Watching Kato Megumi's receding figure, the driver Shibasaki was full of questions.
"Eldest Miss, this... what do you mean by asking her?"
Regarding the matter of promoting Kato Megumi's father in exchange for the girl keeping an eye on Mori Tsukisa at school and reporting her daily life in detail to Tojo Aoi... he couldn't understand it at all.
The driver holding the steering wheel opened the sunroof. The woman in the back was holding a long, thin cigarette in silence. Thick white smoke filled the cabin.
"Having her help me keep an eye on Mori Tsukisa is better than nothing."
"Anyway, her father was already going to be promoted; it just hadn't been notified to him yet."
Shibasaki curled his lip. Cunning.
"No. What I don't understand is, what exactly are you doing all this for?" Shibasaki had been with Tojo Aoi for a while. Since the previous loose-lipped driver had coincidentally passed away, he had been responsible for the Eldest Miss's itinerary and daily pickups. Through their repeated interactions, Shibasaki increasingly felt how formidable this Eldest Miss was.
Or rather, she was a natural-born superior.
The person destined to replace Mr. Chenzhu.
Because of this admiration, the man was very displeased with the 'Mori Tsukisa' that Tojo Aoi always mentioned.
How could a high school girl understand the invisible wars their young miss experienced in the treacherous business world? Could she understand Miss Aoi, who had to weigh every word and stay up all night for projects? The blisters on her feet from high heels while running around, the nights she felt sick and vomited from drinking parties... She just liked Tojo Aoi's money and the Tojo Family's influence, right?
With so many talented young men pursuing her, why didn't Miss Aoi... The woman's clear voice cut through Shibasaki's thoughts like a knife.
"It's not what you think." She exhaled smoke, the thick, rolling clouds immediately dispersed by a slightly lighter second puff.
"It's not what you think..." Tojo Aoi murmured, "I know this approach is ridiculous, but I have no other choice."
"Shibasaki, what are the signs of loving someone?"
Shibasaki was nearing middle age—a middle-aged man's view of 'love' was clearly different from Tojo Aoi's. He frowned, not daring to reply.
"No, it's not that a middle-aged man's view of love is different from mine. It has nothing to do with age, Shibasaki."
Tojo Aoi held up a half-burnt cigarette, her almond eyes unblinkingly watching the crisp yellow tobacco leaves curl and turn charcoal black from the red ember.
She thought of the past... —The days I spent with Mori Tsukisa.
Back then, the girl was the big sister of the orphanage. Even after being adopted by a wealthy family, she would still run towards me like a little lunatic every day, dressed in rags, shouting: 'Aoi! The cat guest is mean to me!'
'That's because you pulled their tails again.' I couldn't help but laugh.
At that time, Miko and Oishi were still too young to understand. While Aria was worried about the children's clothes and food, Mori Tsukisa was already able to quietly help with chores, leading the little ones.
—One day, Miko took a liking to a doll.
It was a doll in the shape of a little princess, as cute as Mori Tsukisa; its hemp-string hair hung in strands around its face, and its eyes were brown; it wore a feather-white little gauze dress and a short crown on its head.
The doll was adorable.
Of course, it was displayed in the window with a tag from an expensive and luxurious brand—a price that Mori Tsukisa and Aria's orphanage couldn't afford.
'Just ask your adoptive parents for some...'
'No.' Mori Tsukisa immediately refused.
Miko loved it dearly. Every time she accompanied Mori Tsukisa to pick up Miko, and they passed that store, Miko would eagerly press her face against the display window, carefully examining the doll. It was always like this: Mori Tsukisa had secretly told me that she had already saved a lot from her meal money and daily expenses, and was just waiting a while to secretly buy it for Miko.
I agreed with this a hundred percent. Otherwise, what else could be done? Mori Tsukisa didn't want my money, nor did she want to take from her adoptive parents.
So, every time we passed by, we would deliberately linger in front of the window for a while: I would stand at a distance, holding Mori Tsukisa, watching Miko happily staring at the doll in a daze.
What happened later left a deep impression on me.
That day, Mori Tsukisa found me with a mischievous grin and said: 'Hey, Aoi Meimei, I've saved enough money!'
She quietly took me to the front of that store.
But found... the doll had increased in price.
Although in my financial perspective, such a price increase wouldn't even make me hesitate for a second—for Mori Tsukisa, it meant another long period of frugality and anxious waiting.
She was already frugal enough, I thought.
So, I asked Tsukisa, who was staring blankly at the display window: 'Let me buy one for Miko.'
The answer, of course, was no.
Then... how about buying a slightly cheaper one?
'I don't want any others. Miko only likes this one...'
'She... wants it!'
Later, after school, Miko saw the doll after its price increase, and as she left, looking back every few steps, she gave me the same answer.
'I only like this one, only this one.' Miko had the childish frustration of not getting what she loved, but also, influenced by Mori Tsukisa, possessed an unusual carefree and cheerful disposition.
At that time, I hadn't realized how unique Mori Tsukisa truly was.
After that, saving money, reluctantly leaving; saving money, leaving;
Leaving... leaving.
Until I had saved up those scattered bills again, and I accompanied Tsukisa and Miko to the display window—
The doll had already been bought.
Miko was silent for a long time that day, until Mori Tsukisa started being mischievous, putting Miko's homework book into a small pocket and tying it to the cat guest.
The children then started chirping and chasing the cat all over the yard.
Miko finally laughed again.
I didn't pay much attention to this matter, to be honest, I didn't even pay much attention to Mori Tsukisa at that time—until half a month later, when I accompanied Mori Tsukisa to pick up the girl, she was covered in dirt, her face full of mud and dust, and her fair, tender hands were scratched and messy from sharp objects.
But she was extremely happy.
She was holding the doll from the display window, although it was now dirty and dark, and had an unpleasant smell up close.
'A girl in my class bought it! I found it that day!' Miko hugged the doll tightly, her small chin resting on its crown, looking at me sadly and warily:'She got a new one today, so she threw this one away—look, its shoulder was scratched by a nail, she said it wasn't pretty anymore.'
Mori Tsukisa clapped her hands in congratulations, but I asked unhappily: 'Where did you—pick—it—up from?'
'The small trash heap at school.'
I angrily pulled Mori Tsukisa over, feeling ashamed, and half-furious, half-annoyed, I said to her: 'Did you see? This Child actually picks things up from the trash heap! Are we that poor?'
Mori Tsukisa was unconcerned. She thought, how happy Miko was to get something she liked?
At that time, I was busy fighting my family and seeking secrets, and was too lazy to argue with Mori Tsukisa, this somewhat crazy girl. So I let her wash the doll clean, spray it with perfume, and let Miko fall asleep clutching it, as she wished.
—That doll always stayed in Miko's bedroom.
—Whether it was noble and pure, or after it had fallen into disgusting trash; whether she could afford it or not, whether she could get it or not; Miko didn't even care how many 'cheap' substitutes appeared... she always looked at it from afar with fervent and sincere eyes full of anticipation.
Perhaps, love isn't that complicated after all.
That's what I believe.
Just like Miko for that doll.
To love someone like that.
To love Mori Tsukisa... like that.
Tojo Aoi collected her thoughts, tossing away the long-extinguished cigarette.
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