Can someone in MyGo stay in an adventure group forever?

Page 84

"Xiangzi, you're back?"

The stubble that used to cover his chin was shaved clean, his messy hair was neatly styled, and even the dark circles under his eyes that had been a constant feature of his face for years had miraculously disappeared.

The man before her, Toyokawa Kiyoshi, was wearing a clean white shirt with an apron featuring a cute owl and bear pattern. His face held a confident air that Toyokawa Shoko hadn't seen in a very long time.

"The food is ready, would you like to eat?" He greeted us with a smile as he untied his apron.

"Huh? Wait, wait..." Toyokawa Shoko was almost completely bewildered as her father pushed her to the small dining table. Looking at the table laden with tempting, steaming home-cooked dishes, her mind went completely blank. "What is this—"

Toyokawa Kiyoko pulled out a chair and gently pressed her shoulder to help her sit down: "Daddy hasn't cooked in a long time, so I have to learn from scratch. I hope you can get used to the food..."

As he spoke, he placed a piece of stewed pork rib, which was glistening with oil and tender enough to fall off the bone, into the bowl in front of Toyokawa Shoko: "Shoko, you've had a tough time these past few days. It's all my fault. You need to take good care of yourself."

Toyokawa Shoko looked down at the tempting piece of pork rib in her bowl, her saliva instantly starting to flow faster, and she couldn't help but swallow.

“By the way, Xiangzi,” Toyokawa Kiyoko said, sitting down opposite her, “Actually, Dad’s drinking and BB shooting lately... were all an act.”

Toyokawa Shoko's eyes widened instantly, and she looked up at him in disbelief.

“However, now that old man Takeru Satoh is dead, Dad doesn’t need to pretend anymore.” Toyokawa Kiyoko smiled. “Dad has found a new job and starts tomorrow. He can earn quite a bit of money each month. Although it won’t give you the same comfortable life as before, at least you won’t have to work so hard anymore…”

"Wait—" Toyokawa Shoko finally recovered from the huge shock and interrupted him, "You're suddenly telling me all this... I... I can't quite accept it right now..."

“And…” She took a deep breath, looking warily at the familiar yet unfamiliar person before her, “Are you really my father?”

“Of course it is.” Toyokawa Kiyoshi looked at her seriously and answered without hesitation, “The real deal.”

"So... what was my mother's gift for my fifth birthday?"

“That doll.” Without hesitation, Toyokawa Kiyoko raised his hand and pointed to the doll placed in the corner of the room.

"What's your favorite type of tea?" Toyokawa Shoko pressed on.

"Dimbula black tea, Darjeeling black tea, Earl Grey black tea."

What model of keyboard did I use before?

"Roland V-Combo VR-730, you really like its semi-weighted feel."

One question after another was answered perfectly, and the other party knew all the details that were buried deep in their memories and only their family members knew.

"It really is..." Toyokawa Shoko murmured softly.

A sudden surge of bitterness and grievance welled up in my nose, my eyes began to redden uncontrollably, and my vision blurred instantly.

She quickly lowered her head, not wanting her father to see her in such a state.

"Silly child..." Toyokawa Kiyoko's voice had become a little hoarse. He reached out his hand, seemingly wanting to pat his daughter's head, but hesitated and withdrew it. In the end, he only gently patted her shoulder. "It's all in the past... It's all in the past... It's Daddy's fault for making you worry for so long..."

"Eat quickly." He put another piece of pork rib into Toyokawa Shoko's bowl. "The food will get cold soon."

"Hmm..." Toyokawa Shoko nodded vigorously, suppressing a sob, picked up her chopsticks, took a rib from the bowl, carefully blew on it, and put it in her mouth.

The rich aroma of the sauce and meat explodes in your mouth instantly, perfectly balanced between salty and sweet, and cooked to perfection.

It was clearly not a delicacy carefully prepared by a chef hired by the family.

Yet it carries a long-lost feeling of "home".

Toyokawa Shoko ate silently, feeling the warmth spreading from her stomach, as if all the fatigue and grievances of the past few days had vanished.

She suddenly put down her chopsticks and pinched Toyokawa Kiyokazu's arm hard.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! What are you doing?!" Toyokawa Kiyoko was caught off guard and pinched, wincing in pain, but he still didn't shake her off.

"It wasn't a dream after all..." Toyokawa Shoko said in disbelief, her mouth slightly agape.

The next second, the tears that had been building up finally burst forth.

Unable to contain her emotions any longer, she rushed forward like a fledgling returning to its nest, tightly embracing her father who was still rubbing his arm, burying her face deep in his chest, her voice filled with heavy sobs.

"Welcome back... Father."

Toyokawa Kiyoko's body was a little stiff at first, but he quickly relaxed, slowly reached out, and gently hugged her.

With his back to Toyokawa Shoko, he forced a helpless expression onto his face.

Toyokawa Kiyoshi, you damned thing... You have such a wonderful daughter, how can you not bear to come back and see her in person?

The two embraced for a long time until Xiangzi's crying gradually subsided and he let go of her. Only then did Eri, who was disguised as Toyokawa Kiyoko, finally return to her normal expression.

Seeing that Xiangzi seemed genuinely hungry, devouring his food without any regard for appearances, his round cheeks bulging, she couldn't help but reveal a heartfelt, gentle smile.

“Oh, right, Father.” Toyokawa Shoko, her mouth full of food, looked up at her. “I remember… you didn’t know how to cook at all before? When did you secretly learn?”

"I-Is that so? Haha..." Eri's heart skipped a beat, and a hint of panic flashed across her face. She quickly covered it up with an awkward laugh. "Maybe I remembered wrong?"

Toyokawa Kiyoshi, who was in the ditch, even lied about military intelligence.

If you want your daughter to have a nice meal, just say so. Why make it so awkward?

You two are truly cut from the same cloth, both equally stubborn.

Toyokawa Shoko gave her a strange look, but faced with immense joy and the tempting food, she didn't delve too deeply into it, only muttering "maybe," before continuing to bury herself in the food in front of her.

"Mmm...this stewed potato is delicious..."

"Oh, right," Toyokawa Kiyoko said, as if suddenly remembering something, "Shoko, have you... started dating recently?"

"Pfft—cough! Cough cough!" Toyokawa Shoko was scooping up a spoonful of soup to put it in her mouth when she heard this. She choked violently and coughed, her cheeks turning bright red and even her ears turning crimson.

She hurriedly put down her spoon, her eyes darting away, unable to meet Toyokawa Kiyoko's gaze: "Father! What did you suddenly say...!"

"Huh? Isn't that right?" Toyokawa Kiyotaka blinked, feigning surprise. "The boy who killed Sato Takeru?"

Toyokawa Shoko lowered her head, her fingers shyly twisting the hem of her clothes. After several seconds of silence, she said in a voice barely audible, "...It's him."

"I see." Toyokawa Kiyoko's face showed a relieved expression, then his tone became solemn. "Then he is our family's benefactor. Shoko, when would be a good time for you to bring him home for a meal? Let Dad thank him properly, and also see what kind of young man he is that could make such an excellent daughter of mine fall for him."

"Take...take him home?!" Toyokawa Shoko suddenly looked up, her face almost bleeding, waving her hands repeatedly, "This...this is too sudden!"

"What's wrong with that?" Toyokawa Kiyoko smiled. "Dad doesn't object to you dating. It's normal to have someone you like at this age. Your mother and I have known each other since high school."

"As long as you balance your studies well during high school... just don't cause any deaths."

"Father—!" Toyokawa Shoko glared at him in embarrassment and anger, then lowered her head and started eating her rice in a huff, no longer looking at him.

Eri couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

It seems that when dealing with high school girls, the topic of romance is still the most effective...

Wait, I think I'm a high school girl too?

Forget it, let's not worry too much about these details.

Kiyotaka Toyokawa, you bastard... are you done yet?! I've been cooking, acting, and dealing with your precious daughter... I can't take it anymore...

------

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Kiyotaka Toyokawa, carrying his briefcase, straightened his tie and looked up at the prominent characters at the top of the building.

Tanaka Suisan.

He sighed, pushed open the heavy glass door, and walked into the spacious and bright hall.

"Hello sir." The receptionist immediately flashed a professional smile. "May I ask if you have—"

“I’ve already made an appointment with your president,” Toyokawa Kiyotaka said expressionlessly.

"Okay, I need to confirm first..." The receptionist kept smiling, picked up the phone, and whispered a few confirmations.

A moment later, she hung up the phone, her smile widening: "Mr. Toyokawa, the president is waiting for you. Please take this private elevator—"

Toyokawa Kiyoshi nodded slightly, picked up the briefcase that looked quite heavy, stepped into the elevator, and pressed the button for the top floor.

The smooth metal door closed silently, instantly shutting out the noise from the outside world.

The elevator car ascended smoothly and rapidly, creating a slight feeling of weightlessness.

Toyokawa Kiyoshi slowly reached out and took out a pale white bone flute from his briefcase, holding it tightly in his hand.

The bright red numbers kept jumping, and finally, with a soft "ding", they stopped at the top.

He took a deep breath and stepped outside.

Just like when Mizuho Toyokawa first stepped into the Toyokawa family home, holding his hand.

Full of vigor and high spirits.

It felt like a beautiful and long dream.

And now——

He reached out and knocked on the door of the president's office.

It’s time to wake up from the dream.

Chapter Eight: The Little Cucumber Rescue Plan

"Wait... could you say that again? I didn't quite hear you." Koshimura rubbed his temples, looking at the girl in front of him with a face as delicate as a doll.

“Minami-chan and Aron are both away on business trips... I sneaked out while the maids weren’t looking and I was practicing the piano,” Wakaba Mutsu whispered.

It must have been quite a challenge for you to say so many words in one go...

"Then why did you appear in that place?" Koshimura asked, puzzled.

"...because Xiang has disappeared."

Why can I understand each word individually, but not when they're put together?

It took Yuecun Ze a moment to understand what she meant. She was looking for Xiangzi, but because Xiangzi was running too fast, she lost track of him and her brain overloaded, causing her to freeze in place.

......

What is this all about?

"Anyway, you're Xiangzi's friend, right?" he asked.

Ruoye Mu nodded gently, her golden eyes looking at him quietly.

"Then...why did you sneak out?" Koshimura Sawa felt his headache getting worse.

Ruo Yemu remained silent for a few seconds, then lowered her head, staring at her toes, and said nothing more.

I don't understand...

Looking at the silent, expressionless girl in front of him, Koshimura Sawa suddenly felt a strange sense of frustration.

Now I understand how Su Shi usually feels when she talks to her.

Just as he was mentally reviewing "The Art of Communication," Ruoye Mu suddenly spoke, his voice still very soft, but with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor: "Xiang... seems to be breaking down."

She looked up, her golden eyes filled with worry: "I'm so worried about her... but she keeps not answering her phone or replying to my messages."

She paused, then looked directly at Yuecun Ze.

"Why can you make Xiang laugh?"

"I also want to...make Xiang laugh again."

“Uh…” Koshimura Sawa paused for a moment.

So that's why?

It's actually a very simple thing; you just need to spend money to get another life.

However, Koshimura Sawa certainly couldn't say that to her directly.

"Do you know what's happened to Xiangzi lately?" He leaned forward, carefully considered his tone, and asked earnestly.

Ruo Ye Mu looked at him with some confusion and slowly shook her head.

You really don't know anything?

Koshimura thought for a moment and decided that if it was Mutsu, it probably wouldn't matter if he told her.

“That’s a very, very long story,” he sighed. “Let me think about where to begin…”

------

"...So, Xiangzi was just trying to keep you out of it," Yuecun Ze said, trying to keep a calm tone. "It wasn't because she disliked you, or thought you two weren't good enough... Hey? Why are you crying?"