Starting Tokyo Life From Inheriting A Shopping Street

Shuichi Chiba was thoroughly engrossed in his meal when he suddenly felt something brushing against his leg.

Looking down, he saw an adorable, clean-faced little cat he had no idea where it came from. The cat was rubbing its head and cheeks against his leg with enthusiasm, eventually resting its chin on him, looking up with expectant, round eyes.

"Meow~" The cat mewled softly, its voice delicate and charming.

That single "meow" sent a shiver down Shuichi Chiba's spine. Swallowing hard, he reached out to pet the cat's head.

"Aren't you a greedy little one? Are you hungry too?"

"Meow~" The cat gently flicked its tail.

Noticing this subtle gesture, Shuichi Chiba felt his heart melt. Who could possibly resist such an adorable test of willpower?

He picked up a piece of char siu pork with his chopsticks and held it out to the cat. The feline tentatively licked it with its pink tongue before happily taking a bite.

Watching the cat eat intently, its enthusiasm so great that juices dribbled from the corners of its mouth, Shuichi Chiba took a napkin and gently wiped it clean.

Then, scratching the cat's chin with his fingers, he watched as it closed its eyes in contentment, clearly enjoying the attention.

"A cute kitty like you deserves some serious belly rubs from us humans," Shuichi Chiba said with a playful smile as he coaxed the cat onto its back. The feline obediently lay on the floor, exposing its soft, snow-white belly.

He crouched down beside it and began giving it enthusiastic belly rubs.

"Meow~~~"

The cat squirmed and let out adorable, coquettish meows, only making Shuichi Chiba want to continue.

No wonder people say petting cats is addictive—this was simply too satisfying!

Shuichi Chiba found himself completely immersed.

After playing with the cat for a while, his gaze fell on its tail. He remembered hearing that cats' tails have a complex nervous system and are highly sensitive.

As if sensing his intentions, the cat's body went rigid, and it stared at him warily with sharp, alert eyes.

Shuichi Chiba, unfazed by the cat's wary gaze, reached out toward its tail, his hand filled with a sense of mischievous intent.

The moment his fingers wrapped around the fluffy tail, the cat visibly trembled, its wide eyes filled with a mixture of shock and alarm.

As he gripped the tail, he marveled at its soft, furry texture and then, with a gentle motion, gave it a small sway.

The reaction was immediate—like a jolt of electricity had surged through the cat. It writhed, attempting to use its paws to halt his movements, and let out peculiar little sounds that seemed to carry a tone of protest and warning.

Yet, when those tiny paws made contact with his arm, they were surprisingly soft, devoid of any real force.

Encouraged by its feeble resistance, Shuichi Chiba tugged lightly at the tail again. This time, the cat seemed to grow even more docile, its body slackening as though overwhelmed by the sensation. Its meows turned sweeter and softer, almost pleading.

The feline's eyes, now glistening like serene pools of water, reflected Shuichi Chiba's face, their depths seemingly pulling him in.

Shuichi Chiba chuckled softly, watching the cat's increasingly docile reactions. "Seems like you don't hate this kind of attention," he teased, wrapping the fluffy tail around his fingers and giving it a playful, gentle sway. The cat's mewling grew more delicate, as if caught in a strange blend of protest and indulgence.

…

Meanwhile, at the ramen shop, the evening rush had settled down, and with closing time approaching, customers were now sparse.

As An Akiyama cleared the cleaned bowls and chopsticks, she leaned in close to her mother, speaking in a hushed voice. "Mom, I have something to ask you."

"Hm? What is it?" Mrs. Akiyama, who was using the quiet moment to catch her breath, tilted her head curiously toward her youngest daughter.

"It's about... how did you confess your feelings to Dad back then?" An asked, her wide eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Hearing the question, a light blush rose to Mrs. Akiyama's cheeks. Memories of her youthful days and the nervous excitement of young love flooded back to her. Her demeanor softened, and an air of nostalgia gave her an almost radiant quality.

"Well…" She began with a small, shy smile, her voice trailing off as she fondly recalled her story.

"Confess, huh..." Mrs. Akiyama's lips curled into a nostalgic smile. "Back then, your mom was pretty clueless, you know? I just copied what I saw on TV—wrote a love letter, invited your dad to the rooftop, and confessed to him in person."

"Eh?" An Akiyama nodded at first but then suddenly looked puzzled. "Wait a second, isn't it supposed to be one or the other? Like, either the love letter or the rooftop confession?"

"Why would it be one or the other?" Mrs. Akiyama looked genuinely confused. "When hinting with chocolate didn't work, I wrote a love letter. When the letter failed, I confessed on the rooftop. If the rooftop strategy failed, I'd try something else…"

An, her eyes wide with shock, interrupted, "But didn't you say earlier that it was really simple? That it worked easily?"

Mrs. Akiyama shrugged, still baffled by her daughter's confusion. "It was simple and easy because I only ever did one thing—confess to him every day. Other girls were busy overanalyzing what kind of personality your dad might like, changing their outfits and makeup constantly, studying date strategies, and coming up with all sorts of schemes to catch his attention. But I couldn't come up with any of that. So, I just stayed true to myself and confessed every day. And eventually, it worked."

Mrs. Akiyama finished with a proud smile, clearly satisfied with her approach.

An Akiyama blinked her wide, clear eyes. "Something about this still feels off."

Mrs. Akiyama chuckled and ruffled her daughter's hair. "Well then, An-chan, are you good at makeup?"

"Not really…"

"Do you know how to tease boys and pique their interest?"

"No clue…"

"Do you understand all the little tricks for a perfect date?"

"Not exactly…"

"There you have it," Mrs. Akiyama said with a playful tap on her daughter's forehead. "Then just go with the simple method."

"True…" An sighed, a little dejected. She felt clumsy and not at all like the polished girls in her class.

What kind of girls did Chiba-kun like?

Well, she knew he enjoyed her mom's cooking, but beyond that…

An realized she might have no choice but to follow in her mom's footsteps. "So…what should I say in the confession?"

"Just say you like him and ask if he'd want to go out with you. Unless you're secretly great at writing essays?" Mrs. Akiyama teased, pinching her daughter's cheek.

"Ugh…" An mumbled, her words muffled. "Writing essays is such a pain…"

The entrance bell jingled as new customers arrived, and Mrs. Akiyama hurried off to assist them, leaving An behind to wrestle with her thoughts.

"Dating is such a hassle," An muttered, rubbing her face in frustration. "No wonder Chiba-kun said it's boring."

She patted her cheeks and perked herself up. "But I won't give up! If Mom could do it, so can I! You got this, An Akiyama!"

Feeling more energized, An returned to her tasks with renewed determination.

…

Back at Shuichi Chiba's place, he leaned back in his chair, smirking at the sight of Tsuki Akiyama emerging from the bathroom. "You're a pretty terrible maid, aren't you? Changing clothes takes you this long? I've already finished dinner. Don't tell me you were slacking off in there?"

"I was cleaning the bathroom…" Tsuki said breathlessly, a faint blush on her face hinting at the effort she had put in.

"Is that so? What a shame then—you just missed meeting an adorable cat." Shuichi said, glancing at his hand with a satisfied look.

"Oh? Where did the cat come from?" Tsuki asked, her hand subtly adjusting the blue-and-white striped fabric at her back.

"Not sure. It might have wandered in from the balcony, probably a stray. But it was clean, cute, and very greedy. I hope it comes back. I'm thinking about adopting it." Shuichi mused, still reliving the pleasant memory.

Tsuki touched her stomach lightly, biting her lip. "Cats love companionship. If it had fun, it'll probably come back."

"That'd be great. Petting it was so satisfying. I bet it enjoyed being fussed over just as much." Shuichi remarked, almost wistfully.

"Mm…" Tsuki licked her lips, feeling her skin flush as an inexplicable heat coursed through her. Her eyes shimmered with a mix of intensity and haze.

"Alright, get back to work," Shuichi said, snapping her back to reality. "The floor's a mess thanks to that cat."

And just like that, he resumed his role as the demanding master, leaving Tsuki to follow his orders with a subtle, almost imperceptible smile.

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