Substitute Toyokawa Shoko, you can become stronger by breathing

"So, what happened next? What ultimately caused them to go their separate ways?"

"It's time and power. These two things reveal a person's true nature. As the general's kingdom grew, 'Wolf' got a taste of power. At first, it was just trivial matters—changing some of the general's decisions, secretly befriending his own confidants, and handling some 'unnecessary troubles' without the general's knowledge."

He paused, as if recalling something.

"The general had actually noticed it a long time ago, but he chose to remain silent. Perhaps it was because of their past friendship, or perhaps he wanted to give 'Wolf' a chance to mend his ways. Until the eve of the Battle of the North..."

"For the first time, 'Wolf' openly questioned the general's decision in front of all the generals. He proposed an alternative tactical plan; the general knew it was a test to see how many would side with him."

"What did the general do?" Toyokawa Shoko asked softly, although she might have already guessed the answer.

"The general didn't lose his temper. He simply listened calmly and said, 'We'll discuss this in detail when we return to camp.' That night, he gathered all his trusted aides, except Wolf, and asked a single question: 'If I'm gone, who will you follow?'"

"How did they choose?"

"Some hesitated, others remained silent. The general understood the poison had spread. The next morning, he made the right decision."

Kujo Renji stopped talking and turned his gaze to the handbag of Hachiman Kailing in his hand, his fingers gently stroking the leather texture on the bag.

"In front of the entire army, he stripped the Wolves of all their authority and cut their blood oath ropes with his own hands."

"What about 'Wolf'?" Toyokawa Shoko couldn't help but ask, "What happened to him?"

"He tried to seek revenge and rebuild his power. But without the general's protection, he quickly disappeared in this land where the strong prey on the weak."

After a moment, Toyokawa Shoko spoke softly:

"Does the General ever regret it?"

The wind blew through the treetops in the park, and for a moment, the only sound was the rustling of the trees.

After a long while, Kujo Renji said:

"No."

"Of course, the point is not the story itself, but the lesson it contains."

"What lesson?"

"It's not that you betrayed her, but from the very beginning, she didn't really give her life to you."

“Someone who truly entrusts their life to you will not try to challenge your decisions, will not secretly plot their own plans, and will not raise objections at critical moments.”

He seemed to be speaking to Toyokawa Shoko, but also to himself:

"So, you haven't let anyone down."

It was not until this moment that Shoko Toyokawa finally understood that Kujo was making up a story to comfort himself.

Miss Toyokawa felt a little touched.

This story was obviously made up by the other party based on Ave mujica. Isn't the general herself?

Combined with the act of just driving Hai Ling away.

Most likely it's to alleviate his guilt.

But it's true.

If Hai Ling really entrusted her life to herself, why would she choose to question her decision?

"you're right"

Toyokawa Shoko took a deep breath.

Then she added softly.

"Thank you anyway."

...

Hachiman Kairei's action in pushing open the apartment door could almost be described as rough.

She kicked off her shoes and rushed to the bathroom without even taking her bag. She turned on the faucet and splashed the cold tap water on her face, trying to wash away the dried tear marks and smudged eye makeup.

The face reflected in the mirror made her look away quickly - red and swollen eyes, smudged makeup, messy hair, and the obvious red mark on the forehead left by hitting the door.

This disheveled image is completely different from the usually calm and composed Hachiman Kailing.

“Damn it…Damn it…Damn it!”

She cursed under her breath and wiped her face roughly with the towel, as if trying to scrub off a layer of skin.

When she finally stopped, she realized her hands were still shaking uncontrollably.

Hachiman Hailing dragged heavy steps towards the living room, threw herself onto the sofa, and curled up like a wounded animal. Her long black hair was spread out on the pillow, and her wet face was buried in her arms. She looked both pitiful and helpless.

"What an idiot."

Her voice was muffled in her arms, filled with incredible shame:

"Crying in front of so many people..."

Recalling the scene in the cafe, Hachiman Kailing felt a wave of heat rising to her cheeks.

She, Hachiman Kailing, the "mercenary" who never showed weakness in front of anyone, the strong girl who gritted her teeth alone even after the original band disbanded, actually cried like a child out of control in public.

"Ahhh!"

Hachiman Kairei suddenly grabbed the pillow and covered her face with it, letting out a cry of frustration.

She recalled the foolish way she had bumped into the glass door, the curious looks in the cafe, and the expression of surprise and indifference on Toyokawa Shoko's face. The shame almost overwhelmed her.

Hachiman Hailing turned over and lay on her back on the sofa, covering her eyes with her arms, as if this could block out the outside world's judgment of her.

Thinking back on what had happened not long ago, anger quickly became the dominant emotion.

Hachiman Kairei suddenly sat up, anger flashing in her eyes.

That dictator, that betrayer, that damn, conceited bastard.

Cursing Toyokawa Shoko under her breath, she suddenly realized that she had even forgotten to take her handbag, which made her anger even more intense.

That bag contains her keys, wallet... almost everything important!

"Oooh!"

Grievance, anger, sadness, all kinds of emotions surged up again.

Hachiman Kairei curled up her knees, wrapped her arms around herself, and rested her forehead on her knees.

The familiar feeling of betrayal and abandonment came over her again, just like when she stood alone on the stage, facing the empty seats of her teammates.

"Why, it's always like this..."

Her voice became weak and choked with sobs:

"I just wanted to..."

Hachiman Kairei paused, suddenly confused about her purpose.

What does she want? Control? A say? Or does she want Ave mujica to continue?

Her thoughts were like a tangled mess, and her eyes accidentally fell on the bass guitar case in the corner of the living room.

The black guitar case leaned quietly against the wall, like a silent bystander.

Hachiman Kailing suddenly remembered what Toyokawa Shoko said when she first invited her to join Ave mujica.

——Entrust your life to her.

A very childish and nonsensical statement.

But it somehow touched her.

She had thought it would be a band like the other bands she moonlighted for.

But in reality, Ave mujica is not the same.

It awakened her deep desire for a sense of belonging, so she began to try to speak out, began to put forward her own ideas, and began to...test Toyokawa Shoko's bottom line.

"Probing..."

The word echoed in Hachiman Kairei's mind, bringing a stinging realization.

She slowly raised her head, a flash of enlightenment in her green eyes.

Yes, she was indeed testing, advancing step by step, and testing Toyokawa Shoko's tolerance bit by bit.

From small suggestions during rehearsal, to public statements in media interviews, to direct challenges to the program arrangement yesterday...

If she were Shoko Toyokawa, what would she do?

Hachiman Kairei suddenly realized that her behavior pattern was strikingly similar to that of the band that betrayed her when she was thirteen - except that the roles were reversed.

"So, this is the reason...?"

Her voice was barely audible, with a hint of bitter self-mockery.

Hachiman Kailing slowly slid down from the sofa and knelt on the floor, her eyes still fixed on the bass case.

She began to reflect on her motives. Was it because she truly wanted to make Ave Mujica better? Or was it simply because she couldn't stand not being in control?

Perhaps, deep down, she was afraid of history repeating itself, afraid of being abandoned again, so she chose to take the initiative and protect herself by taking some control.

But the result was counterproductive.

"Desire for control..." Hachiman Hailing whispered the word.

If she were in Toyokawa Shoko's position, what would she do?

There seems to be no other answer.

Outside the window, the night in Tokyo deepens and the city lights light up like stars.

The girl took a deep breath and finally picked up the phone.

The bright light on the screen reflected the girl's somewhat embarrassed face.

She opened the chat interface with Toyokawa Shoko.

A message was sent.

...

PS: This chapter has 5,500 words, I’ll post it first.

There will be at least 10,000 words of updates tomorrow.

Chapter 65: Even being a pet is a must-win! (1w3)

The next morning, the sky in Tokyo was clear blue, and the sun shone gently on every corner of the city.

Hachiman Kailing stood downstairs of Toyokawa Shoko's apartment, took a deep breath, and tried to calm her accelerating heartbeat.

She was wearing a simple black turtleneck sweater and a dark grey long skirt. Her black hair was neatly combed back, and her green eyes flickered with a rare sense of unease. The phone she clutched tightly in her hand displayed the message she had just sent:

"Ms. Toyokawa, I'd like to apologize in person for what happened yesterday. Is it convenient for us to meet?"

As expected, the response came quickly:

"Sure, I'll be home. In 30 minutes."

It was short and direct, without any emotion, but it made Hachiman Kailing's palms sweat slightly.

Hachiman Hailing took a deep breath, and her ears turned a little red.

The scene in the cafe yesterday is still vivid in my mind, and the feeling of embarrassment and humiliation is still clear.

But after a night of reflection, she had made her choice clear - she needed to face her mistakes, even if it meant enduring more humiliation.

When the doorbell rang, there was no immediate response.

Hachiman Kairei stood in the corridor, her heartbeat echoing in her ears.

Finally, the door opened and the blue-haired girl stood at the door, looking at her calmly with amber eyes.

"Please come in, Miss Hachiman."

The girl spoke briefly, her thoughts unintelligible in her voice.

Hachiman Kairei lowered her head and followed him into the apartment.

The living room is neat and simple, with sunlight filling the entire space through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

She noticed the black handbag she had forgotten yesterday on the coffee table, and she couldn't help but feel relieved.