After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Page 113

Toyokawa Shoko couldn't guarantee that, but there was one thing she was certain of.

If his relationship with Yuu Toyokawa continues to be so strained, when he is finally able to leave, he will definitely not have any regrets about the band.

Thinking of this, Toyokawa Shoko couldn't help but purse her lips slightly.

I don't want... Youyu to leave.

Although they haven't known each other for long, and most of the time when they're in the office, they're arguing and bickering because of disagreements.

But Toyokawa Shoko knew that she would feel at ease when Toyokawa Yuu was around.

However, when she realized that Yuu Toyokawa had a better relationship with other people than with her, her fiancée, Shoko Toyokawa admitted that she felt jealousy.

At the same time, it also made her realize that she had indeed neglected to care about Toyokawa Yuu.

Under normal circumstances, who would share their secrets with a friend they've only known for a few days instead of confiding in their fiancée?

But... it's okay. I'm actually quite good at getting along with people.

Just calm down a bit and put on a smile...

Controlling the muscles in her face, Toyokawa Shoko raised a slight smile on her face, only to see two familiar figures as she walked down the stairs.

Takamatsu Akari and... Chihaya Aine.

Seeing two familiar faces she had seen that morning appear before her, Toyokawa Shoko's smile froze for a moment before returning to its previous state.

"Gui An, Deng, Ai Yin."

Her amiable, polite, and approachable nature makes her impeccable.

Chihaya Aine stood with Takamatsu Akari, holding her lunchbox, and looked at Toyokawa Shoko, who was about to go downstairs, with a hint of surprise in her gray eyes.

It had become a habit for the two of them to go to the astronomy club grounds together at noon to eat lunch, but she never expected to run into Toyokawa Shoko at this time.

"Toyokawa-kun... no, Shoko, are you really planning to leave school now?"

He subconsciously wanted to call the blue-haired girl in front of him "Toyokawa-kun," but he quickly remembered that after their conversation on the rooftop this morning, she welcomed him calling her by her first name.

Although she didn't encounter Toyokawa Shoko many times at school, Chihaya Aine still had a general understanding of her whereabouts for various reasons.

Around noon, this keyboardist, who is quite musically gifted, would usually play the piano for a while in the wind band classroom, which is not in this direction.

Based on what the other party had said to her this morning, Chihaya Aine had probably already guessed what Toyokawa Shoko was planning to do.

"Yes, Youyu hasn't been eating properly lately, and I'm really worried about her."

Shoko Toyokawa nodded gently to Chihaya Aine, her smile impeccable.

"Thanks to Aine for telling me what to do this morning, otherwise I would still be feeling helpless... It's so great to be friends with you, Aine."

Wow, a wealthy fiancée personally helping her fiancé overcome his psychological trauma? Is this the kind of plot I'm looking for?

Although she appears calm on the surface, Chihaya Aine, who is full of inner thoughts, has already begun to imagine all sorts of scenarios.

"It's nothing, but Yu-Yu's condition seems quite serious. Yesterday, when I saw him having breakfast with Xiao-Mu at [RING], he looked a bit strained. Xiang-Zi, you'll have to be patient with him."

Putting aside her own unrealistic fantasies, Chihaya Aine wouldn't openly reveal those thoughts to others.

Moreover, she knew that this matter was not actually that easy or simple.

After all, although the two were engaged, according to Toyokawa Shoko, they hadn't known each other for very long, and their relationship might not have been very deep.

There are some things that Toyokawa Shoko might not even know as much as he does, so it's always good to remind him of these things.

"Yes, I will keep that in mind. Thank you for reminding me."

Shoko Toyokawa secretly kept Chihaya Aine's reminder in mind, but compared to the content of the reminder, some information that the other party unconsciously revealed was more concerning to her.

Yu and I had a harmonious day yesterday, and we went to [RING] for breakfast together...

Recalling how Toyokawa Yuu had refused her request to take her to school yesterday morning.

They didn't want to take me to school, but they seemed to have a different interest in going out for breakfast together, even specifically choosing a place like [RING].

Shoko Toyokawa was no stranger to the LiveHouse called RING.

Although it offers a variety of desserts and drinks, these are not its main business; they are largely just additional convenience services set up to facilitate customers' other consumption.

Naturally, the taste cannot compare to shops that specialize in breakfast, but the coffee and Earl Grey tea have a unique flavor.

Moreover, due to the location, the price is slightly inflated.

But no matter how you look at it, it's not a place suitable for taking people there specifically for breakfast, let alone someone like Toyokawa Yuu, whose financial situation is said to be starting to run into difficulties.

Furthermore, Toyokawa Shoko couldn't understand what connection Toyokawa Yuu had with [RING]. After much thought, the only person who might specifically go there for breakfast was...

...harmony.

Toyokawa Shoko had complete trust in her other half; that quiet girl wouldn't do anything out of line.

As for Toyokawa Yuu, Toyokawa Shoko had complete confidence in him. Just from his favoritism and willingness to grant her every request, she had no reason to doubt him.

However, when the two people she trusted most were together, Toyokawa Shoko felt a nameless sense of panic for some reason.

After all... compared to herself, who always made various demands based on Toyokawa Yuu's favoritism, the quiet and obedient Wakaba Mutsu was undoubtedly more likable.

Why don't we take this opportunity to ask Youyu where Mu is now?

No, it doesn't seem like the right time. I was clearly planning to ease tensions with Youyu, but to immediately make this request would definitely be seen as having ulterior motives and deliberately trying to curry favor.

Sure enough, I should trust Youyu at a time like this. After all, he has always been quite reliable, and he probably doesn't want to take time out of his busy schedule to deal with my questions.

But... I'm still a little worried...

A feeling of agonizing indecision, a sense of being unable to reach a satisfactory conclusion no matter how much she weighed the pros and cons, began to quietly spread in Toyokawa Shoko's heart, even causing her to momentarily forget that Chihaya Aine and Takamatsu Akari were still standing in front of her.

"Xiangzi, what's wrong?"

Seeing that Toyokawa Shoko seemed a little distracted after responding to her reminder, Chihaya Aine waved her hand in front of her, as if to confirm whether the other's gaze was still on her.

That's strange. Does the Toyokawa family have some kind of tradition of spacing out for no reason while chatting?

When he was with Youyu before, he seemed to space out and drift off from time to time.

"No, it's nothing. I was just wondering what kind of food Yuu would like. Does Aine have any suggestions?"

Chihaya Aine brought her back to reality. Toyokawa Shoko gently shook her head, and the smile that had been quietly smoothed out by her reverie and worry returned to her lips.

"A suggestion..."

And this question actually got Chihaya Aine asked.

After all, every time she met Toyokawa Yuu, it seemed like he wasn't having a proper meal.

Cakes and desserts aren't really suitable to eat at lunchtime.

"I'm not quite sure what Yuyu likes to eat during regular meals, but he probably won't refuse if you bring him a bottle of ice water."

Chihaya Aine didn't really know much about the food that Toyokawa Yuu liked, but she was quite confident about what kind of drinks Yuu preferred.

After all, ever since their first meeting, whenever he and Yuu Toyokawa met during mealtimes, even if he didn't drink, he would always place a glass of ice water in front of him.

"Ice water... I'll remember that."

Shoko Toyokawa also recalled that when she had asked Yuu Toyokawa to take her to school, the drink Yuu ordered at the coffee shop was also a glass of iced water.

Although he didn't touch a single bite until he left the coffee shop.

Saying it's nausea, it's clearly just...

Quietly clenching her fingertips, Toyokawa Shoko looked at Chihaya Aine again, her amber eyes filled with complex emotions.

Logically speaking, she should be jealous of the girl in front of her.

After all, her fiancé was completely open with her about things he kept silent about and even repeatedly evaded when talking to her.

However, looking at the beautiful and pure passion in Chihaya Aine's eyes, Toyokawa Shoko realized that she didn't seem to be suitable to appear in front of her.

That kind of warmth, which she may have once possessed but has long since lost, and which she can only imitate through memories, seems somewhat jarring to her.

Indeed, I'm still more suited to Ave Mujica.

“Speaking of which, Aine, how did Mu look when you saw her yesterday? She hasn’t been feeling well lately, and I’m a little worried about her condition.”

"Xiao Mu... When I saw her yesterday, I didn't notice anything wrong with her. She looked quite well. On the contrary, when Li Xi went to work at [RING], she saw her leaving with You Yu. It seemed like she had some unpleasantness with Soyo at that time."

When this was mentioned, Chihaya Aine's expression became somewhat strange.

She didn't know how Toyokawa Yuu and Wakaba Mutsu had gotten into a fight with Soyo. Riki didn't seem to want to talk about it much, while Soyo didn't want to bring up the topic at all.

However, given Youyu's personality, she probably wouldn't argue with anyone. Xiaomu also seems to be the quiet type, so it's hard to imagine her getting angry.

Why don't you ask Yuyu directly next time you see him?

"Anyway, Xiangzi, you have to keep going. At least make sure Youyu eats properly. It's quite troublesome to leave psychological trauma unresolved."

With this thought in mind, Chihaya Aine gave Toyokawa Shoko an encouraging smile.

"I can understand the feeling of being afraid to touch it again after being hurt, but life is very long. If you are afraid to start over after just one failure, you will be hesitant to do anything in the future, and you will eventually break down."

After saying that, Chihaya Aine turned her head and glanced at Takamatsu Akari beside her.

After all, she's someone who, after experiencing one... or even two failures, still chooses to try again.

"Right, tomorin."

"Aine...yes, that's right. Xiangzi...you should do your best too."

Takamatsu Akari nodded encouragingly to Toyokawa Shoko. The introverted and quiet girl could only fully express herself on stage, but even so, she still encouraged her old friend.

However, despite the encouragement from Chihaya Aine and Takamatsu Akari, Toyokawa Shoko did not seem to be inspired in the same way.

The expression on his face became increasingly complicated.

"I know... I'm in a bit of a hurry, so I'll take my leave now. I hope you enjoy your lunch."

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

Inside the management company, in Ave Mujica's office.

After seeing Junta Mana off, Toyokawa Yuu did not leave the office again.

Even if she managed to persuade Sumimi's manager to give Ave Mujica a new opportunity to perform, it doesn't mean that Yuu Toyokawa can rest easy.

Such last-minute changes, especially for programs featuring two teams participating simultaneously, make coordination a challenging task to ensure no mishaps occur.

Even if Ms. Lena can convince the production team to follow her arrangements, there will be many problems that can only be discovered when she is actually on set.

In order to allow time for early detection and resolution of potential problems, Yuu Toyokawa needed to finalize the first draft of the plan as soon as possible.

Even though the production team has past cases and experience to refer to, there are still many details that need to be modified and adjusted.

In short, time is limited.

However, no matter how urgent the situation is, your body's feedback doesn't lie.

When the series of gurgling sounds from her abdomen once again drowned out the occasional noisy footsteps outside the door, Toyokawa Yuu had no choice but to sigh and remove her hands from the keyboard.

Let's grab something to eat first. Some things just can't be forced anymore. I'll go to the convenience store and blindly pick out some soda crackers or other snacks...

The kind of food that's randomly selected, pre-packaged and sealed at the factory, can be taken back to the office by one person, and is cheap...

But time is of the essence. After completing the first draft of the plan, there are still issues with Mu and Hatsune to resolve, and both sides are still somewhat confused.

With this in mind, Toyokawa Yuu braced herself on the desk and stood up from her office chair.

But as it turns out, the human body is sometimes not as resilient as he imagined.

At least in terms of Toyokawa Yuu's body, that is certainly the case.

The hypoglycemia caused by prolonged refusal to eat, along with orthostatic hypotension from prolonged sitting, were triggered simultaneously the moment Yuu Toyokawa suddenly stood up from her chair.

As soon as Toyokawa Yuu stood up, she felt a sudden darkness before her eyes, as if she had been hit on the back of the head with a heavy hammer, and a feeling of dizziness followed.

A sharp tinnitus rang out from the depths of my mind, tormenting every nerve around me as if it were tearing my eardrums apart.

At the same moment, all four limbs lost their proper control, making it impossible for Yuu Toyokawa to even hold onto the desk right in front of her. Her knees, which were usually strong and only felt sore when she walked home from the station, also lost their last strength to support her body after a few moments of struggling.

The boy's body slammed into the office chair behind him, and then, due to his off-center weight, the chair tipped over as well.

Oh no, I really overreacted this time...

Feeling her consciousness slowly slipping out of her body's control, Toyokawa Yuu's last thought was...

If I die at this point in time, will I really be dead?

Her consciousness quickly blurred, and in the last moment before sinking into darkness, Toyokawa Yuu seemed to hear some urgent call.