Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

"Good night."

She said, with a barely perceptible hint of compromise in her voice.

"Good night."

He responded, leaning back into the sofa, tapping his fingers on the screen of his phone, the light from the screen illuminating his slightly furrowed brow.

Half an hour later, the only sounds in the room were the breathing of the two people.

Ruoye Mu was already asleep, her breathing steady and gentle.

Kujo Renji shook his head and sat back on the sofa.

It's time to sleep.

.....

The early morning sunlight poured into the apartment through the gaps in the curtains. Kujo Renji had already gotten up and was standing in the kitchen frying a simple breakfast.

When Ruoye Mu came out of the bedroom, he was flipping the golden fried egg, and his movements were so skillful that he didn't look like a high school student.

Ruoye Mu stood at the kitchen door, her long light green hair casually draped over her shoulders, her golden eyes quietly staring at his back.

She didn't say hello, but walked silently to the table and sat down, her fingers lightly folded on her legs, like a puppet waiting for a signal.

"I'll take you to school after dinner."

Kujo Renji said without turning his head, put the fried eggs on a plate, and spread a thin layer of butter on the bread.

Ruoye Mu nodded slightly, even though he knew he couldn't see the action.

When the plate was pushed in front of her, she whispered a thank you, her voice so soft that it was almost drowned out by the sound of the cutlery clattering.

The meal was unusually quiet. Kujo Renji occasionally glanced at the girl across from him and noticed that she also ate with great restraint—small bites, slow chewing, and no unnecessary movements.

He suddenly understood why Ruo Yemu left the impression of a "puppet" on many people - she was used to compressing her presence to a minimum, as if this could avoid being noticed and judged.

"Let's go."

After the meal, Kujo Renji picked up their backpacks. The girl nodded and followed him quietly, walking out of the apartment like a shadow.

The subway was crowded and noisy during the morning rush hour. The two were pushed close to each other by the crowd, and Wakaba Mu's shoulder occasionally touched Kujo Renji's arm.

Amid the noise in the carriage, she remained silent, her fingers tightly gripping the armrest until her knuckles turned slightly white.

The subway arrives at the station and people rush in.

Wakaba Mutsu followed Kujo Renji out of the car and stopped at the subway entrance.

"arrive."

Kujo Renji handed her the schoolbag in a calm voice.

Ruoye Mu took the schoolbag and his fingertips unconsciously rubbed the strap.

She raised her head, her golden eyes staring at him for a moment, then quickly looked away, as if she wanted to say something but swallowed it back.

"Goodbye."

She finally said only these two words, her voice so soft that it was almost drowned out by the noise around her.

However, her actions conveyed her emotions better than words - she took a step, then stopped, turned around and looked at Kujo Renji, took two more steps, and turned back again.

After repeating this three times, she finally turned around and merged into the flow of pedestrians. Her long light green hair was faintly visible in the crowd, like a watercolor that refused to fade away.

Jiujo Renji looked at her back and felt a subtle feeling in his heart.

This way of saying goodbye, this kind of reluctant hesitation, reminded him of the scene of children going to school who were reluctant to be separated from their parents.

——Am I taking my daughter to school?

This sudden thought made him chuckle. Ruo Yemu was only a few years younger than him, but he gave him a wonderful feeling of caring for a small animal.

Her contradictory attitude of restraint and desire for dependence is very much like a child who has just learned to be independent but still looks back from time to time to check whether her parents are still there.

"What are you laughing at?" In my mind, Toyokawa Shoko's voice sounded a little curious.

"nothing."

Kujo Renji shook his head and turned to walk in another direction: "I just think it's interesting."

The red brick building of Yugaoka Girls' College is hidden under the cherry trees, appearing simple and solemn.

As Kujo Renji stepped into the school gate, he felt an inexplicable sense of comfort.

In the past few months, he had been away from school for almost half of the time due to the band's tour preparations, so today's routine seemed fresh.

The bell rang for class, and Kujo Renji sat by the window. The sunlight shone through the glass onto the table, leaving mottled light and shadows.

The teacher's explanation, the sound of chalk hitting the blackboard, the occasional whispers of classmates, all these sounds that could not be more ordinary, at this moment made him feel a strange peace.

"Are you in a good mood today?" Shoko Toyokawa seemed to have noticed his condition.

——It’s pretty good.

Kujo Renji responded in his mind, and caught a glimpse of the teacher explaining a math problem at the podium.

Time passed like water, and the whole day's classes came to an end unknowingly.

The bell rang, announcing the end of school. Kujo Renji packed his bag and was about to leave when a familiar voice came from behind him.

"Toyokawa-san, could you please wait a moment?"

He turned around and saw his homeroom teacher, Mr. Murakami, walking towards him, his eyes behind the red-framed glasses showing some concern.

"Someone wants to see you. They're waiting in the office."

Mr. Murakami said gently.

Kujo Renji had an idea and followed the teacher to the teacher's office.

.........

To be honest, he really couldn't imagine who would want to see him.

It is highly likely that the Toyokawa family would not choose to meet him at school.

Ishikawa and Yamamoto would not do such a stupid thing, not to mention that these two people have their own contact information.

Could it be Nikaido?

With doubts, Kujo Renji pushed open the door.

The next moment, he saw a familiar yet unfamiliar figure sitting on the visitor chair.

"dad...?"

Toyokawa Shoko's slightly surprised voice sounded in his mind.

—— Kiyoshi Toyokawa, the father of Shoko Toyokawa.

The middle-aged man was wearing a suit, his hair seemed to have been groomed, and the dark blue under his eyes showed his fatigue.

Seeing Kujo Renji coming in, he stood up suddenly, but didn't know how to start speaking, and his expression showed a bit of embarrassment and hesitation.

Mr. Murakami noticed the subtle atmosphere and said softly, "I'll go get some tea. You two can chat slowly."

After saying that, he closed the door gently and left.

Only the father and daughter were left in the office - to be precise, Toyokawa Seikatsu and Kujo Renji who was occupying his daughter's body.

"What are you here for?"

Kujo Renji spoke straight to the point in a calm tone.

"Don't be like that..."

The voice of Toyokawa Shoko sounded in his mind, and his attitude seemed a little complicated.

"Be nicer to Dad."

Kujo Renji sneered in his heart, but did not show it on his face.

Fengchuan Qinggao opened his mouth, as if he wanted to mention what happened last time, but in the end he just said softly: "There are some things I want to talk to you about, Xiangzi."

He looked at his "daughter" cautiously, his eyes revealing complex emotions - guilt and worry.

Kujo Renji looked at the man in front of him.

Toyokawa Kiyoshi, the adopted son-in-law of the Toyokawa family, once took over a project and was defrauded of 168 billion yen. He eventually resigned and left the Toyokawa family.

Today, he numbs himself with alcohol all day long and looks far from the elite man he was back then.

Judging from Toyokawa Shoko's memory, he was a good person.

——But there is no difference between good guys and bad guys in front of Kujo Renji.

On the surface, he maintained the proper demeanor of Toyokawa Shoko and nodded slightly:

"If you have anything to say, let's talk while we eat."

Toyokawa Seikao's eyes lit up, as if he didn't expect such a response.

He nodded hurriedly, even clumsily picking up the briefcase beside him.

"Okay, sure."

The two left the school and found a private restaurant nearby.

Toyokawa Kiyoshige was walking in front, occasionally looking back to check if his "daughter" was following him. His expression was very much like that of a middle-aged father facing his rebellious daughter.

Kujo Renji followed behind, with Toyokawa Shoko's emotions in his mind fluctuating like the tide.

The restaurant is softly lit and the distance between tables is just right - not too crowded, but enough to ensure that conversations are not easily captured by neighbors.

The waiter led them to a corner by the window. After sitting down, Toyokawa Kiyoshi adjusted the collar of his suit awkwardly, as if trying to hide some nervousness.

Kujo Renji glanced at the menu and handed it to Toyokawa Seikao: "You order."

The man took the menu, his fingertips trembling slightly. He ordered two set meals and a glass of ice water.

Kujo Renji noticed that he didn't order any wine.

After the waiter left, there was a brief silence at the table.

In fact, Kujo Renji had some vague guesses about Toyokawa Kiyoshi.

Toyokawa Kiyoshige's "decadence" was not his original intention.

The decadence he deliberately displayed was probably for certain people in the family to see - a defeated ex-son-in-law and adopted son who was no longer a threat was much safer than an enemy who could make a comeback at any time.

Of course, Shoko Toyokawa was not aware of this, so she chose to leave home after her father fell.

Kujo Renji also suspected that part of the reason why Toyokawa Seikao was "acting" was to force his daughter to return to the Toyokawa family.

Of course, there is also a funny fact in this.

If he hadn't pretended to be decadent, Shoko Toyokawa might not have left the family at all.

But these have nothing to do with Kujo Renji.

He is not Toyokawa Shoko, and Toyokawa Kiyoshi is not his real father.

He himself is a person with a weak sense of family affection, which allows him to think about the real situation in a detached and rational manner.

"Xiao Xiang..."

Toyokawa Kiyoshi broke the silence, his voice a little stiff, "The band has been doing very well lately."

Kujo Renji nodded slightly, pretending to be Toyokawa Shoko, and responded modestly and restrainedly: "It's okay."

“It’s really amazing…”

A hint of pride flashed across Toyokawa Seikao's eyes, but then dimmed again.

"You've managed to bring the band to this point in such a short time... I heard you're going on tour in Osaka?"

"Well, we'll leave next week." Kujo Renji answered casually.

In fact, he was carefully observing the other person's expression - every tiny change, every wandering of his eyes, could reveal his true intentions.

Sure enough, when "Osaka" was mentioned, Toyokawa Kiyoshi's eyes flickered, his fingers tapped the table unconsciously, and then stopped forcibly.

"You haven't fallen behind in your studies, have you?"

He tried to change the subject, his tone deliberately casual.

Kujo Renji exchanged a few pleasantries, talking about school life, recent exams, and future plans.