Tokyo: Starting with a fake boyfriend

Although he estimated that Hojo Ryoma's impression of him was probably on the positive side, after all, he helped Hojo Yuki overcome her love-struck tendencies and break free from the shackles of marriage, which was a great deed.

If he were to take this opportunity to build a good relationship with the other party, it might be a path to success, but there's no need. Doing so would be too dangerous, akin to asking a tiger for its skin.

Moreover, a clear path to success already lies before him: diligently study mathematics to build a solid foundation, get into the coding and programming program at Tokyo University, create "Clown Cards" to make a fortune, and then live a blissful life with the two beautiful sisters, Shinonome Mizuki and Shinonome Chisei.

"But if you don't want to have anything to do with Grandpa, you can just not see him. Besides, he's not coming until tomorrow, so why are you leaving now?"

Minami Yamabuki still couldn't understand what was going on, tears welled up in her eyes uncontrollably, and her words choked with sobs.

Things shouldn't be like this. She waited anxiously for four days before Xiu Jun finally finished his work and accompanied her home.

As a result, Xiu Jun had only been at her house for less than 20 minutes when he was about to leave... She didn't even have time to worry about how she could sneak into the guest room in the middle of the night to sleep next to Xiu Jun, since she had been sleeping with her mother for the past few days.

"This matter is not as simple as you think..."

Shiratori Xiu didn't expect her to cry. He had reduced contact with her for four days, so her dependence on him should have decreased. Now she can accept him calling her class monitor, right?

"Shiratori-kun, did my father do something to you?"

Noticing her daughter was crying, Hojo Yuki felt heartbroken. Hearing this, she suddenly thought of a possibility and quickly asked.

Because she was deceived by Tomoya Yamabuki back then, her father might try to prevent the same thing from happening again this time by directly warning Shiratori to stay away from Minami.

"..."

Faced with this question, Shiratori Osamu hesitated.

He was weighing the pros and cons, wondering whether he should reveal that Hojo Ryoma was observing him.

In fact, he had guessed before he came that news of his visit to the Hojo family had probably already reached Hojo Ryoma's ears.

However, being upright and honest, he wasn't worried about being observed. In any case, he didn't plan to stay overnight here, and he would soon break off his cooperation with Yamabuki Minami, at which point it would naturally end.

But if you're going to observe, why suddenly jump from behind the scenes to the forefront? Are you launching a sneak attack?

"Did he really do something to you?"

Seeing that he didn't deny it but was thinking, Hojo Yuki suddenly realized something and her heart skipped a beat.

If that's the case, then everything makes sense.

Why did Shiratori stop visiting her house after her divorce? When they finally met, he called her Aunt Hojo, only calling her "mother-in-law" after she cried.

Why did Shiratori not only not look forward to it when she heard that her father was coming tomorrow, but instead turn around and leave as if she wanted to avoid him at all costs?

All of this was because her father did something in secret that frightened Shiratori-kun.

I'm afraid Shiratori-kun didn't want to come today, but Konan invited him every day, so he had no choice but to come.

"He didn't do anything to me. Anyway, I'm leaving. Please let go."

After much deliberation, Shiratori Osamu decided not to expose Hojo Ryoma's observation of him, lest he get himself into trouble.

"it is good."

Realizing who was responsible for all of this, Hojo Yuki let go, no longer clinging tightly to his arm.

She regretted it deeply, regretting that she shouldn't have mentioned to her father on Tuesday, after the divorce, when she called to apologize and said that it was Shiratori-kun who helped her come to terms with things.

She was so grateful to Shiratori-kun at that time, and she not only told her father about it, but also proudly told her best friend about it.

Finally, Hojo Yuki let go of his hand, and Shiratori Osamu immediately strode forward to the junction of the entrance hall and the corridor to put on his shoes.

"Xiujun, Grandpa won't be here until tomorrow. Can we sit down and talk about it slowly?"

Seeing that he was about to leave, Yamabuki Minami panicked and hurriedly chased after him, reaching out to hold his arm and gently shaking it, trying to keep him there.

"..."

Shiratori Osamu didn't say anything, he just kept putting on his shoes.

"Xiujun, didn't you promise me before? You wouldn't leave. You're the most trustworthy person. You'll always keep your promises."

Seeing that he didn't stop moving, Yamabuki Minami could sense that his attitude towards leaving this time was extremely firm, as if he was going to never return. She shook her head, tears streaming down her face.

"Just consider me a faithless liar, and I've never said I'm the most trustworthy person."

To make her give up completely, Shiratori Osamu responded without even looking up, and didn't even want to explain that his promise not to leave that night meant before the deadline.

"!!!"

When Minami Yamabuki heard him say that he was a liar, her body trembled as if struck by lightning, her heart shattered with a bang, and she collapsed to the ground, all her strength drained away.

No, no, no!

Xiu Jun is different from his father; he is not a liar.

Xiu Jun never actually said that he was the most trustworthy person, but she could sense it.

Shiratori Osamu put on his shoes, stood up, picked up his schoolbag from the entryway, and glanced back.

Wearing a purple stepmother's dress, Hojo Yuki stood with her arms crossed and head bowed. Her hair was somewhat disheveled, her face was pale, and her lips trembled slightly, as if she were lost in thought.

Wearing the uniform of Takeno High School, Minami Yamabuki, with disheveled hair, slumped on the ground, shaking her head slightly as if denying something.

"I didn't want them to be so sad, but I didn't expect Hojo Ryoma to come to Tokyo. I have to change my plans." Seeing this, Shiratori Osamu stood in front of the door and hesitated for a long time. He sighed in his heart and finally reached out to open the door.

"Clap!"

"Xiujun, don't go."

Minami Yamabuki, who was lost in thought because of her heartbreak, suddenly heard the door open. She snapped out of her daze, looked up abruptly, and noticed Osamu Shiratori's departing figure. She immediately struggled to get up and try to stop him.

Before she could even get up, she was pulled into a pair of warm and soft arms.

"Mom, Xiujun is leaving, don't stop me."

"Mom, it took me a lot of effort to bring him back."

"Mom, let go!"

Shiratori Shu, who was turning to leave, saw this scene, paused for two seconds, and then gently closed the door.

"Click".

"Woooo..."

Upon hearing the door close, Yamabuki Minami, who had been struggling violently, suddenly lost all strength and burst into tears.

"Let him go; it's for his own good."

Holding her beloved daughter tightly in her arms, Hojo Yuki gently coaxed her.

“Xiu Jun… is not… a liar, there must be… a reason why he did this.”

Minami Yamabuki, who was crying like a child, spoke haltingly, and she strongly disagreed with what Osamu Shiratori had said before leaving.

Having spent so many days together, talked so much, and even slept in the same bed for several days, she knew what kind of person Xiu Jun was.

Xiu Jun is indeed a bad school bully and a womanizer, but he is definitely not a liar.

“You’re right, he did have his reasons for doing this… If we want him to come back, we’ll have to find a way through your grandfather.”

Hojo Yuki felt extremely sorry for her when she saw how sad and upset she was, but she still held back her tears with red eyes, stroked her head, and comforted her gently.

"Grandpa?"

Upon hearing these words, Yamabuki Minami, whose eyes were blurred with tears, was taken aback.

By the way, Mom just suspected that Grandpa did something to Xiujun.

Although she couldn't understand what her grandfather, who was far away in Kyoto, could do to Xiu Jun, at this moment, she understood.

The problem wasn't with Xiujun, but with Grandpa!

Xiu Jun is not a liar, and he didn't want to break his promise. He accompanied her home as soon as he had free time today, but his grandfather was an unfortunate force.

Although she still doesn't understand what 'power beyond reason' means, Xiu Jun said it back then, so it must be right.

Chapter 106 Love Expert

After taking the elevator to the first floor and leaving the luxury apartment, Shiratori Osamu embarked on his journey home.

Shibuya is far from home, and to reduce mental strain, he subconsciously shut down his full attention.

But the instant he turned it off, a cry so clear it seemed to be right next to his ear surged into his heart:

"Xiujun, don't go."

What followed was a scene where Minami Yamabuki was being held in Hojo Yuki's arms and struggling frantically, as if trying to break free and grab him.

Recalling what had just happened, Shiratori Osamu's mind seemed to have been severely impacted, and his forward-moving body froze.

Perhaps influenced by his desperate comeback, he didn't feel heartache, but he felt suffocated as guilt overwhelmed him.

Worry, regret, guilt, shame, and a sense of indebtedness all surged into his heart.

"I spoke so coldly before I left, I hope they'll be alright?"

“I could have done better, for example, I could have stayed a little longer as planned and then made an excuse to leave, and they wouldn’t have been so upset.”

"Knowing they were so heartbroken, I still insisted on leaving. How am I any different from Old Deng in doing that?"

"Why did I leave so decisively? Am I that afraid of Hojo Ryoma?"

"He clearly promised Xiaonan he wouldn't leave, but he broke his promise... He clearly made up his mind in his past life that he would never make promises lightly again."

In his previous life, Shiratori Shu had felt regret and heartache after breaking up with his first love, but none of that could compare to this moment.

[Full Concentration] Activated.

The next moment, all the useless negative emotions were swept away and vanished.

“They will be alright. They still have each other. Even though they lost their father and husband, they are still safe and sound.”

"There is no better way. This is the optimal solution. If I stick to the plan and meet with Hojo Ryoma, things will get out of control."

“I am different from Old Deng. I am not their husband or father. I am just an outsider. I have never owned them, so there is no question of abandoning them.”

“I’m not afraid of Hojo Ryoma, I’m just choosing my own life. I can be observed for a month, but I can’t be observed for a lifetime. Being watched like old Noboru is not the life I want.”

"..."

Shiratori Osamu sorted through the emotions that had just surged up, seeking solace for himself.

But the very fact that he broke his promise caused his thoughts to stall, and he couldn't find an explanation for it in a short time.

Is this all due to force majeure? Perhaps he could explain it that way, after all, Hojo Ryoma is an outsider, but that's not the real answer.

The reason things turned out this way is ultimately because he wasn't decisive enough back then.

He shouldn't have been soft-hearted back then. If he had insisted on the "better to suffer a short pain than a long one" approach on Monday night, this situation of breaking his promise wouldn't have happened.

He wanted to say that he hadn't done anything wrong, after all, he had always been very self-aware and had a strong sense of boundaries. He had simply done his best to help the mother and daughter after accepting the commission, and had been actively keeping his distance.

But only that one time he nodded in agreement and took a step toward Yamabuki Minami.

Perhaps it was just one step, but the problem is that Yamabuki Minami has already taken more than ninety steps toward him.

"I'm the one who wronged her."

After much deliberation, Shiratori Osamu stopped defending himself and muttered to himself.

Just then, a gentle and polite voice sounded from the side:

"Um... excuse me."

The voice was very close. Shiratori turned his head and looked over, and saw two beautiful older women.

The reason they are called "older sisters" is because their makeup, clothing, facial features, and even temperament are different from those of high school students; they are probably college students.

Do you need a handkerchief?

"If you don't mind, please use it to wipe your tears."

Having successfully caught his attention, the two female college students' eyes lit up, and they excitedly handed him their handkerchiefs.

This high school boy was incredibly handsome. He had a slightly roguish air about him, making him seem unapproachable, like a delinquent or bad boy, yet he could also cry.

They had just walked by and witnessed this scene, and both of them were completely charmed. One of them couldn't resist going up to chat with the other.

Normally, they wouldn't dare to talk to a guy like this, but this little brother seems to have just broken up with his girlfriend, so this is a golden opportunity to take advantage of his vulnerability!

"Tears?"

Upon hearing this, Shiratori was taken aback. Instead of taking the handkerchiefs they offered, he raised his hand to touch his cheek and found that it was indeed wet.