Tokyo: Starting with taking on his wife's debts

"She drew my husband in a vulgar comic, why can't I hit her?"

Ayako immediately recognized Tachibana's voice; she remembered every woman connected to Hideaki clearly.

Although I have never met Tachibana in person, I have spoken to her on the phone several times.

That's that junior salesman at the stock exchange! Introduced by that shameless woman, Ezaki... The innocent, naive girl, completely oblivious to the truth, still thought Hideaki was single!

At the time, fearing that she might commit suicide after learning the truth, I deliberately created the identity of a sugar daddy who was keeping Xiuming as a mistress, in order to test her bottom line...

This silly girl didn't recognize me, so I'll pretend I don't know her either, to avoid getting into trouble. I'll just give Xiuming a stamp of approval and let him be my husband for now. When he comes up here, he'll be in for a world of hurt... Hehe!

However, Tachibana's huffy expression does resemble Riko's somewhat!

Ayako's mood immediately soured, and she continued, "Go away, this has nothing to do with you. Go wherever you want, go back to your room."

Eri, still secretly embarrassed, felt a pang of guilt. The overwhelming embarrassment made her head buzz, and she instinctively closed her eyes tightly: the manga… she knew about the manga too… so that’s what it was about. She’d rather be beaten to death…

Tachibana, as white as a flower, didn't detect the wariness and hostility in Ayako's tone and was still worried about Eri being beaten.

She knew that Eri stayed at home all day to create manga, but she never expected that Eri would be drawing lewd manga, and that it was about someone else's husband. No wonder the other man's wife came to her door and spanked her... But the spanking was too harsh!

Tachibana wasn't really thinking about what kind of lewd comic it was, but she knew she was in the wrong, so her tone softened, and she whispered, "Even so, you can't hit people... Your butt is all swollen from being hit."

“It’s only right that I got hit, I like it,” Eri’s face flushed red and she was conflicted. She knew her manga wasn’t presentable, and she didn’t want Eri to know about Hideaki. She just wanted Eri to leave as soon as possible. Then she whispered, “Don’t meddle in other people’s business… I don’t know you… Go back to your room…”

While silently thanking Tachibana for her righteous help, Eri felt ashamed of Tachibana's presence. In the end, she silently apologized to her, suppressing her shame and anger, and then said some hurtful things.

Between being beaten and losing face, I'd rather be beaten.

She was really worried that Ayako would suddenly pull out a comic book and throw it at Tachibana's feet, so that Tachibana would see it...

"I don't care about you," Tachibana said, stunned for a moment before realizing that Eri was completely ungrateful and didn't appreciate her kindness... Her face flushed red, she stomped her foot, turned around and went back to her room, slamming the door shut. "A pervert who likes to be beaten is just sick..."

"Really..." Eri stopped struggling and said in a tearful voice, "I don't want to live anymore, just kill me!"

"That woman next door is your good friend, right?" Ayako almost laughed out loud. She had already given her a good spanking, and her anger had subsided considerably. She gently patted Eri's little bottom and continued, "You don't want her to know that you're eyeing someone else's husband, do you?"

Seeing Tachibana's help and Eri's utterly dejected expression, Ayako assumed that Tachibana and Eri were good friends and worried about being embarrassed if their relationship was exposed.

It's quite surprising that they get along so well; one is a naive and innocent girl, the other a cuckolded psychopath, and they both have the same boyfriend, so they definitely don't know each other. It'll be quite a show when that scumbag at the front door comes up!

Ayako chuckled to herself: I'll continue to play dumb...

"What? What are you talking about? I don't understand..." Eri's throat tightened, and she subconsciously glanced outside the door. "I'm not eyeing anyone's husband... Don't talk nonsense, I only have my manga on my mind, I... I'm looking for inspiration... I have a boyfriend... I'm single..."

Eri's main concern wasn't losing face.

I've been arguing with Tachibana for the past few days. When things get heated, we call each other "women who were dumped by their boyfriends and still have the nerve to argue with me." In the end, neither of us admits to being dumped; we just say we're temporarily separated. We're both secretly planning to bring Hideaki over so he can make an appearance.

Because Eri felt less moral pressure and could talk about anything with Riko and Chieko, she gained the upper hand.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned today. Ayako came along, so not only could she not show off, she also had to cover it up. After all, Ayako wasn't as good-natured as Riko, who would pretend to have nothing to do with Hideaki and cooperate...

"You really are worried about her finding out," Ayako said with a grin. "Never mind, I'm a very generous older sister. As long as you design the employee uniforms for Riko Supermarket, I won't tell anyone. Aren't you being a good older sister to me?"

Xiuming came here so that Eri could draw costume design sketches. He wanted to take advantage of this opportunity and get her to finish them quickly to save time.

Although I don't want to mention Riko's name, which I dislike, this is a serious company matter and I can't afford to act recklessly.

"You'll help Riko-chan?" Eri looked up in surprise. "Aren't you two on bad terms?"

Ayako's face darkened, and she said, "None of your business, hurry up and draw!"

A thought flashed through Eri's mind, and overwhelmed with grievance, she burst into tears, saying, "I finally know why I'm disliked! You woman, you're so cunning! I even envied you so much and made you my role model..."

When it comes to serious matters and issues concerning Hideaki's bottom line, Ayako always sets a boundary for herself beforehand, then stands on that boundary and makes a scene, always striking the perfect balance. She manages to avoid being noticed by Hideaki while appearing arrogant to outsiders, which leads the naive and inexperienced Eri to imitate her and ultimately step on her landmine.

"Envious of me?" Ayako raised an eyebrow, blinked, and looked confused. Then her expression changed, and she slapped Eri's butt, saying, "Even if you idolize me, it's no use. We're sworn enemies. Hurry up and draw!"

Okay, being seen as a role model and envied is actually quite nice. Is it her figure that's envied? She's definitely better than her, even Xiuming said she's good... Thank goodness for this blessing from heaven. This little girl can only be tossed around like a rag doll, she'll never reach that level in her entire life... Hehe~

“I won’t draw if Hideaki-kun doesn’t come,” Eri cried out in refusal.

This was an opportunity that had been hard to come by.

After being kicked out of the supermarket, Eri really wanted to sneak back to check on things, but then she thought that she had been kicked out because she had acted on her own initiative. If she sneaked back, that would also be acting on her own initiative, and wouldn't she be kicked out again? Would she be disliked even more? She couldn't even imagine whether she should jump off a building or jump into a river... Anyway, just thinking about that scene made her dizzy and breathless.

Now that we fully understand the reason, we must seize the opportunity.

"If you shout so loudly, your best friend next door will hear you!"

Ayako was in a bad mood. Although she didn't know what Eri had figured out, she was so close to "the incompetent cuckold" and had such a unique loli figure and appearance. If she could tickle the itch of the philandering bastard Hideaki, they would probably end up together!

After all, the most blatant act of shamelessness is by men.

The previous beating of Midori Umezu proved that it was impossible to accomplish this by force.

So how do we do it?

Hideaki's previous assessment of her as someone whose "heart is only for comics" suggests that she hides her feelings very deeply, perhaps something Hideaki doesn't even know yet...

Her face was as red as a monkey's bottom just now, and she was still stubbornly trying to cover it up. So we might as well fix some minor flaws for her and let her continue to cover it up. As long as we don't get into any trouble, everything will be fine.

After all, that despicable Xiuming is so outstanding, there must be many women who secretly admire him, so he doesn't need another one. For example, that naive and innocent girl next door, they probably haven't gotten together yet, right?

“So what if I heard it? I don’t care about her,” Eri froze, but her voice lowered, muttering with a sob in her voice, “I want to see Hideaki-kun…”

Although she was being stubborn, she was still worried about being overheard.

"Why are you seeing him? Are you going to confess your feelings?" Ayako stared intently at Eri's face, then whispered, "What would your best friend next door think if she found out?"

Eri blushed and whispered urgently, "Who said I was going to confess? Don't talk nonsense. I want to apologize, apologize..."

Eri hadn't really thought about confessing. The reason she was being stubborn and secretive was mainly because she was worried that Tachibana would overhear her, and then she would lose the argument that had lasted for several days.

Of course, now that Ayako has said it so bluntly, his heart is pounding uncontrollably. What would happen if he really confessed...? But he doesn't dare at all, after all, he was the one who was driven away.

"Oh, it's an apology~" Ayako's eyes darted around as she said, "Let me tell you the truth, Hideaki-kun is waiting right at the gate. Do you know what he thinks of you?"

"Huh?" Eri looked up, her eyes full of anticipation. She was so cute.

Ayako suddenly couldn't bear to look at her face, and turned her head away, saying, "He said he didn't have a good impression of you, and I'm not exaggerating, he said it himself."

"Is that so..." Eri's slightly parted lips trembled, the light in her eyes seemed to disappear, and she slowly lowered her head. Her small body seemed boneless, her hands and feet hanging limply on the floor, tears falling to the floor. She muttered to herself, her voice trembling with sobs, "That's why I have to apologize to him..."

The room fell into an inexplicable silence.

Ayako suppressed the hateful pity that suddenly welled up in her heart and silently repeated three times: Hideaki is mine, no one is allowed to touch him, not even the naive girl next door...

Then, hardening her heart, she said, "Um... before I went upstairs, well... could you please stop looking like you're about to die?"

Ayako wanted to add fuel to the fire by mentioning, selectively, the plan that Hideaki had discussed with her at the gate. For example, Hideaki said, "I can hit you as much as I want. When I'm in a good mood, I'll give Hideaki a signal, and he'll rush up and pretend to be a hero to save you. Once you've finished drawing the costume design, he'll turn on you and demand a share of the manga revenue and the copyright to your image..."

Based on Hideaki's annoying, scumbag personality—who seemed indifferent to everyone—Ayako was pretty sure that even if she told him everything, Hideaki wouldn't care.

But now that Eri looks so lifeless, he finds himself unable to bring himself to punish her.

Is she going to commit suicide? It's all that naive, innocent girl's fault; she reminded me of that…

Eri kept crying without saying a word, but her eyes, which were facing the floor, kept turning as she cried.

She was naturally prepared for Xiuming's bad impression of her, after all, it was her own fault, and she had to endure it. Xiuming hadn't tried to hide it, but he still managed to drive her away!

Of course, being told this so bluntly is quite upsetting.

However, Ayako's sudden change in tone made her realize that she wasn't as aggressive as she had imagined.

How come she became so weak after my performance? Oh dear, she's so cunning, so good at hiding her true nature. She has a sharp tongue but a soft heart; perhaps that's why Xiuming allows her to be so willful all the time...

"Didn't you want to see Hideaki? You wait here, I'll call that scumbag up here," Ayako said, seeing Eri motionless, looking like she didn't want to live anymore. She panicked and instinctively wanted to ask Hideaki for help. She quickly put Eri down, stood up and said, "Let me tell you, if you dare to covet my man, I'll beat you to death!"

"Don't call him anymore, after all, he hates me so much..."

Eri's voice trembled with a hint of amusement, though in this situation, it was impossible to tell the difference between crying and laughing. She slowly got up, her bottom clearly stinging from the spanking, and gasped. She limped to the small table by the window, opened a drawer, took out a piece of comic paper—her pre-drawn fashion design sketches—and tossed it onto the messy bed. Then she continued...

"This is something I planned a long time ago. You can take it, and while you're at it, lock the door for me... This world is truly awful..."

As Eri finished speaking, she could barely control her expression. She quickly leaned on the table, buried her face in her arms, and grabbed a pencil sharpener from the table.

"You scumbag! You damn scumbag, come up here right now!" Ayako, pale with fright, ran to the door and shouted downstairs, "What kind of women do you get involved with? They're so annoying!"

Chapter 211 It would be better if the two of them fought.

Eri heard Ayako's shout and was secretly pleased with her successful plan when she turned her head and saw her messy hair in the mirror, which startled her.

She hadn't washed her face or combed her hair yet, and was only wearing a crumpled little nightgown... She already didn't look very good, and if Xiuming saw her, she would definitely be even more disgusted.

While feigning pitifulness, she quickly took out toiletries from under the small bed, then took out the new clothes she had already chosen from the closet. Maintaining her disheveled appearance, she walked to Ayako, who was blocking the doorway, and whispered, "Excuse me, could you please move aside? I need to take a shower. I want to leave this world clean and tidy."

As Eri spoke, she used Ayako's figure to block Hideaki's view from the main entrance downstairs, preventing him from seeing her disheveled appearance.

Downstairs, Hideaki closed his comic book, pushed open the door, and then walked down the stairs, tapping the bonsai leaves with the comic book as he went, muttering things like, "People who create art are so cunning," "Ayako's only good talk," and "She was definitely fooled by Eri..."

Eri swallowed hard as she listened.

"You shameless, cowardly woman," Ayako blocked the doorway, her face extremely ugly, her teeth clenched and full of anger, "Let me tell you, don't think you can threaten me with suicide. If you really commit suicide, I will be very happy, then there will be one less shameless woman to compete with me for Xiuming... You, you threw away the knife."

Although Ayako heard Hideaki's mutterings, she didn't dare to gamble. After all, Eri was holding a pencil sharpener, and if something went wrong, it wouldn't just be a matter of conscience...

Xiuming had already crossed the courtyard and reached the first floor, and was now going up the stairs.

Eri was getting anxious, but if the fragile persona she had just created collapsed, Ayako might retaliate even more severely. Moreover, Ayako had covered the door so tightly that Eri's thin arms and legs would be lifted up by the back of her neck like a little chick.

"I just want to take a shower..."

Eri spoke in a low voice, suppressing her anxiety, and slowly moved towards the door, deliberately pretending to accidentally drop the knife on the ground a step away from Ayako.

Ayako's gaze was indeed drawn to the knife. Her face lit up with joy, and she took a step forward, stepping on the knife on the floor. Her hands were not idle either; she stretched out her arms and reached for Eri's head.

Of course, the height difference between the two was quite large. Eri squatted down to avoid Ayako grabbing her head, and immediately grabbed her toiletries and ran barefoot to the public bathroom.

Ayako, standing at the door, was stunned.

Eri inwardly cried out in alarm, realizing she'd probably been exposed. But since she'd already escaped, there was no need to continue pretending. After all, her image when facing Hideaki was far more important than this.

As I passed the second-floor stairwell, I saw Xiuming just turning the corner. Luckily, the stairwell wasn't wide, so I ran past without being seen.

Eri secretly breathed a sigh of relief, when she heard Hideaki's disdainful voice behind her: "Hurry up and draw the costume design for me!"

Eri stumbled, flung open the bathroom door, quickly closed it, and leaned against the door, her voice trembling with tears, said, "I...I finished drawing it a long time ago...Wait until I finish my shower before you leave, I...I have something to say..."

Hideaki thought Eri would bring the design drawings and make some requests, such as trying to follow Riko around and become a spy to find inspiration for her manga... He didn't expect her to be so straightforward, so he gave her a thumbs up.

The business was simpler than expected, and Hideaki was in a great mood. He also had something to say to Eri, such as the issue of the division of portrait rights in the manga.

"Okay, okay, you'd better hurry up!"