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

"I'm back!"

The dimming sun slowly stained the sky red,

Reiko Onodera pushed open the door and walked in.

After changing shoes in the entryway, she found that the living room hosted only a tiny figure lying flat, resembling a salted fish too lazy even to flip over.

Misaki Saki, who was charging herself, looked up at madam, "Ah... Sister Reiko, you're back?"

Having said that, she tilted her head and laid back down, almost sticking out her tongue.

"Meow?" Roast Meat crouched beside her, tentatively pawing the girl's shoulder with his little meaty paws,

Bean Eyes filled with horror.

How could it be that she had just emerged from that room with her poop scooper and turned out like this?

This human it knew well; every day, they both shared the same routine: she ate, then slept, and she woke up, then ate. She got up, it got up; she had meals, it had meals; she slept... well, that one wasn't synced up.

All done? Could it be that she was caught sneaking food too...?

As thoughts raced, the chubby little face showed nothing but shock,

"Meow meow..."

Again, it reached out with two meaty paws to gently touch the girl.

"Roast Meat..." Misaki Saki said weakly, a gaze as if entrusting all her hope in the large orange fat cat before her.

"Meow meow!"

"Misaki, are you okay?"

Reiko Onodera asked with some concern.

"No... it's okay... just let me lie down for a bit."

Her little mouth seemed a bit sore, unable to open wide; did she exert too much force?

"Oh, okay... you must tell me if anything's wrong," madam stated, eyes filled with endless tenderness and care.

"Mmh..."

Before the girl could finish speaking, Haruka Yuzan emerged from the kitchen, "Sister Reiko, don't mind her, could you help me steam the rice?"

The young man donned an apron, sporting a sunshiny smile so clearly indicative of a domestic god.

"Sure, I'm on it."

Watching the landlord himself cook, Reiko Onodera told Misaki Saki to rest well and hurried over,

"Haruka, let me do it!"

"Okay, thanks, but Sister Reiko..."

"What's up?"

"It's just that when I was cooking earlier, Misaki Saki was drinking yogurt. That guy was too greedy, took a huge mouthful and ended up splattering it all over the apron."

"Sorry about that, Sister Reiko. I've already lectured Misaki."

"Oh, don't worry about such trifles; I'll just wash it off tonight. You let me take care of it, Haruka, you go and take a break."

"Alright... the vegetables are all chopped, you just need to stir-fry them."

"It's fine, I can do it. You've been at school all day; you must be tired. Go ahead and play for a while."

In the end, Haruka Yuzan was persuaded by madam and took off his apron.

The stunning woman fastened the apron around herself again, the white stains on the pale yellow fabric standing out noticeably.

Without having madam continue wearing that one, Reiko Onodera put on a slightly smaller pink apron instead.

The water droplets on her upper body gave a familiar sense of constriction.

"Haruka, it's fine for me to handle it alone here, I'll come and call you once the meal is ready."

"Okay, take your time; let me know if you need anything," Haruka Yuzan said and then took the apron and left.

On the couch, Misaki Saki, who had seemed soulless just moments ago, had now sat up,

her large eyes brimming with resentment,

as if she had overheard the conversation in the kitchen, seemingly blaming me for the mess that he had caused with such fervor.

Thinking of this, Misaki Saki's face began to puff up, looking every bit the picture of someone wronged.

This scene left Roast Meat utterly astonished beside her.

"Meow?"

Bean Eyes full of surprise, stealing food and still managing to stare down her poop scooper — impressive! Would she really get away without a spanking?

"I've sacrificed myself for the art numerous times, and all for your sake..." Haruka Yuzan chuckled and then left the living room.

Her gaze quietly followed his tall figure until he entered the washroom, only then retracting her eyes.

"Ah...."

No sooner had the boy stepped inside, Misaki Saki collapsed back onto the couch; the kitchen ordeal had left her quite exhausted.

Now, she needed to rest and rejuvenate quickly to restore her mouth before the mealtime; otherwise, she would surely suffer while eating.

Although her little tummy had recently been filled... yet, just at the thought of the large shrimps Haruka Yuzan took out from the fridge, the corners of the young girl's mouth dropped in involuntary tears.

"Meow?"

....

Haruka Yuzan placed the apron in the laundry basket and walked out of the washroom, deciding it was best to check on his lovely little secretary.

Ascending to the second floor,

he made his way toward the study, next to the bedroom.

Haruka Yuzan knocked on the bedroom door and then waited by the doorway,

not long after, the door opened.

The delicate-looking girl lifted her head to glance at the boy, a fleeting ripple passing through her icy eyes.

"I came to see you, Chiba," Haruka Yuzan smiled. His smile was like the gentle sunshine, comforting and peaceful.

Chiba Shimizu didn't speak, just gave him a brief look and turned back to her room.

Closing the door behind him, Haruka Yuzan followed her in.

The room's decor was still simple, fitting the girl's temperament, neat and tidy.

The familiar backpack, the familiar desk, the familiar textbooks, and the familiar person.

It seemed there were two new ornaments on the wooden desk, Haruka Yuzan went over to have a look—they were two wooden-framed sketches,

the images sketched were of people in a style akin to 2D cartoons,

but Haruka recognized the autumn-like eyes at a glance, quietly resting on the desk, as if...they were the girl's drawn portrait in anime style.

"Is this, from Misaki to you?"

Haruka Yuzan pointed to the frames, asking with a hint of curiosity.

Chiba Shimizu put down her graphite pencil, looked up with what seemed like a glint of amusement in her eyes,

"Mhm."

Hearing the girl's affirmative response, Haruka Yuzan couldn't help but click his tongue, thinking how this little one really knew how to please people.

After all, which girl could refuse such a gift?

Especially one that came with its own frames.

How come when it was his turn, it turned into art sketching?

It made Haruka Yuzan feel too embarrassed to even ask for the drawing.

It was utterly embarrassing.

He adjusted the position of the frames a bit more, then picked up the graphite pencil and started writing on the white paper on the desk again.

The dense writing, Haruka Yuzan glanced at it for a while by the side, but in the end, decided to delegate this task to Chiba Shimizu.

Couldn't understand a bit of it, better let the "professional" young lady handle it.

"After school in the next few days, we need to start checking addresses at the shops by the community entrance, then head to the design company to have them help with the drafting,"

Black lines of graphite pencil traced neat characters on the white paper as Chiba Shimizu spoke earnestly.

At this moment, she seemed like a diligent young boss, while Haruka Yuzan became the little secretary who could only look after the boss's private matters.

A male---flower vase??

"President, can't you draw the design plans for the decoration yourself?" Haruka Yuzan asked.

If even the design plans could be handled by Chiba Shimizu, that would save quite a bit of money.

Hearing the boy's question, Chiba Shimizu stopped her graphite pencil for the second time, looked up with clear, cool eyes, and just quietly watched the boy.

Without speaking, but Haruka Yuzan had already understood her meaning,

she must be thinking, Classmate Haruka, how could you ask such a question, better go read some books and replace the garbage in your brain, a hopeless case...

Imagining the tone and scene of Chiba-san speaking in his mind, Haruka Yuzan laughed and said,

"I thought that our president knew everything, could do anything, a truly all-round player! Just like..."

Before he finished his sentence, Chiba Shimizu only listened halfway and then stopped listening, picking up the graphite pencil and starting to write again.

Haruka Yuzan also tactfully shut his mouth, not disturbing the girl's work.

The breeze from outside the window brushed by,

the girl's faint scent slowly wafted into the air, beautiful cherry blossoms fell scattered, a pity that this room could only see a little bit.

The sunset's afterglow shone on the girl's clean and fair face, Chiba Shimizu looking down as she seriously wrote.

A girl quietly doing her work is the most heart-stirring sight.

"If possible, please move your gaze elsewhere."

"Hmm? Sure," Haruka Yuzan smiled, then slowly shifted his gaze from the girl's face down to her white shirt, its buttons straining slightly, as if they could burst open at any moment,

"This time it took ten minutes for our president to speak."

"Boring."

Looking at the face, then the shirt, gauging the timing, usually moving his gaze away the second before the girl spoke.

It was as if he had discovered some fun game.

Until Reiko Onodera called them both down for dinner,

"Shimizu, Haruka, it's time to eat."

.....

In the living room,

as the three of them came downstairs, they saw Misaki Saki running out from the kitchen with her short little legs,

clutching two bowls of rice in her hands, and an orange "round chariot" chasing after her.

Seemingly in pursuit of the girl ahead, it was racing with its low chassis, even failing to brake in time around the corners, sliding out a beautiful arc on the ground before redirecting and continuing the chase.

A curious scene—since when did Roast Meat run with such dedication?

Setting the rice on the table, the little girl plunked herself into the chair, facing a table full of delicious food and four bowls of rice,

she couldn't help swallowing her saliva, and noticing the three who had come down, quickly invited them,

"Come eat!"

Her big eyes brimmed with longing.