Tokyo: Starting with a fake boyfriend

"What on earth is this guy talking about?"

Even though Hojo Ryoma noticed Shiratori Osamu's personality switch and was mentally prepared for the confession, he was still stunned for a moment.

"Because I'm a womanizer, I can't be with your granddaughter"—isn't that a contradiction?

Shouldn't a philandering man be someone who can't resist making a move when he sees a beautiful woman and sees an opportunity to take advantage of her?

Oh no, Xiao Nan is different from other women; she has a grandfather like him. So it's alright.

If you dare to be unfaithful to his granddaughter and have an affair, you'd better be invulnerable.

"Is this why you don't want to see me, don't want to have anything to do with me, and are determined to leave?"

After thinking it through, Hojo Ryoma confirmed it.

"That's the main reason."

Shiratori nodded slightly and affirmed.

[Detection successful]

The criteria for judging sincerity in a persona are very lenient; all that is needed is to express one's true feelings, show emotions, and use body language.

Even more so, the judgment criteria can be described in one sentence: arbitrary and undisguised.

"..."

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Hojo Ryoma stopped stroking his chin, his sharp, eagle-like eyes scrutinizing him repeatedly as he fell into deep thought.

The question he was pondering was not whether Shiratori Osamu was a womanizer, but whether the other party's reasons were genuine or scheming.

Because Shiratori Osamu seemed to switch personalities, the words he spoke in the confession room not only didn't offend him, but actually made him like him even more.

Being lustful is human nature, and being promiscuous is a choice made by human nature.

The more outstanding a man is, the better he is with women. For capable men, being a womanizer is not a flaw at all.

Putting those perceptions aside, what Shiratori Osamu said just now, when it reached Hojo Ryoma's ears, meant:

“I am self-aware, I have foresight, and I know that you are very capable, so I cannot be with Xiao Nan.”

This also includes many other things, such as a sense of responsibility, commitment, sincerity, strong will, decisiveness, and signals that I am a good man.

What are the other reasons?

Hojo Ryoma did not rush to express his opinion, but intended to listen to his explanation before drawing a conclusion.

"You are dangerous. I don't want to have any conflict with you, and it would be best if we never had anything to do with each other in this lifetime."

[Detection successful]

"Do you really think I'm dangerous? Do you realize that when you rejected my offer of 100 million per month, you were already in conflict with me?"

"Compared to the fact that I might cause your granddaughter sadness and distress in the future, this level of conflict is nothing."

[Detection successful]

“Even the smallest conflict is still a conflict, and this is no small conflict, because before I invited you here, I promised my daughter and granddaughter that I would keep you here.”

Upon hearing this, Hojo Ryoma's expression suddenly darkened, and his tone became forceful and domineering.

"..."

Upon hearing his sudden change of tone, Shiratori Osamu's expression also darkened.

Based on his conversation with the bodyguard in the car, he had already thought of a way to break the deadlock, which was to clear up the misunderstanding.

In a sense, his core interests are very similar to those of Hojo Ryoma: "not wanting Yamabuki Minami and Hojo Yuki to feel unhappy" and "making his daughter and granddaughter happy."

That's why the two men can live in peace as long as they explain things clearly.

However, at this moment, Hojo Ryoma's words raised the seriousness of the situation to another level, namely, the issue of commitment.

In other words, it wasn't enough for him to simply make things clear; he had to persuade Hojo Ryoma to break his promise.

No wonder this old man immediately set a price; he was determined to keep him here.

"Shiratori Osamu, I know you're a smart man, so let's cut to the chase. What do you want in return to stay by Minami's side and make her happy? Just state your terms."

Seeing Shiratori Osamu's expression change, clearly realizing the seriousness of the problem, Hojo Ryoma's expression improved somewhat, and he got straight to the point again.

This is his current stance. He promised Xiao Nan and Xiao Xue, so he must keep this guy here, no matter what means he has to use.

"I don't know if your subordinates reported to you what I was doing when he asked me to come here. Let me put it this way: I was with a pair of incredibly beautiful twin sisters, and I was trying to make a good impression on them. Because I like them, I want to win them both over at the same time."

When faced with this question, Shiratori Osamu did not answer it directly, but instead changed the subject.

Negotiation is absolutely out of the question. Once you've set out your terms and the other party has agreed, you can't go back on your word.

There was no other way, so he had to play the sincerity card and resort to his womanizing tactics.

[Detection successful]

Sensing that he was still struggling and his desire to leave remained unchanged, Hojo Ryoma, using the trick of changing the subject, narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment before speaking in a deep and serious tone:

"Sure, but you have to be careful not to let Xiao Nan find out. If you need it, I can also help you keep a mistress, such as providing you with financial assistance. If you encounter any trouble, I can also help you cover up the truth."

"Can I? What do you mean by 'can I'?"

Shiratori Osamu was stunned upon hearing this, and then he was completely dumbfounded.

[Detection successful]

No way, Hojo Ryoma actually allowed him to have an affair? And not only did he let him keep a mistress, but he was also willing to financially support him and help him deceive Minami?

No way, is Hojo Ryoma really that easy to talk to? Did he misjudge him?

No, this must be a joke, just like what happened earlier.

"I'm not joking with you. I already said, enough with the nonsense."

Hojo Ryoma watched as Shiratori Osamu's expression shifted from disbelief to a moment of wavering, and then back to calm. Before Shiratori could even voice his doubts, Hojo spoke again.

Sure enough, the main reason this kid insisted on leaving was that he felt his grandfather was too powerful and would become an obstacle to his extramarital affair.

Do you think I would believe that?

Perhaps he made it clear, but Shiratori Shu wouldn't be foolish enough to easily believe such nonsense.

Even a signed contract or a marriage with a stamp can be breached, let alone a verbal agreement.

As soon as he finished speaking, Shiratori Osamu suddenly realized that his statement had failed the judgment. What did this mean? Did he really want to believe in this possibility deep down?

What are your reasons for not believing me?

Seeing Shiratori Osamu's attitude, Hojo Ryoma was not surprised. He simply leaned against the TV cabinet, sat down, and asked with his hands in his sleeves.

He finally found the problem and successfully identified Shiratori Osamu's core needs, so the rest is much easier.

"The example of Yamabuki Tomoya serves as a warning. Although I don't know what happened to him now, I imagine it won't be good."

Although not believing him would offend him, Shiratori Osamu had to make a statement.

[Detection successful]

Through his initial choices, he foresaw the consequences of cheating on his wife if he married Hojo Yuki—it would be a one-way ticket to the Dragon Palace.

"He didn't end up well, but I won't treat you the way I treated him."

Seeing that he had already guessed Yamabuki Tomoya's fate, Hojo Ryoma did not deny it, but simply shook his head.

"What do you mean?"

Upon hearing this, Shiratori paused, and looking at his calm and composed demeanor, he couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension.

Old ginger is spicier; this old fellow was indeed as difficult to deal with as he had predicted.

"Because you are not like that little beast."

Seeing that he was wary and clearly didn't believe him, Hojo Ryoma pondered for a moment and then threw out a sentence.

"Different? Different again?"

Shiratori Osamu had expected some profound insights, but his answer left him stunned, feeling as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

[Detection successful]

Xiao Nan thought that he was different from other men.

My mother-in-law thinks this way; she always feels that he's different.

Women are actually quite foolish, naively believing that a good man is one who can maintain self-control and respect when faced with temptations and opportunities. Little do they know that the best thing bad men do is to play the long game and catch the big fish.

Given that Xiao Nan and her mother-in-law were both incredibly naive, easily fooled, and clueless good girls, he could understand their foolishness.

But even a seasoned veteran like Hojo Ryoma, who had seen much of the world, thought this way, which was something he simply couldn't understand.

Thinking of this, the pent-up frustration and anger in Shiratori's heart surged up like a volcano, and he took a few steps forward angrily, saying:

"Do all the people in the Hojo family have this problem: making unnecessary expectations of others? You always think I'm different from others, so different! I've already said it, I'm a womanizer, I even think about dating two girls at once, I've made it so clear, why don't you understand?"

Last night, his plans had to be changed at the last minute because of the unexpected appearance, which made Yamabuki Minami and Hojo Yuki cry, which was already incredibly annoying for him. On top of that, he didn't sleep well last night, and today Hojo Ryoma sent someone to invite him over, which forcibly interrupted his date with the twin sisters. All of this made him very angry.

He was different, but how exactly was he different from others? He didn't even know what made him different from everyone else.

[Detection successful]

“That’s what makes you different from that little beast; you know your place.”

When he walked up to him and spoke angrily, even spitting on his face, Hojo Ryoma was taken aback by his sudden anger, but he didn't care and simply responded sincerely.

At his age, things like this aren't enough to make him angry. Most of the time, his anger is just an act to put on a show for others, serving as a deterrent.

"Is it so strange to have self-awareness? If you compare me to Tomoya Yamabuki, I'm definitely better than him. That selfish, liar, rich and beautiful girlfriend who suffers, who gets rich by relying on his wife's family after marriage, who plays mind games with his wife, and who breaks his vows and cheats on his wife in middle age and still feels justified, is a scumbag. You could pick anyone off the street who's better than him."

Shiratori Shushin was so angry at this statement that he almost laughed.

[Detection successful]

How dare you compare someone like Tomoya Yamabuki, who can't even figure out how to live off a woman, to him?

"It's not uncommon to have self-awareness, but having a great deal of self-awareness is different. Moreover, you are smart, responsible, conscientious, accountable, principled, tactful, and proactive."

Hearing him unleash a torrent of abuse on the little beast, Hojo Ryoma thoroughly enjoyed it, but he didn't let himself be drawn into the rhythm of the story; his mind remained clear.

In fact, a person's strengths may not seem like much on their own, but they become different when they are magnified many times over.

For example, being good-looking and being extremely handsome are two completely different things.

"..."

Shiratori realized that he wasn't angry at all, but instead sincerely praised him. For a moment, even if he wanted to get angry, he couldn't find a reason to, and he calmed down a lot, but he was still very annoyed.

This is the downside of turning off [Concentration]: he can't fully control his emotions and will sometimes get carried away.

Speaking of which, Hojo Ryoma's skill level is incredibly high. He tried to use sincerity to deal with Hojo Ryoma, but ended up being the one who was sincere instead.

Chapter 116 Real Men Take a Bite

Hojo Ryoma wasn't surprised to see him calm down so quickly, and simply continued speaking:

"Whether it's studying, being a delinquent, or even pretending to be a boyfriend, if you want to do something, you'll want to do it to the best of your ability, including your desire to build a harem. You're definitely different from that little bastard because you're a talent, and he's a piece of trash."

The day after Konan went to the internet cafe to find Shiratori Osamu and brought him home, he received Shiratori Osamu's complete investigation report.

During his primary and junior high school years, he achieved excellent grades, was well-mannered, respected the elderly and cared for the young, which shows that Shiratori Osamu was ambitious, had good character, and was naturally intelligent.

With only one week left before the high school entrance exam in my final year of junior high, I got into a conflict with a classmate. I handled it poorly and ended up being embroiled in a scandal. During high school, I went straight into my rebellious phase and became known as a delinquent.

During his two and a half years of high school, Shiratori Osamu was notorious as a delinquent among the major high schools in Tokyo. At the same time, he had perfect attendance and was never disciplined, which shows that he was not a bookworm. He was extremely capable and knew how to act appropriately.

This kid has an excellent resume, which is why Shiratori Osamu is able to freely enter and leave the Yamabuki family.

If it were any other delinquent, regardless of whether that person could follow Konan into the Yamabuki family home, he would still find a way to deal with them after they came out.

After being praised by him, Shiratori Xiu straightened his back a bit without realizing it, and felt a little smug.

"It's no use praising me. I don't want to argue with you anymore. In short, I advise you to let me go. I can't give Xiaonan happiness."

However, Shiratori Shu doesn't fall for flattery at all.

"Shiratori-kun, being a womanizer is actually a minor flaw that doesn't outweigh your merits."

Finding that this kid was quite stubborn, Hojo Ryoma decided to speak frankly.

This is his true thought: even a flawed piece of jade is still jade.