People are in Mygo, and I can write their personalities.

"W-What's wrong...? Why are you so fierce?"

Looking at Xiangzi, whose expression was blank and who seemed about to fall asleep at any moment, Nagasaki Motoyo angrily said to Nanami on the phone, "I'm warning you, if you lie to me at this crucial moment, and I find out later... I will definitely kill you and skin you alive!"

"..."

"Tell me quickly, did you cause Xiao Xiang's drinking problem?!"

"I don't understand what you're talking about... If you're saying that idiot in front of you is wallowing in self-pity and drinking, then I can only say that it has nothing to do with me, it's just her own choice! Bye!"

"you……"

Looking at the phone that had been hung up, Nagasaki Motoyo was furious. Just as she was about to call back, her legs, which were squatting, suddenly buckled due to a sharp pain in her buttocks, causing her to kneel directly in front of Shoko.

"Ouch...that bastard is spanking herself again..."

Nagasaki Motoyo awkwardly adjusted her posture and then looked at the dejected Xiao Xiang again.

"Xiao Xiang, actually... I know everything... Qi Hai has already told me about the changes that happened to your family, but... none of this is your fault! It's all your father's fault!"

"...What did you say?" One sentence made Toyokawa Kiyoko, who had originally planned to play dead, become somewhat agitated again.

"I'm sorry, I know you don't want me to know these things, but I'm so glad I found out about what happened to your family at this time. I even think that if I had known what happened to you sooner, the band probably wouldn't have had to..."

"I mean the last sentence you just said."

"What? You mean... I said you weren't wrong, it was your father's fault?"

"...What makes you say that?"

"Huh?" Nagasaki Motoyo looked at Shoko's red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes and suddenly stammered, "I-I'm sorry...I shouldn't have..."

"But you're right... I... my father was that kind of person."

"Can……"

"You can leave now. Our family matters are none of your business, you're just a kid."

"What do you mean, 'kid'? Aren't you a kid too? Besides...aren't we friends? Shouldn't friends speak their minds, understand and help each other?"

Although Nagasaki Motoyo blushed with shame when she said those words, she had never had the determination to put them into practice before; it was just something she copied from her mother.

"Friends? Friends are all unreliable..."

"No, Xiao Xiang, why are you saying that?"

"..."

Toyokawa Kiyoshi remained silent, for he was truly overcome with sorrow by the girl's words.

How could a grown man like him not have any friends? But in his view, no one has friends forever, and friends will eventually go their separate ways. And when he was kicked out of the Toyokawa family, didn't he want to ask his former friends for help?

They all verbally agreed, but when the agreed meeting time arrived, several of them made excuses about being busy with work or spending time with their families, and they all stood him up.

The most genuine friendships are formed during student years, but even those friendships formed at that time will gradually fade and disappear as we get older.

"No, you can't drink anymore!"

Seeing that Xiao Xiang, who had been silent, suddenly turned around and picked up a half-finished can of beer, wanting to drink it again, Nagasaki Motoyo grabbed her arm, trying to stop Xiao Xiang's self-destructive behavior.

"Let go of me!"

"No, I can't let you wallow in this depravity!"

"You and I……"

Is he now so powerless to resist even a middle school student? What is this? Is he not even allowed to do the last thing he wants to do?

"Listen to me, Xiao Xiang!"

"What exactly are you trying to say..." Toyokawa Kiyoshi said with a droopy face, looking like he had already given up.

"Adult matters shouldn't be your responsibility, right? Aren't you just a student about to enter high school? Why would you ruin your own life because of an adult's mistake?"

"Hahaha……"

"I know you're very sad and upset, but I'm your friend too. Seeing you like this makes me very worried... And everyone in the band is waiting for you to come back. Please don't be like this, okay?"

"You mean I should abandon my father, right?"

"Huh? I... I didn't mean that either, this..."

"What you're trying to say is that my... father has no chance anymore, his life is over, but as a student, do I still have a lot of future to look forward to?"

"..."

"Chang... Su Shi, you seem to think too highly of me. In your eyes, Toyokawa Shoko may not be much different from her father."

"What are you talking about? He is him and you are you. Why do you have to become like him just because he drinks every day?"

"You don't need to look at me like that. I'm just saying, your father is not a qualified father at all. Even if his situation is pitiful, he is unambitious in front of his daughter all day long. He didn't even stop his daughter from drinking. Is that acceptable?!"

"Isn't it annoying or what?!"

Toyokawa Kiyoko finally snapped. He wasn't sure if it was because he was jealous that his daughter had such a caring friend, or simply because he felt ashamed and indignant after being criticized by a girl much younger than him.

In short, he really just wants to stay at home quietly by himself right now. Even his daughter doesn't nag him like that, so why should an outsider criticize his choices?

Did you think he would stay in a little girl's body and never leave?

It seemed like fate was playing tricks on him. Several times, he inexplicably found himself switched back with his daughter, only to be pushed out of the bathroom by her and coldly told that she needed to clean herself.

He genuinely thought it was all over, but to his surprise, about an hour later, he was put back into his daughter's body.

Is it fun to toy with him?! What did he do wrong to deserve everyone's contempt?

Fine, you look down on him, think he's no good at anything... then can't he just not do it? Can't he even avoid being ridiculed by others?

If you do something and fail, you'll be ridiculed; if you choose not to do it at all, you'll be looked down upon... So why bother trying to do something that has no outcome?

"Can you please stop bothering me... Are we that close? You haven't come to visit me at my house in all this time?"

"Why can you blame me..."

"I'm not blaming you, I just find you annoying. What can a few words from you change? Do you think a few comforting words can change everything? You're just here to enjoy my ugliness, aren't you?!"

"You... Xiao Xiang... why did you become like this? Didn't you already decide to face it before?

“Oh right, that day! You came to RiNG to see me that day, don’t you remember? You said you wanted to reform the band, you said you wanted to beg for my forgiveness…you said…”

"A band...is a band really that important to Xiangzi?"

"What did you say?"

Nagasaki Motoyo was a little stunned. Although she had expected this outcome, after all, that bastard Nanami Natsuki had indeed brought back Xiaoxiang's obsession with the band to her mind.

But... why deny Crychic, which you built from scratch, at a time like this?

Didn't they already make it clear that the band was breaking up? And she didn't say anything particularly offensive, did she?

"...Have I not looked for you these past few days?"

Toyokawa Kiyoshi said this on behalf of his daughter, although he had let slip in his excitement that he should have said "I" but instead said "Xiangzi".

But it seems that Nagasaki Motoyo didn't find anything.

However... being drunk really made him feel very comfortable. Toyokawa Kiyokazu even felt that his current state was not "unconscious" but "too clear-headed".

Under the influence of alcohol, he seemed to have the ability to magnify all the details around him, as if a lot of information was constantly flooding into his mind, giving him the illusion that he was even more alert than when he was truly sober.

“Maybe I just had a whim that day?” Toyokawa Kiyoshi seemed to see two versions of himself, the other being his daughter who had taken over his original body. “See, I haven’t been nagging about it anymore, have I? Please… the band thing isn’t important anymore, is it?”

"Su Shi, didn't you also have that new friend named Qi Hai? So please, please don't come here anymore..."

Before he could finish speaking, Toyokawa Kiyoyuki suddenly interrupted himself.

Because he heard new footsteps and saw the figure behind Nagasaki Motoyo that made him somewhat afraid.

"What's wrong... huh?"

Nagasaki Motoyo was puzzled. She only saw Xiaoxiang suddenly stand up, hugging her arms timidly, and then she noticed someone walking up behind her, followed by a sound...

"Snapped!"

A resounding slap landed from the unfamiliar old man's hand, the target of which was naturally Toyokawa Shoko, who reeked of alcohol.

"Look at yourself! Underage drinking, and there are empty bottles all over the place! What did you learn from your beastly father? Is this the kind of happiness you're after?!"

"..."

Nagasaki Motoyo was stunned. She had originally wanted to speak up and question, but she realized that there seemed to be no room for her to interject.

"Grandfather, why..."

“I’m here to take you back.” Toyokawa Sadaharu said, glancing back at Suze’s direction and nodding slightly to the girl. “Your father and I made an agreement that he would let me pick you up in 10 days. Although when he came to me he only said he would have a good talk with you, judging from the current situation, I guess he didn’t say anything to you at all.”

"..."

"That's true. Someone like him, who can get you to drink too much, what else can I expect from him?"

"But……"

"There are no buts, Xiangzi. Your ridiculous experience of being a poor person is over. I don't care whether your father told you about this agreement or not, but I will still ask symbolically, do you really want to ruin your whole life like this?"

"Would you rather stay here all day with a wine jug than go against my wishes?"

“…I’ll go back with you.” Toyokawa Kiyoko felt humiliated because he realized that he couldn’t hold his head up at all in front of his father-in-law.

It seems that he only vents his anger and resentment on those of lower status.

Toyokawa Sadaharu waved to the outside, and several men in suits walked in. One of them grabbed "Toyokawa Shoko's" arm and whispered, "I'm sorry, Miss," before dragging "Shoko" out.

"Your name is Nagasaki Motoyo, right?"

"Ah... yes."

"I'm sorry you had to see this, but I hope you won't tell anyone about Xiangzi drinking, if... you still consider her your friend."

"I will..."

Nagasaki Motoyo watched helplessly as Shoko was taken away, unable to do anything about it. She even saw the guilt in Shoko's eyes as she looked back at her as she left.

He must want her to come forward and help, right? He must want to say something to me...

But she didn't go forward then...

Was she timid? Or was she beginning to feel lost? Because she felt that the Xiao Xiang she remembered no longer existed?

So why...? Why did Xiao Xiang become like this...?