Soyo-chan, Version 2.0—Courtesy of Me! [199]

"This is Sakiko’s house? Tsk tsk… definitely the home of a rich family."

Stepping out of the sleek black Maybach, Tsuzuki Chihiro took in the sight before her.

According to the information given to her by Sakiko’s grandfather, the massive mansion standing in front of her was where Sakiko had lived for over a decade.

Truthfully, when Chihiro had received that unexpected phone call from the old man at noon, she had been a little surprised.

But what shocked her even more was his warm attitude—along with the revelation that he and her grandmother were actually old friends.

So…

Why had Togawa Teiji invited her over?

And why here, in his home?

The most likely reason—

Something about Sakiko.

"Miss Tsuzuki, this way, please."

A man dressed in a black suit—whether a butler or a secretary, Chihiro wasn’t sure—led the way.

She did notice, however, that his demeanor toward her was extremely respectful.

Chihiro, of course, wouldn’t act as casually as she would with her peers in this kind of setting.

Having been raised with proper etiquette, she placed her hands in front of her and gave a small, elegant bow.

"Thank you for your time."

"There’s no need to thank me."

The man smiled faintly but offered no further explanation.

With that, they entered through the grand estate’s entrance, passing through a well-maintained garden before arriving at the lavish reception hall inside.

Tea and refreshments had already been prepared.

After Chihiro smoothed out the pleats of her Haneoka uniform and took a seat on the sofa, an older maid approached with a silver tray.

And following shortly behind—

A kindly-looking old man, whose gentle demeanor was completely different from the authoritative presence she had imagined.

"So this is Chihiro."

A soft chuckle.

"No wonder Shifune never stops bragging about how beautiful and charming her granddaughter is."

"Now that I see you in person, I understand."

"She truly has a wonderful granddaughter."

"Ah… Grandfather, you’re too kind."

Chihiro felt… uncomfortable.

Not because of the praise—she had received more than enough compliments about her appearance over the years.

But because of who was saying it.

This man—

The head of the Togawa Group.

If he were really as mild-mannered as he appeared, there was no way he could have kept such a massive corporate empire running.

Chihiro was highly suspicious that the moment she walked through the door, he had already started scheming ways to get her to do something for his granddaughter.

And she was right.

After about ten minutes of exchanging pleasantries—after they had gone through all the small talk about their families, the old man finally took a sip of his tea, as if clearing his throat for the real conversation ahead.

"Chihiro," he said smoothly, "you’ve known my Sakiko for about a month now, haven’t you?"

"What do you think of her?"

"Sakiko is a very hardworking and serious person."

"Haha… Chihiro, there’s no need to cover for her."

"I know you two have been arguing."

"She even came to me not long ago—accusing me of sending you to convince her to come back home."

"So that’s how it is."

Oh, so you already knew, huh?

And you still asked me that question? You sneaky old fox.

With a grandfather like this, no wonder Sakiko turned out so emotionally constipated.

"I take it you called me here because you want me to ‘help’ Sakiko?"

"If it’s something within my ability, I’ll do my best."

"Haha! That’s exactly what I like about you, Chihiro—your generous heart."

A generous heart? Not quite.

She just wanted to get closure for Soyo’s sake.

If her little maid kept sulking about the past, it would only annoy her.

"Actually, I’m not against Sakiko chasing her dreams…"

Here it comes—the classic ‘it’s for her own good’ speech.

Chihiro held back a smirk.

As expected, Teiji’s tone remained gentle as he continued,

"You’ve met Sakiko’s father before, haven’t you?"

"Then I won’t sugarcoat it—"

"He’s been nothing but a disappointment."

"But I’m not an unreasonable man."

If he could clean himself up—if he could act like a responsible adult, a proper father—I wouldn’t stand in his way."

"But his actions are his own choice."

"And I can’t let my precious granddaughter suffer because of him."

"Just because he’s an incompetent father, does it make sense for her to go around working part-time jobs to support him?"

"…That is a bit much."

Chihiro nodded along with his words, but she made sure to keep her personal opinions to herself.

"I’ve already given her a chance."

"She’s been spending every day after school working on that ‘commercial band’ of hers."

"But what does she really know about running a business?"

"She’s still just a sixteen-year-old girl."

Chihiro didn’t reply.

Because—

She agreed with some of what he said.

Without her family’s support, Sakiko’s band wouldn’t have even gotten off the ground.

But at the same time…

She could tell Teiji had already decided Sakiko was bound to fail.

And now—he was trying to recruit her into sabotaging her.

…How could I possibly miss out on something this fun?

Of course, Chihiro wasn’t actually planning to betray her former nap buddy-turned-rival.

But even if she didn’t agree, Teiji would just find someone else to do it.

At least if she got involved, she could control the damage a little.

Not to mention—

She could use his resources to uncover Sakiko’s weak spots and hold them over her head.

And when the time was right, she could always step in to help.

After all, Sakiko wasn’t just Soyo’s old friend.

She was Chihiro’s dear friend, too.

So naturally—

If anyone was going to bully Sakiko, it should be her.

"Grandfather!"

Chihiro suddenly slammed her hands on the table, her eyes blazing with determination.

"I’ll tie her up and bring her back right now!"

Seeing Chihiro’s sudden enthusiasm, Togawa Teiji blinked in surprise.

The combination of her brilliant acting skills and her adorably animated expressions made him pause.

Even though he wasn’t entirely sure about her motivations, his fondness for her was already winning out.

"Haha, no need for that."

"I have a gentler approach in mind."

"Oh? And what’s that?"

"That’s a secret, for now."

Teiji smiled knowingly.

"First, let’s eat."

"I’d like for you to try the dishes our chefs have prepared."

Chihiro leaned back slightly, tilting her head in curiosity.

Even as she picked up her teacup, she couldn’t help but wonder—

Just what kind of ‘test’ was he planning for his granddaughter?

After all, ave mujica’s first masked live performance hadn’t even started yet.

But once the show was over—

Teiji would be paying a visit to a certain "heat-chasing" girl,

To discuss just how far they could take this band’s popularity.

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This is a fan translation of 素世同学，恭喜你被我优化了 by 杰克喵. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!