Starting Tokyo Life From Inheriting A Shopping Street

"Look forward to the gift?" As Chiba Shuichi watched the two sisters leave, he pondered their change in attitude.

"Even though they suspected me of having ulterior motives, they still signed the contract. Does this mean...?"

Chiba Shuichi pulled a shirt button from his pocket and pondered for a moment.

He recalled the high-waisted shirt, the tight-fitting pencil skirt, the torn stockings, and the revealing whiteness of skin, which made his heart race.

"Perhaps... is it worth a try?"

While Chiba Shuichi had no intention of coercing anyone, if it were mutual...

"Whoosh"

Suddenly, a notification sound echoed in his mind, interrupting his wandering thoughts. He quickly called up the system interface and saw two flashing messages.

Chiba Shuichi noticed the notifications on the system interface,

[Successful contract with an outstanding store owner, Administrator Monthly Salary +100,000 JPY.] *2

There was a note below,

[Outstanding store owners can attract a large customer flow to the shopping street. Building a stable and positive relationship with these store owners and enhancing their sense of belonging is the administrator's responsibility and duty.]

Below this note, in even smaller text, was another,

[Standards for outstanding store owners include various dimensions and are not limited by gender or age. Exceptional performance in areas such as appearance, ability, and intellect is considered.]

The smallest text went unnoticed by Chiba Shuichi as his attention was drawn to a new message,

[Sayuki Ogawa Sense of Belonging +10, Administrator Monthly Salary +100,000 JPY.]

Chiba Shuichi was puzzled by the term "sense of belonging." What could it possibly mean?

He quickly opened the system's shopping street map and located the stores rented by the two Ogawa sisters. He noticed that both shops now had cartoon avatars, clearly representing the two of them.

As Chiba Shuichi clicked on Sayuki Ogawa's avatar, a similar character information card appeared. It displayed only the name and an attribute for "Sense of Belonging"—[Sayuki Ogawa, Sense of Belonging: 10].

Chiba Shuichi pondered the meaning of this attribute for a moment. The idea seemed reasonable, an outstanding store owner with a strong sense of belonging to the shopping street would likely run their business more steadily, which in turn would benefit the landlord. Feeling welcomed and recognized by the shopping street, having harmonious relationships with other store owners and the administrator, and feeling secure and settled seemed to be the core of "Sense of Belonging."

He speculated that maintaining a positive relationship with outstanding store owners and ensuring their happiness might help improve their sense of belonging, which would likely be beneficial for his role as an administrator.

But how exactly were outstanding store owners determined?

Unable to find an answer, Chiba Shuichi continued by clicking on Fumika Ogawa's avatar to delve deeper into her profile.

Fumika Ogawa, Sense of Belonging: 20

Why does she have 10 more points than her sister? Is this "easily bullied" lady more likely to develop a sense of belonging than her sister? Is it because renting a shop and having a place to settle down gives her peace of mind?

After thinking for a moment, he noticed that the shops rented by the two of them were noticeably brighter than the others, so he tried clicking on one of the shops.

Sure enough, a shop information panel appeared.

[Gym, Current Effect Bonus: 10% (Administrator Bonus: 100%).]

Effect Bonus?

Shuichi Chiba immediately looked at the small explanatory text below.

[Shop Effect Bonus is adaptive to the management project, related to the shopkeeper's sense of belonging, up to 100%. Administrators can enjoy up to 1000%.]

Although it's still not very precise, Shuichi Chiba has roughly understood the purpose of this effect bonus.

In other words, if he works out in the gym, with the current bonus, the effect of one day of exercise would be equivalent to two days for others.

Shuichi Chiba looked down at his slightly slender arms. "Not bad, this should make it easier to get in shape. Although the bonus is still a bit low, it would be even better if it were higher…"

After checking the effect of Sayuki Ogawa's gym, Shuichi Chiba clicked on Fumika Ogawa's beauty salon.

[Beauty Salon, Current Effect Bonus: 20% (Administrator Bonus: 200%).]

Shuichi Chiba couldn't help but feel a bit regretful. "A 20% bonus at the beauty salon is a bit of a waste. It would be better if it were swapped with the gym. Right now, improving my physique is the priority."

Of course, it was just a thought; he couldn't actually have the sisters swap their management projects, could he?

After studying these newly introduced system functions for a while, Shuichi Chiba shifted his attention to the monthly salary.

When he took over the shopping street, the rent collected was not his concern. He only received a monthly fee of 100,000 yen, which was akin to a regular part-time job. Working hard, he could make that amount normally.

Just barely enough.

Now, the monthly salary has risen to 400,000 yen, which has significantly eased his financial situation.

Shuichi Chiba silently calculated. According to the system, the maximum sense of belonging is 100, which means an excellent shopkeeper could potentially bring in a monthly salary of 1,000,000 yen.

If the entire shopping street, with its 49 shops, had shopkeepers with their sense of belonging maxed out, the monthly salary would be 49,000,000 yen.

Oh, and there's also the base salary of 100,000 yen.

However, thinking about how he didn't close a single deal last month, Shuichi Chiba quickly dismissed such unrealistic ideas.

Where would he find so many suitable shopkeepers to run the shops?

Moreover, maxing out the sense of belonging clearly isn't something that happens overnight.

As Shuichi Chiba pondered these thoughts, he continued to browse the system interface to see if there were any other updates. Soon, he noticed a new description added to the button for summoning the butler.

[During the management of the shopping street, you might encounter various challenges. The administrator can spend some money to get help.]

Summoning the butler doesn't cost anything, but making him do other tasks requires money?

Shuichi Chiba couldn't shake a sense of foreboding. Just as his monthly salary increased, the system introduced a way to spend money. This approach felt oddly familiar, like something out of certain big-name game developers' strategies.

"Gurgle"

Shuichi Chiba's stomach rumbled. Having been busy since after school, it was getting dark, and it was definitely time for dinner.

He got up, changed into some casual clothes, and went to a Yoshinoya at the end of the shopping street for a quick meal. The food wasn't great, but it was filling enough, and he didn't want to travel further.

As he ate, he observed the Yoshinoya's manager, contemplating ways to replace them with an excellent manager. If that could be arranged, he could offer them a lower rent, which would also increase his own salary—a win-win situation.

That night, Shuichi Chiba dreamed of being enveloped by a soft, white cloud, drifting on the Sumida River...

....

The next morning, Shuichi Chiba was woken by his alarm and climbed out of bed.

Logically, with the shopping street in his possession, attending school wasn't as crucial. However, the shopping street wasn't fully his yet; for now, he was just receiving a monthly salary. 

Moreover, having been battered by the real world, he often missed his school days, especially since school life in Japan could be so relaxed and colorful. It was worth experiencing that again.

After getting ready, Shuichi Chiba stuffed some bread and milk into his backpack for breakfast and prepared to head out.

At the door, he happened to run into the two Ogawa ladies.

Fumika Ogawa averted her gaze, bowed, and handed him a box of pastries. "These… are homemade pastries. Please accept them, Chiba-san. I apologize for any future inconvenience."

Shuichi Chiba smiled and took the box. "Thank you."

Sayuki Ogawa then handed him a small box with a peculiar smile, saying mysteriously, "Open it when no one else is around. I think you'll like it. And if you like you… Nah it will be a good surprise for you, so i won't spoil it. Enjoy it."

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