After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Perhaps it was the rematch against Asukayama tonight that brought out Toyokawa Shoko's softer side again; compared to her previous toughness, she showed a bit more empathy.

For the first time, she realized that this boy, who always used everything by any means necessary and would seize any opportunity to take the lead, was actually in a more desperate situation than she was.

As the adopted son-in-law of the Toyokawa family, he had never seen him at home before he ran away.

She lost her parents' love, while he... never had it.

From the very beginning, he was seen as a vassal, a tool for him to smoothly inherit and seize power.

His desire for freedom and independence probably surpasses even his own.

For a fleeting moment, Toyokawa Shoko understood a little better about Toyokawa Yuu's constant struggle for dominance within the team.

"Would you like to work with me... to find a way to break free from the Toyokawa family's control?"

Recalling the request that Yuu Toyokawa had made to her when they first met in the coffee shop, Shoko Toyokawa's eyes darkened.

In his heart, he probably always saw himself as the biggest villain, and his life was ruined the moment he became involved with someone.

He even has to take on the burden of his own life.

The atmosphere, which had finally become a little lively, turned dull again.

Fortunately, the sudden ringing of the doorbell saved Toyokawa Shoko from her awkward situation.

Taking out her phone, Toyokawa Shoko was taken aback when she saw the contact information displayed on it. Her previously indifferent eyes revealed a hint of annoyance and embarrassment once again.

【Akaban Police Station】

Just by seeing this address, Toyokawa Shoko already guessed what had happened that her alcoholic father hadn't come home at this hour.

If it were just me, then it wouldn't matter how I acted in front of Youyu.

Anyway, the other party had already seen his weak side, but as for his father's words...

She didn't want her father to leave Toyokawa Yuu with the impression of being an incompetent alcoholic, even though it was a fact that the other party had already heard about it and had even just cleaned up the liquor jars together.

However, that is still different from seeing it with your own eyes.

But you can't just ignore the police station's calls.

Turning her back as if deceiving herself, Toyokawa Shoko answered the phone, and the expected notification came through.

"I'm so sorry to have troubled you so many times. I'll go and bring my father back right away..."

Exhausted, Shoko Toyokawa apologized to the police officer on the other end of the phone. After experiencing so much today, Shoko was mentally exhausted.

But it seems she can't rest yet.

Turning off her phone screen, Toyokawa Shoko leaned against the wall of her rented room, looking at the dilapidated ceiling, and sighed wearily, seemingly oblivious to the fact that her words and actions had been observed by Toyokawa Yuu.

"I have to go out again, Youyu, you should go back first."

After resting for a while, Toyokawa Shoko slowly spoke, then turned around and prepared to drag her tired body out the door.

"Forget it, I'll go myself. I told you I wanted to see a fully recovered Oblivionis the next day."

Standing in front of the not-so-wide entrance to the rented house, Toyokawa Yuu looked at the somewhat tired Toyokawa Shoko and blocked her way.

When Toyokawa Shoko answered the phone just now, she made no attempt to hide it from him.

She didn't lower her voice at all; in fact, she played it on speakerphone, so he could hear her conversation with the police station clearly.

Is this a way to demonstrate trust and win people's hearts, or is it an attempt to gain sympathy by playing the victim and thus induce them to make concessions?

Several possibilities flashed through her mind, and Toyokawa Yuu found herself unable to see through the behavior of the young lady in front of her for the first time.

Is it because after recovering from the vulnerable and cuddly state just now, that your mind has started to become more profound?

Although she couldn't fathom Toyokawa Shoko's thoughts, there was at least one thing that Toyokawa Yuu could figure out.

This is an opportunity to meet directly with Toyokawa Kiyoko, bypassing Toyokawa Shoko.

There are some topics that are not suitable to be discussed in front of Toyokawa Shoko, and Toyokawa Kiyoko will definitely not say them as long as Shoko is present.

Therefore, it's better to do this job of going to the police station to bail someone out yourself.

“I understand... You will definitely bring my father back safely for my sake, right?”

After a moment of silence, Toyokawa Shoko nodded, took a card from her bag, and handed it to Toyokawa Yuu.

That was a My Number card that represented her personal information, similar to an ID card. When she went to Starlight Plaza shopping center to swindle people using the Toyokawa family's name, Toyokawa Yuu wanted to get this card.

Having this thing to pick up people from the police station in place of Toyokawa Shoko really saves a lot of trouble.

But in Toyokawa Yuu’s opinion, it was somewhat of a waste of talent.

The My Number card of the eldest daughter of the Toyokawa family is, in a sense, second only to the eldest daughter herself in usefulness. I never expected that Toyokawa Shoko would entrust this to me at such a time.

"give it to me."

As a result, Toyokawa Shoko's My Number card was used, and Toyokawa Yuu turned and walked towards the door.

With this, he would have a much better chance of convincing Toyokawa Kiyoko to be his mine-clearing soldier.

"Wait, Yuu."

Just before the door was closed, Toyokawa Shoko's voice reached Toyokawa Yuu's ears.

"You won't run away from me, will you?"

What does it mean?

Is he doubting his resolve to join this treacherous alliance? Or is he testing his attitude towards the Toyokawa family?

After being broken down by Nagasaki Sase for the second time, this young lady's thoughts became increasingly incomprehensible.

With his back to Toyokawa Shoko, he frowned. Even he didn't know where to begin with this straightforward question that might contain a special meaning.

But there is one thing that Toyokawa Yuu can be at ease about.

"If I could do it, I really would."

Unfortunately, that's impossible.

The wooden door, which made a creaking sound, closed, cutting off Toyokawa Shoko's view.

This also prevented Toyokawa Yuu from noticing the girl's darkening gaze the moment the door closed.

He wanted to escape... but that couldn't be allowed.

When she opened her eyes again, the girl's gaze became resolute once more, just as it had been the night before.

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

The entertainment agency is still brightly lit tonight, and the idol groups and bands under its management are still busy working on their future. But inside the building, a new topic of conversation has quietly emerged.

The recently concluded Ave Mujica concert was a great success.

If the concert had been a normal event, it wouldn't have attracted so much attention.

This up-and-coming band proved at their debut performance that fame is just a matter of time, given their wild and unconventional style and undeniable talent.

If this concert proceeds in a conventional manner, it will be a great success.

But no one expected that this concert would be so unique; not only the audience, but even the backstage staff were surprised.

According to reports, the change of plans was made at the last minute by the newly appointed agent and Ave Mujica's team to inform backstage staff.

From plunging the performance hall into darkness to Mortis's frenzied performance, he even fooled the staff, all to "make the performance more authentic."

This behavior of not communicating with the people behind the scenes beforehand can't even be described as confidence; it's downright arrogance.

Worship, questioning, exploration, reflection...

Various whispers drifted through the night, quietly reaching Ave Mujica's office.

But at this moment, the office located in the center of the discussion was unusually quiet, with only one member present.

Yawata Kairin closed the contact list in her hand and let out a long breath. On the white paper in front of her, she had already copied down the information of several qualified psychologists.

She has a somewhat stubborn and obstinate personality. Since Toyokawa Shoko publicly questioned her abilities due to a mistake during a concert, she would naturally try to make that question disappear.

Therefore, she will do her job meticulously.

I went through the entire contact list and found all the psychologists who met my criteria.

Looking at the address book that Toyokawa Yuu had personally handed to her, Hachiman Kairin's expression was somewhat complicated.

If there was anything else to gain from flipping through the entire address book besides satisfying her stubbornness, it was that it made Hachiman Kairin realize one thing.

The trust that Toyokawa Yuu spoke of, like that of a right-hand man, was indeed true.

After thoroughly reviewing it, Yawata Kairin realized just how valuable this directory, which contained contact information and general details of people from all walks of life related to Ave Mujica's work, truly was.

This isn't some tangible form of money, but rather a more intangible value—connections.

This was most likely not something that Yuu Toyokawa had accumulated himself, but rather something that someone had specifically prepared for the band Ave Mujica, and then simply gave to Yuu Toyokawa to use.

The fact that the first page of the address book specifically states that calls can only be made from the landline in Ave Mujica's office is further evidence of this.

However, simply entrusting someone with something like this is itself a great act of trust.

The thought that she had doubted Toyokawa Yuu's trust made Hachiman Kairin feel ashamed.

However, she is not the type to chase after people to apologize; she prefers to show her apology through actions rather than words.

The first thing to do is to solidify the work assigned to you to an unquestionable degree.

Getting up from the sofa, Yawata Kairin turned her gaze to the landline on her desk. The most tedious step was complete; all that remained was to schedule appointments with all the eligible doctors.

When Yuu Toyokawa goes to work tomorrow, these choices will be presented to him, and he can choose the doctor he prefers before canceling the others.

Looking at the paper in her hand that represented the results of her work, Hachiman Kairin was, to be honest, a little excited.

In theory, he is Toyokawa Yuu's deputy.

But when she realized that Yuu Toyokawa would only choose from the few options she had given, she felt a feeling she had never experienced before.

Before experiencing her first betrayal, she always commanded others with an absolutely dominant and superior attitude.

But this time, it was the first time she had ever acted as a subordinate, directing and commanding her superior.

Even Hachiman Kairin found it hard to describe the feeling, but the thought that Toyokawa Yuu would only have these few options in her eyes the next day made her heart beat faster.

So……

My gaze fell on the box of drinks on the coffee table. It was the drink that Yuu Toyokawa had rushed out without remembering to drink. The straw, with its packaging torn open, sat quietly on the table.

A certain idea quietly rose in Hachiman Kairin's mind, making her somewhat tempted.

Straws left overnight will become contaminated with bacteria and should not be used again, so... probably no one will care...

A moment later, Hachiman Kairin sat in Toyokawa Yuu's office chair, holding a box of Little Panda drinks in her hand, while another box of identical drinks lay quietly in the same spot on the coffee table, with the straws in the torn packaging placed exactly as they were.

Grabbing the landline phone from her desk, Hachiman Kairin, with a straw in her mouth and her slightly narrowed eyes, seemed to be in a rather good mood.

Workplaces in Tokyo are heavily influenced by a hierarchical culture, and it is extremely rare for subordinates to use their superiors' desks.

But now that everyone has gone back, this little impulse, like a beverage that has just been switched, will go unnoticed.

Just as Hachiman Kairin was having this thought, the office door was suddenly pushed open without any warning, even before she had knocked.

"Yu-kun, congratulations! The concert was a great success and the online response was quite positive. I thought that the unexpected incident might have been a bit of a headache for you."

The way they entered, without any sense of distance or politeness, was completely unreserved.

Although she was offering words of congratulations, Hachiman Kairin could always detect a hint of insincerity in them.

But for her, now is not the time to worry about these details; Hachiman Kairin should be thinking about how to resolve her current awkward situation.

After all, she was now sitting in Toyokawa Yuu's office chair without any sense of identity, which was a rather small matter in Tokyo, where the hierarchical concept of workplace order was deeply ingrained.

Having just gained Toyokawa Yuu's trust, Hachiman Kairin didn't want to leave him with a bad impression at this time.

Last time it was due to a lack of ability, this time it's due to a lack of respect for hierarchy. If this continues, will Mr. Youyu still trust me?

"Huh? Yu-kun isn't here? The concert just achieved a major victory. I thought he would stay in the office to try to expand the results at such a crucial moment."

Seeing Hachiman Kairin sitting in Toyokawa Yuu's office chair, not having had time to get up, and looking somewhat embarrassed after being accidentally bumped into, Mori Minami's golden eyes narrowed involuntarily.

It seems I've discovered something interesting.

This must be Youyu-jun's assistant in the band; he's quite useful at sowing discord.

"You are...Ms. Minami Mori?"

Feigning composure, Hachiman Kairin rose from Toyokawa Yuu's office chair as a sign of respect, maintaining her expression as if nothing had happened.