After a bit of playful teasing on the way home, Sora, Ako and Riko returned to the house. Exhausted from the busy day, Sora couldn't wait to jump in the shower.
But when he came out, he noticed something odd—his underwear was gone.
Wrapped only in a towel, he looked at the now-empty laundry basin, paused for a moment, then sighed softly. He decided not to look too deeply into it and just headed back to his room.
After all, they were young. Having certain urges was normal. He didn't know why the two sisters were so obsessed with him, but as a man, having his charm acknowledged wasn't exactly a bad thing.
Unwanted images popped into his head, causing his heart to pound. Feeling the towel slip slightly from the pressure, Sora's face flushed red and he quickly clutched it tighter before hurrying back to his room.
The night was long.
Sora, worn out from the day's work, fell asleep early. He decided he needed to release another snack item—something he could sell on the street. It was necessary for the quest requirement of five hundred daily customers.
There was no way he could hit that number with his small restaurant alone. Its capacity was limited, and except during peak hours, customer traffic was low.
---
"Taking off..."
"Mmm... ngh..."
As if dreaming of something, Sora mumbled in his sleep, drooling a little. His fingers twitched, feeling something strange to the touch. Instinctively, he gave it another squeeze. At the same moment, a soft moan rang out beside him.
"Good morning, Sora."
Opening his eyes in a panic, he saw Riko rubbing her eyes and greeting him. As she spoke, the strap of her top slid off her shoulder, revealing a flawless patch of pale skin.
Sora jerked backward, only to feel something pressing against his back. He turned and—good grief—there was Ako, who had somehow snuck into his bed too.
"Morning!"
"Ako-nee! Riko-nee! Can you please knock before entering my room?"
Sora couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose. Thankfully, he'd mentally prepared himself for something like this—after all, these two were the ultimate bro-cons.
This was precisely why he didn't want to accept their feelings. He felt like they were in love with the idea of "having a little brother," not with him as a person. So he'd always worked hard to turn them down.
If it had been Yukino back then doing something like this when they were dating, he would've already devoured her completely. No way would they have stopped at just second base. Every time they'd gotten close, she'd left him hanging and flustered.
But maybe it was for the best. Now that they'd broken up, they were truly over, and both could move on with clear consciences toward future partners.
"We did knock," Ako said.
"But you didn't answer," Riko added.
"We figured you wouldn't mind," said Ako.
"So we came in anyway," Riko concluded.
The sisters spoke one after the other, their voices sweet and innocent. Their adorable expressions made it hard for Sora to stay mad. In the end, he could only sigh and say, "Just don't do it again next time."
---
"Steamed buns, 4 for 100 yen! Hehe!"
"5,000 yen per kilo?! Are these melons made of gold or the seeds gold-plated?"
"You really trying to rip me off here?!"
After a quick breakfast, the three of them headed to the large market. The sounds of vendors shouting filled the air. Everything you could think of was available—vegetables, seafood, meat. Thanks to its proximity to Totsuki, this market was also a common spot for Totsuki students to shop for ingredients.
"How much are the potatoes per kilo?"
"200 yen per kilo for top-quality potatoes—large, plump, and full of flavor!"
Seeing a customer approach, the vendor eagerly jumped to promote his goods, even picking up one of the large potatoes for display. To be fair, they did look great, and the price wasn't bad either.
"If you can do 150 yen per kilo, I'll take 100 kilos. Deliver them to Hoshino Restaurant on Sanwa Street. If the quality checks out, I'll buy from you regularly. Deal?"
Since potatoes store well over time, Sora decided to buy in bulk to avoid repeated trips. Yesterday, the two sisters had struggled just getting the supplies home.
"180 yen? Small business, not much profit to begin with…"
Hearing that Sora wanted 100 kilos, the vendor was clearly excited but quickly furrowed his brows and pretended to hesitate, trying to push the price up.
"170. Final offer. Here's my contact. If you come eat at my restaurant, I'll give you a 10% discount."
Sora didn't wait for a response. He dropped the potato, stood up, and walked off, handing the vendor a simple handmade business card with only his name and phone number—quickly done that morning due to time constraints.
Haggling is all about striking a mutually acceptable price. To be successful, the buyer must show strong intent and sincerity—dominance is key.
Ako and Riko followed Sora closely, observing how he negotiated. It was the first time they'd seen their little brother haggle so effectively. They were visibly impressed.
"Boss, how much for these chili peppers?"
"Eggs—I'll take 30 kilos if you can give me a deal."
…
"1,000 take-out containers. Give me a good price. I'll be back again tomorrow."
---
"Crinkle-cut potatoes, 300 yen per serving! Don't miss out!"
A rich, savory aroma drifted through the corner of the street, along with the voices of Ako and Riko hawking food. In the kitchen, Sora was deep-frying the crinkle-cut potatoes and mixing them with his freshly made sauce. Seeing the system tally of customer count steadily rising brought a huge smile to his face.
Just as he expected—anyone who bought food from his stall counted as a customer.
Since the goal was raw customer count, there was no revenue requirement. That made snack foods the ideal solution.
Of course, he couldn't neglect the main business either.
Watching the pork trotters bubble away in yesterday's master-stock pot, Sora smiled again. The timing was perfect for the lunch rush.
He really was a master of time management!
"Um… can we get two crinkle-cut potatoes, please?"
Holding up two fingers timidly, Yamato Rinko looked at the sign and asked shyly.
"600 yen, thank you!"
Ako handed over two boxed servings after mixing the potatoes. She accepted the 600 yen Rinko handed over, thinking to herself how adorable the girl was.
"Here you go, Takeo. Mmm… open wide~"
Handing one of the portions to Sunakawa Makoto, Yamato Rinko happily fed a bite to Takeo Gouda, who wore an equally joyful expression.
The huge size difference between the couple made them stand out on the street. But what drew the attention of nearby girls even more was the stylish Makoto beside them.
"Young love really is sweet. But haven't they gone on break yet? It's already July."
She helped the recent customer pack up their spicy potato wedges. As she watched the trio of students who often came to the shop together, a hint of emotion flickered in Riko's eyes.
"No idea. Different schools have different vacation times, but it should be soon."
"Then business probably won't be as good."
"Maybe some returning customers will come by just to grab something to eat."
"That's true."