I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

She didn't recognize Sanako and was startled when a strange woman suddenly barged in.

Before the question "Who are you?" could even be uttered, Qing Deng called out Sanako's name.

—Sanako? Is it Chiba Sanako from Okemachi Chiba?

Otsuki Minoru had long heard of the names "Chiba Oni Komachi" and "Edo's Number One Beauty".

As Ootsuki Minoru tidied her messy hair and clothes, she stared wide-eyed at Aoto and Sanako's faces with disbelief.

Three people, three completely different expressions—for a moment, the atmosphere in the tea room was quite eerie.

Fortunately, the atmosphere that made the air in the tea room smell a little strange didn't last long. Just two seconds later, Qing Deng broke the silence:

"Miss Sanako, what are you doing here?"

After a brief period of frantic activity, Qingdeng regained his composure.

If you haven't done anything immoral or shameful, why should you feel nervous or unconscious?

“I was on my way to the bookstore to buy books, and when I passed by this place, I suddenly felt a little thirsty, so I came to this teahouse to have some tea.”

As she spoke, Sanako showed Aoto and Otsuki Minoru the beautifully covered, brand-new book she was holding in her arms.

"I was just having tea and resting in the tea room next door when I suddenly heard the sounds of fighting and a woman's cries of pain coming from here, so I rushed over to check it out—Mr. Tachibana, what a coincidence to run into you here."

Sanako raised her emotionless gaze and looked directly into Aoto's eyes.

"It seems I was mistaken. I thought someone was committing a crime. Since it was just a false alarm, I'm relieved."

Sanako's explanation... sounded flawless, almost without any faults.

But Qingdeng still felt that something was amiss.

Going to a bookstore to buy books...? There aren't any bookstores around here.

Moreover, was the timing really that coincidental? Was it really just a coincidence that we were having tea in the tea room next to Otsuki's?

Although there are many doubts, these are minor issues that can be considered later.

The most urgent task at hand is to clear up the misunderstanding as soon as possible.

Without a doubt, Sanako must have seen his suggestive pose with Otsuki Minoru just now, and Aoto certainly wouldn't believe it if Sanako didn't misunderstand something.

This is where the difference between Sanako and Kinoshita Mai becomes apparent.

Based on Qing Deng's understanding of Kinoshita Mai, if she saw Qing Deng alone with another woman she didn't know, she would definitely muster up the courage to question Qing Deng in a wronged tone: "Who is this woman?"

But Sanako is different.

She didn't ask about Otsuki Minoru's identity at all. Her expression and tone were indifferent, as if she wasn't interested in Otsuki Minoru's identity at all.

But Qingdeng's senses and intuition told him: that's not the case.

Sanako, who stared directly at Aoto, didn't exude any air of "Whatever, I don't care which woman you're messing around with again."

Instead, it seemed like they were constantly testing Qing Deng, using the tense atmosphere they were deliberately creating to imply to Qing Deng: I can say "never mind," but are you also planning to just "never mind" like this? I don't want to press you, you should just confess everything yourself.

To be honest, compared to making a scene or throwing a tantrum, Sanako's calm demeanor, which exerts invisible pressure, is more frightening to Aoto.

If he doesn't confess everything soon, Sanako might run out of patience and turn away—Aoto is quite certain of this.

Therefore, to prevent any irreversible accidents from happening, Qing Deng didn't waste a second and quickly explained his relationship with Otsuki Minoru to Sanako, and explained what was going on with their posture just now.

……

About 5 minutes later—

"I see... My husband was kidnapped by the 'Shimizu Group'..."

Aoto returned to his seat, and Sanako sat down next to him.

Qingdeng has always been good at talking.

With the help of his "sharp tongue," Aoto Koujo clearly and concisely explained the cause and effect of the matter to Sanako.

After listening quietly, Sanako nodded gently and said, "So it is."

Whether it was Qing Deng's own imagination or not... although Sanako's expression remained unchanged, still expressionless, Qing Deng vaguely noticed a hint of relief in the depths of Sanako's beautiful eyes, as if she had let go of some heavy burden.

As Qing Deng explained the whole story to Sanako, a pair of eyes opposite them, filled with unspeakable emotions, blinked repeatedly in a daze.

—Tachibana-kun… actually knows Chiba Sanako from Okemachi Chiba?

Despite her disbelief, the scene before her eyes clearly and unmistakably told her that "Qing Deng not only knows Sanako, but the two are also very close."

Based on the various interactions between Aoto and Sanako at this time, it is not difficult to see that the two have a very close relationship.

Unconsciously, Ootsuki Mikoto bit her lower lip tightly. The force was so great that small bumps appeared on both sides of her cheeks.

She unconsciously hunched her shoulders, slouched, and lowered her head, not daring to look at Sanako in front of her.

The reason is simple—in front of Sanako, all her confidence in her female identity vanished.

In terms of appearance, figure, and temperament, there wasn't a single aspect of Ootsuki Minoru that wasn't completely suppressed by Sanako.

Being with Sanako was quite agonizing; a feeling similar to self-loathing burned through Ootsuki's entire body from the inside out.

This was the second time she had seen Qing Deng accompanied by a stunningly beautiful woman.

The last time was at the fireworks display. At that time, the woman next to Qingdeng was a cute girl in a red dress.

Although the woman in red was not as beautiful or as well-built as Sanako, she was not someone Otsuki could easily fool.

At this moment, Ootsuki Minoru felt a fact with overwhelming intensity: the young man in front of her was no longer the "dumbhead" she used to know, but the Niou, whose swordsmanship was superb and whose name was famous throughout Edo!

During the four months she stayed in Edo with Ōtsuki Tsunetsugu, despite her subconscious resistance, she still heard a lot about various matters related to Aoto—such things were unavoidable, as Aoto was a well-known celebrity in Edo at the time, and wherever there were people, you could basically hear people discussing Niō.

Thanks to this, Otsuki Minoru quickly filled the gaps in his understanding of Aoto during the two years he had been away from Edo.

To be honest, if she hadn't personally witnessed how Aoto cleanly and efficiently subdued Shimizu Gosaku and the others, and how he was treated with courtesy by Shimizu Eiichi, Ootsuki would never have dared to combine the "Niou" that people talked about with the image of "Dumb Aoto" in her memory.

In an instant, all the past memories of his interactions with Qing Deng, and the ridicule and sarcasm he had once shown towards Qing Deng, surfaced in Ootsuki's mind and into his eyes.

……

"Ashi! Let's go to the shrine for a New Year's visit together!"

"Sorry, I already have plans with other friends."

"Well, but..."

"Oh, I almost forgot. Tachibana-kun, could you run an errand for me? My newly ordered gofuku should have arrived by now, could you go pick it up for me?"

"Wu Fu? Uh... I see."

……

"Ashi, that Ju Qingdeng is quite good-looking, with regular features, a tall stature, and a good family background. Don't you want to consider him?"

"Him? Hmph! What's there to consider about that Ju Qingdeng? What's the use of being good-looking? No matter how good-looking he is, he's still someone I can boss around. He's just a dull idiot. I only befriend him because his father and my father are on good terms. Otherwise, I wouldn't even bother with him."

……

"Hehe, Kiku, I'll show you something funny. Hey! Tachibana-kun! Come here for a second!"

"what happened?"

"I'm so hot, could you go and buy me two bowls of cool water?"

"Now? Okay... I'll be right back."

"See, I wasn't wrong, was I? That Tachibana Aoto listens to me now."

"Haha, it's true! He really listens to you. Ah Shi, you're so naughty! The sun is so bright outside, and you actually made someone run errands for you in such hot weather."

"Don't worry, he's run even hotter and farther roads for me, this isn't enough to kill me. Okay, let's get back to playing Sugoroku."

……

"Tachibana-kun, please don't come again. I'm getting married."

"Get-married? What? Shi, you're getting married?!"

"Yes, I'm going to marry into a family in Nara. The wedding procession will be here the day after tomorrow. I'll be settling down in Nara with my parents from now on."

"This...this...such a big thing, why did you only tell me now?"

"Huh? What do you mean by that? Do I have an obligation to tell you about my marriage in advance?"

Otsuki Minoru… back then, she was still called “Miyagawa Minoru”. She rolled her eyes at “Haratachi Aoto” and then ignored “Haratachi Aoto”, who stood there dumbfounded like a statue, as if struck by lightning. She turned around and walked away. This was the last time she met “Haratachi Aoto” before returning to Edo this year.

……

……

Looking back on these memories... Ootsuki Minamoto felt an inexplicable sense of absurdity and irony.

The young man whom he had never given a second glance was now like a soaring dragon rising into the sky.

The young man who had pursued her so desperately in the past no longer needed her; he was now surrounded by many women whose beauty far surpassed hers.

For no apparent reason, this thought welled up in Ootsuki Minoru's mind:

If I had chosen Tachibana instead of Tsuneji back then...would I be living a much better life than I am now?

The moment this thought arose, it proliferated like a virus in Ootsuki Minoru's mind and heart. In the blink of an eye, it grew into an existence that Ootsuki Minoru could not ignore.

At that moment, Sanako's sudden question interrupted Otsuki's thoughts, breaking his melancholy, confusion, and regret.

"Miss Ootsuki, do you know why your husband was captured by the Yakuza of the 'Shimizu Clan'?"

Sanako asked a question that Aoto had already asked once.

"I have no idea……"

Ootsuki Minoru composed herself, pulling herself out of the sharp thought that had just crossed her mind, and shook her head with a wry smile:

"I've asked the 'Shimizu Clan' this question so many times... but they all ignore me..."

After saying that, Otsuki turned his gaze to Aoto.

Beautiful eyes were dominated by humble pleas.

"Tachibana-kun, please... I really beg you... help me... If even you won't help me, then I'll truly have nowhere else to turn..."

Qingdeng had heard similar things countless times; his ears were practically calloused from hearing them.

Regardless of how Ootsuki Minoru used a mournful tone or how he displayed a pitiful and humble expression, Aoto remained unmoved—if it weren't for Sanako's sudden appearance, he might have already arrived at Senjiya and met with Kinoshita Mai and Kiryu.