After Xiangzi died, I inherited her harem.

That was the spot that belonged to Wakaba Mutsu, but at this moment, the spot where a girl should have been sitting was empty.

The morning sunlight streamed into the classroom through the window, casting a slight reflection on the textbook covers that were still on the desks, making Nagasaki Sase feel a little glared at.

Xiao Mu didn't come to class again today...

Looking at the empty seat, Nagasaki Sase pursed his lips, a growing unease brewing within him.

Yesterday afternoon's disappearance was already worrying enough.

Nagasaki Sase thought that after successfully contacting Wakaba Mutsumi last night and learning from her that she was safe and sound, her school life would return to normal as it was before yesterday.

Yesterday's disappearance was just due to some unexpected situation. As long as I see that quiet figure at school the next morning, my anxiety will subside.

Compared to the so-called stressful performance on stage, Wakaba Mutsumi's safety is more important.

But things didn't go as planned, and today, Wakaba Mutsu is still missing.

Quietly taking out his phone from the drawer, Nagasaki Sase looked at the messages he had sent, his expression becoming even more complicated.

If yesterday's phone shutdown only worried Nagasaki Sase, then the unread comments next to the messages she sent now are even more heartbreaking.

There was no reason, and there seemed to be no sign of losing contact.

The girl who had been approached by him over the past year with various excuses and inquiries about Toyokawa Shoko's whereabouts seemed to have completely given up on communicating with him.

It's almost like... blocking yourself.

Saseya Nagasaki also tried to ask Shoko Toyokawa, but as always, she did not reply to his messages, and as in the past, he did not receive any reply.

On the contrary, Chihaya Aine said that she saw Toyokawa Yuu and Wakaba Mutsu together in [RING] that morning.

Yuu Toyokawa... It's him again.

Xiao Mu disappeared yesterday along with him.

The image of the boy who always wore a suit flashed through Nagasaki Sose's mind. He bit his lip, a hint of hesitation flickering in his azure eyes.

Should I confront him? But what reason should I give?

Although we didn't communicate that many times, and the other party was mostly very friendly, they even helped me a lot with concert tickets.

But Nagasaki Sase knows that he is actually quite bad at dealing with that boy who always wears a suit and seems to be in a work state forever.

Unlike Wakaba Mutsu, he was not submissive and would not show any resistance even if he felt embarrassed by his own questioning.

Unlike Toyokawa Shoko, who, even if she didn't want to communicate with him, would still say a few more words to him if her emotions were stirred up.

When facing Yuu Toyokawa, all she needs to do is coldly throw out a "work requirement" and she's left speechless.

Not to mention, I still owe the other party a favor regarding the concert tickets.

If Xiao Mu's absence from school is really related to Toyokawa Yuu, then if I ask him, will I really be able to get the answer?

Just as they were struggling with their decision, the slightly jarring but invigorating school bell rang into Nagasaki Sase's ears.

Watching the teacher pack up her textbooks and prepare to leave, Nagasaki Sase gritted her teeth and decided to follow her.

"Teacher, Xiao Mu disappeared without a trace yesterday afternoon, and she didn't come to school today either. Did something happen to her?"

Following the teacher to the office, Nagasaki Sase finally spoke.

Her deep blue eyes gazed at the instructor before her, hoping to glean some information from him.

"Xiao Mu... Nagasaki-san refers to Wakaba-san, right? This morning her mother came to the school to request at least a month's leave for her, saying that Wakaba-san has been under a lot of mental stress lately for some reason and needs to be sent to the hospital to recuperate."

When Nagasaki Sase asked, the teacher didn't hide anything.

Nagasaki Sase was always well-liked in the Moon Forest, and it was perfectly normal for her to care about her classmates.

At the same time, she also felt a little sorry for Wakaba Mutsu's condition.

At only a first-year high school student, he has already developed some mental health issues; that child will likely have a very difficult life ahead of him.

"Long holidays, mental health issues..."

Muttering those two words to himself, Nagasaki Sase seemed to understand something.

It's hard not to connect this reason for taking leave with Toyokawa Yuu.

Not only was Toyokawa Yuu the only one who spent a significant amount of time in contact with Wakaba Mutsumi after her abnormal behavior, but also...

[Xiao Mu's performance on stage tonight...]

[It was my request...]

On the night the concert ended, the words that Yuu Toyokawa had said to herself at Asukayama Park echoed in Sase Nagasaki's mind.

Originally, she thought it was just an excuse the other party was using to exonerate Toyokawa Shoko.

But now it seems that the situation is much more complicated than I imagined.

After briefly saying goodbye to her teacher, Nagasaki Sase found an empty corner and took out her phone.

Looking at the messages he had sent to Wakaba Mutsu on his phone, which were still marked as unread, Nagasaki Sosei's azure eyes gradually hardened.

No matter what, I have to find out exactly what that guy did to Xiao Mu.

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

"In short, it's a real pity that we couldn't reach a consensus. But since Youyu-kun is prepared to shoulder all of this alone, I can only wish you all the best."

The cooperation plan she proposed had completely fallen apart, but Senmina Nami was not the type of person who would easily get angry and leave in a huff.

After only a brief moment of awkward silence, she quickly smiled again.

Having spent countless years in the world of fame and fortune, Senmina Nami knows exactly how to defuse tension.

With that flawless smile appearing from every angle, the atmosphere between the two, which had cooled down, warmed up again.

From Toyokawa Yuu's perspective, he actually hoped that the old hag would turn around and leave in a huff after being rejected and her plans fell through.

It's much better to directly show a bad attitude to someone who's already decided to be on the opposite side than to be polite and unyielding like this.

Looking at the impeccable yet insincere smile on Minami's face, Toyokawa Yuu turned her face to the other side, her voice filled with obvious indifference and distance.

The two have already broken off relations, so there's no need to continue pretending to be polite as before.

"No need for Ms. Minami to trouble yourself with that. If there's nothing else, please go back. I still need to take Mutsu to the Moon Forest to ask for leave later."

"No need for that. I already arranged a month's leave for Xiao Mu this morning, so you can leave her with me without worry."

Hearing Toyokawa Yuu's polite words, Mori Minami smiled and dismissed them, her smile carrying a hint of smugness.

Although they were trivial matters, in her memory, this seemed to be the first time she had successfully predicted Toyokawa Yuu's actions.

"However, in the days to come, you'd better not let Xiao Mu leave your house even for a moment... We can't do something like home invasion and kidnapping to maintain basic dignity right now, but if she leaves your house, it's hard to say who will take Xiao Mu away."

"That's really... thank you for reminding me, Ms. Minami."

Looking at the somewhat smug smile on Mori Minami's face, Toyokawa Yuu gritted her teeth and unusually emphasized her gratitude.

"Mr. Youyu, I've already made my choice."

A lively voice broke the silence in the clothing store, which was quiet because of the "Closed for Business" sign and the absence of other customers. It broke the awkward silence between Toyokawa Yuu and Mori Minami, which seemed like they were forcing a conversation.

Metis was carrying a clothes hanger in each hand and had changed into a new outfit.

The original dress had been replaced with a matching shirt and shorts, and a beige trench coat that wasn't buttoned up was draped over it. The coat hem just reached mid-thigh, revealing the waistline outlined by a black tactical belt.

Compared to her original, rather plain dark dress, this outfit made Metis look more presentable, and even carried a hint of heroic spirit.

In addition, her left and right hands are a light-colored casual home outfit and a pure white nightgown, respectively.

Seemingly considering Toyokawa Yuu's wallet, Metis spent a long time enthusiastically selecting clothes, but in the end, she only chose three that did not look particularly fancy.

Standing in front of Yuu Toyokawa, Metis tilted his head slightly, his face full of a smug smile, looking just like a child who had just completed some homework independently and was now showing off to his parents.

"Are these enough? You should at least have two sets of each to wear in rotation."

Under Minami's somewhat strange gaze, Toyokawa Yuu reached out and gently stroked Metis's long hair as if coaxing a child.

Metis, who had been glaring at her fiercely not long ago, was now shaking its head like an obedient kitten, rubbing its head against Toyokawa Yuu's palm.

This childlike scene caused Senmina Nami's gaze to drift into a moment of reminiscence.

How long has it been since my daughter last showed this childlike side of herself in front of me?

That was probably before... her third birthday.

"But Mr. Yu is probably living a bit frugally right now, even the cookies on the table are..."

Halfway through his sentence, Metis seemed to suddenly realize something, immediately stopped speaking, and stared warily at Minami sitting on the sofa beside him.

Toyokawa Yuu's financial situation is a secret between them, and it can't be easily revealed to Mori Minami.

Stared at by Metis with that wary gaze, Senmina also put away her somewhat complicated expression, and instead showed a smile that she thought was a bit clumsy.

"I heard you, but even if you didn't say it, I know about Yu-Yu's financial situation... Yu-Yu calls you Metis, right? So, little Metis, if you call me 'Mom,' I'll pay for Yu-Yu's meal, how about it?"

Although he disliked Minami Mori, Metis couldn't help but feel a little tempted when he heard her suggestion.

Even though Hachiman Kairin was impeached and stripped of her power by Toyokawa Shoichi because of a work mistake she made at a previous concert, Metis still recognized her work ability.

Since she said that Toyokawa Yuu was not well-off after giving away the short-term benefits she could get from the band, then it must be true.

Even if he had refused Ruoye Mu's help when he left, what did that have to do with Metis?

Metis also wanted to help Toyokawa Yuu.

If it's just calling Minami "Mom"...

"You're really high and mighty, Ms. Minami... I'm not so destitute that I can't even afford a few pieces of clothing."

Taking the clothes hanger from Metis, Toyokawa Yuu pulled the girl away from Mori Minami, who was somewhat tempted by the thought of helping.

“Since you think this is enough, let’s go, Metis.”

Holding Metis's hand, Toyokawa Yuu walked towards the counter. With a cold face, she pressed the doorbell. Upon hearing the sound, a waiter appeared out of nowhere, wearing a professional smile, and came over to settle the bill for the two of them.

Seeing the somewhat gloomy expression on Toyokawa Yuu's face, the usually lively Metis fell silent.

She had never seen such a terrifying expression on Toyokawa Yuu's face before. Even when he had heated arguments with Toyokawa Shoko in the office, he would at least express his thoughts.

She might not have fully revealed what was on her mind, but at least back then, Toyokawa Yuu was willing to communicate.

But now it's like this...

Metis sensed that after he had shown some interest, Toyokawa Yuu seemed genuinely angry, but he didn't say anything.

Neither reprimanding nor warning, but silently keeping a certain stubborn idea to themselves.

That expression was just like... the expression Xiao Mu had when Yu Mu first tried to take the guitar from Xiao Mu, the expression Xiao Mu had when she didn't want Yu Mu to touch her guitar.

The lively girl gradually fell silent, obediently holding Toyokawa Yuu's hand, as if she had returned to her original quiet and reserved personality.

"Mr. Yuu... are you angry with me?"

After a long silence, until Yuu Toyokawa had paid and left the clothing store with her hand, Metis finally asked in a weak voice.

Ultimately, she wasn't the type of person like Wakaba Mutsu who would keep her feelings bottled up inside.

Even if it might annoy Yuu Toyokawa, who is in a bad mood, she will still take the initiative to communicate.

"No, Metis, I'm not angry with you. I just... I just don't want you and Xiao Mu to continue being controlled by other people."

Faced with Metis's weak and hesitant question, Toyokawa Yuu paused slightly before giving an answer that wasn't exactly a lie.

He admitted that he was somewhat dissatisfied when Metis showed an expression of being somewhat tempted, as if weighing the pros and cons.

It's like... something you've already planned out, but someone else tries to interfere.

That's why, instead of letting Metis pick out a few more clothes, he chose to leave with the girl directly.

However, at that time, there was no need to confide in this lively girl with a childlike personality, since he himself might not be able to fully understand those thoughts.

Turning her gaze to another shop on the street, Toyokawa Yuu chose to change the subject.

"We still haven't bought bedding and window covers, and these clothes are really not enough... Let's go check out the next store."

Just as she was about to pull Metis to their next destination, Toyokawa Yuu found herself struggling to move the girl, who was rather petite compared to herself.

Metis stood still, his eyes somewhat unfocused, and it took considerable effort to resist Toyokawa Yuu's pull.

After a while, the girl slowly raised her head and, under Toyokawa Yuu's somewhat astonished gaze, reached out and hugged his arm.

"Don't worry, Mr. Youyu, I'm not Xiao Mu, not Xiangzi's other half, just your friend... So, you don't need to worry about me."

Chapter 96 A Wisdom That Was Astounding Was Destroyed on the Spot (8k5)