After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Although it is still summer, the office is relatively cool, and in addition, Toyokawa Yuu had just fainted once, so her body's resistance was obviously lower than usual.

Toyokawa Shoko didn't want him to catch a cold or something because of such a small detail.

She had just witnessed firsthand how little her fiancé cared about his body.

After doing all this, Toyokawa Shoko walked to the door, picked up the lunchbox that had just fallen to the ground, and placed it on the coffee table.

Because the food was hung on the ground, some of the food that had been selected had spilled, but thanks to the protection of the bag, it did not affect hygiene. However, people who touched the food containers inside the bag would inevitably get their hands greasy.

In the past, Toyokawa Shoko would definitely have tried to handle it simply first, but now...

She herself never expected that a year ago, she would put on an apron and clean the sink with a rag, looking disheveled, but now she could take these things out without batting an eye.

In front of her fiancé, Toyokawa Shoko put the first bite of food into her mouth, chewed it briefly, and swallowed it.

Toyokawa Shoko was also aware that the taste and texture of the food had definitely been affected by all that commotion.

But we can't worry about that now; getting Yuu Toyokawa back to nutrition is the most important thing.

"Youyu, open your mouth."

Using her chopsticks, she picked up a piece of meat and brought it to Toyokawa Yuu's lips, her amber eyes filled with anticipation.

This was the first time she had done something like this, and she could only imitate the way her mother fed her medicine when she was sick, a memory that was so distant and somewhat blurry.

However, the current situation is clearly worse than when she was young, and her fiancé is far less obedient than she was back then.

Even though he had watched Toyokawa Shoko eat a bite of each food in her lunchbox in front of him, he still couldn't bring himself to open his mouth when he looked at his fiancée's face.

Extreme resistance... that seems to be an understatement.

To put it bluntly, Toyokawa Shoko just saved him, and theoretically, she might even have saved his life. He shouldn't be wary of her anymore.

However, it just feels a bit awkward.

Seeing this makes me want to vomit...

The words that had come out of her mouth more than once before now began to echo in her mind, making Toyokawa Yuu feel somewhat uneasy no matter what.

"Don't worry, it's okay."

Seeing that Toyokawa Yuu was still somewhat hesitant, Toyokawa Shoko knew that it would be difficult to make him lower his guard so easily.

Shoko Toyokawa didn't really understand what psychological trauma was, but perhaps it was like how she had an inexplicable fear of the concept of "death" ever since she experienced her mother's death.

No matter how much time has passed, whether it's a year or two, when you see someone important to you seemingly "dying," you become somewhat lost and disoriented.

And her fiancé's psychological trauma is undoubtedly much more severe and more likely to be experienced than her own.

"See, it's okay even if you eat it."

Stuffing the piece of meat into her mouth, Toyokawa Shoko mimicked how her mother used to coax her to take her medicine, and gave her fiancé the kindest smile she could muster.

"If Youyu eats her food properly, how about I reward her with a bottle of ice water?"

She took out the ice water that she had specially bought after being reminded by Chihaya Aine, and placed it on the coffee table.

Toyokawa Shoko felt like she was being coaxed by her mother to take her medicine with toys and candy when she was a child, and her amber eyes gradually became more complicated and gentle.

She seemed to understand a little of the anxiety and helplessness her mother felt when she refused to take medicine because she disliked its bitterness as a child.

However, before Toyokawa Shoko could immerse herself in this state for long, Toyokawa Yuu's voice, which was so complex that it was hard to describe, entered her ears.

"Shoko..."

Looking at his fiancée, who was clearly not very skilled at cooking but was still patiently coaxing him to eat, Toyokawa Yuu pursed her lips.

“I was hurt before... not long ago. It was the first time I had ever asked someone for something from the bottom of my heart, but that person poisoned my food. I almost died… I nearly died.”

I don't really want to recall that feeling.

Death is not a pleasant experience, and unlike in various stories, it doesn't become numb or indifferent with repeated occurrences.

That's certainly true for Toyokawa Yuu at least, though it's also possible that he hasn't reached that point yet.

But in any case, the more he experienced death, the deeper his awe of life and death became, and the less he wanted to recall that feeling.

So even when he confided in Chihaya Aine, he was only vague in his response.

After all, for a girl who has just started high school, topics involving death are far too heavy.

What he is telling Toyokawa Shoko now, while not the complete details, is the maximum he can force himself to recall.

"After that, I neither dared to truly ask anyone for help, nor was I willing to..."

Before Yuu Toyokawa could finish speaking, a piece of meat was placed in front of him by Shoko Toyokawa.

"Is this why you'd rather be stubborn than ask me for help, and why you're ruining your health by not eating properly...? That's so stupid."

"But...it's okay, Youyu. The person who hurt you isn't here. We're engaged. Don't you trust me?"

Wanting to imitate how her mother comforted her back then, she reached out and touched Toyokawa Yuu's forehead.

But Toyokawa Shoko quickly realized that her hands were covered in oil stains, so she used her fingers to pull up her cuffs and gently pressed her forearm against Toyokawa Yuu's forehead.

At the same time, this caring gesture temporarily blocked the boy's view, preventing him from seeing the somewhat forced smile on Toyokawa Shoko's face.

Poisoning, almost killed...

Her eyes twitched slightly, and Toyokawa Shoko's body trembled slightly.

She had completely understood Toyokawa Yuu's thoughts.

Death is a truly terrifying thing. Just experiencing my mother's death has filled me with dread.

What's more, her fiancé had once narrowly escaped death.

So, who on earth went so far as to do such a thing?

Why would Youyu's conscientious and responsible personality attract so much hatred?

However, Toyokawa Shoko dared not ask these questions, and knew that now was not the time to ask.

Just recalling these things has already caused her fiancé a lot of pain.

"We are a community of shared destiny for life. Not only for the next decade, but also for the year after that, and even for a hundred years, we will spend it together."

Raising the back of her hand that had been blocking Yuu Toyokawa's view, Shoko Toyokawa's smile returned to its previous gentleness.

"It's alright. I'm not the one who hurt you back then. I will always need you. You don't need to worry in front of me. There's no one here who wants to hurt you... So, come and eat."

Looking at the piece of meat that had been hovering in front of her for a while, Toyokawa Yuu remained silent for a moment, then closed her eyes resignedly.

Indeed, it seems that I can't leave Toyokawa Shoko no matter what.

From the moment he became her widower ten years later, their fates became as tangled as a ball of yarn messed up by a bad cat, completely out of control.

The tender chunks of meat were put into Toyokawa Shoko's mouth, carrying the flavor of the meat and the aroma of the sauce.

Chewing, swallowing... none of the things I would have instinctively worried about happened. Only a slight warmth came from my abdomen, proving that I had received nutrition.

It's like when a sturdy dam finally starts to leak, all the water rushes towards this spot.

The hunger that had been suppressed for so long was finally awakened at this moment.

Having regained some strength, Yuu Toyokawa propped herself up on the sofa and reached out to take the bowl and chopsticks from Shoko Toyokawa's hands, but the other woman dodged her.

Another piece of meat was placed in front of Toyokawa Yuu by Toyokawa Shoko.

Judging from the faint smile on the girl's face, she seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this game of feeding her fiancé.

Or perhaps she enjoys the feeling of her usually assertive fiancé being unusually submissive in front of her.

With just one elbow, Toyokawa Shoko pressed the now weak Toyokawa Yuu back down.

"Patients, just eat your meals properly and don't get up until I think you've recovered."

"This is all for our common goal... Yuyu, please be patient, I will always be with you."

Chapter 109 Clothes Still Need to Be Worn Properly (6k)

In the bathroom of Ave Mujica's office, Toyokawa Shoko was washing the cold oil stains off her hands when this thought involuntarily popped into her mind.

With the help of hand sanitizer, the oil stains that had cooled in the hands, become stubborn and sticky, and were quite unpleasant to even imagine were gradually loosened and flowed into the drain with the slightly cool water.

Not long ago, the girl would carefully hold the clean parts of the empty wine jars she cleaned in her decadent father's room, but now she can even remain unfazed by the grease stains that have gradually hardened on her hands.

Looking at her amber eyes in the sink mirror, Toyokawa Shoko couldn't help but feel a little dazed for a moment.

Although he comes to Ave Mujica's office almost every day, the last time he stepped into this restroom was when he and Yuu Toyokawa were arguing about the Yutenji Wakami contract, and the two of them squeezed into this room to prevent others from eavesdropping.

Thinking about this, Toyokawa Shoko couldn't help but feel a little complicated. What kind of engaged couple in this world argues every day?

But have I really managed to capture Youyu now?

Looking down at her hands, which had returned to their pristine white state, the girl clenched her fists slightly.

She doesn't like making choices, but she's even more afraid of losing things.

If you have to lose one of the two most important things, you can only painfully keep the one you want to preserve no matter what, and then painfully tear the other out of your heart, discard it, and end up bleeding profusely.

Unfortunately, it seems as if fate is always playing tricks on me; every time I make a choice, I end up losing both.

Even after leaving the family with her father, the dejected father did not become more cheerful.

Even after leaving their former band, they didn't get back on track as they had hoped.

In the end, he had nothing left but Youyu, who came to his side when he was at his lowest and most difficult time and did not choose to leave despite his grandfather's orders.

All I have left is Youyu.

However, due to her willful greed and stubbornness in the face of the stalemate, she almost lost him.

Just like how she unknowingly lost her mother, Youyu almost unknowingly left herself as well.

After feeling as if a huge hole had been ripped into his heart by the fact that Youyu had almost left him, the guilt that he had stubbornly suppressed finally surged forth and filled those gaps.

He didn't want to drag everyone he had formed a band with into this mess, but there was one person who had been stuck in the mess from the very beginning, named Toyokawa Shoko.

Even though neither Yuu nor she had a choice in this matter, Toyokawa Shoko couldn't remain indifferent to this fact.

Can one feel at ease simply because they were not the one who brought this relationship together?

Shoko Toyokawa always knew that she shouldn't be so willful in relying on Yuu Toyokawa, hiding behind her fiancé and letting him face those difficulties while fulfilling her capricious demands.

However, I was really tired at that time. After a year of running around, even though my body was fine, I was still very exhausted.

After Yuu Toyokawa demonstrated his reliability, she couldn't help but hide behind him, using excuses like "birds of a feather" and "vampire" to numb herself.

Until... I saw him fall in front of me with my own eyes.

No, I... I can't lose him again. I have nothing left that belongs to me.

I need to help him recover, I need to share his burden, only in this way can he stay healthy and not leave me like my mother did.

Leaning back slightly, Toyokawa Shoko turned her gaze to the office lobby. Toyokawa Yuu had not obediently lay down as instructed, but had already gotten up from the sofa and was tidying up the coffee table which was covered with empty lunch boxes.

Even though he had just eaten and his condition had improved considerably after being nourished, the boy's face was still somewhat pale.

With Toyokawa Shoko's eyesight, she could even see that Toyokawa Yuu's arm was trembling slightly as she put the empty lunchbox into the garbage bag.

I'm forcing myself again...

"Lie down and rest for a while. You can give me some of your work. After all, it was my job to begin with, but I just handed it all over to you after you joined Ave Mujica."

Perhaps because she had managed to cope with the past year of schooling and part-time jobs non-stop, Toyokawa Shoko only realized today that some people really do work themselves to the point of illness.

No, it should be said that Youyu's burden is much heavier than mine was back then. After all, in a sense, going to school was already a kind of rest for me at that time.

“The work you’re in charge of, I can actually do too.”

"No, I still have a plan to write, and I'll need to communicate with the organizers about the program's flow. Your ideas might be different from mine, so I'll handle this."

When faced with Toyokawa Shoko's request for help, Toyokawa Yuu simply shook her head and did not agree.

He still couldn't quite get used to the change in his nominal fiancée's attitude.

So when Toyokawa Shoko finished feeding the animals and went to wash her hands, he couldn't wait to get up and tidy up the table.

In this way, this time the feeding and feeding was no longer just the help of Toyokawa Shoko alone; I also took on some of the work... even if it was only a small part.

Just like he told Toyokawa Shoko before, ever since he was betrayed and even died because of the first time he sincerely helped someone, he has been afraid to truly ask for help from people he can't trust.

Toyokawa Yuu could no longer believe that anyone would selflessly help her and risk unknown dangers just because of a single word she said.

He actually prefers cooperation to so-called help.

Even if what you give is only a small part, it proves that you did not place all your hopes on the other person.