After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Seeing Chihaya Aine's smile, Toyokawa Yuu took a light breath, her expression unchanged.

Meanwhile, Toyokawa Shoko's gaze silently swept over Toyokawa Yuu, who was sitting beside her, her amber eyes becoming somewhat complicated.

Sitting in the corner of the table, Takamatsu Todori paused, fiddling with the stickers in front of her, silently taking in the expressions of everyone present.

Amidst the sounds of Lenai's unrestrained guitar playing not far away, everyone present had their own thoughts.

Chapter 117 Mu, let's go out and have fun this weekend (6k5)

"You've made a bold claim... What are you planning to do about Ms. Minami?"

The simple gathering ended quickly, and Toyokawa Shoko left [RING] with Toyokawa Yuu, strolling together through the streets of Tokyo.

After confirming that they were far away from the LiveHouse and that their conversation with her fiancé would not be overheard by the pink-haired girl who cared so much about him, she slowly asked the question.

"If Ms. Minami really received her grandfather's instructions, she probably wouldn't agree so easily."

Standing beside Yuu Toyokawa, Shoko Toyokawa's amber eyes reflected the boy's slightly troubled expression.

She knew her own situation best; she was well aware that bringing Mutsu out wasn't as simple as just telling Chihaya Aine what she was told.

After a moment's hesitation, Toyokawa Shoko offered her suggestion with some uncertainty.

"Or, I could go..."

"It hasn't come to that. Your request will be taken as admitting defeat. I'll figure something out..."

Before Toyokawa Shoko could even finish her suggestion, Toyokawa Yuu interrupted her rather forcefully.

Although he often did this before, this time seemed slightly different.

His attitude was not as cold and hard as when he refuted Toyokawa Shoko in the past; he simply shook his head silently at her.

Shoko Toyokawa opened her lips, instinctively wanting to nod as she always did, reassuring herself that she could entrust the matter to Yuu Toyokawa.

But seeing the boy's furrowed brows, she abruptly stopped herself from moving.

"But...you don't have that much time right now, right? There's Sumimi's situation, Ave Mujica's situation, not to mention you also have to take care of Muji..."

She stopped speaking abruptly halfway through her sentence.

[Xiangzi, you always point out the problems, but you can't come up with any better solutions...]

The drummer's comments suddenly echoed in her mind, and Toyokawa Shoko subconsciously clenched her fingertips, swallowing the words she was about to say.

"No, let's go at your own pace. Didn't you say you were going to bring Mu dinner later? ... Let me help you choose. I know what Mu likes to eat."

He subtly increased his stride and headed towards the nearby food street.

"If you feel there's anything wrong with our harmonious relationship, feel free to tell me. I know what kind of person Mu is; he likes to keep things to himself and won't talk about things he feels uncomfortable with."

This time, Yuu Toyokawa did not refuse Shoko Toyokawa's proposal.

The boy followed quietly behind her, briefly letting his mind stop thinking, allowing Toyokawa Shoko to select and compare items in front of various shops.

At this time, high school students have already left school. Although it is not yet the peak time for office workers to get off work, there are already quite a few pedestrians in the food street.

A girl wearing the Haneoka school uniform was selecting items in front, while another boy, who looked to be about the same age, silently carried bags of things behind her.

As the two walked from one end of the street to the other, Toyokawa Shoko handed the last bag to Toyokawa Yuu.

"These things are on my behalf. I'll give you the money back when you get back to your office. Remember to tell Mu to get some rest for me."

When talking about his other half, Toyokawa Shoko's tone was somewhat complicated.

Although it had only been a few days since they last met, it was rare for her to go this long without seeing Wakaba Mutsu since they started going to school together, and...

Her amber gaze lingered on the boy's chest for a moment. It was as if Toyokawa Shoko's eyes could penetrate the outermost layer of clothing to see the stack of banknotes and the note that she had put back untouched in her inner pocket.

I'm still a little concerned about where Mu is right now...

"You too, don't stop eating just because I or Aine aren't here. This food is for two people, and Mutsu... doesn't like eating alone either."

In the end, Shoko Toyokawa didn't bring up the question that Yuu Toyokawa seemed to be intentionally hiding from her. She simply gave a couple of brief instructions and then turned to leave.

As time went by, dusk was approaching.

The setting sun cast its rays on the girl's back, revealing no youthful vitality, but rather a heavy-hearted look.

"...That's settled then. I'll go back to my office and wait for you. I can also ask my father what time he'll be back tonight, since you'll be going to see him then, right?"

After confirming that there was nothing else she needed to tell Yuu Toyokawa, Shoko Toyokawa turned around and left in the direction of the train station.

However, before Toyokawa Shoko could take a few steps, she heard Toyokawa Yuu's voice coming from behind her.

"and many more."

Seeing Toyokawa Shoko's somewhat slow and heavy steps, unlike the light and cheerful steps she had taken while strolling and shopping with him earlier, Toyokawa Yuu opened her mouth, but ultimately called out to her.

"Do you still have any money left for the bus company... Never mind, come with me to see Xiao Mu. At least you're right about one thing: you do know her better than I do. If she's not feeling well, you'll be able to tell more easily than I do."

Yuu Toyokawa sighed as she watched Shoko Toyokawa awkwardly reach into her pocket after being asked if she had enough money for a taxi home.

Forget it, there's no point in keeping this a secret any longer. I'll bring Xiao Mu out anyway, since I'm going to do it all weekend.

He just felt that things were starting to go beyond his plans.

Seeing that Toyokawa Yuu hadn't stopped to wait for her to turn around and leave, just like when she left the office to go to [RING] before, Toyokawa Shoko was briefly stunned.

But she quickly composed herself, not even realizing that a smile was gradually spreading across her lips.

However, what did Yuu mean by...worried that Mutsu wouldn't be a good place to live?

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

In Yuu Toyokawa's house, Mutsuya Wakaba sat on the edge of the bed, watching the sunset gradually sink into the distance outside the window.

To be honest, this was the first time she had spent an evening at Toyokawa Yuu's house.

In this city, dusk is an extremely brief but exceptionally special time.

The neon lights of Tokyo, this metropolis, had not yet fully illuminated, while the dim sunlight on the horizon had gradually sank into the shadows of the tall buildings.

This feeling of gradually sinking into darkness can easily evoke a sense of melancholy, especially for someone as sensitive as Wakaba Mutsu.

Holding her guitar, Ruoye Mu didn't turn on the lights in her room; the streetlights outside, which were gradually coming on, were enough for her to see everything clearly.

As for the house... there was nothing inside. Yu Yu also said that he would only come back after Ave Mujica disbanded at night.

Although I was looking forward to what Yuu Toyokawa said today—that she would bring dinner back to eat with me—the wait was always unbearable.

Even with her experience, Wakaba Mutsu was already used to waiting.

It's just... a little quiet. You can hear your own breathing and heartbeat clearly.

Silently hugging the guitar in her arms tighter, Ruoye Mu turned to look at the phone she had placed on the bed beside her.

The small, palm-sized flat surface lay quietly on the bed sheet, surrounded by a circle of plush toys.

The dark screen reflected the dim, yellowish sunset outside the window, creating a somewhat poetic scene. However, Ruo Yemu wished the screen could light up, allowing the light from the battery to shatter the afterimage reflected in the image.

If you want to contact Mr. Youyu, just send him a message.

Another voice from within started chattering in her head, urging Wakaba Mutsu to do things that only a clueless child would do.

[Judging by the time, Ave Mujica hasn't even started gathering yet, and it's around dinnertime for most people at the agency. Aren't you curious about what Mr. Yu-woo will be eating tonight?]

Youyu said she'll bring dinner home tonight, just like yesterday, but she'll eat with me...

[...Is it really okay to keep deceiving yourself, Mu? You can actually tell that Yuu is resistant to eating together, just like you're resistant to acting. Before in [RING], if Aine hadn't come, he probably wouldn't have touched that plate of pastries at all.]

Overly blunt language seems to disregard the listener's feelings at all.

If Ye Mu's golden eyes dimmed somewhat, it was as if some long-awaited expectation had been shattered, and he realized that it was just a self-deceiving illusion.

It's like when Senmina Nami told herself as a child that after participating in a certain program, all those things would be over, and she could go and play with Xiang whenever she wanted for a while.

[So, Xiao Mu, are you really planning to stay this obedient forever? Sometimes, dealing with Mr. Youyu requires a bit of a firm stance. Look at Xiangzi and Mr. Youyu; they're always quite blunt with each other, but they get along quite harmoniously. At least Xiangzi isn't as timid and hesitant as you.]

Metis's voice seemed to have a certain bewitching quality. Ever since she moved into Toyokawa Yuu's house, she had become increasingly talkative in Wakaba Mutsu's mind.

Ruoye Mu also admitted that she sometimes felt... tempted by Metis's proposal.

The way she persuaded Sammi Nami to stop appearing on shows with her as a child star was by locking herself in her room and refusing to open the door for anyone.

Therefore, although she is quiet and well-behaved, Ruo Ye Mu can actually understand that sometimes a tougher attitude makes it easier to succeed.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease... that's probably the situation.

but......

No, there's only one spot where Youyu can freely act cute around her, and Xiang has already taken it. I can't add any more trouble for Youyu.

Moreover... they are engaged.

[Is there really only one? I think Hailing often acts coquettishly towards Mr. Youyu, even though she uses the guise of helping him. But ultimately, it's just to satisfy her own desires.]

Metis dismissed Wakaba Mutsu's idea with disdain.

There's no such thing as a fixed number of spots in this kind of thing. It's first come, first served. Besides, you know Mr. Youyu's energy is limited, right? Are you really going to just give up something that's first-come, first-served?

As another [Wakaba Mutsumi] who shares complete memories and can even read the other's thoughts to some extent, she is actually quite similar to him in every way except for the control of his body and his personality.

Therefore, she could easily perceive the thoughts hidden in Wakaba Mutsu's heart.

Although Metis herself couldn't figure out what that emotion was, it didn't stop the outgoing girl from wanting to follow that idea—to get closer to Yuu Toyokawa and be close to her only friend.

I said, no...

Looking down at the setting sun reflected on her phone screen, Ruo Yemu's golden eyes struggled as she tried to look away from her phone.

However, just as she was about to successfully shift her gaze, her phone screen suddenly lit up, illuminating Ruo Yemu's increasingly somber expression.

The already dimming sunset was completely shattered by the light from the screen, ruining the image that could inspire some artists.

But at this moment, Ruoye Mu didn't care about any of that; she was just staring intently at the message displayed on her phone screen.

Yuu Toyokawa: [Mumu, open the door, I'm home, there's a surprise.]

Soon, a crisp knock came from inside the room, making her look up in surprise.

Putting down the guitar in his arms, Ruoye Mu didn't even turn on the lights in his room. He walked barefoot on the floor he had cleaned, and the crisp sound of his footsteps echoed in the dim space.

"Why don't you turn on the light?"

The door to her house was opened, and Toyokawa Yuu walked in carrying two bags, but she quickly frowned.

The room was too dark. Although there were afterimages and the first batch of neon lights to appear, it didn't mean that the room was bright enough to see properly.

Although it wasn't pitch black, even with Toyokawa Yuu's eyesight, she could only make out some blurry outlines.

"Saving electricity...I can see that."

Faced with Yuu Toyokawa's doubts, Mutsuka Wakaba instinctively wanted to explain, but then suddenly changed his mind halfway through his sentence.

She remembered that Toyokawa Yuu had said before that he wasn't so poor that he couldn't even support himself.

Regardless of the veracity of these words, Ye Mu could sense the stubbornness hidden beneath them—a reluctance to cause others worry.

Finally, realizing that no matter how she explained, she probably wouldn't get a perfect answer because she was tongue-tied, Ruoye Mu simply shut her mouth and silently turned on the light switch on the wall.

"Long time no see, Mu. How are you settling in here?"

As the lights came on, a voice that sounded both incredibly familiar and utterly unexpected to Ruoye Mu was uttered.

Golden eyes stared in astonishment at the doorway. The blue-haired girl stood silently outside the door frame, seemingly having come with Toyokawa Yuu.

However, because the light was dim before the lights were turned on, she hadn't noticed it.

"Auspicious..."

[Xiangzi, what is she doing here?]

Not only Wakaba Mutsu, but even Metis was astonished when he saw Toyokawa Shoko.

Along with this came a trace of fear and worry.

She didn't understand what she was afraid of. Staying at Toyokawa Yuu's house was clearly the right choice, and even if Toyokawa Shoko knew, she wouldn't have any valid arguments.

However, when she saw Toyokawa Shoko there, she couldn't help but feel a chill... Metis didn't want her to know that she was living with Toyokawa Yuu.

"Mu, I'm sorry. I know you've been having problems with your family because of me, but I haven't been able to come see you."

To Wakaba Mutsu's astonishment, a familiar embrace enveloped the girl with long, light green hair.

It's like when two kids are playing hide-and-seek and finally find each other hiding carefully, then hug each other tightly as if they've captured the other person.

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