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The luxury car eased to a stop, its glossy black body glinting under the late afternoon sun. When Akiyama Ren stepped out, his eyes immediately landed on two striking women standing by the entrance.
The first was unmistakable—short-cut raven hair, sharp yet elegant features, and a mature air that mirrored someone he already knew. She bore a clear resemblance to Yukinoshita Yukino from Sobu High, but the difference in poise and allure was obvious. This was her older sister: Yukinoshita Haruno.
Standing beside her was another woman in a sleek black office outfit—tight pencil skirt, black stockings, and subtle heels clicking lightly on the pavement. Though attractive in her own right, she paled slightly when compared to Haruno's charismatic presence. This woman must be the business contact.
As Ren casually scanned the two, they also sized him up. But Haruno, ever the consummate socialite, knew the art of subtlety. She glanced at him only briefly before stepping forward with a warm, practiced smile.
"Welcome, Adagaki-sama. I'm Yukinoshita Haruno. This is Nanjo Arisa, General Manager of Seiryou Real Estate."
Ren gave a simple nod in response. "Nice to meet you."
Despite the lack of formality, neither woman showed the slightest displeasure. If anything, their posture became a little straighter, a little more respectful. To them, it was an honor to meet someone of his pedigree.
After a few pleasantries, the trio entered the spacious, tastefully decorated lounge of the real estate sales office. Haruno maintained her composure, while Arisa quickly ordered an assistant to bring in a miniature architectural model—a scale sand table displaying the entire area.
"These," Arisa gestured with a soft, ingratiating smile, "are our premium villas located around Sobu High School. All unsold, hand-picked for the highest clientele. Please take a look, Akiyama-sama."
Ren leaned forward with casual interest, his gaze sweeping across the three villa communities marked on the model. All three were owned by Seiryou Real Estate. Two were standard luxury townhouses, but one stood out.
Holy Sakura Hills—a neighborhood of standalone, high-end residences. Only twenty-two villas in total. Seventeen had already been sold, and the current residents were mostly influential figures in Chiba City, including—naturally—the Yukinoshita Family.
Without hesitation, Ren pointed to the most prominent villa on the model. "I'll take this one. Number One."
Arisa's face lit up with a smile so wide it nearly cracked her usual business mask. "Understood! I'll begin the paperwork immediately."
She bowed slightly before exiting with her assistants in tow, leaving only Ren and Haruno in the lounge.
Ren leaned back into the plush sofa and pulled out his phone, starting up a mobile game with the kind of nonchalance only someone born into power could exude.
Haruno, seizing the moment, adjusted her skirt and blouse ever so slightly and moved to sit beside him. The subtle scent of jasmine perfume drifted toward Ren. She leaned in—not too close, not too fast—just enough that her words brushed his ear like a breeze.
"You're a student at Sobu High as well, Akiyama-san?"
"Second year. Class F," he replied, eyes still fixed on his screen.
"Oh my, what a coincidence," Haruno responded with feigned surprise. "My little sister, Yukino, is also a second-year—but in Class J."
Ren gave a slight chuckle. "Of course I know her. The Ice Queen of Sobu High. She's got a reputation."
Haruno giggled, and in that moment, she subtly pressed her body closer to his. Her curves lightly brushed against his arm, but she didn't pull away.
"As expected of someone from the the Adagaki lineage." Her voice was soft, almost teasing. "You do your homework."
Ren finally paused his game and turned to face her. He gently wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap, staring into her eyes with a smirk. "I don't go for cold types. I prefer someone bold. Confident. Someone who knows what she wants."
Haruno's cheeks flushed faintly, but her expression remained composed. Instead of resisting, she leaned into him, straddling his thighs with practiced grace. Her voice dropped into a sultry whisper.
"Then tell me, Ren-kun—who's more beautiful? Me… or my little sister?"
Ren lifted her chin with two fingers, making her gaze lock with his.
"You are," he said without hesitation. "I'm not into naive little girls pretending to be grown-ups."
Haruno chuckled, amused and emboldened. In a single fluid movement, she shifted and straddled his lap, her long hair cascading over her shoulder like a dark curtain between them and the world.
For a fleeting moment, their eyes locked—and something unspoken passed between them. Attraction? Ambition? Both.
Haruno's heart fluttered, but her mind remained sharp. She knew how dangerous and tempting a man like Adagaki Ren could be. But she also knew the opportunity he represented.
She curled a strand of hair behind her ear and asked softly, "The Yukinoshita Family is considered one of the elite in Chiba," she purred, voice honeyed with charm. "As the rightful heir… do you think I'm qualified to be the young madam of the Adagaki household?"
(I cringed so much I had to wash my eyes. But it's possible in a real world setting if you consider the political and economic implications.)
Akiyama Ren studied her for a moment. Her confidence was impressive, but her hunger for status even more so.
He let out a light sigh, then reached for a pen from the coffee table beside him. Without a word, he slipped his hand between them and wrote something on her chest just beneath the collar of her blouse.
Haruno blinked, startled. Her gaze dropped briefly to see what he'd written.
It was the name of a hotel, accompanied by a room number.
Her eyes narrowed, the atmosphere shifting slightly.
"You're telling me… to go there?" she asked, her tone cooling as the weight of his implication settled.
She may have been aiming high, but she was still Yukinoshita Haruno—the face of one of Chiba's proudest families. And while the Adagaki suname carried weight, Adagaki Ren himself was still an adopted heir. His inheritance wasn't yet a guarantee.
Was this arrogance? Or a test?
Haruno slowly slid off his lap, adjusting her skirt with a composed grace that belied her inner turbulence.
"Ren-sama is quite the joker," she said, masking her irritation behind a courteous smile.
"I wasn't joking," Ren replied, leaning back into the couch with that same unreadable smirk on his face.
Silence fell for a few seconds. Haruno remained poised but thoughtful, as though weighing a gamble with higher stakes than she had initially expected.
Just then, the lounge door opened.
Nanjō Arisa returned, her stride purposeful, carrying a crisp stack of papers. "Adagaki-sama, here are the documents. We just need your signature and confirmation of the payment."
Ren nodded and moved forward to sign.
The property was one of the most luxurious in the Holy Sakura Villa district, marked at 1.5 billion yen. For someone like Ren, it barely registered as a cost. Especially considering the amount he'd recently obtained.
(I cross-checked, the figure is correct)
"No need for a down payment," he said casually. "I'll pay in full."
Arisa blinked in pleasant surprise. "Of course. Please allow me a moment to process it." She accepted his ID and the signed documents, bowing slightly before leaving the lounge once more.
The door clicked shut behind her, leaving Ren and Haruno alone again.
This time, the air between them was different—cooler, but also more electric.
Yukinoshita Haruno crossed her legs and turned her eyes toward the window, but every so often, she sneaked a glance at him.
He sat there, back against the couch, playing a mobile game with the indifference of a king who already owned the board.
She had tried to make a move. And he had reminded her of the difference in their leagues.
Yet, something in his demeanor—his confidence, his lack of pretense—stirred a dangerous curiosity within her.
Adagaki Ren had no need for pleasantries.
He didn't ask for attention.
He expected it.
And perhaps, that made him more dangerous than she initially thought.
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Don't take things to seriously, it's mostly a Slice-of-Life with the occasional action.
My dues-in chapters- are paid. See you next week.
Have a happy new month.