided by her sister into the restroom on the second floor, and he couldn't help but shake his head slightly, feeling as though he had somehow been involved in an unfortunate incident.
He absentmindedly pocketed the button he had caught earlier, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling that lingered.
After a few minutes, the restroom door opened again, and the conversation between the sisters became audible.
"This… this is so embarrassing. Are you sure it's alright?" Fumika's voice was soft and anxious.
Sayuki sighed, "Are you seriously planning to keep wearing those torn stockings? That would be even more humiliating. You're actually dressed better now than I am."
"But…" Fumika hesitated, clearly uncomfortable.
"Oh, come on! You're nearly thirty, can you stop being so shy about this? Even a younger girl wouldn't be embarrassed over something like this!"
"I-I understand. I'm sorry for making you angry…"
"I'm not angry, just hurry up."
Shuichi Chiba, though not intentionally eavesdropping, could still hear the conversation given the small size of the restroom and the lack of soundproofing.
After the sisters emerged from the restroom, Shuichi Chiba's gaze briefly flickered over Fumika's legs, intrigued by the earlier conversation.
In just that fleeting glance, Fumika's full, rounded thighs were indelibly etched into his memory. Compared to her sister's long, toned legs, Fumika's were noticeably softer and more supple. Shuichi, having moved beyond youthful naiveté, understood that sometimes a fuller figure had its own appeal.
Turning his focus to Sayuki's face, Shuichi Chiba asked earnestly, "Would you like to continue the tour?"
Sayuki, still holding her sister's arm, appeared somewhat overwhelmed by the earlier incident. She looked around and asked, "How is the rent determined for this place? I must say, it's rather odd that there's no clear rent information displayed."
Shuichi Chiba didn't rush to answer and instead asked, "I need to confirm first—are you both planning to rent for yourselves? And the store manager is…"
Sayuki raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly puzzled by the question. "Is that important? We're just inquiring about the rent right now."
Shuichi knew that the system only provided rental prices once the store manager was confirmed. The system's pricing was based on the manager's identity, essentially setting prices according to the person in charge. However, he couldn't reveal this.
With a polite smile, he responded, "If we finalize the agreement today, there might be a discount available."
The mention of a discount made Sayuki consider negotiating further. She understood that promotional offers were common, and it seemed like the owner was quite eager to lease out the space given the potential loss from vacant shops.
"My sister is the store manager, but you can handle everything with me." Sayuki added.
Shuichi nodded, acknowledging the information. "Understood. I'll provide you with the details and we can discuss the terms. Let's make sure everything aligns with your needs."
As he gathered the information and prepared to discuss the specifics, Shuichi made a mental note to handle the negotiation carefully.
Shuichi Chiba took another glance at Fumika Ogawa, who seemed as if she were a frightened rabbit, hurriedly lowering her head and nervously fidgeting with her legs. The sight of her shifting thigh, squeezed into various shapes by her skirt, made him shift his gaze away. He quickly opened the system panel and added Fumika Ogawa as the manager of this store and the system opened another panel in front of him.
He then reviewed the system's panel in his mind and, frankly, felt a surge of frustration. The rental price was shockingly low.
"Chiba-san?" Sayuki's voice brought him back to the present.
Clearing his throat, Shuichi managed a polite smile and replied, "The rent for this shop, with a total usable area of 150 square meters over two floors, is 200,000 yen per month. How does that sound to both of you?"
The price was quite low and, considering the current state of the shop, it might indeed be a hard sell. But, since the system was unpredictable and apparently operated on a case-by-case basis, he had little choice but to present the price as it was.
Sayuki Ogawa said in surprise, "Two hundred thousand yen, per month?"
"You heard correctly." Shuichi Chiba maintained his smile despite hearing the suspicion in Sayuki's voice.
Sayuki Ogawa's expression gradually changed. Before coming here, she and her sister had looked at other commercial streets.
Although Taito Ward is not one of the central six wards of Tokyo, it is adjacent to Bunkyo Ward and has well-known attractions like Ueno Zoo and Senso-ji Temple, so land prices shouldn't be this cheap.
Previously, they had looked at commercial spaces in the same Taito Ward, near Ueno Station, where the rent for a 120-square-meter space was around 600,000 yen per month.
Even though this is the northern part of Taito Ward, a residential area, the rent shouldn't be this drastically low compared to the bustling commercial areas.
In comparison, this price seemed very strange…
Sayuki Ogawa, though her gaze was sharp, did not rush to argue. She simply crossed her arms and asked, "What about the key money and deposit?"
Key money is a gift given by the tenant to the landlord when renting a property for the first time, usually equivalent to one or two months' rent. This is a one-time payment and is non-refundable.
A deposit is generally equivalent to one month's rent and is refundable if there are no issues at the end of the lease.
Shuichi Chiba's smile became even more polite. "No deposit, no key money."
"Management fees?"
"Included in the rent."
Sayuki Ogawa withdrew her arms from her sister's embrace and took deliberate steps toward Shuichi Chiba.
Until they were face-to-face, Sayuki Ogawa continued to stare directly into Shuichi Chiba's eyes and asked, "So… are there any additional conditions?"
Shuichi Chiba rubbed his stiff face and sighed, mentally cursing the system for being so tricky. The terms were so favorable that there seemed to be no reasonable justification.
"I know you probably won't believe me if I say there aren't any, and you probably won't listen if I ask you not to misunderstand. How about checking out other places?"
Sayuki Ogawa furrowed her brow slightly, finding the situation odd. His expression of helplessness didn't seem like an act.
So what's the deal with this price? Is this some kind of strategy?
"Sayuki…" Fumika Ogawa called softly from behind.
Sayuki Ogawa turned back to her sister, and the two of them moved to a corner to discuss privately.
"Maybe this guy has other motives as well. Let's keep looking for another place." Sayuki Ogawa said directly.
"Huh?" Fumika was taken aback. "Isn't that a bit extreme? Chiba-san is… just a student. Sayuki, are you overthinking this?"
"Student?" Sayuki Ogawa was also surprised and glanced back at Shuichi Chiba. "How did you know?"
"I saw him come back in uniform and then go upstairs to change into a suit." Fumika explained.
"Oh? So he's got all these ulterior motives? Hmph, men…" Sayuki snorted lightly.
"Don't be like that, Sayuki. Chiba-san… doesn't seem like that kind of person," Fumika said softly, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, and thought to herself.
After all, if something does happen, Chiba-san would be the one at a disadvantage. I'm already at this age.
Fumika's unspoken thoughts seemed to be read by her sister. Sayuki raised an eyebrow and a smirk tugged at her lips.
"So, did you develop an interest in him? It makes sense; you've been divorced for years, and you do have needs."
Fumika's face flushed instantly. "Y-you're saying nonsense!"
Sayuki rolled her eyes. "Sister, you've been married once already. There's no need to be embarrassed about these things."
She glanced at Shuichi Chiba. "A delicate, beautiful young man, huh? If you're into that, just don't know if his body can handle it."
The teasing words from her younger sister made Fumika's face burn, her heart racing. She was too flustered to respond.
"However, it's not a big deal. I can help you test him out later."
"No… don't say that…" Fumika's face was bright red as she pleaded softly.
"Don't worry. If he turns out to be like that scumbag, I'll protect you. You have me."
Sayuki patted her sister's shoulder and then decisively walked over to Shuichi Chiba.
"This price is acceptable, but I want to rent two units."
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