Tokyo Soft Rice King.

"Yes, it's me! How do you know this phone number? Could it be that Ziyin...!"

"Calm down, your daughter is fine, she's at my house now."

"May I ask who you are?"

"I am Kobayashi Mika."

Grandma Xiaolin didn't say another word about herself, as if simply stating her name would be enough for the other person to understand who she was.

And the other party didn't ask any further questions. So Grandma Kobayashi has that much influence? Is she a user of the "Face Fruit"?

"Did you help Ziyin?"

"It wasn't me. It was one of my guests who took your daughter in. He's the same age as your daughter and is a penniless high school boy."

"Uh……"

Old woman! Stop talking so much! Why are you being so honest? You must be doing it on purpose!

Kuroba Akira shouted in his heart.

Judging from the anxious tone on the other end of the phone, this father must be a doting father. If he found out that his daughter was taken in by a boy her age, wouldn't he come to his door with a knife and try to kill him?

Unexpectedly, Grandma Lin's name worked so well; the other party wasn't angry at all, but instead spoke with great trust.

“Since she is your guest, she must be a reliable person. And with you looking after her, my daughter should be safe.”

Grandma Lin looked bored. In her opinion, a father who wouldn't get angry if his daughter got close to a strange man wasn't a good father.

Is it because she is a stepdaughter that you are not so worried?

"Humph!"

Grandma Lin snorted and continued speaking.

“I don’t know what happened at your home, but your daughter said she doesn’t want to go home yet, so she’s staying with me for now.”

That wasn't a tone of discussion; it was merely a notification.

Whether you accept it or not, this is already a fait accompli.

Mother-in-law, you're so powerful!

But you just refused to take in Murasaki no Miyako...

"...I understand. I will transfer the money to your account. Please take good care of Ziyin for me."

Oh ho?

rich?

Upon hearing this information, Kuroba Akira became very excited.

If you can get some start-up funding, you can choose other training paths.

Uncle Murasaki... oh no, Dad! Please send me more money!

You wouldn't want to see your daughter suffer in my care, would you?

Chapter Twenty-Six: It Turns Out She's the Young Lady

Although Kuroba Akira was very curious about how much money Murasaki's father would give, Granny Kobayashi didn't seem interested in it.

She didn't ask for the specific amount, but simply gave a number and said that if she wanted to transfer money, she should transfer it to this account.

"Well then, I have a few more things I'd like to say to Ziyin. Could you please convey them to me?"

"You can talk to her yourself. I've put it on speakerphone."

"..."

Then came a period of silence, as Uncle Murasaki no Miyako was probably preparing what to say to his daughter.

Shion Murasaki, who was responsible for wiping the table, stopped wiping. After exchanging glances with Granny Kobayashi, Granny Kobayashi nodded, and Shion put down the rag and stood near the landline to wait.

"Cough... Ziyin... are you listening?"

"...Yes, I am here."

"Phew... That's great. Although I was willing to believe what Kobayashi-sama said, I'm completely relieved after hearing your voice."

Akira Kuroba noticed that Uncle Murasaki addressed Granny Kobayashi not as Kobayashi-san, but as Kobayashi-sama, which is a very solemn and respectful form of address.

During the day today, Kuroba Akira addressed the class president as "Class President SAMA," but that was mostly in jest and a joke. However, Uncle Murasaki's respect for Granny Kobayashi was genuine.

Although Akira Kuroba had vaguely sensed something before, the Kobayashi family was indeed no ordinary family.

Of course, the fact that the Kobayashi family could buy a detached house in Chiyoda Ward, a central area of ​​Tokyo, already demonstrates their immense power.

Therefore, Kuroba Akira was very curious about what kind of glorious deeds Grandpa Kobayashi, a predecessor of the transmigrator, had left behind, and whether they were related to the development of this world into what it is today.

Meanwhile, the father and daughter's heart-to-heart talk continued, but it was mainly Uncle Murasaki who was giving the feedback.

"Have you eaten? I've been worried about your health these past few days, afraid that your body won't be able to hold up."

"Ate."

"That's good. I'm sure the food provided by Mr. Kobayashi's family will be quite good."

However, this is not good at all, uncle. Your daughter is almost crying from the spiciness of the super spicy curry rice.

The Lin family doesn't have much to eat, so the money you gave us, Uncle, is very important.

Whether you're living in a daily curry hotpot hell or can at least eat something decent depends entirely on how much money you're willing to spend.

Kuroba Akira silently chanted "Give me more, give me more" in her heart, while Uncle Murasaki, after inquiring about his daughter's health and recent situation, finally brought up the family issues.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't expect things to turn out this way... But I have to tell you, don't think it's your fault, Ziyin. This whole thing is my fault, it has nothing to do with you."

"..."

Uncle Murasaki took full responsibility, blaming himself for the mistakes, in an attempt to relieve Murasaki's psychological burden.

Because he didn't know the specific details of the matter, Kuroba Akira couldn't be sure whether Murasaki no Miyako had done anything wrong.

However, observing Murasaki's expression reveals that she remains very serious and has not become more relaxed because of these words, so she probably still feels that she is in the wrong.

“I was so stupid. I didn’t realize your mother’s thoughts and intentions, and I didn’t take her feelings into account. That’s why I said those hurtful things to her.”

"...That sentence was just the trigger for my mother's outburst, but this emotion had been building up for a long time."

"That's what the Purple Palace said."

“I understand, that’s why she suddenly broke down. But I originally had the chance to slowly heal her heart. I missed that opportunity and even caused her to become like this… The day you called me father, I was truly happy from the bottom of my heart, like I had a real daughter. Maybe that happiness made me a little carried away, which is why I said those things I shouldn’t have…”

"Is Mom... awake?"

"She's awake, but her emotions are still very unstable. I've taken Fumiko to see a psychologist, and the doctor said she should be prepared for long-term treatment."

"I'm entrusting my mother to you... I won't go back."

"Ah, I understand why you don't want to go home, so I won't ask you to go home. And it's really not a good time for your mother to see you... But I will stay by your mother's side and comfort her. No matter how long it takes, I will help her recover. One day you and your mother will be able to meet again. So until that day comes, Ziyin, please take good care of yourself."

"Yes……"

"Also, I didn't say this to comfort you, but Fumiko really regrets saying those words to you. Even if you've been hurt, you shouldn't continue to hurt others, especially your own daughter."

"..."

Murasaki gave a bitter smile. Those words had indeed hurt her deeply, so much so that she couldn't possibly recover on her own.

However, thanks to a conversation with a strange guy, she regained the courage to live.

"If you want to continue your studies, Dad will take care of everything for you."

"No need, I've already decided on the path I want to take."

Murasaki looked at Kuroba Akira not far away, her eyes no longer filled with confusion, because he would guide her in the right direction.

"I see... Well then, whatever you want to do in the future, Dad will support you, and the Murasaki family will always be your home. That's all I wanted to say to you... I hope you stay healthy and safe."

"Um... Dad, you too, you must take care of your health."

"Ziyin...!"

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded very excited; it seemed he was genuinely happy to hear Ziyin call him "Dad."

"And the male classmate who brought Ziyin home, are you listening too? I'm very grateful for your help to Ziyin. If there's a chance, I hope to talk to you in person."

"Uh……"

I don't want to see you at all, Dad.

Kuroba Akira felt very guilty because he really had designs on Shion.

It's not that I'm lusting after her body, but rather her looks and talent.

However, if the other party finds out that it was Kuroba Akira who made Murasaki Shion give up her promising future of continuing her education and instead choose to "go into the adult entertainment industry," he might want to strangle Kuroba Akira.

Moreover, this face-to-face chat has a dangerous undertone, like interrogating a criminal.

After the father and daughter finished talking, Grandma Lin took over the conversation.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing I need to tell you. The neighborhood around my house is very safe, so please have your people stay away from my house to avoid unnecessary trouble."

"You're right, I'll have them come back right away, it won't cause you any trouble."

"Hmph... that's fine then, I'll hang up. Call this number again if you need anything."

After saying that, Grandma Lin hung up the phone without any politeness.

No wonder Uncle Murasaki believed Granny Kobayashi's words so easily. He probably had someone secretly following his daughter to keep track of her movements, so he knew that his daughter had indeed entered the Kobayashi family.

In other words, if Kuroba Akira had really harbored malicious intentions at the abandoned shrine, she probably would have been dragged out and killed by the people secretly protecting her before she even got close to Shion Murasaki.

That being said, were there actually people watching the whole time you were talking to Murasaki no Miyako?

Ah, Hazkashi…

It's worth noting that Kuroba Akira was completely unaware of anyone nearby, which suggests he's a very skilled bodyguard. I'd really like to see his talent and proficiency.

However, to be able to afford such a powerful bodyguard, it seems that Uncle Murasaki must be a wealthy stepfather.

Therefore, Shion Murasaki is actually a rich girl from a wealthy family.

And her father seems to dote on her a lot...

She doesn't actually lack money at all!