Chapter 88: Customs When Moving to a New Home

Tokyo, Akasaka, Minato Ward.

Until today, this place for Qingshan Li was roughly equivalent to Kaimei High School; now, this map has finally opened up a small corner for him.

"From now on we'll be living here," Qingshan Li said.

Snow-white stone walls, a two-story Japanese-style wooden house, eaves with dark tiles — the exterior of an old residence, yet with modern refinement.

A small yard with a pond, trees, flowers, and covered in pebbles.

The back door is a garage, allowing direct entry from the garage into the house.

Not as large as Qingshan Li had imagined, but already sufficient; any larger and even with ten people in the family, rooms would sit idle.

Besides, if it were larger, property tax, maintenance fees

On the front door's nameplate, a nameplate reading 'Qingshan, Ono' was already hanging.

The Ono Sisters did not enter immediately.

Qingshan Li stood to the side, quietly waiting for them to take in the emotions of this moment.

This feeling may come only once in a lifetime; even if they move to a larger, better house later, there will never be the same emotion as now.

"Go in?" After a while, he asked tentatively.

"Mm!"

Qingshan Li was in charge of moving the heavy luggage; for three poor high school students, the heavy items were basically just books.

Entering the gate, the three walked along the stone-paved path in the center of the pebbles toward the house.

Among the pebbles were several circles of earth, looking like islands in the sea; on the "islands" grew pines and flowering crabapples full of ancient charm.

"What's in the pond?" Ono Mizuki asked curiously.

"Go take a look," Qingshan Li said with a smile.

So the three set down their luggage and crouched by the pond.

"Sister, look quick, there are fish, fish!" Ono Mizuki grabbed Ono Mika with one hand and pointed at the koi in the water with the other.

Ono Mika smiled and nodded.

"These fish are so fat!" Ono Mizuki said happily.

There were six koi in the pond;

Sweet flag was planted by the pond, and ground lights were installed;

Over the pond there was also a wooden bridge, able to hold one person standing on it.

After watching for a while, Ono Mika said, "Hurry up and tidy up, we still have to cook soba noodles."

Japanese people eat soba noodles on all important holidays.

The three stood up.

"It's already dark," Ono Mizuki said subconsciously.

Unbeknownst to them, the sky had turned indigo, and all the ground lights in the yard lit up, reminding Qingshan Li of sky lanterns released into flight.

"Do they stay on all night? How much electricity would that cost?" Ono Mika fretted.

"One, two, three," Ono Mizuki began counting the lights.

Qingshan Li couldn't help but laugh.

He put his left arm around Ono Mika's shoulder and rested his right hand on Ono Mizuki's shoulder — she was too short.

"You two have too little faith in me! I'll definitely write another novel like 'Detective A' and let the three of us live a wealthy life on royalties alone!"

"Hmph, if your second book is still this amazing, I'll scrub your back!" Ono Mizuki promised.

"Ono Mihana, what about you?"

"Me?" Ono Mika laughed.

"Scrub my back, or I'll scrub yours — you pick one."

"Pervert!" Ono Mizuki scolded, "We agreed, when I scrub your back I'll be wearing clothes!"

"In that case, I choose to scrub your back too," Ono Mika said with a smile.

"Now I'm fired up!" Qingshan Li cracked his knuckles and walked toward the luggage.

The three entered the house.

This house, which could be called a small mansion, had eight rooms in total, some modern, some Japanese-style.

The exterior was brand-new like a new house, showing not a trace of age, decay, or damage.

From the second-floor rooms, part of the first-floor roof could be seen; the pitch-black roof tiles layered one atop another, evoking dragon scales.

"A nice house like this, spending 300,000 yen a month on maintenance, doesn't seem like much," Qingshan Li remarked.

The Ono Sisters felt the same, though only a little.

"It'd be better if there were no property tax," Ono Mizuki couldn't forget that matter.

"No use overthinking what can't be changed — just enjoy the happiness. Let's start picking rooms!" Qingshan Li's tone grew spirited.

Eight rooms total, of which three were the better ones; Qingshan Li let the two choose first.

Ono Mika liked the room on the first floor that could see the yard;

Ono Mizuki liked the innermost room on the second floor; she said she wanted to hide herself away.

Qingshan Li picked the room closest to the main gate, fulfilling his duty as Home Security Guard, guarding this home to the end.

Rooms chosen, the three each returned to their rooms to tidy up luggage briefly.

While Qingshan Li sat at his desk organizing books, Ono Mika from next door walked in.

"This bedroom isn't big, is that okay?" she asked.

"Small means peace of mind, and besides, Ono Mihana, you're keeping the old home; if I got used to a large bedroom, moving back later would be painful."

Ono Mika placed her right fist on his head, then gave a gentle push.

Qingshan Li smiled: "This room is great, you can see the yard, when I get tired from studying and writing I just look out the window."

"As long as you like it." Ono Mika helped him hang up his clothes.

Boys are just not careful enough, clothes of course have to be hung up right away, otherwise they'll wrinkle.

"Want to go shopping later?" Qingshan Li asked, "And buy some snacks while we're at it, to entertain them tomorrow."

"Sure."

Qingshan Li arranged his books, and charged his notebook and mobile phone.

After tidying all that, Ono Mika still hadn't finished organizing, he didn't go help, just sat there watching her organize clothes for him.

Ono Mika changed into a hoodie, her silhouette clear and slender, the occasional glimpse of her side profile beautiful and moving.

There was a kind of cozy feeling of reading with the lights on at home on a pitch-black rainy night.

"Ono Mihana."

"Hm?"

"How do you view romance?"

"Romance?" Ono Mika turned back to look at him, rolling up her socks and putting them in the compartment.

"I heard, romance is an elective in middle school, but a required course in high school."

"Who did you hear that from?" Ono Mika laughed.

"Do you have someone you like at school?" Qingshan Li asked.

"No. And moreover at this time of senior year, even if there was, you'd have to give it up, how can immature romance compare to your future."

"Truly mature consideration." Qingshan Li nodded in agreement.

"What about you, Li? Anyone you like at school?" Ono Mika asked back.

"I like you, Ono Mihana, too bad, Ono Mihana you're not prepared to date." Qingshan Li said with his arms behind his head, smiling.

Ono Mika finished organizing the clothes, before leaving she curled her finger and flicked Qingshan Li's forehead hard.

"Ow~"

Ono Mika walked out of Qingshan Li's room, walking toward the kitchen while clenching her fist, her face full of regret.

Although she knew Qingshan Li was joking, she could also "joke", probe each other!

Mikami Ai, the four members of Seiten Band, and the woman hiding in the shadows;

Now she doesn't need to work part-time, and sophomore year studies don't need to be too tense;

Qingshan Li might suddenly start dating some girl.

Romance major crisis!

Regarding the three people's relationship, what does Qingshan Li really think?

They indeed aren't real sisters or siblings with him, but blood relation doesn't matter, the key lies in how he views this relationship.

Find an opportunity to test the waters!

At seven in the evening, the three people walked out of home, preparing to go to the nearby large shopping mall for a big shopping trip.

The pebbles in the courtyard shone brilliantly in the moonlight, the ground lights looked like they were floating on the sea.

"I checked the bathroom just now," Ono Mika said, "the stone-built bathtub is very large."

"Boiling water must cost a lot of gas." Ono Mizuki started worrying about the cost again, after all she's the goddess in charge of the bathroom.

"Since it's that big, why don't the three of us bathe together tonight?" Qingshan Li proposed with hands in pockets, smiling.

"Okay." Ono Mika nodded.

"Sister?!" Ono Mizuki looked at her.

"With the lights off you can't see anything, and do you remember? When Li first moved into our house, the three of us also bathed together."

"But we're all grown up now!" Ono Mizuki resisted.

"No matter how grown up we're still family." Ono Mika felt her own face turning red too, "And with the lights off you can't see anything, if we could see then forget it!"

". Let's see when we get home." Ono Mizuki pouted.

It seems, if she really can't see, she plans to agree?

Qingshan Li: "."

If I say I'm joking and refuse this proposal now, will it make them feel I don't treat them as family?

(Chapter End)