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There are also birds that voluntarily confine themselves in cages.
No need to recall, so...
*You know you know you know (You know perfectly well that you know perfectly well)
So you know I want you to know how much I need you.
I am now almost insane.
"Hey, Yu-kun, actually, my name is Mitsu Mitsu."
The guitar music gradually stopped.
But she no longer had the chance to convey those words to the other person.
The final stop of Chapter Four: Okinawa Island
Meow-chan, who had been caught by Toyokawa Shoko, reluctantly joined her in soaking in the hot spring. Although it was the same hot spring, the feeling that Yutenji Wakana experienced at this moment was completely different.
Seeing the girl next to her in a good mood, Miaomeng couldn't help but say, "Even though someone is interfering with your 'honeymoon trip,' you seem quite happy about it."
Upon hearing this, Xiangzi couldn't help but laugh: "Oh dear, I just realized that it's really a bit cloying for two people to be together all the time, especially since Xi always thinks about such risqué things. Although I'm not saying I hate it, are all boys stupid? Can't they think of something gentler and more romantic?"
But if there are other people around, at least they won't always touch me inappropriately.
Hearing Xiangzi's boasting—yes, this was blatant boasting—Miaomeng's blood pressure soared. She shouted, "I understand, Toyokawa Xiangzi! You agreed to let me travel with you because you wanted someone to be your foil. Otherwise, it's so boring to be so happy in the dark, right?!"
Xiangzi blinked and said, "I think you're overthinking it."
"Don't worry about it, this woman has ill intentions." However, after a moment of silence, Miao Meng asked, "Hey, are you really not bothered?"
"What do you mind?"
"Nonsense, of course it's because I still like Banami, or rather, I haven't given up at all."
In most couples, if the girlfriend hears that another girl is trying to get close to her boyfriend, she will definitely be very angry and wary.
but……
"Do you like me, Miaomeng?" Xiangzi asked.
"What...please don't say such disgusting things!!"
What a straightforward approach to dealing with a proud and aloof person! Miao Meng felt a little frustrated, as if she was being suppressed by the other party at every turn.
"I really like you, Meow Dream, especially after our trip to Kumamoto, I like you even more," Xiangzi said sincerely, looking at the starry sky.
"I still... can't understand you." Miaomeng gently shook her head.
Xiangzi looked out of the hot spring, or rather, looked at the boy outside the hot spring.
Right now, he's probably thinking about their future, their next destination, and things like that.
So Xiangzi said, "Actually, this trip is coming to an end. We'll probably be back in Tokyo soon. After Grandpa gives in, I'll go back to the Toyokawa family..."
Then, Xiangzi turned his head and said, "I will hand over 'Ave Mujica' to Xi. He will then lead you onto the path of a professional band."
My dream is now in your hands, and I'll have to meet with you, Banai. But every time Xi hears this topic, he gets a little unhappy. He's not happy that I can't pursue a career in music.
But I feel that this is enough, this is satisfactory.
So I'd like to ask you to help me persuade Xi-jun."
Upon hearing this, Miao Mengqin's eyes widened: "You...you...didn't you personally recruit me to Ave Mujica? How can you be so irresponsible?!"
"Could it be that you, Miaomeng, are reluctant to part with me?" Xiangzi teased slightly.
Immediately, Miaomeng's face darkened; this woman was truly annoying.
In fact, Miaomeng probably knew the whole story of their escape.
She understood Toyokawa Shoko's original intention in doing so, so she asked, "Toyokawa Shoko, have you ever thought about letting Hachimi manage everything in the Toyokawa family, and then you can continue to pursue your musical dreams?"
Xiangzi shook his head gently: "How could I be so selfish as to let Xi be trapped in the Toyokawa family home? Besides, I couldn't do it."
"Why?" Miao Mengqin asked, puzzled. She really didn't understand the intricacies of these wealthy families.
"Because I didn't die," Xiangzi said calmly.
"what?!"
"Grandpa was able to control the Toyokawa family because Grandma passed away. Before that, Grandpa was just assisting Grandma in managing the Toyokawa family. If Mom hadn't passed away, it would have been the same. But Mom passed away, so only Father could inherit the Toyokawa family. That's how it was originally..."
Now that I'm still alive, it's impossible for Xi to win over the masses; only someone of the Toyokawa family's direct bloodline can...
Furthermore, the head of the Toyokawa family would never become a 'performer' to entertain the public.
Therefore, she could only choose between the Toyokawa family and music.
Miao Meng looked at Xiangzi, who had already made all the decisions, and thought to herself, "You're still the same as before, aloof and superior."
"Toyokawa Shoko, you..."
"Huh?"
"What an idiot!"
Having said that, Meow Dream stood up and left the hot spring.
Xiangzi felt somewhat confused and quickly stood up to leave as well.
"Dear Miaomeng, what are you angry about? I already agreed to let you form a band with Xijun."
I've already suppressed my jealousy, so you should be happy, right?
Xiangzi was somewhat puzzled.
"Laughable, I don't want to talk to idiots right now, okay?" Miao Meng changed her clothes and walked out coldly.
She went into the bedroom and called out to Hanami, "Hanami Yuu, tell me about your girlfriend!"
But before she could finish speaking, she saw Banami intently watching the television not far away, and then she made a shushing gesture.
Xiangzi, who arrived later, also noticed something strange about her boyfriend.
The two girls couldn't help but look at the news being broadcast on TV.
"DOUBLE WIN agency announced that due to Ms. Misumi Hatsuka's health reasons, the popular idol group SUMIMI will suspend all activities. Ms. Junda Mana has not yet given a clear answer as to whether she will continue her idol activities."
Xiangzi's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly realized something and said, "Xi... could this be... Grandpa's arrangement?!"
Banami nodded slightly and said, "I didn't expect that old Deng would find us. It's better to lure us out than to search like a blind fly."
Xiangzi, do you still remember Chuhua's hometown, that island?
“Of course I know, it’s in Okinawa. I lived there when I was a child,” Xiangzi replied immediately.
"Wait, you two aren't planning to... just go straight there, are you? Isn't that obviously a trap?!" Miao Mengqin immediately shouted, she already understood what the two of them meant.
Banami hesitated slightly, unsure how to begin, when Shoko said, "Yu once told me that she wanted a happy ending. I think that happy ending means that Yu and I are not the only happy people."
This definitely includes Su Shi and Deng, Xiao Mu, Miao Meng Qin Ni, and of course, Chu Hua. I... really like this happy ending.
Xiangzi's face showed a resolute expression. Even if it was a trap, she couldn't just leave Chuhua alone.
"Let's go, our last stop is Okinawa."
Chu Hua's hometown, the place where she met Chu Hua.
It was also... the place where the three of them first created a derivative work.
Chapter Five: First Meeting, My Name is Sankaku Hatsuka
With their destination decided, the three of them rode in Uncle Kumamoto's pickup truck from Kumamoto Prefecture to Kagoshima Port. Fortunately, the two places were not far apart, and with the ferry journey, it only took about a day and a half.
After the three of them boarded the ferry at the port, facing the refreshing sea breeze, Banami's brows furrowed slightly.
"Is there anything strange about it?" Xiangzi couldn't help but ask, subconsciously looking around the ferry.
"It's precisely because things are going too smoothly that I find it strange. I was originally thinking, if Toyokawa Noboru..."
"Hey, that's my grandpa. Stop calling him 'Grandpa' all the time, okay?" Xiangzi rolled his eyes at him.
“Okay, if Toyokawa no Takashi wanted to use Hatsuka to lure us out, then he should have set up an ambush at the port first. But we looked at the port of Kagoshima for a long time and even used props to test it, but we couldn’t see anyone related to the Toyokawa family at all.”
Hearing Banami still casually calling him "Old Deng," Xiangzi seemed somewhat helpless.
Although Grandpa and Banami had already negotiated once, their relationship did not seem to have improved.
However, after hearing what Banami said, Xiangzi thought for a moment and then said, "Could it be that Grandpa plans to wait until we land on the island before making a move? If that's the case, as long as the port is blocked, we're doomed to be trapped on the island."
"Indeed, it's much easier to run around here than on the islands of Okinawa. Old Deng's mind is really wicked. No wonder he's a man with the surname Toyokawa."
"Huh?! What do you mean?!" What do you mean by saying that people with the surname Toyokawa are treacherous?
Then I saw Banami's grinning face.
Xiangzi sighed and said, "Sorry, we've walked right into a trap, haven't we?"
Banami shook her head slightly and said, "It's alright, leave it to me."
If it were just a direct violent conflict... it would actually make Banami feel more at ease, but he always felt that something was strange about this matter, and he felt a little uneasy.
The root of this unease came from the fact that when he was still in Tokyo preparing to take Shoko out of the Toyokawa family, Mikami Hatsuka took the initiative to suggest delaying Toyokawa's old man.
At that time, Hanami was too preoccupied with Shoko's situation to think much about it, but now that she thinks about it carefully, she wonders why Mikami Hatsuka was able to transfer Toyokawa Noboru away from the Toyokawa family.
Why was Toyokawa no Toyoda willing to meet the other party?
Just as Banami was lost in thought, she heard Yutenji Wakana's voice: "Speaking of which, don't you guys feel like your trip is like collecting scattered teammates, teammates from 'Ave Mujica'?"
When Ave Mujica was first established, Xiangzi was full of utilitarian thoughts and did not understand his teammates' thoughts at all. He just wanted to build a super team as quickly as possible.
Therefore, the new band failed, she was first imprisoned, then escaped, but unexpectedly, she ended up getting Yutenji Wakana, with whom she had the biggest disagreement, back as her bandmate.
She picked up the pieces of the puzzle called "ideal" that had been scattered on the ground, pieced them together, and finally... handed them over to Banami.
Hearing Miaomeng's words, Xiangzi couldn't help but smile: "Therefore, we must rescue Chuhua, no matter what!"
"Can you please stop being so enthusiastic all the time? It makes me look stupid," Banami complained from the side.
Because they had to be wary of the "undercover agents" on the ferry, the three took turns keeping watch at night, but no suspicious people bothered them until the ferry arrived at Okinawa Port in the early morning.
If Xiangzi's guess is correct, then the moment they land on the island is the easiest time for the Toyokawa family to catch them.
To the great surprise of the three, they left the port safely.
"I think you might be overthinking things. Actually, Misaki Hatsuka's withdrawal from idol activities has nothing to do with that Mr. Toyokawa," said Meow Dream.
But Xiangzi countered, "Then, Miaomeng, if you were my grandfather and really wanted to capture us, wouldn't you take advantage of this opportunity?"
"Nonsense, of course you would. If it weren't for Banami's wonderful little gadgets, you two wouldn't be able to escape." Meow Dream said.
Banami nodded slightly. It was obvious, so... Old Deng, what are you trying to confuse me about?!
The scenario that Banami and the others had envisioned—overcoming numerous obstacles and finally rescuing the imprisoned princess (Hatsuka) in a satisfying way—was completely unnecessary.
Miaomeng scratched her head and then said, "So where do we go now?"
Xiangzi said softly, "The Toyokawa family's vacation villa on Okinawa Island."
"Aren't we going to find Mitsuba Hatsuka?" Meow Dream blinked.
Suddenly, Xiangzi blushed slightly: "I...I don't know where Chuhua's home is, but when I lived in a holiday villa when I was little, Chuhua always played nearby, so I think her home is nearby."
"Huh?! You don't know where other people's places are~" Miaomengqin said sarcastically.
Suddenly, Xiangzi became somewhat embarrassed and angry, shouting, "Now I know where Miaomeng's house is, so we're good friends now! Good friend Xiaomai!"
"Toyokawa Shoko, I'm warning you, if you disgust me again, I'll ambush Hanami tonight!" Meowmu shouted.
Hearing the two girls arguing beside her, Banami's head was buzzing with pain, but she took the opportunity to search through the system for some cost-effective self-defense items.
Now it seems highly likely that Old Deng was waiting for them to walk into his trap at the villa in the Toyokawa estate.
About two hours later, the three of them finally arrived at the Yaeyama Islands, one of the outlying islands of Okinawa, by small ferry. It is far from Naha, the capital of Okinawa. The island is only 600 square kilometers in size and has a permanent population of only 3% of the total population of Okinawa. This is the hometown of popular idol, Mikami Hatsuka.
The scenery on the island was quite nice. Even though autumn was in full swing, the cicadas' chirping could still be heard under the green shade. Following the location in his memory, the three of them headed towards the Toyokawa family's villa.
But actually, you don't need to look for it much. Just look up and you'll see a villa on the highest mountain that seems completely out of place on an outlying island. Clearly, that's where Xiangzi used to vacation when he was a child.
However, when the three asked the locals about Sanjiao Chuhua, or rather, the Sanjiao family, an old woman said, "The Sanjiao family... I seem to remember them, but they moved off the island a long time ago. The man in the family was unlucky; he encountered a storm while fishing at sea and never came back."
Xiangzi's eyes widened in surprise, but then he heard Miaomeng ask, "Did she tell either of you about this?"
Seeing that Banai and Xiangzi remained silent, Miaomeng said with a hint of sarcasm, "It seems that neither of you really understands Mikasa."
Xiangzi lowered her head slightly, but the boy held her hand tightly and said, "It's okay, it's not too late."
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