Tokyo Three Generations

The traffic in Tokyo is constant at night, so it's impossible for cars to go fast. The mother and son slowly made their way home under the streetlights.

At a red light, during a brief pause in the parking lot, Jun Takasaki finally couldn't help but speak up.

"Mother."

"What's wrong, son?" Takasaki Mio replied lazily, looking ahead.

“I just got home with Aine. On the way, we talked about how she consulted you before she went abroad to study…” Jun Takasaki asked his mother while thinking about his words, “Did you encourage her?”

“Yes,” Takasaki Mio answered readily. “Aine asked me what I thought about her wanting to study abroad. I said that’s great, young people should broaden their horizons, and then I told her some things to be aware of when studying abroad… What’s up?”

It was you who instigated it! No wonder such an innocent little girl suddenly became like she was possessed and insisted on going to study abroad... A surge of anger suddenly rose in Takasaki Jun's heart.

But how can I blame my mother?

Putting aside the issue of her being an elder, let's stick to the facts. It was Aine herself who proposed studying abroad, and she was the one who ultimately made the decision. Takasaki Mio didn't make the decision for her or force her; she simply offered her advice from her own perspective. So, neither the mother nor the mother can be blamed.

However, even after thinking about this, Jun Takasaki still felt a tightness in his chest, as if he had a breath stuck in his throat.

It's that feeling of helplessness where you know your friend is going to suffer, but you can only watch her suffer.

So, he unusually argued with his mother.

"When you give advice, you should also consider the objective conditions, right? Yes, you studied abroad and didn't think there was anything wrong with it. But Aiyin is different. First, she is too young. Second, her family doesn't have the same financial resources as her grandfather. And, most importantly, Aiyin seems cheerful, but she is actually a sensitive and delicate girl. Her psychological resilience is completely different from yours. Haven't you thought about the consequences of her facing a completely unfamiliar environment all by herself?"

Takasaki Mio frowned at her son's complaint and turned to look at him in the passenger seat.

But by then the light had turned green, and the cars behind her honked, so she had no choice but to turn around.

"You seem to know Aine quite well... But have you ever considered whether Aine herself wants to be a sensitive and delicate child forever? She also wants to become brighter and stronger; she wants to become someone who can face society, just like me. So what's wrong with her mustering the courage to try?"

The car started up again, and the mother and son fell into a brief silence once more.

“Even if it’s a challenge, it shouldn’t be such a big leap all at once. This isn’t just transferring to another school; it’s a completely different environment…” Jun Takasaki said softly. “I used to think this was just her own business, but now I feel like I owe her something.”

"So what if we lose money?" Compared to Jun Takasaki's worries, his mother was unconcerned. "How much more can we lose? It's not like our family can't afford to lose money."

Takasaki Jun was speechless at her mother's nonchalant attitude. The girl's struggles and confusion, as well as the loneliness she was destined to experience in a foreign land, seemed as insignificant as a feather in her eyes.

Only then did he realize that, apart from her loving kindness towards him, his mother was, at heart, still a willful little devil from a Tokyo socialite family.

“Their family does have a good income, but it would still hurt to see the money spent on studying abroad go to waste…” he continued to argue.

Then, he suddenly realized that his mother's choice of words seemed different from what he had thought.

"Wait, you mean our family? What, did our family pay for the tuition?" he exclaimed in surprise.

"It's not that bad. Although Haruka is my best friend, she knows her place. She wouldn't come to our house to borrow money." Takasaki Mio smiled, then changed the subject. "However, Aine is someone I've watched grow up. To me, she's like a daughter. If she really encounters any difficulties, what's wrong with me helping her out a little? Surely you wouldn't be so stingy?"

It's not a matter of being reluctant to part with the money... Junma Takasaki doesn't care about the money; he just feels that what his family is doing is obviously illegitimate.

“Even if we wanted to spend money on her, there are many better ways. There’s no need to actually go thousands of miles away.” Finally, he sighed softly. “I’d rather give her expensive gifts than see her suffer.”

As Takasaki Mio drove, she glanced at her beloved son out of the corner of her eye and saw his worried and melancholy face.

Takasaki Mio wasn't angry that her son had argued with her just now; instead, a "I knew it" smile appeared on her lips.

"What, are you going to miss Xiao Aiyin?" Then, she said with a grin, "Oh, going to England isn't like we're going to die. She has so many holidays every year, she can come back every few days. And didn't her mother already say that she can come to visit you as soon as she comes back? So what are you worried about? She won't run away!"

Before her son could reply, she continued enthusiastically, "When she finishes her studies abroad and comes back to China, she'll be about the right age. Then I'll bring her home so you can see her all day long, how about that? That should make up for your separation, right?"

…………

What does this have to do with anything?

Jun Takasaki was almost stunned.

He finally realized why his mother was so confident, or rather, so indifferent, about Aiyin's study abroad plans.

It turns out she was thinking, "We'll all be family sooner or later anyway, so you can do whatever you want."

The thought sent chills down his spine.

"What are you talking about? Don't joke around!" Then, he frowned.

"Which of my words sounded like a joke?" Mio Takasaki turned her head and glared at her son. "I'm very serious about this! What's wrong with Aine? We've watched her grow up. She has so many good qualities—character, looks, knowledge—she far surpasses her peers in every way. She was even the student council president, so she'll definitely be able to handle family matters in the future... Let me tell you, if a girl like Aine were out there, countless people would be scrambling to get her! You should thank your mother for having such a good friend who raised her for you since she was little and gave you the opportunity to meet. Look at what your Aunt Chihaya said just now—wasn't she practically saying she was entrusting Aine to you? Since things have come to this, what's there to be unhappy about? Hurry up and kneel down to thank your mother!"

Takasaki Jun was utterly speechless at his mother's words.

Although it sounds a bit far-fetched, upon closer examination, it does seem to make sense.

At least, he couldn't refute it sentence by sentence.

Is Aine a good child full of virtues? Yes.

Is it lucky to have known Aine since childhood? Of course it is.

But... does that mean bringing Aine into the house? It seems not.

“We do have a good relationship, but that’s childhood friendship and family ties.” After realizing this, he quickly retorted, “What era are we living in? Please stop talking about arranged marriages by elders and respect Aine’s personal wishes.”

"Aine's personal will?" Takasaki Mio stared at her son incredulously, as if she had heard something both funny and terrifying. "Hey, you've been with her for so many years, and you don't even know what she's thinking? Did I hurt your brain when I gave birth to you? Even if you're slow-witted, you should be able to sense something, right?"

………………

Jun Takasaki was speechless for a moment.

"Hmph, stop dodging. Don't I understand you? You think you haven't had enough fun yet?" Takasaki Mio sneered again. "Let me make this clear: I've already decided on Aine, and I've already talked to her mother. I've staked my reputation on this. If you dare to associate with any shady girls, or bring those Shibuya-style thugs into the house and embarrass me, then we'll immediately sever our mother-son relationship! I won't acknowledge anyone but Aine."

After saying that, as if to express her determination, she suddenly accelerated, taking Takasaki Jun by surprise and lurching forward for dozens of meters before slamming on the brakes, almost crashing into the car in front.

Jun Takasaki knew that if his mother became unreasonable, arguing with her would be a waste of breath.

Moreover, the key point is that when asked to point out any flaws in Ai-yin, he seems unable to articulate them.

Although he hadn't really thought about that question, if it were Aine... it might work. The thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

But, but... he had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

Images flashed through my mind: being cried and pounded on the chest, catching a falling "fairy" under the moon, being bitten by someone as cherry blossoms fell...

Are those memories that can be forgotten? Or are those longings that should be betrayed?

No, I can't forget.

"I'm so...greedy," he thought to himself with a wry smile.

64. Disloyalty and alienation

Seeing that her son had stopped talking, Mio Takasaki also stopped speaking.

Although she didn't want her son to go against her wishes, at the same time, she didn't want to argue with him and affect their mother-son relationship.

"Son, I don't know what you're thinking, but you need to know that everything I do is for your own good. Over the years, you've listened to me, and haven't you all had good outcomes? I'm not trying to restrict or force you; I just want to use my life experience to help you avoid the most detours and achieve the best possible life... That's all I aspire to. Please, no matter what, try to understand me..."

In the end, Takasaki Mio had lost her earlier assertiveness and even sounded pleading, as if she were begging her son not to neglect her.

Rather than saying she was "controlling" her son's life, it would be more accurate to say that she was using the excuse of helping her son grow up to tirelessly fill the void in her life, which was nominally that of a "rich lady," and to find solace for her broken life.

In their relationship, it was she who was more afraid of losing her son's attachment, rather than the other way around, Jun Takasaki who was afraid of losing his mother's guidance and protection.

In fact, Jun Takasaki knew this too. He could have acted like many spoiled children, taking advantage of his mother's fears to mentally torment her, but he simply couldn't bring himself to do it.

He felt both respect and deep pity for his mother.

Therefore, he didn't want to upset his mother more than anyone else.

Therefore, he could only choose one course of action—to stick to his own opinion, but avoid arguing with his mother.

Escaping is shameful, but it can also be useful.

"Mom, it's too early to talk about this now. Let's talk about it later," Jun Takasaki finally suggested in a low voice.

Mio Takasaki didn't say anything more. In the silence between the two, the car gradually drove the rest of the way and finally returned to the Takasaki family home late at night.

Meanwhile, Hiroshi Takasaki had finished his daytime official duties and returned home.

After the mother and son returned, he was sitting casually in a chair reading a magazine, but as soon as they came back, he immediately threw the magazine on the table and stood up.

Then, he suddenly felt at a loss.

Normally, based on the way the couple had been getting along over the years, he and his wife should have ignored each other. But now he needed his wife's help and couldn't continue to put on a cold face.

So he wanted to get closer to the two of them, but he just couldn't be affectionate. After trying for a while, he finally managed to force a friendly smile. "Mio, you're finally back... I've been waiting for you for so long."

Mio Takasaki was already in a bad mood, and seeing her husband's meaningless performance only made her angrier.

She didn't have the same patience for her husband as she did for her son, and immediately retorted, "I didn't ask you to wait for me, did I? Besides, when have you ever waited for me? Don't put on this fake show at home, it makes me uncomfortable."

Hiroshi Takasaki's face darkened immediately after his wife's sharp retort.

"That woman! She takes advantage of my kindness." Takasaki Hiroshi cursed inwardly.

If it weren't for the fact that we need to get through this together, I wouldn't bother to lower myself to her level. I didn't expect her to take the opportunity to give me attitude.

To say that the two were such a mismatched couple from the beginning would be an exaggeration. After all, Takasaki Hiroshi was very good-looking and had a good family background, so Komuro Mio couldn't find fault with him at the time. Therefore, the two did have a honeymoon period during their early marriage.

However, as Hiroshi Takasaki's philandering nature was exposed, and Mio Takasaki was never one to swallow her anger, they began to argue. Neither of them had a good temper, and as the arguments escalated, neither was willing to give in, and they quickly grew to dislike each other, eventually moving into separate rooms.

However, at least for now, Hiroshi Takasaki doesn't want to completely ruin the relationship.

So he swallowed his anger, pretending not to notice the tension in his wife's tone, and continued to maintain his outward smile.

"What are you saying? We've been married for so many years. You've been away for so long, it's only natural that I miss you, isn't it?"

After saying that, he looked at his son, "Chun, it's getting late, go wash up and get some rest..."

Jun Takasaki looked at his father and mother. He wanted to say something, but he felt that it would be meaningless to say anything. If his parents could mend their rift with just a few words from him, they wouldn't have ended up like this.

So what could he do? He could only turn a blind eye and try his best not to let his parents' arguments affect him. This was both a self-protection mechanism and his last effort to maintain the family.

Life is about facing problems you can't solve and finding ways to adapt to them.

So he nodded and went back to his bedroom to rest as his father had asked.

But before leaving, he squeezed his mother's hand to express his silent support and comfort.

Comforted by her son, Mio Takasaki's previously raging anger seemed to subside considerably.

"Chun, goodnight." She gently hugged her son, then watched him go home to rest. "Don't worry, everything will be alright."

After Jun Takasaki went back to rest, the couple stayed alone in the living room.

They faced each other in silence for a while, until Mio Takasaki's slightly mocking voice finally broke the silence.

"You called me back in such a hurry, there must be some amazing flaw in your plan, right? Tell me, let me see for myself."

His wife's mockery made Takasaki Hiroshi's face even uglier.

However, he had no way to refute it.

After a moment of silence, he finally gave his reply. “Our family is about to undertake a crucial operation that will inevitably anger some people. Although we don’t know exactly what they will do, my father and I suspect they will use my past actions to attack me… Well, I guess they’ll use me to establish their authority.”

"So, just how big is the problem?" Takasaki Mio pressed.

This wasn't just sarcasm; mainly because she had barely inquired about her husband's affairs in recent years, so she genuinely didn't know what other "surprises" were in store.

Faced with his wife's probing gaze, Takasaki Hiroshi remained silent for a moment.

Although he was usually thick-skinned, it was still a little embarrassing to suddenly reveal this to his wife.

However, now is not the time for awkwardness. In order to withstand the attack that is almost certain to come in the future, he must keep his wife calm and get her to agree to stand on his side and help him get through the danger.

After a moment of hesitation, he mustered his courage and spoke in as calm a tone as possible.

"You probably already know what happened before, so I don't need to go into details. In the past few years, I haven't really done anything reckless. I only have a few close friends. Well... most of them are fine and easy to resolve. There's just one woman nicknamed Luna. Well... we're quite close, so when she needed help, I provided her with a lot of business opportunities."

Mio Takasaki was not surprised by this, because she had long been aware of her husband's behavior.

It seems that this Miss Luna is the courtesan her husband has favored most in recent years.

In the world of female public relations professionals, almost everything is measured in money. The sales volume of alcoholic beverages determines how much commission they can earn, and also determines their "status" in their industry.

Furthermore, within the Ginza hostess industry, there's a saying called "100 million yen woman," which refers to someone whose birthday party sales exceed 100 million yen. Reaching this level is considered a pinnacle of the industry.

Clearly, achieving such results cannot be done by relying on individual customers; one or more long-term valued customers are necessary.

It was obvious that her husband was the VIP guest of Miss Luna.

She gave a cold laugh, but her heart was almost unmoved—after all, she had already vented her anger long ago.

"Besides that, why is she so important?"

“Well, I didn’t just help her boost her sales figures…” Takasaki Hiroshi chuckled awkwardly, but continued, “Last year she said she wanted to open her own shop and asked me for help. I gave in to her soft heart and sponsored some money.”

At this point, he glanced cautiously at his wife's expression before continuing, "If you count it all, from the very beginning when I started supporting her to helping her open her shop, it cost around five or six hundred million."