Tokyo: I took in a homeless girl

Um.

Mine Shiori's face suddenly turned red. Rather than punishing herself, she wasn't doing it to relieve stress this time, but rather for a certain little quirk.

It seems that during the long period of punishment, she awakened some strange attributes.

Every time she punishes herself, she can't help but imagine Haruno Sawayama standing in front of her, just like what happened in Kyoto. It's as if the huge psychological shock can fill her longing for Haruno.

However, these thoughts were ultimately too embarrassing. Although Haruno Sawayama was sitting right in front of her, Shiori Mine was still too embarrassed to talk to him about it. She could only sip her drink and continue to hide the embarrassment on her face.

Fortunately, the other person quickly went to the bar and ordered two more drinks, completely unaware of Mine Shiori's slightly strange expression.

The bartending skills at this shop were somewhat beyond Zeshan Chunye's expectations. In his experience, the bartending was actually quite good, and the prices were acceptable. Most importantly, the environment and atmosphere were excellent.

It's not bad to come to a place like this once in a while with the girls, but the problem is that you can't bring them all along. Otherwise, given their personalities, Sawayama Haruno can already foresee the terrible situation.

Speaking of which, considering the time difference between Canada and the island nation, it's probably daytime there now. I wonder if they're awake yet.

Sawayama Haruno's thoughts became somewhat chaotic. After getting off the plane, he only replied with a few short messages, worried that sending too many would wake them up.

However, the timing is just right. I'll see if I can make a phone call before I go back to the villa to rest after finishing my drinks.

Chapter 368 The Leisurely Daily Life That's About to Begin with Mine Shiori

After having a few drinks with Shiori Minami outside, the two decided not to linger any longer as it got later.

Although nothing particularly exciting happened tonight, the relationship between Haruno Sawayama and Shiori Mine has become increasingly ambiguous, and they just need the right opportunity to make it happen naturally.

Feelings shouldn't be rushed, especially after both parties have clearly understood each other's feelings. Occasional tug-of-war can make things more memorable in the future.

Therefore, after drinking a few drinks and seeing that Shiori Mine was almost drunk, Haruno Sawayama called the driver to come back and pick them up.

When they returned to the villa, Riho Morikawa and her assistant had already gone to their room to rest.

Sawayama Haruno gave Mine Shiori a few specific instructions, such as not to take a bath, or to prepare some hot water and place it by her bedside before going to sleep, before returning to the master bedroom to rest.

Of course, before going to bed, he still followed his plan and took out his phone to send messages to the other girls to let them know he was safe.

Miyazawa Maki, needless to say, was still asleep around 8 or 9 o'clock; Ezaki Suguha was awake, but had already gone to driving practice, so she couldn't make a video call, which made Sawayama Haruno feel a little disappointed.

The only option left for video calls was Ayano Yui, and the other party answered quickly after the call request was made.

The image of his cousin appeared on the phone screen. She was about to place the phone at the right angle on the table. Her half-braided pigtail was hanging loosely in front of her, making her look indescribably cute.

Good morning, bro.

Ayano Yui narrowed her eyes and smiled slyly.

He seemed quite happy to be able to call Sawayama Haruno so early in the morning.

“It’s already midnight here.” Sawayama Haruno shrugged and laughed. “I slept for too long on the plane, so I’m not sleepy at all after landing. I guess I’ll have to readjust my time difference.”

"Oh, really?"

Ayano Yui casually tidied her hair and said leisurely, "Anyway, there's nothing to do for the next few days, so why don't you just stay up until tomorrow afternoon before sleeping? That way, it'll be easier to adjust to the time difference."

She had traveled to the United States when she was young and knew very well how to adjust to the time difference. Forcing yourself to lie in bed and sleep was useless; you had to get through the night and sleep the next afternoon.

Generally speaking, you'll sleep from the afternoon of the second day until the early morning of the third day, but the sunrise will come in just a few hours. By then, your time difference will have been initially adjusted, and you can sleep normally on the third night.

Sawayama Haruno was naturally aware of the need to adjust the time difference, but he had promised Mine Shiori that they would go out together the next day. Therefore, after hearing what Ayano Yui said, he did not rush to agree, but changed the subject.

Are you going out?

"I guess so. If I weren't going out, I wouldn't be here getting my hair done so early in the morning."

As Ayano Yui was talking, she suddenly brought her face very close to the phone.

She was fixing her hair in front of the small mirror next to her phone. Although braids are a fairly simple hairstyle for girls, Ayano Yui's styling was clearly meticulous in every part, making it look rather complicated.

However, most girls are willing to spend time on their makeup, especially girls in island nations who place great importance on it.

They started wearing makeup almost as early as junior high school, and even took care of their skin, making them incredibly meticulous.

In her previous life, many girls in Sawayama Haruno started learning makeup at a very young age, but it was mostly girls who were about to enter high school or were already in high school. It was relatively rare for girls in Japan to develop this habit from a young age.

Perhaps it's also related to the national conditions of island nations. Even the parents of girls support them wearing makeup. If they go out without makeup, it might leave a bad impression, which could lead to situations like the 80s generation. After all, there's no shortage of strange things in this country.

Sawayama Haruno had seen plenty of girls putting on makeup, but he rarely saw Ayano Yui so focused on it.

He rested his chin on his hand and asked curiously, "Where are you planning to go later?"

"what?"

Ayano Yui ran her fingers through her long hair and said absentmindedly, "I need to go to school to get my things. My drawing board and everything are still at school. It's summer vacation now. Although I can leave them in the art studio, it's better to bring them back just to be safe."

"I plan to pile all those tools up at home later, and everything else is already packed up."

Ayano Yui paused, her gaze drifting back to the phone screen.

She asked with a smile, "So when can we move into the new house? I can't wait any longer!"

This is her and Sawayama Haruno's new home. Although there will be several other girls in the house, it doesn't matter now that things have come to this.

Anyway, she had already mentally prepared herself. Being able to continue living with Haruno was more important than anything else. Moreover, according to what Miyazawa Maki had previously revealed, she seemed to be able to share Haruno with her exclusively at fixed times.

The other party has already shown so much sincerity, what reason do I have to keep refusing? Besides, given Sawayama Haruno's personality, he's unlikely to reject other girls for my sake. In that case, it's better to make a compromise than to get nothing at all.

Unaware that Maki had already "made arrangements" for him, Haruno Sawayama was still immersed in what Yui Ayano had just said.

After a moment of hesitation, he said uncertainly, "I'm not sure yet. Before I boarded the plane, the agent told me that they had already contacted the furniture store and that they would probably have everything installed within the next two or three days."

“If you’re in a hurry, I’ll ask around again. Once it’s all set up, you can move in right away. It’s not a new house anyway, so there’s no need for ventilation or anything. As for cleaning, I’ll just hire a cleaning company to come and do it,” Sawayama Haruno added.

That's the downside of buying a house in an island nation; it's hard to find one that comes fully furnished. The original owner of that villa had already cleared out all the large furniture to make it easier for the real estate agency to sell it, since there will always be people who don't like the style of the furniture.

Another reason is that furniture is also included in the tax amount, so to avoid trouble, fewer people buy fully furnished apartments than they buy unfurnished apartments.

Sawayama Haruno asked an agent to purchase a series of furniture, including basic items such as sofas and refrigerators, as well as home appliances such as televisions.

Strictly speaking, the villa won't be ready for occupancy anytime soon, because the latest plan is to demolish and expand the small pond in the courtyard, turning it into a swimming pool.

This is a huge project, and it also needs to be reported to higher authorities.

However, Haruno Sawayama wasn't in a hurry. He planned to wait until next year to talk about repairing the swimming pool. Anyway, it was winter now, and there was no chance to go swimming. Even in spring, the cold snaps in the island nation were no better than the cold winds of winter. Only a fool would go swimming at this time.

With these thoughts in mind, Haruno Sawayama casually offered a few words of comfort to Ayano Yui, who was getting restless. After seeing that Ayano Yui's hairstyle was finally fixed, he also took the opportunity to say goodnight to her.

It was already past midnight in Canada, and he should probably go to bed to rest. Even if he couldn't sleep, lying down for a while would be good, otherwise he wouldn't be able to go out with Shiori Mine tomorrow.

It's still necessary to conserve energy for my upcoming plans!

The next morning, the curtains were fluttered by the cold wind blowing in from outside.

Lying on the bed, Shiori Mine gently furrowed her brows. After a moment of closed-eye contemplation, she slowly came to understand the real reason for her exhaustion.

—Yes, I drank alcohol last night.

"Well"

The petite girl made a reluctant sound and struggled to turn over.

Thoughts, like the rising tide, gradually enveloped my mind.

Shiori Mine quickly remembered everything that had happened last night. When she recalled what Haruno Sawayama had promised her, her eyelashes fluttered, and then she slowly opened her eyes.

A cute pink alarm clock hung on the wooden bedside table to the left. The time had just reached nine o'clock, which made Shiori Minami pause for a moment.

This is the first time she's slept this late since starting university.

To catch the tram to school, she usually gets up around 7 a.m. Even when she doesn't have early classes, she wakes up early to prepare so she can get to her internship at the company sooner.

I didn't expect that this business trip abroad would make me a little lazy, and I feel a little ashamed of it.

Shiori Mine's lips slowly curved upwards, forming a captivating smile.

The image of the man living in the master bedroom next door kept flashing through her mind, and her heart kept pounding, echoing within her as if urging her to get up and go find him.

That's right, I made plans with the other person today to explore Toronto together.

I can't waste time meaninglessly by staying in bed any longer.

Shiori Mine sorted out her thoughts, then turned over and sat up in bed.

She first picked up the down jacket hanging on the chair, dressed herself, and then slowly got out of bed to wash up in the bathroom. By the time Shiori Mine completely came out of the room, the aroma of food wafted through the villa's living room.

Someone actually made breakfast in advance?

Shiori was somewhat surprised, but when she walked into the living room and saw the familiar figure sitting at the dining table enjoying breakfast, she quickly realized who it was.

"Haruno, are you up so early to make breakfast?" she asked softly.

"Ok?"

Sawayama Haruno, who was about to invite the other person to sit down and have breakfast together, was a little stunned by her question.

Riho Morikawa, standing to the side, widened her eyes and said indignantly, "What are you talking about? This is the result of my own cooking!"

"When I got up, this guy was still sleeping. I was going to cook rice, but he insisted on changing it to porridge, which made me busy in the kitchen for half a day."

Riho Morikawa started complaining incessantly, clearly showing her complete incomprehension of Haruno Sawayama's "unconventional" behavior.

The breakfast of islanders should be white rice with side dishes such as vinegared kelp and a bowl of miso soup. Who gets up to drink porridge?

It's not that drinking porridge is bad, but it doesn't feel as traditional as eating rice. If I drink porridge during the day, I'll easily get hungry before noon. Where will I find the energy to do the things I should be doing during the day?

"Shiori, come and have a bowl too."

Ignoring the somewhat disgruntled Riho Morikawa, Haruno Sawayama extended an invitation to the petite girl.

He didn't care whether the other person was traditional or not. He couldn't eat any white rice in the morning; it was so dry he could barely swallow it. Who was it that ate rice as soon as they got up?

Your stomach isn't fully awake yet, and you're eating this kind of hard-to-digest food first thing in the morning? Can you handle it?

Furthermore, the idea that eating porridge will make you lack energy during the day is a fallacy.

The reason why islanders eat rice for their first meal of the day is simply because food was scarce in ancient island nations. Men who needed to work in the fields would eat a bowl of rice after waking up to ensure they had more energy for farming during the day.

They would eat another bowl at noon, also to prepare for the afternoon's work, but they wouldn't eat it in the evening, because they didn't need to work anymore and naturally wouldn't eat that meal in order to save on food expenses.

Of course, this kind of eating habit is also extremely harmful to physical development. It is precisely because most people in the island nation have not had a healthy eating habit since ancient times that their average height has not been able to be effectively increased.

Even today, the average height of people in island nations is still a rather unsightly figure.

In short, for Sawayama Haruno, eating white rice for breakfast is the most bizarre and crooked thing imaginable, unless it's rice like glutinous rice chicken, then it's acceptable.

Well, sticky rice chicken and white rice should be considered separately. We can't just casually lump sticky rice chicken together with white rice just because it contains rice, can we?

In his opinion, sticky rice chicken is simply a type of morning tea, completely different from the breakfast habits of islanders.

Sawayama Haruno shook his head, putting away his wild thoughts. He took the initiative to go to the kitchen and serve Mine Shiori a bowl of porridge, which made the petite girl feel flattered.

Meanwhile, Riho Morikawa looked even more resentful. "Are you kidding me? I'm the one who got up early this morning to make breakfast for you, the great writer. And now, instead of thanking me, you're feeding me dog food?"

That's infuriating! If it weren't for your talent, I would have made sure you were completely submissive!

Chapter 369 Strolling the Streets with a Young Girl

We planned to go to the falls together last night, but we won't go as soon as we wake up today. After all, everyone's jet lag hasn't been adjusted yet, and they're clearly still feeling groggy the next day.

Furthermore, we need to do our research beforehand to go to the falls, so today's plan has been temporarily changed to everyone going out to buy things together.

Sawayama Haruno didn't care about the result. He was going to stay for several days anyway, so he had plenty of time. Besides, he wanted to explore downtown Toronto.

Since he had no objections, Shiori Mine naturally had even fewer. However, she felt a little resentful because Riho Morikawa also wanted to come along.

In response, the thoughtful editor said she was innocent. She had originally planned to come to Toronto to buy some clothes, as prices here are cheaper than in island countries. It's a rare trip abroad, so how could she not buy anything?

Moreover, shopping is a woman's nature, and even the more reserved assistant couldn't help but be tempted after hearing what Riho Morikawa said.

Seeing this, Haruno Sawayama stroked his chin and said, "In that case, let's go together."

"We're unfamiliar with this place, and although language isn't a problem, it's best if we stick together," he added.

Canada also speaks English. Riho Morikawa and Shiori Mine are both graduates of prestigious universities, so although they still have an unavoidable Japanese accent in their English, they are still much better than the average person from an island nation.

As for Haruno Sawayama's English level, it is relatively pure, because he did not learn it in a school in an island country, so he naturally did not pick up any strange pronunciation habits.

Another issue is the safety situation abroad. Although Toronto is a major city between the US and Canada, there are still some shady characters lurking on the streets. Compared to several Asian countries, the safety situation here is really hard to feel at ease with.

Sawayama Haruno was also worried that if Morikawa Riho acted with her deputy, they might run into some trouble. If she followed him, even if she could avoid trouble, she would at least have the ability to solve it.

I imagine Canada doesn't have the custom of freely hitting people with a BIUBIU in the street. If it were just an ordinary robber encountering someone with my abnormally strong physique, he would probably just have to accept his bad luck.

Seeing that Sawayama Haruno had said so, Morikawa Riho immediately smiled and advised, "That's right, Azumi, if Kiriyama-sensei doesn't mind, what are you afraid of? Let this big boss pay for our shopping trip later!"