My roommate turns out to be the heiress of a triad!

Kujo Mao knew, of course, that agreeing before the other party even raised any questions would be tantamount to giving someone a blank check that had already been signed.

The education she received from her father did not allow her to make such a promise.

Moreover, Kujo Mao knew perfectly well why Kujo Daisuke had come to her.

Regarding that matter, Kujo Mao had only one attitude.

It's absolutely impossible.

But if he were to refuse outright, Daisuke Kujo would certainly not be satisfied.

Perhaps we should use a method that will make him willingly shut up and never mention it again.

Following this line of thought, and considering the current environment, Kujo Shin'o suddenly came up with a plan.

"You know that I wouldn't so irresponsibly agree to something before I knew what you were asking me to do."

If I agree to do something but ultimately fail to do it, wouldn't that mean I've broken my promise?

However, if you can do one thing for me, I might agree without hesitation.

"What is it?"

Seeing that things might be turning around, Daisuke Kujo immediately widened his eyes excitedly and unconsciously moved his face several centimeters closer.

Kujo Mao didn't keep anyone in suspense and told them the whole story directly.

"Just like before, in this dojo."

We each have ten arrows; whoever gets the highest score wins.

If you can surpass me in this area, I will grant you any request.

How was it?

"Huh? You want to beat me at archery? Don't be ridiculous, Mao."

Upon hearing this, Kujo Daisuke was struck dumb, clutching his head in frustration.

Although almost everyone in the Kujo family knows archery, their skill levels vary drastically.

Back in the last few years of her father-in-law Hiroki Kujo's life, Mayu Kujo was already around ten years old.

The family of four learned the "Arashi-gami" ritual at the shrine during the New Year, praying for good health and all things going smoothly for the family members through archery.

After the ceremony, Hiroki Kujo, Mao Kujo, Daisuke Kujo, and ten-year-old Mayu held a simple archery competition together.

The competition at that time also involved shooting ten arrows and seeing who could get the highest score.

The final result was that Mao Kujo, Hiroki Kujo, and Mayu Koma took the top three spots, while Daisuke Kujo came in last.

He hit the target once in ten shots, a result that was drastically different from the others.

"Didn't you say before that you and the Taoist practice of bowing bows cultivate the mind and the Dharma?"

Why are you trying to use this to decide who's better again?

"You can give up if you don't want to accept it."

"So you'll need to tell me what you need me to do first, and then I'll consider whether or not to agree."

Mao Kujo, with her hair tied in a single ponytail, looked smug.

He thought that this would force Daisuke Kujo to give up his unrealistic fantasies.

She just couldn't have imagined it.

This is exactly what Daisuke Kujo wanted to happen.

The Kujo family loves archery, and everyone in the Shinonome Company knows that.

In order to cater to their preferences, the members followed suit, and a trend of practicing archery emerged within the Shinonome Society.

The Dongyun Society has its own archery dojo in almost every city in Taiwan.

It is available for rent to external parties and for use by members of the organization during off-peak hours.

It is used as a dedicated archery range when holding events or receiving guests.

Kujo Daisuke is indeed not good at archery.

But under such an atmosphere within the organization, he gradually honed his skills.

Otherwise, how could he, as the male head of the Kujo family, command respect? How could he quickly establish prestige within the company and become one with the members?

"Alright then."

Daisuke Kujo simply said those three words, then stood up, turned around, and walked to the archery area.

Kujo Mao felt he was in a bind, so he decided to give it a shot, even if it seemed risky.

They also got up, picked up a Japanese bow from the bow rack, and took ten arrows, which they handed to Kujo Daisuke before sitting back down in the waiting area.

She saw that Kujo Daisuke, who was holding a bow and arrow again, with his legs spread, nocked an arrow and aimed at the target, had a completely different demeanor, as if he were a different person.

I was just thinking it must be my imagination.

However, after he fired the arrow and it hit the bullseye with a thud, Kujo Mao realized that he had walked into his trap from the very beginning.

Unbeknownst to him, Daisuke Kujo's archery skills had made a qualitative leap.

My understanding of his archery skills is still based on what I was a few years ago.

Since it was a competition, Daisuke Kujo didn't bother with any archery etiquette.

Nock the arrow, aim, and shoot.

The servants working in the courtyard heard the frequent thuds of arrows hitting the target coming from the dojo and assumed it was Lady Kujo Mao shooting.

They never expected this.

The one who fired those ten arrows was none other than the master, Kujo Daisuke, who had hit the bullseye once in ten shots.

For Kujo Mao, it was pointless to dwell on the total score of the ten arrows hitting the target at this point.

Kujo Daisuke's seemingly sudden improvement in archery skills clearly indicated his attitude.

This time, you must listen to me regarding my daughter, Moyou.

This is the unspoken meaning behind Kujo Daisuke's words.

The "string" here refers to the bowstring.

After firing his last arrow, Daisuke Kujo stood still, making no move and saying nothing.

He remained in the posture after shooting an arrow in the archery routine, as if he was still immersed in the state of "Zanshin" and could not extricate himself for a long time.

The spring sunlight streaming in through the high windows of the archery dojo shone on his profile.

He suddenly looked up, basking in the sunlight.

The familiar warmth seemed to take him back to his childhood when he was still in his hometown.

Then, he slowly began to speak.

"Mao, do you know? I've lived my whole life for others."

When I was a child, my parents and teachers wanted me to become the child they hoped I would be.

So I studied hard from a young age and eventually got into a university in Tokyo from the remote mountains of Shikoku.

When my family could not support me to continue my studies, I worked up to six jobs at the same time, enduring all kinds of hardships in the glitz and glamour of Tokyo, but eventually I successfully obtained my doctoral degree from Waseda University.

When I grow up, society expects me to become a man who can contribute to it.

So while I was completing my studies, I worked day and night doing experiments, collecting data, writing papers, and publishing papers.

Even so, you still have to consider the attitudes of your supervisor and senior students.

Working tirelessly day and night at the company, familiarizing myself with the business, and proactively engaging in social interactions.

Suppressed by seniors and disliked by peers.

In just two years, I was promoted to group leader, section chief, and deputy head, and in just five years, I rose from an ordinary member to the level of department head.

When I marry you and we start a family, I will become the good son-in-law and good husband you've always hoped for.

After Moyou is born, I will also strive to be a good role model and a good father.

Kujo Daisuke did not express his resentment and indignation towards Kujo Mao by complaining about how unfair fate was to him and how coldly he was treated.

Instead, it was as if he were reviewing the first half of his life, standing still and calmly recounting these events.

His voice echoed throughout the archery dojo, amplifying the volume of his speech.

The afternoon sun in Tokyo in spring shone on Daisuke Kujo, as if it were holy light descending from a god in a fantasy story.

He turned to look at Kujo Mao, his handsome face full of seriousness.

"I only understood later."

It was the hardships I experienced in the first half of my life that gave me the ability to protect the people I cherish.

I've lived my whole life for others, so that my wife and children wouldn't have to live for others anymore, and could freely do what they want.

Born with a silver spoon in his mouth and pampered since childhood, Kujo Mao had no idea about the hardships that every ordinary man experiences in life.

How could she possibly understand the hardships and countless days and nights that Kujo Daisuke, this powerless country boy, had endured to achieve what he had today?

How can you empathize without experiencing it firsthand?

She had never seen her husband, who was usually so gentle and tactful, say such things with such an expression. As she listened, she was more surprised than anything else.

Daisuke Kujo didn't say this to evoke Mao Kujo's maternal instincts or to make her pity him for his pitiful state and struggles for the family.

Rather, it was expressing his attitude towards his daughter, Kujo Mayu, wanting to pursue her own aspirations.

Whether she wanted to revitalize the Dongyun Society or do something else.

Daisuke Kujo will always support her, and will be Mayu Kujo's strongest backing.

This is one of his life goals since he married Kujo Mao, had Kujo Mayu, and took over the mess that was the Shinonome Company.

If it cannot be achieved.

That would negate the more than forty years of his life since birth.

······

"Sorry, we cannot allow outsiders to enter without prior notice from the residents."

In the afternoon, in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in front of the glass door of a luxury apartment building.

Ryoichi Sugawara and Yukiko Higuchi were kept outside the door, which led to a luxuriously decorated apartment lobby.

When Sugawara Ryoichi first arrived at the address, he thought he had misread it.

In his mind, Mayu Kujo's house was the kind of grand, traditional Japanese house that appears in TV dramas, with a huge area and a traditional Japanese garden.

I never expected it to be such a modern luxury apartment.

"We're here to visit a sick classmate. Handsome, please let us in."

With her eye makeup removed, Yukiko Higuchi, now sporting blonde hair, revealed a pair of almond-shaped eyes. Her frivolous remarks gave off a strange feeling that she was a good student who insisted on showing off her personality.

Although she remained incredibly cute, she did have some effect on the security guard.

But not long ago, he was scolded by the captain for letting an unauthorized person in.

What are you saying?

[You just let someone in after they begged you?]

The entry requirements are either that the apartment's facial recognition system works, that residents notify the residents in advance, that residents haven't had time to register their facial features and have been issued temporary access passes, or that other residents are accompanying the residents.

Aside from these few exceptions, even if the Prime Minister himself came, he couldn't be let in!

From then on, all the security guards at the apartment building strictly followed the rules set by the captain before letting people in.

Even if you say that, there's nothing I can do...

At this moment, Sugawara Ryoichi was anxiously waiting, holding a box of strawberry daifuku he had bought from a dessert shop.

I was busy calling Mr. Hase, the teacher at the school.

If a student is to visit a classmate in the hospital on behalf of the class, the teacher should contact the other parent before the student leaves to avoid the student arriving disappointed.

However, Ms. Hasegawa dialed the phone number listed on Mai Kujo's personal information several times, but each time it went to voicemail.

Why don't you guys go ahead first? I'll contact Kujo's parents again. Maybe I can get in touch with them around noon, and I'll message you later.

Just as Sugawara Ryoichi was about to raise a question, Higuchi Yukiko, overwhelmed by the joy of being able to go out on school day, readily agreed.

She dragged Sugawara Ryoichi and her two best friends away from the faculty office.

Several hours later, Ms. Hasegawa still hasn't replied to his message.

They've probably completely forgotten about it.

Just as Sugawara Ryoichi and his companion were struggling with how to get into the apartment, an unexpected person appeared in front of them.

"Mrs. Iida, you're back."

Peeking out from the guardhouse, the guard, who had been talking to Yukiko Higuchi, immediately greeted the wealthy lady with a smile as she walked towards him.

"Oh, Kaiji's on duty today."

"Yes. I'll open the door for you right away. You two, come a little this way."

As the gatekeeper spoke, he reached out to pull Sugawara Ryoichi and the others.

Sugawara Ryoichi felt that Mrs. Iida's voice sounded familiar, and he kept muttering to himself that the woman's voice and name sounded so much like his landlady.

Looking back, it was indeed her.

Now I can sneak into the apartment.

Mrs. Iida naturally knew about this tenant.

After all, just three nights ago, the leader of the yakuza gang came to her door and asked her to take them to find this high school student. She was on tenterhooks for what she didn't know, and the ten-minute car ride felt like an eternity. She thought of every possible reason why this kid had offended them.

Anyone who has gone through such an ordeal will have a deep impression of this face.

In other words, she has a strong mental fortitude.

If it were anyone else, they would have already urinated from the oppression and fear brought on by that kind of extreme behavior.

"Mrs. Iida. It's me, Ryoichi Sugawara, your tenant in that apartment in Setagaya. Do you remember me?"

"Oh...oh. Sugawara-kun. How could I not remember you? What brings you to the port?"

Mrs. Iida originally thought that the young man who was being pointed out by the menacing yakuza had probably met with misfortune, and planned to go back to the place in a week to collect his body.

I never expected them to come knocking on my door today.

They're not here to cause me trouble, are they...?

Mrs. Iida unconsciously swallowed, then glanced around to confirm that only Sugawara Ryoichi and the blonde girl beside her were there.

With a heart full of trepidation, I awaited Sugawara Ryoichi's reply.

"It's nothing. It's just that one of my classmates also lives in this apartment building."

She hasn't been feeling well lately, so the teacher sent the two of us to come and visit her by tram.

We haven't been able to contact her, and the security guard won't let us in.

call.

Mrs. Iida breathed a huge sigh of relief.

It's good that they didn't come specifically to find me.

With a wave of his hand, he immediately decided to take Sugawara Ryoichi and the other person inside.

The unexpected turn of events left the security guard speechless.

However, some residents led them in, thinking that even if they went inside, the team leader wouldn't be able to scold them.

So they didn't interfere and let them in, turning a blind eye.