After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

And even if Toyokawa Yuu found out, she would probably just gently stroke his hair and chuckle as she did when she took him in before, saying don't worry about it.

Did she enjoy this kind of protection before? Did she feel safe and secure, wanting to snuggle into the other person's arms and seek more warmth?

It's absolutely impossible to hate it now, but... I can't continue to feel at ease with myself.

This feeling is awful.

He clearly did nothing wrong, he had always been well-behaved, he was considerate of others, he asked for help for him, and he had never done anything bad.

However, there is a feeling that something has been lost.

No, it's not that I lost something, but rather... it wasn't originally mine, and after realizing that, I can no longer borrow it as easily as before.

I want to interact with them like before, but I don't dare. Another part of me keeps talking incessantly... It's so frustrating.

"What's wrong, Xiao Mu?"

A warm hand rested on the top of the golden-eyed girl's head, gently stroking her soft, light green hair.

The familiar and warm feeling instantly dispelled the random thoughts in my mind.

Before the brain can even consider whether it still has the right to continue acting cute, the body has already reacted.

She tiptoed slightly, burying the other's hand completely in her hair, and gently shook her head. The sensation of her hair flowing between the other's fingers was crystal clear.

"I'm fine."

To match her slight head-shaking gesture, Ruo Yemu spoke softly, her faint and calm voice echoing in the night sky, only to be quickly carried away by the evening breeze.

However, before the girl's voice was blown away, Toyokawa Yuu had already captured the information within it.

The boy's eyes underwent a subtle change.

Ever since I finished teaching Chihaya Aine the guitar tonight, the girl I taught has been behaving strangely.

Sure enough, something must have happened between Aine and me, right? Otherwise, given Aine's personality, she wouldn't have gone out of her way to talk to me about those things.

Yuu Toyokawa didn't think that, given the personalities of Mutsuka Wakaba and Aine Chihaya, there would be any real conflict between them, but the girl in front of him was in a state that was hard to reassure him.

"Is it because you find teaching people to play guitar too tiring, or are you angry with me for agreeing to this on your behalf?"

"I'm not angry with Youyu."

She simply shook her head gently, the girl's golden eyes reflecting the boy's cautious, tentative expression.

The other person is genuinely worried about you, considers your feelings, and even avoids expressing their concerns openly to avoid unintentionally offending you with their words, instead racking their brains to guess.

To prevent Yuu from continuing to worry and cause internal conflict, I should be honest with him. However, the words just won't come out. I'm not as cheerful as Chihaya Aine, who can speak freely without any reservations.

Should I tell him that I also feel like a burden?

He is in such a predicament now, and he deserves at least half of the blame for it.

Saying such things now only annoys people; what's the point?

"I just... don't know what to do."

Under Toyokawa Yuu's increasingly uneasy and irritable gaze, who couldn't guess the real reason, the golden-eyed girl paused, revealing part of her thoughts.

"It's so great that I can help Yuu, but... this is all I can do in such a small way."

Gently covering her chest, a hint of self-reproach appeared on the usually indifferent face of the golden-eyed girl.

"If only I could be a little more useful."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ruo Yemu could clearly feel the force of the hand landing on his head increase.

The gentle movements became a little excessive, and the originally smooth hair was also made a bit messy.

"Don't worry about such unfounded things. If Xiao Mu really wants to help me, all you need to do is complete the task I asked you to do. I'll figure out the rest."

The favor I'm asking you to do... is to teach Ai Yin to play the guitar?

This kind of thing is clearly of no use to the band's development and can't solve their current predicament.

The girl's mood grew heavier as she realized that the boy in front of her seemed to have never thought about himself.

Whether it was taking her in or agreeing to teach Ai Yin guitar, he never seemed to act for his own benefit, which made her unsure of how to help him in any way she wanted.

Don't expect anything in return; just be dependent on him, take from him, and be affectionate with him—that's enough.

A voice suddenly appeared in her mind, causing the girl's fingertips to clench slightly.

This isn't the voice of the person who usually communicates with themselves, but another voice—a girl trapped inside a mirror.

In her mental space, Yu Mu, after a long time, pulled her gaze away from her phone and looked at the girl holding a guitar outside the mirror.

In those golden eyes, there was no longer just a pure desire, but something else.

For example, curiosity, or incomprehension, not understanding why the person outside the mirror would feel ashamed about such a thing and could only suffer in silence.

If all you want is to please that boy outside, there are very simple ways.

Once he understands that he's become so dependent on him that he doesn't know what to do without him, he'll start to like you.

A person who can't trust anyone will only try to trust those who are deeply tied to them and can't live without them.

[Yu Mu...]

The other girl, who wasn't holding a guitar, turned to look at the personality locked in the mirror, who rarely spoke up on her own initiative, and frowned deeply.

Not only her, but even the personality that was glamorous and in control of the body, holding the guitar, turned their attention back to their own mind.

Why say such things?

To indulge in being spoiled by Youyu... that's not something we're qualified to do.

Questioned by her other self, Yu Mu in the mirror tilted her head, her eyes filled with even more confusion.

Because you don't know what to do now.

If a problem arises, shouldn't we try to find a way to change the current predicament?

The two people outside the mirror can no longer pretend to interact with the boy outside as before. So why is the one who proposed the new plan facing such questioning?

In the present relatively safe world, the survival instinct that was only stimulated when threatened gradually fades, and a curiosity about the other two versions of herself gradually arises because of their behavior.

They only trust people who depend on them very much, and if the degree of dependence is not high enough, they will try to create that dependence.

Whether this dependence stems from emotion or coercion, only by seizing this leverage can one avoid being harmed.

That's what that boy outside did to that person named Hachiman Kairin, right?

If you want to be favored, all you have to do is be like Hachiman Kairin and greedily demand things from him.

We are not Hachiman Kairin.

The two personalities outside the mirror shook their heads simultaneously, speaking in unison.

It seems that only at times like these do Wakaba Mutsu and Metis show the tacit understanding that is the two sides of the same coin.

[Youyu has been doing things he doesn't truly want to do; he's...on the verge of breaking down. I don't want him to continue like this.]

Looking at the TV screen piled up in front of the sofa, and seeing the worried look in the boy's eyes on the screen, Ruoye Mutsu felt a little down.

She knew that Yuu Toyokawa's current interpersonal relationships were abnormal, but she didn't know how to help her.

After all, she herself was part of this abnormal relationship.

Youyu should be with Xiang; that's how their relationship should be, instead of her living in his house and occupying what should belong to Xiang.

Compared to Wakaba Mutsumi, who was constantly agonizing over how to get what she thought was a normal relationship back on track, Metis's thoughts were much simpler.

I'd do anything to make Mr. Youyu less tired.

Walking towards the huge mirror, Metis reached out and gently placed his hand on the surface, as if caressing the profile of the person reflected in the mirror.

[Yu Mu, please teach me, how can I help Mr. You Yu? Mr. You Yu... what exactly does he want?]

Haven't I already told him what he wants?

The girl in the mirror tilted her head, her golden eyes filled with even more confusion.

Yuu Toyokawa had already told the two people outside the mirror what her purpose was, so why were they so sure that they hadn't noticed anything?

In order to survive in a situation where one has no control over one's own destiny, isn't it essential to have enough leverage and bargaining chips?

So as long as you actively hand over the chips to him, there shouldn't be any problem, right?

But faced with the unwavering gazes of Ruoye Mu and Metis, Yu Mu began for the first time to wonder if she had made a mistake.

Is there some other desire in that boy that he hasn't realized?

Staring into the boy's eyes on the screen, seeing the worry that brought no benefit or any leverage, Yu Mu tried to understand the root of this emotion.

A moment later, the person in the mirror looked at the expectant girl outside the mirror and slowly spoke.

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

"Xiao Mu, what's wrong? Are you spacing out again?"

Yuu Toyokawa waved her hand in front of the golden-eyed girl's eyes, and her worries grew even stronger.

Recently, he could clearly sense that Wakaba Mutsu's condition was becoming increasingly abnormal.

The somewhat dazed look she just gave was definitely a mental discussion with Metis, but based on the other party's past behavior, such communication would never manifest as a blank stare in reality.

Is there some problem between Ruoye Mu and Metis?

"I'm fine, let's go back."

Shaking her head slightly, Ruoye Mu accepted Toyokawa Yuu's concerns but chose to skip the topic and instead urged the boy to continue on his way.

The girl took the boy's wrist, right where Chihaya Aine had been holding it earlier, and pulled him along towards the train station.

"If we don't hurry, we'll have to wait for the next train."

Pulled forward by a girl who was shorter than her, Toyokawa Yuu did not struggle, but looked at the other girl's back thoughtfully.

After a moment, he spoke with a confident tone.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you this in [RING] just now: you... are you actually Metis?"

The girl who was pulling herself forward froze, but Toyokawa Yuu didn't stop her voice.

"Although Xiao Mu is indeed more introverted, she is not as cold to me as she is to others. Before, I always felt a sense of unease from her being too overbearing. Most importantly... Xiao Mu will not rub her hair against me. She will just quietly let me do whatever I want. Metis is the one who is more proactive."

Seeing the girl frozen in place and silent, Toyokawa Yuu gently pulled her, making Metis turn around to face her.

"Was I right? Why pretend to be Xiao Mu?"

Yuu Toyokawa was puzzled, as she was aware of Metis's existence.

Given the relationship between the two, there was absolutely no need for the other party to pretend to be Ruoye Mu in front of him.

"Because... because I also wanted to play guitar, I ran away halfway through Xiao Mu's lesson and played around with Ai Yin for an afternoon with my mediocre skills."

Ruo Ye Mu... no, Metis lowered his head, seemingly somewhat ashamed.

Ever since she took control of her body from Wakaba Mutsu that afternoon, she had never actually given it back.

Wanting to play the guitar was also a lie; she just wanted to experience it more. This was the attitude that Yuu Toyokawa usually only showed to Mutsumi Wakaba.

Experience that feeling of trusting the other person's obedience, yet cherishing them dearly, and being unwilling to let them suffer because of this obedience.

But now it seems that in order to appear obedient, it was actually a bit deliberate in the eyes of the other party.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Youyu, I'll return my body to Xiaomu right now... Please don't hate me."

Metis lowered his head, his voice pleading, like a child who had made a mistake.

"I never said I disliked you. Since Aine is trying to smooth things over for you regarding guitar practice, I have no objection. We came to [RING] today because of her request, but..."

Yuu Toyokawa reached out and lifted the girl's chin, making Metis look up and meet his gaze. Her voice was somewhat serious.

"Next time, don't pretend to be Xiao Mu again. Metis is Metis. There's no need for him to be someone else's shadow. I don't want to... cause any unnecessary misunderstandings in how I treat you. You are all special."

Wakaba Mutsumi is Wakaba Mutsumi, and Metis is Metis. The essential differences between the two in certain aspects are something that Toyokawa Yuu absolutely cannot get wrong.

For example... Wakaba Mutsumi would never lie to himself.

Because she wanted to do something, she ran away. How could Toyokawa Yuu not know that possessive personalities could do such a thing?

"But, the best way to avoid causing trouble for Mr. Yuyu is for me to obediently be another Xiaomu. If I hadn't blamed Soyo in [RING] last time, Mr. Yuyu wouldn't have been bothered by her."

Forced to meet the boy's gaze, Metis's voice was tinged with self-reproach, as if he truly felt he had caused Toyokawa Yuu considerable trouble.

“Nagasaki Sosei’s actions have nothing to do with you, and I already said I would figure out how to handle these issues, right? Metis just needs to be as lively as before, understand?”