After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

As his nerves relaxed for the first time, the boy's vision fell into a slight shadow caused by drowsiness.

Chapter 129 Returns to That Ten-Year Future (5k5)

"Youyu... Youyu..."

No matter how advanced the ventilation system is, the air inside a car can never be as fresh as the outside air, especially in a taxi that was called on short notice.

The occasional slight bumps and the gradual relaxation that followed the initial anxiety made Toyokawa Yuu somewhat drowsy.

Yuu Toyokawa felt as if she had closed her eyes and rested for a while without realizing it, but she was soon gently awakened by a familiar voice.

Slightly lifting her eyelids, Toyokawa Yuu looked at the light shining through her eyelashes into her eye sockets and was momentarily stunned.

This isn't the light inside a taxi, but rather...sunlight with a hint of warmth?

Did I sleep in the car all night?

The thought arose in my mind, which was not yet fully awake, but it was quickly dismissed by reason.

Even if a taxi isn't as fast as a train, it doesn't need to drive all night without stopping.

And... the taste is different.

This car doesn't have the slight gasoline smell that inevitably starts to linger after a taxi has been running all day, and even the texture of the seat cushions has a familiar comfort.

The scenery outside the window kept rushing past, but Yuu Toyokawa hardly felt any turbulence. If it weren't for that voice waking her up, Yuu Toyokawa felt that she could have slept a little longer.

And that voice...

"Youyu, are you asleep?"

Yawata Kairin's voice reached Toyokawa Yuu's ears again, but not beside him, but in the driver's seat in front of him.

His long, jet-black hair, sharp suit, and voice that was more crisp and dashing than he was used to were all things that forced Yuu Toyokawa to accept.

He found himself back ten years in the future, but unlike when he died last time, this time Hachiman Kairin was in the car, and she was driving.

Well, at least the safety along the way is somewhat guaranteed.

Unless this woman, who could suddenly turn rebellious at any moment, decides to die with him, there shouldn't be a situation like last time, where he was suddenly surrounded and attacked by people following his car.

Of course, this was just a self-comforting thought that Yuu Toyokawa used to comfort herself.

If it were the Hachiman Kairin from ten years ago, who was somewhat unpredictable but mostly obedient to him, it would be fine. But with this fully-formed being so close to him now...

Having been betrayed once, he found it difficult to maintain the same level of trust in her that he had before—a trust that might not have been profound, but was still present compared to others.

After all, she had betrayed him last time, and for no apparent reason.

Even though he's in the same car now, she's in control of the steering wheel. Who knows if Hachiman Kairin is planning to take him somewhere and then do something herself?

Subconsciously reaching out to the side, Toyokawa Yuu tried to grasp Wakaba Mutsu's wrist to give herself some support in her uneasy heart.

But the sensation he felt when he reached out his hand made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

What Toyokawa Yuu's fingertips touched was not the cool, doll-like skin of the golden-eyed beauty, yet still exuding vitality, but a piece of cold iron.

Following the direction of her gaze, Yuu Toyokawa did not see Mutsuya Wakaba sitting quietly beside her. He was alone in the back seat of the car, with only a faded pink old guitar beside him.

Wakaba Muku is not on this vehicle.

"Youyu, what's wrong? Did you just have a nightmare? Do you need me to slow down so you can sleep a little longer?"

Seeing Toyokawa Yuu's suddenly pale face reflected in the rearview mirror, Hachiman Kairin couldn't help but feel a little worried about the man in the back seat who held special significance for her.

Since Toyokawa Shoko's death, his mental state has visibly deteriorated.

That's normal. After all, his wife had just died. In a powerful family like the Toyokawa family, even if he was just pretending to be Toyokawa Yuu, he had to put on a show of being heartbroken.

From this perspective, Youyu may not actually be heartbroken, but rather anxious about his current predicament.

But even under these circumstances, why would they still help Wakaba Mutsumi get her guitar...?

Slightly raising her gaze, Hachiman Kairin's emerald green eyes fixed on Toyokawa Yuu's reflection in the rearview mirror, and she gently bit her lip.

But soon, as if remembering something, the corners of his mouth, which had been pursed, gradually turned into a faint smile.

It's nothing, just a piece of Mutsuka Wakaba. The fact that she's half of Toyokawa Shoko doesn't mean she has the same status as Toyokawa Shoko. She doesn't have the ability to take Yuu away from me.

"Xiangzi's funeral... Anyway, whether you're here or not, those guys will always find a way to nitpick, and they don't care how long or short it takes to get out."

Silently shifting the gear down, the already stable sedan was now so smooth that even the slightest vibration was imperceptible. Yawata Kairin reduced the speed to the minimum limit almost instantly.

“According to the rules of a prominent family like the Toyokawa family, Xiangzi’s body will have to lie in state for several days before being buried. Even if Ruoye Mu hasn’t touched a guitar in all these years, these few days will be enough for her to pick up her old skills again, and it won’t delay her from sending Xiangzi off on her final journey.”

Originally, she wanted to advise Yuu Toyokawa not to put so much pressure on herself, but as soon as she said it, Kairin Hachiman regretted it.

This statement seems to give the impression that she doesn't care much about Xiangzi's death, and doesn't even care about her plan to send him off on his final journey.

Although... she really didn't care much. Rather, she was anxiously waiting for this moment and even doubted more than once whether this day would ever come.

However, it was rather inappropriate to say such things in front of Toyokawa Yuu, a widower.

“Yuyu, you can sleep a little longer in the car. If you’re not energetic enough, you probably won’t be able to handle those guys even if you go back to the Toyokawa family.”

Using genuine concern to subtly conceal her true feelings, Hachiman Kairin even began to resent the car's overly reliable performance, wishing it would simply break down halfway through the journey.

However, when she saw through the rearview mirror that Toyokawa Yuu was holding the guitar she had just retrieved in her arms, plucking the strings as if she were embracing someone and gently stroking their back, Hachiman Kairin's face, which had been slightly smiling, immediately stiffened.

To be honest, Yuu Toyokawa's guitar skills are not particularly high. Compared to Mutsumi Wakaba back then or Ayane Chihaya now, he is far inferior, but he is not bad either.

The decent technology and the melody, so old it was almost unfamiliar, yet enough to evoke memories of the past, played in the car, almost making Hachiman Kairin want to call for it to stop.

Although it's unclear why Yuu Toyokawa suddenly became so interested, why did he have to play this piece that Metis played at Shoko Toyokawa's wedding?

Kairin Hachiman didn't want to recall anything about that wedding.

However, to Hachiman Kairin's relief, Toyokawa Yuu didn't seem to have any intention of messing with her. He only played the first short section, as if he was just testing the guitar, which hadn't been used for many years.

“I know you were bored at the Toyokawa house, so you used the excuse of helping Wakaba Mutsumi get his guitar to go out, but there was no need to play this song to bother me.”

Taking a couple of light breaths, Hachiman Kairin tried to lighten her tone.

The atmosphere inside the car was so oppressive that even she, who usually prefers quiet, felt somewhat uncomfortable.

"This piece of music..."

This time, it was Toyokawa Yuu's turn to be confused. This was the song she had shown off to Metis in [RING] when she took her out to play before.

This is a piece of music that was only played in front of Metis and does not belong to this world. Logically speaking, Hachiman Kairin should not have heard it.

Because Wakaba Mutsu was at a loss about where to go, and being so close to Hachiman Kairin was really making him feel depressed, he decided to try playing the guitar to relax. Unexpectedly, he had an unexpected reward.

"...All I remember now is how to play this piece."

Instead of asking directly about the song, Toyokawa Yuu silently waited for Hachiman Kairin to speak.

At least for now, the woman in the suit in front of him was quite attentive, and given the dull atmosphere he was creating, Toyokawa Yuu was certain that she would try to start a conversation whenever the opportunity arose.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have deliberately made fun of herself just now.

"Well... that's true. After all, this is a piece that Metis gave you at your wedding with Xiangzi. It's such a memorable piece, so it's normal that he still misses it even after not touching an instrument for so many years."

Yawata Kairin felt her mood getting worse.

Although he tried to keep his tone somewhat relaxed, his hands were gripping the steering wheel tightly, and some veins were faintly visible on the back of his hands.

For Hachiman Kairin, that wedding was definitely the most unbearable memory of her life.

However, even if it was just a reluctant response, the information it contained was enough to make Toyokawa Yuu fall silent.

Wedding, Metis, a gift for myself...

These concepts, taken individually, might not seem like much, but when combined, they created a strange feeling for Yuu Toyokawa—like Shoko Toyokawa wearing a smile like Aine Chihaya while doing things that only Hatsune Miku would do.

Metis's existence was brazenly known to Hachiman Kairin, who even clearly recognized that the person playing the guitar at her wedding was not Wakaba Mutsumi...

No, more importantly, Metis can actually play the guitar?

Moreover, judging from Hachiman Kairin's tone, it seems that Metis is not in any danger. What about Wakaba Mutsu?

Yuu Toyokawa felt her mind was a bit of a mess, but no matter what, she still had to return to the Toyokawa family mansion to find out what kind of trouble had happened this time.

For example, the most important thing is... how did Toyokawa Shoko die again, and has the timing of her death changed this time?

And... it's a little regrettable that the timeline could have been rewound a little earlier.

The first person she saw upon returning was neither Chihaya Aine nor Wakaba Mutsu, but Hachiman Kairin.

With this feeling of regret or dissatisfaction, Yuu Toyokawa put the guitar back on the seat next to her, gradually relaxed, and glanced out the window, but quickly tightened the relaxed look that had just appeared in her eyes.

On the car's rearview mirror, Toyokawa Yuu saw a familiar license plate number—belonging to one of the cars that had ambushed him last time.

"Hailin, is someone following us?"

The reminder from the man in the back seat made Hachiman Kairin's relaxed heart jump again.

She slammed on the gas pedal, picking up the speed she had just lost. The sentimentality in her eyes, like that of a young girl, vanished instantly, leaving only the calmness and sharpness honed over the years.

He glanced at the rearview mirror outside the car and nodded slightly after a few seconds.

“There is indeed someone following us, Youyu, fasten your seatbelts.”

Even without Yawata Kairin's reminder, Toyokawa Yuu had already fastened her seatbelt and even held her somewhat old pink guitar close to her chest when she reminded the lady in the suit earlier.

Although it's unclear why Wakaba Mutsu abandoned the guitar again this time, since she wants it back now, Toyokawa Yuu doesn't mind helping her protect the guitar that had been lying on his bedside table for a long time ten years ago.

Anyway, the person driving now is Yawata Kairin, and there's nothing else he can do.

While glancing at the rearview mirror above her head to make sure Yuu Toyokawa had done as she had said, Hachiman Kairin freed one hand to take her phone out of her pocket.

She hastily grabbed a string of numbers, and her tone was completely different from when she was talking to Yuu Toyokawa earlier. It was not gentle at all, and even carried a little expectation and grievance. All that remained was a cold and hard interrogation.

"Are you sure you want to play these tricks on me?"

Without any hesitant inquiries or polite pleasantries, Hachiman Kairin directly questioned the person on the other end of the phone.

It seems that the two sides are already quite familiar with each other. Yawata Kairin was able to easily identify the suspect, and didn't even try to avoid Toyokawa Yuu.

[Miss Hachiman, I think there might be some misunderstanding...]

"Whether it's a misunderstanding or not is not important. What's important is that I know you guys are also starting to get impatient. But now Toyokawa Yuu is my prey. If you're going to lose face so quickly... well, I happen to have some things on hand that can make everyone lose face."

The voice on the other end of the phone tried to explain, but was rudely interrupted by Hachiman Kairin.

【this......】

The person on the other end of the phone seemed to be wavering, unable to maintain the indifferent attitude they had when the call connected.

But this hesitation was clearly not the result that Yawata Kairin wanted.

Seeing the car following her already closing in on the side of her vehicle, Hachiman Kairin frowned and simply swerved the steering wheel, crashing into the car from the side.

Yuu Toyokawa felt a jolt that was enough to make anyone dizzy. If he hadn't been wearing a seatbelt, he even wondered if he would have been thrown directly into the passenger seat in front of him.

In Toyokawa Yuu's view, the driver's side front door was dented from the impact, and the rearview mirror on that side was completely smashed.

The car that was hit by Hachiman Kairin fared even worse. It seemed that it had never expected the woman in the suit to turn on it so suddenly. The car was hit hard and flipped over on the side of the road before it could avoid the collision.

Was this woman's personality really that violent?

Holding the guitar tightly in her arms to prevent it from flying away, Toyokawa Yuu felt that her impression of Hachiman Kairin had changed again.

She is not only rebellious, but also quite violent at heart.

At least Yuu Toyokawa doesn't think he'd go and play bumper cars with others just to show off; he probably only has that kind of courage when he's running for his life, like last time.

"It doesn't matter, since I'm the one who's about to die anyway. You all have plenty of time to think about who will bear the consequences of killing me... Don't forget how I ended up in your circle in the first place."

Hanging up the phone and tossing it aside, Hachiman Kairin continued to accelerate, using the superior performance of her vehicle to leave the other cars still following her behind.

Although the other party could catch up quickly if they were willing, doing so would require considering the threat Hachiman Kairin had just made.

Finally, those cars completely disappeared from the passenger side rearview mirror. Toyokawa Yuu glanced out the rear window and breathed a slight sigh of relief after confirming that they really hadn't followed.

"I'm sorry, Yuyu."

Before Toyokawa Yuu could even settle back into his seat, Hachiman Kairin's apology reached his ears.

“I didn’t expect some of them to be so arrogant. I thought that with me traveling with you, at least they would have some reservations.”

"...Can you confirm who gave the order?"

After a moment of silence, Toyokawa Yuu did not choose to further blame Hachiman Kairin, but instead asked the instigator.

They are no longer in a superior-subordinate relationship.

To some extent, he even had to rely on the beautiful woman in the suit in front of him, whose power seemed so great that even the people of the Toyokawa family were wary of her... provided that she wouldn't betray him like she did last time.