After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Page 83

I really don't have much left, and it might become even less due to my grandfather's interference.

But at least, some things should never be taken away.

"No problem. Sumimi doesn't have any work scheduled for tomorrow. I'll just let Mana know in advance."

The first to respond was Hatsune Miku, whose face was full of surprise.

However, compared to her smile, which seemed to be hiding something, Yutenji Wakana's joy seemed much more genuine.

"A victory celebration banquet, great!"

Almost jumping up from the ground, Yutenji Wakame's eyes narrowed into slits with joy.

Although Ave Mujica is currently at its peak, the money won't be distributed to the members so quickly, not to mention that most of what they receive is a fixed salary.

Since that's the case, there's no reason not to accept a celebratory banquet that's been offered to us; this is a great opportunity to get something for free.

"Since it's Mr. Youyu's suggestion, I have no objection."

The slightly indifferent voice sounded nonchalant, but it didn't express any objection.

Hachiman Kairin did not look at Toyokawa Shoko. Instead, she paused her gaze on Wakaba Mutsu and Toyokawa Yuu in turn before plunging into the boundless night.

Even Hachiman Kairin couldn't possibly be completely unmoved by the fact that the captain had taken the initiative to impeach her and seize power.

She didn't blame Toyokawa Yuu; judging from his attitude last night, Hachiman Kairin believed he was still biased towards her.

This afternoon, because Toyokawa Shoko had asked him not to take Wakaba Mutsu to see a psychologist, he chose to personally provide psychological counseling to Wakaba Mutsu.

In this situation, it's understandable that he stood himself up, since psychological counseling is indeed not something that should be interfered with by strangers.

The girl, who subconsciously made excuses for Toyokawa Yuu in her mind, even forgot to question whether he was actually capable of psychological counseling.

"However, is Mr. Youyu's financial situation really alright?"

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Hachiman Kairin suddenly brought up a question that no one, including Toyokawa Yuu, had paid attention to.

"Last night, in order to get the PR team to cover up the accident on stage, Mr. Youyu not only gave up his own salary as compensation, but also didn't even ask for his share of the profits."

"What? Youyu, what's going on? A contract was already signed back then, so it's their obligation to handle the aftermath."

Upon hearing Hachiman Kairin's words, Toyokawa Shoko frowned and turned her gaze to Toyokawa Yuu, who was lagging behind at the back of the group.

She really didn't know about this.

But if what Yawata Kairin said is true, then Toyokawa Yuu's financial situation is probably no longer healthy.

Although it is unclear how the Toyokawa family raised Toyokawa Yuu, Toyokawa Shoko is certain that the family would never allow him to live too wealthy a life.

Having enough to eat and wear is certainly a basic requirement, but don't even think about going any further.

The Toyokawa family wanted a loyal husband with the ability to assist them, not a pampered playboy.

This morning I asked him to take me to school, and he paid for everything, including the fare and breakfast at the coffee shop. Plus, I spent the whole afternoon playing with him...

If Toyokawa Shoko is not mistaken, Toyokawa Yuu's wallet is almost threatening him with suicide.

“I’m telling you, Miss, don’t be so naive. Signing a contract and doing the work is one thing, but whether everyone will do their best when faced with extra work caused by unforeseen circumstances is another matter entirely.”

Faced with Toyokawa Shoko's gaze, which was neither questioning nor concerned, Toyokawa Yuu sighed.

If signing a contract meant you could relax and have peace of mind, there wouldn't be so many breaches of contract and public relations disasters.

To ensure there wouldn't be any PR mishaps, even the initial coordination of the PR efforts was personally communicated and negotiated by Yuu Toyokawa.

“Ave Mujica is very important to me, and I don’t want any surprises, so it’s not a bad deal to spend extra money to shut some people up and make the people who help us work even harder.”

Lowering her head slightly and whispering in Toyokawa Shoko's ear, Toyokawa Yuu began to teach her some topics that were not suitable to be discussed in front of the other band members.

"Sometimes, rewards are more effective at motivating people than the wages they are already entitled to."

"So, is it the same for you?"

Turning to look at Yuu Toyokawa's face so close to hers, Shoko Toyokawa's voice wasn't deliberately lowered like her fiancé's; it was clear enough for the rest of the band to hear.

With a complex look in her amber eyes, Toyokawa Shoko suddenly realized a problem she had never noticed before.

What exactly does Yuu Toyokawa deserve, and what kind of reward does he want?

Although at the beginning of their meeting, he had already revealed to me that he wanted to break free from the control of the Toyokawa family, and thus became an ally of me as an accomplice.

But Toyokawa Shoko knew that this was impossible from the start, at least she would not allow him to leave her control.

As for Toyokawa Yuu himself, he might not be unaware of this, after all, he had never concealed his previous idea of ​​controlling everything.

So, given that what she "deserves" is no longer possible, what kind of "reward" is Toyokawa Yuu pursuing that makes her choose to stick with him until now?

Mutsuka's favoritism stemmed from their friendship, while Yutenji Wakana's was driven by self-interest. Her initial reason for persuading Hachiman Kairin to join was to provide her with a professional stage where she could showcase her talents. Although her goals may have shifted somewhat now, they are still somewhat traceable.

But... what about Yuu?

What exactly does Yuu want? Is it the benefits of using her status as the eldest daughter of the Toyokawa family to raise flags? She should know that in the end, all the benefits she gains will belong to the Toyokawa family and to herself.

And wasn't his initial desire to break free from the Toyokawa family?

Noticing the gazes of her companions drawn to her because she hadn't controlled her voice, Toyokawa Shoko gritted her teeth, stood on tiptoe, and whispered in Toyokawa Yuu's ear.

"Youyu, what is the [reward] you want?"

To onlookers, the couple, who were whispering to each other, stood frozen in place, maintaining this somewhat ambiguous posture for quite some time.

After a long while, Toyokawa Yuu's complicated tone gradually reached Toyokawa Shoko's ears.

"What I want, you can't give me right now... Stop asking."

Chapter 88 I Welcome Your Willfulness Here (5k5)

The stars and moon hang high in the sky, and the night is deep.

As the train pulled into the station, Toyokawa Yuu gestured with her chin toward the slowly coming to a stop, indicating that Toyokawa Shoko could board first.

"What's wrong? Aren't you getting on the bus with me?"

Seeing Yuu Toyokawa leaning against the railing, not intending to get into the car, Shoko Toyokawa did not immediately take Mutsu Wakaba into the car either, but stopped beside her fiancé.

"I live in a different direction from you, so you should take Xiao Mu back first."

When asked about Toyokawa Shoko's question, Toyokawa Yuu simply gave a dismissive response.

Without making a sound, my gaze drifted to the other side of the platform, where a girl in a black leather jacket sat silently on a waiting chair, not saying a word, seemingly waiting for her train.

Several trains have already passed through this station, and Yutenji Wakanagi has probably already boarded one of them. Perhaps she has already arrived at the station.

But apart from her who left early, everyone else remained in the station.

"Not in the same direction?"

Seeing that Toyokawa Yuu seemed to be genuinely waiting for the train, Toyokawa Shoko suddenly remembered.

She had known her fiancé for some time, but she still didn't seem to know where he lived.

Accommodation, preferences, habits...

It seems that some things have always been one-way transparent to Yuu Toyokawa, or rather... she never intended to understand them before.

"Do you live far away?"

Thinking back, when I impulsively asked Yuu Toyokawa to take me to school this morning, I did indeed wait at the door for quite some time.

This at least indicates that Toyokawa Yuu's residence is at a distance that cannot be described as close as the Akabane rental house where she has lived for a year.

In other words, after bringing her father back from the police station last night, Yuu Toyokawa still had to travel a distance before she could go home to rest.

"Let's leave this topic here, Miss. Even if you're engaged, it's too early for you to know about such things, after all..."

After all, you yourself haven't figured out how to handle this relationship. Before, everyone just tacitly prioritized it.

However, with Toyokawa Sadaharu's phone call, some things began to unconsciously come into my thoughts.

However, this matter involves some private matters between myself and Toyokawa Shoko, and it is not appropriate to discuss it in front of others.

It's definitely not appropriate to mention it in front of Hatsune Miku.

After all, what he was currently using to keep her occupied was his identity as a member of "Toyokawa".

Unlike himself, that blond lead singer probably dreams of having the surname Toyokawa.

"Don't worry about what that old guy said, I'll find a way to solve it. You just need to focus on the band."

"......I see."

Reflecting Yuu Toyokawa's somewhat defiant figure in her amber eyes, Shoko Toyokawa remained silent for a moment before finally nodding slowly, without saying anything more about how she could help.

She knew in her heart that Toyokawa Yuu was just putting on a brave face, but he also wouldn't let her easily interfere with this kind of work that had been assigned when the two of them first met.

Judging from her maternal grandfather's attitude, Yuu faced far more pressure from the Toyokawa family than she did herself.

But if it were you, how would you face your grandfather when he brought up this topic?

Is it Toyokawa? Or Shoko?

Rather, can these two concepts really be completely separated and discussed separately?

It might sound weak, but Toyokawa Shoko knew that she really needed Toyokawa Yuu as her shield to take on this kind of pressure for her.

"Muku, get in the car, I'll take you home... Hatsuka, Hachiman, hasn't your train arrived yet?"

By tugging at Wakaba Mutsu's wrist, Toyokawa Shoko regained her obedient demeanor, no longer acting as nimbly and confidently as she had in the office as she did when she boarded the train.

"The train I'm waiting for hasn't arrived yet."

With a cold but concise reply, Hachiman Kairin remained seated in the waiting area, motionless.

Hatsune Miku, on the other hand, immediately followed after hearing Toyokawa Shoko's voice.

"Xiao Xiang, wait for me, I'm on this train too..."

As the other band members boarded the train one by one, the once bustling platform suddenly became deserted.

It was already quite late when the group came out of the agency. At that moment, the only people still waiting for the train on the platform were Toyokawa Yuu and Hachiman Kairin.

Silence spread silently between the two. Toyokawa Yuu stared at the end of the train tracks, not even glancing at Hachiman Kairin sitting in her seat.

He knew that his deputy, who had just been impeached, was deliberately waiting for everyone else to leave.

Early in his career as Ave Mujica's manager, he had already reviewed the profiles of all the band members.

Judging from the address, the train that Yawata Kairin was waiting for had already passed her by.

She was simply looking for an opportunity to be alone with herself, and that's why Toyokawa Yuu didn't speak first, but silently waited for the other person to speak first.

“Mr. Youyu, I still have some questions about the upcoming work arrangements.”

The oppressive silence, which was almost suffocating, didn't last long. Hachiman Kairin couldn't help but break the silence first.

Tonight is probably the freest night she's had since joining Ave Mujica.

There was no work for her to handle. After finishing her daily rehearsals, she could leisurely sit on the sofa, sipping Earl Grey tea that Yuu Toyokawa had prepared in advance, and listening to the sound of keyboard typing coming from the other side of the desk.

This rare moment of leisure made her feel...uncomfortable.

Watching the power that rightfully belonged to her being handed over to Wakaba Mutsu after being impeached and stripped by Toyokawa Shoichi, and even having to watch Wakaba Mutsu sit in the office chair that originally belonged to Toyokawa Yuu, fiddling with that computer, and using that landline.

That was a treatment that even Toyokawa Shoko had never received. Before that, only she had secretly sat on that chair, and she had even been caught red-handed by Mori Minami during a sudden visit.

As for the password to Toyokawa Yuu's computer, even she didn't know it.

Haika Yuki didn't want to admit it, but seeing the power and work that belonged to her being replaced by others, and her becoming an unimportant marginal person, made her feel somewhat panicked.

There's a feeling that you might be abandoned at any moment.

"My duties as deputy have been handed over to Wakaba-san. Ms. Yutenji has been very well-behaved since the contract was renewed, so I shouldn't need to keep an eye on her anymore."

Standing up from her seat, Hachiman Kairin moved to stand in front of Toyokawa Yuu, her eyes gleaming with an emerald-like luster.

What he had always wanted to pursue was thwarted by a few words from Toyokawa Shoko before it could be fully realized.

Even now, Kairin Hachiman still feels a sense of unreality.

Perhaps, when Ms. Yutenji reluctantly signed the new contract, she probably felt something similar.

Seeing the boy leaning against the pillar in silence, quietly watching the end of the train tracks, Hachiman Kairin approached him.

"Is there anything else I need to do next, Mr. Yuyu?"

"That's all for now. If you really want to help me, then keep an eye on Amoris's condition."

The boy's voice reached Hachiman Kairin's ears, sounding somewhat absent-minded, as if he had something more profound to worry about than himself standing right in front of him.