Every single one of them was bad news.
Shinomiya. Sakayanagi. Ayanokouji. Yukinoshita.
Migraine, unlocked.
Of course he already knew the name Shinomiyathanks to Hayasaka Ai, he was well aware that the youngest daughter, Shinomiya Kaguya, existed in this world too.
And now these other names? Sakayanagi, Ayanokouji, Yukinoshita... He wasn't sure if they were the same terrifying names he'd heard of in his past life, but he could always look them up online.
Still... this couldn't be a coincidence, right?
I should've known things would get complicated... ever since Yor showed up...
Slice-of-life world, my ass. Is the world of the rich always this much of a mess?
If Mugiho had known this from the start, he might've gone back to the heavens and demanded a refund. This was way too much for a normal person to handle.
'And now even my peaceful daily life with Eriri and Mahiru is in danger... No dating both of them is already asking for trouble in the first place...'
He sighed heavily.
'Why do I feel like I've signed up for a death flag package instead of a quiet life...?'
"About the Shinomiya family..." Mugiho said with a wry smile, recalling his own first encounter with Hayasaka Ai.
"Hm? What about them?" his father asked.
"I was... contacted by them. No'contacted' isn't the right word. More like their youngest daughter sent me something before."
"Huh?" His father tilted his head, clearly confused.
Then, as if a lightbulb went off in his mind, he snapped his fingers. "Ah! You mean that truck full of knives?"
"That's totally your fault, you idiot!"
"PfftAhahahaha!" Akifumi Ye suddenly burst out laughing and gave his son a hard slap on the back.
Mugiho let out a tired sigh.
"What do you expect me to do? Put a disclaimer at the start of every story that says 'Warning: Bad things might happen ahead'? Isnt that count as a spoiler?"
"Well... you could tone it down a little, you know, ever since your mom finished reading Your Lie in April, she's been in a terrible mood with me."
"I still don't see how that's my problem. Sounds like your problem to me."
"You ungrateful brat..." Akifumi Ye clenched his fist, clearly tempted to give his son a proper smack on the headbut held himself back.
'No good... If my wife finds out I hit him, forget about sleeping on the couch... I'll probably get kicked out of the house entirely...'
'Seriously... that doting wife of mine... I miss my honeymoon periods where my wife pamper me...'
"But there's still something bothering me," Mugiho said, snapping out his father from his thoughts.
"Hmm? What is it?" he asked with annoyed tone.
"If my very existence was supposed to be a secret how did this information even leak in the first place? Doesn't that mean these people might just be a distraction?"
"Well..." Akifumi Ye fell silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully before continuing. "The only ones who know about you are the two leaders from DA and one executive from the Alan Institute, but the fact that you're still alive suggests it likely wasn't any of them."
"But I'll be a relief if this really was the work of some outsider, and not someone from my family... I really don't want to think there's a mole inside, but just to be sure...."
Without warning, Akifumi Ye pulled another pendant from his pocket and tossed it to Mugiho.
"Here, you take this."
Mugiho caught it on reflex, staring down at the familiar emblem of owl gleaming in his palm. His eyes narrowed. "What's this supposed to mean?"
"I want you to become one of Alan's children."
"You're kidding, right?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" He replied flatly, not even a hint of humor in his expression.
"Yes. Totally." Mugiho deadpanned.
"Just hear me out first, will you?" Akifumi sighed. "You know that the Alan Institute provides full support for geniuses, right?"
"Yeah"
"But there's another rule. Once someone becomes one of Alan's children, the institute forbids its members from making any direct contact with them, unless a special circumstances, So if you officially join Alan... even if they want to get to you, they can't."
"And you seriously think they'll follow that rule?" Mugiho raised an eyebrow.
Akifumi Ye chuckled at the doubt in his voice.
"Oh, they'll follow it. Trust me. You have no idea how fanatical those Alan folks are about their own rules, even if Alan did have a mole"
Well, that's true if I remember correctly, In the original there's that guyYoshimatsu Shinji... That guy's on a whole different level when it comes to dedication, even to the point to pointed a gun to his lover, and to Chisato who is like a daughter to him.
'Speaking of Chisato does that caf exist in this world?'
Glancing down at the pendant in his hand, Mugiho smirked.
"Don't tell me... this whole 'Alan' thing is actually some weird cult or something?"
'Coughcough!' Akifumi Ye nearly choked on air.
"What kind of image do you have of your own father?! You think I'm that sketchy? Some shady cult leader or something?"
"Yes. Yes, I do." Mugiho replied with a chuckle.
"At least try to deny it" Akifumi sighed, rubbing his temple.
"Well, thanks for this anyway," Mugiho said, slipping the pendant into his pocket. "So... what exactly do I have to do for Alan?"
"You're not seriously telling me there is nothing that Alan can support me with, right?" he added with a teasing smirk.
His father glanced at him, lips twitching as if holding back a sigh. Mugiho looked like a kid about to shamelessly ask for New Year's money.
'This brat... Didn't you already make a fortune? And now the moment you know your parents is loaded, you want to squeeze your own father dry too?'
Akifumi Ye sighed, shaking his head at his son's greedy grin.
"For that... you only need to keep doing what you're already famous for."
"My manga?" Mugiho asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Alan Institute exists to support and nurture struggling geniuses in any field, even your talents in manga, novels, anime... game developmentyou name it. That's what Alan will fully back you on from now on."
As he spoke, Akifumi Ye casually pulled out his phone and sent a message to someone.
"I don't think I'm struggling though," Mugiho muttered.
"Maybe not now," his father replied, slipping his phone back into his pocket.
"But after your works started selling globally, haven't you hit a bit of a plateau? If you want to push past that limit... you'll need proper backing."
Akifumi Ye smirked slightly, eyes glinting.
"I'll introduce you to someone. If you ever need anything, just go to her. well you probably already know her, anyway."
"Her?". Mugiho tilted his head in confusion.
[253] Her Own Conflict
True to its reputation as a major international hub, Narita Airport offers more than just flights. Conveniently connected to an AEON Mall, travelers can either take a leisurely 30-minute walk or hop on a shuttle to get there in under ten minutes.
Inside the mall, you'll find everything a traveler might needwhether it's food, souvenirs, clothing, or even a sit-down meal at one of the restaurants.
The only downside? Prices tend to be steeper than usual.
Brand-name items can cost nearly twice their normal market price, likely due to the mall's prime location and convenience.
But for Akifumi Nakui, price tags weren't something to worry about.
After all, she was using her husband's card. And in their household, money wasn't exactly tight.
Yor trailed behind Nakui, her eyes wandering curiously around the interior of the mall.
Compared to the sprawling shopping complexes of Tokyo that she saw when she stalks Mugiho and Mahiru, this one was modest in sizebut what truly surprised her was the sheer variety of items being sold.
She had assumed the mall was just a convenient add-on to the airport, nothing more.
Yet here it wasfull of unexpected treasures.
She stopped in front of a cutlery shop, her gaze catching on something shiny in the display. Sleek silver knives, elegant spoons, andoddly enoughice picks lined up neatly behind the glass.
"They even sell this here?" Yor murmured in surprise, her tone laced with intrigue.
She reached out and picked up one of the ice picks, weighing it in her palm. The handle felt lighttoo light for her preferencesbut she twirled it with practiced ease, testing its balance.
"A bit light... but maybe it's sharp enough?" she mused.
Without realizing it, she slipped into a quiet trance, imagining precise strike pointsthe heart, the liver.
Her body moved on its own, slipping into a graceful rhythm. With a slight pivot, she began demonstrating fluid stabs and twirls, switching the ice pick from one hand to the other like a dance of blades.
To the passing shoppers, it looked like a performance.
A small crowd began to gather, their eyes wide with interest, assuming this was some kind of street act. They started pulling out their phones, murmuring in excitement.
Just then, Nakui turned around mid-sentence.
"Yor, the store is just around the"
She paused.
Yor was no longer behind her.
Scanning her surroundings, Nakui's eyes widened as she finally spotted her in front of the cutlery store, ice pick in hand, dancing elegantly like a graceful assassin in the middle of a growing audience.
Nakui couldn't help but giggle softly. If this were the Yor from the past, she would've never done something like this.
Back then, Yor was always composednever distracted, especially not when she was by her side as "Thorn Princess".
Deciding to indulge in the moment, Nakui casually made her way to the front of the growing crowd, joining the onlookers as if she were just another curious spectator.
"Mom, that lady looks so cool! She's like a ninja!" a passing child exclaimed, wide-eyed with awe.
The innocent shout snapped Yor out of her trance.
Her eyes darted around, and that's when she realized a sizeable crowd had gathered in front of the store, all watching her intently.
'Oh no.'
Applause erupted from a few in the crowd who had enjoyed the unexpected "performance." To her horror, Yor spotted Mugiho's mother near the front, holding up her phonerecording. Her face flushed a deep crimson.
"She's so graceful! Is she a shrine maiden or something?"
"Maybe a professional fencer? Is there some kind of competition in Japan right now?"
"I bet she's a performer from one of those cultural shows!"
Questions and guesses flew from all directions, the crowd abuzz with excitement.
Yor, overwhelmed, stammered, "Um"
Quickly, she placed the ice pick back onto the display, gave a polite and flustered bow to the crowd, and rushed to Nakui's side like a panicked kitten returning to its owner.
"I'm so sorry, Nakui-sama I got a little distracted" Yor murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Nakui chuckled warmly at the sight of Yor's beet-red face. "It's alright, Yor. Honestly, that was kind of adorable."
She tilted her head slightly, teasing, "So, are you satisfied now? If you really liked that ice pick, I could buy it for you, you know."
"P-Please don't tease me like that" Yor quickly raised a hand to shield her blushing face.
Nakui laughed again, light and melodic. "Okay, okay. Let's go then, before someone asks for your autograph."
Yor gave a small, flustered nod, following closely behindher usual grace now replaced with shy steps.
By the time they reached the clothing store, Yor was already feeling drained from her earlier "performance." She trailed behind Mugiho's mother like a lost duckling, still reeling from the unexpected crowd and the embarrassment that followed.
"Sigh... I've been way too relaxed lately," she thought, her brows furrowed with guilt. "Maybe that's why they only see me as a bodyguard now. I'm probably not useful to anyone anymore"
She shook her head sharply, trying to chase away the spiraling thoughts.
'Nono, Yor, get it together! Even if I'm just a bodyguard now, I have to take it seriously!'
She clenched her fists, trying to summon her resolve.
'Yes, this is all for Yuri. I work so that he can live a normal, peaceful life'
But just as her motivation began to return, another thought crept inquiet, uninvited.
The image of her little brother flashed through her mind, not as the little boy she used to care for, but as the man he had become.
Somewhere along the way, he had grown up... and she hadn't even noticed when it happened.
'Maybe maybe no one needs me anymore.'
A soft voice pulled her back.
"Yor, look at this dress! Isn't it cute?" Nakui called out cheerfully, holding up a light, delicate summer dress with floral lace accents.
Yor blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. Her eyes landed on the dress in Nakui's hands, fluttering gently in the store's soft lighting.
The dress was a soft, snowy whitelight as air and gently swaying with every movement.
It had a sleeveless design with thin, spaghetti straps and a modest, heart-shaped neckline.
The fabric was subtly textured, adorned with tiny embroidered floral patterns that shimmered under the store's lighting.
The hemline stopped just above the knee, giving it a youthful and breezy charm, perfect for warm days and casual outings.
Yor forced a polite smile.
"Yes"
But Nakui caught the subtle shift in her expression and tilted her head, a hint of concern creeping into her voice.
"Yor, are you okay?"
"No, no, it's fine! It it looks lovely on you, Nakui-sama."
Nakui giggled softly.
"Oh no, you misunderstoodthis isn't for me." She held the dress up with a grin. "It's for you."
"Eh?"
Before Yor could protest, Nakui gently pressed the dress into her hands.
"Didn't I already tell you? This whole shopping trip is for you!" she said brightly. "Let me treat you. It's the least I can do to thank you for taking such good care of my son."
"You don't have to do that! The DA already paid me for that, you really don't need to"
But Nakui didn't wait for her to finish. She turned to the nearby shop attendant with a cheerful tone.
"Excuse me! This girl would like to try on this outfit. Could we use a fitting room?"
The saleswoman gave a warm, practiced smile.
"Of course, ma'am! Is the young lady your daughter?"
"Wha?!" Yor's face turned red in an instant. She frantically waved her hands. "You're mistaken, I'm just"
"Yes," Nakui cut in playfully, latching onto Yor's arm. "We're doing a little mother-daughter bonding today. I wanted to buy my daughter something nice before heading overseas for work."
"That's wonderful, ma'am," the saleswoman beamed. "You've come to the perfect place."
