Starting a New Life in Tokyo by Inheriting a Shopping Street [80]

Hearing Nase Sumire’s casual remark, Chiba Shuuichi’s mind flicked instantly to a possibility.
Could Amamiya’s refusal to teach be more than a career choice—perhaps a sign she carried bad memories of teaching itself? Sumire, being as blunt as ever, probably hadn’t realized what her words implied.

Turning to Amamiya Momoka, he spoke gently. “Amamiya-san, please don’t worry about tutoring. Nase-sensei’s probably already told you how hopeless I am—my life’s ambition is just to lie flat and take it easy.”

His phrasing was light, but his meaning was clear.

Momoka caught on immediately, her soft smile deepening. “It’s all right. Thank you for your consideration, Chiba-kun.”

“Not a problem,” he replied warmly. “If you’d rather contribute in some other way, maybe just send a few flowers my way each month. Anything’s fine—no pressure at all.”

Only then did Nase Sumire realize what had just passed between them. Rolling her eyes, she said, “Do you think I’m an idiot? Of course I talked this over with Amamiya beforehand. Enough chatter—let’s go look at the actual shop already.”

Shuuichi merely smiled and led the two next door.

“If you’re opening a flower shop, you’ll probably want to remodel the first floor,” he explained as he unlocked the door. “But the second floor’s ready to live in—air conditioner, fridge, stove, everything set up already.”

He spoke clearly, showing them around like a proper professional.

Sumire blinked in genuine surprise. “I never realized you could actually be reliable when you’re serious.”

“Sensei, realizing that only now means you’re late to the party,” Shuuichi replied mildly.

“Then try being serious about your studies for once!” Sumire huffed.

“Sure thing—if Amamiya-san tutors me, I’ll definitely study hard,” Shuuichi said obediently.

That only made Sumire bristle further. So I’m the problem now? she thought. Then again… losing out to Amamiya wasn’t exactly shameful.

After the tour, Shuuichi sensibly retreated to the Management Office, leaving the two women alone to talk.

Sumire stole a glance at Momoka, who stood by the window, her calm smile as serene as ever—like a flower that would never wilt.

A faint worry tugged at Sumire’s chest. Had she made the right choice bringing such a gentle person into this?

“What do you think? Will you really be all right here?” she asked softly. “Honestly, even though Chiba’s my student, I still can’t tell if he’s trustworthy.”

That boy’s ambiguous attitude was something she could never quite figure out.

“It’s thanks to you that I found this place,” Momoka said, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “It’s much better than I’d imagined. As for Chiba-kun… I didn’t sense any strong possessiveness from him, nor any… excess. Just a sincere, polite appreciation.”

Though Sumire had heard similar things before, it still surprised her. “Eh? Such a high opinion? That guy…?”

She frowned faintly. Could the same boy who played those weird games with girls in the infirmary really act so detached in front of Amamiya’s beauty? Something didn’t add up.

“My perception could be wrong,” Momoka said gently. “You should trust your own judgment.”

“No, no—your instincts are always right. Mine are the ones that can’t be trusted.” Sumire shook her head quickly.

Momoka only smiled faintly and stepped out onto the small balcony, gazing at the quiet park behind the street.

Sumire followed, watching her friend’s side profile and sighing inwardly for the hundredth time.

Amamiya really is picture-perfect… how can someone this flawless even exist?

And yet, to think such a person was her friend—she felt lucky beyond measure.

The only issue was…

“She still won’t call me by my given name,” Sumire muttered under her breath as Momoka signed the papers with the caretaker.

“Sensei wants to get closer to Amamiya-san?” Shuuichi’s amused voice came from behind her.

Startled, Sumire grabbed his arm and hurried him outside before Momoka could overhear.

After confirming that Momoka was still calmly finalizing paperwork inside, Sumire finally relaxed.

Then, hesitating, she asked quietly, “You seem… oddly good at getting close to people.”

Shuuichi immediately understood what she meant. He chuckled. “First off, Sensei needs to understand one thing. If a man treats a woman like a goddess, he’ll never win her heart. He has to see her as human—ordinary, imperfect.”

Sumire frowned. “Amamiya isn’t ordinary—and besides, that’s not what I meant by getting close!”

“Same principle,” Shuuichi said with a shrug. “Whether it’s romance or friendship, idolizing someone just builds a wall you can’t cross.”

“Although we’ve only just met,” he continued thoughtfully, “my impression is that Amamiya-san—”

“What?” Sumire cut in quickly, leaning closer.

The teacher-student reversal amused Shuuichi, and his faint smile only made her more self-conscious.

Before she could snap, he continued smoothly, “Whenever Sensei talks about Amamiya-san, you look like a fan in awe. But maybe that’s why she keeps her distance. She might worry that if you ever saw her flaws, you’d be disappointed. So she keeps things polite, safe, perfect.”

Sumire frowned deeply. “That’s impossible. I’ve known her for years—if she had flaws, I’d have noticed by now. She’s perfect, so your theory doesn’t hold.”

A perfect human being? Shuuichi didn’t believe in such a thing, but he only smiled. “Ah, right. You’ve known each other for years and are so close you still call each other by surnames. That must be deep friendship indeed.”

Sumire’s chest tightened with annoyance. “Can you talk like a normal person for once—without sarcasm?”

“Not my fault. You can’t wake someone pretending to sleep.”

“You just enjoy making me angry, don’t you?”

“Yes. Sensei’s cute when she’s angry.”

“Don’t use the word cute for your teacher!” she snapped, cheeks burning.

“Sorry, but I really can’t find a better word.” His gaze flicked down ever so slightly, tone maddeningly calm.

“You—!” Sumire’s whole body trembled in frustration.

“Looks like Amamiya-san’s almost done,” Shuuichi said mildly, nodding toward the shop. “You wouldn’t want to lose your composure in front of her, right? This flustered look doesn’t suit Sensei at all.”

Sumire froze, then forced herself to breathe deeply, rearranging her expression with as much dignity as she could muster.

Her frantic attempt at elegance only made Shuuichi want to tease her more.

“Oh, Sensei—want to hear a secret?” He leaned in close, voice low and playful. “The lease penalty’s actually pretty steep. That means Amamiya-san’s effectively mine now. So you’ll behave yourself, won’t you?”

“WHAT?!” Sumire’s shriek nearly echoed down the street.

---

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!