My Gang of Swordsmen

Chapter 638: Chapter 4: Female Chokata Toshisuke

Shock, doubt, bewilderment... these emotions beautifully mixed on Aoto’s face.

Under the bamboo hat was a rather beautiful face.

This woman was a great beauty, at most just in her early twenties.

Logically speaking, upon seeing such a stunning beauty, Aoto wouldn’t show any overly surprised expression.

Aoto was more or less surrounded by beauties.

After successively befriending Elodie, Mukiwa, and Sazanoko, all of whom had breathtaking appearances, Aoto now had a high threshold for the attribute of ”beauty.”

The reason Aoto was showing this reaction and expression at this moment was purely because the woman’s appearance was... too ”unbelievable.”

Long eyelashes, big and bright eyes, a delicate mouth and nose, rosy and small lips—all her features, when taken individually, were flawless, and combined, they seemed even more perfect.

The woman’s unbelievably beautiful face was almost identical to a face Aoto was very familiar with.

”Mr. Chokata...?”

Aoto couldn’t help but softly murmur the name of that handsome boy who looked almost exactly like this woman.

”Hmm?”

Upon hearing Aoto’s murmur, the woman’s eyebrows arched and her brow furrowed slightly. She took several steps back and scanned Aoto with a wary look.

”...Sir, do you... know me?”

”Aguang!”

At this moment, a young man of ordinary appearance and build ran over to Aoto and the woman, panting heavily.

”Aguang, what’s wrong?”

The young man looked bewildered at the woman, then at Aoto.

”Aguang...” Aoto softly mouthed the young man’s name for this woman.

The face nearly identical to Chokata’s...

Aguang...

In that instant, something suddenly dawned on Aoto.

”Ah, could it be...” Aoto, showing a look of sudden realization, uttered a low exclamation, ”you’re Big Sister Chokata: Chokata Mitsuo?”

This time, it was the woman and the young man’s turn to be shocked.

”Are you... a friend of Toshisuke’s?” The woman... or rather, Chokata Mitsuo asked Aoto.

...

...

Edo, Little Ishikawa Hoshimura Willow Street, Shiwei Hall, hall room—

”Nice to meet you.”

Chokata Mitsuo bowed down, supporting herself on the tatami with three fingers, and politely greeted Aoto and his companions seated across from her.

”I am Toshisuke’s older sister, Chokata Mitsuo.”

”This is my husband, Chokata Rintaro.”

”Good, good afternoon to you all... no, no, wait! Nice to meet you!” The young man sitting shoulder to shoulder with Chokata Mitsuo, her husband Chokata Rintaro, flusteredly imitated Mitsuo’s actions as he bowed to Aoto and the others.

Compared to Chokata Mitsuo’s composure, her husband Chokata Rintaro was noticeably more reserved.

Since entering Shiwei Hall, Chokata Rintaro had been extremely tense and uneasy.

”Thank you for taking care of my brother, Toshisuke, on a daily basis.”

Having finished the greeting and self-introduction, Chokata Mitsuo straightened her body and offered a very proper smile to everyone in front of her.

Harada, who usually behaved without any regard for formalities, as if he didn’t know what ”etiquette” meant, craned his neck forward and stared intently at Chokata Mitsuo’s face without blinking.

”Big Sister Chokata, you really look a lot like Chokata! You two could pass for twins!”

From the moment Chokata Mitsuo entered Shiwei Hall, people like Nagakura had been staring in amazement at her face.

Even Saito, who usually showed little emotion outwardly, was casting a rare, startled glance at Chokata Mitsuo.

Toshisuke and his sister looked just too alike.

As Harada had just said, these siblings with incredibly similar features were like twins.

The biggest physical difference between the siblings... was probably their height and hairstyle.

Standing nearly 160 cm tall, Chokata Mitsuo was slightly taller than Toshisuke, who was only 155 cm.

Toshisuke had his hair in a high ponytail, while Chokata Mitsuo’s hair was styled in the currently popular Shimada Bun for women.

”Hahaha, thank you for the compliment.” Chokata Mitsuo raised her plain hand, covering her lips as she laughed lightly, ”Being told I look like my... my younger brother makes me a little happy.”

”Sister...”

Toshisuke was seated to the left and behind his sister. The siblings, who resembled twins, sitting side by side, were even more visually striking.

”Why did you and brother-in-law come to Edo so early?”

”What? Aren’t you happy to see me?”

With a joyful expression, Chokata Mitsuo turned her head to give Toshisuke a mischievous smile that seemed to tease him.

”It’s not that I’m unhappy to see you...”

Slouching his shoulders and neck, Toshisuke pouted and extended his hand to the back of his head, adjusting his ponytail.

”It’s just that you came so early, it surprised me. I thought it would be a few more days before you arrived in Edo...”

”Rintaro and I didn’t have much going on lately, so we were quite free. That’s why we came early.”

After saying this, Chokata Mitsuo shifted her gaze, looking at Toshisuke’s head and then at his feet.

”Toshisuke, have you grown a bit taller?”

Chokata Mitsuo’s words seemed to carry some special magic power.

As soon as she finished speaking, Toshisuke, who had been slouching his shoulders and neck, suddenly straightened his back and raised his head, meeting his big sister’s eyes with excitement and nodding vigorously.