Tokyo Three Generations

125, one step ahead

"I can assure you that my companions and I will use our utmost effort and respect to earnestly and wholeheartedly explore the beauty of music with you~ Look forward to it."

Although Xiangzi's words sounded considerate and gentle, they were actually filled with murderous intent. Ai Yin, looking at Xiangzi's smiling eyes, finally realized what was going on.

While he was putting on a brave face, she subtly flattered him, trapping him and gradually squeezing him out of his way.

When he came to his senses, he found himself in a deadly situation.

Me, and the young ladies of Tsuki no Mori, teaming up in a band?

No matter how arrogant Chihaya Aine was, she didn't have this kind of confidence. It was no less than trying to fight Oda Nobunaga's elite army with a small ragtag force during the Warring States period.

However, it was too late for her to back out now. She had already made those boastful remarks, and if she backed down now, it would be tantamount to admitting that she was just a delusional person who made empty promises.

What to do... what to do?

Am I destined to be torn to pieces by this young lady?

The thought of tasting the bitterness of defeat under the polite yet subtly mocking gaze of this young lady in the near future sent chills down her spine.

"Oh dear, Chihaya-san has an unrealistic self-perception of her abilities, huh? But it's alright, even if you can't play an instrument, we won't make things difficult for you... Just listen to our performance."

She had already conceived Toyokawa's victory declaration in her mind.

This is a nightmare.

In an instant, she experienced that feeling of bewilderment and utter panic once again, as if her days in London were being relived.

"Chihaya-san?" Seeing that she hadn't moved for a while, Shoko gently shook the phone in his hand, pretending to be puzzled and urging her, "What's wrong?"

Actually, she had already noticed Aine's panic, and even seemed to enjoy it a little.

"Hmph, serves you right for being so sarcastic and sarcastic towards me earlier. Now you know how powerful I am, don't you?" She felt a little smug.

Although she has a good temper, she also has the arrogance of a noble lady deep down.

To maintain her haughty demeanor, she couldn't bring herself to argue with Aine, but that didn't mean she would let herself be bullied. Aine only showed a slight weakness, and she seized on it, giving her a good dressing down.

The more embarrassed and uneasy Aine felt, the more her desire for revenge was satisfied.

However, she didn't think as much as Aine did. In fact, in her eyes, Aine was Jun's childhood friend, and they had a deep bond, so she had to leave some room for maneuver.

As long as Chun doesn't break ties with her, she will still have to spend a long time with her in the future.

Therefore, all she needs to do is for Aine to admit defeat and acknowledge that she is inferior to her, and then she can be treated leniently.

After all, they weren't in a life-or-death "enemy conflict," so she still had that much tolerance.

If Aine is willing, she can still treat Aine as her best friend; Jun's "sister" can also be her sister.

Logically speaking, Aine should soften her stance now, then give her a way out, and everyone can laugh it off and let the matter drop.

But... to Xiangzi's surprise, even in such a desperate situation, Aine still gritted her teeth and persevered.

Faced with Xiangzi's smile, Aiyin hesitated for a moment, then steeled herself, took out her phone, and gritted her teeth to exchange chat accounts with Xiangzi.

Her appearance signifies that she has accepted the "challenge".

Sure enough, after exchanging contact information, Chihaya Aine perked up and stared directly at Shoko, "Okay, then it's settled. Once my band is ready, let's arrange a time to exchange ideas! Let's have a friendly competition, and no one is allowed to stand us up!"

Is he really going to be this stubborn? Xiangzi was speechless.

It has to be said that Ai Yin's acting skills are really good. If Xiangzi didn't really know her background, he would have been almost completely fooled.

Well, since the other party insists on resisting to the end, then she can't be blamed for showing no mercy.

"Okay, then we'll see you then! I'll be waiting for your news anytime." Xiangzi nodded calmly. "I can take care of the venue and equipment. You just need to gather everyone together."

Ai Yin had practically no one under her command right now. But she could only steel herself and nod defiantly to meet the challenge. "I won't keep you waiting too long, just give me a little time."

Seeing how she was putting on such a brave face, Xiangzi hesitated. Would he really break her down?

However, since we've already come this far, let's use musical instruments to determine who's better.

There was no point in saying more, and Xiangzi felt it was time to end the meeting.

"Chihaya-san, it's truly an honor to meet you." She bowed slightly to Aine politely. "It's getting late, and I don't want to take up too much of your time, so let's call it a day."

Ai Yin, not to be outdone, also bowed in farewell.

"It is my honor to have witnessed Miss Toyokawa's demeanor in person. Goodbye!"

So Xiangzi stood there waving goodbye, watching Aiyin turn and leave.

After Aine disappeared from sight, Shoko did not leave. Instead, she immediately took out her phone, found Takasaki Jun's account, and dialed the number.

In order to prevent Aine from reporting the incident first and leaving the impression that she was "bullying," she had to race against time to explain what had happened to Jun.

The call was answered quickly.

"Xiangzi? What's wrong?" Takasaki Jun asked.

"Jun, I just met with Chihaya-san," Shoko explained briefly. "She's just as cute and intelligent as I expected... We've said goodbye now."

"Oh, you two met? Did you have a good chat?" Jun Takasaki asked again.

"We had a very pleasant conversation, but it wasn't exactly a very enjoyable one..." Xiangzi replied tactfully.

Jun Takasaki, of course, understood the hidden meaning behind this euphemistic tone.

He immediately became nervous.

Did Ai Yin really not give Xiang Zi any face and start arguing as soon as they met?

Jun Takasaki could only smile wryly; this was the last thing he wanted to see.

"What, did you two have a fight? Why? Did Aine say something hurtful to you?" He could only smile wryly and continue to press for an answer.

"No, not at all. We just had a few minor disagreements, nothing serious. I didn't take it to heart at all." Xiangzi's attitude was as generous and considerate as ever. "However, we did agree to have a friendly competition at the end."

"Huh?!" Jun Takasaki was genuinely shocked. "Sparring about what?"

"I mentioned that I had started a band and invited her to come and see it. She said that having a band wasn't anything special, since she also had a band. So I suggested that we could have a friendly exchange sometime... You know, music is my favorite hobby. Since she also likes music, it's perfect timing, so I wanted to connect with her band and make more friends in the process..."

Xiangzi deliberately gave a brief account of the whole story, describing it in a way that was most advantageous to himself.

After she finished speaking, she asked with a hint of worry, "Chun, you don't mind, do you?"

Jun Takasaki could only sigh softly.

"Xiangzi, I remember telling you that Aiyin isn't good at music, and her talent in this area is far inferior to yours. So, are you deliberately making her compete with you in this?"

Oh dear, you were exposed so quickly. As expected of Jun, so meticulous and perceptive.

Xiangzi stuck out his tongue slightly because he had been caught, but he wasn't too flustered. Instead, he seemed to be enjoying it.

"It's not exactly intentional..." she smiled. "It's just that Chihaya was sarcastic and deliberately belittled my band the moment we met. Even if I'm very tolerant of her, it's hard to stand that kind of attitude. After all, my band was formed with your witness, and it's not just me; it also represents the hard work of Mutsu and Sose. I have to uphold the dignity of Crychic, don't you think? Besides, it's not like I didn't give her a way out; she just insisted on being stubborn and said she wanted to have a friendly competition with my band."

Xiangzi deliberately avoided mentioning herself and instead brought up her two best friends to enhance her persuasiveness.

Moreover, what she said was indeed correct and entirely reasonable.

Now it was Jun Takasaki's turn to fall silent.

Even if it's Aine, the combined influence of the three members of the Moon Forest is already significant enough that it would be difficult for him to deny Shoko's stance.

Neither Su Shi nor Mu would likely allow others to belittle their band.

"But... if you two fight like this out of spite, what will happen if Aine can't save face later?" In the end, he could only raise this question.

"Please rest assured about that. I just want to uphold the dignity of Crychic and make her understand that our efforts are not something to be taken lightly, that's all. I don't mean to embarrass her..." Xiangzi immediately assured her, "Just leave it to me, I will never embarrass her, and we can all get along very well."

Then she added, "I know you two have a deep bond, like siblings, so she's also a very important person to me, even like a younger sister. How could I possibly bully her? As long as she's willing to get along with me, I can treat her very well too. Don't you know what kind of person I am?"

Jun Takasaki thought to himself, "That's really true."

Xiangzi is truly admirable in this respect; he never goes so far as to completely destroy others.

But... you two are clearly in the same grade, so why are you acting like seniors or even older sisters so naturally? He couldn't help but complain in his mind.

Through the conversation, he had roughly figured out Xiangzi's thinking—to demonstrate his strength (including his individual strength and the strength of his group of girlfriends) through "sparring" with the band, to subdue Aiyin without a fight, and to make Aiyin submit and assume the position of the younger sister.

It seems that no matter how gentle and kind she usually appears, Xiangzi is still a Japanese girl at heart. She also has a competitive side and insists on taking the center position in her circle of girlfriends, not allowing anyone to shake her position.

He could only sigh inwardly.

Since things have come to this, let's just wait and see. Anyway, Xiangzi has already promised that he will only touch things lightly and will never let Aine embarrass herself, so he has no reason to interfere.

Ultimately, it's none of his business how girls interact.

So, in the end, he could only sigh softly, "Alright, Xiangzi, since you put it that way, then do as you please, I don't care anymore. But please remember your words, don't embarrass Aine, she's already had a hard time, she can't take any more shocks."

I've had it tough too, why don't you think more about me?

Seeing how protective Takasaki Jun was of Aine, Shoko couldn't help but feel a little jealous again.

However, well, they were childhood sweethearts after all, and their relationship wouldn't be easily shaken in an instant, so she didn't lose her temper, only complained a little.

"I know... And it's really hard for me too. I have to take care of Chihaya's dignity and our side's dignity, and I can't upset you..." Shoko sighed. "You have to be more understanding of me, otherwise, I'll feel really bad too."

"Ah, I'm sorry for causing you trouble." Seeing Xiangzi complain, Takasaki Jun was not foolish enough to argue, but immediately apologized.

"This little trouble is nothing, I can handle it. As the young lady of Toyokawa, you can't do without the ability to navigate all situations," Xiangzi smiled, then continued in a seemingly casual tone, "However, my abilities are ultimately limited. I can't please everyone. If another childhood friend suddenly appears in my life, I probably won't be able to handle it..."

……

Was this a complaint or a warning? Jun Takasaki felt a sudden shiver run down his spine.

Either way, it implies something unusual.

Originally, how many childhood sweethearts I had was none of her business, but the way she mentioned it so casually made it seem like I was adding to her burden.

How did she manage to intrude into my life so effortlessly?

horrible……

While inwardly shocked, he quickly denied it aloud, "No... there are no other green plums."

"Oh, that's great!" Xiangzi smiled, his eyes crinkling. "Chun, let's stop here for now. You go ahead and get busy. See you later."

"Okay, goodbye!" With a hint of relief, Jun Takasaki said goodbye and hung up the phone.

As the day he took over the family business drew closer, Xiangzi's power and influence gradually increased, sometimes even making him feel somewhat overwhelmed.

Fortunately, she is kind-hearted at heart and willing to restrain herself.

But if things continue to develop this way, won't she become even more difficult to handle?

This was almost predictable... Jun Takasaki could only smile wryly at this.

However, you have to swallow the bitter pill of trouble you've brought upon yourself.

Meanwhile, Ai Yin was furious at the busy signal on the phone.

Damn it! Did they beat us to it?

She had just said goodbye to Xiangzi and left the park when she called Chun-gege, but unfortunately the line was busy.

Based on her instinctive intuition, she guessed that it must have been Miss Toyokawa who made the call.

She looked so calm and collected, but unexpectedly, she turned around and took control of the situation first... She was both angry and regretful, wishing she had acted faster.

Without a doubt, the other party is trying to set the stage first, exaggerating and embellishing what happened today in their account.

Even if she understood this, she was helpless and could only wait there, filled with impotent rage.

Finally, the call was connected.

Then came the voice she most longed to hear on the phone.

"Aine, are you alright?"

126, its sharpness can break gold.

"Aine, are you alright?"

The concerned voice coming from the phone almost made Ai Yin burst into tears.

Throughout her relatively short life, whenever she has encountered a crisis, there has always been a voice behind her silently encouraging and protecting her. She has become accustomed to this and has almost taken it for granted.

However, the appearance of Miss Toyokawa made her realize how fragile and precious everything she had taken for granted truly was.

She couldn't bear the consequences of losing all of this; to her, it would be as if her soul had been ripped out.