After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Page 163

After a long silence, Yutenji Wakame could barely maintain the last trace of a polite smile on his face.

Ten years have passed, and she no longer has any special feelings for Toyokawa Yuu.

After all, in that eccentric band called Ave Mujica, he mostly maintained a businesslike attitude towards himself.

Perhaps it was because of his responsible personality, or perhaps it was because of his wealthy background, that he didn't care much about the petty gains within the band, and while maintaining a professional demeanor, he treated each member as kindly as possible.

Resentment, longing, reluctance...

In Yutenji Wakame's heart, her feelings for Toyokawa Yuu were far from what they described; she preferred to call the strange emotion in her heart gratitude.

At least when it comes to the band, he has never been blatantly biased, and he has tried his best to make better plans for the future of each member, and even tried to help himself enter the entertainment industry.

Although the plan ultimately came to nothing when he and Toyokawa Shoko returned to the Toyokawa family, it was simply taken over by Hachiman Kairin out of personal feelings.

For me alone, this was something to be grateful for when I was adrift and helpless in the dazzling city of Tokyo... even though at the time I was mostly filled with resentment and greed.

Out of gratitude, Yutenji Wakana also hoped to do something for Toyokawa Yuu, within her own capabilities, without any danger, but to put her mind at ease.

She also knew that if Toyokawa Yuu really fell into the hands of Hachiman Kairin, not to mention her life safety, her personal freedom would probably be out of the question.

Despite Hachiman Kairin's constant fantasies about Toyokawa Yuu and her respectful demeanor, if one day she truly becomes Toyokawa Yuu's only reliable support, and the power dynamic between them shifts, just how far will her desires, suppressed for ten years, swell?

Of course, Yutenji Wakana did not deny that she still had some other thoughts, and that someone had promised her something.

【Miss Yutenji, I have a bench here that's been sitting for ten years. I wonder if you can stand it.】

Although the person who made that promise is no longer here, it doesn't mean that no one can continue to fulfill that promise.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have come here to find Wakaba Mutsu and Mortis.

Compared to Hachiman Kairin, who rose to power based on the favors left to her by Toyokawa Yuu and then betrayed him and Toyokawa Yuu in order to get closer to him, at least Wakaba Mutsumi and Mortis are more trustworthy in this respect.

But to my surprise, I heard this kind of thing as soon as I entered the door.

"If it were before last night, I probably would have just nodded and answered you, Meow Dream."

As she gazed at the doll that Yuu Toyokawa had given her last night, Minami Mori's lips curled into a smile.

"But now I've changed my mind. Yu-kun gave me such a precious gift, so I have to give him something in return... Besides, my daughter has long since become the person I wanted her to be, so as her mother, I naturally have to give her a belated reward."

Although her words were full of ambiguity, at least Yutenji Wakana could tell that Mori Minami didn't seem to intend to let Toyokawa Yuu die like that.

"Then why did you...?"

Admittedly, Yutenji Wakame was quite pleasantly surprised when he heard Minami Mori's response.

If Minami Mori is also willing to stand on Yuu Toyokawa's side, then after fulfilling the conditions she initially agreed to, there should be a greater chance that the reward promised by that person will be fulfilled.

However, Yutenji Wakami still couldn't understand why Mori Minami had made such a vicious suggestion just now. Wasn't that meant to completely cut off Toyokawa Yuu's escape route?

"Dear Meow Dream, that's why I said you're still a bit young. Mortis's acting skills need improvement in this area."

The sweet smile on her face gradually faded, and Minami, unusually, turned serious.

"In a place like the Toyokawa family, where you can't stand someone but still have to put on a smiling face and make peace with each other, if you want to stop something, you shouldn't strongly oppose it, but rather express your full support... After all, if you want to stab someone in the back, you have to go around to their back first."

"If I don't make it clear that Yuu-kun must die, how can I smoothly get them to accept the additional condition that Toyokawa Hatsune must live that I proposed? Only when there is an additional goal that must be achieved will the energy originally focused on Yuu-kun be diverted... and only then will I have the possibility of substituting Yuu-kun for someone else."

"You mean..."

Upon hearing Minami's account, Yutenji Wakana was momentarily stunned, then a hint of surprise appeared on her face.

"Have you prepared Mortis yet?"

"No, Xiaomu and Mortis are indeed upstairs, so sad that they've fallen asleep. They even have their phones with me... I haven't told Yuyu that she's still alive."

Shaking her head, Mori Minami denied Yutenji Wakana's statement, and even took out a mobile phone and waved it.

It wasn't the one that Yuu Toyokawa bought for Mutsumi Wakaba ten years ago, but a brand new Mortis office phone.

The phone that was more decorative than practical was now clutched to the chest of that golden-eyed beauty as she silently sobbed and reminisced in her dreams about the time she had spent with Toyokawa Yuu. It was something that Mori Minami could no longer possess.

She does have a plan, but she doesn't intend to involve her daughter in it.

Safety is one aspect, but on the other hand... if she manages to save Toyokawa Yuu's life, she can't just give him away to her daughter so easily.

This was her bargaining chip to pressure her daughter to make a comeback and shine on screen again.

Minami Mori did indeed intend to stab the Toyokawa family in the back, but what she just said was not a lie; she truly did not intend for her daughter to waste her life on an unromantic man.

If two kids are clueless, then I, as an adult, should at least lend them a hand.

I thought my daughter had finally learned her lesson after sneaking into Toyokawa Yuu's guest room last night. But who would have thought that even Mortis, who is usually very disobedient in front of me, would be so well-behaved in front of Toyokawa Yuu.

So, I'll hold onto Yuu Toyokawa in my hands first, and then communicate with my precious daughter in a way that Mortis is willing to be more obedient.

"I'm not sure about this kind of thing. I can't bear to give my daughter a glimmer of hope that's out of reach, only to have it shattered right before her eyes. After all, if You Yujun can do something like self-immolation for love, it's uncertain whether he'd still want to live."

Using this seemingly plausible but not entirely false reason, though it's hard to say how much of it was genuine, to appease the half-student who had taken the initiative to visit, Mori Minami regained her smile.

"So, dear Miaomeng, could you please have some compassion and help an old woman who doesn't want her daughter to get hurt again?"

"...I'm just a nobody, there's really nothing I can do."

Seeing Minami's smile, Yutenji Wakana instinctively wanted to refuse.

That expression was exactly the same as when she was calling those people earlier, trying to deceive them.

If Toyokawa Yuu is still alive, she's even keeping it a secret from her own daughter, so could she... be lying to me too?

He couldn't help but consider this possibility, but in the end, Yutenji Wakana only showed that he was "somewhat embarrassed".

The choices she had were indeed not many.

He could either help Hachiman Kairin all the way to the end, and if he succeeded, he could take over her businesses in Tokyo, but if he failed... Yutenji Wakana didn't think that even Hachiman Kairin had fallen, and that he, with no background or foundation in Tokyo and who had only been a third-rate nobody for ten years, would have any very good outcome.

Perhaps the best course of action is for them to go back to their rural hometown and farm.

He could choose to continue fulfilling the promise he made to someone back then, but that person was no longer there. If Ye Mu and Mortis didn't show up, whether the fame and fortune he wanted could be realized depended entirely on this half-teacher in front of him.

But at least, Minami Mori is more reliable than Umi Hachiman. At least the Wakaba family is large and powerful, and won't fall from grace so easily.

"How could that be? Miaomeng, you're Hailing's right-hand woman. She must have given you some kind of task, right?"

In response to Yutenji Wakana's modesty, Mori Minami smiled gently, indicating that she did not need to belittle herself.

To others, even to Minami herself, Yutenji Wakana was indeed a minor character.

But for Yawata Kairin, it was a different story.

After all, he was a bandmate back then, and he's the only person who's stayed by her side for the past ten years.

Yutenji Wakana does indeed hold special significance for Hachiman Kairin, as it means that even though she has committed such a treacherous act and is no longer worthy of trust, she has not yet been abandoned by everyone.

"She reached some cooperation with Nagasaki Sase, and wants me to find Toyokawa Yuu around dusk and take him to a place she has arranged in advance... Honestly, she always makes difficult requests... So, does she want me to betray Hailin and ruin her operation with Nagasaki Sase?"

Yutenji Wakame hesitated, not because she was reluctant to part with it or because she felt guilty.

When she decided to come to this place, she was already prepared to betray Hachiman Kairin. It would be better for everyone than to let that woman in a suit, who had fallen into some kind of obsession, continue to get involved in this kind of thing.

Hachiman Kairin remains the same young and capable career woman, Toyokawa Hatsune can naturally return to the Toyokawa family, and even as a puppet, she can enjoy a life of luxury that Yutenji Wakami could hardly imagine. As for Toyokawa Yuu...

If Minami can really switch him out and live happily ever after with Wakaba Mutsu, at least one of them can be happy.

Finally, I'm able to get the promised fame and fortune, which is a very happy thing—anyway, this is all I have to pursue right now, which isn't very high-class. Compared to ideal love, I still prefer fame and fortune.

"Of course not, you have to help her properly, and I'll even help you secretly, at least bring Youyu-kun out... bring her here."

"......I see."

Should we send Nagasaki Sase and Hachiman Kairin up as targets? After all, Mori Minami just said on the phone that she wouldn't get involved in the remaining matters related to Toyokawa Yuu, so it's definitely not appropriate for her to show up in public.

A self-deprecating smile suddenly appeared on Yutenji Wakana's lips. She never expected that she, a nobody in every sense of the word, would one day become the hope of at least three important figures.

"But I have a condition."

"Want to discuss the payment first? No problem. After all, it concerns my daughter's happiness for the rest of her life, so I won't be stingy."

The "but" that Yutenji Wakana mentioned was not unexpected by Mori Minami. She herself did not expect to be able to persuade this junior, whose personality could be described as snobbish, to work for free with just a few words.

"No, as for the compensation, I believe Minami won't treat me unfairly, and Xiangzi also made a promise to me. Although she's no longer here, if things go well, I don't think Xiaomu and Mortis would mind helping her fulfill her promise."

Gently shaking her head, Yutenji Wakana certainly didn't intend to give up the reward she had waited ten years for, but what she wanted to talk about now was something else.

"Nagasaki Saseyo's condition for Hailing was to help her trick that person named Chihaya Aine into going to [RING]... I don't want her to succeed."

"Oh, is that so? I've never heard of any grudge between you, Meow Dream, and that little girl from Nagasaki."

This time, it was finally Minami's turn to be a little surprised.

Yutenji Wakame is a snob, a fact she knew very well ten years ago.

For a snobbish person to succeed, the most important thing is to be kind to others, or at least not to make enemies with people who might harm them. And that's exactly what she's been doing for the past ten years.

I've never heard of any conflict between her and Nagasaki Sase; the two didn't even have much interaction.

"Back when the band Ave Mujica still existed, Toyokawa Yuu was quite nice to me. He disliked Nagasaki Sase and was entangled with Chihaya Aine. Ms. Minami should know these things... I don't want to see the people he rejects using the people he cares about. This is also a way of thanking him for taking care of me back then."

With her eyes slightly closed, Yutenji Wakame's brows furrowed with a hint of reluctance—a reluctance to leave this dazzling, decadent city.

She knew that regardless of whether this matter succeeded or failed, she probably wouldn't be able to stay in the city where she had worked hard for ten years.

In that case, let's consider it a small way of repaying Toyokawa Yuu for the care she received back then.

"...Ruomai, you've really impressed me today."

After a moment of silence, Mori Minami sighed with some complex emotion, looking at the student in front of her with newfound respect for the first time.

Always putting oneself first, in order to ease one's conscience, one can say things that are supposed to be for someone's good, but in the end, no one will benefit.

“I will take care of this matter. That child named Aine is really not suitable to stay in this city any longer.”

......................................................

Wearing her grey trench coat, Chihaya Aine strolled slowly through the streets of Tokyo, a hint of bewilderment in her grey eyes.

The city is now filled with taller buildings than when she left ten years ago, and many of the buildings' giant screens are still broadcasting news about the fire that broke out at the Toyokawa family mansion this morning.

At 9:35 this morning, a fire broke out in a residence in our city. It is reported that the cause was the death of the female homeowner, and the male homeowner committed suicide by setting himself on fire in a moment of love. The fire is now under control...

The text message scrolled across the screen. Chihaya Aine looked up and read the news, then looked down at her phone, where Nagasaki Souse had sent her a text message.

Soyo: [Hatsune and Yuu are fine, we'll meet at my house later.]

The messages I received in reality clashed severely with the text messages sent by Nagasaki Sase.

She watched as the mansion turned into a sea of ​​fire, and the man with whom she had a tragic love affair chose to commit suicide with his wife.

It wasn't that Chihaya Aine didn't want Toyokawa Yuu to live; she simply suspected the message sent by Nagasaki Sase.

If Yuu Toyokawa is truly alive and well, then he would definitely contact me first, rather than Sase Nagasaki.

He asked Toyokawa Hatsune to take his guitar in with him. Given Toyokawa Yuu's feelings for him, she would contact him even if it was just to return the guitar.

Therefore, we cannot rule out the possibility that Nagasaki Sase is just deceiving himself, and that he is not a kind-hearted person who cannot lie.

Even if Nagasaki Sase was truly lying to herself, Chihaya Aine could guess what her purpose was in lying.

All she wanted was to see her old bandmates again. She had bothered her with this very thing the night she returned to Tokyo.

Chihaya Aine isn't cold-blooded or indifferent to her former friends; she just feels that it's pointless for five people who have long since parted ways to still pursue that kind of superficial ending.

Aside from Nagasaki Sase, who still holds onto this memory, for most people it's just a matter of dredging up the awkwardness of a past unpleasant parting.

Nagasaki Sase was an old friend to him, as were the others. Now, only Toyokawa Yuu could be considered a partial exception.

Even if it's just a simple comparison of quantities, Chihaya Aine feels there's absolutely no need to make everyone feel awkward and annoyed for the sake of one person.

I was nothing but a cowardly deserter. Ever since I ran away ten years ago, I should have obediently left everyone's sight.

From this perspective, regardless of whether what Nagasaki Sase said is true or not, he should not go to the appointment.

If Yuu Toyokawa really died in the fire this morning, then this news is just another lie told by Sase Nagasaki.

This time, however, it was even worse than before—she chose to use a recently deceased acquaintance as a pretext.

If it's true, then there seems to be even less need to pay attention to it; his goal of bringing Yuu Toyokawa out of the Toyokawa family home has already been achieved.

From the most selfish perspective, in this situation, it's best not to try to keep your promises, but to leave as quickly as possible.

Nagasaki Sase has already gotten herself into this mess, and there's no way she can just walk away from it. All she needs to do is hold onto the rest of her conscience... just like how these people treated her before.

Chihaya Aine's hesitant steps gradually came to a halt, still somewhat unsure, as if she were facing a difficult choice just like ten years ago.

Slowly, a helpless smile appeared on the pink-haired beauty's lips.

"Sure enough, whenever these two get together, it's easy to make things awkward."