Tokyo Three Generations

So when she heard Xiangzi confirm it, her heart suddenly clenched.

It really was that person...

My initial excitement plummeted to rock bottom.

With a hint of resentment, she couldn't help but ask.

Is he your good friend? Are you close?

Xiangzi fell silent.

This question is a bit abrupt, or rather, a bit tactless.

However, out of consideration for Chu Hua's past friendship, she patiently answered, "Yes, we do have a pretty good relationship, and we've helped each other out. Moreover, to me, he is a very reliable and trustworthy person."

She didn't spell everything out directly, but as the young lady of the Toyokawa family, the fact that she used so many words to describe another person already conveyed a sense of "everything is understood without words."

This answer completely extinguished the last glimmer of hope that Sanjiao Chuhua had.

Xiangzi has actually found someone he likes... What about all my efforts so far?

She secretly ran away from home to Tokyo in order to get close to Xiangzi and stay by his side legitimately through her own efforts. But if she already has someone else in her heart... then where would she be?

Imagine running a marathon with all your might until you reach the halfway point, only to find that the finish line has been swallowed by lava due to a volcanic eruption... That's the feeling.

The loss and pain suddenly materialized like a bitter agent, making her mouth feel so bitter that she almost vomited.

"Chuhua, what's wrong?" Xiangzi asked worriedly when there was no reply from the other end.

At this moment, Triangle Chuhua finally came to her senses.

What could she do in the face of this devastating news?

Should we refuse Xiangzi's visit, or prevent her from bringing others?

She herself found it absurd.

What right do I have to oppose or stop Miss Toyokawa from doing what she does?

Moreover, deep down, she felt both unhappy and resentful.

This unwillingness to accept defeat sparked a rebellious spirit within her, making her want to see just who was capable of deceiving Xiangzi into favoring her.

So, after she came to her senses, she readily agreed, "Okay, I understand. I'll explain it to the company. Just set a time and bring your people over."

"Then it's settled, thank you!" Xiangzi smiled happily. "Chuhua, don't worry, we're both very sensible and won't affect your daily work..."

After they finished talking, they said goodnight to each other.

After Xiangzi turned off his phone, he went to wash up and go to bed, feeling quite content, while Chuhua was not so happy.

She was nervous and anxious, but there was nothing she could do. In the end, she could only sulk and drift off to sleep in the early hours of the morning.

=============================

After making arrangements with Xiangzi, she proved to be very efficient, quickly setting a time and then notifying Takasaki Jun to visit Sumimi's office together.

Since she had gone to such lengths, Jun Takasaki was naturally happy to accept her kindness. So he arranged a meeting place with Shoko, and after meeting up, they went to the office together.

When Sumimi first started planning the project, the team's office space was very basic. They just rented an office in the suburbs, and the two idols had to queue up to rent commercial rehearsal rooms when they needed to rehearse.

However, the hard times didn't last long. With the sponsorship from the Toyokawa family and the growing popularity of sumimi, the team's financial situation improved dramatically.

Now, Sumimi's agency has rented two entire floors in a high-end office building. Each staff member has their own independent workstation, dance studio, mixing room, and each person has their own dedicated dressing room and dressing room, and even a private lounge. Their lifestyle is in no way inferior to that of established female celebrities.

This alone demonstrates sumimi's leading position in the industry.

To ensure privacy, this high-end office building uses dedicated elevators that require a specific card to stop at the designated floor, so prior reservations are mandatory.

So after the two got out of the car, a dedicated staff member immediately came up to them and led them to the elevator.

As soon as they entered the elevator, Xiangzi looked at Takasaki Jun with a slightly teasing expression.

"Jun, the idol I could only see in videos before, now I can finally meet him in person... Don't do anything rude that would embarrass me~"

"Do you really think I have so little self-control?" Jun Takasaki asked with a smile. "Don't worry... I'll be very careful."

However, even so, he was not entirely unmoved.

Junda Mana and Mikami Hatsuka are two idols whose names are legendary to his generation, even more famous than his father's younger self, Mori Minami. Since he had the opportunity to meet them, he couldn't help but be curious.

Just as the two were joking around, the elevator was rising rapidly and soon stopped at the corresponding floor.

Then, the elevator doors slowly opened, and the two people stepped out of the elevator and arrived at the entrance of the sumimi agency, led by the staff.

With a soft beep, my identity was verified, and then the glass door slowly opened.

To Xiangzi's surprise, a large crowd had gathered behind the door.

Yes, to be precise, all the staff of Sumimi Studio, from the president to the lighting technicians, sound engineers, makeup artists... dozens of people, were gathered at the main entrance.

After a brief exchange of glances, before Xiangzi could even react, the group of people bowed to him in unison.

"Greetings, Miss! Welcome, Miss!"

Huh? There was no mention of this kind of welcoming ceremony beforehand. Is it really necessary to go to such lengths?

Although she was indeed treated well as the daughter of the Toyokawa family, she wouldn't normally be treated with such formality when visiting someone outside the home.

However, sumimi's situation is somewhat special.

Previously, Toyokawa Sadaharu spent a lot of money to promote Sumimi, so the Toyokawa family was literally their "bread and butter," and could even be said to have changed the course of all their lives.

They were unaware of the Toyokawa family's inner workings, and they didn't know that all of this had nothing to do with Xiangzi. In their eyes, Xiangzi now represented the Toyokawa family.

Therefore, their feelings for Xiangzi were not merely flattery, but also a heartfelt gratitude.

In any case, in order to retain their major clients, please Miss Toyokawa, and ensure continued sponsorship from the Toyokawa family, they were all happy to put on an exaggerated show of respect.

Xiangzi hadn't anticipated this, so he inevitably felt awkward when he encountered it.

Fearing that Takasaki Jun might resent her ostentatious display, she turned her head slightly and exchanged a glance with him.

Fortunately, although he looked surprised, there was no mockery or ridicule on his face.

So, Xiangzi calmed down a little.

Then, on second thought, she suddenly became happy again.

It almost feels like a scene of a husband and wife inspecting a subsidiary of a large corporation...

That wouldn't be bad either.

So she smiled slightly and waved her hand, "Thank you all for your hospitality~ But I'm just here for a visit, there's no need for such formalities, and I don't want to disturb your work..."

Then, she raised her hand and pointed to the young man next to her, "Also, this is my friend, his surname is Takasaki, please don't show favoritism towards him."

Seeing how approachable the young lady was, the tension among the people present instantly dissipated, and they looked at each other and burst into laughter.

However, they still gave Xiangzi face and bowed to Takasaki Jun in unison.

"Mr. Takasaki, welcome!"

Jun Takasaki wouldn't deliberately put on any arrogant airs in this kind of setting. He stood with his legs together and bowed solemnly to everyone. "Hello everyone, my name is Jun Takasaki. It's a pleasure to meet you all. It's a great honor for me to have the opportunity to visit the agency! I've always been a fan of sumimi!"

Then, amidst laughter, the staff dispersed and returned to their posts.

Only two of Sumimi's idols remained.

Even without introductions, Jun Takasaki could recognize who was who between the two girls, but they still introduced themselves to him.

However, their attitudes differed slightly.

"Jun-san, it's nice to meet you~ I'm Junda Mana. You can just call me Mana-chan." She said, closing one eye and playfully making a peace sign. "We're off today, so we can spend some quality time with you two guests. Hope you all have a great time!"

Mana Junda is friendly and enthusiastic, possessing the approachable charm unique to idols, which allows her to connect with people without feeling pretentious.

However, the attitude of Mitsubo Chuhua was completely different.

She initially stared at Jun Takasaki as if she were scanning him from head to toe with an X-ray machine.

Then, her gaze darted away, unwilling to meet his eyes. She simply lowered her head and introduced herself in a muffled voice, "I am Sanko Chuka, nice to meet you."

Huh? Why is she treating me like this the moment we meet?

A question mark flashed through Jun Takasaki's mind.

He wasn't so narcissistic as to think everyone would greet him with a smile. However, he had come with Xiangzi today, and Xiangzi had even told everyone that he was her good friend.

As the saying goes, one should respect the Buddha even if one doesn't respect the monk. Her arrogant attitude towards me upon meeting me was clearly inappropriate.

However, he was magnanimous and didn't mind such a small matter, so he simply kept his doubts to himself and greeted his two idols properly.

At this moment, Junda Mana also looked at her partner with a puzzled expression.

She didn't understand why Chu Hua had messed up again today, doing something so obviously inappropriate.

However, she has recently gotten into the habit of covering for her partner, so she quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"Gentlemen, before you tour our office, would you like to come to my lounge?" She gazed at the two people before her with a sweet, flawless smile. "There we can relax and chat, enjoy tea and snacks, and lots and lots of my favorite donuts—guaranteed to be the best for miles around!"

As she spoke, she made a heart shape with her hands.

Her words touched both guests.

"Okay, okay!" Xiangzi immediately responded, "Then take us there~ I also want to know just how delicious Mana's favorite donuts are..."

So the four of them walked together toward Junta Mana's private lounge.

"What's wrong with you now, Hatsuka-chan?" Junta Mana cautiously moved closer to Misaka Hatsuka and whispered in her ear, "Ever since those two came in, they've seemed so distracted..."

At that moment, Misaka Chuka raised her head, her eyes filled with sorrow and grief.

"Xiangzi... he's so good to him."

119, Rebellious Mindset

At Mana Junda's warm invitation, the group went to her lounge.

Because the Sumi group is currently in very good financial condition, the dressing room is decorated in a spacious and grand manner. In addition to being filled with various small items that girls like, posters and performance photos of the Sumi group are hung everywhere. Their award certificates and medals are also carefully preserved in glass cabinets.

After everyone was seated, Mana Junda took out some freshly made donuts from the insulated box.

Then, with a grin, she placed it on the coffee table and generously spread her hands out like a kindergarten teacher greeting toddlers.

"Come on, everyone, let's eat together! Don't be shy!"

Infected by her smile, Xiangzi picked up a donut from the plate with a hint of curiosity and took a small bite.

A moment later, her eyes lit up, and she nodded emphatically at Junta Mana.

"Mmm! It's really delicious!"

According to social etiquette, even if it wasn't delicious, Xiangzi would definitely say it was very good. However, this time he was truly telling the truth. Junda Mana's collection really tasted great, not much different from the pastries made by the chef at home.

After tasting it, Xiangzi looked at Takasaki Jun without thinking and urged him to try it too.

Jun Takasaki's curiosity was piqued, so he picked one up and tried it.

Unlike the young girls, he didn't have a particular fondness for desserts, but even from a neutral perspective, he was quite good at it.

After he finished eating, he gave it a very high rating.

"Yes, it really is delicious. Thank you, Mana-chan."

"I'm glad you like them~" Junda Mana clapped her hands gently. "Every time guests come over, I serve them donuts, and everyone says they're delicious!"

Perhaps it was the desserts that brought them closer, but Xiangzi also let go of her initial reserve and started chatting with Junda Mana while eating donuts.

"Mana-chan, you guys should still be in school, right?"

“Oh right, Hatsuka-chan and I are still in school…” Junda Mana nodded.

"You guys are so busy all the time, what should the school do? They can't just take leave or be absent without reason all the time, right?" Xiangzi asked curiously.

“Well… it’s definitely a headache. We can only rely on the agency to adjust our schedules, like trying to schedule rehearsals and performances after school or on weekends. If there are any special circumstances, like participating in a TV talk show or a magazine photoshoot, then we’ll have to take leave…” At this point, Junda Mana patted her chest, looking like she was still scared. “The school doesn’t really approve of taking leave simply because of ‘idol activities,’ so taking long-term leave will affect graduation. So we often rack our brains to avoid scheduling conflicts.”

"I didn't know being an idol had such a complicated side. I thought you could just take time off whenever you wanted..." Xiangzi was also a bit surprised. "By the way, do you guys often appear on TV shows?"

"It's not that often... It's just that recently, our group has been quite popular, so we've received a lot of invitations for TV interviews and variety shows. In order to maintain our popularity, it's hard to refuse. In addition, TV stations are very powerful and they can't change their schedules for us, so we can only try our best to cooperate..." Junda Mana replied with a wry smile.

Although she appears to be complaining, you can also see the pride in her heart.

"Your idol group is so popular now, and you're always on TV, aren't you big stars?" Xiangzi couldn't help but praise. "That's amazing!"

Mana Junta shook her head violently as if in shock, vehemently denying it, "You flatter me, we're hardly big stars! We're far from it!"