Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 65

"If Xu Dou were here, he would probably feel better."

Seeing that the atmosphere was trending towards silence, Shiina Ritsuki, who didn't like this kind of atmosphere, frowned her delicate eyebrows.

"It's not really the middle of nowhere, so there's nothing to be afraid of."

"Besides, Xu Dou didn't leave. He's right in the kitchen. He's so close. You could probably call him and he'd respond. Don't act like the protagonist in a tragic movie."

With her arms crossed, Shiina Tatsuki dispelled the gloom that had temporarily spread with her nonchalant yet resolute tone.

“…That’s true.”

Startled by her words, Toyokawa Shoko paused for a moment, then pressed her hand to her chest, as if relieved, and her gentle smile returned.

"That's right, there's no need to feel lonely. Even if we're temporarily separated, our hearts are still connected..."

"...Your description sounds more like a tragic heroine facing a life-or-death separation."

Shiina Tatsuki's somber quip did little to dampen Toyokawa Shoko's suddenly high spirits. Seeing this, she could only sigh and change the subject.

"Speaking of which, Xiangzi, how did you convince your family to lend you this kind of house?"

Shiina Tatsuki remembers that when she mentioned this to her parents, she was almost immediately overwhelmed by all sorts of doubts. It took her several days and countless words of worry and hesitation before she finally managed to reach an agreement with her family, agreeing on three rules and gaining the right to freely manage her vacation.

The eerie atmosphere at home during that time still sends chills down the girl's spine when she thinks about it... but it was all worth it to enjoy the trip with her friends.

So how did Toyokawa Shoko, whose family rules should theoretically be much stricter than hers, manage to do it?

Not only was Shiina Riki curious about the answer to this question, but even Wakaba Mutsumi and Takamatsu Akari couldn't help but turn their inquiring gazes to the girl.

Clearly, they had experienced something similar.

"Huh?... Well..."

However, Toyokawa Shoko showed a hesitant expression.

After pondering for a moment, she nodded as if she had figured something out, and generously answered the three people's questions.

"Although it sounds unbelievable, after I told my grandfather about it, he approved it without asking any questions."

"Perhaps they've acknowledged our abilities?"

Although her tone and words were optimistic, it was clear that she herself didn't quite believe the guess.

"How could it be that simple..."

As expected, the other three girls all looked completely unconvinced.

It's not that she doesn't believe the other party has the ability to persuade her family—after all, even they did it, so there's no reason why Toyokawa Shoko, who is usually more proactive and always as free and unrestrained as an unfettered bird, couldn't do it.

However, this reason is too misleading.

"Have Uncle Qing and Grandpa Dingzhi both agreed?"

Tilting her head slightly, Wakaba Mutsu, who had grown up with the girl since childhood and knew her family situation well, asked a simple and direct question as always.

"I went directly to my grandfather, and he said he would inform my father..."

Toyokawa Shoko rested her fair hand on her cheek, murmuring to herself in deep thought.

"Thinking about it carefully, it does seem a bit strange..."

At the time, I was blinded by the joy of gaining recognition so easily and lacked the ability to question. Looking back now, it seems that there were indeed some parts that were too hasty.

But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't figure out the key to it, as she had no clues whatsoever.

As the sole heir of the Toyokawa family, her private interactions with friends should have been a decision made with utmost care, especially given the presence of a man named Minamoto Koto...

'Could it be...'

A fleeting thought flashed through Toyokawa Shoko's mind.

The girl slightly widened her bright golden pupils, feeling a little shaken by her astonishing idea.

'Grandfather knows about Xu Dou's existence; is he trying to bring us together?'

Chapter Ninety-Three: Gradually Expanding Thoughts

Although it sounds absurd, this idea is not entirely unfounded.

The Toyokawa family, which has had only one son per generation for three generations and only female offspring, recruits outstanding sons-in-law in each generation to help their wives, who carry the Toyokawa bloodline, maintain the status of the head of this huge financial conglomerate in order to ensure the continuation of their bloodline.

The girl's father, Kiyotaka Toyokawa, and grandfather, Sadaharu Toyokawa, both came from similar backgrounds.

This structure, on the contrary, makes the group's internal structure very stable—the direct descendants with strong claims may be spendthrift sons who only know how to eat, drink and have fun, or even ambitious but incompetent, self-deprecating people who will lead the group to ruin, while the adopted sons-in-law chosen after assessment are definitely trustworthy.

Moreover, there was no element of coercion involved. Toyokawa Shoko's mother and grandmother both found their spouses through free love, and perhaps because they had good judgment, they both successfully gained the approval of their elders. Their married life was also very happy and harmonious, completely unlike the arranged marriages stereotyped among the nobility.

Marrying ordinary people from humble backgrounds has become commonplace in families; it's not something to worry about or something to be avoided as a taboo.

Therefore, Toyokawa Shoko, as the heiress of a conglomerate, wasn't worried about her and Minamoto Koto's future at all. It wasn't because she was naive, but simply because she trusted his abilities.

— Xu Dou will definitely gain the approval of his grandfather and father, and even in a worldly sense, we will form the closest relationship in the world.

When that time comes, the boy who inherits the Toyokawa Foundation will be able to take responsibility for everyone's lives, and [CryCHIC] will naturally continue to exist, without needing to care about the opinions of others.

Thinking this way, Toyokawa Shoko became even more certain of her guess.

Although the girl was a little shy about her family's idea of ​​bringing the two together... she was still mostly filled with sweetness and joy.

The other three girls watched as Toyokawa Shoko suddenly straightened up, became happy on her own, and beamed with a bright smile on her fair face, looking very pleased with herself. Their existing confusion deepened even further.

Sensing their questioning gazes, the girl merely smiled faintly, her golden eyes blinking slightly, showing no intention of revealing her thoughts.

Even so, influenced by the joy emanating from her, the otherwise quiet atmosphere in the hall became much more peaceful.

Takamatsu Akari was finally able to relax and wait for the two in the kitchen to bring out dinner; Wakaba Mutsu seemed to understand something and gazed at the other with a look of blessing mixed with a hint of envy; Shiina Tatsuki also stopped dwelling on the question from before and sat quietly in her chair with her usual cold and aloof expression.

In this peaceful environment, after letting her emotions rise and fall quietly for a while, Toyokawa Shoko made a decision.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Xu Dou, this is for you."

After dinner, while the other girls were slumped contentedly in their elegant chairs, like little animals that had been fed, abandoning their usual reserve and exhaling lazily, Toyokawa Shoko, carrying an old lantern she had found somewhere, suddenly approached Minamoto Kōto.

The girl handed the lantern, which was clearly quite old, with grayish-white scratches all over the lampshade and base, making one wonder if it could still be used properly, to the boy who was calmly wiping his mouth. Under his troubled gaze, the girl smiled mischievously.

Like an elusive breeze, she spoke in a light, swaying voice.

"We usually carry this with us when we're on patrol...it's said to bring good luck."

"it is good."

Yuan Xudou was not surprised that Xiangzi knew he was going to inspect the mansion next, and calmly took the handle of the lantern.

In a face-to-face situation, it's normal for the two to be able to roughly understand each other's thoughts, especially since he hadn't hidden his concerns about the security of the mansion from the very beginning.

Even though I know that the surrounding area should have been cleared by the Toyokawa family's staff to ensure that there are no sources of danger, I still have to check it in person to feel at ease.

As the only male among the six and the pillar of the group, the boy has a duty to be responsible for the safety of everyone.

Be careful not to break it.

"This is an item that has been passed down for a long time. If it breaks... Xu Dou, you might have to sell yourself to me~"

He responded to what was clearly a joke in a soft voice, not taking it too seriously.

"I thought our relationship didn't need to take these things into account."

"That's right."

However, she readily admitted to it.

“Xu Dou, what’s mine is yours—that’s for sure.”

"But even if I break this lantern, I'll still get scolded by my family."

"If it's you, Xu Dou... then you'll have no choice but to join the Fengchuan Group and work for me for the rest of your life."

That is to say—become my partner.

At some point, the distance between the two had become so close that they could clearly hear each other's breathing.

Their pure black and pale gold eyes met, and they both saw undisguised frankness in each other's eyes.

"It doesn't sound that scary."

That's the beauty of having a mutual understanding—some things don't need to be said aloud; a slight collision of souls sparks a clear reflection of one's thoughts.

Having received a satisfactory answer, the girl beamed with joy, like a child who had just received their favorite gift.

She reached out contentedly, wanting to hug the equally cheerful boy in front of her.

"—You two, isn't it a bit much to keep whispering over there?"

Nagasaki Motoyo, her eyebrows curved but her azure eyes showing no sign of a smile, spoke softly in a tone that was still gentle and charming, yet inexplicably dangerous, just before Toyokawa Shoko actually hugged her.

If you're not careful, Xiangzi will dare to run away openly in front of everyone—isn't that an act of declaring war?

You know, everyone had a basic understanding before that they wouldn't do such a thing under each other's noses... It seems that the trip made her too excited and she forgot the principles of maintaining peace.

"Ahem... um."

Slightly startled by Nagasaki Motoyo's words, Toyokawa Shoko turned around and found that the four girls gathered around the long table had unknowingly locked their gazes on the two people who were standing very close together.

Because of her overstepping little actions, those heterochromatic eyes with their varied emotions unanimously began to brew unspoken thoughts.

Realizing that she might have inadvertently done something inappropriate in front of others, the girl blushed slightly, took a step back, and coughed lightly to cover up her embarrassment.

Yuan Xudou, however, remained calm and composed, displaying a composure that remained unmoved even when Mount Tai collapsed before him.

He placed the lantern he was holding on the table, and with the clinking of metal and the creaking of its age, the boy naturally steered the conversation.

"Now, everyone, get ready to wash up and go to bed."

Chapter 94 Bathing, Provocation, and Then War (Bonus Chapter 4/20)

Of course, it was only almost seven o'clock, and the girls who had just slept in the car were unlikely to feel sleepy at this moment. He mainly brought up the topic here in order to ease the unspoken pressure in their eyes.

When the topic turned to sensitive and private words like bathing, their attention was successfully diverted.

No matter how close they are, a six-person room is not yet at the point where they can ignore the separation of men and women and bathe in the same bath at the same time—perhaps one or two, or even more, girls can accept it in private, but it is not acceptable when they are together.

Therefore, Yuan Xudou and the other five girls agreed on the batch and time for bathing, and left first with their lanterns.

He had to check the airtightness and security of each room one by one, partly to prevent small wild animals from breaking in, and partly to prepare contingency plans for any emergencies.

The possibility of floods, storms, or even earthquakes—this country has always been prone to disasters, and natural calamities are commonplace, so we must always be vigilant.

He checked the furnishings and doors and windows of each room, inspected the power supply, and confirmed that there were no hidden dangers or biological traces. Even at a fast pace, these actions took him nearly an hour.

He then returned to the hall.

The girls had already tidied up the leftover food on the table, and the messy chairs had been neatly arranged. The bright chandelier had been turned off and replaced with a slightly dim, yellowish-brown wall lamp.

The girls' personal belongings seemed to have been taken to their own dorm rooms, and the piles of luggage were noticeably smaller.

He looked towards the bathtub.

The five wet shoe prints extended from under the exquisitely decorated glazed door, spreading to the staircase, where they dried up and broke off halfway.

It seems they've finished washing. Yuan Xudou thought with certainty.

He extinguished the lantern that was burning with a dim light and casually placed it on the table. He first carried his belongings up to the second floor, took out his bathrobe and undershirt, and then went into the dressing room.

When he took off his shirt, revealing his strong and muscular upper body, Yuan Xudou suddenly remembered the laundry.

This thought naturally faded when he saw the washing machine near the changing room, replaced by the problem that followed—he and the girls had to hang their clothes to dry separately, and he had to pray that there weren't any seabirds out of curiosity that might steal their underwear.

However, he only knew that birds would steal food, and the idea that they would steal clothes was just his wildly divergent thinking based on some rumors—it was probably unlikely that such a thing would happen.

Even if that were to happen, the thief would probably not be a seabird. Such rumors are generally just a pretext people fabricate to cover up their actions.

He took a neatly folded, clean bath towel from the cart, casually wrapped it around his waist, put on slippers, and walked into the bath with a wooden tub containing his toiletries.

I first took a quick shower in the shower room next door, and then sank myself into the pool where the water was slightly hot.

When no one was watching, Yuan Xudou relaxed his calm expression, leaned against the edge of the bathtub, and looked up at the ceiling, which was covered with dewdrops from the water vapor.