Starting With The Sefirah Castle In The Anime World
Chapter 322: Suddenly Unexpected

Chapter 322: Chapter 322: Suddenly Unexpected

After Nagi went upstairs, only the shopkeeper, Saki, and Ren remained on the first floor. The two stood apart, facing each other.

"Hello, what’s your relationship with Miss Nagi?"

Normally, asking such a question would be considered rude, especially between strangers, but Saki subconsciously assumed the boy had a complicated relationship with Miss Nagi. Maybe they were acquaintances, so she spoke directly.

Ren didn’t think anything of it. He simply smiled.

"Sanzenin and I are classmates at our new school. For certain reasons, we’ve gotten to know each other quite well."

"Classmates at the new school... Sorry, I didn’t notice."

Realizing she may have come off as impolite, Kijima Saki bowed and apologized quickly.

"It’s fine. Just from the way we walked in together, anyone could guess we have some kind of relationship."

"Amamiya Ren is not some rich guy—just an ordinary high school student."

"Nice to meet you. I’m Kijima Saki, servant to Master Tachibana Wataru, and also just a regular high school student."

She quickly introduced herself in return.

After the introductions, she paused, hesitating, but eventually asked awkwardly,

"Mr. Amamiya, if you’re just a regular student, how did you end up as Miss Nagi’s classmate?"

In her memory, Miss Nagi was the epitome of an elite. Could someone from such a background really have ordinary friends?

Understanding the meaning behind her question, Ren chuckled.

"Miss Kijima, are you saying someone like Sanzenin can’t be friends with ordinary people?"

"No, no, no, I didn’t mean it like that! I... I mean..."

Kijima Saki flailed for an explanation, but the words wouldn’t come. Her flustered expression made her seem like she was about to crash from embarrassment.

"I was just teasing."

Seeing how worked up she got, Ren couldn’t help but laugh. This maid was oddly entertaining in that regard.

"I really am just a regular high schooler. Sanzenin transferred to our school, and we just got to know each other by chance."

Kijima Saki finally let out a slow breath, clearly relieved. She had almost cried just now from anxiety.

She also realized how rude her question had been and felt deeply embarrassed about it.

"Miss Kijima, I wanted to ask... does a video rental shop like this actually still make money?"

"Huh?"

She blinked, startled by the sudden question. After a moment of thought, she nodded slightly.

"It still brings in some profit. Most of our customers are anime or movie lovers. We rent out rare videotapes and discs, not for sale, so we do make a small but consistent profit each month."

"However, with smartphones and computers becoming more popular, business has dropped off compared to before."

The store was still surviving, but profits had definitely been on the decline.

Kijima Saki wasn’t oblivious. She understood that the business was trending downward and the future didn’t look good.

Add Wataru’s emotional slump on top of that, and she couldn’t help but feel the store was heading toward a dangerous place.

Seeing the concern on her face, it was clear she sensed the store’s crisis as well.

"As they say, it’s not your competitors who will destroy you, but the people in other industries."

Ren smiled as he said it, though it was more of a grim joke than anything.

"The videotape and disc market is constantly being hit. And with how widespread electronics have become, things will only get worse for this shop."

"Yeah... I know."

Kijima Saki didn’t want to admit it, but the truth was right there in front of her. The issue now was that she didn’t know how to bring it up with her young master.

"Miss Kijima, maybe it’s time to talk to your master about diversifying the business. This shop’s current model has already hit its limit, and with tech advancing so quickly, it’ll only keep declining. Find a new direction before the market forces you to."

Ren offered the suggestion kindly, though whether Wataru would accept it was another matter entirely.

If he didn’t pivot now, once the era pushed him to change tracks, he’d already be too far behind to catch up.

Bang bang!

A series of loud firecracker pops rang out from outside, making Ren tilt his head toward the window.

Across the street, a crowd had gathered in front of a building. It looked like they were celebrating something.

It was hard to see clearly, as a central park filled with trees and greenery stood between them and the building on the opposite side. But the firecracker sounds were sharp and distinct.

You could hear them clearly even from here.

"Miss Kijima, do you know what they’re celebrating over there?"

Kijima Saki also turned to look. She’d heard the sound but hadn’t paid much attention until now. After thinking for a bit, her expression lightened.

"Oh, I remember now. It’s the 20th anniversary of that museum’s construction. I heard they’re holding a week-long event where entry is completely free."

"The anniversary of the museum’s construction..."

Ren was left a bit speechless.

In this day and age, unless a museum has real historical value, it’s a joke to expect it to make money. These buildings were often just used to boost someone’s public image or check a box on a political report.

Most young people wouldn’t willingly step into a museum.

Especially one named after its own anniversary. The items inside were probably generic, unremarkable decorations. More than likely, the museum couldn’t even break even on ticket sales, so they used promotions to draw attention.

"Miss Kijima, do people usually visit that museum?"

"Hmm... not really."

She thought for a moment, then responded in a hushed tone.

The regular visitor traffic was basically nonexistent.

She often passed by, but rarely saw anyone go in.

"Just another promotional gimmick."

In a sluggish economy, museums that flaunted ’cultural refinement’ came off as completely impractical.

When people were struggling to get by, who had time for high-minded exhibits?

Unless a museum was privately operated, it was bound to run into problems. Bankruptcy was usually just a matter of time.

But right then, Ren suddenly felt a sharp pain between his eyebrows.

A wave of dread surged up in his chest. A strong premonition of danger exploded in his mind.

"Get down!"

"Eh?"

Before Kijima Saki could react, Ren jumped behind the cashier counter and shoved her to the floor.

The sky outside suddenly turned blood red.

Then, a deafening explosion rang out.

"BOOM!!!"

(To be continued.)

***

For every 200 PS = 1 extra Chapter. Support me on P/treon to read 30+ advanced Chapters: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves

(Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)