"Haha, our Hanyu Group received a massive investment today! Such a joyous occasion definitely calls for a proper celebration!"
"Come! Yuichi, let's toast!"
"Cheers!"
Hearing this, Shiroko didn't ask too many questions. He simply smiled faintly, raised his glass, and gently clinked it against hers.
Mitsuko was incredibly beautiful, but her alcohol tolerance left much to be desired.
After just three glasses, her gorgeous face was flushed as red as a stoplight.
And as people drank too much, they tended to talk more.
"Y-Yuichi, you have no idea how nervous your aunt has been lately. I was so terrified that the only thing your parents left for you would be destroyed in my hands."
"If it weren't for this investment, I was even planning to go accompany the eldest son of the Takayanagi family tonight..."
"Sob... Sister, I miss you so much!"
...
Listening to Mitsuko's drunken rambling, the veins on Shiroko's temples bulged.
'Damn the Takayanagi family. You bastards really deserve to die!'
Before long, Mitsuko was completely drunk.
Looking at the beautiful woman slumped over the table like a helpless kitten, Shiroko shook his head helplessly. He stood up and helped her into the bedroom.
But just as he was about to lay her on the bed, Mitsuko slowly opened her hazy, drunken eyes.
Seeing Shiroko's incredibly handsome face, she couldn't help but lean in. "I love you the most, Yuichi!"
He wasn't exactly a saint to begin with, and now she was testing him like this? Shiroko instantly lost all restraint. He lowered his head and captured her soft, pink lips.
The pink kimono fluttered, marking the prelude to a fierce battle.
...
An unknown amount of time later, Shiroko leaned against the headboard, a look of satisfaction on his face.
He was now someone who had finally taken a top-tier luxury car for a spin.
He had to admit, compared to the rides he had taken in the past, the performance of this luxury model was truly superior.
More importantly, this ride was brand new.
To think he had never driven a brand-new car in his past life, yet managed to get behind the wheel of one in this ruined world—who would have believed it?!
Before long, waves of exhaustion washed over him. Shiroko slowly closed his eyes and drifted off into a deep slumber, dreaming of drinking tea and discussing philosophy with an old sage.
Early the next morning, her long eyelashes fluttering, Mitsuko slowly opened her clear, spring-water-like eyes.
Feeling the waves of soreness radiating through her body, the beautiful woman furrowed her elegant brows.
But the next moment, upon seeing the handsome, sleeping face beside her, the color instantly drained from Mitsuko's face.
The memories of last night came rushing back to her!
Finally, her psyche completely shattered. Mitsuko couldn't help but bury her face in her knees, sobbing softly in despair. "Sob... Sister, I'm so sorry..."
Right as they were having a lively discussion, the old sage in his dream suddenly smiled faintly. "Little friend, you still have earthly matters to attend to. Go on."
Saying that, the figure gently waved his sleeve.
In an instant, Shiroko felt a sudden sense of weightlessness and couldn't help but blurt out a classic expletive. "Holy shit!"
Snapping his eyes open, Shiroko looked thoroughly annoyed. 'That old man has no manners!'
But immediately after, hearing the sobbing beside him, Shiroko's body jolted.
Turning his head, he looked at the beautiful woman who had buried her face deep in her knees. He hurriedly asked in a frantic tone, "Mitsuko! What's wrong?"
Hearing how he addressed her, Mitsuko's body trembled violently. She lifted her head, revealing two red, tear-filled eyes, and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice. "What did you just call me?!"
"Mitsuko. What else would I call you?"
"Yuichi, I am your..."
Knowing what she was about to say, Shiroko interrupted her in a deep voice. "We have no blood relation. You were merely adopted by my grandparents. Besides, do you really think we can go back to how things were?!"
As soon as those words were spoken, tears streamed down Mitsuko's face once again.
Seeing this, Shiroko reached out his right hand, gently wiping away her tears, and spoke softly. "Mitsuko, you are the only family I have left in this world. Do you know how heartbroken I was last night when I heard you say you were planning to accompany the eldest son of the Takayanagi family?"
"That was when I realized that, deep down, I never saw you as an elder. I saw you as a woman—a woman I want to spend the rest of my life with."
"I know you might have a knot in your heart, feeling like you've wronged my mother."
"But why don't you look at it from another perspective? Perhaps this is exactly what she wanted to see. Otherwise, why would she have asked you to take care of me back then..."
It had to be said, Shiroko was a master at shifting the narrative.
Why did she ask Mitsuko to take care of him?
Nonsense! At the time, Mitsuko was her closest relative in Japan. Who else was she supposed to ask?!
But right now, with her mind in utter turmoil, Mitsuko subconsciously chose to believe Shiroko's words.
When people are in despair, they always look for all sorts of justifications.
She recalled a time when her sister had jokingly mentioned letting Yuichi marry her when he grew up.
Perhaps that really was her sister's intention all along?
At that moment, having noticed her psychological shift through the Eye of Investigation, Shiroko went in for the killing blow.
Cupping her cheeks in his hands, he looked at her with deep affection. "Mitsuko, are you willing to walk alongside me for the rest of your life?"
"Yuichi..."
At this moment, Mitsuko's heart trembled violently, and tears welled up in her eyes once more.
Slowly leaning in, Shiroko gently kissed away her flowing tears before finally capturing her soft, pink lips.
After a slight struggle, Mitsuko completely gave up resisting and began to cooperate.
Inside the quiet bedroom, soft murmurs began to drift through the air once again.
During this time, a faint white light flew out from the top of Mitsuko's head and entered Shiroko's body.
However, Shiroko, who was currently busy, chose to completely ignore it.
A long time later, when everything finally settled down, Shiroko checked the time. He lowered his head, gently kissed the beautiful woman's forehead, and spoke softly. "I have to go to class. Don't go to work today, Mitsuko. Just stay home and get some good rest, okay?"
"Mhm!"
Nodding with a weary expression, Mitsuko then closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
The massive emotional rollercoaster between sorrow and joy, coupled with the physical exertion from earlier, had left her completely exhausted in both body and mind. Right now, all she wanted to do was rest.