Chapter 26

"The Saionji family is a very famous collection family and auction house in Japan."

"Many famous paintings, antiques, and the like are auctioned through the Saionji family's auctions."

"Dad also liked to collect some strange things before, so he got to know the Saionji family."

"When you were in junior high, Dad took us to visit Saionji Nanase's home."

"At that time, Dad even let you play with Saionji Nanase. You really don't remember?"

Chikage shook his head:

"I really forgot, I have no impression."

Ruri muttered in a low voice:

"Since you said you don't remember, then how did you know she was an old classmate?"

Chikage explained:

"Actually, she told me herself."

Ruri's cheeks puffed up slightly:

"She told you herself?"

Chikage nodded:

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

Ruri narrowed her eyes and pressed:

"Did she add your contact information?"

Chikage shook his head:

"No."

Ruri's mood was clearly much better, and she said happily:

"That's good."

"By the way, Brother, your clothes haven't been washed yet, right? Ruri will go wash them now!"

Hearing this, Natsume Chikage looked down at the new matching bracelet in his pocket, planning to find a way to pull a switcheroo right now.

And make his sister willingly give him that bracelet!

Thinking of it, he did it; Natsume Chikage turned to look at Natsume Ruri.

Natsume Chikage suggested: "Ruri, do you like the bracelet you're wearing now?"

Natsume Ruri said happily: "I like it, the kind of like where I plan to wear it for a lifetime!"

Natsume Chikage had a slight sweat on his forehead: "Can you take it off and let me see it? I'm planning to buy you a new one later."

"Why waste that money?" Ruri pouted, but the corners of her mouth couldn't stop rising; she was clearly very happy.

She didn't even refuse and took it off to give to Natsume Chikage.

Chikage took it with secret joy, then looked up at the lights in the small three-mat room and muttered: "The lights here are a bit dim, the lights in the bathroom are brighter. I'll go inside and take a few photos to save, so it'll be easier to find this type of bracelet in the future."

Natsume Ruri didn't think much of it, just smiled happily: "Mm-hmm."

Hearing this, Natsume Chikage quickly went to the bathroom.

He unpacked the new matching bracelet he had bought and then swapped it with his sister's.

He planned to find an excuse to trick his sister after the swap, making her willingly give him that special equipment.

However, while doing so, he suddenly heard his sister's surprised voice.

"Brother, you already bought a new one?"

"Oh, you must have seen that fortune-telling program on TV a while ago, saying that wearing two purple bracelets in April would bring great luck or something."

"So you bought an extra one for me, Ruri, right?"

Natsume Chikage's mouth twitched; he hadn't thought of that at all.

Just as he was about to explain something.

Natsume Ruri walked over excitedly, holding both bracelets in her hands, her eyes full of joy.

"Brother, you're so good!"

"But why are they both the same style?"

Natsume Chikage looked at his sister, who was so happy, and couldn't help but fall into silence.

Since their father passed away, she rarely felt this happy.

So looking at her like this now, he really couldn't spoil the mood by saying anything else.

After taking a deep breath, he went with the flow and smiled:

"But after I bought it back, I realized it seemed to be the same style as the one I bought before, so I asked you to take it and see if it was."

"If it was, I'd take it to exchange it or something..."

"Now it seems, it really is the same style."

"Although it only costs 500 yen each and isn't very expensive, it's probably not great to wear the same ones. Should I take it to exchange?"

Natsume Ruri shook her head and smiled:

"So that's how it is. But never mind about exchanging it; as long as it's bought by Brother, I like it!"

Saying that.

She put both bracelets on her wrist and looked at them with great fondness.

Natsume Chikage smiled helplessly.

He thought his plan had failed, and he had even lost an extra bracelet...

He had intended to pull a switcheroo, but now it seemed he would have to think of other ways.

However, being able to make his sister happy again for once, this outcome wasn't too bad.

After a while.

Natsume Ruri yawned and rubbed her sleepy eyes.

"Brother, Ruri is sleepy..."

Natsume Chikage checked the time; it was indeed time to sleep.

"Mm, sleep."

He got up, put away the small table that took up most of the room's space, and laid out the floor bedding again.

"Go to sleep, I'll turn off the lights."

"Mm."

Natsume Ruri lay on the bedding, her breathing quickly becoming steady and even, as if she had already fallen asleep.

Natsume Chikage turned off the room's lights and lay down as well.

He didn't plan to fall asleep immediately but prepared to take out his phone to continue writing.

His sister was still young and could sleep carefree.

But as her brother, he couldn't.

Since there was now an opportunity to change their impoverished situation by writing novels, he had to work twice as hard.

The small three-mat room fell into pitch darkness.

Natsume Chikage prepared to write in the dark room.

Just as he took out his phone, he noticed that two people had sent messages on LINE: Kondo Miyuki and Fujiwara Aoi.

He clicked on the message from Kondo Miyuki first.

[Kondo Miyuki: Natsume-kun, are you asleep?]

[Natsume Chikage: Not yet, Auntie Kondo, is there something you need?]

The message was replied to quickly.

[Kondo Miyuki: Calling me by my surname is so distant. I wanted to say it during dinner, but you can just call me Auntie Miyuki now.]

[Natsume Chikage: Okay, Auntie Miyuki...]

[Kondo Miyuki: (=^_^=) Didn't you ask me to inquire about the whereabouts of your father's two shogi heirlooms before? I've already found the owner of one of them.]

[Natsume Chikage: So fast? Who is it?]

[Kondo Miyuki: The person's name is Onishi Keiko, but she's married now and married into the Yasui family, so she's called Yasui Keiko now.]

[Natsume Chikage: Yasui Keiko... then where should I go to find her?]

[Kondo Miyuki: You don't have to find Yasui Keiko directly. Her son, Yasui Ryoto, is at your Private Tsukikage Academy and is your senior; he seems to be in the Shogi Club right now. I've already told his mother about the situation. If you really want to understand the situation of the heirlooms, you can learn about it through him.]