After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Page 50

Seeing that Yuu Toyokawa turned her head away from her feeding, Shoko Toyokawa's previously slightly smiling expression immediately turned sour.

As if nothing had happened, Toyokawa Shoko casually put the failed attempt to feed her into her mouth, seemingly unconcerned about the earlier embarrassment, and continued to speak.

"Making the most of everything and squeezing out every bit of value—isn't that the code of conduct you've always upheld and the one you want me to accept?"

"So that's why you made me rush over to take you to school so early in the morning, and even made me pay for your breakfast?"

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko, who had suddenly changed her attitude, Toyokawa Yuu's brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

He wasn't angry about such a trivial matter; in fact, if Toyokawa Shoko really had that kind of mentality in mind when ordering him around, he should be happy.

This means that Toyokawa Shoko has begun to accept the set of values ​​that he has often instilled in her, and from then on he can more easily understand her thoughts and use her more easily and thoroughly.

But... this change is just too abnormal.

So unusually, even though Toyokawa Shoko chose to comply, he still felt insecure.

After all, who knows if she'll agree now but change her attitude again in the blink of an eye?

"Are you doubting me?"

Noticing Yuu Toyokawa's furrowed brow, Shoko Toyokawa picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip of the fragrant yet bitter liquid.

This feeling is enjoyable, but it can hardly be called sweet.

Just like the emotions that flashed through her mind when she saw Toyokawa Yuu looking displeased at being ordered around by her early in the morning, yet still yielding to her requests as always.

Having a fiancé who tries his best to fulfill any request he makes is a source of great happiness for any young woman.

Unfortunately, Toyokawa Shoko didn't want the other person to act with that kind of emotion.

This means that the concession could be for any reason, but it could never be because of feelings between the two.

"No, since you say so, I'll just believe you for now."

Yuu Toyokawa shook her head, choosing not to question Shoko Toyokawa's statement.

This change did make him feel inexplicably uneasy, but he couldn't find any reason why the other party had deceived him.

If Shoko Toyokawa wanted to correct Ave Mujica, which was beginning to slip out of her control, there was no need to do it this way.

However, he always felt something was off.

Shoko Toyokawa says she has started to think from the perspective of "making the most of everything", but her current behavior does not show much of that attitude of going to extremes.

She seemed to be just thinking about it, but had no intention of actually doing it.

"So tell me, after you've learned how to 'make the most of everything,' what are your plans?"

Looking at the suddenly changed young lady with great interest, Toyokawa Yuu was now genuinely curious about what Toyokawa Shoko, who had recovered from her soft and cuddly state the previous night, planned to do next.

Although he had always controlled Ave Mujica's business operations, he didn't believe that Toyokawa Shoko, who was now starting to make the most of her resources, would have no ideas about future development plans.

"I asked Hachiman this morning, and you made an appointment with a psychologist for Mutsu, right?"

Setting down the cup of coffee in her hand, Toyokawa Shoko's voice returned to its usual calm.

"So what?"

Hearing Toyokawa Shoko's tone, which seemed to be asking but actually indicated that she was already confident, Toyokawa Yuu raised an eyebrow.

This young lady's initiative was even greater than I had imagined.

She bypassed herself and went directly to ask Hachiman Kairin what her plans were for Wakaba Mutsu. This was the first time she had done so since becoming Ave Mujica's manager.

"I can probably guess your plan—after this psychiatric consultation, deliberately leak this news as a baseless rumor, relying on Mortis to maintain the hype until you take off Mu's mask at the next concert and ignite the hype a second time."

With her amber eyes fixed on Toyokawa Yuu's, Toyokawa Shoko's voice was firm, as if she had already seen through her fiancé's next move.

"The daughter of the Best Actress has inherited her acting talent. Her previous flamboyance and madness were just acting... By guiding public opinion in this direction, the negative effect of using rumors to maintain popularity will be eliminated. With Mu's precedent, the outside world will be more interested in the identities of other members behind their masks, and the popularity will last longer. Is that your idea?"

"A very reasonable analysis."

With a gentle clap, Yuu Toyokawa seemed to be praising Shoko Toyokawa's judgment.

If he had previously harbored some doubts about Toyokawa Shoko's "making the most of everything" mentality, now even that last doubt has been dispelled.

This approach does indeed maximize the use of the unexpected media attention, and aside from causing some psychological harm to Wakaba Mutsumi, who is afraid of social interaction, it has no downsides.

The fact that Toyokawa Shoko, who had been solely focused on the Ave Mujica worldview, was willing to start thinking about how she would use Wakaba Mutsumi is enough to prove that she was telling the truth.

She started to pay attention to the interests of the other members of the band.

"So my request is to stop this plan. Mu doesn't like being in the spotlight, so let's find another way to generate hype."

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko, who only made demands but offered no compensation, Toyokawa Yuu narrowed her eyes.

He roughly knew where the strangeness he had felt earlier came from.

Toyokawa Shoko began to learn to think in her own way, but she didn't intend to do things in her own way.

She simply learned how to stop herself from taking advantage of others.

"You mean you want me to give up this opportunity to expand our gains without telling me how to get the same level of compensation... Why should I listen to you? The decision-making power for Ave Mujica's business operations does not lie with you, but with me."

"Of course you have to listen to me. Arranging for Father to enter Starlight Plaza shopping mall must have been a deal between you and him. But whatever you want to do, you are only acting as my agents. You will not be able to move an inch in this regard unless I agree."

She forked another piece of pastry and put it in her mouth, her voice sounding as if she had already won over her fiancé.

"So, for your own benefit outside the band, you can only accommodate me in matters within the band for now... If you want to use the other members of the band, you'll have to get past me first."

After finishing her homework last night, she didn't fall asleep quickly. Instead, she kept thinking about how to make Toyokawa Yuu only use her.

But in the end, Toyokawa Shoko arrived at her answer.

From beginning to end, the only person Yuu Toyokawa could actually use was herself.

Whether it's Ave Mujica or the Starlight Plaza shopping center acquired through deception, they are essentially giving him the power he himself has.

“You said before that I personally handed over leadership of Ave Mujica to you, and if you wanted it, you had to take it back yourself… Now, I’m taking it back.”

Chapter 67 Let Me Help You Overcome Your Psychological Trauma (8k)

“You said before that I personally handed over leadership of Ave Mujica to you, and if you wanted it, you had to take it back yourself… Now, I’m taking it back.”

The girl's resolute voice entered Toyokawa Yuu's ears, as if declaring something.

Looking at his fiancée who had suddenly become assertive, Toyokawa Yuu was taken aback at first, and then felt a little amused and exasperated.

He now roughly understood what Toyokawa Shoko's purpose was in coming to bother him so early in the morning.

The band's loss of control last night probably caused this young lady considerable anxiety. Not only did an accident happen on stage, but the subsequent operational plans no longer suited her taste.

She was probably worried that Ave Mujica might no longer belong to her, so she wanted to regain control of the band.

Good news: his fiancée has finally developed some of the aura of a young lady from a wealthy family and has begun to become assertive, realizing that she must take control of the band's development decisions.

If this mindset is maintained, the plan for me and Toyokawa Shoko to set up a separate business outside, use others to generate revenue, and then bring the capital back home to take control of the Toyokawa family will go much more smoothly.

The bad news is that this young lady now seems to believe that as long as she finds someone's weakness, she can make them do anything.

"Miss, you don't really think that I'll obediently do whatever you ask... You think you can take back what you've given me just because of a few words? That's a bit too optimistic."

Yuu Toyokawa straightened his posture slightly. Since Shoko Toyokawa had steered the conversation toward leadership of the band, he should adopt the appropriate work attitude.

It's a good thing that Toyokawa Shoko realizes that both her and Toyokawa Kiyoko's power originate from her, and that she herself is the core of Ave Mujica's power.

In contrast, the tough, commanding attitude is not the problem.

The real problem is that after rejecting her own ideas, Toyokawa Shoko did not propose her own solutions... or rather, she doesn't have her own solutions at all; she's just thinking about taking back the decision-making power first.

She wasn't thinking about actually gaining power; she was just thinking about how to defeat herself.

How can someone with this mindset control the Toyokawa family and survive for ten years?

If you can't even manage one band, how can you suppress the factions that are splitting up with their own agendas?

“You’re right. I’m your son-in-law, and my power comes from you. If you insist on doing things your own way, I really can’t argue with you on decisions.”

The boy's voice carried a hint of helplessness, and he seemed to be showing a slight tendency to give in.

But Toyokawa Shoko's expression did not relax at all; instead, a hint of doubt appeared in her amber eyes.

After spending time with Toyokawa Yuu, she had come to understand her fiancé's personality to some extent.

Whenever he adopts this seemingly submissive stance, it is actually a prelude to a counterattack.

"But don't forget, who actually manages Ave Mujica. I may not be able to oppose your decisions, but I always have ways to make mistakes during execution. Then no one knows what the band will become."

"You're threatening me..."

When Toyokawa Yuu brought up the band's normal operations, Toyokawa Shoko frowned and her expression became somewhat tense.

In any case, she didn't want Ave Mujica to run into problems; otherwise, why would she have asked Yuu Toyokawa to take back control of the band?

What I said to Nagasaki Sase yesterday was not only to express my attitude, but also to make myself completely give up.

I can never go back to the way I was before. I truly have nothing left but Ave Mujica.

"This is not a threat, just a statement. Of course, your authority allows you to do this, but no one is willing to suffer losses for nothing. If your orders cause losses to others, they will make up for it in various ways, or they will outwardly comply but inwardly disobey you so that you suffer the same losses. No one benefits. This kind of obedience is used to force you to compromise."

The nonchalant tone reached Toyokawa Shoko's ears; this was an attitude that Toyokawa Yuu had never revealed to her before.

More direct, more snobbish, and more...unapproachable than ever before.

"So... will you also use this method to force me to compromise, Yuu?"

"Isn't that what I'm doing right now? We're accomplices who are using each other, not some deeply affectionate couple... You don't really think that my unconditional fulfillment of your requests is based on feelings from just a few days of knowing each other, do you?"

Toyokawa Yuu's words made Toyokawa Shoko's expression, which was initially just a little nervous, turn truly ugly.

The fingers gripping the cutlery tightened unconsciously, and the movement of cutting the pastry with the knife even trembled slightly.

Of course she knew that her relationship with Toyokawa Yuu was never good enough for him to grant her every request from the beginning.

But that's exactly what they've always done.

Whether it's mediating conflicts within the team or dealing with Yutenji Wakana's contract issues, he always makes concessions to himself.

Since he joined, he has been responsible for solving all the difficulties that Ave Mujica has encountered.

Shoko Toyokawa originally thought that even if they were just birds of a feather who were using each other at the beginning, after going through these things together, they would develop some feelings beyond being accomplices, and at least cherish Ave Mujica, which they had maintained together until now.

but......

"...Tell me, what do you want me to give in exchange for making you give up your plan to use Mu for publicity?"

He picked up the coffee on the table, which he had already drunk quite a bit of, and took a big gulp, almost emptying the bitter yet fragrant liquid in the cup.

Shoko Toyokawa clearly hasn't considered how to maintain the band's popularity after abandoning this hype.

Since Yuu Toyokawa joined, she has devoted all her energy to creation and rehearsal.

Even the shows she was supposed to attend on the schedule were only known to her after Yawata Kairin had arranged the schedule.

Toyokawa Shoko initially thought there was nothing wrong with this clear division of labor, until now, when Toyokawa Yuu started to negotiate for the first time because of her own requests, she realized that she seemed to have nothing to offer in exchange.

Aside from... the convenience that comes with being the eldest daughter of the Toyokawa family, an identity she doesn't want to use right now.

Yuu Toyokawa may indeed be dependent on him, but he seems to have unknowingly become someone who can't live without Yuu Toyokawa.

Both in terms of mindset and in Ave Mujica's career.

"So you're actually handing over the pricing power to me... Xiangzi, next time you bring up topics that might create a conflict of interest, take a good look at the bargaining chips you have."

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko, who was bowing her head, her lips trembling slightly, silently feeding herself small pieces of pastry from the plate, completely unlike her previous assertive demeanor, Toyokawa Yuu was speechless for a moment.

No, I just made a couple of casual threats, why did you give in?

Use your brain a little more, my dear lady.

Yuu Toyokawa was not lying. If Shoko Toyokawa really intended to stop or even forcibly modify his operating plan in this way, it would mean that he intended to formally and openly begin a power struggle with him within Ave Mujica. He would indeed use every means to ensure his control over Ave Mujica.

However, if she simply didn't want to use Wakaba Mutsumi for publicity, Toyokawa Shoko, who holds the upper hand in terms of power and team relationships, wouldn't have needed to go this far.

If she wanted to, she could easily prevent someone from seeing a psychologist.

In terms of authority, the same phone call that I had Yawata Kairin make could also be made by Toyokawa Shoko, and she's more likely to listen to me. I could just call and cancel the appointment.

In terms of relationships, as long as Toyokawa Shoko expresses to Wakaba Mutsu that she doesn't want her to see that psychiatrist, Wakaba Mutsu probably wouldn't mind going against the band's arrangements for the sake of her own desires.

Toyokawa Yuu couldn't understand why Toyokawa Shoko, who clearly had countless ways to stop him, had chosen the one that would escalate the conflict to the greatest extent.

He suddenly realized that it was not impossible that Xiangzi's mysterious death ten years later was actually due to being tricked to death during the family division.

"I'll let it go this time; I can abandon this publicity stunt plan. However, Mortis still needs to see a psychologist."

The sigh of Yuu Toyokawa, tinged with a hint of helplessness, reached Shoko Toyokawa's ears, causing her to pause, even though she had already prepared herself to accept all sorts of outrageous demands.