After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

Looking at Wakaba Mutsumi, who seemed to be in a daze, Chihaya Aine smiled kindly.

Of course, this somewhat vain girl also harbored a small, albeit harmless, expectation.

for example......

If I become friends with Xiao Mu, will I have a chance to take a photo with her backstage at Ave Mujica's concerts in the future?

However, with her mind still somewhat heavy, Wakaba Mutsu didn't think too much about it. Moreover, even if she knew about Chihaya Aine's little vanity, the girl, who was already disdainful of fame, probably wouldn't take it to heart.

The sunlight streaming in through the window was so dazzling that it even caused Wakaba Mutsu to experience a slight hallucination.

The girl bathed in light before my eyes seemed to transform, in a daze, into a blue-haired figure with a bright smile.

“...Okay, my name is Wakaba Mutsu, and I can play the guitar.”

Gently taking Chihaya Aine's outstretched hand, Wakaba Mutsu nodded and gave the pink-haired girl a smile.

Unlike Metis, who was lively and agile, she possessed a quiet and elegant demeanor unique to young girls.

“My name is Chihaya Aine… I always feel like I meet some amazing people at this [RING]. Last time it was Yuu, and this time it’s Mutsu.”

Seeing that Wakaba Mutsu had accepted her invitation, Chihaya Aine immediately beamed with joy.

However, her words made Toyokawa Yuu, who was eating breakfast, pause in her actions, and her gaze toward Chihaya Aine became somewhat surprised.

In Aine's eyes, I'm actually considered a capable person?

Chewing on the pastry in his mouth, Toyokawa Yuu raised an eyebrow. He really hadn't expected that he would be seen this way in Chihaya Aine's eyes.

However, seeing that Chihaya Aine and Wakaba got along quite well, Toyokawa Yuu had no intention of disturbing them.

It would be good for Ruoye Mu to make some other friends, so she wouldn't have to keep talking about Xiangzai all the time.

"Is everything alright at the school?"

Although they have now become friends, Wakaba Muku was not affected by Chihaya Aine's excitement. Instead, he gently reminded her.

It even sounded like they were urging Chihaya Aine to leave.

"Class time is almost here."

"Oh no! It seems like it's almost time for class."

Reminded by Wakaba Mutsuichi, Chihaya Aine realized that she had been lingering here for a while.

Chihaya Aine quickly grabbed what she had put aside and glanced at Wakaba Mutsu.

"Xiao Mu, do you want to come with me? It's on the way from [RING] to Yugaoka and Moon Forest."

However, to Chihaya Aine's surprise, Wakaba Mutsu did not accept her invitation this time, and the reason she gave was somewhat outrageous for a high school student.

"I'm not going to school."

Shaking his head calmly, Wakaba Mutsu looked at the confusion on Chihaya Aine's face and thought that he had not expressed himself clearly, so he added a sentence.

"Youyu won't let me go."

With a calm expression and a composed voice, he seemed to be stating something commonplace, completely unaware of how easily his words could be misunderstood.

"Cough cough..."

Yuu Toyokawa, who was having breakfast, choked on her own words and coughed lightly when she heard Mutsu Wakaba's somewhat shocking statement.

Faced with Chihaya Aine's gaze, which was a mixture of doubt and inquiry, Toyokawa Yuu swallowed the food in her mouth and quickly explained.

"For work purposes, Xiao Mu and I need to take care of some things later."

That's not exactly a lie. In order to prevent Minami from sending Wakaba Mutsu to the hospital to temporarily isolate him and the others, which would cause Ave Mujica to shut down due to a lack of people, he really had to take in this guitarist who was prone to speaking incoherently.

To make it more convenient for Wakaba Mutsu to stay at his house, he did need to take her shopping for some things.

This is considered part of the job, even if no one reimburses me.

"Really?"

A hint of suspicion appeared in Chihaya Aine's gray eyes.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Toyokawa Yuu, but the excuse of "work needs" was somewhat misleading. She had already been fooled by him once before when it came to psychological trauma.

Moreover, this matter concerns Ruo Yemu. She had been out of contact for an entire afternoon yesterday and hadn't gone to school today, so it was impossible for her not to be suspicious.

Yu Yu, is he planning to lead Xiao Mu to do something bad?

"You're not bullying Xiaomu, are you?"

"real."

Faced with Chihaya Aine's suspicious gaze, Wakaba Mutsu nodded first, confirming Toyokawa Yuu's statement.

Even Wakaba Mutsu said so, so even if Chihaya Aine wanted to doubt it, she had no reason to, and could only nod reluctantly.

Ultimately, we're just friends, and there are some things that shouldn't be interfered with too much.

Watching Chihaya Aine's hurried departure, Wakaba Mutsu glanced at Toyokawa Yuu, who had almost finished her breakfast, and then at the untouched glass of ice water on the table.

After tilting her head and thinking for a moment, the golden-eyed girl pushed the glass of ice water in front of Toyokawa Yuu.

"Youyu, drink some water."

Seeing the ice water that Wakaba Mutsu had pushed in front of her, Toyokawa Yuu put down her fork and frowned slightly.

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

In Tokyo's commercial districts in the morning, the flow of people is like the ebb and flow of the tide, sometimes overflowing onto intersections that are not yet open to traffic, and then quickly dispersing after the green lights come on.

The hustle and bustle of the big city was overwhelming, but Ruo Yemu couldn't adapt well to the excitement.

The constant flow of people around me felt no less intense than the enthusiastic cheers of the fans below the stage.

Although those voices weren't directed at him personally, they undoubtedly enveloped him within them.

This feeling was something I had never experienced yesterday afternoon when I skipped class with Yuu Toyokawa to go out and play.

Back then, they would mostly go to quiet places like parks and lakesides, which was the complete opposite of today's noisy downtown area.

Her fair fingertips unconsciously touched her face. Ruo Yemu suddenly had a glimmer of hope. The mask that symbolized Mortis's identity, which covered her entire face except for her eyes and half of her forehead, was right beside her.

Even though she knew in her heart that if she really put on that mask here, it would only attract more attention and sensation.

But regardless, those were among the few barriers I could use to escape pressure, and now...

Subconsciously, he leaned closer to Toyokawa Yuu, his light green hair brushing against the back of the boy's hand. Almost instinctively, Wakaba Mutsu followed the boy half a step behind, as if this was the only way to keep the boy in front of him.

Feeling nervous?

The boy's voice came from beside her. When Ruoye Mu turned her head, she met Toyokawa Yuu's gaze, which contained a hint of concern.

Even though she knew in her heart that she shouldn't trouble him—after all, it would be a bit too willful to tell Toyokawa Yuu about her discomfort just by walking down the street—but...

Holding the boy's hands in his own, Wakaba Mutsu looked up into Toyokawa Yuu's eyes and nodded gently.

"Ah."

You need to learn to adapt; I can't always be by your side.

Toyokawa Yuu offered a brief suggestion, but her tone was somewhat ambiguous, making it unclear whether she was reprimanding or reminding him.

But what Ye Mu knew was that Toyokawa Yuu did not shake off his hand, but let him hold it, and even slowed down her pace.

In theory, Yuu Toyokawa could take Mutsumi Wakaba directly to the Starlight Plaza shopping center, with which they had recently reached a cooperation agreement. Given the current relatively good working relationship, they wouldn't even need to pay. However, Yuu Toyokawa didn't want to do that.

One reason is that the target is too obvious and may be ambushed by some people with ulterior motives. Another reason is that I had just arranged for Toyokawa Kiyoshi to be placed there not long ago.

The time was too short, and the shopping center was not yet fully under control.

Even if you have a cooperative relationship, it's not good to have frequent contact with each other in a short period of time, as it can easily lead to unnecessary speculation.

Demanding that Toyokawa Kiyoko be hired is a big blow; next time he comes knocking, he should bring a carrot with him.

Toyokawa Yuu did not intend to let Wakaba Mutsu become that carrot.

"Ah."

If Ye Mu was unaware of what Toyokawa Yuu was thinking, the girl's simple thoughts were simply about how to respond to what the other person was saying.

Neither a reluctant refusal nor a promise of "I will try" seems appropriate.

In the end, all the girl with light green hair could do was squeeze out a short syllable, as if she had heard his instructions.

Ignoring Wakaba Mutsu's answer, which would normally be unsatisfactory, Toyokawa Yuu's gaze swept across the shopping street, searching for her target.

Considering that Wakaba Mutsuna was somewhat shy, Toyokawa Yuu subconsciously skipped the trendy shops with large crowds and finally settled on a clothing store that was a bit quiet compared to the other bustling shops, but whose exterior and decoration were quite nice.

"This is it."

Pulling the girl into the shop, Toyokawa Yuu turned her head and looked the girl up and down, noting that she was petite compared to her peers. Then she withdrew her hand, which was being tightly held by Wakaba Mutsu's hands.

"Think about it yourself, what do you need for your daily life?"

Feeling the emptiness in her palms, Ruo Yemu's golden eyes revealed a hint of disappointment, but she quickly concealed it.

After mentally listing what she needed, the girl looked at the waiter who was walking towards them, as a response to Toyokawa Yuu's earlier request and expectation.

"Casual clothes, pajamas, socks, underwear..."

"Okay, which style do you prefer, and what size would be suitable?"

Faced with Wakaba Mutsumi's somewhat adorable act of reciting the menu, the highly professional waiter maintained a smile throughout, only gently reminding her that she had not yet indicated her preferred style and size.

However, faced with this well-intentioned reminder, Wakaba Muku was once again in a dilemma and turned his gaze to Toyokawa Yuu for help again.

"I don't like any of them..."

Faced with Wakaba Mutsuna's pleading gaze, Toyokawa Yuu was also somewhat troubled.

He wasn't the type to be good at shopping, and in his original plan, the steps of shopping were actually similar to what Wakaba Mutsu had just shown.

Find the type you need, pick a style that looks good to you, ask the salesperson for the right size, and you can even skip trying it on.

But Toyokawa Yuu didn't expect that Wakaba Mutsu wouldn't even be able to choose a style she liked.

But then again, given how Minami is raised, she probably wouldn't care what kind of clothes Wakaba Mutsu likes, nor would she cultivate that kind of thinking in her.

"Are you having trouble, Yuu-kun? If you don't mind, I can help you."

Just as Toyokawa Yuu was struggling with whether to spend more time helping Wakaba Mutsu try on clothes one by one, a familiar voice entered his ears.

It's frivolous yet composed, with a touch of elegance in its banter, making it easy to win people's favor just by listening to it.

However, upon hearing this voice, Toyokawa Yuu frowned immediately, and Wakaba Mutsu, who was standing next to him, subconsciously moved closer to him and grasped the hand that had just been released.

Yuu Toyokawa turned her head and saw a figure that looked almost exactly like Mutsu Wakaba, only more mature and composed, who had entered the room at some point.

With a smile, Mori Minami looked at the two people leaning against each other with golden eyes that were just like those of Wakaba Mutsu. Her eyes reflected her daughter’s hands that were tightly holding Toyokawa Yuu’s hands. Mori Minami’s face showed her signature smile.

"After all, I know my daughter's preferences better than anyone."

Chapter 94 I'll wait for the day you bow your head (7k)

"After all, I know my daughter's preferences better than anyone..."

The green-haired actress looked at her daughter, who was standing close to Toyokawa Yuu, her golden eyes narrowed slightly, and her lightly made-up eyelids concealed the complex emotions in her pupils.

When her daughter, who was as well-behaved as a cute doll, met her, she did not come over to her as usual, but instead curled up next to Toyokawa Yuu. Mori Minami felt both happy and dissatisfied.

Her joy stemmed from the fact that she had never liked her daughter, who was as quiet and withdrawn as a doll and allowed herself to be manipulated at will.

Compared to this quiet and obedient daughter, Senmina prefers the younger version of her daughter who could handle any situation with ease, was sociable, and attracted attention.

Now, under the influence of Toyokawa Yuu, the sociable daughter has not returned, but the obedient doll has begun to rebel against the manipulation.

But in a sense, this kind of change is a good thing...right?

After all, given that child's talent, it's such a pity and a waste that he would spend his whole life as someone else's subordinate instead of choosing to shine on his own.

The reason for her dissatisfaction was that her own doll had begun to rebel against her and instead relied on a boy of the same age.

Even though this resistance did give him some hope for change, the contrast was still hard to accept.

Of course, despite her thoughts, Senmina wouldn't show her emotions on her face.

For an established actor, knowing how to conceal one's true thoughts is a fundamental skill.

"Well, Yu-jun, do you need me to take a look at it for you? I'm quite familiar with Xiao-mu's habits."

Minami Mori took a step forward, but instead of approaching Yuu Toyokawa and Mutsu Wakaba hiding behind him, she walked towards the shop's waiter.

After a brief conversation, the waiter seemed to have reached some kind of agreement with her. He bowed to Minami Mori, closed the transparent glass door of the clothing store, and flipped the "Open for Business" sign over to "Temporarily Closed".