After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Page 137

With her free fingertips tapping lightly on the desk, Yuu Toyokawa's gaze was somewhat conflicted, as if she were lost in thought.

He also realized that his attitude towards Wakaba Mutsu seemed to have crossed a line, which was not the proper attitude towards "things that belong to him".

At the very least, I should use her to do something. Wasn't that the plan I had when I first showed my goodwill to Wakaba Mutsu?

But......

Recalling the time before he left home that afternoon, a girl with long, light green hair saw him off from his bedside to the door. Although she remained silent and didn't utter a single syllable, her golden eyes conveyed a sense of reassurance that he didn't need to worry about her.

"call......"

As if deflated, Yuu Toyokawa slumped against the back of her office chair, admitting for the first time to herself that she felt somewhat helpless in dealing with Mutsumi Wakaba.

Should we let things drift?

But then, who can guarantee that when they return to ten years in the future, this girl will undergo some kind of change?

If she cannot control the power of the Ruoye family, she will be of no use to me, and may even be dragged into danger by me, just like last time.

A feeling of irritability, a sense of unease, has been creeping into Toyokawa Yuu's mind more and more frequently lately.

He knew he shouldn't be so biased towards Ruoye Mu. From the most pragmatic point of view, he should try to win over Metis while ensuring Ruoye Mu's continued existence.

At the very least, the body named [Wakaba Mutsu] must be brought under the dominance of Metis.

Based on past experience, Metis is the one more suited to wield power; at least in the past, she has been quite stable as the head of the Ruoye family.

However, Toyokawa Yuu was somewhat unwilling.

“Youyu…Mr. Youyu.”

A few calls brought Yuu Toyokawa back from her tangled thoughts. She looked up and saw that Hairin Hachiman had entered the office at some point, her emerald eyes looking at the somewhat tired boy leaning back in his office chair with some concern.

Recalling the information she received from Yutenji Wakame today, Hachiman Kairin began to realize that the matter that Toyokawa Yuu was dealing with was more complicated than she had imagined.

But what can I do to help him?

Are you tired? Or are you sick? You don't look well.

She tiptoed in front of the desk, leaned forward almost completely, stretched her arm across the desk, and reached her fingertips toward Toyokawa Yuu's forehead.

Hailing Hachiman, who had just arrived at the company, hadn't had time to go to the dressing room to change into Ave Mujica's outfit yet; she was still wearing the black leather jacket she wore when she was a backup bassist in other bands.

His sharp attire, combined with his forward-leaning posture, made him appear exceptionally imposing.

"I'm fine. I was just resting with my eyes closed while waiting for you to come to the office."

With her toes lightly touching the ground, before Hachiman Kairin's fingertips could touch her, Toyokawa Yuu's office chair quietly retreated an inch.

The girl's fair fingertips grazed Toyokawa Yuu's forehead by a hair's breadth, barely touching a strand of hair and stirring up a tiny breeze.

Her concerned expression froze. Hachiman Kairin had never expected this outcome. She remained motionless, half-lying on the desk.

To avoid making the situation too awkward, Toyokawa Yuu stood up from her chair to make her earlier action of gently avoiding the girl's fingertips seem less deliberate and stiff.

"Now that you're here, the others should be arriving soon. Please have a seat. I have something to announce later regarding the operational plan for the next period of time."

Walking past Hachiman Kairin who was standing in front of the desk, Toyokawa Yuu came out from behind the desk and poured her a cup of tea himself.

"...I'll go change my clothes first."

Slowly straightening up in front of her desk, Hachiman Kairin, with her back to Toyokawa Yuu, bit her lip with a complicated expression, but when she turned to face the boy, her expression had returned to normal.

Instead of accepting the tea offered by Yuu Toyokawa, the girl turned and walked to the wardrobe in the corner of the office, where she found Timoris's performance costume.

Instead of going to the dressing room in the rehearsal room as usual, Hachiman Kairin went straight into the office's attached bathroom and gently closed the door.

Now, it was Toyokawa Yuu's turn to feel a little embarrassed.

Just like the office door, which we had reported to the logistics department a long time ago but no one came to replace, the soundproofing of the bathroom door... is actually about the same.

Holding the teacup in her hand, Yuu Toyokawa hesitated for a long time, unsure whether to sit or leave.

Chapter 125 Hanasakikawa Also Possesses Amazing Wisdom (5k)

【puff--】

The girl clenched her fair hand into a fist and slammed it against the bathroom wall tiles as if venting her anger, leaving a barely audible thud. A few red marks faithfully appeared on Hachiman Kairin's knuckles.

With her lips slightly parted, the black-haired girl's shoulders heaved as she stared fiercely at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes filled with disappointment and resentment. After a moment, she laughed helplessly.

I feel so pathetic. I feel exactly like I did when those guys in that band abandoned me.

I'm forcing myself not to lose my composure in front of others, but my heart is pounding like crazy. I just want to escape to a place where no one can see me and take some time to get back on my feet.

But why does this happen?

Why is it that the more I try to care, the more I feel alienated?

That previous failure stemmed from my failure to consider my companions' feelings, but now, am I not being obsequious enough?

So, where exactly did things go wrong?

Why is it that Xiangzi, who keeps bothering Mr. Youyu, receives almost boundless favoritism, while I can't get him to even notice me no matter what I do?

He looks so tired and won't accept my concern. What if he collapses from exhaustion? What will happen to the band then?

Why... Mr. Yuyu never does things my way?

As she let out a long sigh of relief, Hachiman Kairin's shoulders slumped, and she seemed somewhat lost and bewildered.

She was unclear about the exact difference between herself and Toyokawa Shoko.

Is it because everyone revolves around Xiangzi? In terms of relationships with most of the band members, I really can't compare to her.

If he could be like Xiangzi, making others act according to his own ideas, would Mr. Youyu start to consider his own thoughts?

But what should I do...?

Amoris is alright; in a sense, she's just like me, an outsider who could be abandoned at any time. The important ones are Dolores and Mortis.

How can I get them on my side...? If this continues, Mr. Yuu will become increasingly distant from me.

Will I have to go through the same experience of being abandoned by the band again?

Taking two steps back and leaning her back against the bathroom wall, Hachiman Kairin's emerald-like eyes, after a moment of hesitation, gradually became focused and resolute.

No matter what, I have to do something, like Xiangzi did, to manage the interpersonal relationships within the band.

Thinking back to what Yutenji Wakana had told her at noon today—something that, in a sense, was actually meant to drag her into it—Hachiman Kairin's fingers tightened quietly.

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

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, Mr. Yuyu."

The bathroom door opened, and Yawata Kairin, who had changed into her Ave Mujica performance outfit, walked out.

She had changed out of her black leather jacket and short skirt that didn't cover her knees, and now they were draped over her arms.

Her emerald-like eyes swept across the office, trying to find the boy, but she found that Toyokawa Yuu seemed to have already left the room. Instead, someone who had a lot of complaints about her was sitting on the sofa.

"Youyu just went out."

Toyokawa Shoko sat on the sofa, holding a book of essays open in one hand and a teacup in the other.

That was the tea that Yuu Toyokawa had just poured for Kairin Hachiman, but she didn't take it. Instead, she took her clothes and went into the bathroom to change.

But now, the cup of tea is in Toyokawa Shoko's hands, and she has already drunk half of it.

"what happened?"

Looking at Hachiman Kairin's seemingly strange gaze, Toyokawa Shoko was puzzled.

Toyokawa Yuu's deputy... no, now it should be said that the deputy's deputy's deputy was aware that she had always had some opinions about her.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't just her who knew; this matter wasn't exactly a secret within the entire band.

Since her fiancé joined the band, although they had been arguing for a while, he had unknowingly built good relationships with everyone else.

Even Yutenji Wakana, the first person to be punished, was taken away by him today, and Hatsuka even shared a lot of videos and photos taken at the time with him.

Among these people, Hachiman Kairin was the most attentive. She had already clearly stood by him and even had a dispute with him before his relationship with Toyokawa Yuu had improved.

Even at the victory celebration banquet, he chased after Yuu Toyokawa and ran out.

Such unusual behavior would have caused a scene for anyone else, but Toyokawa Shoko didn't seem to care much.

It's not that I choose to ignore Hachiman Kairin because she's indispensable to the somewhat turbulent Ave Mujica these days; it's simply a matter of...

She didn't think that Yuu Toyokawa would have any feelings for Kairin Hachiman.

She felt completely at ease even after staying at Yuu's house for several days. In contrast, Hachiman Kairin's deputy... the deputy's deputy's deputy, only had contact with her fiancé during work hours.

It's impossible, so what's there to worry about? You should worry about Chihaya Aine instead of her.

Aside from the occasional outbursts of emotion during past arguments, Toyokawa Shoko's attitude towards Hachiman Kairin remained consistent, and she never even warned her about her somewhat obsequious attitude towards her fiancé.

So why are you staring at me like that?

Feeling a little awkward under Hachiman Kairin's gaze, Toyokawa Shoko subconsciously took a sip of the cup of tea that Toyokawa Yuu had casually slipped into her hand as she hurriedly left.

Recalling the somewhat hurried look on Yuu Toyokawa's face at the time, Shoko Toyokawa took a closer look at Hairin Hachiman, who had just changed into her Ave Mujica team uniform, as well as the leather jacket and short fist that she was wearing on her elbow, which reflected the leather's sheen under the office lights.

Considering that there are many places to change clothes in the company, there is absolutely no need for Yawata Kairin to change clothes in Ave Mujica's office.

With a thoughtful look in her amber eyes, Toyokawa Shoko seemed to have understood something.

Her fair neck arched slightly under the light as she drank the tea in one gulp.

"It's nothing, it's just a bit strange that Mr. Youyu would suddenly go out. He was just here a moment ago."

Pretending to be nonchalant, Hachiman Kairin put her casual clothes back into the wardrobe. As she passed the band leader, her emerald eyes glanced at the cup in her hand.

The tea that should have been enjoyed by me was now empty.

Although there was still a whole pot of tea and several untouched cups on the table, Hachiman Kairin was... not very happy.

Instead of sitting down on the sofa to wait for Toyokawa Yuu to return, she bypassed Toyokawa Shoko and handed the coffee table to Hachiman Kairin, who then sat directly in the only office chair in the office.

The chair's owner had just left, and one could still feel a slight warmth lingering on it, which eased Hachiman Kairin's somewhat depressed mood.

This behavior, which made him seem to treat his desk as his own territory, actually made Toyokawa Shoko raise an eyebrow.

This time, however, it was Hachiman Kairin who ignored her, deftly entered the screen lock password, and then opened the remote office software to call Wakaba Mutsumi, who was nowhere to be found, hidden by Toyokawa Yuu.

A silence fell over the office. Toyokawa Shoko wanted to stop Hachiman Kairin from taking matters into her own hands while Toyokawa Yuu was away.

However, considering Hachiman Kairin's current work within the band, it was indeed her duty and right to contact Wakaba Mutsumi using this computer, so the girl opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing.

Ave Mujica's office fell silent. Even the sound of pages turning in Toyokawa Shoko's hands, who was holding a collection of essays on the sofa, was no longer heard.

When Yuu Toyokawa returned to the office with her culinary skills and Yutenji Wakana, she was greeted by this bizarre scene.

Toyokawa Shoko sat on the sofa holding a collection of essays, but didn't turn the page even once for a long time.

Meanwhile, Hachiman Kairin was sitting in her office chair with remote work software already open on her computer, indicating that she had already contacted Wakaba Mutsumi.

But no one present spoke, letting the silence spread through the office.

"I have something to announce."

Unsure why the atmosphere in the office had become so tense, Toyokawa Yuu didn't want to delve into it.

Both Toyokawa Shoko and Hachiman Kairin are people who know how to behave appropriately in different situations, so under normal circumstances, there is no need to worry about them causing any trouble without anyone noticing.

In comparison, Hatsune Miku, whose tendency to startle others or deliberately cause trouble is more worrying.

As Toyokawa Yuu spoke, the dull atmosphere in the office was finally broken, and everyone's eyes were drawn to the boy. Yutenji Wakana and Hatsune quickly returned to the sofa next to the coffee table and sat down.

If Mutsuya weren't there, the blond guitarist would finally be able to sit on the same sofa as Shoko Toyokawa.

However, Yutenji Wakana did not occupy the single sofa next to the narrow edge of the coffee table as usual. Instead, she sat opposite Hatsune Miku and Toyokawa Shoko, and even waved to Hachiman Kairin.

Has the situation taken a turn for the better?

Ignoring Wakaba Mutsu's greeting, Hachiman Kairin stood up from her office chair to make room for Toyokawa Yuu, but instead of returning to the sofa, she stood by the desk as usual.

"The filming location for the video has been arranged. I took Amoris and Dolores to see it today. Ms. Junda Mana from Sumimi also checked it out. At least in terms of technical ability, we can trust her. We filmed some interactive videos together as a warm-up for next Monday's program."

At this point, Toyokawa Yuu placed a USB drive on his desk; he had just left in a hurry to go downstairs to get this.

"Here are some videos and photos. The parts featuring Ms. Mana Junta have already been handed over to Sumimi for release. Mumi, you'll post these on Ave Mujica's official account later... Hailing, you'll assist Mumi."

【I see. 】

"Please rest assured and leave it to me, Mr. Youyu."

The voice of Wakaba Mutsu came from the computer, followed by Hachiman Kairin's reply, indicating that the two of them understood what to do.