"Awa-senpai, this is your granddaughter… huh? You have two granddaughters?"
The private room door swung open.
Already having heard the approaching footsteps, Awa Subaru and Tsuzuki Chihiro had snapped into character before their guest even arrived.
When Mori Minami stepped inside, both of them stood up and greeted her with a polite bow.
Minami, who had brought her daughter to the dinner, was momentarily surprised.
She had already heard that Awa Subaru would be working alongside her in her next drama and was naturally familiar with her face.
But the other girl—who was just as stunning—was a stranger to her.
"She's the granddaughter of a friend of mine. Tsuzuki Chihiro."
"Tsuzuki…"
"Yes, Tsuzuki Shifune's granddaughter."
The moment she heard the name Tsuzuki Shifune, Mori Minami's eyes lit up.
Her gaze toward Chihiro immediately carried a weight of significance that hadn't been there before.
She had never personally interacted with Shifune and wasn't in the same industry, but that legend of the Japanese music scene had once been on par with Awa-senpai herself.
It was only natural that those who stood at the peak of their fields surrounded themselves with equally remarkable people.
Clearly, bringing her daughter to this dinner had been the right decision.
"Mutsumi, greet your older sisters."
"Awa-neesan, Tsuzuki-neesan…"
Chihiro observed the calm, detached girl who so clearly did not belong in this setting and felt a pang of helplessness.
But given her current identity, she had no prior connection to Mutsumi.
She could only nod politely and return the greeting as if they were strangers.
Realistically, Chihiro was just here as a filler guest.
Maybe she had stayed to check on Mutsumi's condition, but this dinner wasn't exactly providing her the opportunity to interact with the socially withdrawn girl.
"I wonder if the food suits Awa-senpai's tastes?"
"I'm quite satisfied."
And there it was…
Though it wasn't quite the corporate workplace kind of setting, this dinner carried the same air.
The polite back-and-forth, the subtle maneuvering—both sides engaging in conversation with an unspoken agenda.
It was the kind of atmosphere Chihiro disliked.
Sure, she was a liar—she had told countless lies.
But she did so only to earn sympathy and fleece her marks for money.
In truth, she was always quite sincere in her interactions with them.
Otherwise, there wouldn't have been so many girls who, after being scammed, didn't resent her and instead made excuses on her behalf, saying she had no choice.
Cough, cough… Not that that made her any less of a terrible person.
Of course, a dinner like this wouldn't solely revolve around business—otherwise, it would seem too transactional.
Between the discussions of work, Mori Minami would frequently shift the topic toward their children.
It was a calculated move.
Bringing her daughter might have seemed unnecessary, but it provided the perfect excuse to explore deeper connections through the younger generation.
For example, if she wanted to strengthen her ties with Awa Tendou, she could use her daughter as a bridge.
"How old is Subaru this year? She looks around the same age as my daughter."
"But my child tends to be a bit reserved… I think it'd be nice if they had the chance to interact more."
This was probing.
If Awa Tendou agreed to let their juniors connect, it would signal an openness to further collaboration and mutual support.
Chihiro, young as she was, saw through it all.
Which only made her feel even worse for Mutsumi.
Out of everyone present, Mutsumi was the only one who was completely passive—just a tool for her mother's networking.
Subaru was an actress, and Chihiro?
Cough. She was just here for the free meal.
Easily ignorable.
Of course, Minami might also have wanted her daughter to meet industry figures and their children.
But good intentions based on personal assumptions wouldn't change reality.
Mutsumi's family situation was beyond her control.
Chihiro could only hope that Mutsumi would find a way to change herself.
"By the way, Chihiro, you're in high school now, right?"
"Eh?"
Hearing her name unexpectedly, Chihiro blinked in confusion.
It was only then that she noticed that the highest-ranking person in the room—Awa Tendou—had stepped out to take a work call.
Oh.
So this was aimed at her?
Seeing Chihiro momentarily stunned, Minami seized the opportunity to press forward.
"Chihiro, you're very beautiful. I imagine at school, you must be—"
"I dropped out."
"..."
Chihiro almost laughed.
For a split second, Minami's carefully composed smile faltered, and even the corners of her lips twitched.
"Ah… Did you finish your coursework early and decide to study at home for exams—"
"Nope. I dropped out in middle school."
"I don't even have a junior high diploma."
"..."
At this, not only did Minami and Subaru freeze, but even Mutsumi looked up in shock at this bombshell revelation from "Tsuzuki-neesan."
Meanwhile, Subaru—seated next to Chihiro—quietly typed two words into her phone, then subtly slid it under the table for Chihiro to see.
[Legendary.]
Pfft.
Minami, on the other hand, coughed for a solid few seconds, caught between embarrassment and regret.
She took a sip of water—nearly choking on it.
I should've kept my mouth shut!
Glancing at her daughter, who had previously shown little reaction but now seemed very interested, Minami's frustration only grew.
Oh, so you ignore all the good examples and latch onto the bad ones, huh?!
"But Chihiro, you're different from others."
"You have your grandmother's resources, as well as outstanding looks."
"Even if you don't pursue academics, you'll still have a bright future."
The three younger girls present all found this remark incredibly grating.
For Chihiro, it was nothing.
But for Mutsumi—and Subaru, who had been wavering in uncertainty—Minami's words hit right where it hurt.
Yet, with her grandmother just outside, Subaru didn't have Chihiro's courage to say anything.
Even though Chihiro's blunt honesty was undeniably cool.
"Mori-san, that's not quite right."
It seemed that tonight, Chihiro had no intention of playing the obedient girl in Awa Tendou's absence.
She looked at Mutsumi, who was staring at her in a daze, then smiled slightly and spoke.
"For me, the thing that gives me the most peace of mind isn't the fact that I can rely on my family's connections."
Because no matter how reckless she had been these past two years, she had never actually relied on her family.
Not that she didn't want to—just that she never had the chance.
"What truly reassures me—what makes me happy—is knowing that even if I make the wrong choice…"
"My family still gives me the freedom and right to make that choice."
"Because they, like me, understand how rare and precious it is to have that kind of freedom."
"And their resources and background?"
"That's just the safety net that allows me to start over when I fail."
"But for a lot of people…"
"If they make the wrong choice, they don't get a second chance. Stability is all they have."
"And others…"
"Never even get to choose in the first place."
Chihiro tilted her head slightly.
"What do you think, Mori-san?"
"…Cough!"
Minami felt like she'd just met her nemesis.
This Tsuzuki kid—why is she so sharp-tongued?!
She looked nothing like the frail, delicate beauty her appearance suggested.
And then she turned toward her own daughter—
Wait, I'm supposed to be Mutsumi's mother!
Why are all of you bad influences trying to ruin my child?!
---
...
Huh. You really stuck it out all the way to the end.
Didn't think you had the patience. Guess I was wrong.
WiseTL's the one who actually made all this come together. I'm just here putting a bow on it… or, well, shoving it in a backpack and calling it a day. Same thing.
If you had fun, you know what to do:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Heads up—Patreon's 50% off for all tiers during May. So if you were on the fence? Now's the time.
And if you're the social type, there's a Discord too. Pretty decent spot to hang out—no battles required.
👉 [discord.gg/wisetl]
Alright. That's enough standing around. Go on—before you make it weird.
—Leaf