After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

“That won’t do, Mr. Yuu.”

Just as Chihaya Aine stood up from her seat, Toyokawa Yuu heard Chihaya Aine's voice.

"If you experience failure once but don't know how to start over, life is so long, you won't be able to hold on."

Chapter 50 One Dares to Go Along, One Dares to Respond

Nine years and three hundred and sixty-two days before Toyokawa Shoko's death, at night.

Night had completely fallen. Toyokawa Yuu sat on a roadside bench illuminated by streetlights, her eyes gazing absently at the gradually thinning crowd.

The time for Ave Mujica to go to his agency for rehearsal was drawing ever closer, but he showed no intention of getting up.

Yuu Toyokawa looked down at her phone, where the name "Chihaya Aine" was prominently displayed in the contacts section.

In the end, Yuu Toyokawa couldn't resist the pink-haired girl's enthusiasm and they exchanged contact information.

However, being able to plant a spy next to Nagasaki Sase might not necessarily be a bad thing for him.

Given Chihaya Aine's personality, she should be able to fool everyone and get the information she wants by simply making up a plausible story.

but……

"Life is so long, you won't be able to hold on... right?"

It was dazzling, but unfortunately, that sunlight was destined to be out of my reach; I was merely taking advantage of that pink sun.

Yuu Toyokawa has such self-awareness.

He reached out and grabbed the ice water beside him, which was gradually cooling back to room temperature. He had bought it himself from the store where he had just met Chihaya Aine.

After a brief hesitation, Toyokawa Yuu's fingertips touched the bottle cap and unscrewed it.

I'm a little thirsty. I'll drink this and then go back to that unpleasant office.

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

Inside Yuu Toyokawa's office, the members of Ave Mujica had gathered again, but Yuu Toyokawa herself was not there.

However, the usually serious and businesslike person was absent, and the atmosphere in the office was more somber than usual.

Shoko Toyokawa sat on the sofa, holding a tablet with the script for the small theater performance written on it, carefully considering whether there were any areas for improvement.

In the silent office, even the sound of fingertips swiping across the screen is clearly audible.

Since Yuu Toyokawa joined, she no longer needs to handle many matters personally, and now she even has the leisure to write scripts in the office.

Instead of urging everyone to rehearse together, he would only turn on his computer late at night after finishing everything else.

but……

Looking up at the empty office chair, Toyokawa Shoko frowned almost imperceptibly.

Does it really take this long to discuss a business deal with Yutaka Honda?

Mutual exploitation should have its limits.

Sitting beside Toyokawa Shoko with his guitar in hand, Wakaba Mutsu remained silent as always.

Golden eyes occasionally swept across Toyokawa Shoko's profile, taking in even her earlier gestures of raising her eyes and frowning.

As her childhood friend, she could clearly sense that the blue-haired girl wasn't in a good mood.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that ever since that person named Toyokawa Yuu appeared, Shoko's mood has never been good.

With Ave Mujica's help, Xiangzi is no longer so busy.

But it seems that the number of people Xiangzi needs to worry about hasn't decreased; it's just that the person has changed from Ave Mujica to Toyokawa Yuu.

If Ye Mu didn't know whether this was a good thing or not, Xiangzi was unwilling to talk to her about Toyokawa Yuu, but she would make comparisons.

At least, the relationship between Toyokawa Shoko and Toyokawa Yuu was not as harmonious as she remembered Shoko's parents.

Will Xiangzi truly feel happy if he continues to stay with the man who is currently his sworn brother but will eventually become his husband?

Holding the guitar tighter in her hands, Ruoye Mu's golden eyes showed a hint of confusion.

She should help Xiangzi, but she didn't know how.

Being socially awkward, silent, and dull, he simply didn't have the ability to get involved in the relationship between Shoko and Toyokawa Yuu.

Wakaba Mutsu pursed her lips and subconsciously leaned closer to Toyokawa Shoko, who was sitting next to her, as if that would give her some support.

However, the silent and somewhat dull girl did not notice that a purple gaze had been subtly watching her all along.

More accurately, she was looking at Toyokawa Shoko beside her, but she was so close that she inevitably caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of her eye.

Sitting on the sofa opposite Toyokawa Shoko, Hatsune held a cup of tea in her hand, her eyes darting left and right from time to time. She used this somewhat restless appearance to cover up her frequent glances at Shoko.

However, this somewhat uncomfortable demeanor wasn't entirely feigned; Hatsune could clearly sense that something was off about the atmosphere in the office.

The usually taciturn Mutsukasa Wakaba did not sit anywhere, but merely leaned half of his body against Yuu Toyokawa's desk. As for Utsuka Hachiman, who seemed to maintain a distant relationship with everyone, let's leave that aside for now.

The attitudes of these two remained unchanged, while the ones who showed a significant change were Toyokawa Shoko and Yutenji Wakamu.

Shoko Toyokawa's occasional glances at her desk were naturally noticed by Hatsune, who was always watching her. Although it could be explained by Yuu's lateness making her a little worried, Hatsune always felt that something seemed to have happened between the two of them.

Xiao Xiang's attention to Mr. You Yu has noticeably increased.

But the source of Hatsune's depression was not just that. If Toyokawa Shoko only made her feel that something was wrong, then Yutenji Wakana directly wrote her abnormality on her face.

The smile that usually lightened the mood, though sometimes a bit calculating, was gone. The purple-haired girl sat alone on a small single sofa, wearing a mask and deep in thought, seemingly pondering something.

With no one to liven things up, Hatsune realized that apart from Yutenji Wakana, no one in Ave Mujica would take the initiative to talk to others.

Everyone was like strangers under the same roof, gathered together for their own purposes, but also at risk of falling apart at any moment.

But no, if Ave Mujica disbands, won't I be unable to stay by Xiaoxiang's side?

I pleaded with Mr. Youyu so hard before he agreed to help me.

Mingming had finally managed to be with Xiaoxiang and was entrusting her with her life.

Obviously...

Hatsune lowered her head, looking at her eyes reflected in the tea in her cup. She knew she had to do something to liven things up.

"Speaking of which, the concert is starting in a few days."

The sudden sound was particularly clear in the silent office, but apart from Hachiman Kairin, who was leaning against her desk waiting for Toyokawa Yuu and was somewhat idle, no one seemed to pay much attention to her remarks.

It's not working...

Hatsune felt somewhat frustrated by the fact that no one paid attention to her comment, but since she had already started the conversation, stopping now would only make things more awkward.

"I heard the tickets sold out very quickly. A lot of people are really looking forward to the concert. I just saw actress Mori Nami expressing her excitement online. Come to think of it, she's Xiao Mu's..."

The sound suddenly stopped, and the last few words that Hatsune Miku didn't finish saying were stuck in her throat and she couldn't squeeze them out.

It's not that these words still had no effect, or that they were ignored by others.

On the contrary, the effect of this simple sentence was almost too good, and everyone's eyes were focused on her at almost the same time.

Toyokawa Shoko raised her amber eyes, her gaze somewhat stern, as if signaling her to quickly move on from the topic.

Wakaba Mutsu, holding his guitar, glanced at her with an incomprehensible look before silently lowering his head.

Even Yutenji Wakana, who was somewhat withdrawn today, cast a glance at him.

“Ms. Mori Minami has sponsored some of Ave Mujica’s activities, so it’s only natural that she would pay attention to this kind of thing.”

Hachiman Kairin, who had been leaning against the desk with half of her buttocks pressed against the edge, started a conversation, easing Hatsune's embarrassment.

She was certainly aware of the somewhat strange atmosphere in the office, but given her personality, she naturally wouldn't be the one to take the initiative to change it.

But as long as someone is willing to take the lead and assume responsibility, she wouldn't mind joining in with a few words of agreement.

“Mr. Yu Yu told me privately that Ms. Minami seems to be very concerned about the development of Ave Mujica, probably not just because she is optimistic about its potential.”

Chapter 51 Extramarital Affair (?)

For reasons unknown, Hachiman Kairin deliberately emphasized that it was in private.

It seems that their relationship extends beyond work; Toyokawa Yuu also trusts them deeply in their personal life.

As Hachiman Kairin finished speaking, the atmosphere in the office became even more strange, except this time everyone shifted their attention from Hatsune Miku to Wakaba Mutsumi.

Seeing that Wakaba Mutsumi was looking down beside her and seemed unwilling to discuss the topic, Toyokawa Shoko hesitated slightly and gently placed her hand on his forearm.

She actually knew that Ruoye Mutsu's family atmosphere was somewhat strange.

"Ave Mujica is not a band that succeeds because of other people's approval; it's just normal commercial sponsorship. There's no need for you to put your talent below the evaluation of others."

"Timoris, don't bring up this topic in front of Mortis again."

The office door was pushed open, and a young man in a suit, carrying a stack of documents, walked towards his desk while speaking to stop the topic from escalating further.

“Ave Mujica’s success is built on your talents, so there is no need to be self-deprecating or attribute your achievements to the adoration of others.”

Sitting down in her office chair, Toyokawa Yuu looked into Hachiman Kairin's eyes, gesturing for her to nod and move on from the topic.

Although I used to complain about the poor soundproofing of this office, and that people outside the door could always hear some noises.

But now, Yuu Toyokawa herself is also enjoying the benefits of poor sound insulation.

Let's let this topic expand a bit more, and maybe we'll get one step closer to Mortis being released by Wakaba Mutsu.

Yuu Toyokawa did intend to recruit that acting monster to his own cause, so that he could use both his talent and the future power of the Wakaba family. Therefore, he had been subtly putting pressure on the Ave Mujica team.

However, Mortis can only be his monster, and he must control the entire process of creating psychological pressure on Wakaba Mutsu.

Toyokawa Yuu didn't want Mortis, along with the future power of the Wakaba family, to fall into the wrong hands.

"I understand, I misspoke this time."

Nodding calmly, Hachiman Kairin frankly admitted her mistake.

She wasn't the kind of person who stubbornly refused to back down, and she trusted Toyokawa Yuu's judgment, just as Toyokawa Yuu chose to trust her.

Since Yuu Toyokawa said she misspoke, then let's just say she was wrong.

"Youyu, why are you so late?"

Turning off her tablet, Toyokawa Shoko looked at Toyokawa Yuu, who had just sat down, a hint of inquiry flashing in her amber eyes.

Logically speaking, even if it's necessary to discuss business with Yutaka Honda and the subsequent cooperation, it shouldn't take this long.

According to Xiangzi's calculations, Toyokawa Yuu wasted at least two hours outside... for reasons she herself didn't even know.

I should have just told him that he was also something I controlled.

She could tolerate him using her title of "Miss Toyokawa" to intimidate others, but only if... she knew about it.

"I ran into a friend from your old band, a girl named Nagasaki Sose, on the street. We chatted for a while. What's up?"

When questioned by Toyokawa Shoko, Toyokawa Yuu remained naturally in her seat, as if she were discussing something trivial.

"Soyo... that shouldn't have taken this long, and how did you two meet?"

Toyokawa Shoko never expected that Yuu Toyokawa would mention her past as a member of CRYCHIC.

But soon, she discovered the blind spot in the problem: Toyokawa Yuu had no reason to know them at all.

"I think I met her when I took Yu-Yu to [RING] for breakfast. At that time, Yu-Yu had just finished working all night and fell asleep on the table. I had other band work to do at the time, so I asked Li-Xi to look after Yu-Yu. When I left, I also saw her bandmates from her current band."

Yawata Kairin took the initiative to speak and defend Toyokawa Yuu.

She knew that when faced with such an interrogation, which was almost like a census, the answers she got from a third party were more credible.

Moreover, this is simply a fact.

"It shouldn't be this late, Soyo isn't a talkative person."

Her gaze swept over Hai Ling, who was leaning against the desk. Toyokawa Shoko tentatively accepted this statement, but still questioned the timing.

"It's all thanks to you. Do you know how much I had to talk to cover up your information?"

He made up some excuse and brushed the question off.

In fact, even Toyokawa Yuu herself did not expect to return so late.

Sitting on a bench illuminated by streetlights, enjoying the evening breeze, I pondered the advice of the pink sun in my mind, only to realize when I came to my senses that I was already late.

I don't know how the precious time passed, or even what answers I came up with, or whether I got any answers at all. I just threw the empty bottle into the trash can.

After rushing back to the agency, I happened to hear Hatsune's nonsensical remarks outside the door, as well as Hachiman Kairin's bold and witty response.

However, it was impossible to tell Toyokawa Shoko these thoughts.