Renji Kamisaka registered Shiina Mahiru and asked her to fill out the information form on the administrator's desk. It was a routine he handled deftly, as if accustomed to the myriad tasks of Sakurasou's residents.
Then, after doing all this, he showed the empty rooms to Shiina Mahiru.
First, the ground floor. Besides the administrator's office where Chihiro Sengoku 'resided' in a drunken stupor, there were two other rooms and a shared kitchen on the first floor. The rooms felt damp, lacked light, and faintly carried the pungent smell of beer.
After seeing this, Shiina Mahiru shook her head firmly, her gaze clearly rejecting it. "No, thank you." She didn't want to stay any longer on a floor that reeked of beer and a gloomy aura, a contrast to her angelic image.
So, they went up to the second floor.
"This room near the window is mine. The room next to it belongs to a girl, Sayu Ogiwara," Renji explained, pointing to the row of doors. "There are three more rooms on the second floor."
"The person living in the corner, No. 205, is a small-sized landlord. His name is Ryuunosuke Akasaka. He's a genius programmer, responsible for our Sakurasou network." Renji tried to provide the information neutrally, though he knew Ryuunosuke was a rather "eccentric" character rarely seen in the real world.
Shiina Mahiru found that besides Sayu Ogiwara's room, another room next to Renji Kamisaka's was also nice. Sunlight streamed perfectly through the window, warming the room, and the ventilation was excellent. As she opened the window, she could see the lush branches of the cherry blossom tree, and the gentle scent of flowers filled her face, as if welcoming her arrival. She even saw a cat sleeping comfortably on a tree branch, a sight that looked very warm and soothing, promising tranquility.
After showing her the second floor, they then went up to the third floor.
"There are also five rooms on the third floor. Senior Misaki Kamiigusa lives in Room 201. She's a talented anime producer with a cheerful and very easy-going personality," Renji explained, Misaki being one of Sakurasou's most lively residents, always bringing positive energy.
"And 205 is a playboy, Senior Jin Mitaka. It's said that he's dating 6 girlfriends at once and he parties every night. It seems he hasn't been in Sakurasou lately." Renji said this in a flat tone, but there was a hint of disguised disgust, a faint disapproval.
Hearing this, Shiina Mahiru frowned, the expression on her face souring, a delicate wrinkle appearing on her smooth forehead. He's dating six women at once and partying every night? How can such a person live in Sakurasou? Her thoughts reeled, feeling very uncomfortable with the idea. She looked at Renji Kamisaka, puzzled, seeking an answer, as if Renji were the moral custodian of the place.
Renji Kamisaka shrugged helplessly. "I know you want to ask why Sakurasou would accept such a tenant, but actually, I only inherited Sakurasou a short while ago, and these people were already staying here before." He sighed, as if this was an old problem he had to deal with. "So, have you decided where you want to live?"
"Alright, I want to live in the room next to yours. I think the view is good," Shiina Mahiru immediately made a decision, without the slightest hesitation. A quick and firm choice. She didn't want to live on the same floor as a playboy like Jin Mitaka, let alone close to him.
"Oh, I'm your next-door neighbor, are you sure? Aren't you afraid I'll do something to you..." Renji teased, a mischievous smile on his lips, wanting to see Mahiru's reaction, a small game of his.
Facing his teasing words, Shiina Mahiru glanced at Renji Kamisaka's crotch with a cold, sharp gaze, an implied threat so clear it felt piercing. "I'm not a girl who's easily bullied. If you dare to attack me, I'll use physical means so you can't use that thing anymore." Her voice was calm, yet filled with threatening resolve, a serious warning.
Renji Kamisaka's mouth twitched, slightly horrified. "That's truly scary," he mumbled, conceding defeat. "But don't worry, I won't casually attack sweet girls." He scratched the back of his neck, a habit when feeling awkward. "Besides, my dream is to make the girl I like happy. If I force her, she definitely won't be happy."
"Alright, Shiina-san, from now on this room is yours. Here's the key," Renji Kamisaka said, quickly completing the registration and handing her a set of keys, feeling a little relieved that the "threat" had passed.
"You should go in and tidy up your room first. We'll have dinner in the living room on the first floor tonight. It's our tradition at Sakurasou to welcome new residents, so we'll have dinner together." Renji explained the plan for the evening.
"I see." Shiina Mahiru smiled and nodded, her eyes showing a glimmer of happiness. Dinner parties and such were still new to her, an experience she looked forward to with a little curiosity and enthusiasm, a hope for togetherness.
"Then I won't bother you anymore." Renji Kamisaka turned and left quickly, leaving Mahiru with her key and a faint smile on his lips.
As soon as Renji returned to his room, he saw an annoyed expression on Sayu Ogiwara's face, who was sitting on the living room sofa, cross-legged, with a pout on her lips.
"What's wrong? Why are you pouting like that?" Renji asked, approaching, his voice filled with concern.
Sayu Ogiwara looked at Renji Kamisaka with a pitiful gaze, her big eyes radiating irresistible curiosity. "Renji Kamisaka, who is that super beautiful girl?" She paused, her gaze shifting to the corridor. "It looks like you're wearing the same school uniform." She actually wanted to ask if the girl was his girlfriend but held back, fearing the answer.
"Of course, she's a new resident. Her name is Shiina Mahiru. She's Chihiro Sengoku-sensei's cousin and also my classmate. That's all," Renji explained casually, trying to alleviate Sayu's anxiety.
"I see." Sayu Ogiwara sighed in relief, but immediately frowned again. New worries emerged. "Alright, don't worry anymore. Now it's time to prepare the new resident welcome party," she said excitedly, trying to distract herself and focus on what she was good at.
"No problem, leave it to me! I'll conquer her stomach!" Sayu Ogiwara immediately became confident, her eyes sparkling with strong determination. She held her head high, put on an apron, and began to bustle in the kitchen, the clatter of utensils creating a melody of dinner preparation.
Chihiro Sengoku, who had just finished washing dishes—somehow she managed to do that while drunk—and now appeared more sober, smiled broadly, her stomach rumbling. She rubbed her belly. I'm going to have a midnight snack again tonight, she thought happily, imagining delicious dishes.
Renji Kamisaka came to the first floor and rolled his eyes at Chihiro Sengoku, who now looked fresher. "Isn't this the eternal 29-year-old beauty, Chihiro Sengoku-sensei? Are you awake?" he teased, his voice full of provocation.
Chihiro Sengoku snorted coldly, her expression returning to her familiar "fierce" mode. She wrapped her arm around Renji's neck again, pulling him closer, the pungent smell of beer now stronger. "You brat, you take advantage of me and still act coy. What, do you think I'm such a great teacher?" Her voice was slightly hoarse from alcohol, but firm.
"How could that be?" Renji Kamisaka smiled, wrapping his arm around his teacher's slender waist and lifting her, pretending to be flirtatious. "Teacher Chihiro Sengoku, are you still serious about what you said about having sex?"
Chihiro Sengoku's head buzzed, the lingering drunkenness seemed to vanish instantly, replaced by a burning embarrassment. Her beautiful face flushed crimson. "You little devil, how dare you tease me!" She hit Renji's arm, though not too hard. "As expected, after you got Sayu, you started becoming wicked like that Jin Mitaka kid!"
Renji Kamisaka put her down with an amused smile. "It seems you were the one teasing me first, and you almost made Shiina-san misunderstand me."
Chihiro Sengoku pretended to be calm, straightening her skirt and sitting down, trying to salvage her shattered dignity. "Stop it, you're just a pervert!" Then she crooked her finger at Renji again, her eyes sparkling slyly, and said playfully, "Why, are you interested in Mahiru? My cousin isn't easy to approach, but I know a few things about her. Do you want to know?" She smirked, an offer that couldn't be refused. "Buy me beer and I'll tell you!"
Renji Kamisaka waved his hand dismissively. "You've been drinking all afternoon and you're still drinking? I'm going to conduct a general hygiene and sanitation inspection in a few days. If your room still smells of sour beer, I'll make you, Sengoku-sensei, responsible for Sakurasou's cleanliness for a month!" The threat came out bluntly.
Chihiro Sengoku, who had been contemplating being lazy, widened her eyes, shocked by the threat. "How cruel! Kid, do you still want information about my cousin?"
"I don't care. It's not like I don't have a girlfriend," Renji replied indifferently, though inwardly he knew it was a sweet lie he maintained. He already had Sayu, so he wasn't too interested in other girls... Alright. Actually, I'm still greedy. But don't be impatient. Anyway, I mustn't let Chihiro Sengoku know that I'm interested in Shiina Mahiru. His mind wandered, strategizing how to conquer more hearts.
Chihiro Sengoku saw his indifferent expression and looked frustrated, her lips pursed. "What's wrong with me drinking a little? When you reach my age, you'll know that life is better lived with one more can of beer!"
"Sorry, but I don't think I'll ever experience what it's like to only drink beer my whole life." As Renji Kamisaka spoke, he sat down and carefully observed the adult woman in front of him. A thought suddenly crossed his mind. "I don't understand. Sengoku-sensei is so beautiful, why did she fail at blind dates?"
Chihiro Sengoku's cheeks flushed, and she couldn't help but glance at Renji Kamisaka, a little embarrassed but also proud of the compliment. "Who knows what you guys are thinking?"
"Really? Is it that hard to marry a successful person?" Renji chuckled, his mouth twitching in amusement. "No wonder you failed. Mr. Sengoku, these days there are many office workers. Most successful people are already married." He continued, unaware that his words were piercing like daggers. "And if you don't change your drinking habits, potential men will move even further away from you." He sighed. "Teacher Koharu Shirayama at least knows how to be sweet. You always seem like a tough person. Who would marry a drunkard?"
Renji Kamisaka spoke to himself, unaware that Chihiro Sengoku was already clutching her chest with tears in her eyes, hurt by his harsh words. Her shoulders trembled slightly.
Renji Kamisaka scratched his cheek. Was that too much?
Chihiro Sengoku could barely contain her anger, then suddenly ran over to Renji Kamisaka and sat on his waist, her face close to his, her eyes brimming with tears, full of despair. "You little brat, how dare you say that to me... Woohoo, am I that bad?" She sobbed, tears flowing. "I don't care. It's definitely your fault I can't find a partner. You have to take responsibility for marrying me into the family!" She suddenly smiled slyly, looking at Renji with a calculating gaze. "Hey, come to think of it, you're quite handsome, much more handsome than Jin Mitaka." She moved her face closer again, an absurd temptation. "You have a house and I have a car, we're a perfect match!"
Renji Kamisaka was speechless. Do you have any shame? We're high school students! And is it okay for you to force me to be your wife like this? he thought, between shock and amusement, a scenario he had never imagined.
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