After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Page 51

That's it...?

Making such a condition to him without careful consideration is tantamount to handing a knife to Toyokawa Yuu and turning oneself into a fish on a chopping board.

But Toyokawa Yuu, who never acts without a profit motive, has now simply thrown away his knife and let it go?

Raising her amber eyes, Toyokawa Shoko looked at her fiancé sitting opposite her with disbelief, her eyes even showing a hint of surprise.

He actually conceded when he couldn't see any benefit in it.

"Mortis is an important member of Ave Mujica. Her parents are also senior figures in the industry that Ave Mujica cannot afford to offend directly. In any case, I would never allow her to have mental problems."

Even if problems arise, they can only develop in the direction I hope for.

"However, this is not a compromise with your power, nor is it a benefit you fought for yourself... This concession is a gift from me."

Well, let's take it one step at a time. At least she now genuinely has the idea of ​​taking real power into her own hands.

In this respect, Toyokawa Yuu's attitude toward Toyokawa Shoko is similar to his attitude toward Toyokawa Seikao last night.

The operation might be a bit confusing, but at least they really had the intention, which is a good thing.

After all, we can't really expect Toyokawa Shoko to have a sudden enlightenment overnight and ascend to godhood as the sun rises.

"deliver......"

Shoko Toyokawa gritted her teeth, silently chewing on the word that sounded like charity to her, her amber eyes gradually becoming stubborn and defiant.

She doesn't like receiving charity from others; otherwise, she wouldn't have insisted on leaving her former band without explaining anything.

She simply couldn't bring herself to say things like "I'm vulnerable" or "I need help."

She knew very well that her friends were kind people, and that if they discovered her predicament, they would definitely try their best to help her.

If you want an easy life and to easily solve your current predicament, Toyokawa Shoko could do it very easily.

If only you could set aside some unnecessary pride, ask your friends for help, or even... never have chosen to leave the Toyokawa family in the first place.

But for Toyokawa Shoko, that was something she could never do. Some of her stubbornness and persistence, which seemed insignificant to others, were the very foundation of her soul.

"No...this isn't a gift, this is something I owe you."

Her voice became low and hoarse as Toyokawa Shoko's words were squeezed out little by little from between her teeth.

The initial pleasant feeling of calling out Toyokawa Yuu to take her to school and having breakfast with her has completely vanished.

She didn't know what happened, why the originally harmonious atmosphere had turned into this state in just a few words.

Her initial goal was simply to prevent Toyokawa Yuu from easily escaping from her side, to restrain his power, and to keep him under her control.

Then protect Mu from being harmed by Youyu's hype scheme, so as to prevent these two people, who are important to you in different ways, from having an irreconcilable conflict.

After all, such an extreme approach, even at the cost of offending people everywhere, is certainly not sustainable.

As Ave Mujica develops, it will come into contact with increasingly larger interest groups. It should become more amicable and treat others with kindness...

I just wanted to help him change his terrible way of doing things.

But why is it that every time I want to accomplish something, I can't do it for various reasons?

Just like now, even Toyokawa Shoko herself doesn't know why Toyokawa Yuu is reacting so strongly.

This does not refer to the pressure exerted on oneself by disrupting the normal operation of Ave Mujica. Such a conflict of interest is not a topic worth keeping in mind or constantly worrying about among accomplices who are mutually exploiting each other.

Before this, they had had their share of arguments, just varying in intensity.

We've argued more than once or twice; in fact, we argued in the break room last night.

What Toyokawa Shoko truly found unacceptable was Toyokawa Yuu's compromise, which felt like a handout.

"This time I didn't think things through. Next time, I will pay it back."

Pay it off...

When the word came out of Toyokawa Shoko's mouth, Toyokawa Yuu's previously casual gaze immediately turned serious.

"The scores between birds of a feather can never be settled, Xiangzi."

With a slightly stern tone, Yuu Toyokawa corrected Shoko Toyokawa's statement, her expression extremely serious.

"We are not mutually beneficial partners, but vampires who exploit each other and suck each other's blood. The day the accounts are truly settled will be the day we kick each other to the curb."

The increasingly harsh and excessive descriptions reached Toyokawa Shoko's ears.

However, she did not feel uncomfortable because of this relationship, which should logically have become worse.

I even felt a little relieved.

That feeling was similar to when I realized at the Starlight Plaza shopping mall that Yuu Toyokawa and I, who were supposed to be in the same boat, were actually just using me.

Such a relationship is definitely not pleasant, nor is it the kind of relationship she most desires, but it is reassuring enough.

Vampires...as long as there is blood to suck, they will not easily leave their prey.

"Vampires... What a twisted relationship. Well then, this time, consider it me sucking your blood."

“Our relationship could never be normal from the beginning, but if you really feel bad about it, then do me a favor.”

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko, whose eyes were slightly lowered and who seemed to need some time to accept and process the fact that she had made their relationship clear, Toyokawa Yuu slowly spoke.

At least for now, he does need the other party to do something for him.

"You just had a mouthful of blood washed away, and now you can't wait to suck it back... Tell me, what do you want me to do?"

After making things clear, are you so eager to test your acceptance of this kind of relationship?

Toyokawa Shoko was somewhat dissatisfied, but she still nodded.

This relationship wasn't what she was after, but she could say that she had achieved her initial goal.

Toyokawa Yuu is sucking his blood, but isn't he sucking his blood too? If they continue to be entangled like this, there's really no need to worry about him escaping from his side.

However, this Toyokawa Yuu was not his own possession.

I'm a little unwilling, but... let's take it one step at a time. I can't expect Yu Yu, who always lectures me with this condescending attitude, to easily submit to me.

So, what are you planning to do now?

They'll keep using the Toyokawa family's reputation to get themselves to fool a few small to medium-sized companies.

Or is it about making concessions on band matters and agreeing to some kind of hype scheme?

Toyokawa Shoko lowered her eyes slightly, waiting for Toyokawa Yuu to speak.

"Eat this."

The unexpected request made Toyokawa Shoko's eyes widen slightly as she looked at the pastries that Toyokawa Yuu had pushed in front of her, her amber eyes filled with confusion.

When I brought Yuu Toyokawa into this coffee shop, I ordered two breakfasts.

But so far, only she has touched the cutlery; Yuu Toyokawa's portion remains untouched.

"They're at the age where they're growing, and they still have to run around with the school band. It's always good for them to get more nutrition."

Seeing the confusion in Toyokawa Shoko's eyes, Toyokawa Yuu smiled gently.

It was as if the words they had just used to refer to each other as vampires did not come from his mouth.

What is the truth?

She stood up, leaned over the table, and directly took the untouched knife and fork from in front of Toyokawa Yuu. As if venting her anger on the food, Toyokawa Shoko cut the pastry into several pieces.

She didn't think Toyokawa Yuu was telling the truth, but she couldn't understand what the point was of asking her to eat the pastry for him.

Given his self-serving nature, this behavior would not bring him any benefit.

Even if the intention was to ease tensions this way... after saying such offensive things, now is clearly not a good time to win people over.

Maybe... he really cares about me this time?

"If I had to give a reason... your half-hearted attitude just now made me feel a little nauseous, but wasting food is shameful. Anyway, I can't eat anymore, so you can finish it for me."

The words, which were reasonable but not something she wanted to hear, reached Toyokawa Shoko's ears, causing her to pause slightly in her grip on the cutlery.

Then, the cold and slightly heavy fork pierced the pastry without hesitation, stopping only when it touched the bottom of the plate with a soft click.

"Then go ahead and feel nauseous. I'll starve you to death sooner or later."

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

Outside Haneoka Girls' Academy, with the start of classes drawing ever closer, many students, dressed in the school's meticulously designed uniforms, hurriedly stepped into the school gates.

Chihaya Aine carried her guitar and mingled in the crowd. Even among the students brimming with youthful energy, her pink hair stood out more than the others.

Looking down at her phone to check the time, Chihaya Aine clutched her stomach. She had gotten up too late and rushed out the door without having time for breakfast, and now she could faintly feel her stomach protesting.

Although I'm not very hungry right now, I definitely can't keep going like this all morning.

There's no guarantee that Tomorin brought any snacks like bread. If I ask her and she doesn't have any, I'll definitely have that self-reproachful look on my face, wondering if I did something wrong.

Well, even though time is a bit tight, I should still have time to grab a quick breakfast outside.

With this plan in mind, Chihaya Aine glanced around briefly, then randomly chose a coffee shop and went inside.

Upon opening the opaque glass door of the coffee shop, Chihaya Aine noticed that the door seemed unusually light, and she managed to open it with almost no effort.

However, when Chihaya Aine saw the girl behind the door wearing the same uniform as her from Haneoka Girls' Academy, and even with her hand on the doorknob just like her, she understood why the door to this café was so light.

"Xiangzi?"

Chihaya Aine was slightly taken aback when she saw the blue-haired girl standing behind the door, somewhat surprised.

She never expected to run into Toyokawa Shoko here.

She was a little curious whether Toyokawa Yuu had comforted her or cheered her up after taking her away last night, but then she thought that it was really impolite to pry into other people's privacy, so she had no choice but to give up.

"Greetings, Aiyin."

Although she had just been annoyed by Toyokawa Yuujin, Toyokawa Shoko maintained her basic composure and knew she couldn't easily vent her emotions on outsiders.

Seeing Chihaya Aine enter by chance, Toyokawa Shoko nodded slightly and squeezed out through the crack in the open door first.

"Class is about to start, please eat as soon as possible."

Seeing Toyokawa Shoko in such a hurry, as if she were deliberately trying to escape from this place, Chihaya Aine scratched her head in confusion.

She had a feeling that the other person seemed to be in a bad mood. Could it be because of her? Could it be that Youyu had told her about her tipping off the other person?

With these questions in mind, Chihaya Aine entered the coffee shop, only to find that besides Toyokawa Shoko who had just left, there was another acquaintance of hers there.

"Youyu, what are you doing here?"

After sitting down opposite Yuu Toyokawa, Aine Chihaya waved to the waiter before nervously striking up a conversation with her strategic ally.

"I just saw Xiangzi leave with a sullen face. Did you two have a fight after you went back last night?"

"How could that be? My relationship with Xiangzi is actually quite harmonious."

Seeing Chihaya Aine, who was quite familiar with Toyokawa Shoko and sat down in the same spot before giving her no time to react, Toyokawa Yuu was slightly taken aback, and then felt a little helpless.

He truly felt helpless in the face of this girl who always exuded enthusiasm.

Unlike the others in Ave Mujica, Chihaya Aine's enthusiasm has a pure, unambitious quality, and this simple kindness makes Toyokawa Yuu somewhat unable to cope.

After all, without a purpose, he can't grasp weaknesses, and even if he wants to exploit them, it's difficult to do so. He can't make the most of them like he did with Toyokawa Shoko or Hachiman Kairin.

Yuu Toyokawa stood up, stacked the two empty plates in front of Chihaya Aine together, and handed them, along with the cutlery she had just used, to the waiter who had come after hearing the commotion. Only then did she sit back down and clarify Chihaya Aine's earlier speculation.

—That's not a guess, it's just that I can't say that to this pink-haired girl.

"I picked Xiangzi up from school this morning, and I even paid for his breakfast. There was no argument or anything like that."

They were just putting pressure on each other without thinking.

"Then I'm relieved. However, Soyorin is still a bit upset about what happened last night and said he'll find an opportunity to talk to Xiaomu. Tomorin also plans to talk to Xiangzi during his lunch break."

Chihaya Aine took a sip of the iced water the waiter brought over, her expression showing some worry.

"But judging from Xiangzi's expression just now, it probably won't go very smoothly."

"Don't worry, Xiangzi isn't the kind of person who gets angry easily. Even if we disagree, he won't argue with people."

Seeing the worry on Chihaya Aine's face, Toyokawa Yuu smiled gently to comfort her.

However, this is indeed the truth. Although she argued with herself from time to time, to others, Toyokawa Shoko was indeed the type who kept most of her thoughts to herself.

It's really not a very happy honor.

"That puts my mind at ease. But to pick you up from school and even have breakfast together... Yu-Yu and Xiang-Zi are really close. She must have woken you up quite a few times before."