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

"Am I worthless compared to them? Is my approval insignificant to you?"

"...I'm sorry, Xiao Xiang."

"What's the point of saying all this now? You solemnly promised me that we would be happy together, but what have you done to me in the end? How can you do this to my deceased mother?!"

In the empty rented room, Xiangzi's voice was unusually loud. It was precisely because there were no other sounds that Xiangzi could better feel the anger and disappointment in her own voice.

The father on the other end of the phone still didn't know how to answer, which made Xiangzi even angrier.

"Speak up! You despicable bastard father who's even jealous of his own daughter, you stole everything from me and now you're pretending you know nothing?!"

"Xiao Xiang, are you willing to listen to what I'm about to say?"

"Still saying things like that..."

"Xiao Xiang." Toyokawa Kiyoko's voice was much calmer than before, and he didn't seem angry at being scolded by his daughter. "You're right, I... I was indeed jealous of you."

“Dad, I often think that if our family were an ordinary family, we would probably be very happy, right? Your mother loves me, and I love you and your mother too. Even if your grandfather's attitude towards me isn't very good, at least we could move out and live an ordinary but warm life.”

"What's the point of saying all this...?"

"...Yes, assumptions are never meaningful; they are just an escapist behavior of not wanting to face reality."

As Toyokawa Kiyotaka sat alone in his daughter's bedroom, looking at the objects in the room that were filled with memories, he felt a sense of loss.

After returning to the Toyokawa family, he underwent a series of psychological transformations.

From initial panic to later reluctance to lose, and then to the bewilderment he felt upon seeing the expectation in the eyes of the man he feared most.

When Toyokawa Kiyotaka told the other party that he wanted to give up music and start learning how to manage a company, he never expected that this incredibly demanding person would shake his head and say:

“I have never said I would take away your right to pursue your hobbies. You are still young and not yet at the age where you have to take on all the responsibilities. So before you become an adult, just do what you want to do.”

He was somewhat surprised and found it hard to accept, so he immediately asked in return:

"And what about my father? Why are you so harsh on him? Why can't you give him more time and patience? Aren't we family?!"

“You’re wrong,” Toyokawa Sadaharu said. “First of all, I never considered him my family. I’ve known for a long time that your father would not be the heir to the Toyokawa family, so no matter how hard he tries, it will be for nothing.”

“I never had any expectations or patience for him from the beginning; it’s just that he was unwilling to admit it.”

At that moment, Toyokawa Kiyotaka suddenly realized... that he had never belonged to this family.

To the vast Toyokawa family, he was merely an outsider, and his persistent desire to gain his father's approval over the past decade was never going to be achieved from the start.

Because regardless of whether he did well or badly, regardless of whether he wanted to inherit such a large family business, his father never gave him a second glance, and the so-called expectations weren't real expectations...

That was just an act, a pretense, to give his wife and Xiao Xiang a happy home.

He was like a monkey, leaping around, just to provide some emotional value to the Toyokawa family... He was playing the role of a member of the family, rather than truly becoming one.

However, the former Toyokawa Kiyotaka might have argued and defended himself after learning this fact, but he no longer wanted to try, nor did he want to continue doing these meaningless things.

Perhaps because he had completely abandoned his dignity, he no longer had any motivation to prove himself to Toyokawa Sadaharu.

"Xiao Xiang..."

Back to the present, Toyokawa Kiyoko said gently to his daughter on the other end of the phone, "I don't know if you can understand what I'm saying, but actually... in my eyes, apart from my original home, after marrying into the Toyokawa family, I actually have two different 'homes'."

“One is the small family that you, your mother, and I make up, and the other is the large family that your maternal grandfather is the head of.”

"What......"

“My jealousy of you isn’t simply because you’re better than me; you’re able to take care of me, this useless father, and find a job for me…”

I'm mostly jealous that you're valued by your grandfather. You're an outstanding member of the Toyokawa family, and you deserve his praise—that's all.

"Ridiculous... Why would you care about the praise of someone like that..."

"It's really absurd."

Toyokawa Kiyoshi smiled bitterly. He knew he was such a ridiculous person, and he also knew that apart from being a sincere person in the past, he had no other merits that his father-in-law would value.

Therefore, he felt inferior and longed to formally integrate into this large family and gain his father-in-law's true approval.

Even after being kicked out of his home, he remained fixated on this obsession, which ultimately distorted him beyond recognition, becoming a recurring nightmare that constantly reminded him:

Without that person's recognition, you are worthless.

But now he really doesn't want to keep going. After returning to the Toyokawa family and experiencing what it means to "get recognition without doing anything, even if you can't play the piano anymore," he increasingly feels that everything he did in the past was a farce.

Why should he? Why does his life only have meaning if he gains Toyokawa Sadaharu's approval?

He should be Asano Kiyoyuki, not Toyokawa Kiyoyuki. It's time to realize this, it's time... to truly leave this "home" that doesn't belong to him.

This place may belong to Mizuho, ​​it may belong to Sho, but it never truly belongs to him.

"Xiao Xiang, I'm going to tell your grandfather the truth."

"...Huh?"

Before Xiangzi could figure out what was going on, he suddenly heard his father say something unexpected, "What... do you want to confess?"

"To be honest, I'm not his granddaughter. After all, I'm tired of being part of his family. I was just kicked out of a house I never even set foot in. I don't want to dwell on this anymore."

"After all, my family now... is just you."

"But I'd also like to hear your thoughts. After all, I don't know if he'll believe me after I say this. But in any case, I can't stay here any longer. How can I stay here listening to everyone laughing at the real me?"

"..."

Toyokawa Shoko remained silent for a long time, and finally, as if she had made up her mind, she said something she wouldn't normally say at this moment:

"Dad...actually, I was the one who arranged for us to switch bodies."

"...Don't joke around."

"Really, although I can't tell you exactly how it was achieved, I can switch it back anytime... I'm sorry I haven't told you, but I think it's better not to let Grandpa know about this."

Although Toyokawa Shoko still hasn't fully forgiven her father, at least she and her current father both dislike her even more despicable maternal grandfather.

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

"Nanami, you..."

"Shut up! You foul-mouthed, violent woman!"

"No, I didn't have foul breath..."

Riki, who was following behind Nanami Natsuki, was furious. She looked at the girl who had been hit several times by her without making a sound and even looked comfortable. She felt that this girl was really too abnormal.

Of course, she didn't dare ask why this guy was talking to an older man alone, because she was afraid that if she asked, this little pervert would stick his butt out and tell her:

"Stop asking, just hit me directly."

"Ahem." Li hope suppressed her inner disapproval of the girl and asked with some curiosity, "Nanami, can you really help me obtain those... talents?"

"Heh, weren't you pretty arrogant before? Why are you begging me now?"

"..."

Shiina Riki's cheeks were burning. She did feel like she was being a bit shameless, but... after completely giving up, she also genuinely longed for the deal that Nanami Natsuki had mentioned.

Her thoughts were actually quite simple. After acquiring the talent she wanted, the thing she wanted to do most was to find Lamp and reform the band with her... This was also the thing she could never let go of.

If Lixi's desire for talent in the past stemmed from a desire to surpass those she couldn't, then now she has another purpose: to use these talents... to accomplish what she truly wants to do.

Returning to her original love for music... after she no longer needed to fear music itself because of her talent.

"I can agree to that, but you actually broke our deal before! You actually hit me! I haven't even settled that score with you yet!"

"...I'm sorry, I..."

"No need to explain, I'm not going to listen to your foul-mouthed, violent explanations."

"Then what do you want?" Shiina Riki was a little impatient, but dared not show it.

"First, you have to beat Su Shi up again."

"'Again'? When did I ever hit Su Shi?"

"...That's not important. Anyway, you have to help me beat her up. Of course, you can decide how hard you go. I just want her to know that I'm not someone to be trifled with!"

"alright."

Shiina Riki agreed somewhat perfunctorily. Although she was indeed dissatisfied with Suze's previous decision to give up her memories, she didn't think it was enough to beat him up for it.

Anyway, Nanami herself said she would control the intensity, so I can just do a little bit myself, right?

"There's one more condition."

"What are the conditions?" Li hope frowned. "Won't it be too troublesome?"

“No trouble at all.” Nanami Natsuki smiled. “I just need you to act out a scene with me in front of Suze until high school officially starts. The scene is that you have to pretend that I am Xiangzi.”

"......What?"

"Didn't I make myself clear?" Nanami Natsuki turned around and glanced at Riki, who looked completely bewildered. "I meant that you have to pretend in front of Suze that I am Shoko, the Toyokawa Shoko who swapped bodies with that arrogant and wicked little bastard Nanami Natsuki."

"what?"

"No, I mean... wait, you're not pretending not to hear me just so you can hear me cursing myself, are you?"

"...No way."

"You hesitated!"

"No, what I mean is... do you really think Su Shi will believe you if you say that?"

"Of course I'll believe you." Nanami Natsuki's lips curled up. "That stupid sow thinks she's so smart. She'll believe me as long as I say it, but only if you don't betray me again. Otherwise, I'll really get angry. When I'm angry, I won't give you the talent you want. Instead, I'll turn you into an incredibly nauseatingly cute little dragon!"

"Milk what?"

"Anyway, you know you'll become an idiot." Nanami Natsuki didn't explain, but took out a can of beer from her bag, opened it, and drank it down. "Look, I've even prepared the props."

"Wait a minute, where did you get this beer from?"

"Xiao Xiang gave it to me."

"???"

Chapter 61 This is all Nanami Natsuki's revenge (5100 words)

When a person is emotionally agitated and mentally resolute, they often do things that seem outrageous to others.

For example, Nagasaki Motoyo right now... After learning that Shoko had fallen into a state she didn't recognize and had been taken away by Shoko's family, she felt as if the sky was about to fall.

So after returning home and having lunch, Su Shi thought of going to Nanami Natsuki to demand an explanation.