Tokyo Three Generations

He felt a little sorry for him.

So he immediately set aside all the pretentious formalities and stood up for Mu, saying, "You're exaggerating. I don't think so. I think Mu is a very excellent and gentle child. Although she's a bit sensitive, she's otherwise fine. I've even heard her play the guitar, and you could say her talent far surpasses that of ordinary people... Honestly, I think you should praise her more. This will help cultivate the bond between mother and daughter, rather than belittling her in front of outsiders—even if that's not your intention."

Although his subsequent words were tactful, they were still quite impolite by Japanese standards.

However, he didn't care. After all, what did he have to be afraid of? Nemami Mori couldn't do anything to him.

In the entertainment industry, showing a little respect can be considered being a "celebrity," but if you don't respect them... then there's no need to respect them at all. The Takasaki family is an insurmountable mountain for her.

Upon hearing his words, Senmina's face froze.

She heard it clearly; the other person was openly mocking her for mistreating her daughter.

But she couldn't refute it—after all, Ruo Yemu had fallen down the stairs right in front of him, and there was no way to deny it.

Not only could she not deny it, she also had to thank the other party for helping her cover it up; otherwise, the other party might have exposed the matter in a fit of anger, and she would have been in big trouble.

This feeling of being suppressed and threatened was unpleasant, but she could only forcefully suppress her anger and maintain a gentle smile on the surface.

She knew Takasaki Hiroshi; although he was dashing and charming, he had limited abilities and was nothing more than a spoiled rich kid. How come his son was so... sharp and edgy, and so troublesome?

Countless thoughts flashed through her mind as she pondered how she should handle the current situation.

At that moment, she also noticed her daughter's secret look of gratitude toward the young man.

Seeing someone speak up for you makes you feel smug, doesn't it...? Her anger burned even brighter.

No, it was less anger and more a heightened jealousy.

The daughter possessed something that I had never had before, as if she had surpassed me in every way.

Having become a big star at a young age, Senmina Nami has always been proud and arrogant. However, after her daughter was born, her pride and self-esteem were repeatedly crushed. Her daughter's acting skills, musical talent, and even beauty surpassed her own in every way.

Now, even my first love has won...

why?

Was she sent by heaven to destroy his inner demons?

Years of accumulated fear and jealousy had twisted and even driven the mother's mind to extremes. She desperately wanted to win against her daughter—to prove that she was not the loser.

“You’re right.” It was this jealousy that kept Minami Mori’s gentle demeanor. “Tsun-kun, you really are a reliable kid… I really admire you.”

After she finished speaking, she took out a handkerchief from her bosom, suddenly leaned over, and gently wiped Takasaki Jun's forehead. "You must have been exhausted just now. You've sweated a lot here. Let me wipe it for you."

When the stunningly beautiful Minami Mori suddenly approached and touched his forehead with her fragrant silk handkerchief, Jun Takasaki was momentarily dazed and confused, as expected. However, he quickly recovered and tried to push her away.

“Young man, although I can’t do anything to you, if I want, I can make sure you never see Mu again.” At this moment, Senmina whispered in his ear, “Be good, Auntie likes good children.”

Takasaki Jun was stunned for a moment.

Am I being threatened?

"That bitch... I'll never forgive you!" He thought angrily, then glared at Minami.

However, he couldn't think of a solution for the time being, so he held back his anger and didn't move.

However, he had secretly vowed to make her regret her arrogance.

With a kind smile, Minami patiently wiped the forehead of the son of her old friend, only glancing at her own daughter out of the corner of her eye.

Looking into her daughter's eyes, which were filled with resentment and a little emptiness, and seeing the beads of sweat starting to appear on her forehead, she actually enjoyed the moment.

[Wakaba Mutsumi's previous cheerful girl state was not a change of personality, but rather she used her acting talent to call upon some of her memory to "play" a cheerful girl.]

In most cases, her talent can fool everyone, but there is a contradiction: people cannot understand things beyond their cognition. So she can only play the role of a "cheerful girl" according to her own understanding. Once things are beyond her cognition, she doesn't know how to act, which means her brain is overclocked.

When overclocked, it will collapse back to its original initial state.

This was also Senmina's goal; she wanted to put pressure on her daughter by "getting close to the people around her," forcing her to reveal her true colors...

44. So-called friends

As Minami Mori deliberately showed intimacy to Jun Takasaki, the atmosphere at the dinner table suddenly became strange.

Minami Mori smiled and wiped Jun Takasaki's forehead clean, then took back the handkerchief and looked at him with a gentle and kind expression, "Jun-kun, are you feeling better?"

Jun Takasaki frowned, then looked worriedly at Mutsumi Wakaba, who was sitting silently opposite him.

"Is this really a good idea?" he couldn't help but ask.

“Of course it’s interesting.” Minami Mori replied with a smile. “I really like a handsome kid like Tsun-kun, who is also the son of an old friend… Oh, I wish I could have met him sooner.”

Her words were like daggers aimed at her daughter, making Ruoye Mutsu feel even more distressed.

Jun Takasaki was really angry.

He had already discovered that Sammi Nami was secretly competing with her daughter, and now, Sammi Nami's behavior can only be described as outrageous. In order to spite her daughter, she even lowered herself to get close to her daughter's peers.

He didn't actually dislike being cuddled by a beautiful woman, but... if this beautiful woman was only cuddling with him to use him as a prop to annoy his daughter, that was a different story.

How much hatred must one have to do something like this?

Because he had considered this, his last bit of respect for Minami vanished.

Just as he was about to turn hostile, the door to the dining room opened, and the village chief and his wife walked in carrying dishes and rice cakes.

The steaming hot food was placed on the table, which also brought an end to the argument.

The village chief's wife's gaze darted back and forth between Takasaki Jun and Wakaba Mutsu, her smile almost never fading.

However, she soon noticed that something seemed wrong with Ruoye Muku; he was keeping his head down and not saying a word, as if he was in great pain.

"Xiao Mu, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" she asked hurriedly in a panic.

"I...I'm fine," Wakaba Mutsu answered softly, the first time she had spoken since meeting her mother. "Don't worry..."

Although that's what she said, her listless and weak appearance really didn't seem like she was alright.

The village chief and his wife looked at each other, completely bewildered. How could Xiao Mu, who had been so cheerful and adorable just moments before, suddenly become like this?

They looked at Takasaki Jun with worried expressions, as if they wanted to know what had happened.

Jun Takasaki did not tell them the truth.

It wasn't that he wanted to save face for Mori Minami, but rather that he didn't want Wakaba Mutsu to lose face in front of others.

“She wasn’t feeling well just now, maybe she’s not used to being indoors. I’ll take her outside for some fresh air, we’ll be back in a few minutes,” he suddenly suggested. “Excuse me.”

The village chief and his wife had no reason to refuse the young master's request. Mori Minami wanted to say something, but Takasaki Jun had anticipated this and glared at her.

Looking into the fierce and sharp eyes of this young man who was so much younger than her, Mori Minami suddenly shuddered, and the words that were about to come out were forcibly swallowed back.

Since no one objected, Jun Takasaki walked directly to Mutsumi Wakaba's side and looked down at him.

"Can you still move?"

Seeing his concerned gaze, Ruoye Mutsu nodded gently.

So, Jun Takasaki reached out his hand to her.

Ruo Yemu was stunned for a moment, but looking into his unquestionable eyes, a new look appeared in her empty eyes in an instant.

She reached out and took his hand.

Seeing her drenched in sweat, her movements resembled those of a drowning person grabbing onto an outstretched lifeline.

Then, with his help, Wakaba Mutsuya stood up, and the two of them walked out of the dining room together.

The village chief and his wife had already sensed something was wrong, but when they saw the two children walking out hand in hand, seemingly without any problems in their relationship, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

So they acted as if nothing had happened and chatted with Senmina and Nami to give the two children some space.

Jun Takasaki led Mutsu Wakaba out of the room and into the corridor. He stopped only after he was sure that the two of them were far enough apart.

Ruoye Mu simply followed behind him with her head down.

"sorry."

After stopping, Wakaba Mutsu apologized softly.

"Huh?" Jun Takasaki was somewhat surprised. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Mom, I must have caused you trouble," said Ruoye Mutsu without expression.

"I'm not really bothered by anything..." Jun Takasaki smiled wryly, "I'm just a little unsettled. She doesn't seem like the kind of person who's always friendly, so how did she suddenly become like that? I actually wanted to apologize to you for that..."

“I don’t mind. Because this isn’t the first time.” Wakaba Mutsu raised her head and looked at Takasaki Jun with a ashamed expression. “I… if I bring any good friends home, she gets really enthusiastic. If we can break them up, she… she’ll be happy.”

Both of them fell silent.

“She’s sick.” After a moment, Jun Takasaki finally asserted, “She’s jealous of you.”

Although Wakaba Mutsu looks very abnormal, some people look normal but are actually more seriously ill.

The greatest tragedy of this society is that a large group of “seemingly normal non-humans” roam the earth in human form, corrupting all public morality and trust.

Ruo Yemu did not answer, because it was obvious.

Jun Takasaki just stood there, watching her stand silently in place, as if she would be blown away by the wind at any moment.

“She just threatened me.” Then he said coldly, “She told me that if I didn’t cooperate with her, she would make sure I never saw you again. That’s why I didn’t resist.”

Ruo Yemu suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with both guilt and fear.

"Don't be nervous, I won't listen to her." Jun Takasaki smiled nonchalantly. "You'll be an adult soon, and even if she's your mother, she won't be able to control who you associate with after that—"

“Even so, before adulthood…” Wakaba Mutsu still looked anxious.

If Ye Mu makes a statement unintentionally, it means that she cherishes this hard-won friendship.

Discovering this gave Jun Takasaki a secret thrill.

I didn't save her for nothing. She is grateful and knows how to be thankful. She is much more normal than those "inhuman" people.

“Don’t be afraid before you’re an adult, I have a way.” Jun Takasaki smiled and raised his head. “Don’t worry, no matter what she does, it won’t affect me in the slightest. I can handle her. So you don’t need to worry about her preventing us from meeting—on the contrary, I’ll teach her a lesson.”

Wakaba Mutsu blinked.

Although she didn't know what Chun was planning, seeing his confident demeanor made her feel inexplicably at ease.

"Okay." So she replied softly.

At that moment, she seemed to have shed a heavy burden and regained her radiance.

The reason she was so upset just now wasn't just because she saw her mother and Chun being so affectionate, but also because she was afraid, anxious, and worried that her mother would break up her friends again, just like in the past.

Now, she believes that her mother can't do that, and that's enough.

Seeing that Wakaba Mutsu had finally relaxed, Takasaki Jun asked another question that had been on his mind.

"Mu, can you tell me something?"

Ruoye Mu immediately agreed, "Okay."

"Just now, I mean, when we were in the strawberry field and in the garden, were you really happy? Or rather, did you really act as happy as you seemed?" Jun Takasaki asked in a low voice.

This question clearly left Wakaba Mutsu somewhat at a loss. "I...I..."

After hesitating for a moment, she lowered her head and said, "I don't know. I just feel... if I do this, everyone will be happy, and you will be happy too."

Jun Takasaki fell silent.

Whether Wakaba Mutsu said she was genuinely happy or pretending to be happy, nothing was more perplexing than saying "I don't know."

Takasaki Jun's silence made Wakaba Mutsu nervous, fearing that her answer would anger her hard-won friend.

Just as she was feeling anxious and uncertain, Jun Takasaki sighed helplessly.

"What do you take your friends for? Friends aren't assets or burdens, they're not something you have to desperately try to please to keep them... If that's what you think, then you don't consider them friends, you consider them something superior to you." He said what he had wanted to say for a long time. "In my view, friends are just companions I happen to walk with on a certain path. If we can walk together to the end, that's great, but if we suddenly part ways one day, I can accept that. In the end, the process of 'walking together' is the most memorable thing, even if it's only for a moment, that's enough..."

After speaking, he leaned down slightly and grasped Wakaba Mutsumi's shoulders, as if to transmit strength to her. "You don't need to try to play any role to please me or anyone else. Just being yourself is adorable enough. Yes, you probably don't know, but I was amazed the first time I saw you! So, Wakaba Mutsumi, don't disappoint me. From now on, face this world as yourself. Although it may not be beautiful, and sometimes even absurd and ugly, you have the talent and luck to enjoy it, just like me!"

To be honest, from the moment Jun Takasaki first met Mutsuka Wakaba, he felt that her submissiveness to Shoko Toyokawa made her feel inferior.

While Toyokawa Shoko is indeed worthy of respect as the heiress of a conglomerate, given Wakaba Mutsu's own circumstances, there is really no need for her to treat herself so poorly. If she were greedy for money or fame, that would be one thing, but she clearly has no interest in those things, so why should she make herself suffer?

He had initially thought that Wakaba Mutsu was just naturally like that, but after seeing Wakaba Mutsu's mother's behavior, he realized that there was a reason for it.

Seeing her daughter's conflicted and distressed expression, she could even find amusement in it.

Raising children like this, how can it not drive a person crazy?

Presumably, it was because of her mother's long-term mental bullying and suppression that she regarded Xiangzi as her spiritual sustenance, and thus became obedient to him out of fear of losing him.

Yes, it's all Senmina's fault. How could our lovely Mutsu be at fault? He concluded with a clear conscience.