Tokyo: Idol Girls have absolutely no bad intentions!

No, it's even worse. The marriage was arranged under the guise of a son-in-law marrying into the woman's family, and his personal freedom was restricted after the marriage. The only consolation was that the woman's family seemed to be quite well-off.

If you really marry into the family, you'll basically be set for life with plenty of money.

It sounds like a good thing, but...

Marrying into another family is absolutely out of the question! There's no reason for Ito to give up an entire forest for one big tree.

Moreover, his career is just beginning, and he has already taken on music festivals and stage plays, and even has experience composing theme songs for director Hasegawa.

Giving up now would be a huge betrayal of all the hard work I've put in over the years.

Having raised Asada for so long, it's unacceptable that he hasn't even received any gold coins in return.

It wasn't that Ito was afraid Mori would do something irrational; it was simply that Ito hated arranged marriages.

"How about we see what the other person looks like before making a decision?" Ito Keihei said, seeing Ito frown, but he still didn't intend to give up.

He should at least try again, even if it's just to put on a show, to at least be worthy of his wife's trust.

"The woman is really good-looking, her looks are comparable to those of celebrities."

Keihei Ito took out his phone, browsed through the photos in his album, and then showed them to Ito.

It's definitely very beautiful, Ito has to admit that, but...

"What's up with this little girl? Didn't you say she was about my age?" Ito pointed at the figure in the princess dress in the photo. "You don't want your son, me, to go in, do you?"

"So this is what it means to be free from worries about food and clothing? Even if you're unreliable, there's a limit!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the driver noticed through the rearview mirror that Ito Keihei was starting to act strangely.

"Because she said that she has always had a fierce expression since she grew up, she is unwilling to accept any form of photo taking," Keihei Ito explained awkwardly. "But you see how pretty she was when she was a child, she must be just as beautiful now."

That's not necessarily true. Ito doesn't believe the nonsense about being fierce and refusing to have his picture taken. Even Nagano Sae can have her picture taken without feeling guilty.

There is no one more terrifying than Sae Nagano.

........

The taxi stopped in front of a members-only restaurant in Ginza, and Ito agreed to meet him.

I could never agree, but since I'm already here, I'll just have lunch here first and then make other plans.

Besides, even Ito Keihei doesn't seem to care about this, dressed so casually, so there's no reason for him to take it seriously.

Under the respectful guidance of the waiter, Ito and Ito Keihei were led to an elegant and quiet Japanese-style private room.

The room was softly lit and filled with a faint scent of incense.

The layout is a traditional Omakase (chef's workshop) style, where a chef prepares the freshest seasonal ingredients behind a long counter, ready to present the finished dish directly to the diners.

Upon entering the private room, Ito's gaze was immediately drawn to the middle-aged man sitting in the main seat.

He wore a high-quality gray kimono, and his face was composed, showing that he had long held a high position.

As for the legendary "fiancé," he was not present at the moment.

"Keipai," Nagano Aoya greeted.

Ito Keihei, with his usual smiling face, walked up familiarly and patted the other person on the shoulder:

"Cangye! Long time no see. You look much thinner. Have you been working too hard?"

“I’ve been busy with company matters all this time, unlike you who have so much free time.” Nagano Aoya replied casually, his gaze then falling on Ito Yuujin. “This must be your son.”

Ito was about to give a brief self-introduction when Nagano Soya raised his hand to interrupt him.

"It's too early to change your mind now. Let's meet my daughter first. She's a bit old-fashioned and has her own ideas; we need her approval."

Ito: "..."

When did he say he was going to change his tune?! Isn't this moving a little too fast?!

“She’s in the next private room right now,” Nagano Soya waved his hand. “You can just go there.”

As he spoke, he gestured to the waiter to pour wine for Ito Keihei, and the two quickly began chatting.

I feel that "marriage" and "blind dates" are even more childish than I imagined.

Birds of a feather flock together, as expected...

Wait a minute...

So, having so many unreliable people gathered around me, doesn't that mean...?

Led by the waiter again, Ito went alone to the next private room, which had the same style but was more intimate.

The woman didn't seem to have arrived yet, which made Ito quite happy to have some free time.

He didn't have any dietary restrictions; since he was already there, he figured he'd fill his stomach first.

It was clear that the woman had given prior instructions, and the chef had already begun preparing the food.

The first course was tuna belly sashimi, which was presented to Ito in a chilled porcelain dish.

Ito picked up his chopsticks, savoring the fish while pondering his next move.

Since we're the same age, we should be able to connect with each other, right?

Just state your thoughts directly: firmly reject arranged marriages, advocate free love, have clear future plans, and have no plans to start a family at the moment.

The other party was unlikely to be interested in this ancient form of marriage, and everyone reached a consensus.

Or rather, it's about appeasing the unreliable elders on both sides.

Just as he was pondering, the sliding door of the private room was silently and gently pulled open.

people come.

Out of basic politeness, Ito put down her chopsticks, stood up, nodded slightly to the figure in the elegant light purple torisode kimono standing at the door, and spoke in a formulaic tone:

"Hello, I am Yujin Ito. Nice to meet you."

His gaze politely fell on the pattern of the tatami mat under the other person's feet, without looking directly at them, maintaining a distance.

However, the expected greetings did not arrive.

The woman in the kimono seemed not to hear him or respond at all. She simply walked straight past him, leaving behind a faint fragrance, and headed to the head seat opposite the chef.

Ito paused slightly, then subconsciously looked up and turned to look at the other person's back.

How rude!

The woman's back view was graceful; her well-fitting kimono perfectly outlined her slender waist and elegant neck and back lines, and her long, black hair was tied up with a hairpin, revealing her fair neck.

Even just a glimpse of her back exudes elegance and... a strong sense of aloofness.

However, this figure from behind... seems more and more familiar the more you look at it.

Ito frowned slightly. He was sure he had seen this figure somewhere before, and he must have been observing it for quite some time.

He tried to search his memory while quickly ruling out several possibilities around him.

A rich girl with no manners?

He didn't seem to know anyone like that.

As for Nagano Sae, the only one who could be vaguely associated with "rich" and "young lady," he immediately ruled her out.

That fanatical maid enthusiast, an audience member of anime culture, and student council president who always had a stern face but seemed to harbor strange hobbies—it was impossible to connect him with the "kimono-clad young lady" in front of me who exuded a traditional and old-fashioned aura.

Besides, how could Sae Nagano possibly participate in such a farce of arranged marriage?

Just as he was pondering, the figure who had turned his back to him and was already seated suddenly spoke:

"Staring at girls is very impolite, Ito-kun."

That sound...

Ito's pupils suddenly contracted!

Sae Nagano?!

Ito felt his heart skip a beat, and his first reaction was to turn around and run away.

After all, he was well aware of the "negotiations" and near-threats he had used against Nagano Sae in order to gain that week of "free time."

He even momentarily suspected that this was a "trap" meticulously planned by Nagano Sae to get revenge on him.

But the next second, he forced himself to calm down.

No, no matter how capable Nagano Sae is, it's impossible for her to contact her perpetually unreliable father, Ito Keihei, let alone arrange a scenario where their fathers are old friends.

Is this really just... a coincidence?

How could such a coincidence exist?

Ito silently returned to his seat, and the chef served the next dish at the right time, but he had already lost his appetite.

If he were a simple-minded person like Asada, he would probably only focus on the food in front of him, instead of being like he is now.

"How's your free time going?" Nagano Sae picked up her chopsticks and took a thin slice of sea bream sashimi.

Ito paused in his chewing motion, then swallowed the food in his mouth.

"It's alright. But personally, I think that since it's a holiday, the so-called 'free time' should also be put on hold."

"Is that so?" Nagano Sae replied noncommittally.

A silence fell between the two, broken only by the sounds of the chef's knife work and the clinking of cutlery.

Ito ate somewhat absentmindedly, partly because of the impact of Nagano Sae, and partly because he had indeed eaten quite a lot before coming.

Eating with Nagano Sae put him under immense pressure, which greatly reduced his appetite.

Feeling she had eaten enough, Ito put down her chopsticks, picked up a wet wipe to clean her mouth, and prepared to end this absurd meeting.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now." He stood up.

“Oh, right,” as if suddenly remembering something, Ito stopped what he was doing and looked at Nagano Sae’s expressionless profile, “Although the result is obvious, it’s still good to confirm it. About that so-called… engagement?”

“I think we should be in agreement, right? This is a complete farce.”

Sae Nagano slowly put down her chopsticks, picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and then looked up at Ito through the rising steam.

No, not at all.

"?"