After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Page 102

Looking at her phone, which was still connected to the call, Toyokawa Shoko closed her eyes. The usually tough woman in the band found it hard to speak at this moment.

“Mortis is irreplaceable, I... just want Murtis back.”

"Xiang, you don't need to worry about me so much."

The voice of Wakaba Mutsu traveled through the screen and into Toyokawa Shoko's ears.

“I don’t want Xiang to be in a difficult position because of me. Even if I’m not Mortis, it’s fine as long as Ave Mujica is alright… that’s all that matters.”

Bathed in Toyokawa Shoko's incredulous gaze, Wakaba Mutsu's voice drifted out, responding to her confusion and bewilderment.

"Xiang... there's nothing left except Ave Mujica."

"But......"

Even her own body rejected her concern, and even though the other person seemed to be thinking of her, she could feel Ruoye Mutsu's sincerity.

But I'm so angry! It's like a fire has inexplicably ignited in my heart, burning my chest with a painful ache.

Even Shoko Toyokawa couldn't fully explain her feelings at that moment: the atmosphere of being looked down upon by her fiancé, the disappointment of being rejected, the worry about the future of the band, and...

That stubbornness, which had never subsided since they moved out of the Toyokawa family mansion, was now even stronger due to the joint cover-up by Toyokawa Yuu and Wakaba Mutsumi.

“I will not let anyone replace Mortis, that would destroy Ave Mujica’s worldview... Besides, a randomly chosen support guitarist is not trustworthy. Since we were able to persuade Ms. Minami to lock up Mujica, it would be easy to bribe a guitarist.”

Upon hearing Toyokawa Shoko's reason, Toyokawa Yuu raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but look at his fiancée with newfound respect.

5 2 6 6 5 2 2 5 1

Based on his understanding of Toyokawa Shoko, he thought she would only say things like "I just want Mutsu to come back."

Surprisingly, Toyokawa Shoko actually considered the band's security and confidentiality.

Or rather, they've actually learned to use such a high-sounding reason to refuse their own arrangements and do what they want.

Instead of stubbornly sticking to their guns and refusing to agree until they were left speechless by arguments.

"Auspicious..."

As Ruoye Mu felt the stubbornness in half of her body through the screen, she finally fell silent and did not continue to speak.

She knew that since even her previous words had failed to convince Toyokawa Shoko, nothing she said next would make a difference.

"So what if a stand-in performs a fake piano piece on stage, and then uses a pre-recorded audio source?"

One of the proposals was rejected by Toyokawa Shoko, but Yawata Kairin was not discouraged and instead inquired about another proposal.

“But that would not be something a band should do. Ave Mujica’s music would be tarnished, and if it were discovered, the band’s reputation would be ruined.”

When this plan was mentioned, Toyokawa Shoko became even more resistant, and a hint of worry appeared in her amber eyes.

“That is indeed a reasonable concern, then I have nothing more to say. This is all the solutions I can think of.”

Seeing that her proposal had been rejected by Toyokawa Shoko, and that Toyokawa Yuu had not offered any other opinions, Hachiman Kairin did not press the matter, but simply nodded and remained silent.

"However, I still suggest finalizing a solution as soon as possible. In my experience, bands that can't solve their problems in the early stages generally don't last long."

To put it bluntly, she doesn't really have much power in the band right now, so she might as well hand over the responsibility to someone who does.

However, while Hachiman Kairin fell silent, Yutenji Wakanagi, who had been quiet, suddenly seemed to have an opinion.

"I say, isn't Xiangzi going a bit too far?"

Swallowing the food in her mouth, Yutenji Wakame pointed at Toyokawa Shoko, who was gently biting her lip, with the chopsticks still covered with some food residue, and said something somewhat abrupt.

Seeing that Yutenji Wakana, who had been silently eating, seemed to be planning to join the fray, Hatsune quickly jumped out to stop her.

"Dear Miaomeng, Xiangzi is just worried about the future of the band. After all, those two methods are not exactly safe."

In her experience, this drummer's ideas rarely turned out well.

and......

Looking at the stiff-faced Toyokawa Shoko and the silent Toyokawa Yuu listening to the conversation, Hatsune moved her lips, wanting to say something but then stopped.

In the end, Hatsune Miku did not say what she originally wanted to say, but instead, as always, tried to smooth things over.

"If we all discuss this properly, we can always find a solution."

However, Yutenji Wakana, who had previously maintained a spectator's attitude, now seemed to have a more serious look in her eyes.

Even if others turn the world upside down regarding internal band issues, Yutenji Wakanagi won't care too much now.

Working people should have the mindset of working people; they should just hold onto their secure jobs and obediently wait for their share of the money.

If you have the chance, try to climb up; if you don't, then forget about it.

However, if there is a risk that one's secure job will be shattered, then the situation is completely different.

Yawata Kairin's comment that a band like that wouldn't last long made her start to worry a little about her long-term livelihood.

"I don't have a problem with Xiangzi's concerns, I just think that Xiangzi's actions have been a bit excessive all along."

After putting down her chopsticks, Yutenji Wakana's eyes finally became more serious.

"Whenever a problem arises in the band, Xiangzi would consider many things and reject other people's ideas, but he could never come up with a better solution himself. In the end, the manager had to find a solution himself."

Yuuto Toyokawa, who had started the conversation but hadn't intervened and instead let others take the lead, continued.

"Striving for perfection is certainly not wrong, but it's the norm that things can't be perfect most of the time. You should also consider your manager's feelings. He's been carrying the pressure from your demands all along."

Over this period of time, Yutenji Wakame has come to understand that Toyokawa Shoko is indeed the core of the band. It can be said that without her, Ave Mujica would never have been formed.

However, it has always been Yuu Toyokawa who has been trying to solve the problems the band has encountered.

Although this was indeed part of his job as an agent, Yutenji Wakame had a premonition.

If Shoko Toyokawa continues to be so nitpicky, the band will eventually run into a situation where even Yuu Toyokawa can't come up with a completely satisfactory solution.

Does that mean Ave Mujica will disband at that point if things don't go their way?

Rather, it's more accurate to say that such signs are already beginning to emerge.

What about my long-term meal ticket?

"Sometimes, many things just can't be done perfectly. As a commercial band, as long as we can please the audience and get them to pay for our tickets, that's already a success."

“Amoris, this topic is irrelevant to what we’re discussing right now. I hope we don’t stray too far from the topic when we talk about work.”

Yuu Toyokawa's voice came in at the right time. Although Yutenji Wakana was speaking on his behalf, in Yuu Toyokawa's opinion, her words were not much different from those of Toyokawa Shoko.

Neither side can come up with a better solution, which will only further escalate the conflict.

Yuu Toyokawa doesn't want to provoke Shoko Toyokawa too much right now. After all, it's not like Shoko Toyokawa is incapable of letting the band disband just because Mutsuka Wakaba is gone.

"Yes, yes, anyway, I don't have any decision-making power, so whatever you say goes."

Before she could finish speaking, Toyokawa Yuu interrupted her. Yutenji Wakanagi didn't argue and picked up her chopsticks again to fight against the food on the table.

Since the person involved is unwilling, she won't worry about it anymore. She might as well think about what to do with her salary and the band's share of the profits once they are paid.

How about we take advantage of the summer vacation and bring the kids from home to Tokyo for a couple of days?

Ignoring what Yutenji Wakana was thinking, Toyokawa Yuu turned her gaze to Toyokawa Shoko, who had gradually fallen silent.

"So, Xiangzi, do you have any other suggestions, or... do you have any other requests? Otherwise, let's proceed with my plan."

"...Now that things have come to this point, how can I have any objections? But your promise to me that you would bring Ave Mujica to the Budokan in the shortest possible time still stands."

With her eyes slightly lowered, Toyokawa Shoko seemed to have chosen to compromise, but she brought up the promise that Toyokawa Yuu had made to her when they first met.

It seems that given the band's current situation, it's unlikely they'll be able to perform at the Budokan within a month, so they've blurred the original deadline to "as soon as possible."

"When have I ever gone back on my word?"

When this issue was brought up, Toyokawa Yuu looked at Toyokawa Shoko with extremely serious eyes.

But in fact, at this moment, Toyokawa Yuu was also starting to feel a little uncertain.

A month at the martial arts dojo—this was the achievement that Ave Mujica was originally able to accomplish, and it was precisely because of this that Toyokawa Yuu made such a confident promise back then.

But at this moment, he is also unsure whether he can achieve this goal on schedule.

However, this doesn't prevent him from doing what he needs to do next.

“In that case... I understand. I will do my best to help you with matters concerning harmony.”

Nowadays, whether or not this promise can be fulfilled in time is no longer so important to Toyokawa Shoko.

The attitude that Toyokawa Yuu showed was enough to make her feel at ease.

Although she disliked Yutenji Wakana's personality, which often led her to argue with her, Toyokawa Shoko had to admit that there was one thing she was right about.

Not everything can be done perfectly, or go exactly as planned.

At least, neither Toyokawa Yuu nor herself had expected that the targeting from her maternal grandfather would come so quickly.

"There's no need for that. As I said, I'll take care of the pressure. You just need to do your job in the band."

Upon hearing Toyokawa Shoko's words, Toyokawa Yuu immediately frowned.

Withstanding the pressure from his family, Ave Mujica was able to operate normally and successfully enter the martial arts gym within a month. This was a task that had been agreed upon beforehand and was his responsibility.

Even though it seems difficult to achieve the original goal on time, Toyokawa Yuu has no intention of sharing this responsibility with Toyokawa Shoko.

This was an area that Toyokawa Shoko had never ventured into before... and it was also one of the few areas where he could have complete say in front of Toyokawa Shoko.

Just like in matters such as songwriting, composing, and rehearsing, he had absolutely no say in front of Toyokawa Shoko.

He didn't want to give up his few remaining advantages.

"It's your choice to refuse, but how I decide is my own business. You know you've never been able to control me, and you've never really refused my requests, Yu-Yu."

When faced with Yuu Toyokawa's repeated rejections and questions, Shoko Toyokawa did not choose to respond this time.

The blue-haired girl simply lowered her eyes silently, just as Toyokawa Yuu had unilaterally informed her that Wakaba Mutsuki would be unable to participate in the band activities, unilaterally informing her of her future plans.

She was well aware of Toyokawa Yuu's stubbornness. Her fiancé had always been very persistent in dealing with external pressures, trying his best to mediate between the band and the Toyokawa family.

But one thing is certain: Toyokawa Yuu is definitely on his side.

From the moment her grandfather called last night, demanding in such a forceful tone that Yuu Toyokawa immediately abandon Ave Mujica and return to the Toyokawa family home, only to be met with his unwavering refusal, Toyokawa Shoko knew—

Yuu Toyokawa has rejected his escape route with the Toyokawa family and chosen to stand on his side, binding himself to Ave Mujica.

Since that's the case, there's no reason for him to continue bearing these burdens alone.

As for how to get him to accept my help... I just need to ask him to accept it. This is a privilege and indulgence that only I can enjoy.

"...Whatever you want. Since there are no objections, I hereby announce that Ave Mujica will slow down the group concert schedule for the next period of time and focus its main efforts on the individual activities of the members. I will discuss the specifics with the agency until Wakaba Mutsu is able to return to the group smoothly."

After giving Toyokawa Shoko a deep look, knowing that she couldn't stop her verbally, Toyokawa Yuu didn't continue arguing and instead announced the next plan.

"Wait a moment, Mr. Youyu, I have another question."

As Toyokawa Yuu finished speaking, another voice immediately rang out.

Noticing that Yuu Toyokawa's gaze had gradually shifted to her, Kairin Hachiman continued speaking.

Looking at the phone belonging to Toyokawa Yuu in Toyokawa Shoko's hand, Hachiman Kairin seemed to be able to see Wakaba Mutsu through the screen, who had been silent ever since the two started talking. Hachiman Kairin's voice became somewhat doubtful.

"Since it's a foregone conclusion that Wakaba will be absent from the activities for the next period of time, then who should handle the powers that were just handed over to her yesterday, and the matters that were assigned to her?"

This is a question that Hachiman Kairin has been pondering ever since she learned from Toyokawa Yuu that Wakaba Mutsumi would be absent from the band's activities for an extended period of time. The division of responsibilities was just reorganized yesterday, and now that he can't come today, who should do the work?

"Hai Zi, you're getting a little too clever for your own good."

Upon hearing Hachiman Kairin's statement, Yutenji Wakame almost burst out laughing.

Her concerns were indeed reasonable, but this was a topic that anyone could discuss, except for Hachiman Kairin.

After all, she was impeached just yesterday, and bringing this up today makes it hard not to think things through.

"I just don't want Ave Mujica to cause more trouble due to unclear authority. Since Wakaba is confirmed to be absent, I don't want the band to experience any new turmoil."

Despite Yutenji Wakana's teasing, Hachiman Kairin remained unfazed, convinced that her words were reasonable and there was nothing to question.

“I recommend myself. I am most familiar with those jobs. As for the personal activities that Ruoye is unable to attend due to her absence, I can make time to go by turning down other part-time jobs with other bands.”

"Then I'll recommend myself. Although I know nothing about those jobs, I can learn. In terms of free time, I seem to be the only one in the whole band who's really free right now."

Seeing that Hachiman Kairin had so readily volunteered, Yutenji Wakame smiled slightly and immediately decided to join in as well.

I thought I was out of luck for a promotion recently, but I never expected that something like this would happen to Wakaba Mutsu.

With an opportunity to improve presented to him, Yutenji Wakame naturally wanted to give it a try, regardless of whether he would succeed.

On the contrary, the contract he signed with Ave Mujica is a secure job, and the band won't easily abandon him. It can't get any worse than it is now.