Tokyo: Oreimo

As Ryosuke Takashiro was filling out the forms, he heard a somewhat familiar voice, which made him unconsciously turn his gaze towards it.

"Liuli, over here!"

At the counter ahead, Ryosuke saw a beautiful figure with blonde hair. Even without seeing her face, he could recognize her by her voice as his younger sister who had been crying her eyes out at the Kadokawa building earlier.

What a strange coincidence! We bumped into each other at the same shopping mall just to buy a phone.

Ryosuke Takagi shrank back, making the staff completely block him out.

One encounter could be considered a coincidence, but bumping into each other within two hours, if seen by Takashiro Ryouno, might really be mistaken for stalking her.

"Sir, what's wrong?" The staff member looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"It's nothing, please process it for me as soon as possible, I have other things to do."

Ryosuke quickly dealt with the situation.

...

With her arm linked with Takashiro Ryouno's, Aragaki Ruri stood in front of the mobile phone counter. Facing the dazzling array of electronic products, she paid no attention to them at all, only indulging in the warm, smooth touch of her arm.

But this feeling of happiness was quickly shattered when Ling Nai let go of her hand.

The other person turned to face her and pointed to a flip phone in the counter, with cute cat decorations on the front cover.

"I think this character is Hello Kitty. Sony actually released a collaboration phone."

Takashiro Ryouno was slightly excited.

"This customer has excellent taste! This is a limited edition item; only three stores in Shinjuku have it, and our store happens to be one of them. Would you like to try it out?"

The employees who work on the front lines of sales counters all have excellent eyesight. They immediately recognized the brands of the clothes the two were wearing and went up to chat with them right away.

Compared to the cold reception Ryosuke received at the counter, the two trendy young women seemed to have much more purchasing power.

"Okay, please take it out for me."

Takashiro Ryouno nodded repeatedly, took the phone from the shop assistant, and handed it to Aragaki Ruri.

"Try it, Liuli. If you like it, I'll buy it for you as a gift for bringing me good luck."

"Huh? That's too expensive. Besides, I already have a cell phone."

Ruri Aragaki comes from a well-off family and also works as a part-time model, so she experienced the convenience of mobile phones at a young age.

"That's an old machine from a year ago, it should have been replaced a long time ago! Don't be so polite with me, aren't we good friends?"

Ryoko Takashiro's remarks drew envious glances from the staff behind the counter.

Ruri Aragaki was very pleased with the reactions of others.

This is what it feels like to be pampered.

"Alright, since Ling Nai has taken a liking to it, I will cherish whatever she gives me. This is it."

...

Although the two were not talking loudly, they were only a counter away, and Ryosuke could hear them clearly.

Are you just going to give it away like that?

It's so good to be rich.

He had just seen the Hello Kitty co-branded flip phone from Sony, but the price alone deterred him.

It's the same model as the one I have, with similar configurations and identical functions, but it costs twice as much.

Ryosuke was wondering what kind of person would buy something just for a cute accessory, but he never expected this scene to happen so quickly.

He couldn't help but look again, this time his gaze landing on the face of Ling Nai's companion.

With her pure and delicate appearance, in Ryosuke's eyes, she even had the looks to debut as an idol.

"It seems that Father's worries were unnecessary."

Judging from her appearance, her clothing, and the air of nobility she exudes, she must come from an extraordinary family.

As Ryosuke thought this, he rested his chin on his hand and leaned against the counter, when his eyes suddenly met someone's.

...

Ruri Aragaki has been a part-time model for a year or two, which has helped her develop a sensitivity to the camera.

It was like a sixth sense; when she felt unfamiliar eyes on her face, she would instinctively look them in the eye.

Eyes facing each other.

Ruri Aragaki didn't detect any emotion in that gaze that would make her physically disgusted; it seemed as if the other person was merely sizing her up.

It's more about scrutiny.

She had felt this kind of gaze many times before, from talent scouts on the street.

But the other person's attire seemed to be around my age, like a student?

She didn't dislike Ryosuke's appearance; he had a clean and handsome look, and his demeanor showed no trace of the immaturity common among people his age.

"Hey, Liuli, what are you looking at?"

Takashiro Ryouno noticed her friend's unusual behavior and followed her gaze.

"Tsk, how come I ran into him again? Did this guy put a tracking device on me?"

The moment Takagi Ryouno saw Ryosuke, the smile on her face vanished, replaced by a look of disgust.

When Aragaki Ruri noticed her friend looking over, the friend almost instantly looked away, pretending not to recognize her.

"acquaintance?"

"That's the guy, the older brother his stepmother brought with him."

Ruri Aragaki was startled, alarm bells ringing in her mind.

The enemy has appeared!

That enemy who knows Ling Nai's secret!

Her gentle gaze suddenly turned sharp as she swept her eyes over Ryosuke Takagi, but then, as if she had just realized something, she seemed to remember something.

Ruri Aragaki suppressed her hostility and took Ryoko Takashiro's arm.

"Since we've run into each other, shall we go over and say hello?"

Is Chapter 10 so fashionable?

Ryosuke Takagi felt somewhat confused.

Even though they were complete strangers, he shouldn't have done anything rude to the girl.

But why does it feel like the other person's eyes are like they want to eat me alive?

Ryosuke saw two girls linking arms and walking around the counter toward him.

"Sir, the information registration is complete. Please accept the receipt and you can take the phone now."

"It's already usable, right?"

"Yes."

The formalities were completed, and the staff member gave a professional smile.

Should we retreat? I have a feeling this might cause trouble.

Ryosuke hesitated for a moment, but it was too late to leave.

Ruri Aragaki had already walked up to them, with her younger sister, who didn't seem very happy, behind her.

"Are you the elder brother of the Takashiro family? I am Ling Nai's good friend, my name is Aragaki Ruri."

The beautiful girl took the initiative to greet him, using polite language, and her smile was very cute. Despite her delicate appearance, she gave off the feeling of a girl next door, exuding a strong sense of approachability.

At this point, even if Ryosuke Takagi wanted to pretend he didn't see it, he couldn't; it was a matter of basic etiquette.

"Hello, my name is Ryosuke Takagi. Please take care of my younger sister."

Ryosuke nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

I had just heard my younger sister mention the name Ruri in the Kadokawa building conference room not long ago.

It was probably because of the other party's reminder that Ling Naicai belatedly realized that she had suffered a great loss and thought of protesting to the editor.

He made no attempt to conceal his gaze as he looked the other person up and down a few more times.

Speaking of which, this girl is just as beautiful as Ling Nai from any angle, and her manner of speaking is much more mature than her younger sister's.

but why....

What was with that look earlier? Where did that hostility come from?

"What? You're talking like you're really my brother."

Takashiro Ryouno pouted, "Hey, don't keep staring at Ruri just because she's pretty. That's so rude!"

"..."

Ryosuke glanced at this living ancestor with a speechless expression.

If someone is talking to me, wouldn't it be impolite if I didn't look them in the eye?

Besides, isn't the other party scrutinizing him from head to toe?

Although he thought this way, he did not refute Ling Nai on the surface, nor did he want to show the disharmony in his family in front of outsiders.

"Please excuse my poor attempt." Ryosuke gave Aragaki Ruri an apologetic smile.

Ruri Aragaki covered her mouth and chuckled softly, brushing a strand of hair from her forehead behind her ear.

"Brother is such a gentle person. You and Ling Nai will definitely get along well in the future."

"What? Liuli, why are you taking his side?"

"Since we live under the same roof, we're family. Of course, I hope you all get along peacefully, so I can rest assured, right, elder brother?"

Ruri Aragaki squeezed Ling Nai's hand, as if asserting her ownership, their fingers intertwined in front of her, while she asked Ryosuke a question.

What on earth is this speech? These two little girls.