Not even in his wildest dreams did Gai expect this from Okina.
Gai had no clue what on earth this old man was thinking by proposing such nonsense.
Regardless of Yuki's young age, the fact that he was dangerous was beyond doubt. Not to mention, Okina didn't even know him. Offering his granddaughter to a complete stranger made Gai stare intensely at Okina, wondering if he was out of his mind.
As for Okina, his thoughts were entirely different from Gai's. He was aware that what he was doing was very risky—it was practically a gamble. But if successful, the rewards were limitless.
Despite the risk that his conglomerate might be controlled by Undertaker or some other individual in the future, Okina had two objectives in marrying his granddaughter to Yuki.
Firstly, since Yuki was still very young, Okina could still influence her life. Seeing his granddaughter closely attached to him, even if it wasn't clear whether it was Gai's order or not, Okina could still use her as honeytrap to ensnare Yuki.
Looking at Yuki again, Okina nodded satisfied. With his elegance and appearance, adopting him as his grandson wasn't a bad idea.
Secondly, it was, of course, Yuki's genes. Okina, like all other countries, coveted his genes. Okina thought that Yuki was the result of an experiment, being a man capable of leaving his seeds to multiple women, ensuring that the next generation would inherit both his strength and power.
He didn't know how Gai managed to obtain Yuki, but that didn't matter to Okina. What mattered to him was making his family stronger, and what better way than having his granddaughter lead the next generation to its maximum splendor.
"I'm afraid I can't promise that, Mr. Okina."
With a hand on his head, Gai sighed wearily. After all, Yuki had Inori and Tsugumi as his girlfriends, and Gai honestly didn't want to interfere in Yuki's personal life. There was no benefit, only problems.
"May I ask why?"
Not giving up, Okina expected this response. He knew how valuable Yuki was, so Gai's negative answer was within his calculations. It even gave him more confidence in his decision. If Gai refused, it meant that he still didn't have complete control over Yuki, while a positive response would indicate that Gai was hiding something.
"Mr. Okina, I don't like meddling in the personal lives of my people, so I can't make a decision for this reason."
"I understand."
Nodding, Okina was very satisfied with this response.
"Does that mean you won't intervene if my granddaughter and his excellency decide to progress in their relationship, correct?"
"That's correct."
With a bitter smile on his face, Gai knew where all of this was heading.
"Hahaha, well, very well, then I accept your terms, Gai Tsutsugami."
Laughing heartily, Okina's eyes sparkled, like a child with a huge cake in front of him—it would be a shame if Okina let it slip away.
---
"Hello, big sister... Tell me, do you like armadillos?"
Glancing at Gai, who was now heading towards Okina, Yuki smiled at Arisa.
Yuki wasn't interested in the business Gai had with Okina or if there was some kind of deal using him as a bridge. He preferred dancing with this beautiful girl rather than talking to an old man. So, holding Arisa tightly by the waist, Yuki asked her with an innocent look on his face.
Looking at Yuki, Arisa's body trembled. His words made something inside her start to shake. After all, Yuki's eyes seemed to see through her.
"No... I don't like them."
Regaining control slightly, Arisa replied casually.
"Is that so? What a shame. I like armadillos, big sister."
Tilting his head slightly, Yuki moved his body. The song was playing, and Yuki didn't want to stand there like an idiot. There was also the risk that Arisa would run away if they didn't dance.
"You know, big sister... Armadillos are extraordinary."
Without averting his gaze from Arisa, Yuki pulled Arisa's body closer to his.
"They have a tough shell to protect themselves from predators who want to eat them. They never fight; they only protect themselves with their hard shell. That, in part, makes them... cowards."
Arisa's body tensed up. She narrowed her eyes and glared angrily at the boy dancing with her.
"You!"
"But that's okay. Humans are selfish, and we all have something we must protect. After all, beneath that shell, something very beautiful is hidden... Isn't that right, big sister?"
Ignoring Arisa's gaze, Yuki rested his head on her chest gently. Yuki was now very satisfied with his height. Being a boy at the beginning of adolescence, his height was small enough for Arisa to be a head taller than him.
Arisa didn't know what to say. She had never met someone like the boy in front of her. The boy's eyes seemed to be seeing through her, something she had never experienced before. It was a very strange sensation, but she didn't hate it; in fact, she was beginning to enjoy their conversation.
This boy also knew something that others didn't. Arisa, being Okina Kuhouin's granddaughter, always had to be on guard against frauds or those trying to take advantage of her and her fortune. So over the years, she protected herself with a shell—always the strict one, with nearly perfect grades and outstanding in sports. She did all this to maintain a facade of being the perfect Arisa, worthy of being Okina Kuhouin's granddaughter. But in doing so, she neglected something crucial—she forgot who Arisa Kuhouin truly was.
"Big sister, you have a very beautiful heart. Is this what your shell protects?"
Lifting his head, Yuki took one of Arisa's hands and with a little effort, spun her around, catching her again in his arms, dancing to the rhythm of the music.
"Big sister, you're an armadillo."
Staring at each other, Arisa's cheeks blushed, while Yuki smiled.
---
TN : too busy to search up what's armadillo probably some sea creature??