Tokyo Three Generations

She looked around with great interest, occasionally asking a question or cracking a joke, making everyone else laugh.

She even bought several bundles of incense sticks and fireworks, gave them to her two companions, and the three of them held them together and then lit them.

A faint golden flame danced on her fair hands, illuminating the cherry blossom petals that drifted down around her. Toyokawa Shoko, caught up in the moment, even began to wave her hand gently, as if she were playing some kind of dance music. Nagasaki Motoyo and Wakaba Mutsuki, wanting to cheer her up, also danced a few steps in response. As a result, not only was Takasaki Jun dazzled by the sight, but even passersby couldn't help but frequently cast their gazes over.

Amidst their laughter and conversation, they all walked together to a cherry blossom tree.

Toyokawa Shoko stopped in her tracks. She first looked up at the flowers on the tree, then looked over the tree and saw the river flowing quietly behind it.

On the other side of the river, there are still large cherry blossom trees, lanterns hanging from ropes in the middle of the trees, and some well-maintained houses, which are faintly visible among the lights.

Isn't this the perfect filming location?

So she immediately turned around and excitedly shouted to her companions.

"Come on over here! Let's take a picture together!"

When girls participate in small group activities, taking group photos is an essential part, so the other two people had no objections and immediately stood over and placed her in the middle.

Even if she doesn't say it, the other two will subconsciously make her stand in the center position, as if that's the only reasonable thing to do.

This is not only because she comes from the most prominent and wealthy family among the three, but also because of her pleasant affability, her extremely vigorous vitality, and her amazing creative desire and talent, which made her surpass her peers and made them subconsciously feel inferior and that they should give way to her.

After the three girls stood side by side, their different colored yukatas complemented each other harmoniously. Combined with their own beauty, they were like a blooming flower, making it hard to look away.

Jun Takasaki picked up his phone, ready to take a picture of the three girls.

"Jun, come take a picture with me!" Just then, Toyokawa Shoko suddenly stopped him. "Just stand behind me!"

Eh?

Just as he hesitated, Toyokawa Shoko urged him again, "At a time like this, the commemorative photo can't be without you. If it weren't for you, none of us would be gathered here! Don't hesitate, come on over!"

Since she had said so, Jun Takasaki felt he couldn't refuse her kind offer.

Besides, he was indeed looking forward to taking a group photo together as a memento.

So he didn't refuse anymore. Instead, he found a staff member, asked him a favor, and then walked over and stood behind Toyokawa Shoko.

The two were already quite different in height, and Toyokawa Shoko deliberately bent her knees slightly, so Takasaki Jun's upper body was visible in the viewfinder.

As the countdown began, the three girls raised a still-burning incense stick with one hand and made a cute gesture with the other, while Jun Takasaki remained unmoved, staring straight at the camera opposite him.

"チーズ!"

At that shout, the staff member pressed the shutter and captured this precious group photo.

Although the photos had already been taken, no one moved, as if they were still savoring the warmth and joy of the moment.

However, after a moment, Jun Takasaki regained his senses. He went to the staff and asked them to transfer the photos from the camera to him. Then he forwarded the photos to their respective mobile phones.

Wow! It's perfect!

Upon seeing the photo, Toyokawa Shoko exclaimed in surprise.

Nagasaki Motoyo and Wakaba Mutsu also echoed this sentiment.

They all put the photos in their phone's favorites folder and carefully preserved them.

I reckon even decades from now, this photo will still be something we can look back on...

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The cherry blossom festival didn't come to an end until late at night. The crowds on the streets gradually dispersed, and the usual quiet returned.

Staff have begun clearing the area and collecting the tourists' belongings, and Jun Takasaki is preparing to take them all back to the hotel.

However, at that moment, Jun Takasaki noticed that Shoko Toyokawa was standing by the river, calmly looking into the distance, as if she had something on her mind.

Wasn't he just excited? Why has he suddenly become so sentimental? He couldn't help but feel a little strange.

However strange it may be, it's time to urge her to leave.

"Xiangzi, stop daydreaming, it's time to go back and rest." He walked over to Fengchuan Xiangzi and whispered a reminder to her.

Shoko Toyokawa seemed to snap out of her daze, turning to look at Jun Takasaki. "Oh, right, it's time to end the show..."

Although she said that, she didn't take a step, as if she was still lingering over something.

Now, dressed in a yukata, she looked somewhat different from her previous dignified and charming self; her expression was a mix of melancholy and confusion.

"What's wrong now? What happened?" Jun Takasaki asked hurriedly.

“Nothing happened…” Toyokawa Shoko shook her head. “I just feel sorry that no matter how happy something is, it will pass by unnoticed and become a scene or two in my memory, while the trivialities and mediocrity of daily life can’t be escaped at all.”

"You're getting sentimental now..." Jun Takasaki chuckled. "Is the pressure of inheriting the family business too much for you to handle?"

"That is indeed a bit of pressure... but it's not too difficult for me." Toyokawa Shoko laughed, but there was little joy in her smile. "I just don't know how many more times I can experience the happiness of today? Life is short, how much can I leave behind?"

If an ordinary girl said that, Jun Takasaki would just think she was having a fit of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome).

But the person who said that was Xiangzi.

His conversation with his grandfather still lingered in his mind, and seeing Xiangzi's confusion again, his anxiety and fear surged up from the bottom of his heart once more.

"Are you... are you worried?" he asked in a trembling voice.

Although he didn't say what he was specifically worried about, Toyokawa Shoko nodded slightly, and the two seemed to have reached a tacit understanding in silence.

They tacitly avoided mentioning that word, that word that should never have been associated with an ordinary girl.

Now, Jun Takasaki finally understands why, even in such a happy moment, Shoko Toyokawa still harbors a trace of confusion in her heart.

Just as her grandfather wasn't stupid, Toyokawa Shoko was also very clever, so she could think of the same things that Takasaki Jun could think of.

Although everyone kept silent about this issue in front of her, who knew their family's situation better than Miss Toyokawa?

So, she had actually suspected something similar for a long time, but she was afraid of worrying those around her, so she didn't say it out loud. Instead, she acted cheerful and confident every day to comfort everyone.

"You've worked hard." He didn't know how to comfort her, so he could only utter this word in the end.

"Actually, it's not that bad... At least my health is still pretty good right now." Seeing his downcast mood, Toyokawa Shoko smiled and comforted him, "I'm not always sentimental, I'm just too happy today, so I feel a little regretful."

“But you are indeed afraid,” Jun Takasaki’s voice lowered. “I can tell.”

This simple sentence seemed to strike right to the heart, causing Toyokawa Shoko's smile to gradually dry up until it disappeared.

After a moment, Toyokawa Shoko spoke again.

“How could I not be afraid… I’m terrified, so much so that I sometimes have nightmares at night… I dream that I’m about to be admitted to the hospital, just like my mother before she passed away, and I’m admitted to the ICU… In those nightmares, even the smell of medicine and disinfectant seems so vivid, making me shudder.” As she said this, a few tears suddenly welled up in Toyokawa Shoko’s eyes.

Against the backdrop of incense and fireworks, the tears sparkled like diamonds.

Even so, the smile on her face did not disappear; it stubbornly remained on her lips.

"But what good is being afraid? Fear doesn't solve anything. Instead of hiding in a protective shell, worrying about how much life I have left, and taking it out on those around me, I should live each day to the fullest. If I put in twice the effort of others to achieve all my dreams and live a life that others can't reach, then even if I only live half as long as others, it'll be even, right? As long as I can live this life without regrets, what difference does it make whether I'm forty or eighty? Right?"

After she finished speaking, she looked at Takasaki Jun with a face full of hope, her eyes filled with a mixture of laughter and tears, as if she were waiting for his praise.

However, she did not receive praise. Although Jun Takasaki was deeply moved, he gently raised his right hand, pinched his thumb and middle finger together, and placed them on Shoko Toyokawa's forehead.

Then, before she could react, he flicked his middle finger back and gave her a sharp rap on the forehead.

"Ah!" Toyokawa Shoko cried out in pain, then stared at the other person in disbelief. "What...what are you doing..."

"I'm just trying to wake you up." Jun Takasaki stood in front of Shoko Toyokawa. "Are you feeling all self-satisfied? Let me tell you, it's all nonsense! What do you mean by evening things out? That's just self-comfort. Forty years is forty years, eighty years is eighty years. No matter how you try to justify it, it's a gap that can't be bridged! Stop fooling yourself!"

Faced with his reprimand, Toyokawa Shoko did not get angry, but instead complained as if she were wronged.

"I finally came up with such a cool line, why did you have to ruin it! Couldn't you just give me a moment of inspiration? What else can I do? Complain and blame everyone else? I can't, and I don't want to!"

"Who said you should complain about fate?" Jun Takasaki retorted. "I'm just telling you that no matter what, as long as your time hasn't come, there's always hope. I don't deny that you face risks, but times are changing. Your fate isn't predetermined; it can be fought for and changed! Not only through your own efforts, but also through me. I will keep you alive, as long as I am. Even if it's something I can't change, I will change it. If it requires sacrifice, I won't hesitate to sacrifice as many as possible. Do you understand? I don't want you to live a life of suspicion and sentimentality, wallowing in self-pity. I want you to live earnestly and happily, until the day you finally tire of it and no longer have any attachments. Until then, as long as there's even a sliver of attachment, you must live!"

He looked down at the girl from before, his eyes arrogant and rude, yet carrying an undeniable sense of oppression.

Is it that the guardian knight doesn't want to see the princess perish, or that the game player doesn't want their most prized card to be destroyed and torn up?

He didn't know which reason it was.

All he knew was that, after the shock of that fleeting glimpse, he wanted her to live a good life.

Toyokawa Shoko listened quietly.

The tears in her eyes were still bright, but they seemed to be infused with the light of courage.

"You said it yourself... so I mean it." Her lips trembled, then she whispered through gritted teeth, "If I die, you'll have broken your promise and will be punished by heaven!"

Before Takasaki Jun could answer, she looked up at the starry sky again.

"This world is so filthy and vicious, full of hateful people and hateful things, and there's no escaping it; yet, this world is also so beautiful, with people I love, hobbies I enjoy, and the cherry blossom tree I just saw... it's all so captivating. I love living so much."

"Then live well." Jun Takasaki laughed.

"Yes, I'm sorry, I lost my composure just now, I'm sorry you had to see this..." Toyokawa Shoko reached out and took his sleeve to wipe her tears.

Although it was a bit awkward, Jun Takasaki let her do it, considering her feelings.

However, a sudden, sharp pain shot through his wrist.

"Ah, what are you doing!" he exclaimed, then glared at Toyokawa Shoko.

He instinctively wanted to pull his hand back, but at the last moment, he remembered that Xiangzi was still holding onto his sleeve, and he could easily trip over her, so he forcibly restrained himself at the last second. He just looked at her with a reproachful gaze.

"It hurt so much when you hit me, I'm going to get my revenge!" Looking at the teeth marks on his wrist, like a child who had successfully pulled off a prank, Xiangzi burst into laughter.

57. Sincere and earnest

With the cherry blossom festival over, the entire Akita large-scale special cultural and tourism event also came to an end.

The event was well organized and there were no unexpected incidents along the way. The publicity team, led by Senmina, also cooperated well, so it can be said to be a complete success.

The county government spent the budget, the companies that support the Takasaki family received a share of the money, and the public was happy—it was a win-win situation.

Now that the event is over, it's time for the girls from Tokyo's Tsukimori Academy to head back.

However, before returning to Tokyo, Motoyo Nagasaki had one very important thing to do.

Led by Jun Takasaki, she shook off her two classmates and secretly went to an apartment next to the Takasaki family support group headquarters.

For some time now, Chizuru Nagasaki has been staying here.

Initially, she was only seeking asylum to evade the government's investigation, but later, Jun Takasaki saw her as a "talent that could be used," so he asked her to help with some non-core accounting tasks.

Although it was just a small task, Nagasaki Chizuru did her best to demonstrate her value. In addition, she had nothing else to do at the moment, so she could concentrate on the task and did it very well, which laid the foundation for future cooperation between the two sides.

Motoyo Nagasaki arrived at the apartment, where Chizuru Nagasaki was already waiting.

"Mom!" As soon as the two met in the living room, Nagasaki Motoyo rushed over and hugged her mother tightly, almost crying with joy.

She had relied on her mother since she was a child, and the two had a deep bond. Therefore, she was almost unable to control herself after not being able to see her for so long.

Chizuru Nagasaki felt something similar, but being older, she was able to calm herself down more easily.

She loosened her embrace and then carefully examined her daughter, comparing her appearance to how she remembered her daughter from two months ago.

Then, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Su Shi... How have you been doing lately? You look to be in good health."

She wasn't worried about her daughter's ability to live independently from the beginning, but she was afraid that her daughter would develop mental problems due to various pressures. Now that she sees her daughter so healthy in body and mind, she can finally put her mind at ease.

“I’ve been doing fine, so you don’t need to worry,” Nagasaki Motoyo gently replied to her mother. “Jun has been helping me all along, and he even got Miss Toyokawa to protect me and helped me resolve the issues with the prosecutor… so now I can eliminate all external distractions and focus wholeheartedly on my studies.”

"Eh? Miss Toyokawa?" Nagasaki Chizuru asked, somewhat surprised. "Is it the Toyokawa from the Toyokawa Group...?"

"Yes." So Nagasaki Motoyo then told her mother how she met Miss Toyokawa through Jun Takasaki's introduction, and how, with the help of Miss Toyokawa and a lawyer, she defeated the prosecutor from the District Public Prosecutor's Office.

To avoid any unexpected situations, Nagasaki Motoyo rarely contacts her mother by phone, fearing that it would reveal her mother's whereabouts. Therefore, Nagasaki Chizuru only has a general understanding of her daughter's current situation, knowing that she is doing well.

Now, through her daughter's account, she learned the details of her daughter's recent "adventure."

After hearing this, she was surprised and deeply moved.

"I never expected such a thing to happen..." Finally, she sighed, "Miss Toyokawa seems to be a very good person."

“Yes, she’s really a very nice person. She’s talented and has great manners. Although she can be a little bit spoiled, she’s never disrespectful to anyone… I’m so lucky to be her friend and to have her help.” Nagasaki Motoyo smiled from the bottom of her heart. “So right now, she invited me to join her band, and I’m hanging out with her.”

Compared to his daughter, Nagasaki Chizuru's thoughts were much more pragmatic.

The Toyokawa family—what does that mean? They're a nationally renowned conglomerate. While not among the largest zaibatsu, they're still incredibly powerful. Even a tiny bit of their wealth would be enough to feed the mother and daughter for a lifetime.

Although she was somewhat wealthy, Nagasaki Chizuru could only consider herself an insignificant shrimp in front of Miss Toyokawa. She dared not hope that her daughter could become a close friend on equal footing with Miss Toyokawa, but even if she could only become the young lady's "second-tier best friend," it would be enough for her daughter to have a bright future when she grew up.

Ah, how come it seems like my daughter is doing better and better without me around? Am I just a burden? She couldn't help but fall into self-doubt.

However, although she felt a little disappointed, she was more genuinely happy for her daughter.