Tokyo: The story begins with a confession.

Page 58

"I took a shower very late."

Uesugi Kenji nodded with some relief; that was the right way to do it.

"They were soaking wet from the bath and were tied up."

"Heh! Looks like I underestimated you, Uesugi-kun. Shouldn't you call the police by now?" Chihiro Sengoku sneered.

"Stop, stop, stop!" Uesugi Kenichi tried to stop him, his face full of panic.

"Haha, it's nothing, I was just kidding. I know Mashiro pretty well." Chihiro Sengoku smiled, revealing a successful prank.

"That scared me to death." Uesugi Kenichi took a deep breath and then glared at Sengoku Chihiro.

Then he glared fiercely at the calm-faced Mashiro, saying, "I think you should pronounce Shiina Mashiro as Shiina Mashiro and write it as Shiina Mashiro."

"What's wrong with her? She has absolutely no common sense."

Do you know Shiina Mashiro?

After a moment of surprise, Uesugi Kenichi realized she was referring to the situation of the painter Mashiro. He nodded and said, "I already saw it online today."

“From a young age, Mashiro has had an exceptionally bright talent for painting, far surpassing all other children her age. She is also incredibly focused; once she is engrossed in painting, nothing else comes into view.”

"This focus stimulated her talent, but at the same time, apart from being able to maintain a high level of focus on painting, she didn't pay much attention to other things." Chihiro Sengoku said, taking out a can of beer and taking a big gulp.

"It's true that beer is the perfect way to start the day."

Is it really not strange to drink beer so early in the morning? Kenichi Uesugi was speechless.

Could Chihiro Sengoku really take good care of Mashiro? A deep sense of doubt rose in his heart.

He glanced at Mashiro, who was sitting to the side and seemed to be almost asleep, seemingly unaware that they were talking about her.

Kenichi Uesugi looked at Mashiro and a smile crept onto his face.

Seeing this, Chihiro Sengoku grabbed Kenichi Uesugi and leaned in with a teasing smile. "Young man, have you fallen for Mashiro? Come on, tell me all about it, maybe I'll give you a hand, hehe."

"I...I didn't," Uesugi Kenichi said, startled awake.

This person is really strange; you can't help but fall for them without even realizing it. Their charm level can't be higher than his, can it?

"I have safely returned the person to you, so I will take my leave now." He stood up and said goodbye.

"Hey, wait a minute." Sengoku Chihiro saw that Uesugi Kenichi was in a hurry to leave, so she pulled him aside. "You're leaving before you've fulfilled your promise to me?"

"Didn't we already send the person to you intact?" he asked, puzzled.

"Think carefully about what I asked you to do yesterday?"

"I'll go pick up your cousin, Shiina Mashiro, right?"

"That's right, but I didn't say where it would connect."

"No, what exactly are you trying to say?" Ueyama Kenichi was puzzled. What was he trying to say after all this going around in circles?

Chihiro chuckled a few times, looking a little embarrassed. "I just want to know if Mashiro could stay with you and you could take care of her."

"Don't even think about it!"

Putting aside how difficult Mashiro is in daily life, what would it be like for a normal girl to live with him?

"Please, please! Look at Mashiro, such a cute girl, and you're not even tempted to take care of her? Although Mashiro is still a bit young now, you know what will happen when she grows up a bit more?"

Kenichi Uesugi looked at Chihiro Sengoku, who was winking at him, speechless. "Are you really Mashiro's cousin? I'm starting to seriously doubt it."

"What's with that look? There's no doubt that Mashiro is my cousin. Do you think I'd entrust Mashiro to just anyone?"

Chihiro Sengoku said irritably, "Of course I care about Mashiro, but she can't even take care of herself, so where would she get the energy to take care of others?"

In her opinion, Uesugi Kenichi was an excellent candidate. She had learned a lot about him, and his character and reputation were indeed impeccable. She had also observed him for a long time and felt that he was truly an excellent candidate.

Although Mashiro is also excellent, this kid is just as good.

He's a little older than Mashiro, handsome, capable, thoughtful, and upright. Plus, the business he's built up now is beyond just a potential stock; it's a runaway success.

Boys like this are truly hard to find even with a lantern.

"Thank you so much for your high regard. However, please ask someone else to handle this matter. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

Is Mashiro okay? She is really okay, but he already has too many things to worry about, there's no need for him to cause trouble for others. It's good that things are as they are now, and she has family to take care of her. Besides, he has only known her for less than a day.

"Mashiro, I'm off now." He turned around and greeted Mashiro, who was struggling with sleep.

"Hmm." Mashiro nodded unconsciously.

Seeing that Mashiro didn't react, he shook his head and smiled, then walked out.

Just as he stepped out of the room, someone grabbed his clothes.

He turned to look at Mashiro, who was tugging at his clothes but seemed not quite lucid.

"Mashiro, I'm going back." He gestured with his eyes for her to let go of his hand.

"Mm." Mashiro nodded.

Don't just nod, let go of my hand.

Uesugi Kenji realized that this meant he wanted to go back to 587 with him.

He gestured to Chihiro Sengoku with his eyes, asking her to intervene. Chihiro Sengoku shrugged, indicating that she was powerless to do anything and wanted to watch the show from the sidelines.

"Mashiro, let go of my hand. I'm going back. You have to stay here."

In an instant, Mashiro came to her senses. She didn't say anything, but gripped his clothes even tighter.

"Be good, listen to me, I'll bring you a Baumkuchen cake in a while." He played his trump card.

Upon hearing the mention of Baumkuchen, a flicker of emotion crossed Mashiro's eyes, but it quickly dissipated.

"Qianyi, don't you want me anymore?"

Uesugi Kenichi: "..."

"You'll be living with your cousin, understand?" He hesitated, unable to look the girl in the eye.

"I don't want to, I want to stay with you."

"Be good, 10 Baumkuchen cakes."

"No." The girl was surprisingly stubborn about this; even the Baumkuchen couldn't persuade her.

Uesugi Kenichi looked at the completely obsessive Shiina Mashiro with a headache. He really couldn't believe that someone who had only known him for a day had developed such a strong dependence on him; she was far too easily fooled. 6

"Sorry, this is where you should be." He took a deep breath, steeled himself, pulled his clothes out of Mashiro's hand, and left without looking back.

Chapter 117 My Heart Is Beating Very Fast 1

He walked quickly, not daring to look back even slightly. He didn't know how to face those pure, innocent eyes that could pierce the soul.

He only looked back after he had traveled a considerable distance from Sakura-sou, and seeing that Mashiro was no longer there, he felt a sense of relief mixed with a slight disappointment. 5

He made up his mind to avoid coming here as much as possible unless absolutely necessary, afraid he might succumb to temptation.

If Mashiro had no family and was all alone, he would definitely keep her with him.

But since she has relatives, what right does he, a near-stranger, have to bring her to live in his home?

This is illogical.

If he were Mashiro's family, they would find out that she was living with a stranger, and he would do anything to break that person's legs.

Putting himself in others' shoes, he believed that Mashiro's parents would not want to see this scene either.

Sometimes being too rational isn't a good thing.

Instead of going home, he wandered aimlessly through the streets, a faint sense of melancholy in his heart.

Did I do something wrong? Can Chihiro Sengoku really take good care of Mashiro?

Will you prepare breakfast for her every day and help her get dressed and wash up? If not, then given Mashiro's personality, she'll definitely make a mess of things.

Or perhaps she will find someone else to take care of Mashiro, just like she did with him?

If it's a girl, that's fine, but if it's a boy...

Upon thinking of this, an immense killing intent erupted from Uesugi Kenichi, and the instinctive killing desire stemming from the Seven Nights Assassination Technique seemed to cheer for a moment.

Despite it being June, passersby couldn't help but shiver and get goosebumps all over their bodies.

calm down.

Kenichi Uesugi let out a breath, realizing that his emotions had been a bit off just now.

He looked up and saw the scene before him, then gave a bitter smile. He had returned to the same station as yesterday.

Kenichi Uesugi looked around and bought a piece of Baumkuchen from a convenience store by the roadside. He then sat quietly under the cherry blossom tree that had already withered.

He tore open the packaging and took a small bite.

Mmm, it's sweet, soft, and chewy; it's quite delicious.

However, too much sugar can cause cavities, so you have to control the amount you eat.

It seems I'm starting to regret it.

Uesugi Ken quickly ate the entire Baumkuchen, threw the packaging bag into the trash can, and then vigorously rubbed his face.

"I didn't expect to wander around for so long. I have to go back now," he muttered to himself after checking the time.

Just then, the phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID but didn't answer immediately.

The phone rang incessantly, getting on his nerves.

He picked up the phone and answered, "Let me tell you, there's no way I'm bringing Masashi back. Of course, if you really insist, we can discuss it."

Chihiro Sengoku was stunned by Uesugi Kenichi's rapid-fire interruptions. Normally, she would have been in the mood to joke with him, but now was clearly not the time.

"Let's not talk about that now, did you see Mashiro?!"

"No, what's wrong? What happened?" His expression instantly turned serious. Judging from what Chihiro Sengoku said, it seemed that Shiro had disappeared.

"I can't find Mashiro, and her suitcase is gone too. I've searched everywhere around here but haven't found her." Chihiro's voice was also filled with anxiety.

"What are you doing! A grown man just disappears like that!"

"I didn't expect that when I came back from buying something, Shinichi was gone..." Chihiro Sengoku did not refute Kenichi Uesugi's accusations.

"Okay, don't worry, I'll go look for it," Uesugi Kenichi said reassuringly before hanging up the phone.