After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Page 18

Pinching her brow, Yuu Toyokawa seemed very tired in Hachiman Kairin's eyes, and she didn't even pick up the drink she had just put down.

But... does he see this behavior as merely being mischievous?

“She doesn’t have the awareness of being the absolute leader of the team. When I reminded her to watch her wording just now, she should have directly rebuked me, using me as a stepping stone to increase her own prestige and put pressure on Amoris, instead of letting me solve this problem.”

"Xiangzi's heart is not here; something is still holding her back."

Listening to Toyokawa Yuu's explanation, Hachiman Kairin subconsciously bit her lip. She suddenly felt that the boy in front of her, who was about the same age as her, looked somewhat pitiful.

As a guide, he was unable to make Oblivionis understand his intentions.

As an facilitator, the person he wanted to help didn't seem to have a firm commitment to the goal that had already been set.

As she was feeling sentimental, Hachiman Kairin saw Toyokawa Yuu, who was sitting in her seat, open her eyes and look at her intently.

"Hachiman, can I trust you?"

The fact that she was no longer addressed by a code name cheered Hachiman Kairin up, and a slight smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.

“Of course, you can trust me completely, Mr. Yu.”

"Well then, I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Looking at Hachiman Kairin, who seemed unusually happy, Toyokawa Yuu spoke solemnly.

"How much do you know about that band called MyGO!!!!!?"

Chapter 37 Toyokawa Shoko, Stop Being So Soft and Melancholy

As the energetic and rock-infused music ended, Toyokawa Shoko lowered her fingertips from the piano keys, and the rehearsal room of Ave Mujica returned to silence.

Although Hachiman Kairin hasn't returned yet, the bass track is missing from rehearsals.

But in commercial bands, there's never a saying that rehearsals can't be done without someone, let alone the bassist.

However, this rehearsal always made Toyokawa Shoko feel a little strange.

She was certain that her playing was flawless, with perfect rhythm, like a gear precisely biting into every key point, and impeccable technique.

That strange feeling didn't come from outsiders, but from within her own heart.

She started to feel dissatisfied with herself again.

"Xiang, are you okay?"

Holding her guitar, Wakaba Mutsu approached Toyokawa Shoko.

Others might not be able to tell, but as someone who grew up with Toyokawa Shoko since childhood, the sensitive girl could clearly sense the turmoil in Shoko's heart.

Even the fingertips that pressed the piano keys carried a hint of hesitation and uncertainty.

"I'm fine, take a short rest. Amoris's drumbeats are a bit too fast, you need to practice more."

"With such a fast tempo, it would be strange if you weren't anxious."

Yutenji Wakana's protest came from behind, but Toyokawa Shoko ignored it.

Amidst the somewhat worried gazes of everyone except her, she walked into the restroom on her own and closed the door that blocked their view.

【Peng——】

Shoko Toyokawa slammed her black-gloved fist against the wall next to the mirror, looking at her masked reflection.

Elegant, noble, with a gorgeous long dress and a mysterious mask, she was simply the undisputed uncrowned queen of the stage.

However, in Toyokawa Shoko's eyes, the figure in the mirror seemed to be wearing her usual clothes, just like herself on that night when she destroyed CRYCHIC with her own hands, leaving a mess behind and running away in the rain while crying.

Faced with unexpected situations, they can do nothing but use their inherent pride to maintain elegance and composure, while in reality they wish they could flee immediately if they were out of sight of others.

"It's... absolutely rotten."

She actually knew that she was the one who should have confronted Yutenji Wakana in the office earlier.

Yuu Toyokawa set up a stage for her, but she didn't stand on it.

He wanted to use this to establish his absolute authority within the band, but he ended up running away.

Just like that rainy night, faced with a mess that was enough to leave anyone helpless, he dumped all the pressure on Nagasaki Sase and Wakaba Mutsumi, ruined everything, and then ran away on his own.

So much so that just now, Toyokawa Yuu had to step onto the stage she had built herself and play the villain to the very end.

How disgusting. Why does she always have to depend on others? She can't live without them.

On the night CRYCHIC was destroyed, I became dependent on Mu.

The day I was overwhelmed by MyGO!!!!!'s live performance, I became dependent on Hatsuka.

Toyokawa Shoko always knew that her soft, gentle self had not completely died.

Before she could make up her mind to completely suppress her weakness, Toyokawa Yuu appeared in her world.

Although he was an accomplice who shared the blame, I still subconsciously regarded him as someone I could rely on.

Toyokawa Shoko was well aware that her dependence on Yuu had begun to have negative effects.

He did indeed do everything perfectly, but at the same time, his control over Ave Mujica diminished once again.

If things continue like this, will Ave Mujica really still be mine?

The image of MyGO!!!!! flashed through her mind that night at the live concert. Even though she had already ruined CRYCHIC before that, Toyokawa Shoko still felt that something that belonged to her had been taken away.

Even though I've already said I don't want it anymore, why do I still have this thought?

Toyokawa Shoko, you are truly... utterly rotten.

Then... let it continue falling.

Apart from Ave Mujica... I have nothing left.

Shoko Toyokawa gently stroked the mirror, looking at her own neck in the mirror. She lowered her eyes silently and clenched her black gloves tightly.

When she opened her eyes again, the soft, sweet girl crying in the rainy night in the mirror had disappeared, and the reflection in the mirror showed Oblivionis in a gorgeous dress.

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

"I see. You were once a member of MyGO!!!!!, and were you invited by your friends?"

"A temporary employment relationship introduced by a friend."

Inside the office, after listening to Hachiman Kairin's story, Toyokawa Yuu's furrowed brows relaxed considerably, as if she had obtained some useful information.

In fact, Yuu Toyokawa already knew that Hairin Hachiman wasn't that close to the other members of MyGO!!!!!, and that her relationship with Sase Nagasaki, who had poisoned her before, was even more distant.

After all, she was invited to temporarily replace Nagasaki Sase, who was absent, and the two had barely met.

That's enough. I can use the "temporary member" relationship as a springboard to extend my reach into MyGO!!!!!

Subconsciously, I pulled my abdomen in; the excruciating pain seemed to still linger inside me.

"What are you going to do?"

"I haven't decided yet. After all, it depends on Xiangzi's attitude. If she doesn't want to reconcile with the past, nothing I do will make a difference."

This is of course not the truth, but Yuu Toyokawa cannot tell Kairin Hachiman her true thoughts.

Some things are done once they're done, but as long as some things aren't said, there's still room for maneuver. Hachiman Kairin is that safety net for maneuvering.

After glancing at the time, Toyokawa Yuu looked at the girl in front of her.

"It's getting late, Hachiman, you should go to rehearsal too. The most important thing right now is the group performance in a few days."

"...Understood. Take care of yourself too. Ave Mujica needs our help to keep it running."

With a hint of regret, she glanced at the drink on her desk that Yuu Toyokawa had left untouched since, then put on her mask and turned to leave.

Noticing Hachiman Kairin's gaze, Toyokawa Yuu grabbed the unopened box of drinks after confirming that she had left.

Yuu Toyokawa tore open the straw packaging, punctured the film, and went into the small restroom attached to the office, pouring all the liquid inside down the drain.

Then, insert the straw into the packaging box, gently crumple it, and throw it into the trash can.

Chapter 38 So what is that band anyway!

The Tokyo night sky was dotted with countless stars. Nagasaki Sase leaned against his balcony, looking down at his phone, typing and deleting messages in the chat box.

Looking at the text message on her phone that she had edited for the boy named "Toyokawa Yuu," Nagasaki Sase's azure eyes showed her inner turmoil more than once, and her long brown hair looked particularly dull in the moonlight.

Looking up at the bright moon in the sky, Nagasaki Sase turned to look at his own front door. The tightly closed door remained as quiet as ever, showing no intention of opening.

Mom isn't coming home again today.

She pursed her lips slightly, then leaned against the wall of the balcony, letting her body slowly slide down with gravity.

The idea that she was abandoned and unwanted was deeply ingrained in Nagasaki Sase's mind when she was a child.

She will never forget that night many years ago, when she was still living in an old, dilapidated house that was probably smaller than her current room in the entire area combined, and she quietly changed her name under the dim light.

No longer is "Ichinose", all she can own is "Nagasaki".

She felt abandoned by Ichinose.

Is it because I'm not obedient enough?

Or is it that I haven't tried hard enough?

Even now, Nagasaki Sase still can't understand why her father, who was so gentle not long ago, would abandon her and her mother overnight.

But there was one thing that Nagasaki Sase clearly understood.

There is no longer a strong shoulder to indulge my willfulness like my father.

The mother took on the father's responsibilities and supported the family, which had lost an important pillar. He could only take care of the mother as she had taken care of him.

Therefore, she learned to be gentle and considerate. It didn't matter if her mother was always working overtime and couldn't be with her, and it didn't matter if she didn't actually want to go to "Moon Forest" to study.

As long as my mother is happy, as long as no one... abandons me like my father did.

Therefore, even though she was only sixteen or seventeen years old, Nagasaki Sase already possessed a warmth that was described as "almost like a mother's".

But only Nagasaki Sase knew that beneath that warm smile that made everyone feel like they were basking in a spring breeze was a heart that had already cooled down before even graduating from elementary school.

Until a ray of sunlight ruthlessly tore through the gloom, a smile as warm as the winter sun appeared in Nagasaki Sase's eyes.

[I'm Toyokawa Shoko from Class C. May I ask you something? Are you interested in forming a band?]

Nagasaki Sase still remembers that morning, that ray of sunlight, and the arc of that smile.

It seemed that her long-standing obedience and ingratiation had finally paid off, and the wicked gods had finally sent her a gift.

Someone truly appeared in her life, formed a band, and allowed Nagasaki Sase to experience the feeling of "belonging" once again.

but why……

How did our relationship deteriorate to this point?

Looking up at the stars in the sky, Nagasaki Sase couldn't understand why the band, which seemed to get along so well, would fall apart overnight.

It was just like being suddenly abandoned by my father.

Later, however, a pink sun led her to form a new band.

The broken bonds of the past have been reconnected, weaving together a new sense of belonging.

But in Nagasaki Sase's heart, there were still two broken threads that could never be reconnected.

Although the thread named "Wakaba Mutsumi" is still broken, there is still some semblance of connection.

Only that line named "Toyokawa Shoko"...

I looked down at my phone again; it had been idle for so long that it was now in screen saver mode.

Five girls playing instruments in the rehearsal room, their faces beaming with dazzling smiles.

Among them, only one blue-haired girl had the gentlest smile.

Xiangzi...

Looking at the note above that read "Toyokawa Yuu," her azure eyes grew increasingly conflicted as she wrote and deleted, then wrote again.

The boy who claimed to be the band's manager this morning is Xiangzi's sworn brother.

Nagasaki Sase had already confirmed this with Wakaba Mutsumi at school today.

Furthermore, she used the business card that Yuu Toyokawa left him to find out some other things.

On the official website of the agency to which Ave Mujica belongs, it can be found that Yuu Toyokawa is the manager of that emerging band.

Since leaving [RING] that time, Xiangzi has been busy with something, and Mu couldn't possibly tell him.