You are Toyokawa Shoko, then who am I?

"The experience of striving for the goals you want to achieve will surely become your strength in the future. Please continue to hold your head high and move forward with confidence. You will surely become an outstanding adult in the future."

"I have always been convinced of this outcome because I have seen you become like that."

"That's really amazing, Lixi."

Done.

Toyokawa Sho turned his head and looked at the girl next to him, as if asking with a smile what she thought of this.

The girl said nothing.

Just staring at him blankly.

The emotions surging in my heart ebb and flow like waves crashing on the beach, or like fireworks sending off into the starry sky.

finally.

All the sounds converge into one simple word.

"Ok!"

That is the proof of her happiness.

65

Chapter 65 My name, Cucumber Sword Princess, is not undeserved.

The black luxury car drove smoothly out of the bustling neighborhood, and many people cast envious glances at it along the way.

The smooth lines, the elegant body with a cool style, the simple and clear three-pointed star logo, and the outstanding configuration that can perfectly meet the driver's wishes and start smoothly all prove that this car is expensive.

When driving through the streets, you will occasionally pass by some men walking arm in arm. They are quite knowledgeable about car models, so they can recognize it at the first sight. This is the Mercedes-Benz S63 model, with a starting price of about million yen.

But Wakaba Mu didn't understand this.

She didn't know what was so good about this car, she only knew that it was a special car to take her back, a soul-catcher that would send her to a cage or a nightmare.

She sat very properly in the window seat, with her hands folded on her thighs and her body leaning slightly against the back seat. Her eyes did not look at the scenery outside the window, but were silently staring at the headrest in front of her.

It seemed as if only this standard posture was allowed in this car, and all other ungraceful and impolite actions would be branded as needing punishment.

"Miss, you're home."

The special driver remained silent all the way, and only when he was about to get off the car did he respectfully remind Ruoye Mu who was sitting in the back because of his status.

Ruo Ye Mu lowered her eyes slightly. She was home. These three words that should have made people feel warm and relaxed sounded to her like a prisoner being escorted to the execution ground knowing that he had been sent to the guillotine.

She pushed open the car door, and her slender little feet, tightly wrapped in rifles, as if they could be completely held in one hand, touched the ground. She picked up the schoolbag beside her, and as her mother had strictly taught her, she put the schoolbag in front of her knees and walked step by step towards the mansion next door.

Like a canary with its head drooped, it walked into the cage that locked her.

……

Ruoye Mu walked across the courtyard, entered the house, took off her shoes and placed them on the ground, then changed into the slippers prepared for her by the servant, and walked to the living room with careful steps, trying to make no noise.

However, waiting for her in front was Mori Minami, who was sitting on the sofa, silently watching her slow steps and standing there in a daze.

Under the cold light, there was nothing on the table usually used to welcome guests, not even a teacup or a plate of snacks. It was empty, with only Minami Mori sitting next to it.

The feeling of oppression and suffocation that spread from the depths of his soul almost instantly turned into a huge sharp blade hanging high in Ruoye Mu's heart.

It was as if what she was stepping on was no longer a checkered floor, but a silent and cold cemetery. Countless bones underneath had broken free from the soil, grabbed her ankles, arms, and shoulders, and slowly dragged her into the infinitely dark abyss.

For most children living in repressive families.

There are few sights more terrifying than seeing your parents sitting wordlessly in a chair or on the sofa waiting for you to return.

Ruo Ye Mu's body trembled slightly. She did not look up to see the silent gaze. She tried to take a step forward, but every step was trembling with fear. She could not help but close her eyes and subconsciously wanted to find a place to escape. The first person she thought of was Toyokawa Sho.

Recalling the warmth of the other person's embrace and those words that seemed to still be vivid in her mind until now, she finally plucked up the courage, walked to the other side of the sofa and sat down, keeping a certain distance from Mori Minami.

This distance is the barrier between mother and daughter.

Ruo Yemu knew that it was impossible for him to sit next to his mother and receive her praise or compliments, so he had to consciously keep his distance.

She raised her head and thought about what to say first. At least she should tell the teacher that she did not skip the acting class on purpose and had asked for leave properly.

But Minami Mori did not give her this opportunity.

Instead, he took out a ruler from the side.

"Mu, stretch out your hand."

If Ye Mu looked at the ruler that reflected the light and looked cold and sharp under the cold color, with a downcast look in her eyes, she knew that her mother would not listen to anything she said.

As long as you go against the life path specially set by your mother, even if you deviate just a little bit, you will be met with unreasonable storms.

In the eyes of my mother.

Any reason is an excuse.

The only sin is to disobey her orders.

"Don't make me say it a second time."

Hearing Mori Minami's cold urging, Wakaba Mu lowered his head and stretched out his right hand.

"Change your hand. You still need to write with your right hand."

Mori Minami stood up, walked in front of Wakaba Mutsu, took her left hand in the air and placed it flat.

Looking at the petite, fair hand that had once touched her face, Mori Minami sighed, then swung the ruler and hit it five times hard. The loud sound echoed throughout the living room.

Wakaba Mutsu withdrew his hand. Mori Minami didn't hit her very hard, and it didn't hurt as much as she had imagined, but the ruler still left several clear red marks on her fair hand, and when she pressed it, she only felt a slight stinging pain.

After Mori Minami finished typing, she handed the ruler aside. The servant who was waiting nearby quickly went over and took the ruler, then stepped aside and left the living room very consciously, knowing that the following conversation between mother and daughter was not something she should listen to.

"From childhood to adulthood, I have only punished you a few times. First, I didn't want to hit you. You are my daughter, and I don't want to treat you like this. Second, you are very obedient and would never do anything that a bad kid would do."

Mori Minami sat back down on the sofa.

"But lately you've been becoming more and more rebellious and disobedient. Your father and I have warned you to spend less time with Xiangzi, yet you still go to see her privately."

"If it was just one or two times, I would have turned a blind eye."

Mori Minami said coldly, "But in order to take care of her, you can even put aside the most important acting class, right?"

"..."

Ruoye Mu lowered his head and opened his mouth slightly, "Today... I'm not going to see Xiangzi."

"Who are you going to meet? That band that can't even make it on the stage? I've told you many times that it's hard for bands to have a future in the entertainment industry. Don't waste your time playing games. Your real future lies in performing. Put your energy where it belongs."

"...Not really. I'm going to meet everyone at Crychic. I—"

Wakaba Mutsu wanted to explain things to Mori Minami, but Mori Minami didn't have the patience to listen.

"Neither? Mu, you've learned to lie now? I don't remember educating you like this. You've really gone too far."

Mori Minami's face became darker and darker.

"I've told you countless times that I'm very busy. I'm so busy that I rarely have any personal time."

"My agent arranged a schedule for me from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the only break being the half-hour nap in the break room at 2 p.m. after finishing my Armani ad shoot. For a theater shoot like this, I have to run at least 10 sets a day."

"Sometimes at night, I have to organize parties or banquets to invite other actors and teachers to deepen their connections. Who do you think I do all this for? All my efforts now are for your future!"

Mori Minami emphasized her tone. She wanted to correct the negative effects brought about by the rebellious period by letting her child blame himself. This was also the educational experience she learned from other mothers.

But for Ruoye Mu.

These words that repeatedly emphasized how much effort she had put in and how much she had paid for him, instead felt like a huge rock weighing on her heart. It was so heavy that she could hardly lift her head and felt suffocated.

Everything we do is for your own good.

All the hardships are just for you.

Wakaba Mu hated this abnormal way of education, but she had no way to resist and could only listen to what Mori Minami said.

"Do you know how much effort Mom put into getting An and Tiantong as your teachers? How many banquets did she hold? How much money did she spend? How many people did she squeeze out to get you this?"

"Senior Anhe only has 32 students in a class, and the whole of Tokyo is vying for it! Even my mother got this for you, and you don't even appreciate it?"

"Do you know how big of a figure senior An He is in the entertainment industry? She took over Iwashita Shima's class and is a student of a national artist. Her network of contacts is the most orthodox and prestigious faction in the entire domestic entertainment industry! As long as you become her student, no one will ever call you a traffic star again!"

When talking about performance, Mori Minami's emotions became more and more fluctuating.

"Even if you haven't thought about it this deeply, let me start with something simple. Have you ever considered that if you become Senior An He's student, will Mom also have a relationship with him? Maybe you could even invite him to your home to discuss your academic problems? Would that deepen their relationship? Would it be helpful to Mom?"

"If you don't think about yourself, can't you learn to think about your mother?"

Mori Minami opened her mouth and said something that went straight into Wakaba Mu's fragile heart.

Now it seems that Wakaba Mu's skill of making explosive remarks as soon as he opens his mouth must have been learned from Mori Minami. Every word and sentence she says now is almost as painful as torture to Wakaba Mu.

"Do you know how much your mother wants to get rid of the title of traffic star? Do you know how much I want to become an actress who can be recognized by the public?"

"People online are saying I'm a third-rate actress who only became famous because of marrying your father, or that I'm some entertainment industry parasite whose only thing worth looking at is my face..."

"But I'm not like that. I have talent and acting skills, but I don't have enough background or connections! I'm not from an academic background. I've made it to where I am today on my own. But the funny thing is, because I made it this far on my own, no one recognizes me."

Mori Minami took a deep breath. This was her own pain. Even after becoming an adult, she could not ignore it. The more she looked at her future, the more she would worry about her shortcomings.

She looked at her daughter in front of her.

What I was thinking in my heart was that as a parent, I shouldn’t put so much pressure on my children.

Instead, they are obsessed with imposing their own thinking and thinking patterns on a child, asking her to speculate on all the pros and cons from an adult's perspective.

Mori Minami seemed to have completely forgotten.

Wakaba Mutsu was only fifteen years old.

She's just a third-year junior high school girl.

"Mom has fallen before, so I will never let you make the same mistake again. I have paved the way for you. You just need to keep moving forward. As long as you reach the end, everything I dream of will be within your reach."

"Mu, whether Mom can realize her dream in this life really depends on you."

...But I don’t want to be an actor.

Ruoye Mu bit his lower lip tightly, even before making a decision, he asked for my opinion once more.

Do I really want to go down this path?

Do you really want to be what you expect?

These things.

these things.

You never asked me once.

I don't hate performing, and I don't hate going to class.

I just……

I just want to be able to decide things for myself...

Why can't I even have such a right?

"...I am not a tool for you to realize your dreams..."

Wakaba Mutsu lowered his head, his beautiful goose-yellow eyes filled with the pain and sobs of having his heart destroyed by Mori Minami's long speech.

The mist wet her eyes. She tried hard not to shed tears, and her inner voice was trying to escape and vent. The next second, her pupils shrank slightly, and she realized that she had actually said these words.

She raised her head and looked at Mori Minami in a panic. As expected, she saw disbelief and heart-wrenching pain on the other's face.

She tried to reach out her hand, wanting to explain something, but she found that words were so pale and powerless. No matter what she said, she could not undo the consequences caused by her unintentional words.

"...Mu, you must have been led astray... You must have been influenced by that nonsensical band of yours and made some shady friends. That's why you look at your mother like that."

"Crychic, it's not like that..."

Ruoye Mu murmured softly, trying to clear his friends' names.

She didn't know the other members of the band very well, but from what happened today, it could be seen that they were definitely not bad people. Shiina Riki was willing to call her over for Toyokawa Sho's feelings. Just for this reason, she felt that the other party was very powerful and not the kind of questionable person her mother said.

And the more important thing is.

No matter in which world.

Crychic was built by the people who mattered most to her.

It's Toyokawa Shoko.