Tokyo's Phantom Thief

A fresh, quiet morning. Asakura Rinto woke up early, just like always.

Today was a rare one—there was no soft fragrance or warm body curled up in his arms.

The Yoshizawa sisters hadn't come over, so Rinto was waking up alone for once.

After all, he'd taken them on a long excursion into Kamoshida's Palace yesterday, and they'd stayed inside for quite a while.

They were completely wiped out and needed at least a day of rest to recover. They'd even taken the day off from gymnastics practice.

Rinto sent each of them a quick good-morning message and went off to wash up and make breakfast.

Because the Yoshizawa sisters were professional athletes, their daily nutrition was tightly controlled—every meal needed to be a proper fitness breakfast.

Rinto didn't mind that at all.

But if he had to pick, his personal taste leaned toward rich, greasy single-guy comfort food—flavor took priority over health.

So today, with the rare opportunity to cook just for himself, Rinto cranked the heat and made a steaming plate of stir-fried rice noodles with soy-slicked bean sprouts and shredded pork—oily, salty, and absolutely delicious.

"Morning..."

Momoka shuffled down the stairs, still half-asleep.

She padded across the wooden floor in just her tights, each step creaking softly—enough for Rinto to gauge whether her weight had changed since yesterday.

Also—she hadn't showered last night. Still in the same tights, no clean clothes...

Unacceptable, said the Rinto-dad in his heart.

"Go wash up. And change those tights. Put your underwear and clothes in separate bags. I'll do the laundry later."

"You're so naggy..."

Momoka mumbled under her breath but didn't dare raise her voice.

After a night's sleep, she seemed to have forgotten why she was mad at Rinto yesterday in the first place.

Actually, Rinto had forgotten too… or more accurately, he never knew what the reason was to begin with.

But whatever. Momoka was always like this—hot-tempered but never one to hold a grudge.

Rinto liked that about her. Her laid-back attitude was kind of adorable.

Not that he'd ever say that out loud. Her ego would shoot through the roof.

Predictably, she didn't fully listen. Instead of showering, she just brushed her teeth and washed her face. No makeup, no hair brushing.

Bedhead tangled in every direction, she plopped herself at the counter with a grin and started sniffing:

"Smells amazing... Just from the scent, I knew you made breakfast today. Those twin sisters of yours? Sure, their good too, but the food's always so delicate. I don't even know how to eat that stuff."

"Your meals are just better, Rinto. Built for the working class. Come on, please let me eat! I swear I'll shower right after! For real this time! (｡＞人＜｡)"

"...Fine."

Rinto couldn't say no to this big brat begging with her hands together like that.

Watching her happily scarf down the food he made, telling him honestly that it tasted great—honestly, that was the best reward he could ask for.

Yeah, sure—this girl had a hundred flaws. Her table manners were like a construction site foreman, nothing like the refined, camera-ready Yoshizawa sisters.

But even if she only got 721 views on her videos, Rinto would push her all the way to 1919 by himself. That's how much of a devoted fan he was.

"So, why didn't the sisters come over today? (ノ`ω´(゜д゜)"

Momoka asked, lips stained dark with soy sauce, a few blonde cowlicks flopping lazily on her head.

Rinto answered calmly:

"They collapsed from exhaustion after yesterday's love hotel trip. Need a full day to recover. Plus, school starts tomorrow—good time for a break. ...Why are you staring at me like that? Do I have something on my face?"

He touched around his cheeks, confused. Nothing there.

Momoka's chopsticks clattered back onto her plate. Her jaw dropped open in slow motion—Rinto could see the little tiger fang poking out of her teeth.

So cute, he thought. Would love to run my tongue along—

—No. Focus, man.

"...Ah. I see. That makes sense. High schoolers... youth... haha..."

After a long pause, Momoka started moving again like a zombie, slowly shoveling noodles into her mouth with twitchy chopsticks.

Her pupils were still unfocused and trembling. Kinda terrifying, honestly.

"So this... this is the feeling of 'I was here first'..." she muttered.

"Not that I feel that way, of course. But it's valuable material. That moment of emotional impact alone... I could write five songs."

"I need to jot it down quick. Something between pure love and NTR, a story of missed timing… bittersweet, like unsweetened yogurt... No wait, too girly. Doesn't fit my style... I know—more adult."

I miss your kiss, and the faint scent of tobacco on your fingertips~ ♫

That lyric sounds awfully familiar...

Rinto silently continued his breakfast, watching Momoka shamble off like a spirit possessed, back into her room.

As a songwriter, she had these inspiration bursts from time to time. Nothing to worry about.

Rinto actually looked forward to the new song. He'd need to help her promote it on socials soon.

After breakfast and dishes, he prepped her lunch, sealed it in plastic wrap, and knocked on her door upstairs:

"I'm heading to work. I've got a shift with the telecom customer service team—off at four. I'll make dinner when I get back."

"Lunch is on the table. Heat it up before eating. Call me if anything comes up. ...And don't forget to shower. Keep your underwear and outerwear separate, got it?"

Thump thump!

Momoka answered with two heel stomps.

Still had plenty of energy.

Rinto didn't mind her answering like some shut-in hikikomori.

But it was tough on the floorboards in this run-down house. If she broke through one day, that'd be a pain. He hoped she'd start answering more like a lady someday.

That said—

Out of all the jobs Rinto had tried, working telecom customer service was easily one of the best.

No sun, no rain, no outdoor suffering. Year-round air conditioning.

Free coffee in the break room. Honestly, pretty great working conditions.

Sure, the strict clock-in rules and chaotic variety of customers were downsides—it was like dealing with an endless cast of bizarre aliens.

But here, Rinto had one truly cheat-level skill he could fully exploit:

He could speak almost every language in the world.

No idea where that ability came from. Maybe a gift from the Holy Grail?

But he could instantly switch languages in his head—reading, writing, speaking, no problem at all.

So in customer service, he took all the foreign-language requests—and got a nice little bonus for it, too.

Honestly, if he applied that skill to tutoring or live interpretation, he could probably earn even more.

But unfortunately, those jobs had stricter requirements—education, credentials, official documents.

And Rinto didn't exactly have a high school diploma. So he couldn't get through the door.

Not that he was worried.

The customer service job was flexible—weekend-only, yet paid enough to cover most of his income.

Since it was full weekends only, he could still attend school during the week and enjoy his youth.

Perfect setup. Rinto loved this gig.

Which is why—

When his supervisor politely asked if he'd be willing to train a new hire, Rinto immediately agreed.

"...Good day, senpai. My name is Togawa Sakiko. Starting today, I'll be learning from you how to handle customer service procedures."

She wore a neatly pressed sundress. Her feet, placed demurely together, wore lace-trimmed white socks and black leather shoes.

The whole look—posture, tone, attire—was like a rich girl who'd walked straight out of a period drama.

She bowed with perfect form.

Her speech was textbook formal, like a noble daughter from a prestigious family. Even Rinto was impressed.

Her posture was flawless—hands clasped in front of her, angles so precise it seemed carved into her bones.

When she raised her head, her features were soft, refined, and seemingly smiling.

But in those amber eyes, Rinto saw it clearly—seriousness. And quiet, unwavering determination.

"I'm quite confident in my English, and I'd like to handle international clients as well. If I make any mistakes in the job, please don't hesitate to correct me, senpai."

"Got it," Rinto replied, smiling.

He reached out his hand.

"I'm Asakura Rinto. Let's do our best."

The young lady flinched slightly, caught off guard.

Then quickly recovered, reaching out to shake his hand.

Her fingers were cool. Stiff with nervousness.

That was Rinto's first impression of Togawa Sakiko.