After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

"...Is this your explanation? If I remember correctly, you already partially rejected this request this morning."

Upon hearing Toyokawa Yuu's explanation, Toyokawa Shoko's somewhat agitated expression gradually calmed down, but the anger in her amber eyes did not diminish at all; on the contrary, it intensified.

If she had just met Toyokawa Yuu and they hadn't known each other for long, and their understanding of each other wasn't very deep, she might actually have been fooled by this rhetoric.

Then they believed it to be true and took most of the blame upon themselves.

Just like how Toyokawa Shoko blocked Yutenji Wakana back then, coaxing and deceiving her into signing a contract of servitude.

But now that she has a deeper understanding of her fiancé, she is naturally no longer so easily fooled.

Perhaps every word this boy uttered was true, but not a single word was sincere; they were all lies used to cover up the truth.

"This is not an explanation, just a simple fact... You can think back carefully, Miss Xiangzi. From the time I met you until now, have I ever compromised on any of your requests? Without exception, I have fulfilled all your requests."

Facing Toyokawa Shoko's questioning gaze, Toyokawa Yuu didn't feel much guilty.

After all, everything he said was true.

As for whether he will take the opportunity to seek something during this period, and whether Toyokawa Shoko's request will be fulfilled in the way she hopes, that depends on Toyokawa Yuu's own thoughts.

Seeing Yuu Toyokawa's feigned composure, Shoko Toyokawa felt a tightness in her chest.

Her shoulders swayed slightly, her amber eyes fixed on her fiancé, and she didn't utter a single word for a long time.

Of course, she could see that Toyokawa Yuu was just using what she had said before as a shield.

After they both admitted that they were nothing more than vampires stabbing each other in the back, such petty tricks could no longer fool her.

But knowing something doesn't mean that Toyokawa Shoko could find sufficiently rigorous wording to refute it in such an emotional state.

However, Toyokawa Shoko was not the only one in this office who wanted to have a serious talk with Toyokawa Yuu.

“Then, Mr. Youyu, I want to know why you cut off all contact with me, and why there was no one there when I arrived at the address you gave me.”

Yahata Kairin's voice interrupted their conversation. Today, unusually, she hadn't changed into her Ave Mujica stage outfit in the office, but instead was wearing her usual black leather jacket.

There was an implicit sense that she was excluding herself from the band called Ave Mujica.

With her emerald-like eyes fixed on Toyokawa Yuu, Hachiman Kairin was completely baffled.

She didn't understand why Toyokawa Yuu would stand her up.

If she simply didn't want to tell me where she was going, she could keep it a secret. She wasn't planning on digging into everything.

But why resort to such deception?

"Timoris, outside of work hours, I am not obligated to answer every call. I also need some personal space occasionally. I remember I sent you a message telling you not to contact me."

Facing Hachiman Kairin, Toyokawa Yuu resumed her usual businesslike demeanor.

However, this time, the meaning behind his words was somewhat unexpected.

Official business should be handled officially, but outside of working hours, he is not obligated to handle official business unconditionally.

That makes sense, but the sudden change in attitude left Hachiman Kairin somewhat at a loss.

She could understand that she had messed up her work the night before, so Toyokawa Yuu would have doubts about her abilities.

But why can't they even accept communicating with themselves?

I went through my entire contact list to book the best psychologist, trying my best to do everything perfectly, all to win back his attitude, right?

Even though he hadn't made a single mistake since the unexpected situation last night, he had even revealed to Toyokawa Shoko's location in advance, using the captain's name to ask him to reveal it.

In Hachiman Kairin's view, Toyokawa Yuu's act of standing her up and leaving with Wakaba Mutsu at the agreed location was undoubtedly an expression of dissatisfaction with her.

It's fine to express dissatisfaction, since I did make a mistake at work, but why did I show such an attitude that didn't even give them a chance to make amends?

It wasn't like this last night.

Seeing Hachiman Kairin's somewhat helpless expression, Toyokawa Yuu's eyes flickered slightly, but his face remained expressionless.

"Furthermore, I should have told you that the number was only for emergencies. There were no emergencies today, but you overstepped your authority."

At this point, Toyokawa Yuu paused, then her tone became more forceful.

“Timoris, you said on my first day at Ave Mujica that you didn’t want any power struggles because of my arrival, but now you’ve broken that boundary yourself… As my deputy, you’re meddling too much.”

Although it's unclear why Yawata Kairin suddenly turned against him and betrayed him ten years ago, Toyokawa Yuu is certain of one thing: it must have been because some of his actions went against her wishes.

So, on the way back to the Toyokawa family with Wakaba Mutsumi to retrieve the guitar, he was betrayed.

Logically, he should find out the specific reasons for Hachiman Kairin's betrayal ten years later and then try to find a way to avoid it... But Toyokawa Yuu knew that that would be like drinking poison to quench thirst.

If I really do that, even if I don't get into a car accident on my way home, I'll eventually find myself in danger for other reasons.

The reason is simple: ten years later, Hachiman Kairin is no longer his subordinate or his ally, but a superior whom he needs to rely on.

And ten years later, she had already realized this.

A widower who has lost all power and influence naturally has to rely on a female CEO of a company with whom he has a past relationship.

If he could win over Hachiman Kairin, he wouldn't hesitate to have her risk her life for him.

But Yuu Toyokawa doesn't intend to do that.

This feeling of putting all his eggs in one basket brought him absolutely no sense of security.

What he needs is assistance that he can utilize without having to tread on thin ice, not a double-edged sword that will turn on him at the slightest inconvenience.

Therefore, we cannot be as lenient with Hachiman Kairin as we were before.

She needs to understand that a deputy is ultimately just a deputy, and what she receives from him is truly hers.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Yuyu. It was my oversight. I promise I won't make the same mistake again."

After pursing her lips and lowering her head for a long time, Hachiman Kairin finally squeezed out these words from her throat.

His voice carried a hint of unease, as if he was genuinely reflecting on his actions.

Seeing that Hachiman Kairin had taken the initiative to back down, Toyokawa Yuu knew that her plan was progressing smoothly.

Whether this concession is genuine or not, the attitude itself is already a good start.

"From now on, try to wear your performance costume when gathering."

After delivering another blow to Hachiman Kairin, burying her head even deeper, Toyokawa Yuu turned her gaze back to Toyokawa Shoko in front of her.

He might have managed to settle things with Hachiman Kairin for now, but his fiancée wasn't so easy to control.

“Youyu, since you said you have no obligation to handle work outside of working hours, but now it is working hours and this is your workplace, let’s talk about business.”

Looking at Yuu Toyokawa and Kairin Hachiman with her amber eyes, Shoko Toyokawa's eyes revealed a businesslike expression.

That look in her eyes was exactly the same as Toyokawa Yuu's on ordinary days.

The only difference is that she wasn't assigning tasks, but rather holding people accountable.

She knew that although Toyokawa Yuu usually appeared to be very businesslike, he didn't really distinguish between business and personal matters as clearly as he seemed.

The fact that she used her status as the eldest daughter of the Toyokawa family to seek personal gain is still vivid in my mind.

If you want him to obey, you have to control all the benefits he can access.

“I’ve always been in charge of the performances on stage, while you, Youyu, have been in charge of everything behind the scenes. But last night proved that your work behind the scenes has run into problems, and you even need to make concessions on stage to compensate for it.”

Looking at her fiancé sitting across from her, Toyokawa Shoko stared directly into his amber eyes, oblivious to everyone else.

"Now, as the captain of Ave Mujica, I formally question your ability as a manager. At the very least, the deputy you appointed made a major mistake in his work, which almost caused the concert to fail. I demand the impeachment of Hachiman Kairin's power as deputy, and at the same time, I question whether you are capable of handling so many jobs at the same time."

Upon hearing Toyokawa Shoko's words, Hachiman Kairin frowned, her expression turning extremely unpleasant.

He thought that Yuu Toyokawa's dissatisfaction with him was already a very serious problem, but now it seems that not only is he being alienated by Yuu Toyokawa in terms of attitude, but he is also being impeached by Shoko Toyokawa in terms of authority within the team.

"Wait, this topic should have been discussed last night, right?"

Taking a deep breath and letting the cool air rush into her mouth, Hachiman Kairin finally felt her mind clear up a bit.

“I have never felt that Mr. Yuu has been slack in his work, and he has tried his best to meet your requests, Mr. Toyokawa.”

"On the contrary, it's Toyokawa-kun who's always making all sorts of unreasonable demands, which is the real cause of the band's frequent problems. What you're doing is incredibly irresponsible towards the band..."

Just as she was about to step forward and argue with Toyokawa Shoko, Hachiman Kairin saw Toyokawa Yuu raise her hand towards her, signaling her not to get involved.

Without even seeking Hachiman Kairin's consent, Toyokawa Yuu declared in this manner that he was acting on her behalf.

In response, Hachiman Kairin opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing, choosing to comply and compromise.

“Then, as Ave Mujica’s manager, I would like to formally question your ability as the team leader. I never ask what happens in the rehearsal room, but Mujica’s loss of control last night was obviously related to the pressure you have been putting on her these past few days. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have needed to take Mujica to counseling today.”

Looking into Toyokawa Shoko's amber eyes, it was Toyokawa Yuu's turn to speak this time, and even the words she uttered were exactly the same.

"I think you are also not fully capable of fulfilling the responsibilities of a team leader. At least in terms of caring for the physical and mental health of the team members and ensuring that psychological problems do not lead to performance mistakes, you are no longer able to provide a satisfactory answer."

Their gazes met in mid-air. The two treacherous vampires, each trying to exploit the other, were equally unwilling to yield an inch, and simultaneously bared their fangs at each other.

The power struggle within a rising band unfolded in the band's office the day after their concert had achieved worldly success.

"...It seems that neither of us is willing to compromise on this matter."

The two stared at each other in silence for a moment before Toyokawa Yuu broke the deadlock.

"It depends on your attitude, Youyu. I already made my attitude clear to you this morning."

Looking into Yuu Toyokawa's eyes, Shoko Toyokawa uttered a meaningful sentence.

"So... since neither of us is willing to compromise, I propose that both sides relinquish the authority that has been questioned by the other and hand it over to new people to handle."

"Timoris's power as the deputy, and my absolute decision-making power over the rehearsal content as the captain, right...? Who is the person you've chosen?"

Shoko Toyokawa frowned instinctively at Yuu Toyokawa's suggestion.

She was quite aware of her fiancé's opportunistic nature; even if her authority and power were shaken, he wouldn't consider removing her from the picture.

Rather than the so-called stop-loss, what he always pursues is the profit beyond that.

Like a gambler with strange behavior, who clearly can't afford to lose, but never considers what will happen if he loses, as if he doesn't need a chance to make a comeback.

It's just unknown who he has chosen.

The fact that he dared to make this suggestion shows that he has considerable confidence in his control over that person.

As one of the parties involved, Yawata Kairin has already been eliminated.

There are only three members left in the band: Mutsu is his other half, Chuka is his childhood friend, and Yutenji Ruomai's contract is also in his hands.

She couldn't imagine that Toyokawa Yuu would think that choosing anyone would be more advantageous for him.

Under the somewhat surprised gazes of Hachiman Kairin and Toyokawa Shoko, Toyokawa Yuu pointed her finger at Wakaba Mutsumi beside her.

"Doloris is too busy to manage two bands, and Amoris is short-sighted and has no relevant experience. This role... is naturally best suited for Xiao Mu."

Upon seeing the candidate recommended by Toyokawa Yuu, Toyokawa Shoko's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at her own upper body.

A bad feeling quietly spread in her heart.

P.S.: This chapter is 7k words, but I've also revised some content from the previous chapter. I feel like my mental state is getting worse, and my update time is getting later and later. Sometimes I even have to publish it first and then revise it if I can't make it in time. I have to adjust.

Chapter 84 Yu Yu, Come Back Here (6k)

"Mu..."

Looking at her own lowered and silent body, Toyokawa Shoko called out softly, but it only made her lower her head slightly and remain silent.

There's nothing strange about that. Unlike when he was a child, Wakaba Mutsu has developed this quiet personality at some point.

However, Toyokawa Yuu should know that someone with Wakaba Mutsu's introverted personality shouldn't be able to do this kind of thing smoothly.

Not everyone can be as adept at commanding people as Hachiman Kairin.

In the end, if Ye Mu couldn't handle something, he would still have to help her deal with it, which was equivalent to handing over some decision-making power within the team to himself.

but......

Looking at her fiancé with her amber eyes, Toyokawa Shoko frowned slightly.

Could my fiancé, who's always thinking about getting more benefits, really be this kind?

"...Alright, since you're planning to leave some things to Mu, I have no objection."

After a moment of silence, Toyokawa Shoko finally nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

She didn't actually want to accept the offer. Just performing on stage was already putting immense pressure on Wakaba Mutsu. Taking on additional team duties made Toyokawa Shoko very worried about whether her sensitive soul could withstand the pressure.

But right now, there really isn't a more suitable candidate.

Yuu Toyokawa is right. With Hatsuka handling the work of two teams simultaneously, she definitely won't be able to take on these other tasks.