Tokyo Three Generations

Because it was her first time facing the young lady, Junta Mana was a little reserved, but since she was experienced, she didn't seem too flustered.

On the other hand, Chu Hua from the Triangle seemed a bit absent-minded today for some reason.

Junda Mana didn't understand what was wrong with her partner, but in order to save her group's reputation, she decided to step forward alone and take on the responsibility of dealing with the young lady.

During a performance, everyone has off days. As a partner, shouldn't you try to fill those gaps?

"Actually, there's nothing particularly important about calling you two over here. I've just heard about you for a long time and wanted to get to know you..." Toyokawa Shoko continued in a gentle tone, "You two are the same age as me, yet you have achieved such remarkable things, even managing to be part of the Olympic Games opening ceremony and have the opportunity to perform in front of people all over the world... I truly admire you from the bottom of my heart."

What, Miss, don't you know that our group was promoted by the Toyokawa family? From Xiangzi's tone, Junda Mana realized this fact.

“You flatter us. We just happened to be lucky and got some opportunities.” So Junda Mana decided to remind the other party, “The most important thing is that we have gained the recognition and appreciation of the Toyokawa Group... Since our debut, the Toyokawa Group has been our biggest sponsor, and we are very grateful to the Toyokawa family for their help.”

At this point, she gave a sweet smile, "So, Miss, you don't need to be so polite to us at all. Just treat us as your own employees, and we will repay the Fengchuan Group's investment with our best performance!"

Hmm? There's another story behind this?

Now it was Xiangzi's turn to be stunned.

Aunt Bai Ze didn't mention this to me at all. If Sumimi was really someone she had helped become famous, there was no reason why she wouldn't remind me.

Could it be that Mana Junda is lying?

However, Mana Junda had no reason to lie to herself, especially to tell a lie that could be easily verified.

So, the most likely explanation is that the person secretly sponsoring them is at a very high level within the group, even high enough to surpass Aunt Bai Ze, so she was completely unaware of it.

Within the group, there are very few people at such a high level.

Only a few core family members possess this ability.

Furthermore, the amount of energy required to get them involved in the Olympic Games opening ceremony is extraordinary.

Therefore, the sponsors hidden behind the scenes are either the father or the grandfather.

It could be her deceased mother, but... that was too far beyond her imagination, so she automatically dismissed the idea.

But if we follow this line of reasoning, why would Dad and Grandpa secretly sponsor a girl idol group without telling everyone? It's so strange to think about it; they don't seem like the kind of people who would be interested in idol groups.

Xiangzi suddenly felt as if he had glimpsed an unspeakable secret.

She was both a little scared and unable to suppress her curiosity.

"I didn't know that was the case... I didn't know beforehand." She forced a smile and continued, "May I ask, which high-ranking official from the Toyokawa Group was secretly looking after you?"

Junda Mana remained silent.

It wasn't that she didn't want to answer, but that she genuinely didn't know.

After all, the resources of the Fengchuan Group were all brought over by Sanjiao Chuhua, and had nothing to do with her.

So she looked to her partner, Mitsumi Hatsuka, for help, and frantically winked at her, signaling her to wake up quickly.

Mikasa hadn't recovered from the shock and was still a bit down. However, when Mana Junda tried her best to smooth things over and asked for her help, she finally calmed down.

I can't let Mana-chan work hard alone; I have to pull myself together too.

“Our sponsor is Master Dingzhi,” Sanjiao Chuhua answered softly.

"Huh? Grandpa?" Although he was somewhat prepared, Xiangzi was still taken aback when the other party gave the answer.

After all, the grandfather she had always thought of as serious, rigid, and unsmiling was actually sponsoring an idol girl group... This was such a contrast that it was hard for her to accept for a while.

"Why?" she couldn't help but ask.

Then, she realized that her attitude was a bit aggressive, so she quickly tried to cover it up. "Miss Triangle, I... I'm not denying your abilities. I don't think it's wrong for the Fengchuan Group to sponsor you. On the contrary, it's a great recognition of your talent. I'm just a little curious as to why Grandpa would help you... Could you please satisfy my curiosity?"

Sanjiao Chuhua fell silent for a moment.

Toyokawa Sadaharu didn't want to talk about the secret of her past, so she had to keep it a secret for him.

Moreover, she had no desire to reveal the fact that she was an illegitimate child.

“Master Dingzhi was a good friend of my parents, so he helped me out of friendship…” That was her final answer.

Xiangzi blinked, still a little dazed.

After all, this answer provides far too little information.

Based on the information she had previously received, Misumi Hatsuka was not from Tokyo, but came to Tokyo from another place to make a living. Looking back now, she must have contacted her grandfather as soon as she arrived in Tokyo and received his sponsorship.

It's understandable for a grandfather to help his friend's daughter, but... pouring resources into her and turning her from a local girl in Beijing into a nationally renowned idol in just a few years is too exaggerated. It goes far beyond the scope of "helping".

To receive such generous help from Grandpa must mean that the other party is definitely someone extraordinary.

But she racked her brains and couldn't recall any family connections with the name "Triangle".

"So, may I ask where your parents work?" Driven by curiosity, she couldn't help but continue to ask. "If they are my grandfather's good friends, then I should address them as uncle and aunt."

She wasn't sure if she would get the answer, but her curiosity had been piqued, and even if the other party didn't want to tell her, she had a way to find out.

Faced with Xiangzi's probing gaze, Sankaku Hatsuka realized that she seemed to have been cornered.

She tried to dodge, but she couldn't escape Xiangzi no matter what she did.

Moreover, she harbored a small hope that she could awaken memories that had been buried for nearly ten years.

“You misunderstand. My parents are not prominent figures. They live on a remote island and just happened to become acquainted with the Toyokawa family, which is why they received Mr. Teiji’s help.” So, with a mix of trepidation and hope, she looked at Shoko as she answered.

The island... and people the Toyokawa family knows...

This word, like some kind of spell, immediately struck a chord with Xiangzi.

Suddenly, some long-forgotten images flashed through her mind.

The Toyokawa family does indeed own a villa on an island, and she did indeed go on summer vacations at sea with her family when she was a child.

Thinking back carefully, I do remember having a playmate one year... What did that playmate look like?

What does it look like?

It was as if a firefly appeared in the darkness, followed by a swarm. These lights finally tore through the heavy night, briefly connecting the "past" and the "present".

She scrutinized the blonde girl in front of her.

Then, she really remembered.

"Are you that girl from the island?" Then, with a hint of sudden realization and certainty, she looked at Mitsumaki Hatsuka again, "The girl I used to play with when we were little!"

Tears almost welled up in Mitsukasa's eyes.

It was finally picked up, finally found... For Xiangzi, it was just a pastime to pass the time during a summer vacation, but for her, it was like an anchor point in her life.

Although she knew that Xiangzi wasn't actually remembering "herself," it was still as if her life had been given new meaning.

"Yes! It's me... You finally remembered." She nodded gently, a hint of relief in her voice. "I'm the child who played with you, the one who watched the stars with you..."

"I see!" Xiangzi was initially pleased, then a little ashamed. "I'm so sorry, I didn't even realize it when we first met..."

No wonder he was so enthusiastic when they met, and even called me by name. When I didn't remember him, he looked so disappointed... Xiangzi secretly regretted that he had gone too far.

“It’s okay, it’s been ten years. You were so young back then, it’s normal that you don’t remember now.” Misaka Chuka was very understanding. “In fact, I’m already very touched that you can still recall the little things from back then.”

The sudden turn of events left Junta Mana completely stunned.

She never expected that her partner, whom she thought had "lost his composure," would suddenly turn the tables and establish a friendship with Miss Toyokawa.

My dear sister, I never knew you had such a trump card up your sleeve!

She gave her partner another wink, but this time it wasn't a reminder but a compliment.

Then, she stepped in at the opportune moment to smooth things over between the two. "So you two are long-lost friends! Haha, what an unexpected turn of events... I, Mana-chan, love stories of old friends reuniting and rekindling their friendship! Let the 'past' nourish the 'present,' and let your friendship continue in your memories!"

"Yes, you're right." Xiangzi smiled apologetically at Sankaku Hatsuka. "Miss Sankaku... no, Hatsuka, I'm really sorry, I was rude just now. But let's continue to get along well from now on."

She was a little wary of Mitsukasa just now, but now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, her impression of her has completely changed, and she sees her as a friend again.

Then, Xiangzi emphasized, "Since we're old friends and have played together before, please stop calling me 'Miss' all the time. It makes me feel old. Just call me Xiangzi from now on."

Just then, a servant came over with a tray and placed tea and snacks on the table. The three of them then ate tea and snacks together and chatted, creating a much more harmonious atmosphere than before.

During this brief interval, Sankaku Hatsuka also prepared her explanation.

“Our family has managed the island villas for the Toyokawa family, so we have had quite a bit of dealings with them. Mr. Sadaharu had a good impression of our family, so he helped me after I came to Tokyo.”

In fact, there are some untenable aspects to her statement—what kind of person is a villa manager, that he is worth such an investment from Toyokawa Sadaharu?

However, in Xiangzi's view, there might be another explanation for the matter.

—Some people, after performing important secret missions for the Toyokawa family, will be sent overseas or to some remote place in the country to be well taken care of, which is part of the "serving the public with favor" tradition.

The parents of Mitsukasa Chuka may have made some significant contributions to the group in the past (or taken on some major wrongdoing), so they had to hide away on an island and spend the rest of their lives there.

Because of their significant contributions, the Toyokawa family, feeling indebted, invested in their daughter regardless of the cost.

That makes sense; it's practically flawless.

Because she had this in mind, she found it inconvenient to pry into the matter further—after all, what would happen if she found out something she shouldn't have?

Although she was the one who ousted her grandfather from power, she didn't harbor any ill will towards him and didn't want to kill him. She even planned to wait until things calmed down before bringing him back to the group as an "advisor" to make up for her guilt.

Therefore, we shouldn't investigate further.

So be it.

I've reconnected with an old friend and joined an idol group—what more could I ask for?

"I see." With this sense of relief, Xiangzi picked up his teacup and took a leisurely sip. "Now it seems, Chuhua, you've repaid Grandpa's trust with your own efforts... I'm also very happy that you've achieved such success. Congratulations!"

"I just did my best; I'm not that great."

Although Misaka Hatsuka appeared modest, her joy was overflowing, and she couldn't suppress the smile on her face.

"There's something I'm a little embarrassed to talk about..." Xiangzi then brought up his idea, "It just so happens that I recently formed a band. Of course, it's not a serious group, just a hobby club. But even so, I hope to run it well, so... could we communicate more in the future? I know your group must be very busy, so just spare a little time when you have free time, and we can completely coordinate our schedules..."

“Absolutely no problem.” Without even thinking about it or consulting her partner, Mikasa Hatsuka immediately agreed. “Shoko, if you need anything in the future, just come to me.”

Seeing her partner "act up" again, Mana Junda could only smile helplessly at Shoko and nod gently. "Shoko, please treat me as a friend too. I'd love to interact with your group more..."

"Then it's settled!"

[I've been struggling with how to reasonably introduce Misaki Hatsune Miku (since she hasn't appeared before), so I designed a plot where 'Shoko forgot about her before, but now he remembers her,' which is a way to make it work...]

112, Reminiscence and Stop Loss

Since visiting the Toyokawa family, Jun Takasaki has been busy with his plans.

Bai Zechun kept her word. A few days later, she sent him a detailed agreement with all the terms clearly listed.

The terms were numerous, but their overall meaning was quite simple—he, representing the Toyokawa Group, negotiated with the University of Tokyo and clarified the sponsorship intentions.

With the Toyokawa family's financial backing, his negotiations with the school and student organizations were naturally much more efficient, and he could expect to soon obtain permission from the school for the "academic exchange meeting".

Once permission is obtained, the next step is to find suitable participants and invite them to attend.

Therefore, Jun Takasaki spent this time intensively studying genetics and consulted professors at the University of Tokyo to determine who were considered important scholars in the field or involved in cutting-edge research.

Because he's been busy with these things, his previously leisurely life has suddenly become fulfilling, and he's even found a sense of reliving his high school days.

However, a phone call that morning disrupted his recent routine.

This call was an overseas call from the UK.

Upon seeing the incoming call, Jun Takasaki frowned slightly.

It wasn't that he had a problem with the person who called, but rather that the timing of the call made him feel bad.

In Japan, it's morning, which is the early hours of the morning in the UK. That means Aine is calling herself again late at night.

She used to be a girl with a regular schedule back in China, how did she develop such habits now...?

He felt both dissatisfied and worried.

However, he quickly put those thoughts aside, answered the phone, and spoke in as soft a voice as possible.

"Aiyin, what's wrong? Why are you calling me so late at night again..."

There was silence on the other end of the phone, and then a very soft, almost inaudible voice came through.

"Brother Chun...I...I think I'm sick."

After he finished speaking, he coughed several more times.

These words instantly panicked Takasaki Jun.

Ever since their phone call at Disneyland, Ai Yin has been calling every few days to talk about her recent life and various troubles.