Just by relying on his capable handling of affairs and personal authority—and the fact that his daughter carried the Toyokawa Family's main-line blood—he had kept the branch families in check.
But his daughter had died in an accident years ago.
And as Toyokawa Sadaharu grew old, his body weakened. His energy waned, and naturally, he could no longer hold people together.
The file recorded it clearly.
Toyokawa Sadaharu's health had begun failing five years earlier.
He'd only been dragging things out thanks to top-tier medical care.
But…
"He didn't make it through this winter in the end."
Seiji sighed softly. "Those impatient branch members are probably ready to make their move."
"Yes," Megumi added in a calm, even tone. "According to Mole's latest intel, the second branch, Toyokawa Makoto, and the third branch, Toyokawa Minoru, seem to be joining forces. They're preparing to eliminate every potential threat once Toyokawa Sadaharu breathes his last."
"Every threat?" The corner of Seiji's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly. "For example… one of Toyokawa Sadaharu's granddaughters—Sakiko?"
Megumi nodded slowly.
"Yes. Sakiko's very existence is a potential threat to the second and third branches."
"Especially since Toyokawa Sadaharu has shown clear favoritism toward her. It's easy to guess they think he intended to groom Sakiko as his successor."
After following Seiji for so long, Megumi had learned quite a bit.
"So they want to stomp Toyokawa Sakiko completely into the mud before Toyokawa Sadaharu dies—cut off any chance of her entering the game," Seiji said with a nod.
"If it were me, I'd use her father's mistake to force her. It's the simplest method."
The ways of big families were always the same few tricks.
As long as Toyokawa Sadaharu was still conscious, no one dared touch Sakiko, that "idle chess piece."
But once the old man fell, the young lion cast out of the pride would instantly become prey for hyenas tearing her apart.
And now, the Toyokawa Family's branch members were finally baring their fangs.
At the same time, it was also the moment for him—the "fisherman"—to reap the benefits.
Seiji's gaze returned to Sakiko's photo.
Toyokawa Sakiko.
This young lady was quite beautiful.
And her status—her bloodline—might be just the right piece to use to step into the Toyokawa Family.
Once Toyokawa Sadaharu died, it would be like a "whale fall." Outsiders would swarm in to gorge themselves on the Toyokawa Family.
A feast like that—how could he be absent?
"Megumi."
"Yes, Fujiwara-sensei?"
"Arrange a meeting with Toyokawa Sakiko," Seiji said.
She was still working part-time, right?
Once a girl standing above the clouds, now struggling in the mud just to survive.
That kind of drastic fall carried its own subtle appeal.
With just a little guidance, it would be easy to get what he wanted.
"Understood." Megumi glanced at him and bowed slightly. "She works at Kage Company's customer service center. She gets off at nine."
"Good."
Seiji nodded in satisfaction.
He leaned back against the sofa and closed his eyes, already weaving a web of plans in his mind.
He knew Sakiko's personality.
Throwing money at her directly would only be taken as an insult—it would backfire.
He had to…
Make her peel off that armor herself, piece by piece.
Make her see every escape route being blocked off, one by one.
Then, at her most desperate and helpless moment, make her realize—
Only Seiji had both the ability and the willingness to help her.
And that she had no other choice.
At the same time.
Haneoka Girls' Academy.
The dismissal bell rang.
Sakiko quickly packed her bag, politely but distantly declined her classmates' invitation to go to a café, and hurried out of the school gates.
She needed to get to work.
On the way to the subway station, she passed a street-corner newsstand.
With a casual glance, her steps suddenly stopped.
In the most prominent spot sat the latest issue of Oriental Economics Weekly. The cover featured a man who looked far too young.
He wore a perfectly tailored dark custom suit, seated in a leather chair symbolizing power. His gaze was deep, his lips curved in a faint smile that seemed to hold everything under control.
The headline was glaring:
"A Business Prodigy—Seiji Fujiwara: The Young Emperor Reshaping the Entertainment Empire with Capital!"
Seiji Fujiwara.
Of course Sakiko knew the name.
Born into the Toyokawa Family, even if she had no interest in business, she'd grown up hearing and seeing far too much of that world's darkness and coldness.
More than anyone her age, she understood that a man who could rise so violently in just a few years, swallowing countless companies, must have piled up endless schemes, betrayals, and ruthless calculations behind him.
The younger and more successful he was, the more it proved how brutal and merciless his methods were.
This kind of person was exactly the type she hated most.
They saw everything as a bargaining chip, every person as a tool to be used. In their world, there were no emotions—only cold profit.
Just like the people in the Toyokawa Family who had forced her father into this corner.
A strong wave of disgust surged up in Sakiko's chest.
She looked away and quickened her pace.
Night fell deeper.
Sakiko finished her part-time shift at the customer service center.
Six straight hours of nonstop calls, repeating scripted lines, dealing with complaints and deliberate harassment—it had drained every ounce of her energy.
Her throat was dry and aching, her ears throbbing from wearing a headset for so long.
Stepping out of the oppressive office building, a cold night wind mixed with the city's grit hit her face, clearing her foggy, exhausted mind just a little.
She wrapped her thin school jacket tighter around herself and headed for the subway station as fast as she could.
But when she turned a dimly lit corner, a figure suddenly appeared in front of her.
"Nice to meet you, Sakiko Toyokawa. Good evening."
A man's voice spoke.
"Who are you?" Sakiko looked up warily.
Under the yellow glow of the streetlamp, the man's handsome profile came into view.
He wore casual clothes that looked low-key at first glance, but were clearly well tailored. Standing there casually, he clashed sharply with the run-down neighborhood around him.
That face…
Sakiko's pupils shrank in an instant.
Seiji Fujiwara?!
The same face she'd seen on the financial magazine cover just that afternoon.
She frowned deeply.
Why was he here, near her workplace?
A coincidence? No—someone like him didn't have coincidences in his world.
Then… was he here for her?
"My name is Seiji Fujiwara. I'm fairly well-known," he said lazily. "Toyokawa-san, you might have heard of me."
"I don't know you."
Sakiko lowered her head and quickly tried to walk past him.
She didn't want anything to do with this man.
But after only two steps, Seiji blocked her path again.
"Toyokawa-san in a hurry?"
He wore a polite smile, but his eyes studied every subtle shift in her expression with interest.
He saw her wariness, her anger—and beneath it all, the panic she tried so hard to hide.
"Move."
Sakiko finally looked up. Frost had settled over her beautiful face.
Faced with her cold glare, Seiji's expression didn't change.
"Such sharp defenses," he said, ignoring her attitude. "But I don't mean you any harm, Toyokawa-san. I just think you might need help right now."
"I don't need any help," Sakiko replied coldly, trying to slip past him again.
"Don't rush off."
Seiji called out calmly. "I know your situation, Toyokawa-san. I also know you're tangled up in some trouble. I can help you deal with it."
Her wariness deepened instantly.
He knew?
He knew her situation?!
But she didn't need anyone's help!
"I don't need it," Sakiko said, enunciating every word.
"Is that so?" Seiji didn't seem surprised at all. "A debt of 16.8 billion yen can't be paid off with part-time work. And soon enough, people will come collecting… if I'm not mistaken."
Unless Toyokawa Sadaharu suddenly sprang up from his sickbed.
Otherwise, the branch families would definitely fan the flames around that 16.8 billion yen mistake.
"What's your hourly wage? Two thousand yen? How many lifetimes would it take to pay that back?"
"Or are you counting on that father of yours—who does nothing but drink and gamble, completely broken?"
Every word he spoke was like a knife stabbing into Sakiko's open wounds.
"You…!"
The color drained from her face. She bit her lip hard, almost drawing blood.
Seeing her reaction, Seiji knew the pressure was enough.
His tone softened again.
"I said it—I have no ill intentions. I simply admire you."
He paused, then finally threw out his last proposal.
"So, I'm very willing to offer you help. Of course… the price is simply you."
Sakiko's eyes flew wide open.
What did he mean—the price is me?
What was that supposed to mean?
What did Seiji take her for?!
An uncontrollable rage surged up from the depths of her heart.
"Seiji Fujiwara…"
Sakiko sneered, deep hatred shining in her eyes.
"Even if I fall this far, I won't let a man reeking of money like you insult me with it!"
With that, she didn't spare him another glance and rushed straight into the subway crowd, never looking back.
This time, Seiji didn't stop her.
He simply stood there, watching that stubborn figure disappear into the crowd, the smile on his face unchanged.
From the shadows behind him, Megumi appeared soundlessly.
"Fujiwara-sensei, should we follow her?"
"No," Seiji said flatly. "The bait's already been cast."
"Now we just wait for "circumstances" to drive her into my arms."
His gaze turned toward the direction of Sakiko's home—deep and calm.
On the subway ride home, Sakiko leaned against a corner, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Seiji Fujiwara's words echoed in her head like a curse.
Humiliation. Anger. Disgust.
The emotions tangled together until she could barely breathe.
And yet, there was also a strange thrill—one that scared even herself.
She'd rejected Seiji to his face. She'd held her ground.
Even if I fall this far, I'll never trade my body!
With that sense of release, Sakiko returned to the run-down apartment building.
But the moment she reached her door, that good feeling shattered.
The door was ajar.
Voices that didn't belong to her father came from inside.
"Hey…"
"You think… you're still…"
A burst of noisy commotion followed.
A bad feeling surged up in Sakiko's chest. She hurried forward and pushed the door open.
The living room was in shambles.
Her father, Toyokawa Kiyotsugu, was kneeling on the floor, held down tightly by two burly men with brutish faces.
A bald man in a floral shirt, a thick gold chain hanging from his neck, had one foot planted on their low table as he smoked, looking down from above.
As the door opened, everyone in the room turned to look at Sakiko.
The bald man glanced at her and grinned, showing a mouthful of yellowed teeth.
"Well, well. The young lady's home?"
"Who are you people?! Let go of my dad!" Sakiko shouted, shocked and furious.
"Who are we?" The bald man laughed, flicking his cigarette onto the floor and grinding it out with his shoe. "Your old man owes us money. We're here to collect."
He pulled out a slip of paper and tossed it at her feet.
"Look closely. This month's interest—five million."
Five million.
Sakiko stared at the number, her breath catching.
"That's impossible! How could it be that much?!"
"It's written right there in the contract. If you don't get it, go ask someone, kid," the bald man said impatiently. "I'm not here to argue with you today. I'm here to give your dad his final notice."
He raised his hand and spread his fingers in front of her.
"Twenty-four hours."
"By this time tomorrow, I want to see five million in cash. Otherwise… I can't guarantee what happens to your alcoholic father."
"How can you do this…" Sakiko's face went pale.
"Let's go."
With a wave of his hand, the bald man led his two lackeys out, swaggering away.
Silence returned to the living room.
Sakiko turned to look at her father. Toyokawa Kiyotsugu kept his head down, unable to meet her eyes.
Outside the apartment.
The bald man's phone suddenly rang. He answered it, his tone turning respectful.
"Yes… Boss…"
"Don't worry, we're there. We've already warned them."
"Mm, I understand. Just apply pressure—we can't actually hurt them. That girl still has their blood, after all…"
"Got it, got it. We're professionals. You can rest easy."
Inside the room, looking at her father collapsed on the floor, trembling.
Any trace of victory Sakiko had felt earlier vanished completely.
Pride? Dignity? Principles?
In front of five million, they were all worthless.
That man's face surfaced in Sakiko's mind once more. Seiji Fujiwara.
It wasn't a coincidence. He'd seemed to anticipate all of this.
So he'd come to take advantage of the fire?
How humiliating.
Bowing her head to a man like that would feel worse than death.
Sakiko slowly leaned against the doorframe, her body sliding weakly to the floor.
But a fiercer flame—mixed with anger and defiance—ignited deep in her chest.
Why?
Why should she bow to people like them?
It was just five million!!
Sakiko slowly stood up. Determination shone in her beautiful blue eyes.
There had to be a way.
She wouldn't just give up.
She ignored her father, who was still sobbing on the floor, and took out her phone, opening her contacts.
Classmates? Teachers?
No—unrealistic. Why would anyone help her? And with five million, no less.
So…
Her finger stopped on a name.
Mutsumi
Wakaba Mutsumi.
Her other half. Her childhood friend.
The only person who'd stayed in touch with her after CRYCHIC disbanded.
Sakiko hesitated.
Asking a friend for money meant lowering herself—something she would never have done in the past.
But now, she had no choice.
She took a deep breath and dialed.
The call connected quickly.
"…Sakiko, good evening!"
Mutsumi's familiar, calm voice came through the receiver, carrying a faint hint of happiness.
"It's me, Mutsumi," Sakiko said, her voice a little hoarse. "Sorry for calling so late."
"It's fine," Mutsumi replied softly.
"I…" Sakiko bit her lip. All the polite words she'd prepared spun uselessly in her throat.
=-=-=-=-=
Note: Mass release on sunday