A guide to survival in a heavy girl's world

Realizing that everyone was looking at her, Nagasaki Suyo's originally calm expression suddenly became shaken.

"I never thought Chihaya Aine would take such bold photos and post them online!"

"That's exactly what's happening, so there's no need to get so excited, Nagasaki-san."

Sankaku Hatsuka smiled as she looked at Nagasaki Suyo, whose face had begun to turn slightly red.

"Anyway, that night has passed peacefully. No one will blame you now...right, Xiangzi."

"...Huh? Why are you asking me?"

"Yeah, why ask Xiangzi!"

"Hum..."

Compared to love, these girls' intentions, calculations and actions are so easy to understand.

With just these few of them, there is probably no hope of conquering Mr. Tetsuya, this "stubborn stone".

Ding dong——!

Just as Sanjiao Chuhua was still daydreaming, the doorbell suddenly rang.

And the next second, when Chihaya Tetsuya appeared in front of everyone, the girls present were all stunned in their places——

Chapter 17: How to maintain a sense of happiness and security

"Ah~ You must be the designer my daughter mentioned! I heard about you from Su Shi. Thank you for taking care of my daughter!"

"You're exaggerating. I'm the one being taken care of."

"You're a little too thin, aren't you? Do you really eat well?"

"I'm trying to gain weight..."

"Is that so? That's a shame! If I didn't have that meeting tonight, I would have just bought some wine!"

"Well, well... I'm still a year away from drinking, so..."

"...Huh? Are you kidding? You're only nineteen? Hahahaha! What? She's still a child! Anyway, Aine-chan is the same age as my daughter, isn't she?"

"Yes!"

"What a cute kid! By the way, a 19-year-old designer...that's amazing! You're definitely going to be quite a remarkable person in the future!"

“…………”*n

Looking at the mature woman who was laughing, Chihaya Aine who was talking and laughing, and Chihaya Tetsuya who was sandwiched between the two and looked at a loss, everyone couldn't help but show a stunned expression.

The first person to recover from the shock was naturally Nagasaki Suyo——

"Mom! What are you doing?!"

She was so shaken that she even forgot to use the elegant words that were always emphasized in aristocratic schools.

"It's really rude of you to treat your guests like this!"

"kindness?"

Hearing Nagasaki Suyo's exclamation, Nagasaki Suyo's mother was stunned at first, and then said with a carefree look:

"Oh, it's okay, it's okay. As a man, Xiaozhe won't care, right?"

"……Yes."

Upon hearing this name, Chihaya Tetsuya's face suddenly showed a helpless expression.

"Your happiness is more important than anything else..."

"Ahhh, really! Mom!!!"

Seeing Chihaya Tetsuya's increasingly bitter expression, Nagasaki Suyo rushed to her mother and pulled her away from Chihaya Tetsuya.

"You must be very tired from working all day, right? Go back to your room and get some rest!"

"Eh? What are you talking about? I'm not tired at all now!"

Nagasaki Suyo's mother couldn't help but put her hands on her hips and said:

"Compared to that, I haven't greeted anyone yet~ Hi everyone, I'm Su Shi's mom, you can call me auntie or sister!"

“…Really!”

Looking at the "childish boy" who excitedly ran to greet others, Nagasaki Suyo immediately covered her face with shame.

"I really shouldn't have let her come..."

"...What a lively mother."

Chihaya Tetsuya, who was finally able to escape temporarily, couldn't help but sigh:

“It’s completely different from what I imagined a workaholic to be.”

"I'm sorry...my mother has caused you trouble."

Even Nagasaki Suyo, who always liked to argue with Chihaya Tetsuya, didn't have the face to speak ill of Chihaya Tetsuya at this moment.

"Well, I mean... she's great at work, but she's always been childish. Whenever she sees someone or something that interests her, she'll cling to them like a little kid..."

"..."

After hearing this, Chihaya Tetsuya immediately turned his head and looked towards the living room.

At this time, Nagasaki Motoyo's mother was sitting next to the embarrassed Toyokawa Shoko, happily chatting with her, while Sankaku Hatsuka was sitting on the other side of Toyokawa Shoko with a smile on her face, and would occasionally join in a few words...

"What a pleasant gentleman indeed."

“…She’s always been like that.”

Nagasaki Suyo also looked over there, with an indescribable helplessness and fatigue in her eyes.

"I don't care about other people's opinions or feelings at all, I just immerse myself in my own world."

Having said that, she couldn't help but sigh.

"But ultimately, this is all my fault. If I hadn't told her about your independent venture, she definitely wouldn't have been so enthusiastic about coming to this celebration... She's more interested in your personal brand than our band."

"…………"

Hearing this, Chihaya Tetsuya subconsciously looked at Nagasaki Suyo.

As expected, Chihaya Tetsuya saw the clear distance and loneliness on the profile of the person who was clearly looking not far away.

……

"Shigasaki-san."

Chihaya Tetsuya said as he picked up the gift bag he had been holding.

"This is a gift, please accept it."

"...You're not?"

Nagasaki Suyo couldn't help but be dumbfounded.

"Let's not talk about the fact that bringing gifts for a celebration is inherently unnatural. As a contributor to this live, how should I accept gifts from someone who is preparing something in return?"

"Speaking of the heroes of that Live, you must be counted, right?"

Chihaya Tetsuya handed the gift bag to Nagasaki Suyo.

"The costumes Xiangzi and I created were merely the conditions for the success of the live, and you were the one who made the most of them. And... you also made a lot of silent efforts behind the scenes to make this live possible, right? Whether it was communicating with me or offering encouragement and guidance to them when they encountered problems."

"..."

After hearing this, Nagasaki Suyo suddenly widened her eyes slightly.

"I didn't do anything so remarkable. I just... conveyed to them the principles you and Xiangzi taught me in another way."

"That's really not candid."

Chihaya Tetsuya laughed and shook his head.

"Then, take it as my thanks. Thank you for forming a band with my sister, and thank you for forgiving Fengchuan for those... stupid things he did before."

"You are not allowed to say that about Xiangzi."

Nagasaki Suyo took the bag unhappily.

"However, I will accept your 'thank you'..."

As she spoke, she opened the gift bag.

But when she saw what was in the gift bag, her originally somewhat unfrank expression instantly turned into a dull one.

"This is……"

She slowly pulled out the gift and muttered absentmindedly:

"Album?"

“Yes, it’s a photo album.”

Chihaya Tetsuya nodded.

"Nagasaki-san's previous obsession with Crychik stemmed from a lack of security and a sense of belonging, wasn't it? Being forced to leave your hometown, feeling alienated by your new surroundings, being unable to keep your band, and having a mother who couldn't reassure you... these experiences left you feeling anxious and vulnerable, and left you feeling completely helpless... But things are different now."

Chihaya Tetsuya said:

"You and Toyokawa Kazumi have resolved their misunderstandings and restored your relationship. Your new band now shares a common goal, and you even performed a live together that proved your future together. The song that once ended everything has become your beginning again, and the things you cherish will become even more from this moment on."

"However, for someone like you who has always lacked a sense of security, these alone are certainly not enough to fully sustain this fleeting joy. So, how about using photos to preserve these things in a physical form... starting with today's celebration."

Looking at the girl who slowly held the photo album in her arms, Chihaya Tetsuya smiled and asked:

"How about this gift, Nagasaki-san? Do you like it?"

Chapter 18: The Businessman's Return

Although there were some minor setbacks, the celebration party finally started smoothly.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere at the celebration party, though somewhat chaotic due to the presence of Nagasaki Motoyo's mother, was never silent or awkward. Everyone naturally began chatting and enjoying the snacks and treats that Nagasaki Motoyo had prepared for everyone.

Since it was a celebration party for the Live, the topic of conversation quickly turned to music and performances.

As a complete layman on these topics, Chihaya Tetsu has no intention of joining in.

In order to make their conversation more enjoyable, Chihaya Tetsuya went directly to the balcony, listening to the laughter in the house while enjoying the broad view brought by the balcony of the high-rise apartment.

It was already approaching summer, but the sky had not yet become dark.

When he lowered his head, he could still see the pedestrians and vehicles on the street, but the familiar hustle and bustle did not reach his ears as expected.

For Nagasaki Suyo, does this tranquility bring peace or loneliness?

"...You're just like a guardian who's staying out of the matter, Tetsuya-chan."

Suddenly, a slightly teasing voice coming from the side made Chihaya Tetsuya look away.

"Don't you want to go in and chat with them?"

"I have no say in matters of music."

Chihaya Tetsuya shook his head.

"Or rather, apart from clothing, I don't really know much about anything."

"But it's because you've always focused on one thing that you've been able to achieve such results among your peers, right?"

Nagasaki Suyo's mother held a can of beer she found in the refrigerator.

She took a sip first, then said:

"I'm the same. I don't know how to do anything except work, so I've messed up my family..."

"…………"

Upon hearing this, Chihaya Tetsuya was slightly stunned.

It seems that this mother is not as indifferent to anything except her own affairs as Nagasaki and I thought.

"I just saw that you gave Su Shi a photo album, right?"

"Yes."