Aunt Xiangzi, how did you manage to live?

Tsuzuki Shisen raised an eyebrow slightly; she didn't seem to like the ineffective communication caused by red tape.

"Let me make it clear beforehand that my suggestion to him just now was not a test, but a sincere invitation."

So don't make a move on the person she's interested in—or perhaps that's another way to understand it.

"do not worry."

On the other end of the phone, the man's calm voice remained unchanged.

“I have something else to ask him about… my granddaughter who’s been causing trouble for everyone.”

Chapter Nineteen Hai Ling, what kind of life do you want to create?

Kazama Akatsuki accepted an exciting offer from Tsuzuki Shisen, but she hasn't relaxed yet.

Unable to return to the past and debut under Mutsu's gentle gaze, Kazama originally planned to continue lying low in this timeline.

Imagine having a steady and reliable income every month without having to work, without having to sell your soul to a company like a slave, and without having to find a rich woman to keep you and force you into prostitution...

Nothing is more alluring than lying flat on your back.

Even cowboys who roam the West will retire after achieving great success and accomplishing a great career, or legendary mercenaries who move through materialistic cities will bring their stories to a close after becoming famous and influential figures.

For Kazama, forming a new band without the attention of Mutsukasa and the others was meaningless.

In this way, his retirement might be possible sooner.

However, before he could lie down, he still had some important work to finish.

—In a livehouse, a female band standing on the stage has just finished rehearsing.

"Thank you everyone for your hard work, and thank you Hachiman for filling in. Otherwise, we wouldn't know how to rehearse without one more person."

"You're welcome. Just transfer the money to me when you get back."

Having succinctly completed today's task, the woman named Hachiman Kairin slung her bass over her shoulder.

The sharp, stylish black leather jacket paired with a striking and dangerous red undershirt perfectly reflects Hachiman Kairin's personality—sharp and uncompromising—and is exactly the same style of dress that Kazama remembers about Aunt Hachiman Kairin.

Kazama hadn't expected that Aunt Hailing would dress so confidently and flamboyantly when she was young—well, what he really meant was that he hadn't expected Aunt Hailing to dress so perfectly in his good zone decades ago.

Especially those sky-high leather boots, which made Hai Ling, who is only 158cm tall, look like she is 185cm tall.

Kazama had wondered why she wore boots with such high heels, to which Aunt Hailin simply smiled.

"Your true height is for yourself; once you put on shoes, your height will be enough to make you stand out from the crowd. What kind of life do you want to create with those shoes?"

From then on, Kazama would always glance at girls wearing high-heeled leather boots. Well, it definitely wasn't out of curiosity about how much padding those boots actually had underneath.

Japan may not have much else to offer, but there are countless girls who dress in a gentle and elegant style, making them perfect for marriage and looking like a wife. However, Kazama is not particularly fond of this type of girl.

If a gentle and feminine girl is like a safe bet that will never go wrong, then a calm, composed, and stylish girl is the most eye-catching unconventional choice.

He can be as reliable as a brother in critical moments, but at other times he can unexpectedly show the tenderness and vulnerability unique to young girls. It's not that he has a special fetish for this, but who can resist the charm of this kind of girl?

Standing below the stage, Kazama reluctantly looked away from Hailin.

I feel it's a bit immoral to develop this kind of appreciation for the aunt who took care of me. Maybe I should just think about what Aunt Hailing will be like decades from now to counteract it.

"I heard from them that someone is looking for me."

While Kazama closed his eyes and tried to reason with himself, the girl carrying the bass box slowly walked forward.

Yawata Kairin pointed to the band members still on stage, then turned her indifferent gaze to Kazama, who was leaning against the wall.

"A handsome guy of the same age who looks good enough to play a Kamen Rider, who kept looking at the stage with starry eyes - hmm, the criteria match."

Oh dear, was my admiration that obvious?

Kazama subconsciously raised his hand and used his sleeve to wipe away non-existent drool from the corner of his mouth.

"If you also want me to play for you, this is my price."

Without further ado, Hai Ling took out a business card from her jacket pocket and handed it to Kazama.

"I see, so you think I came here to hire you, Hachiman-kun?"

"Is not it?"

"Hmm—what if I said I came for something else, just to sit down with you, have a cup of coffee, and chat?"

"..."

A hint of trouble appeared on Hachiman Kairin's indifferent face, and she took the business card back.

"That's another price."

I knew he would say something like that.

Ms. Hachiman Kairin has always acted like a mercenary who does whatever she's told, not because she's helpless like a certain three-surname servant, but simply because she has no intention of being bound by the status of a formal member of any band.

Well, that's what Aunt Hailing told him decades later.

"If this is an invitation to become a full-time contract worker, let me think about it some more."

Hachiman Kairin glanced at Kazama from head to toe, as if she had already come to a rough conclusion in her mind.

"But I'd be happy to join your band as a mercenary for a while."

"Oh? I thought Hachiman wouldn't collaborate with bands other than all-female bands."

"That's not true. I consider myself pretty, and a band with both handsome men and beautiful women must have a lot of listeners who are only interested in the looks. I'd definitely make a lot of money doing a deal with you."

Okay, so it turns out it was for profit.

But at least Hailing acknowledged his looks, which is a good start.

"To be honest, I really just wanted to sit down and chat with you, Hachiman. How did it get interpreted as me trying to poach you for a long-term contract? Well, I do have that thought in mind, though."

"Everyone who tried to poach someone said that before."

Hai Ling tossed her hair dismissively, tidying up her hair like a little animal grooming itself.

"Of course, I refused them all."

Oh? So, does this mean Xiangzi's attempt to poach talent failed?

"But that was two or three months ago. During that time, you were the first person to try to recruit me to work in a formal band."

Okay, so it turns out they haven't even gotten close to Hailing yet. At this rate, it seems he'll beat them to it!

"Let's leave it at that for now. If it's just a short-term hire, feel free to contact me anytime. If it's a long-term project, please pay me at least more than I would for other bands."

After saying that, Hai Ling waved her hand and turned away gracefully.

She knew that not many people would choose the latter option, which is why she spoke so definitively. After all, the sunk cost of dedicating herself to another band was too high for her.

Kazama knew all this, so he didn't plan to put too much pressure on Hailin for the time being.

Anyway, he just wants to compete with Xiangzi for people, so it doesn't really matter whether the cooperation is long-term or short-term, right?

However, if he could think of a clever way to make this mercenary lady treat him differently, that would be the best outcome.

He was thinking this a second ago, and the next second his phone rang abruptly.

When he answered the phone, the voice that rang in his ear caught him somewhat off guard.

"Mr. Kazama, may I talk to you?"

Chapter Twenty: Kazama Akatsuki? Toyokawa Akatsuki!

"I would give up the rest of my life if it meant forming a new band."

—These are the words that Toyokawa Shoko said when she was negotiating with her maternal grandfather, Toyokawa Sadaharu.

"You'd probably think the same thing as me after hearing this... This is just ridiculous."

In the Toyokawa family's Maybach, Kazama Akira sat upright, sizing up the composed man in front of him.

"Xiangzi will not sacrifice the rest of her life, and regardless of whether she would actually do it... I will not allow her to do so."

Toyokawa Sadaharu somehow obtained his contact information and, with his approval, got him into this Maybach.

Is this what the Maybach feels like? The soft, comfortable feeling under your bottom makes you not want to leave... It's amazing that Xiangzi was willing to make the decision to get off the seat.

If Mu were to suddenly reveal to Xiao that his family is actually a large conglomerate and they could drive a Maybach every day, he would certainly no longer have any complaints about those outsiders who questioned whether he was just a third-generation star who debuted by taking advantage of his family's influence.

Having privileges is not something that everyone wants to get rid of. What really disgusts people are those who have privileges but then act innocent and complain about it.

Ironically, there are tons of people like this in the entertainment industry.

Kazama looked at Toyokawa Sadaharu, whose face was full of worry. It was clear that the man in front of him was praying that his little granddaughter would not become like that.

"What's more, after what happened before..."

His tone became even more strained as he spoke, suggesting that Toyokawa Sadaharu was referring to the sudden car accident.

"If it weren't for your selfless rescue back then, my silly granddaughter would probably have died on the road to completely separating from the Toyokawa family."

Toyokawa Sadaharu shook his head. During Kazama's hospitalization, he seemed to have already figured out how to deal with Shoko.

"Therefore, I cannot let that child act willfully and recklessly."

Judging from his words, Dingzhi was no longer planning to turn a blind eye to Xiangzi's behavior.

Does this mean that without Kazama's intervention, Xiaoxiang's plan to form a new band is going to be stillborn?

"Even if you try your best to stop her, she probably won't give up easily."

Kazama shrugs, "Honest advice is hard to hear."

“You know my granddaughter very well.”

After a moment of silence, Teiji nodded in agreement with what he said.

"I'd love to hear your thoughts before I tell you what I'm doing."

This kind of thing doesn't need any insights. It's enough to make her realize that without the help of her family, she simply couldn't form and run a band successfully in the long run.

However, it would be a bit too tactless to speak so bluntly in front of Xiangzi's maternal grandfather.

It is disrespectful for a son to scold his father, and it is even more disgraceful for a grandfather to scold his granddaughter; such a person is worthy of being thrown into Tokyo Bay.

"Even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes."

Finally, Kazama shook his head, offering no comment on Toyokawa Sadaharu's question.

He had no interest in watching the rebellious young woman from a wealthy family stage a rags-to-riches drama, but he was even less interested in watching the old man versus the old man's tycoon drama.

If you really want to watch this kind of thing, just click on any Korean movie or TV series.

“I thought you would pour out your troubles to me, after all, that child didn’t hold back when talking about you.”

Teiji gave a wry smile. It seemed that when Xiangzi mentioned Kazama in front of him, he still couldn't avoid using words like "illegal trespassing," "stealing underwear," and "the thief who keeps calling me 'Auntie.'"

"If you're here to arrest me on behalf of your granddaughter, I have only one request. Could you please not write that I broke into their house to steal Xiangzi's underwear? If you're going to bring my past to the forefront and recount it in detail, I don't want this completely contradictory answer."

"...Regardless of whether what Xiangzi said is true or not, the fact that you risked your life to save her after that is an indisputable fact."

Toyokawa Sadaharu completely ignored Kazama's words; he didn't really want to understand the meaning of these young people's slang.

"So after thinking it over, you are the only one who fits my criteria."

"...Who is the candidate?"

An ominous premonition welled up in Kazama's mind, and alarm bells rang in his head.

Warning, warning, if you continue, you will end up with Aunt Xiangzi!

"While I am very grateful for your kind words, I absolutely have no such feelings for Miss Xiangzi. Compared to me, many people around her have feelings for her, and although their gender may not meet your standards, they are at least sincere towards Miss Xiangzi. Please do consider this!"

"...Thank you for clarifying, but I was not referring to that person."

Toyokawa Sadaharu rubbed his temples, waiting... Did what this child just said mean that his granddaughter has many lesbians around her?

"As I just said, I have to find a way to stop Xiangzi from continuing to act so recklessly. But she won't listen to my advice or arrangements."

"I don't think Miss Xiangzi will listen to me; she'll probably just go against me."

"So, my plan is not for you, Kazama-kun, to go against her."