Aunt Xiangzi, how did you manage to live?

Toyokawa Sadaharu nodded slightly.

"She wants to form a band, right? Then let her form one. I will fully support her decision, except—you will be in charge of this band."

"...Me?"

Kazama could hardly believe what he had just heard, and then pointed his index finger at himself.

“Manager, assistant, agent, concept planner, band member—choose any role you like, and I can guarantee to place you there. Your skills and abilities are no less than Xiangzi's, and your overall strength is even better than hers. Ms. Tsuzuki Shifune has already given you a choice, and I don’t mind adding another layer of leverage to you, just like she did.”

Toyokawa Sadaharu presented his conditions in a calm tone.

"You probably wouldn't mind having another investor when it comes to developing talent, right? My request is simple: become the manager of that kid's new project and take care of her for me."

So, because you didn't know how to stop your granddaughter, you chose to escalate things by targeting her enemy? Hagiden, you're something else.

“Actually, I would have done the same even if you hadn’t offered help.”

Kazama disagreed.

"But without my help, that child might not be so obedient to your commands."

"That's true."

After all, if Toyokawa Shoko knew that he planned to steal her most ideal partner after careful selection, she would definitely be so angry that she would storm out with tears in her eyes, saying things like "You're so annoying" like that day.

Although it was quite amusing to see Miss Xiaoxiang so upset.

"If Xiangzi finds out about your plan, he might hate you too."

Kazama's reminder made Sadaharu smile helplessly.

“I’ve been disliked by that kid for a long time, and this isn’t the first time.”

"Hmm—I understand Miss Xiangzi quite well on that point."

"Oh? Sometimes I'm curious too..."

Sadaji smiled slightly and looked at Kazama's expression.

"Kazama-kun, what do you know about the Toyokawa family?"

Chapter Twenty-One: Big-Headed Son and Small-Headed Dad

As the saying goes, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too... Well, no, the entanglements of the previous generation are more likely to sow the seeds of future problems for the next generation.

When Xiao was a child, he heard his aunts talk about the Toyokawa family. At the time, he was too young to understand, but as he grew up, he was able to understand why his aunts would express such sorrow as "what a misfortune for the family" when discussing this matter.

The seemingly successful man in front of you is Toyokawa Sadaharu, who is both Toyokawa Shoko's maternal grandfather and Misaki Hatsune's biological father.

After his wife's passing, Sadahisa, grieving for her, and the villa manager, who also mourned her, lay in bed together, deeply mourning the mistress of the Toyokawa family.

These two people, Yueyi, YiO, YiSeven, Five, Jiu, Four, Jiu, Eight, and others, while mourning, somehow managed to create a mini version of Hatsune Miku.

Is it scary?

Yes, it's terrifying.

Just imagining these two people tinkering with Hatsune Miku while simultaneously calling out the name of their deceased mistress sent chills down Kazama's spine.

Ah, I miss my wife so much! What, you too? Let's play a game then!

From then on, he would never complain that the prime-time family dramas that Mu loved to watch were unwatchable. Who would have thought that this kind of thing would actually happen to Mu's closest friend?

This was the first time Kazama felt a pang of pity for this aunt named Toyokawa Shoko, whom he had never met before.

Fortunately, Xiangzi died young. Otherwise, if she had known that her grandfather had been having an affair and had produced an aunt who looked exactly like her childhood sweetheart from the island, she probably would have run into the road and run herself over.

However... Aunt Xiangzi from the original timeline had already passed away in an accident, and it seems that this Teacher Xiao Xiang is completely unaware of this.

"I'm curious, how much do you know about the Toyokawa family?"

Perhaps this was the fundamental reason why Dingzhi was testing him.

I know you inside and out. I know that when you were young, you controlled the big head with the small head and managed to create four bands—if I said it so bluntly, I might actually get dumped in Tokyo Bay.

Unfortunately, Kazama needs to play it safe and develop his strength for now.

Just as he was pondering how to feign ignorance more effectively, Toyokawa Sadaharu stared into his eyes and pondered for a moment.

"...And I've been curious before, your eyes... are very similar to Xiangzi's."

During Akatsuki's brief silence, Teiji uttered those words that felt strangely familiar to him.

You have eyes that look a lot like hers.

Whether it's Mutsu, Hatsuka, or Riki and Suze—they all felt the same way about Kazama's eyes.

The girls in the band were one thing, but it wasn't a good thing for Teiji to stare at him and make such a remark.

Who knows if he'll drag him into forming a band for life, or put him in a shipping container and sink him to Tokyo Bay for life... Either way, it's a development Kazama wants to cover his head and avoid.

“I have investigated your background, Kazama-kun. I originally thought you might have some connection with the Toyokawa family, after all, those eyes alone were enough to prove it—but now it seems that I was just overthinking it.”

Sadaharu shook his head, and Kazama breathed a sigh of relief.

An ordinary family situation and a life trajectory with nothing suspicious about it.

This is the background that "Kazama Akatsuki" has after traveling to this time and space, and it is all that Sadaharu can find out about him.

Thankfully, he now bears the surname Kazama. If this old man had mistaken him for someone from the Toyokawa family who was an illegitimate son, he would probably have been sunk to the Pacific Ocean.

“I will provide you with assistance so that you can bypass Xiangzi and take direct control of her new band project. I believe that if it is you, you can protect that child... at least prevent her from getting out of control.”

"But even without your help, I was already planning to do it anyway."

"I know, so isn't this better?"

Sunlight shone on Dingzhi's graying temples, and a slight, helpless smile appeared on his lips.

"That child, having been thwarted, will probably only vent his resentment on me."

If Xiangzi knew about your glorious past of treating the second son as the eldest, she would probably feel even more justified in her complaints.

"Is this how you atone for your sins, Mr. Sadaharu? Whether you truly want to atone or simply want Shoko to resent you so that you can feel better, I think you've always known the answer in your heart."

"So you knew about those things... but how did you know? The child born back then was clearly a girl..."

"I'm sorry, but I really have no interest in how your Toyokawa family interferes with your children's pretend play. Instead of getting hung up on why I know those secrets, you should think about how to make amends to those who deserve it."

The plot of Old Deng regretting his past driven by lust is enough for a prime-time 8:30 drama; there's no need for him to make his presence felt in a girl band.

Kazama wanted to get up and leave, but Toyokawa Sadaharu had no intention of letting him go so easily.

"I know you're someone I can trust, Kazama-kun. You and that child have been in contact privately, haven't you?"

Kazama probably guessed who "that child" was, whose name Sadaharu hadn't mentioned here.

"Thank you for taking care of her. Since we share the same goal, I will still help you even if you refuse."

This old man is really going to great lengths to bring his rebellious granddaughter home so she can continue living the life of a pampered young lady.

"Consider it my way of making amends to [that child]..."

Kazama did not give any further answer. He opened the car door next to him and left the Maybach with Sadaharu's tacit approval and under the watchful eyes of the Toyokawa family's bodyguards.

The prime-time drama finally ended, and Kazama, who was walking away, let out a long sigh of relief.

He had no intention of forming an alliance with Dingzhi. It was his own business if this old man had to pay the price for the actions of Big Head Son and Little Head Dad when he was young. No matter how much he regretted it, Kazama would only sympathize with Aunt Hatsune.

Oh, right... Hatsune Miku.

Although Toyokawa Shoko hasn't approached Yawata Kairin yet, she's probably been working on Hatsune Miku's mindset all this time.

Kazama took out his phone and started looking through it, and just then he saw the last message Hatsune Miku left at the end of their last chat.

I've been free lately, so if Xiaojun needs anything urgent, just give me a call! I'd also like to hear your voice more often, you know ^ω^

This is an important matter... I suppose it is one.

After a moment's thought, Kazama dialed Hatsune's number.

"Hello, is this Chu Hua? I hope I haven't bothered you."

The call was answered quickly, and he promptly changed his address from "Aunt Hatsune Miku," which he had been thinking about, to "Hatsuka."

"No, no, that's not true! I'm so happy to hear Xiaojun's voice..."

But Chu Hua's voice sounded somewhat unnatural for some reason.

What happened before this...?

Chapter Twenty-Two: Taking Xiao Xiang

These past few days have been a bit tough for Mitsuko Mitsu.

She came to Tokyo alone to become a member of sumimi, abandoning everything from her past.

That island, the sisters who looked almost exactly like me, and all the past that should have been forgotten.

People say that siblings are like hands and feet; they won't act as high-ranking "authorities" like parents, nor will they be as unfamiliar and dangerous as complete strangers. But sometimes, siblings are like the most familiar strangers. Even knowing that they are incompatible, they have to live together harmoniously under the same roof for the sake of "family" and "parents."

The conflict between Hatsune and Hatsuka has obviously not developed to that extent on the surface, but that's only because Hatsune stole her sister's name and came to Tokyo before things got that way.

If they continue to spend time together, Hatsune might not be able to guarantee that she won't be overwhelmed by boundless jealousy and loneliness.

So she fled the island and tried to survive in the unfamiliar city of Tokyo.

Fortunately, she found one of the most important reasons to survive in this city.

The blonde girl opened her notebook, and on the first page was a short line of text.

It's more accurate to say that there are only the two short characters "Xiaojun".

"........."

A bright yet shy smile appeared on the girl's lips as she turned the page.

"After finishing my medical check-up at the hospital on Monday, I packed up and prepared to be discharged on Tuesday... I wandered around the neighborhood on Wednesday, and went to another livehouse on Thursday... Well, that's my activity log so far."

The next page, however, is a dense record of Kazama's daily schedule.

Ever since Kazama was in that car accident, Hatsune Miku has been following him closely, recording his daily schedule.

Sometimes, with Kazama's permission, she would spend time with him. As for when Kazama was unaware of it... she naturally had her own ways of keeping track of Kazama's movements.

Even if Xiaojun knew, she probably wouldn't blame her. After all, if she didn't keep such close watch on his daily schedule, what would happen if he encountered an accident again like last time—and she wasn't there to help him?

This won't do, this absolutely won't do.

She leaned against the wall by the roadside, and like a detective, used the ballpoint pen she carried with her to write the final footnote in her small notebook.

Xiaojun's safety must be protected.

It doesn't matter if he doesn't understand his own sense of crisis.

After writing this sentence, Hatsune turned the page with a sigh of relief.

Come to think of it, Kazama's whereabouts were only uncertain for a short while when he was discharged from the hospital that day.

She had intended to follow closely behind Kazama for about ten meters, as usual, but she lost track of him at the hospital.

Where did Xiaojun go that day?

And regarding another matter, how exactly did he know the name "Hatsune"...?

Miku Miku has yet to muster the courage to explore this mystery.

"Well……"

She pondered for a long time, then drew a question mark in her notebook with a ballpoint pen.

The next second, the phone vibrated from the pocket of my jeans.

"Ah... Xiao Xiang."

The golden retriever's eyes lit up. She quickly put away her notebook and pen, picked up her phone, and answered the call from Toyokawa Shoko.

"Hey? Chuhua, how have you been lately?"

The girl's tone on the other end of the phone remained stern. In the past, Chu Hua would have been completely captivated and satisfied just by hearing her voice.