Tokyo landlord: why is the panties of the lady next door in my house?!

"Chiba-san, how could you..."

Before he could finish, he was abruptly cut off by Chiba Shimizu,

"If possible, please do not say anything that makes me feel disgusted, Classmate Haruka."

...Well, he'd been anticipated, but Haruka Yuzan was still stubborn.

"Could it be wrong to sincerely compliment you, Chiba, on your beauty?"

"Classmate Haruka, you definitely were not intending to say that just now."

"Wishes! Please, great Chiba-san, awaken your ability to read minds now! That way you could feel my genuine sincerity."

"No need for superpowers to awaken."

"Huh? Could it be, Chiba-san, that even now you can still feel it?"

"No, even if I did awaken them, I still wouldn't feel it, so there's no need to waste time and energy."

"Darn! How can you easily give up without even trying?"

.....

On the subject of whether Classmate Haruka was truly sincere,

the two of them argued all the way, from boarding the train, to transferring, and finally... arriving at Tokyo's largest amusement park!

Tokyo Dome City!

It has a history of over 60 years since its opening.

The park adopts a "free admission" system with pay-per-ride, so it's also quite enjoyable to take a walk here and observe Japanese amusement park culture.

One particular attraction that deserves special mention is the Ferris wheel, the world's first to use a spokeless design; the gondolas are equipped with Chinese and English touch screens, allowing one to view the scenery and listen to an introduction about the entire Tokyo Dome City.

Of course, apart from the Ferris wheel, milder rides like the carousel and teacups are available, and it's practically one of the must-visit spots in Tokyo!

"It really is lively!"

Haruka Yuzan commented with some nostalgia.

Chiba Shimizu nodded as if in agreement.

A very subtle little detail: if this had been the young lady a few months ago, even if there had been a tsunami or earthquake in front of her, she would have faced it calmly, her icy face seemingly forever fixed in that one expression.

However, this indifferent attitude towards life had undergone a great silent change in recent months.

Even she hadn't noticed that in front of Haruka Yuzan, she seemed more like a "beautiful ordinary girl", capable of confusion, concerns, and... curiosity.

Just like now, the always calm and rational beauty who claimed to know it all was curiously looking around her at this moment.

The streets were filled with schoolgirls in every corner of the city, with bustling and fashionable buildings standing all around,

A massive electronic screen was displaying advertisements,

The advertisement showed scenes of a large amusement park, with a variety of rides being presented, like a fairytale kingdom, full of bright and brilliant colors, which had a great allure to little girls.

"Do you want to ride the Ferris wheel?" Noticing the girl's gaze, Haruka Yuzan asked softly.

"Hmm... okay."

Chiba Shimizu nodded, and then, as if remembering something, added, "But, we should eat dinner first, before playing..."

There was a serious look on her delicate face, and Haruka Yuzan was momentarily stunned; in such a state, the young lady was the image of a perfect girlfriend.

Beautiful, intelligent, composed, clever, and occasionally a bit mischievous, with everything on an outing planned out.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

Noticing the boy's gaze, Chiba Shimizu subconsciously turned her head away, a slight blush tingeing her fair cheeks.

Her occasional shyness, different from her usual demeanor, added a unique charm to the girl.

You really are wonderful... Chiba-san.

"Hmm... so what should we eat later? Does the magnificent Chiba-san have a plan?"

Since the girl had arranged everything, Haruka Yuzan naturally wouldn't say much.

"Seafood."

Mumbling, Chiba Shimizu calmed herself and then led the boy toward Tokyo Dome City.

Her light footsteps conveyed that the girl was relaxed and enjoying herself.

This... was the life she had always wanted.

No piano, no etiquette lessons with locked doors, no social engagements, and even more... no hatred from her sister...

Following the young lady's footsteps, they reached the restaurant she had reserved,

Haruka's Dining.

He glanced at the huge sign and strolled into Haruka Yuzan, where the interior wasn't particularly luxurious, but perhaps because it was mealtime, it was quite crowded.

Unexpectedly, Chiba Shimizu had reserved seats in advance—it was a small private section, separated from the main area by nothing more than a thin curtain.

"What would you like to eat?" Chiba Shimizu softly asked while browsing the tablet menu.

Haruka Yuzan quirked an eyebrow and then said with a smile, "I'm not picky, anything is fine."

"Alright, let's have two servings of tuna, two servings of sea urchin, and also..."

Chiba Shimizu swiped through the tablet, as if reading off the menu to Haruka.

The little restaurant was bustling, and the thin curtain did nothing to block out the lively discussions from outside.

"Chiba-san, have you been here before to eat?"

Looking at the departing waiter, Haruka Yuzan asked with a smile.

He didn't expect that the young lady from a prominent family would know about such a small, obscure place.

"No," Chiba Shimizu shook her head.

"Then you..."

"I saw it online. Reviews," the girl said in a cool, sincere voice, seemingly unbothered by it.

"Cough, cough!"

However, hearing her answer, Haruka Yuzan almost spit out his buckwheat tea, "You looked up reviews online?!"

"Hm? Is there something strange about that?" Chiba Shimizu furrowed her brow, mistaking the boy's reaction for a sign that the restaurant might be subpar.

"No, just a bit surprised," Haruka Yuzan quickly waved his hands, dismissing her doubts.

Seeming to guess what the boy wanted to say, the pretty brows eased, and Chiba Shimizu took a sip of her buckwheat tea before speaking calmly,

"Are you surprised that someone who has lived in Tokyo for over a decade still needs to look up recommendations online when going out?"

"No," Haruka Yuzan shook his head decisively.

But Chiba Shimizu just smiled disdainfully, "Mr. Haruka, do you know what I dislike most about you?"

"What?" He was genuinely curious.

"A person who's full of lies."

"...."

"For example, just now, deep down you really wanted to know, but you still pretended to be so nonchalant and indifferent. Really, it's very annoying."

Her eyes, clear as autumn waters, held a trace of desolation as they looked at Haruka, as if they could see right through one's soul, sharply and somewhat terrifyingly clear.

Determination, affirmation, and... disdain.

"I just didn't want to touch on someone's sore spots," Haruka Yuzan retorted.

Chiba Shimizu, however, shook her head,

"There's nothing sad about it. A decade and a half has passed in life; what does it change to mention it now?"

Today, the young mistress seemed to have an endless amount of things to say, while Haruka Yuzan just sat there, an earnest listener on the side.

A life that was dry, dull, belonging to a woman once considered a darling of the heavens, from whom great things were expected. But due to her lack of social skills, everyone's favor shifted to her sister.

The dull comparisons, the irritating numbed existence, made the girl more closed off.

"But I am lucky, I met Sister Reiko, I met Misaki, I met Hoshina..."

It seemed like she was talking about something mundane, but the only thing evident on Chiba Shimizu's cold face was a faint happy smile.

Haruka Yuzan, on the other hand, was still expectant, hoping the young mistress would continue speaking.

After a prolonged silence, Chiba Shimizu seemed done talking, simply sipping her buckwheat tea.

"Chiba-san, did you perhaps leave something out?" Haruka Yuzan couldn't help but speak up to remind her.

Chiba Shimizu lifted her head, her beautiful eyes flashing with a touch of cunning, "You wouldn't be hoping for me to thank you, would you... Haruka..."

"..."

The darn young mistress! She would not speak the truth!

Haruka Yuzan clenched his teeth, determined to drink his buckwheat tea continuously.

Seeing his reaction, Chiba Shimizu revealed an even brighter smile.

"Thank you, Haruka...."