After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

What's going on? I even got the collar ready, but someone else snatched the cat I reserved?

"Prepare a new contract to completely bind Ms. Yutenji and Ave Mujica together, and..."

Setting down the now-cold teacup, Toyokawa Shoko stood up and walked towards the door.

Pulling open the bolt of the conference room door, the blue-haired girl saw no one outside. She gripped the doorknob and turned to look at Yuu Toyokawa, who had also turned around.

"I've said it before, you're also someone I can control. From now on, you're not allowed to hide things from me like this."

The sound of the door being slammed into the door frame was a little loud, and the closed door blocked out the somewhat subtle expression on Toyokawa Yuu's face.

In the opposite direction from where Toyokawa Shoko left, at the corner of the corridor.

The girl with short purple hair carefully soothed her heaving chest, the conversation she had just overheard echoing in her mind.

Chapter 48 An Encounter with the Pink Sun

Nine years and three hundred and sixty-two days before Toyokawa Shoko's death, at night.

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

The deep twilight gradually enveloped the land. Although there was still some light on the horizon and the moon was not completely hanging in the sky, the streetlights on both sides of the street had already lit up in clusters.

Chihaya Aine, carrying her guitar, walked with Nagasaki Sase on the street lit by streetlights, occasionally glancing down at her phone.

Her home and Nagasaki Sase's home were in different directions, but after getting off the train, they would always walk a short distance together. The two girls were used to walking together briefly after the band's rehearsal.

"Aiyin, don't use your phone while walking, it's dangerous."

Looking at his companion beside him, who was looking down and constantly swiping his phone screen, Nagasaki Sase couldn't help but speak up to remind him.

After suggesting that everyone go to Ave Mujica's concert, the pink-haired girl became unusually excited, even playing the guitar faster during her practice today.

"With Soyorin watching over things, everything will be fine. I just need to brush up on the Ave Mujica universe now."

Chihaya Aine's fingertips occasionally swiped across the smooth screen of her phone as she intensively scanned the content in the online community about Ave Mujica.

There's plenty of discussion about this upstart band, covering their playing techniques, song styles, costume design, and even their nascent world-building mini-theater.

As one of the first members of the band to pay attention to Ave Mujica, Chihaya Aine consciously placed herself in a position similar to a "guide" or "introducer".

I've even started imagining myself, during a break in the concert, enjoying the opening mini-theater of Ave Mujica while explaining the worldview of Ave Mujica to my friends, looking incredibly professional, and imagining the almost worshipful looks they'll give me.

The pleasure of missionary work must be this feeling: a strong desire to share is satisfied, and you can also gain the admiring gaze of others... For this reason, she now needs to catch up on her studies.

She enjoys lively atmospheres, keeps up with trends, has a touch of vanity, but is also considerate and attentive to everyone's feelings...

Almost all of humanity's beautiful fantasies about young girls can be found in this girl named Chihaya Aine.

"But it's really unexpected that Mr. Yuu is actually Ave Mujica's manager. He looks about the same age as us... What's this?"

Looking at the video that refreshed on my phone screen, I saw five musicians dressed in outfits that were clearly modeled after Ave Mujica's designs, playing Ave Mujica's songs.

The drummer, in particular, looks the most convincing.

The video of the imitation band quickly went viral on online communities related to Ave Mujica, and both the beginning and end of the video indicated that in addition to being an advertisement, it also paid tribute to and imitated Ave Mujica. Even the band, which had only given one debut performance, was brought back into the discussion.

"Yes, it really didn't expect that."

Nagasaki Sase, who wasn't glued to her phone surfing the internet, was unaware of the video Chihaya Aine had seen; she was simply reflecting on Toyokawa Yuu's identity.

He is a sworn brother who will likely become Xiangzi's husband in the future, and he is also likely to be the manager of the band that Xiaoxiang belongs to.

Thinking about Toyokawa Yuu's identities always gave Nagasaki Sase a subtle and complex feeling.

Mr. Youyu and Xiaoxiang must have a very good relationship.

"He even helped me get concert tickets. I'll have to thank him properly next time we meet."

“Ave Mujica…that’s really amazing. Mr. Yuu must have put in a lot of effort to run the band so well.”

As she flipped through her phone, Chihaya Aine subconsciously recalled the boy she had met just a few days ago.

Her ashen face and barely open eyes made her look like a corporate slave on the verge of death from overwork, which honestly shattered many of Chihaya Aine's preconceived notions about band managers.

She had always thought that band managers were mysterious figures who toiled in the darkness to serve the light, silently arranging everything behind the scenes for the shining dreams on stage. Therefore, when she learned about Toyokawa Yuu's identity, she was indeed somewhat disillusioned.

As she was thinking this, Chihaya Aine suddenly felt as if her head had bumped into something.

That familiar feeling must be like accidentally bumping into someone's back while walking.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."

Holding her phone between her palms, Chihaya Aine clasped her hands together, sincerely expressing her apology.

"It's alright, I'm not... Hmm? Chihaya-san, Nagasaki-san?"

A familiar voice reached Chihaya Aine's ears. The pink-haired girl looked up and saw that it was the boy she had just been criticizing.

"Mr. Youyu?"

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

Next to a beverage shop that can be seen everywhere on the street, Chihaya Aine sat down opposite Toyokawa Yuu with three glasses of iced water on a tray.

Three exquisite pastries had already been laid out on the table by the shop assistant, and Nagasaki Sase was already sitting across the table from Toyokawa Yuu.

"I never expected to run into Mr. Yu Yu here."

By placing the ice water in front of Toyokawa Yuu, Nagasaki Sase seemed to be implying something.

Although some of them were initiated by him, this boy seems to be appearing in front of MyGO!!!!! and others a little too often lately.

"I was just taking a walk during my free time. I just finished a public event and I should head back to my agency soon."

Looking at the iced water and pastries placed in front of her, Toyokawa Yuu simply nodded politely, showing no intention of touching them.

The performance and recording at Starlight Plaza went quite smoothly. To Toyokawa Yuu's surprise, Yutenji Wakana, who had just been blacklisted, neither cried nor made a fuss.

Like a naughty cat with a collar on, it lacks energy but is incredibly obedient.

With the biggest obstacle gone, Toyokawa Shoko was able to conduct quite skillfully, and the recording of the Imitation Band was quickly completed.

The next step is to guide public opinion online, but there's no rush now; we need to let the impact of that video spread first.

After all that was over, Toyokawa Yuu found herself enjoying a short, long-awaited period of leisure.

At least until nightfall, when the members of Ave Mujica regrouped at their agency, they didn't seem to have any extra work to do.

but……

Looking at the two girls sitting opposite her, Toyokawa Yuu didn't expect to run into them when she was getting familiar with the city.

especially……

Looking at Nagasaki Sase sitting across from her, and then at the pastries and iced water in front of her.

Yuu Toyokawa breathed a sigh of relief and slowly loosened her fingers, which had been unconsciously gripping the fork.

Chapter 49 Life is so long, you might not be able to hold on.

"Speaking of which, I haven't had a chance to thank Mr. Youyu for helping us with the tickets yet."

Not paying much attention to Yuu Toyokawa's small gesture, Aine Chihaya's face was full of anticipation for the concert a few days later.

Even setting aside the idea of ​​proselytizing to her friends, Ave Mujica was a band that could attract Chihaya Aine in terms of both style and talent.

Her confident and flamboyant musical style, mysterious yet high-profile performance style, and the technical skill that made her famous overnight, are exactly how Chihaya Aine imagined herself.

Sometimes, Chihaya Aine would think that she wished she could be like the members of Ave Mujica.

It wasn't that she had a high pursuit of musical technique; the slightly vain girl simply liked the feeling of being in the spotlight.

However, she only thought about it. Chihaya Aine's personality wouldn't allow her to drag the rest of the band to debut with her, even though at least one of the cats in her band had already reached the level of touching that field.

He held the menu in his hand and showed it to Yuu Toyokawa in front of him.

The lighthearted smile on her face even revealed a canine tooth, and at this moment when the sun had already set, it was as if a pink sun had risen in this simple pastry shop.

"It's my treat today, Mr. Youyu, what would you like to eat?"

“Aiyin, this won’t do. The value of a snack is not as much as that of so many tickets.”

Nagasaki Sase, seeing that Chihaya Aine seemed to have no distance from Toyokawa Yuu and had already treated her as a new friend, sighed helplessly.

Although Ave Mujica is a relatively new band, their concert tickets are actually more expensive than those of ordinary bands, thanks to their instant fame.

Sasuke Nagasaki received a text message this morning confirming that his tickets were available. Not only were the seats excellent, but they were also five seats in a row.

The value of those tickets clearly far exceeded that of a snack.

Gently opening her handbag, Nagasaki Sase's voice carried a hint of apology.

"Mr. Youyu, as we agreed when we first contacted each other, may I purchase it from you at double the price?"

Given Nagasaki Sase's family background, she didn't care about the cost of a few tickets, especially since her purpose in going to the concert wasn't to appreciate the music at all.

"No need. You are all Xiangzi's friends, so it's only right that we take care of you. If you go to Xiangzi about this, she will help you solve it for free as well. So I have no reason to ask you for any reward."

Gently shaking her head, Toyokawa Yuu rejected Nagasaki Sase's suggestion.

"This snack is enough. As your manager, I am naturally honored that you like Ave Mujica's music. Your presence is the greatest reward for me."

His goal wasn't the ticket money; as long as Nagasaki Sose attended the concert, his objective would have been achieved.

Yuu Toyokawa was certain that the concert itself would not be peaceful and that all sorts of unexpected situations would arise.

Given Toyokawa Shoko's emphasis on and desire for control over Ave Mujica, she certainly wouldn't want any unexpected situations to arise during the performance.

At that time, he would let Nagasaki Sosei "accidentally" bump into the depressed Toyokawa Shoko, and then he could use that as an excuse to do whatever he wanted.

Whether the two girls reconcile after chatting, or Shoko Toyokawa takes the opportunity to vent her frustrations and speak recklessly, or even if Shoko simply refuses to communicate, Yuu Toyokawa is always prepared.

Ave Mujica may have been founded by Shoko Toyokawa, but it's unlikely that Ave Mujica belonged to Shoko Toyokawa.

As for why Toyokawa Yuu was so certain... it was because of the old woman she had met at Starlight Plaza not long ago.

Mori Minami wouldn't let such a good opportunity to put pressure on Wakaba Mutsu slip by. Just now, she saw that the old woman retweet the official concert post and even made an expectant comment.

This is much more effective than ordinary publicity. As a top-tier actress, Sammi Nami has far more fans than Ave Mujica.

In comparison, the recently completed Imitation Band project seems rather insignificant.

However, Minami's actions made Yuu Toyokawa realize that although the old woman appeared calm on the surface, she was actually getting impatient.

She has been actively guiding fans to explore the identities of the Ave Mujica members.

Who exactly are these masked girls performing, that they could attract the favor of a movie star of this caliber?

Although this behavior briefly boosted Ave Mujica's popularity, it did not make Toyokawa Yuu happy, and it also made him decide that he could not expose Wakaba Mujica's identity in the short term.

Minami is hinting at her relationship with the band. If Mutsu's identity is exposed, people might think that she deliberately made the band famous.

In a roundabout way, it demonstrates to outsiders his influence over Ave Mujica.

So no matter what achievements the band makes in the future, she will get a share of the fame.

Yuu Toyokawa couldn't openly express her displeasure at this behavior, which offered no real evidence, but she was already starting to feel resentful.

Ave Mujica may belong to Toyokawa Shoko, or it may be controlled by Toyokawa Yuu.

But no matter what, it couldn't possibly be Minami Mori's.

Not long ago, they were even in cahoots for a short while, but as soon as she turned her back, she bared her venomous fangs and bit me. This old woman really is a snake in the truest sense.

Noticing the slightly unpleasant expression on Toyokawa Yuu's face, the perceptive Nagasaki Sase quickly connected it to the boy's seemingly displeased expression when he put down his fork earlier.

Before Chihaya Aine volunteered to bring back those glasses of ice water, the sensitive and perceptive Nagasaki Sase could actually sense a slight resistance and disgust from the boy sitting opposite her.

Mr. Youyu, you're actually quite dissatisfied with us, aren't you? We've caused him so much trouble for no reason, and you might even have learned about the past from Xiaoxiang...

"But Mr. Yu doesn't seem to really like these pastries."

Chihaya Aine looked at the untouched sweets in front of Toyokawa Yuu and was somewhat puzzled.

It took her quite a while to get the ice water, but the young man in front of her seemed a bit too polite, showing no intention of touching his knife and fork.

"Is it not to your taste?"

"No, these are just some... reasons that are inconvenient to say."

Faced with Chihaya Aine's confusion, Toyokawa Yuu calmly shook her head and casually brushed her off.

"I once had some bad consequences because I trusted the food offered by others. I can't reveal more details. You just need to know that it has nothing to do with you, Ms. Chihaya."

Without making a sound, Yuu Toyokawa glanced at Sōsei Nagasaki sitting opposite her, then turned her gaze to the completely fallen night outside the window.

"In short, I have truly appreciated your gratitude. I still have some work to do back at my agency, so I'll take my leave now..."