Tokyo: Starting with a fake boyfriend

"No, I didn't, I'm innocent!"

Seeing that his daughter had also misunderstood him, Hojo Ryoma, who had been a doting father to his daughter for half his life, immediately became anxious and shook his head and waved his hands in denial.

No! No way! He had a huge fight with his daughter years ago, and they finally made up. He can't let things go wrong again.

"You still say you didn't? If you didn't do something to him, why did he finally come to our house yesterday and sit for a while, only to turn around and leave immediately after hearing that Konan was saying you were coming to Tokyo today?"

Seeing that he still wouldn't admit it, Hojo Yuki clenched her fists and said indignantly.

"Moreover, Xiu Jun said he didn't want to see you or have anything to do with you. I told him that if he didn't want to see you, he shouldn't, and there was no need for him to leave, but he insisted on leaving, saying that things weren't as simple as I thought."

Upon seeing her mother speak, Minami Yamabuki immediately joined the group, her voice choked with sobs as she made her accusation.

"I really didn't do anything to him..."

Hojo Ryoma looked to his left at his granddaughter and to his right at his beloved daughter, sandwiched between the mother and daughter. He felt utterly wronged and on the verge of tears.

If he really did something to Shiratori Osamu, that would be one thing, but the key point is that he really didn't.

"Really not?"

Finding her father easier to talk to than expected, instead of being forceful and stubborn, saying things like "Shiratori Osamu is no good person," Hojo Yuki took a few steps forward.

"Really, no. Back then, I tried to forcibly break you and Tomoya Yamabuki apart, which caused you to argue with me. How could I possibly repeat the same mistake?"

Hojo Ryoma nodded firmly, having changed a lot since the lessons of that year.

"Then why is Xiu Jun so afraid of you?"

Although he spoke with absolute certainty, Minami Yamabuki still refused to believe him.

"I don't know. I just arrived in Tokyo. I haven't met him or spoken to him yet. I came here to thank him."

Faced with his daughter and granddaughter's interrogation, Hojo Ryoma felt helpless and utterly wronged.

He really didn't do anything to Shiratori Osamu; at most, he just sent people to observe him 24/7.

"Wait, could this kid have discovered that he's being observed?" With this thought, Hojo Ryoma's expression changed, and he panicked.

How could that be? You have to understand that observation is different from observation. It is an action that does not seek absolute detail, but only absolute certainty.

What kind of monster is this kid? How could he even detect something like that?

"Grandpa, did you really do something to Xiujun? What did you do to him?"

Minami Yamabuki had been watching him closely and noticed his hesitation and astonishment. She immediately burst into tears.

"Father……"

Having obtained conclusive evidence of his guess, Hojo Yuki shook her head with immense heartache.

"No, let me explain."

Hojo Ryoma was frantic when he discovered that his beloved daughter had changed her address from "Dad" to "Father."

Chapter 110 That damned Shiratori Shu

"I see... I see."

The three sat around the brand-new sofa. After listening to his daughter and granddaughter recount what had happened the previous night, Hojo Ryoma nodded as if he understood something.

"So that's how it is, my foot! If it weren't for his daughter and granddaughter in front of him, he would have already flown into a rage!"

What should have been a joyous and happy reunion between father and daughter was ruined by that brat, Shiratori Osamu.

"Dad, did you really just send someone to observe Shiratori-kun in secret, without saying anything to him like 'be smart and get out of here'?"

Hojo Yuki sat snuggled up with her daughter on a sofa, unable to resist checking again.

"Really, I can be 100% sure about this."

When he realized his daughter was still worried, Hojo Ryoma was truly speechless.

"Why did you send someone to monitor him? Xiu Jun is so smart, he must have discovered your people and then been frightened by them."

Yamabuki Minami was very sad and felt deeply wronged.

It's all Grandpa's fault. Otherwise, Xiu-jun should have spent his last night with them at their house in Shibuya last night.

"Because I need to confirm whether he is qualified to be your husband."

After thinking for a moment, Hojo Ryoma gave his reason.

"Hey! But Xiu-jun and I aren't even friends. He's just pretending to be my boyfriend. How could you think so far ahead?"

Upon learning this reason, Minami Yamabuki was startled and immediately blushed with embarrassment, offering a flustered explanation.

Perhaps they pretended to be a couple for many days, or perhaps they slept in the same bed three times, but if you really think about their relationship, they weren't even friends, so how could they be talking about marriage?

"Because dating without the intention of marriage is just playing around... You like him, so I want to help you check him out and see if he's suitable."

Seeing her adorable blushing expression, Hojo Ryoma had mixed feelings.

Although he had long known that his granddaughter was most likely to have inherited the "love-obsessed" nature, seeing his well-behaved granddaughter blushing for another man still made him very uncomfortable; he felt like killing someone.

"I don't like him. I just don't want him to leave me because I feel safe and secure when I'm with him."

Realizing his grandfather's thoughts, Minami Yamabuki quickly shook her head in denial.

She genuinely hadn't thought about marriage. All she wanted was for Xiu Jun to come back to her side after he finished his work, to keep his promise and stay by her side.

As for Xiu Jun's true identity, it would be best if he remained her fake boyfriend as before, because that way, she could use the excuse of desensitization practice to hold hands with him when she wanted to touch him.

If Xiu-jun likes his mother, becoming her stepfather would be a good outcome, as long as Xiu-jun doesn't leave her.

"Xiao Nan, the kind of thinking you're describing is exactly how girls show they like boys."

Upon hearing this contradictory explanation, Hojo Ryoma felt a tightness in his chest and thought he was about to vomit blood.

If this doesn't count as liking someone, then what does?

“I don’t really like him. I just feel happy and at ease when I’m with him. There are no worries.”

When she realized that her grandfather didn't believe her, Minami Yamabuki tried every possible way to explain.

"Ok."

Seeing that she insisted on saying this, Hojo Ryoma realized that she might be shy and embarrassed to admit it, or she might be a tsundere, so he didn't argue with her.

"Dad, do you think Shiratori-kun is suitable to be Minami's husband?"

Just then, Hojo Yuki seized the opportunity and asked.

"..."

Faced with this question, Hojo Ryoma looked at the mother and daughter and fell into deep thought.

If he had faced this question last night, he would definitely have said that it was a perfect fit. Although Shiratori Osamu's family background was very ordinary, he was an exceptionally talented person, and he was very self-aware and understood the limitations of his abilities.

The most valuable quality in life is self-awareness, which is an essential quality for those who achieve great things.

But given the huge trouble Shiratori had caused him today, he was already furious. He had only one thought in mind: that brat deserves to die!

He couldn't understand at all what Shiratori Osamu was thinking when he said things like "I don't want to see him" and "I don't want to have anything to do with him," turning such a good situation into this mess.

He's Hojo Ryoma, after all. Countless people would love to meet him or even get involved with him, but this guy doesn't want to.

Although his reputation isn't public and he's not a well-known figure, Shiratori Osamu managed to intimidate Yamabuki Tomoya by claiming to be from the Hojo family and getting that brat to sign the papers. This incident should give us a glimpse into the true nature of his grandfather.

"I'd say it's suitable."

Perhaps unable to understand Shiratori Osamu's thoughts, Hojo Ryoma, after pondering, noticed that his daughter and granddaughter were becoming nervous while waiting for a reply, and could only say...

"call……"

Upon learning of this situation, both Hojo Yuki and Yamabuki Minami breathed a sigh of relief.

They discussed a lot last night and agreed that the most crucial step in bringing Shiratori Osamu back was to find a way to change their father's (grandfather's) opinion.

That being said, this matter is easier said than done. After careful consideration, they decided that if they really couldn't reach an agreement, they would threaten suicide.

“Nan is one thing, but Yuki cares about him so much... Is Shiratori Osamu really that good?” Noticing their relieved reactions, Hojo Ryoma felt very unbalanced.

"Dad, could you tell Shiratori-kun about this so he won't be so afraid of you?"

Because her father's attitude was better than expected, and many steps were omitted, Hojo Yuki timidly made her request.

"Grandpa, could you please go and apologize to Xiujun?"

Seeing her mother jump to this segment, Minami Yamabuki couldn't wait to make a request.

"Huh—? I'm going to apologize to him?!"

His daughter's request was reasonable, but his granddaughter's request made Hojo Ryoma unable to hold back any longer, and he suddenly stood up.

What a joke! He's Hojo Ryoma, after all. He's the one who always apologizes to others, never the one apologizing to others.

"Because you sent people to follow Xiu Jun, Xiu Jun was frightened by you..."

Yamabuki Minami was startled by his sudden loud voice, but in order to get Xiu Jun back to her side, she stubbornly resisted.

"Dad, what are you doing?"

When Hojo Yuki realized her father was angry, she quickly hugged her daughter tightly to protect her, feeling nervous.

"I...I'm sorry."

When Hojo Ryoma saw the mother and daughter embracing and heard the daughter's cries, his heart softened, and he sat back down in his original seat as if deflated.

Although he was reluctant to admit it, sending people to follow him was indeed his fault.

Speaking of Shiratori Osamu, he's really too strange. He was able to detect that his subordinates were secretly following him. Is his counter-surveillance awareness that strong?

"Xiaoxue, you want me to stop him from being afraid, right?"

To make amends for his earlier anger, Hojo Ryoma pondered for a moment and then asked.

"Uh-huh."

Noticing her father's attitude, Hojo Yuki's eyes lit up and she nodded.

"Konan, you want Shiratori Osamu to come back to your side, right?"

Seeing his daughter so happy, Hojo Ryoma turned to look at his granddaughter.

"Hmm... no, no, you can't use force to bring him back to me. It's better to let him know that you won't hurt him."

Yamabuki Minami nodded subconsciously, then realized what she meant and quickly added.

She discussed it with her mother last night, and they decided that she should be very careful with her words when talking to her grandfather about her needs.

If he's not careful with his words, Grandpa might use forceful and unconventional methods to persuade Xiujun to come back to her side in order to make her happy.

"Okay, I promise you, I'll bring him back now for a talk."

To please his daughter and granddaughter, Hojo Ryoma, though furious, agreed.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Shibuya, Aozora Study Room, rows of public seats by the window.

Dongyun Qianxing felt very bored, glancing left at her brother-in-law across from her and right at her sister beside her.

From 9 a.m. to now at 12 p.m., she's been playing mobile games on her phone until it ran out of battery and she's started using a power bank, while the two of them are still reading, each reading their own books.

These two people were so quiet, they didn't say a word, and just sat there for hours.

"Was their situation the same last weekend? They were just sitting together in the study room reading, so why was my sister so happy?"

"Is it because my sister has never been in a relationship and is too innocent? So she is content just to have someone by her side."

Dongyun Qianxing couldn't understand it at all; she couldn't fathom her sister's thoughts.

My sister is definitely in love. Ever since she became a teacher, she always wears the same serious and rigid suit, shirt, trousers, and flat shoes. But today, she wore high heels for the first time ever, like a little tip for meeting her boyfriend.

"And Shiratori-kun is also strange. I just glanced at him a few more times, and he was able to detect me. He even looked up and locked onto me without warning. His perception is maxed out."

"Speaking of which, his blond hair is obviously dyed, and although he's not wearing earrings, he still has old, unhealed ear piercings... Is he a delinquent or a super popular guy?"

With nothing else to do, she stared at Shiratori Osamu, observing him carefully.

Judging from his appearance, it would be perfectly normal for Shiratori Osamu to have a girlfriend, as his good looks are undeniable, and he also has a great sense of style.

Based on our initial contact, he seemed very mature, unlike the typical boisterous high school senior.

What she found most incredible was Shiratori Osamu's extraordinary concentration; for hours on end, except for drinking water and going to the toilet, his attention remained focused on his books.