After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Page 123

Although the two did not actually meet for a long time after their debut due to their respective busy schedules, Toyokawa Shoko saw news about Sumimi on the big screen of skyscrapers more than once.

Therefore, if Chu Hua wanted to see him back then, there was absolutely no need for such trouble.

When Sumimi first debuted, the source of her father's expulsion from the family—the 168 billion yen fraud case—had not yet occurred, and she was quite free.

If Chu Hua has time, she can simply send a message to him, and the two of them can meet immediately. There is no need to trouble his father at all.

What's even stranger is that her father had heard about Chuhua, the "girl on the island with whom he had a very good relationship," more than once before.

If Chu Hua wanted to see him through him, even if his father didn't agree immediately for some reason, he should have told him about it and asked for his opinion.

The father, who hadn't yet been expelled from the family and fallen into despair over the 168 billion, was such a gentle and understanding person, as evidenced by his help to Sumimi. But why...?

Many unnecessary things happened one after another on the eve of the father's expulsion from the family.

In the past, Toyokawa Shoko would have found it hard to believe, but now she doesn't think it's just a coincidence.

Looking back now, both Chu Hua and her father seem incredibly suspicious.

Taking a few deep breaths to gather her strength, Toyokawa Shoko poured herself a cup of tea and told Toyokawa Yuu what she had learned from Junda Mana, along with things she already knew but had never made any connection to before.

There are some things you can't figure out yourself, but Yuu Toyokawa might be able to find the answers in them.

After all, he was the fiancé arranged for him by his maternal grandfather, and someone who was placed by his side at the beginning of the band's formation, while his relationship with his father seemed to be quite good.

He himself had spent a year trying to help his father recover, but he managed to do so by simply going to the Akabane Police Station and bringing his father back once.

Youyu must know something that I don't.

With her amber gaze, Toyokawa Shoko subtly glanced into Toyokawa Yuu's eyes and noticed that her fiancé's gaze was somewhat unfocused, as if he were lost in thought.

Do you suspect that Dolores or Qinggao are hiding something from you?

Having not yet come up with an answer, I subconsciously answered Toyokawa Shoko's question with a rather trivial one.

Some of the things she just mentioned were things I knew, but there were some things I genuinely didn't know.

For example, it turns out that Kiyotaka Toyokawa actually sponsored Sumimi, and Mana Junda doesn't seem to be as accommodating to her manager's affairs as she was when she advised Kairin Hachiman in her office this morning.

At the very least, her understanding of the affairs within idol groups goes far beyond just the idols' own work.

So Mana Junda's behavior today has become somewhat intriguing.

Judging from the attitude of Sumimi's manager, that old guy Toyokawa Sadaharu has already started remotely controlling the idol group's operations.

If Junda Mana knows so much about Toyokawa Kiyoko, there's no reason she should know nothing about Toyokawa Sadaharu.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have asked me to protect Hatsune Miku this morning; Junda Mana definitely knows some inside information.

So what was her purpose and reason in turning around and talking to Toyokawa Shoko about Toyokawa Kiyoko?

Was it to repay Toyokawa Kiyoko for his previous financial support of Sumimi, or was revealing this information actually at Toyokawa Sadaharu's behest?

“I have known Chuhua for many years, and I know her better than anyone. I have no doubt about her. As for my father... given his personality, if he refuses to talk about it, no matter how much I ask, it probably won't make any difference.”

When Yuu Toyokawa threw the question back at her, Shoko Toyokawa paused for a moment, then shook her head firmly.

She had no intention of doubting her teammates, especially since they were her longtime friends.

Just like how Toyokawa Shoko knew that the two of them were hiding something from her regarding the placement of Wakaba Mutsu, but she did not choose to investigate further.

It was I who dragged them into forming the band, and now they're doubting their own flesh and blood and their friends. No matter how you look at it, it doesn't make sense.

However, the thoughtful look on Toyokawa Yuu's face, which he no longer tried to hide, still made Toyokawa Shoko feel uneasy.

"Youyu, what's wrong? Did you think of something?"

"It's nothing, it's just... well, I did think of some things, but I'm not sure yet, so I'd better not say them to bother you."

Almost instinctively, she wanted to deny Toyokawa Shoko's question, but when she saw the amber eyes of the girl sitting across the coffee table from her, Toyokawa Yuu hesitated and changed her mind.

She still hadn't fully shared her thoughts with the other party, since Toyokawa Yuu wasn't sure of her answer yet, but there were some things she was certain of.

Regardless of Mana Junda's true motives, her willingness to take initiative suggests that she is at least not resistant to communication and is willing to protect Hatsune Miku...

While it's unclear what Junda Mana thinks of herself, this alone should be enough to confirm that she at least wouldn't want Hatsune to get hurt.

And... Toyokawa Kiyoko definitely knows something.

Disappearing from the public eye and living a decadent life for a year might be a significant absence for others, but for someone like Kiyoyuki Toyokawa, who was once practically the head of a zaibatsu, it wasn't a fatal flaw.

There were some things that Toyokawa Yuu originally planned to ask for help from Toyokawa Kiyotaka, who had recently returned to the scene, after he had established himself.

But it seems that asking a few questions shouldn't disrupt his comeback.

"If you think Qinggao might not be able to answer your questions, then I'll ask them myself. Maybe I can find out the answers."

Yuu Toyokawa gave a faint smile to the somewhat uneasy Shoko Toyokawa, indicating that she could relax.

However, this smile was not entirely out of comfort or perfunctoriness; it also carried a hint of agreement.

Although he scoffed at Toyokawa Shoko's offer of help at the celebration banquet last night, he now has to admit it.

The information she brought back from Junta Mana this time was quite useful.

At least, regarding the fact that Toyokawa Kiyotaka had once sponsored Sumimi, if Toyokawa Shoko hadn't been known as "Toyokawa Kiyotaka's daughter," it probably wouldn't have been easy for her to ask Junda Mana about it.

After all, if those in the know don't mention it, outsiders might never even think of it.

"You'll have to ask Father... Alright, I'll find another opportunity to talk to Ms. Junda Mana later, and also Hatsuka. Although I don't want to doubt her, I at least need to find out what she's hiding from me."

When Yuu Toyokawa decided to go to her father herself to get to the bottom of things, Shoko Toyokawa showed some concern, but ultimately nodded gently.

There is indeed a kind of friendship in this world that only exists between men.

Just like when my mother was still alive, my grandfather would only consult my father about certain things, and would not involve my mother in those troubles.

There are some things that you can't get answers to by asking yourself; having Toyokawa Yuu ask might yield different results.

The person who helped her father recover from his despair was Youyu.

She didn't insist on going along herself anymore, but simply nodded, indicating that she was leaving the matter to Toyokawa Yuu.

With the two reaching a consensus, the topic officially came to an end, and the office returned to the quiet it had been before Toyokawa Yuu returned.

After finishing their business, the two seemed to have run out of other topics to discuss.

The unexpected and awkward incident that occurred at noon, accompanied by a silent atmosphere, gradually began to surface in my mind.

Yuu Toyokawa shook his head, trying to banish the embarrassing memory from his mind, and stood up from the sofa.

"If there's nothing else, you should go back to school. It shouldn't be time for school to end yet."

Walking to the corner of the office, I saw my draft proposal, which I had completed earlier, lying quietly in the printer tray, having been converted from an electronic version to a paper copy.

Since Yuu Toyokawa had gone out to meet Hatsune Miku earlier, the newly printed papers no longer had the residual heat and ink scent of the printer, saving him the trouble of waiting for them to cool down.

After binding and organizing the two copies of the paper plan, Toyokawa Yuu turned her back to Toyokawa Shoko without looking back.

"Next, I need to go see Sumimi's manager, and then I might need to talk to the production team a few days later. You don't understand these things, so I'll handle it."

"Socializing?"

Watching Yuu Toyokawa's retreating figure as she organized the documents, Shoko Toyokawa blinked and suddenly uttered these words.

Although it's a bit strange to use this term to describe a teenager who is the same age as me and should have just entered high school if he is still in school.

But as she watched Yuu Toyokawa's retreating figure, a particular phrase unconsciously surfaced in Shoko Toyokawa's mind.

She doesn't like that word.

After his mother passed away, this activity, which his father couldn't completely refuse even when she was still alive, gradually became more frequent.

On several occasions, promises that he had verbally agreed to take her out for a walk to relax were interrupted by unexpected social engagements.

Toyokawa Shoko didn't actually have any intention of blaming her father, after all, his promise to "work hard" was the more important one.

But no matter what, Toyokawa Shoko would always harbor a slight dissatisfaction with this.

That's why Toyokawa Shoko was so happy that day when her father said he would definitely come to see her live at CRYCHIC no matter what. She just never expected...

Now, seeing that Yuu Toyokawa seems to be doing the same thing, even though Shoko Toyokawa knows she has no reason or position to stop her, it still stirs up some emotions in her heart.

"Well, you could call it social obligations. After all, although the Toyokawa family hasn't actually withdrawn their sponsorship of Ave Mujica, some of their implicit support and Ms. Mori Minami's program recommendations have stopped. They can't keep up the aloofness they used to hide behind their busy schedules."

Toyokawa Shoko's words made Toyokawa Yuu pause in her work of organizing documents, and then she slowly nodded.

Socializing is something he's no stranger to.

However, after becoming Ave Mujica's manager, he was able to avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble by relying on his status as "the fiancé of the eldest daughter of the Toyokawa family".

For example, he can take advantage of his age and status to discuss many things directly in certain people's offices, without having to resolve them over drinks.

But at least for now, things probably won't be as easy as they were before.

Having confirmed her suspicions, Toyokawa Shoko was not happy. Instead, she puffed out her cheeks slightly, looking somewhat sullen, but she still continued to press for answers.

"Can you drink?"

"If we really move the occasion to a dinner party, this part is unavoidable no matter how you look at it. However, my age is obvious, and Sumimi's manager, Ms. Lena, is also a woman. We are all respectable people who care about our image, so we shouldn't go too far."

Toyokawa Yuu seemed somewhat amused and exasperated by Toyokawa Shoko's question.

Although she verbally speculated that it wouldn't go too far, Toyokawa Yuu was actually a little unsure.

Since he came into this world, he has never touched alcohol.

Whether or not someone can get drunk is secondary; the more important thing is...

"Can you drink that much, in front of so many strangers?"

Toyokawa Shoko's voice revealed his worries before he even realized them.

He wasn't entirely sure about that either.

Even though Toyokawa Shoko forced herself to eat some food today, and used that attitude that left no room for refusal to tear open some cracks in her defenses, Toyokawa Yuu was still unsure whether she could adapt to that situation in the present moment.

After all, compared to Toyokawa Shoko, whose position and fate were intertwined and who was unlikely to harm him under any circumstances, the thoughts of the suit-clad men at the dinner table, driven by fame and fortune, were not so benevolent.

"...I'll try my best to overcome it. After all, work isn't a place to be willful. And even if that old guy Toyokawa Sadaharu tries to trip me up, my status as a member of the Toyokawa family and my age are there for all to see. No one will make things difficult for me."

Turning to look at Toyokawa Shoko, Toyokawa Yuu's lips curved into a smile, this time a completely comforting one.

"And it's not certain whether the occasion will escalate to a drinking session. Maybe it's just a simple business negotiation. Ms. Lena's work style is actually quite assertive, and she doesn't like alcohol either. Talking about this now is a bit of worrying unnecessarily."

Then I'll go with you...

This thought suddenly popped into Toyokawa Shoko's mind, swirling around in her head for a while, but she ultimately didn't say it aloud.

Before Yuu Toyokawa came to Ave Mujica, she handled all the negotiations and consultations herself.

Only a little over a week has passed, so even if I reappear in that negotiation setting as the person in charge, it shouldn't surprise anyone.

But regardless, Toyokawa Yuu is now the band's manager.

It was one thing before, but if I were to overstep my bounds and cook for them again now, it might cause the relationship between the two of them, which had finally eased up a bit because of the accident at noon, to become stiff again.

"...When the time comes, let me know where you're going, and I'll be waiting for you outside."

After thinking for a moment, Toyokawa Shoko added another sentence.

"If you need, I can go with you."

Chapter 114 The Astounding Wisdom of the Moon Forest - Ancient Methods of Unboxing (8k)

【Jingle Bell--】

The clear but not jarring school bell rang throughout Haneoka Girls' Academy.

As soon as the teacher announced "get out of class dismissed," the teenage girls eagerly left their seats, gathering in twos and threes, chatting and laughing as they left the classroom.

Many people even suggested forming a team to practice at a certain livehouse.

Thanks to the example set by some senior students, the Haneoka Girls' Academy has seen a surge in popularity of girl bands in recent years.

Unfortunately, Chihaya Aine and Takamatsu Akari were also among them.

Whenever time allowed, they would go to the LiveHouse called [RING] with the band members to practice after school almost every day.

Although Chihaya Aine herself doesn't really pursue musicality and only sees the band as a social medium, she still feels very happy every time she hears her teammates praising her improved guitar skills.

After all, isn't that the joy of socializing? The joy of being in the spotlight is quite pure, which makes all my efforts to practice at [RING] every morning until my fingers needed bandages worthwhile.

Anon: [get out of class dismissed! Everyone, please meet at [RING] today. My musical skills have improved a lot lately.]

In the MyGO!!!!! band's group chat, a "call to arms" was issued, and Chihaya Aine's lips curled into an expectant smile. She couldn't wait to see the praise from others when they noticed her progress.

Sitting in front of Chihaya Aine, Takamatsu Akari heard the sound from her phone, looked down at the screen, and saw the message Chihaya Aine had posted in the group chat. A faint smile appeared on her lips.