Ai headed to the car that he had purchased for Miyako. It was the perfect place to talk, soundproof and secluded. However, she hesitated for a moment before dialing his number.
Ai wasn't exactly a genius, but she wasn't foolish either. Growing up in a less-than-ideal family situation, with an absent father and a mother who didn't fulfill her role, she experienced the bitter side of marriage.
This may sound harsh. Ai, you need to be aware that you're in the dark. First, you're an idol, the top one at that. Secondly, you lack strong backing. I know you're an idol, but still, you're just nobody. So, don't blindly trust his words.
Said Gontanda Taishi.
After consulting with people close to her, like Director Gontanda, who always helped her, and Aqua, she learned that her relationship with Minoru was based on a mere verbal agreement. It was like walking on a beautiful bridge with a weak structure or investing in bitcoin.
Her marriage was unconventional, but she was grateful that Minoru understood why she acted this way.
Still, she needed to assess the charts. Was there a future or impending doom? It might be better to end the relationship now if he proved unfaithful, sparing Aqua and Ruby from paying the price for her mistakes.
However, at this moment, Ai is consumed by pure jealousy, well she's a woman too. With an uneasy feeling, she asked, "Minoru-kun, how close is your relationship with that woman? She's a new teacher, just like you, right?"
"What? You called me for something like this? Why so sudden? And I never said anything related to my job either," he replied, speechless, leaning against a tree somewhere in the academy.
"AAAHHH, MOEEE! Just answer the question! Or else, I'll never show you the picture of Ruby in a bunny costume!" Ai exclaimed with fury.
The great me? The honored one just getting blackmailed? Put that aside. My daughter in a bunny costume? This question hung in the air. Minoru's face turned serious as he pondered. He had never seen Ruby in that costume, as she had refused to show it to him. However, if his mom had given it to him, it was a different story.
"H-How much does it cost? A million dollars? No, that's too cheap. I'll give you my 40% shares in Google..." he stammered.
Ai, dumbfounded, leaned in. "Did you just offer me money for a picture of your own... daughter?" Common sense just left the chat.
"I'm not joking." Turns out, it was his common sense.
"You've got some serious issues, Minoru-kun."
"Uhuh. Is that wrong? Rather, I'll double it—"
"Stop, Minoru. Stop flexing your money, and you don't have to do that, because you're her FATHER! Look, I get that you're rich, but just stop."
Ai realized that this was what marriage was. She had finally seen Minoru's bad side.
"Bad habits. Sorry," Minoru apologized, calming himself. "About me and Briar-san, there's nothing between us. I swear to God."
To calm down his jealous and angry wife, Minoru summarized how he had met Yor up until now. For the sake of a happy ending, he didn't have the audacity to refuse.
"That's it." He finished.
Ai sighed, smiling. There was no slight lie as she genuinely felt that way. Though Minoru was relieved she didn't know about Chabashira Sae.
"Now, give it to me. The photo. Make sure it's high quality."
Ai pouted, "You like Ruby that much. Why not ask for my photo too? Anyway, I'm sorry for my petty feelings." She paused, "Make sure you're working hard, alright?"
"Nah, I'm having a headache after dealing with a spoiled brat. And how did you know about her?"
"Hahaha," Ai laughed dryly, "Congratulations, Yanagi-sensei. Because now you're famous."
"Me?"
"I forgot that you're actually a caveman. Just get out of your cave, see the world, and download twitter. Okay, I'll send the picture. Bye."
"...Bye—famous, huh?"
Minoru thought, 'Eileen has 49% shares in Twitter. Nah—' He didn't want to be in debt with that Queen.
Following through on her promise to him, she fulfilled his wish. She sent him the photo of Aqua and Ruby. Upon opening it, a subtle smile graced his face as Aqua posed in a Hogwarts uniform, and Ruby adorned a bunny costume. While he longed to see the photo for an extended period, duty called, demanding his attention.
Pushing himself away from the tree, he began to stroll.
'Event prep is covered by the dream team, and Briar watches over the student council. Now, onto the delinquents.'
Heading south, he ventured into the literary farm area of the academy—a notable accomplishment given the school's central location in Minato. Shuchi'in took pride in raising a multitude of cows, and a bordering forest of trees enveloped the expansive meadow.
And behind that was an abandoned storage facility, once used for discarding broken items like Yor's keyboard, which served as the perfect haunt for delinquents.
"Yuuya's horse box is at the farm," he recalled, triggering memories of Yor's favorite old tales.
Suddenly, a call interrupted his thoughts.
[S-Sensei! This is Moeha. W-We need your help!] Halting in his tracks, he sprinted back north.
"Copy. What's the problem?"
[There's a lot of Yakuza at the main gate, and we're holding the president from a fight. Kyaa sto—] Moeha's voice urgently cut off.
"I'm on my way," Minoru sighed, annoyed by the spoiled brat causing trouble.
[Yanagi-san! Did you need my help?] Yor asked, concerned.
"Stay there and help Team Shirogane. Leave the Yakuza to me."
Everyone who overheard admired his guts, thinking he could handle it alone. But, talk was often easier than action.
"Hoho. Let's see if you can handle this elegantly, Yanagi-sensei," Henry remarked, eyes fixed on the big screen displaying Minoru's sprint.
'Hmmph.'
Sae watched with interest, wondering about his courage, as their previous school affairs had never involved with the Yakuza.
'Heh... always so overconfident. Underestimating them too much. Just because you live in the UK doesn't mean you knows everything about the Japanese underworld. Sensei, this kind of thing was never taught in university, even for a genius.'
Kaguya thought while preparing inside the auditorium, anticipating Minoru's potential downfall.
---
Before Amanai could pick a fight, Raku, the only son of the Shuei Clan, one of the four Yakuza clans, sighed. He was tired of all the drama. All he wanted was a normal daily life, walking to school without any fuss.
Approaching the front gate, now eerily silent due to his underlings blocking the road for "safety," he remembered the familiarity of this silence from his past. All eyes were on him, filled with a mixture of fear and reverence, as if he were the freaking son of Demon King.
"Bocchan! Congratulations on coming back to school! Please study well and lead us to glory!" Ryu, an intimidating man in hakama, greeted him passionately.
The Yakuza members lined up, bowing at a ninety-degree angle.
"CONGRATULATIONS, BOCCHAN! PLEASE STUDY WELL AND LEAD US TO GLORY!" they echoed.
Raku sighed and continued walking. "Yeah, yeah. Now g—"
"WHAT THE HECK? WHAT A BUNCH OF TROUBLEMAKERS DOIN' HERE?"
He turned to see a girl with a cheeky smirk on her face, dressed in Shuchi'in Middle School's white uniform. This was new. Did the school change some rules? Regardless, why was she casually entering the scene?
"Oi, Ojou-chan..." Ryu intervened, "Please back off and give Bocchan some space."
"Huh? Did you just say, fuck off?" With a smirk, Riko gave him a middle finger, leaving Raku sweating at her words and blatant mockery.
---
A/N:
Sorry, just a short chapter for today.
Gimme power stones...