After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Toyokawa Shoko looked at Toyokawa Yuu lying on the ground. Her amber eyes, which were usually so restrained and stern, as if she was deliberately maintaining the dignity of a young lady, were now completely lost.

Originally, Toyokawa Shoko intended to give Toyokawa Yuu a surprise.

Having just returned from learning from Chihaya Aine, she felt she had grasped some of the tricks to getting along with her fiancé.

Perhaps, in Toyokawa Yuu's eyes, she was far less easy to get along with than Chihaya Aine, to the point that there were some secrets that she was unwilling to share with her, even if she were to share them with Chihaya Aine.

However, despite her jealousy, Toyokawa Shoko was not worried about this at all.

After all, they are engaged, a couple bound together by a lifelong destiny.

As long as we get along well, Toyokawa Yuu won't think about running away from me.

Although they hadn't known each other for long, Toyokawa Shoko knew that if Toyokawa Yuu left her side, even if she wouldn't be completely unable to accept it, she would definitely feel extremely uncomfortable.

Even though Yuu Toyokawa was only Ave Mujica's manager for a little over a week, Shoko Toyokawa had already gotten used to the days when she didn't have to worry about many things and could simply immerse herself in music and the Ave Mujica worldview.

If I were suddenly forced back to the stage where I had to handle everything myself, would I... really be able to follow advice as readily as before?

Convincing herself with these reasons, Toyokawa Shoko was planning to put aside her airs as a young lady and collaborator, and try to truly get along with Toyokawa Yuu as her fiancée.

But before she could give Yuu Toyokawa a surprise, the moment she pushed open the office door, Shoko Toyokawa felt an indescribable shock.

Despite the constant arguments, it gave her a great sense of security; she was practically the embodiment of the concept of "reliability." Toyokawa Yuu collapsed to the ground.

The computer on the table was still running, and the mouse seemed to have been dragged along as the boy fell, dangling precariously in mid-air.

Even the office chair that Toyokawa Shoko had never sat in since Toyokawa Yuu became her manager was knocked to the ground, its casters still slowly turning as she pushed the door open.

The boy's pale and exhausted face, lying on the ground, was reflected in Toyokawa Shoko's eyes, causing the young lady's mind to go completely blank.

A year ago, she had just moved out of the luxurious mansion of the Toyokawa family. When she finally found her father's place, she saw him lying on the ground like a corpse.

At that time, Toyokawa Shoko was truly afraid that her father, who had once sheltered her from the wind and rain, was dead.

Although her initial worries were quickly confirmed by her father's hangover murmurs as a false alarm, the feeling of trepidation remained etched in Toyokawa Shoko's mind.

die......

Since her mother's death, Toyokawa Shoko has developed an unspeakable fear of this word.

That means separation and never seeing each other again; the person who was laughing and talking with you not long ago, and who gave you a gentle smile, will never come back.

Now, the fear that something important was about to leave her and that someone important would never come back once again filled Toyokawa Shoko's heart.

Two years ago, it was my mother. That is a scar in my heart that can never heal. I can only look at the doll on the counter that I carefully maintain every day to remember her.

A year ago, it was my father. Although it turned out to be a false alarm, the back that once sheltered me from the wind and rain has become dejected. The father who used to always smile and say that he would work hard seems to have left forever.

And now... is it Yuu's turn?

A photo from her mother's funeral flashed through Toyokawa Shoko's mind...

No, no, no...

With a slight slip of her fingers, the bag containing the lunchbox fell to the ground, splashing some soup on the floor.

But Toyokawa Shoko didn't care about any of that and instinctively ran towards the figure lying on the ground.

"Don't die...please...don't leave me, you're all I have left..."

With trembling fingers, Toyokawa Shoko reached for the tip of Toyokawa Yuu's nose. After confirming that the boy's breathing, though weak and shallow, was still perceptible, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But she knew very well that even though she was still breathing, Toyokawa Yuu's condition was still dangerous.

Fortunately, although Haneoka is a school known for its college entrance examination pass rate, it does not simply require students to have good grades.

Some basic first aid knowledge was also taught.

Recalling what she had learned in the first aid class, Toyokawa Shoko pressed down on Toyokawa Yuu's forehead, tilting his head back slightly, and then pinched open his mouth to open his airway as much as possible, making it easier for her unconscious fiancé to breathe.

Then, he pressed on Toyokawa Yuu's chest with a certain amount of force in a regular manner, stimulating his heartbeat.

The knowledge reserves of top students are clearly revealed at this moment.

Even Toyokawa Shoko herself was glad that she hadn't neglected her studies in this area because she was busy with part-time jobs over the past year. In fact, she even read more books because she was worried that her father might get into trouble from drinking every day.

She never imagined that the first time she would put this knowledge into practice, it would be on her own fiancé.

Taking a moment to pull out her phone and put it aside, Toyokawa Shoko planned to call the hospital immediately after the first round of emergency treatment.

Holding Yuu Toyokawa's jawbone firmly with both hands, Shoko Toyokawa took a deep breath, preparing to perform the final step of a round of artificial respiration.

However, just as she lowered her head, the boy who had fainted opened his eyes groggily.

Although it was just a slight slit in her eyelids, Toyokawa Shoko still managed to catch it.

The chest he had just pressed began to rise and fall rhythmically, and the boy's breathing became somewhat heavy, but powerful enough.

All of this proved that the boy in front of him had begun to regain consciousness and was gradually getting out of that most dangerous situation.

"Youyu... are you awake?"

Her voice trembled slightly as she asked the question; Toyokawa Shoko didn't even dare to raise her voice too much, lest she disturb the boy's slowly regaining consciousness.

"Shoko..."

Opening her eyes wearily, Toyokawa Yuu could easily recognize the person in front of her through her still somewhat blurry vision.

He truly never expected that the first person he would see when he opened his eyes would be her.

"Th...thank you..."

Although they often argued, Toyokawa Yuu knew that she owed Toyokawa Shoko a life this time.

It's hard to say what might have happened if someone had fainted in an empty office under those circumstances and hadn't been discovered in time.

Yuu Toyokawa wasn't sure if she would have a second chance if she died at this time.

The consequences of not knowing them can never be overestimated.

"Why......"

However, to Toyokawa Yuu's surprise, Toyokawa Shoko did not give the response he expected in the face of his gratitude, but instead murmured a question.

Seeing the boy's complexion gradually returning to normal, Toyokawa Shoko finally breathed a sigh of relief, and her emotions began to falter...

Worry, fear, and other such emotions kept brewing in my heart, and finally burst forth as tears.

"Why, why not eat properly, why torture your body like this?"

The blue figure rushed into his arms with a speed that even Toyokawa Yuu couldn't react to.

A choked voice came from Toyokawa Yuu's arms.

He could even feel a moist and warm stain gradually spreading across his chest.

Even as she sobbed into Toyokawa Yuu's arms, Toyokawa Shoko didn't dare to actually press down on the boy, fearing she might cause further harm to his already weakened body.

"Didn't you say you'd let me live happily into the next decade? No... don't leave me..."

The syllables, distorted to the point of being almost indistinguishable by the sobbing, made it completely unbelievable that this was the voice of Toyokawa Shoko.

This wasn't the kind of elegant and delicate woman who suppresses her emotions like a movie heroine, quietly wiping away tears and sobbing softly.

Toyokawa Shoko's crying was quite loud and distraught, with tears streaming down her face like a thin stream.

Because of his supine position, Toyokawa Yuu couldn't see Toyokawa Shoko's expression; he could only feel the wet patch spreading across his chest getting bigger and bigger.

The water stains even seeped through the outermost suit jacket and soaked into the inner garment.

The words of gratitude that I wanted to express were swallowed back down my throat by Toyokawa Shoko's sobs.

Yuu Toyokawa opened her mouth, but in the end, as if giving up the struggle, she obediently lay on the ground, letting Shoko Toyokawa soak her suit.

He gently placed his palm on Toyokawa Shoko's back. In any case, he didn't have the strength to push this young lady away and get up. Let her be.

Time passed by, second by second. As Toyokawa Shoko's sobs gradually subsided, Toyokawa Yuu also gradually regained some of her strength to speak.

Toyokawa Shoko pressed her hand to her chest, trying to catch her breath and calm her body, which was trembling slightly from sobbing.

However, when she looked at Toyokawa Yuu, her eyes were still red-rimmed, and her voice was still choked with emotion.

"Youyu, why? What have you been through? Why can't you even eat properly?"

Even with just a simple sentence, it seemed like she had to exert a great deal of effort to suppress her slightly choked and trembling voice.

Shoko Toyokawa simply couldn't understand why Yuu Toyokawa had gone to such lengths.

Even if the psychological trauma is so strong that it can cause someone to faint from hunger, isn't that going too far?

Does Toyokawa Yuu consider not eating to be more important than life itself?

“I went to see Aiyin today, and she told me that you had psychological trauma in the past, but I didn’t expect it to be this serious… Why wouldn’t you tell me something so important? Aren’t we engaged?”

This was the first time that Toyokawa Shoko didn't bring up any of the concepts of shared destiny, birds of a feather, or vampires—relationships that she and Toyokawa Yuu formed later.

At the very beginning, when the two first met and had not yet gotten to know each other, they shared an identity that they could not escape no matter how much they resisted.

An engaged couple.

"...Are you worried about me, Xiangzi?"

Looking at Toyokawa Shoko's red eyes, Toyokawa Yuu was somewhat unsure why the girl in front of her was crying.

Even though he knew in his heart what Toyokawa Shoko's feelings were and what her reasons were.

At this moment, Toyokawa Shoko was crying for him and worrying about him.

However, Yuu Toyokawa still wanted to know what exactly Shoko Toyokawa was worried about.

Is he a reliable manager, a partner who can help her achieve her band's goals and prove her abilities and worth, a fiancé to whom she can make any demands she wants, and who will do everything in her power to meet them, or...?

"Of course I'm worried about you, Yuu."

Before Yuu Toyokawa could finish listing the relationship between himself and Shoko Toyokawa in his mind, the girl's voice interrupted his somewhat sluggish thoughts.

My chest, wet with tears, once again nestled in a warm embrace.

Perhaps he hadn't yet grasped the true meaning behind Toyokawa Yuu's words, but Toyokawa Shoko answered his question with her actions.

"I'm worried about you, always pushing yourself too hard, worrying about not taking care of your health, worrying that you might leave me forever... I can't believe that if I hadn't come today and something really happened to you, what would I do then?"

"...Thank you, Xiangzi. I'm serious this time."

Reaching out to touch Toyokawa Shoko's soft blue hair, Toyokawa Yuu let out a long breath, and her still strong gaze softened despite her weakness.

However, before Yuu Toyokawa could figure out how to answer Shoko Toyokawa's question, she felt her body lighten and a slight lifting sensation came from her back and knees.

Before she could figure out what was happening, Toyokawa Yuu watched helplessly as her gaze began to rise.

It wasn't that he raised his head or stood up on his own initiative; rather, Toyokawa Shoko simply picked him up in her arms.

This girl, who was much smaller than herself, seemed to possess an unimaginable strength, enough to lift up a man her own age without batting an eye.

Perhaps because she had been starving for too long, her brain was no longer functioning properly. Toyokawa Yuu suddenly remembered some people's teasing in the past, saying that Toyokawa Shoko's physical fitness was simply superhuman.

But judging from the current situation, it may be a bit of an exaggeration, but this girl's physique is indeed extraordinary.

Ten years later, that medical examination report that looked like it could kill a cow with a single punch might not have been faked.

"Wait, Xiangzi, what are you doing? I can walk by myself..."

It was the first time I'd ever been held in the arms of someone of the opposite sex, and in such a way that left me completely defenseless.

Yuu Toyokawa instinctively tried to struggle, but Shoko Toyokawa simply tightened her grip on his arm, shattering his illusions.

"No, Youyu, you're a patient right now. You just fainted and woke up again. It's best not to force yourself to walk."

Carrying Yuu Toyokawa in her arms, she walked towards the office sofa. Faced with what seemed to be the first time her fiancé had made such a request to her, Toyokawa Shoko resolutely chose to ignore it.

"Right now, Youyu, you need to rest well and eat well. If you still feel uncomfortable anywhere, tell me immediately and I will call an ambulance."

Her tough attitude was just like how Yuu Toyokawa would assign tasks to the members of Ave Mujica in the office.

Yuu Toyokawa never imagined that one day she would be in such a disadvantageous position in her own office.

He seemed to understand somewhat why Nagasaki Sose was so hung up on the band CRYCHIC.

From his current perspective, he couldn't see Toyokawa Shoko's complete expression; he could only see her profile, which, despite her efforts to keep it taut, was still noticeably red-rimmed.

The girl in front of me, who had set aside her pride and stubbornness, cried her eyes out while showing strong concern for others, truly possessed a strange kind of magic.

That kind of selfless, unconditional care and tenderness directed at others, even to the point of being irresistible, can indeed be quite captivating.

Unsure of what Yuu Toyokawa was thinking, Shoko Toyokawa had him lie down on the sofa in the office, using a cushion as a pillow, so that her fiancé could lie more comfortably.

Then, ignoring Yuu Toyokawa's symbolic protests and struggles, she unbuttoned the front of his suit jacket one button at a time, helped him take off the coat that was already soaked with her own tears, and placed it on the office hanger, leaving only the white lining.