After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Page 122

Mr. Qinggao has become like that in order to help me.

I've already taken her father away from Xiao Xiang, so I can't take her band and fiancé away from her as well.

Mingming, it should be me who gives everything to Xiaoxiang.

"So, you want me to help you? And what can I do for you?"

When the blonde girl said that she might never be able to return to Ave Mujica, Hachiman Kairin remained noncommittal.

In the past, she might have thought to herself that her classmate and colleague might be prone to exaggerating the situation.

However, after being reminded by Junda Mana this morning, Hachiman Kairin gradually realized that the workplace might not be as simple as she thought.

The blonde girl in front of us is not only the guitarist and lead vocalist of Ave Mujica, but also another member of Sumimi.

Her words should not be taken as mere alarmism.

"No, I don't want you to help me, but to help Xiaomu."

Faced with Hachiman Kairin's question, Hatsune slowly shook her head, her purple eyes gradually becoming firm.

"A band can't be without two guitars at the same time. Bringing Xiao Mu back is much easier than keeping me from leaving. Until then... I will persevere."

Taking a deep breath, the conversation with Yuu Toyokawa, who joined Ave Mujica and was the first person to keep her behind for a private talk, gradually surfaced in Hatsune's mind.

To me, Xiangzi is like the moon that has guided me to this evening...

You can leave now. I've been stuck with an unreasonable accomplice. I need some peace and quiet...

Mr. Youyu and I are companions, both of us exist for Xiaoxiang.

No, he did a much better job than me. He's been bearing all the pressure all along, so now it's my turn to give back.

Rather than obeying her biological father's arrangements and silently watching everything she now possesses be taken away, she should choose a different path.

It would be better to just give it all to Xiao Xiang.

But since Mr. Youyu is here, there's no need to trouble Xiaoxiang with this.

Hatsune believed that the boy, who was the same age as her but far more reliable, could arrange everything, and all she had to do was offer it all up.

This was the answer she came up with after thinking about it all night following her biological father's order.

If her biological father intends to use force to send her back to the island, she might really have no way to resist.

But before things escalate to that point, he should still have the right to devise a countermeasure with his only accomplice—Toyokawa Yuu.

"...I understand. When I help Ruoye work remotely in the office later, I will find an opportunity to ask her what kind of help she needs."

Seeing Hatsune's determined gaze, Hachiman Kairin hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Although we don't yet have a completely clear understanding of the situation as described by Hatsune Miku, it's enough to be certain of just one thing for now.

The lead guitarist and vocalist of his own band also didn't want the band to fall apart.

Given that, I naturally had no reason to refuse her request for help.

Moreover, helping Yuu Toyokawa share some of the pressure, so that she wouldn't become a dispensable marginal person, was something she had always wanted to do.

Since the band members can't interfere with the manager's work, let's start by caring about the other members.

"It's getting late, let's go back to class."

Just as the two girls reached an agreement, the school bell rang at the perfect moment.

Yawata Kairin turned around and walked towards the teaching building. She turned back to remind her, only to find that her classmate was walking in another direction.

"Triangle, you're going the wrong way."

"No, I didn't go to the wrong place. I have some important things to do, and the teacher will understand."

Hatsune shook her head at Hachiman Kairin's well-intentioned reminder and continued walking towards the school gate.

I took out my phone and found the one I was particularly interested in among the few contacts in my address book.

Doloris: [Mr. Yuyu, do you have a moment? There's something I'd like to discuss with you.]

After thinking for a moment, Hatsune added another sentence.

Doloris: [I would like to have a face-to-face meeting.]

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

Yuzawa Cafe.

The afternoon sun was much brighter than the morning sun, but it also brought much more heat.

At this moment, the constantly running air conditioning in the coffee shop makes people feel especially relaxed.

On the contrary, at this very moment, the young couple sitting in the corner by the window of the coffee shop felt no sense of relaxation whatsoever.

"You mean that while Toyokawa Sadaharu is having Mori Minami plan to send Sumi to the hospital or the film set, you should also stop working at Ave Mujica and stay with Sumi as much as possible during this time?"

Toyokawa Yuu pinched the space between her eyebrows, the furrow between her brows not being very deep, whether out of helplessness or because she had expected it.

"As expected, that old guy Toyokawa Sadaharu won't just use one move. How could someone like him obediently play rock-paper-scissors like a child? It's only reasonable for him to use two methods at the same time where he can intervene."

"Mr. Youyu, I'm sorry... I've caused you trouble again."

When a boy her own age calls her biological father an "old man," Hatsune Miku finds herself unable to bring herself to argue with him.

After all, although Toyokawa Yuu's tone was not very respectful, what she said was basically true.

What's more, the two of them are now in the same boat... or rather, when she asked him for help, she turned him into someone in the same boat.

"No, at least in this matter, you don't have to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong this time; in fact, you did very well."

Raising her hand to signal Hatsune to stop apologizing, Toyokawa Yuu took a deep breath, and her expression slowly returned to calm.

He wasn't deliberately flattering or comforting the blonde girl in front of him; it was simply the truth.

Although he had realized from Sumimi's manager's behavior that Toyokawa Sadaharu's pressure was definitely not just coming from Wakaba Mutsumi, he had no reason to let Hatsune Miku, who was easier to control, go so easily.

However, even if one's speculation is largely correct, many specific details are certainly not as detailed as what the person involved tells one in person.

Yuu Toyokawa never expected that Hatsune Miku would actually come looking for her.

He originally thought that the guitarist would keep it a secret until the truth was about to come out, at which point he would desperately seek his help.

“I told you on the first day we met that I would help you even if it was just for Xiangzi’s sake. The fact that you asked me for help in time instead of keeping it to yourself and letting things drag on until they were beyond repair is already a huge help.”

While timely information from the parties involved can certainly put one's mind at ease, it does not mean that the severity of the situation will be alleviated.

It's like adding insult to injury; at this point, we can only be thankful that the rain hasn't gotten too heavy yet.

"So... what should I do next? Mr. Youyu, you still need to worry about Xiaomu's situation, right?"

Holding the cup in front of her with both hands, Hatsune Miku pursed her lips tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

"Actually, you don't need to worry about me. Father... Lord Dingzhi shouldn't take any coercive measures against me in the short term. Mr. Youyu can focus your attention on Xiaomu first. As for me..."

Gritting her teeth, Hatsune raised her head and looked directly into Toyokawa Yuu's eyes, her face showing a stubbornness that she was trying to maintain.

"Even if I stubbornly go against Lord Sadaharu's wishes, I can manage on my own for a while. I will not miss any of Ave Mujica's activities for the next period of time, so please focus your limited energy on more important matters."

"So, what do you plan to do about Ms. Junda Mana from Sumimi? She's a very important friend of yours, and she was the one who introduced you to the industry. Is it really okay to just ignore her and disappoint her?"

However, to Hatsune's surprise, after she made up her mind to make this decision, she did not receive praise from Toyokawa Yuu, but rather a lukewarm question.

But what Hatsune Miku couldn't avoid was that no matter how disruptive and inappropriate the question was, it was one she found difficult to answer.

mana......

Hatsune was momentarily speechless as her partner's radiant smile flashed through her mind.

Hatsune Miku gripped the coffee cup even tighter, and the slight sweat on her fingers made them slip slightly against the cup.

For Junda Mana, she was definitely more than just a partner.

When she first arrived in Tokyo, a complete country girl with only a little pocket money left after paying for her travel expenses, she was about to get lost in this dazzling city when a girl with a bright smile approached her as a talent scout.

To put it bluntly, I am proud to have established myself as an idol in Tokyo and to be able to shine brightly in a way that even Xiaoxiang can see.

The most important credit goes to his current partner.

However, comparing Mana to Xiaoxiang... comparing Mana to Xiaoxiang and Mr. Youyu...

"I can......"

"Okay, let's leave this topic at that. I was just asking casually."

Just before Hatsune was about to reveal her decision, Toyokawa Yuu raised her hand, indicating that she didn't need to continue.

Loyalty tests don't necessarily require the other party to do anything; often, simply showing an attitude is enough.

On the contrary, forcing someone to do certain things might actually make them less loyal.

"Of course I need you to withstand some of the pressure from that old man, Toyokawa Sadaharu, at least to prevent the activities in Ave Mujica from really being interrupted, but it's not your place to make such a difficult choice."

Standing up from her seat, Yuu Toyokawa turned to go to the counter to pay, only to be told by the waiter that Hatsune Miku, who had arrived at the cafe before her, had already paid.

Hatsune picked up her bag and followed closely behind Toyokawa Yuu until he awkwardly walked from the bar to the door, at which point she spoke softly.

"So, Mr. Yu, is there anything else you need me to do besides continuing my activities at Ave Mujica?"

Continuing her activities at Ave Mujica is just the bare minimum; Hatsune Miku doesn't believe that simply doing this will solve the problem.

Some things cannot be ignored just because you don't intend to do them.

Otherwise, what's the point of the contract between the two groups, Ave Mujica and Sumimi?

If I were simply being willful, even if my biological father didn't pressure me, he would definitely use that cooperation agreement to put pressure on Ave Mujica.

There must be something else I can do, but this is not enough to call it giving everything for Xiao Xiang.

"...Now go back to school and attend classes. After school, come to my office. I have a plan to explain to you. Tonight, I will take that plan to discuss it further with Sumimi's agent. You will come with me then."

P.S.: This chapter is 8k, I still owe 4k, leaving 69k to be paid. It feels like it's almost over, I should be able to finish paying it off this month. Also, the revisions I mentioned before about the two chapters about Xiangzi, I haven't finished writing them yet, but I estimate they'll be done tomorrow.

Chapter 113 I Can Be With You (5k)

"Where have you been?"

As soon as the office door opened, the girl's concerned voice reached Toyokawa Yuu's ears.

Not seeing anyone on the office sofa, Toyokawa Yuu took two steps further in before finally spotting Toyokawa Shoko, who was slumped against the sofa as if she had burned out, her figure obscured by the sofa back.

"The plan is finished, go out to throw out the trash... What happened? Didn't you send your clothes to be washed? How come they're in this state when you come back?"

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko, who seemed somewhat depressed and dejected, Toyokawa Yuu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Why does my fiancée change so much? She was so confident, poised, and considerate when she left, but now she looks so dejected.

With a slight hesitation as she prepared to step out, Toyokawa Yuu ultimately chose not to return to her office chair, but instead sat down on the sofa opposite Toyokawa Shoko.

"I ran into Ms. Mana Junda from Sumimi when I took my clothes to the dry cleaners."

Toyokawa Shoko rubbed her face. Today was the first time she realized how tiring it was to keep smiling.

It's not that the popular idol Sumimi is difficult to get along with; on the contrary, she is lively and considerate, and no matter how you look at it, she is a very approachable person.

But precisely because of this, in order not to ruin the atmosphere of the interaction and make herself look like a spoilsport, Toyokawa Shoko herself had to put on a smile.

Of course, simply maintaining a smile wouldn't have caused Toyokawa Shoko to make such an expression.

What she found truly difficult to accept was the revelation of "Sumimi's past" by Mana Junda during their time together.

Some things, just thinking about them, make her feel mentally exhausted.

After all, this involves not only his childhood friend, whom he has now dragged into the triangle of Ave Mujica, but also his father, who had been depressed for a year and had only recently shown signs of cheering up.

“Ms. Junda Mana told me that when Sumimi first debuted, she received my father’s support, and at that time, Hatsuka even asked my father about me.”

but......

Pinching her brow, Toyokawa Shoko's expression revealed an undisguised confusion.

It seemed that she was already struggling with some issues before Toyokawa Yuu returned, but she couldn't find the answers no matter what.

Fortunately, she is no longer left to ponder alone.

Yuu Toyokawa certainly knows more about business matters than I do.

"However, before Chu Hua officially debuted, she had clearly told me that she was about to debut. At that time, she had already contacted me, but on the day of her debut, she found my father and said she wanted to meet me."

This is what truly perplexes Toyokawa Shoko; she is aware that her childhood friend has come to Tokyo to pursue her dreams.

In fact, the other party couldn't wait to contact him by phone as soon as he arrived in Tokyo.