Tokyo: They say it's just dating, but they're serious about it.

"We fell in love on our own..."

"You chose to have a romantic relationship, you...you!" Sato Ikuyo gasped for breath, pointing at Shiraki Masayuki through gritted teeth, "He's my idol, and you slept with my idol, don't you think that's going too far!"

Ikuyo Sato wanted to say, "He's a married man, you're being a mistress," but she also knew about Masayuki Shiraki's testimony in court.

Before Katsuhiko met Masako Shiraki, Masako was Mrs. Noda's husband's mistress. As for whether it was true or not, it was inconvenient to ask her directly, since it was a rather embarrassing thing. People usually take things as true when they don't know if they are true, which is quite uncomfortable.

Should we make things difficult for her? What if she quits? After all, it will be harder to find an excuse to contact Sheng Yan again later.

"Dr. Sato, you don't need to take this so seriously. After all, your position doesn't allow for this."

"Why should I care? Is there anything special about my identity?"

"You don't seem to just idolize my boyfriend; you seem to have a crush on him. Yesterday, I saw that you filled my boyfriend's name all over his medical record..."

"I don't want to talk to you right now, get out!" Sato Ikuyo's face flushed red as she pointed to the door. "You shameless woman, you slept with my idol."

Shiraki Masayuki returned to her office just as the phone on her desk rang.

Katsuhiko, holding his mobile phone, asked, "What's going on today? Why is Ikuyo Sato here?"

"Sigh," Shiraki Masako sighed, unable to hide her joy, and instead of answering Katsuhiko's question, she said directly, "I'm pregnant."

"You're going to be a mother, congratulations!"

Congratulations! You've become a father.

Shiraki Masako was in a good mood. After recounting the incident, she addressed Katsuhiko's earlier question: she had just received her medical report today, and Sato Ikuyo happened to see it. Sato then pressed Shiraki Masako about whose child it was. Shiraki Masako couldn't help herself and blurted out that it was Katsuhiko's. Sato Ikuyo's mind went blank; she panicked, yelling that Shiraki Masako had tarnished her idol, and then dragged her to find Katsuhiko… She had originally intended to verify the truth, but once they arrived, she forgot all about it.

After Shiraki Masako finished speaking, she added, "It seems that Dr. Sato likes you, but he's too proud to admit it..." She paused for a moment, then carefully added, "She...she also said...that I defiled you."

Masayuki Shiraki's reputation in the hospital is now utterly ruined.

Although she hadn't actually had anything going on with Deputy Ward Chief Noda, his affair was exposed by Noda's wife. Now, even a lowly nurse is talking behind her back, which is why she wants to resign.

In addition, I was also worried that Katsuhiko might mind, so I revealed it so carefully in the hopes of getting some comfort from him.

"Let's not talk about her anymore," Katsuhiko said, not intending to have anything to do with Sato Ikuyo, and changed the subject directly. "Today is your day, a joyous occasion. Let's celebrate and ask for a day off! I'll go over now, and then we can check which ward office has good feng shui and register. After all, a child can't be without a father."

Shiraki Masako's hand holding the phone trembled slightly. She tried her best to suppress her surging emotions and pursed her lips, letting out a nasal sound: "Mm."

Chapter 133 Give Me a Chance, For the Sake of Life

After hanging up the phone, Katsuhiko first mailed out "Journey Under the Midnight Sun" and then headed straight to Ota Ward.

As soon as she exited the subway station, Shiraki Masako was already waiting on the platform. She even took out her medical examination report as if she couldn't wait, and her smile was very bright.

Now she had no luxury jewelry left, so she took it all out and distributed it to Sayuri, Mikoto, Kotoha, Kanzaki Yumi, and Kanzaki Yuma. As for Eiyo, she didn't give her any, because Eiyo had extorted the most. Then Eiyo protested, because Sayuri had confiscated the jewelry Eiyo had previously extorted. Eiyo then held a family meeting to protest. In the end, Sayuri collected all the jewelry, forbidding anyone from wearing it, only allowing them to wear plastic…

Katsuhiko greatly approves of Sayuri's thrifty and frugal decision; the more money you have, the more you should hide it.

Although Shiraki Masako lacked the embellishment of luxurious jewelry, her simple attire still couldn't conceal her air of a highly educated professional elite. Of course, Kanzaki Yumi and Kanzaki Yuma are also highly educated individuals, after all, one is from the University of Tokyo and the other from Waseda University, but they haven't graduated yet and appear somewhat immature, lacking the professional presence that Shiraki Masako exudes.

When choosing a ward office for marriage registration, Masako Shiraki didn't select one of Tokyo's 23 wards; she chose Kawasaki City, which is next to Ota Ward, perhaps because it was more discreet...

"Honey, I feel like this wife won't last long before it becomes ineffective."

After leaving the Kawasaki Ward Office, Shiraki Masako linked arms with Katsuhiko, looking regretful, and whispered, "If Chief Physician Sato knew, she probably wouldn't be able to stand it and would report me."

"Then resign and stay home to rest during your pregnancy."

"Is it really possible? I really want to be your full-time housewife, take care of your daily life, and never want to be apart from you."

“That won’t do. I have so many wives, we have to take turns. You can’t have them all to yourself. Even if you quit your job, you can’t stay home full-time. The economy is so bad right now, how many full-time wives are there? They’re all working part-time to supplement their income. Go work at Mikoto’s convenience store.”

Katsuhiko then remembered his promise to take Chinatsu to Disneyland at noon, and mentioned to Shiraki Masako that he wanted her to come along too.

The two took the subway directly back to Mikoto's convenience store.

When Sayuri and Mikoto saw Masayuki Shiraki arrive, they exchanged a glance, then stood at the door with motherly smiles on their faces, each patting their little bellies.

Shiraki Masayuki lowered her head, pursed her lips, then took out her medical report, revealing a motherly smile as she patted her lower abdomen.

"Mikoto-neechan, Sayuri-chan, your maternity clothes are so pretty! Where did you buy them? I want to buy a set too."

Mikoto and Sayuri were stunned for a moment, then covered their mouths and laughed.

Mikoto had prepared maternity clothes long ago, and they were specially customized according to everyone's body shape. After all, as the "head housekeeper" of the harem, she had to take care of everything.

By the time Shiraki Masayuki changed her clothes and came out, it was already noon.

Katsuhiko then explained his plan to take Chinatsu to Disneyland that afternoon, along with Haruko-sensei.

"Haruko-sensei agreed?" Mikoto seemed surprised and speechless. She tilted her head to look at the dumbfounded Sayuri, then turned back to Katsuhiko and asked, "Is she going on a date with you?"

“I don’t know what she’s thinking.” Katsuhiko’s eyes widened, and he looked completely innocent. “But she’s given me chocolates many times, heart-shaped ones, which are really delicious. I think I should give back to her. After all, she’s such a lovely teacher and a fan of mine. She must have a tough life.”

A kindergarten teacher's monthly salary is only around 200,000 yen, which is below average, enough to maintain a basic standard of living. Of course, salary levels also heavily depend on work experience and seniority. Since Ms. Haruko is relatively young, her salary is likely even lower; being three million yen in debt is certainly not easy!

"Probably to sleep with his idol!" Shiraki Masako suddenly remembered what Sato Ikuyo had said and couldn't help but blurt it out.

Now that she's a legal wife, her mindset is different. She can only blame Katsuhiko for giving her too much, which has made her a bit arrogant. However, she also knows her place. Among the seven wives, she's the youngest, and therefore can't have any disobedient thoughts towards the other six. But for those who come later: even Sato Ikuyo has to call her "senpai" (senior).

“I knew it,” Mikoto said with a helpless rub of her forehead, covering her mouth and laughing. “She was already smitten when she brought me the novel ‘Paradise Lost’ and asked me to sign it for her last time.”

"What's wrong with girls liking handsome, successful, and rich men? I really admire her bold and direct personality. If you can't stop her, then don't make sarcastic remarks. Let's go, to kindergarten."

"I don't want to go," Xiaobaihe stomped her foot and shook her head pitifully. "I've already lost enough face, and now I have to go to Disneyland with your new girlfriend. It's good enough that I don't catch her cheating... No, I have to find a chance to catch her. Anyway, I'm not going. I want to maintain the dignity of the legal wife."

As Xiaobaihe spoke, she suddenly remembered her plans to catch her husband cheating, which seemed to have never succeeded.

I really want to succeed this time, but none of these women seem suitable now, because they're not afraid to intrude and might end up getting themselves into trouble and making things very awkward.

I really don't want to get involved right now. After all, she's my new girlfriend, and I have to maintain the image of her as my legal wife, otherwise I'll seem too easy to bully.

“If Sayuri-chan isn’t going, I won’t go either,” Mikoto said, covering her mouth with a smile, “so that Haruko-sensei won’t feel embarrassed to do it.”

“I won’t go over there either, so I won’t be a third wheel. I’ll just stay at the convenience store!” Shiraki Masayuki shook her head as well, and then said, “I want to discuss parenting with Sayuri-chan and Mikoto-neechan.”

Masako Shiraki has learned a lot about childcare and can't wait to give birth to her child today...

"If none of you go, who will look after Chika so we can go on our date without worry?"

“You’re not hiding it at all,” Mikoto laughed in exasperation, then lightly punched Katsuhiko on the shoulder and said, “That Haruko-sensei is so scheming, she must have a way! The three of us have reached an agreement not to go.”

We arrived at the kindergarten gate at exactly 12:00.

Ms. Haruko was already waiting, but instead of standing at the main gate, she stood under a large tree in the park diagonally opposite, effectively blocking the view of people coming out of the kindergarten.

She got a new wavy hairstyle, applied a glossy lipstick, and wore a complete Chanel outfit: a white dress, white strappy heels, pearl earrings, a diamond hair clip, and an LV bag. However, none of them were brand new; they looked like they had been worn many times and didn't seem to fit her well. Were they secondhand designer items?

And her expression... well, it seemed a bit conflicted, embarrassed, ashamed, and apprehensive, yet also slightly expectant. If it were an act, being able to portray this expression would definitely make her a true talent. It's a pity that she was expressing it unconsciously, purely from her inner state.

Chika sat on the bench next to her, swinging her legs as she ate potato chips and drank juice, while a woman in her late forties was looking after her.

It must be Haruko's mother, right? She looks a few years older than Mrs. Kudo and her own mother.

The clothes she was wearing... well, a mix of luxury brands? It felt a bit like she was trying too hard to save face, but they fit her well.

She was very flattering and attentive to Chika, wiping away any jam that got on Chika's lips immediately.

Ms. Haruko, who was standing next to her, covered her face and her lips were trembling.

As soon as Sheng Yan crossed the intersection, Qian Xia turned her head, her face lit up with joy, and then she jumped off the bench and ran quickly towards him.

"Oh dear, my little darling..."

Haruko's mother was quick and efficient, picking up Chinatsu in one go. Chinatsu didn't seem to dislike it at all; instead, she leaned to the side and waved to Katsuhiko with a grin.

Haruko, who was standing next to him, took a step forward, then stopped immediately. With a conflicted look on her face, she waved to Katsuhiko.

When Katsuhiko approached, she became flustered again, bowing deeply at a ninety-degree angle and saying, "Mr. Takenaka..."

“Haruko-sensei, don’t be so polite,” Katsuhiko said warmly, raising both hands in a gesture of respect. “Please call me Katsuhiko. May I call you Haruko-chan?”

"Huh?" Haruko seemed not to have reacted yet, her eyes widened and her lips parted slightly.

Haruko's mother, holding Chinatsu, faced Katsuhiko with a slightly worldly smile, and then kicked Haruko.

Katsuhiko pretended not to see her and asked, "Haruko-chan, who is this auntie?"

Haruko's shoulders trembled, her face flushed red, and she stammered softly, "This, this... is, my mother."

"Hello, Aunt Saionji." Katsuhiko quickly bowed to Haruko's mother and continued, "I was wondering why Haruko-chan is so cute; it turns out she inherited your looks."

Mrs. Saionji was slightly taken aback, then her face lit up with a smile. She pulled Chinatsu into her arms, bowed to Katsuhiko, and said, "President Takenaka, hello, hello. I'll be entrusting Haruko to your care from now on. Um, this is my business card."

As she spoke, she freed one hand, took out a long cardboard business card from her shirt pocket, and then wrapped her arm around Chika, handing it to her with both hands.

Company Name: Shuguang Performing Arts Co., Ltd., Chief Agent: Takako Saionji.

"So you're a top agent! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

Katsuhiko suddenly realized that he had never made any business cards, which was really outdated. Fortunately, Tanaka Yutaka hosted all the company's business, including banquets, parties, and business negotiations. He was a really great partner.

"Sigh, it's all over now. I'm unemployed. My artist jumped off a building." Mrs. Takako shook her head regretfully, then continued, "I really hope that Haruko-chan won't be a kindergarten teacher anymore. I enrolled her in dance and vocal training classes from a young age, not to make her a teacher... To avoid becoming a star, she got married early and found a perverted guy who frequents bars, and she's been having ambiguous relationships with men..."

"Mom!" Haruko, standing to the side, her face flushed red, clutched her skirt and called out in a trembling voice.

Katsuhiko paused for half a second, then immediately ended the conversation, told them to get on the subway, and head to Disneyland.

The timing of traveling from Shinjuku Ward to the seaside Disneyland in Urayasu City was not good. It would have been better to go when the park opened in the morning, or to stay overnight there and then go when the park opened in the morning.

Of course, among those who harbored their own tacit thoughts, only four-year-old Chinatsu, who knew nothing, was interested in Disney.

On the subway, Mrs. Saionji deliberately gave Katsuhiko and Haruko some time alone, then sat down in another car with Chinatsu in her arms. She was really good at fooling children; Chinatsu had completely forgotten about her father, spending all her time eating or dreaming while holding a Disneyland brochure, wanting to take a picture with a plush toy. Mrs. Saionji had even brought a camera, so she pretended to take pictures of Chinatsu in the car, making Chinatsu pose in various ways, keeping her giggling like an idiot.

In this carriage, Katsuhiko and Haruko sat side by side. Haruko kept her head down, her hands gripping her thighs, her slender fingers constantly rubbing her skirt.

Katsuhiko asked, "Does Haruko-chan want to be a teacher or a star?"

Of course, despite asking, they already knew Haruko's thoughts: a kindergarten teacher's monthly salary was 200,000 yen, and she was 3 million yen in debt. And just now, when she hugged Chinatsu, her fingertips touched Mrs. Saionji's hand; she was also over 30 million yen in debt.

They desperately need to get rich quick.

Even though Haruko tried to stop her, Mrs. Saionji still made a point of introducing their family situation.

Mrs. Saionji is a single mother, and Haruko has no father. Of course, in Japan's bubble economy era of extravagance and decadence, children without fathers were a very common phenomenon. Many fashionable and free-spirited young women even became pregnant without knowing who the father of their child was.

Mrs. Saionji was a very trendy girl back then. She didn't know who Haruko's biological father was, but fortunately she knew who Haruko's biological mother was. She was also a pretty strong-willed girl back then, after all, the economic environment was really good at that time, and it was also a "simp era". Her maternal instinct took over her thinking. She believed that she could raise the child independently, so she cut off contact with her family and went to Tokyo alone.

She had worked as a hostess, a karaoke hostess, and a chat companion... One day, she met an unknown artist, fell in love, and became his manager. However, he never became famous and couldn't bear the pressure, so he jumped off a building, leaving her unemployed...

Of course, before he lost his job, he took great care in nurturing Haruko, enrolling her in dance training classes and teaching her to sing, hoping that Haruko could become a big star.

Furthermore, after experiencing the hardships of raising children and the deteriorating economic environment and difficulty in making money, Mrs. Saionji realized her recklessness and mistakes in the past. As a result, she strictly disciplined Haruko, forbidding her from having any ambiguous relationships with any man, forbidding her from going to bars, forbidding her from staying out all night, forbidding her from getting married or having a relationship too early, and insisting that she become a star...