Next Bonus, 400PS!!
--------------------------------------------------
"…"
Regardless of the situation, she was still a former bandmate. Even though she was speechless, Sakiko Togawa quickly composed herself.
However, just as she was about to speak, Soyo Nagasaki beat her to it.
"Sakiko, I know everything! You must have been deceived by that man! Look, I've already found proof of his cheating. He's nothing but a playboy. You cannot let him keep fooling you!"
"Huh?"
Before Sakiko could even process what she was saying, Soyo whipped out a massive stack of photographs.
They were all pictures of Kai out on dates or shopping with Marin Kitagawa, Yui Yuigahama, and the others.
You had to hand it to her—Soyo's stalking and surveillance skills were legitimately terrifying. To have secretly snapped this many photos without even Kai noticing was quite a feat. And the angle of every single shot was impeccable.
Anyone looking at them could tell that Kai's relationship with the girls in the photos was extremely intimate.
"These are…?"
Seeing the photos, Sakiko was briefly stunned.
Seizing the opening, Soyo hurriedly pressed on:
"Look, Sakiko! I took all these photos myself, so they're definitely real. That man is deceiving you! He's not sincere about you. Only I… ONLY I CARE ABOUT YOU!"
"…"
The first half of her argument sounded like she was fighting for justice. But that second half…
The more Sakiko listened, the weirder she felt.
"Nagasaki!"
Sakiko was also surprised to see Soyo had pushed herself so hard over this. She had clearly lost weight, and the dark circles under her eyes showed she hadn't been sleeping. It was clear she had given her all.
However, holding the photos, Sakiko looked at Soyo with utmost seriousness.
"Go ahead, say it!" Soyo looked back with eager anticipation.
She believed these photos had finally opened Sakiko's eyes to that man's true colors. Now, Sakiko would definitely return to her side. And once that happened, everyone else in the band would surely come back too. Everyone would be together again, just like before.
With that thought, Soyo's gaze toward Sakiko grew even more expectant.
"…"
That look…
For a moment, Sakiko genuinely didn't know what to say. Perhaps even Sakiko hadn't fully realized just how much the band's disbandment meant to Soyo.
Taking a long breath to steady herself, Sakiko finally looked back at Soyo.
"There are some things you don't understand. Kai-kun isn't that kind of person!"
"Huh?"
Soyo had anticipated many responses. She had even prepared herself for Sakiko to break down in agonizing tears upon learning the truth. But she never, ever expected Sakiko to say that. This was different from how she imagined it!
"Sakiko! You…"
She stared blankly at Sakiko. For a split second, Soyo wanted to scream at her: Have you been brainwashed?
"You don't understand!"
Sakiko smiled, gently returning the stack of photos to Soyo. She spoke softly:
"I understand Kai-kun's situation perfectly well. No matter what he does outside, as long as he comes home to me, that's enough."
To be frank, Sakiko was no fool. On the contrary, she was intelligent. Because of that, even though she never voiced it, she had already guessed quite a bit about Kai's "extracurricular activities."
She just chose not to bring it up.
For one thing, Sakiko had recently learned about the unique nature of Jujutsu Sorcerers from her grandfather. While a Jujutsu Sorcerer's child wasn't guaranteed to inherit a Cursed Technique, the probability was significantly higher. In Japan, for a powerful Jujutsu Sorcerer to have multiple partners in order to expand their bloodline and produce strong heirs wasn't considered an incomprehensible concept.
For another, Sakiko had experienced firsthand just how unique Kai's stamina was in certain aspects. On her own, she stood no chance against him.
In Sakiko's traditional mindset, a wife who couldn't satisfy her husband was undoubtedly failing in her duties.
"But…"
Staring dumbfounded at the girl in front of her, Soyo desperately wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the words.
"That's enough, Nagasaki. When the opportunity arises, I will definitely introduce you to Kai-kun. I'll also explain everything about his situation to you. But right now, there are certain things I cannot talk about!"
According to her grandfather, the existence of Jujutsu Sorcerers wouldn't remain a secret forever. It was just that right now, only factions with significant social standing—like major conglomerates—were privy to the truth, likely to prevent mass panic among ordinary citizens. The truth would only be revealed to the public when it could no longer be contained.
Although Soyo's family was wealthy, that was the extent of it. They weren't a conglomerate, nor were they even considered true high society. Naturally, they had zero access to information regarding Jujutsu Sorcerers.
"I need to get going, Nagasaki. Even though the band disbanded, we are still friends. If you ever need something, you can always come find me. However, you are definitely misunderstanding Kai-kun's situation. I promise I will explain it clearly to you in the future!"
By the end of the day, Sakiko held no resentment towards Soyo since they were former bandmates. However, she preferred to prevent any misunderstandings from growing between Soyo and her boyfriend. For now, her goal was to calm Soyo and plan to clarify everything thoroughly when the moment was suitable.
However, Sakiko could never have imagined that her words would actually deepen the misunderstanding in Soyo's mind to a terrifying degree.
"…" Soyo stared at Sakiko in dead silence.
After a long while, Soyo suddenly began to laugh. "I see. I understand now!"
"??"
Understand? Understand what? For some reason, seeing Soyo smile like that gave Sakiko an incredibly bad feeling.
"Don't worry, Sakiko. I will definitely save you."
"Save me??"
What was that supposed to mean?
Frozen for a moment, Sakiko immediately tried to clarify.
"Wait, are you…" Is she truly misunderstanding something?
But before Sakiko could say anything, Soyo's eyes became firm with a clear determination. It seemed as if she had just made a decision that might change her life.
'Just wait, Sakiko. I will definitely save you.' Looking deeply at Sakiko, she made the solemn vow in her heart, then turned and walked away without a moment's hesitation—
"NAGASAKI? NAGASAKI!" Sakiko called out to her several times, but Soyo acted as if she hadn't heard a thing. Her pace didn't slow down in the slightest.
Ultimately, Sakiko could only watch in silence as Soyo disappeared down the street.
Something feels really wrong here.
"But… it should be fine, right?" After all, Soyo was just an ordinary high school girl, while Kai was something else entirely. What was she blindly worrying about? Could Soyo Nagasaki really cause any actual trouble for him?
"Whatever!" She shook her head with a self-deprecating smile, deciding not to dwell on it.
——————————
Thinking about the photos she had just seen, she hesitated for a second before pulling out her phone and calling Kai.
"Sakiko?"
Hearing his familiar voice on the other end of the line instantly settled Sakiko's heart.
"Kai-kun!"
She couldn't stop her tone from becoming light and cheerful. "I've found a house! I'm about to go pay the deposit."
"Great. If Sakiko likes it, I'm sure I'll love it too."
Kai honestly didn't care about the details. It was just a place to live. To him, anywhere was fine.
"Mhm!"
Hearing his response, Sakiko smiled happily.
However, after a brief pause, she inquired cautiously, "So… are you still coming home tonight?"
"Hmm?"
The careful, almost tentative tone of her question made Kai raise an eyebrow.
So, she knows... Otherwise, the old Sakiko would never have asked him a question in such a careful manner.
However, Kai wasn't panicked. It was like he always said: he might be a player, but he was a responsible player. Besides, he never intended to hide it from her forever. If she knew, she knew.
He chuckled softly and replied, "It might be a bit late, but yes. Just send me the new address later, Sakiko!"
"Okay!"
His answer brought the glowing smile back to Sakiko's face. As long as he was coming home to her, nothing else mattered.
"There's no rush! I'll wait for you!"
No matter how late it got, she would wait for him to come home.
After exchanging a few more affectionate words, they ended the call.
With a spring in her step, Sakiko happily set off to finalize the purchase of their new home before anyone else could snatch it away.
--------------------------------------------------
~ Every 200 PS => Bonus Chapter!
~ 15 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)