Tokyo Three Generations

“I got here before you, so I’m sorry, I was forced to overhear some things.”

At this point, he tried his best to put on a reassuring, gentle smile. "Ms. Toyokawa, we've met before."

The smile did not have the desired effect. Toyokawa Shoko recovered from her initial shock, then frowned and blushed.

She didn't want people to know about the family's internal affairs, and she was even more reluctant to let others see her vulnerable side.

She looked at the young man in front of her, then quickly searched her memory.

There were too many people at the club today, but very few young people attended, so she had a vague impression of them.

Yes, that's right, they are indeed today's guests.

It seems he wasn't lying; he really was resting here, not intentionally eavesdropping.

Rather, the responsibility lies with myself. In the heat of the moment, I failed to pay attention to my surroundings, resulting in a ridiculous situation.

She lost her composure, truly lost her composure... The education she received from a young age instilled in her an extremely strong sense of self-esteem, and the thought of her current tear-streaked, disheveled appearance filled her with genuine distress.

Moreover, those words just now should really not have been revealed in front of outsiders—although they won't be a secret in a while.

"I'm sorry, you must have seen this." After hesitating for a moment, she bowed slightly and apologized to Takasaki Jun. "Please don't tell anyone what you heard earlier, okay? It will cause us trouble."

“I won’t tell,” Jun Takasaki quickly replied. “And please don’t misunderstand, I have no intention of mocking you. On the contrary, I sympathize with you.”

"Thank you for your kindness." The girl responded politely but stubbornly, then bowed slightly as a farewell.

Mockery and pity are meaningless to her now.

However, just as she was about to leave, the young man opposite her delivered another heavy blow, stopping her in her tracks.

“Miss Toyokawa, although I don’t know the specifics yet, it’s clear that you’re in a lot of trouble… If you need anything, I think I can do my part.”

4, 168!

Actually, Jun Takasaki had hesitated just now.

He could have chosen to remain silent until the scene before him ended, and Ms. Toyokawa composed herself and left the room, then quietly leave as if nothing had happened.

However, looking at the sorrowful and grief-stricken girl, and recalling that fleeting glimpse he had just caught, he still wanted to try and see if he could help in any way.

Perhaps it's just because of his obsession with looks, perhaps it's his chivalrous spirit at play, or perhaps it's just a passing whim, but whatever the reason, he chose to stand up.

Whether this will benefit him or not, he doesn't know yet, but it's clearly very interesting, much more interesting than the funeral itself.

Of course, there are bound to be hidden risks in rashly intervening in the Toyokawa family's affairs, so he must be cautious.

And so, the two of them stared at each other in silence, as if time had stood still.

"You're going to help me?"

As if to confirm it one more time, Toyokawa Shoko asked in a low voice.

Jun Takasaki nodded emphatically.

Toyokawa Shoko did not appear relieved; instead, she seemed somewhat doubtful.

"who are you?"

Although he had already introduced himself in person, Jun Takasaki was not surprised that the other party had not remembered his name.

“My name is Jun Takasaki, and I am the son of Representative Jun Takasaki.”

The light in Toyokawa Shoko's eyes dimmed slightly.

As a young girl, Xiangzi was not very clear about the "sequence" of state power, but she did know a common-sense issue—the more important people her family associated with, the greater their power and influence.

She only vaguely remembered Representative Takasaki; he wasn't a frequent customer.

In other words, he might not be enough to persuade the father and grandfather who had already made up their minds.

However, the title of "senator" still provided the other party with some credibility.

So she composed herself slightly and looked the other person over again.

Although he was a little older than me, he was only a young man in his early twenties. Although he was good-looking, he didn't seem very reliable...

However, in this desperate situation, it's always a good thing that someone is willing to lend a helping hand; perhaps it can really make a difference?

“Mr. Takasaki.” Thinking of this, Toyokawa Shoko raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corner of her eyes, and then responded in as calm a tone as possible, “Although I am very grateful for your kindness, I am afraid you can’t help much… This is an adult matter, we… we can’t do anything about it.”

“First of all, I’m not a child anymore; I’m a proper college student,” Jun Takasaki answered without flinching. “Besides, many adults are probably not as sensible as children.”

Seeing the other party's confident demeanor, Toyokawa Shoko was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

Seeing that the other party was still hesitant, Jun Takasaki urged again, "Ms. Toyokawa, if I heard correctly, you are not only facing the pain of losing your mother, but also the crisis of your family breaking apart. This is a tragedy that you want to avoid no matter what, right? In this situation, should you give up instead of trying every possibility to salvage the situation? Assuming that I really can't help, what will you lose? Will the situation be worse?"

indeed.

Toyokawa Shoko suddenly realized what was happening.

Things have already come to this point, how much worse can they get?

If you are alone and powerless and can't change anything, why not try to find someone to help you?

Shoko Toyokawa took a few deep breaths and finally made up her mind.

"Thank you for your kindness. Whatever the outcome, I will repay you."

Although she appears humble and polite, she has her own pride deep down. She is unwilling to lower herself to ask others for help, and even in this desperate situation, she is unwilling to lose her dignity.

So she subconsciously emphasized the need for reciprocation, implying that she wasn't asking for a favor.

Jun Takasaki didn't mind this childish stubbornness—besides, if he could make the heir of the Toyokawa family owe him a big favor, that would be a success in itself.

He didn't waste any more words, but pointed to the sofa next to the pool table.

"We're pressed for time, so let's keep it brief—"

Such a composed demeanor gave off a feeling of "taking the initiative," which Toyokawa Shoko was a little uncomfortable with, but she didn't say much. Instead, she followed the suggestion, and the two of them walked over to the coffee table and sat down.

When she first sat down, Toyokawa Shoko was still a little absent-minded, and she even felt very confused about the sudden situation.

But faced with Jun Takasaki's sharp and determined gaze, she finally steadied herself.

“Miss Xiangzi, we can be considered old friends, so I know a little about the current situation of the Toyokawa family.” Jun Takasaki immediately spoke up. “Now your father wants to resign, and even break down the door of the Toyokawa family, not just because he is too heartbroken, but because he is under pressure from his relatives, right?”

Although this was news he had only heard from Kenji Sakura a dozen minutes earlier, it did not prevent him from adopting an attitude of "knowing everything perfectly well," which undoubtedly added to his persuasiveness.

Upon hearing this, Toyokawa Shoko's tense expression became even more unpleasant, but she still nodded with difficulty and then muttered a complaint.

"Are there already so many rumors going around? It's really embarrassing..."

“This kind of thing is quite common, you don’t need to take it too seriously,” Jun Takasaki comforted him at the right time. “Large families also have their difficulties.”

"Yes..." Toyokawa Shoko let out another long sigh, exuding a sorrow completely out of place for her age. Coupled with her mourning clothes, she instantly evoked sympathy in people's hearts.

"So, what were the reasons your relatives attacked your father? Or rather, what was the basis for their attack on Mr. Seigao?" Takasaki Jun pressed on.

Toyokawa Shoko hesitated for a moment, after all, what she was about to say involved family secrets.

But soon, she felt relieved.

In a few days, this won't be a 'secret' anymore; when Dad is forced to resign, everyone will know...

Thinking of this, Toyokawa Shoko couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"Grandpa told me that Dad has mismanaged the company in recent years and made bad investments, resulting in a loss of 168 billion. Relatives used this as an excuse to question Dad's leadership ability... So Dad plans to resign to take responsibility."

After hearing this, Jun Takasaki's expression became extremely strange.

"168 billion?"

“Yes.” Toyokawa Shoko nodded.

impossible.

This was Jun Takasaki's first thought.

168 billion yen may be an astronomical figure that is hard to imagine for ordinary people, but it is not a remarkable number for a long-established and large-capital company like the Toyokawa Group.

In recent years, due to the economic downturn, there have been numerous cases of large Japanese companies suffering losses due to poor management. Established companies such as Toshiba, Panasonic, and Sharp have all experienced losses of hundreds of billions or even trillions of yen in different years. Panasonic alone lost trillions of yen in its plasma TV business.

In comparison, what is the so-called loss of 168 billion?

Especially for family-run businesses like Toyokawa Group, with its extremely closed equity structure, external criticism simply cannot shake the core of the family.

Even if Toyokawa Kiyoko were to resign because of this, he would still be the father and guardian of Miss Toyokawa. At worst, he would just go home and retire; he would never be kicked out of the house.

So either Toyokawa Kiyoshi told himself he didn't want to stay and chose to run away from home, or there's a bigger hidden story behind it, and the reason he's giving now is probably just to fool the young girl.

Her mother died, her father was leaving, and her grandfather was still lying to her... What an unlucky child.

Thinking of this, Jun Takasaki couldn't help but feel more sympathy when he looked at Miss Toyokawa.

Toyokawa Shoko couldn't possibly analyze all the complex emotions contained in Takasaki Jun's eyes, but she clearly sensed that the other party did not agree with her statement.

Is there anything wrong with what I said?

“I can’t say for sure that there’s anything wrong with it,” Jun Takasaki shook his head, then changed the subject, “However, from your description, Miss Toyokawa, I don’t think things are so bad that he has to be kicked out of the house…”

"You think so too?" Toyokawa Shoko suddenly felt relieved and overjoyed that she had finally gained recognition.

She almost burst out laughing, but given her current situation, she couldn't bring herself to do so.

Because of this sense of belonging, her tense expression relaxed considerably.

"How can I persuade Dad to stay? I've already begged him, but he's absolutely unwilling to change his mind..."

Jun Takasaki pondered silently for a moment, then looked up at the girl in front of him again.

"Ms. Toyokawa...could you answer a few more questions for me?"

Toyokawa Shoko paused for a moment, then nodded quickly.

"Whether Mr. Seika loses 168 billion yen, or even more, you won't be angry?" Jun Takasaki asked. "Because it's ultimately your money."

Toyokawa Shoko was puzzled. She didn't understand why the other person would ask such a question. "Why would I be angry with Dad for this? Running a business will always encounter various difficulties. Shouldn't the family be more united when facing difficulties?"

"You're such a good kid." Although it sounded a bit sarcastic, Jun Takasaki was actually genuinely praising the other person.

Then he asked a second question, "Next question, I just heard you say that if Mr. Kiyoshi is kicked out of the house, you would be willing to go with him, and would rather leave the Toyokawa family, is that right?"

"Yes," Toyokawa Shoko answered without hesitation. "I've made up my mind. I can't abandon my father when he's down on his luck..."

“You may not know the price of such determination,” Jun Takasaki reminded him again. “You will suffer a lot because of it and have to try to support yourself. It’s easy to sit here and make a resolution, but you may not be able to bear the hardship when you actually experience it.”

A hint of sadness flashed across Toyokawa Shoko's face again; how could she not know the price involved?

However, this sadness was quickly replaced by her stubbornness. "As you can see, I have never suffered, so I dare not presume to say that I can endure all pain. But if my father falls into misfortune, for my mother's sake, I will do everything in my power to take care of him, even if it means giving up my life as a young lady!"

The girl's demeanor at that moment was so radiant, so resolute and determined, it was truly dazzling.

That's brilliant. She's absolutely serious; she's not just talking nonsense.

If the occasion hadn't been inappropriate, Jun Takasaki would have almost applauded.

5. Father

“I understand. With your determination, things should be much simpler from now on.” Takasaki Jun, who had been looking serious just moments before, smiled now. “No matter what, you are the heir to the Toyokawa family. Even if you are young, your opinions should not be ignored. You have the right to make your demands with dignity.”

“I don’t have much confidence in this…” The passionate Toyokawa Shoko who had just been speaking so eloquently now lowered her head with a slightly bewildered look. “There are still so many things I don’t understand. If I act rashly, I’m afraid I’ll only make things worse… and Dad and Grandpa won’t listen to me.”

“But sometimes, people have to muster the courage to do things they wouldn’t dare to do.” Jun Takasaki reminded her again, “Ms. Toyokawa, I have to remind you that you may need to do some things that go against past dogmas, and you may even have conflicts with your elders. If you don’t have this courage or determination, then nothing anyone else does will help. Have you thought it through?”

"Will it come to this?" Toyokawa Shoko's eyes widened. Clearly, although she wasn't afraid of hardship, she wasn't prepared for conflict.

“I know you’ve lived under everyone’s protection for over a decade, never needing to think about fighting for anything, and you don’t want to fight for anything. But now, you need to fight for yourself. You can’t do it without showing some fighting spirit…” Jun Takasaki’s tone was slightly sarcastic, but it was also a serious piece of advice. “If you can’t do that, you should go find a servant and learn some life skills now. You might need them soon.”

This blunt sarcasm made Toyokawa Shoko's heart clench. It sounded harsh to her, but she knew it was the truth.

After a moment of silence, she nodded helplessly but heavily. "If it can resolve the current predicament, I will do it. But it cannot violate the law, nor can it dishonor my dignity or the reputation of the Toyokawa family."

“Of course,” Jun Takasaki immediately agreed.

"So what should I do now?" Toyokawa Shoko asked the question that she most wanted to know.

However, what met her expectant gaze was Jun Takasaki's shrug: "The information we have right now is insufficient. I need to consider it further. I'll tell you when I have a concrete plan."

Shoko Toyokawa, whose expectations were dashed, looked strange.

"Hey, don't look so disappointed. I want to help you, but I'm not Doraemon. I'm sorry I can't immediately pull out a gadget to change someone's life..." Jun Takasaki couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Toyokawa Shoko knew she was being ridiculed again, and her face darkened as she glared at the other person.