Chapter 136: Mutsumi Has a Boyfriend? How Does She Not Know?
"That's impossible. The Togawa family only has a minor involvement in industrial robotics."
The last time Togawa Sakiko had dealt with Togawa Logistics was not just a year ago, but two years ago. While two years is not a short time, how could Togawa Logistics suddenly become a military-industrial enterprise capable of providing mecha to the Jujutsu Association in that span?
There wasn't much to say about the story of Sakiko and her father—it was a simple case of the victor taking all. In the family power struggle, Sakiko's father lost, and the winner was Sakiko's mother. Sakiko knew that her parents' union wasn't born of love but was a marriage of convenience. Her mother had little affection for her as a daughter and was utterly ruthless in her strikes.
Father and daughter were kicked out of the Togawa family, with all ties severed.
Togawa Sakiko's father could not endure such humiliation. He drowned his sorrows in alcohol daily, becoming the decadent wreck he was today. Now, hearing from Sensei that the Togawa family had managed to latch onto the "thick leg" of the Jujutsu Association felt completely surreal.
Building mecha to fight Cursed Spirits in less than a year and a half? It was fundamentally impossible. Besides, Sakiko didn't remember her family having any connection to the Jujutsu world; they were entirely integrated into the "surface world" with no links to the "hidden world."
Perhaps the Togawa ancestors had produced powerful sorcerers, but in the last few centuries, there had been none—only ordinary people.
The family shouldn't have possessed any techniques to deal with Cursed Spirits.
Did the entire Togawa Logistics start making massive moves right after kicking her and her father out?
When she heard that the Togawa family had gained accreditation from the Jujutsu Association and was producing anti-curse mecha, Sakiko felt it simply could not happen. But since Sensei was the one telling her, it meant the Association basically acknowledged and approved of the mecha. It felt absurd. Was it her and her father's presence that had been holding the family back?
Seeing the former Young Lady of the Togawa family react this way, Hikigaya Hachiman realized she was indeed oblivious to her family's new venture. It seemed their information security was top-notch. Currently, only the "Big Three" families (who ignored it), a few high-ranking members of the Association, and the specific sorcerers assigned to mecha units knew that "Togawa Logistics" had developed mecha capable of carrying sorcerers.
Hachiman knew about it from Gojo Satoru, simply because the Togawa Logistics 6th Research Institute had sent an invitation to Tokyo Jujutsu High, hoping for a visit. According to Hachiman's data, the family did indeed start rolling out these "mecha" right after Sakiko and her father were ousted.
"Wait."
Sakiko suddenly remembered something about Togawa Logistics—intelligence known only to the high-ranking members. Another person had played a key role in completely removing them from the family.
"Uncle... Uncle suddenly came back."
Sakiko's mother had a younger brother who had gone missing in his early years. His whereabouts were unknown until he suddenly reappeared the year before last. It was this uncle's sudden assistance that allowed Sakiko's mother to gain more seats on the board of directors, leading almost all family elders to recognize the legitimacy of her position as Board Chair. Sakiko's father was subsequently forced out, leaving with nothing.
Before that nameless uncle disappeared, Sakiko heard her mother say he was a genius specializing in mechanical engineering. At the time of his disappearance, he was studying in Germany, pursuing dual doctorates in mechanical engineering and AI robotics. Since her mother had married into the family (from within or a related branch), the brother retained the original family surname.
Sakiko didn't know his name because she had never met him; he disappeared when she was a toddler. She only knew that because of him, she and her father were living this miserable life. As she spoke, Sakiko recalled the bitter days of falling from heaven to hell, and her mood became extremely complicated. Life was a heavy burden that had nearly crushed her. With her father's fall from grace, she had to navigate everything herself, making her days quite difficult.
"I'm sorry." Hachiman noticed her low spirits.
"It's okay, Sensei. It's all in the past." Sakiko shook her head, feeling a sense of deep irony looking back.
The fact that the Togawa family had developed anti-curse mecha was likely a secret within the Association. Such a drastic transformation... in a few more years, would the family be landing on the moon without them? "I am very grateful to you for telling me this, Sensei. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known what my mother has been doing since taking control."
Sakiko felt helpless. Hachiman didn't know exactly what had transpired in that family, but the transformation was clearly tied to Sakiko's mother and her uncle. It seemed the key lay with that uncle who returned from a long disappearance.
Hachiman paid so much attention to these mecha primarily because the design concept involved merging Cursed Spirits with machinery, using the pilot's cursed energy to feed the
spirit. Having the spirit and the machine drive the armor together was a good idea on paper, but in Hachiman's eyes, it was far too "heretical."
Right now, small mecha were manageable. But if they built larger ones using more Cursed Spirit materials, they would eventually lose control. Cursed energy is not so easily tamed—Hachiman knew this well after years of combat. Technology had to be kept within a cage of limitations; it couldn't be allowed to develop as savagely as Togawa was doing. The Association likely didn't even understand the principles behind the mecha; they just provided funding. Once Togawa created an uncontrollable threat, the Association wouldn't even realize they had funded their own doom.
The intention was good, but it was highly likely to lead to a catastrophic error. Hachiman had to bring it under control—under his supervision. More than that, he wanted to bring the enterprise under his wing to make oversight easier.
It wasn't that Hachiman lacked talent for building such things—Mechamaru's [Puppet Manipulation] was his second choice for building Titans. In fact, Hachiman knew Mechamaru had already built a "Giant Mechamaru." Its size approached that of an Imperial Medium Titan; it was a behemoth. Mechamaru hid it very well, otherwise his promotion to Grade 1 would have happened long ago.
Regarding Togawa's mecha development, Hachiman did have an interest in "picking the fruit." Though it wasn't exactly stealing—more like technical cooperation. Especially since he had a legitimate heir on his side. But before that, Hachiman had to personally test the waters and understand the specifics. It wasn't time to reveal the relationship between himself and Togawa Sakiko yet.
"Sakiko, life will get better from here on out."
Hachiman felt a pang of sympathy for the former Young Lady of the Togawa family. To have once owned everything and then lose it is the cruelest fate. Did Sakiko not want to take back what was hers?
Sakiko was slightly stunned by Sensei's promise-like words. Recalling her experiences, she couldn't remember how many times she had wiped away tears to keep fighting life. Her greatest gain in this life was meeting the respectable Sensei beside her.
Hikigaya-sensei was not only a powerful warrior fighting evil in the darkness but also a top-tier literary giant. If these two identities weren't combined in one person, Sakiko wouldn't have believed such massive achievements could belong to one individual. Any one of Hachiman's honors would be enough for an ordinary person to strive for a lifetime. Yet this powerhouse of the Jujutsu world and literary titan was her peer, which made her feel like even more of a failure.
Most importantly, Hachiman was Sakiko's benefactor. He had discovered the gold hidden beneath a tattered rag. Sakiko's first pot of gold had come from him. She remembered the
sequence of digits representing the money she earned by toiling away at music in the gaps between her part-time jobs; for a moment, her heart felt a bit sour.
"Mhm." Sakiko nodded vigorously. She took everything her Sensei gave her to heart. She had no doubt that her future would be better than her past. With their hands working hard, they both had a bright future. She believed this firmly.
"Sakiko, now that your money has arrived, have you thought about how to use it?" Hachiman asked, feeling a sliver of worry because of her father. If that money fell into the hands of her gambling-addicted dad, it would be for naught.
"Not yet. I'm still thinking."
Having received this money, Sakiko primarily wanted to use it as startup capital for a professional band. Five million yen was no small sum; it was more than enough to establish a brand-new band. She hadn't forgotten "C-band" (CRYCHIC), but the amateur nature of C-band was something she had been reflecting on. Popular bands could bring in massive profits, and Sakiko had no doubt she had the ability to create a top-tier band. She had always wanted to assemble a "Galactic Warship" (Supergroup)—it was her only way to make real money. After all, she didn't have Hikigaya-sensei's genius or the talent of a sorcerer to earn money by killing curses. She could only place her hopes on a band to make a name for herself.
However, a band isn't easy to form; it needs at least five people. Sakiko had to carefully deliberate on the members this time to avoid repeating her past mistakes. Management had to be stricter too.
"If you need it, I know a good wealth manager." Hachiman had a lot of money managed every month, and he highly respected Nanami Kento's work ability. Otherwise, he wouldn't keep funneling money to him from various sources. Nanami kept his word every time. Hachiman trusted him, and his assets were on a steady upward trend. "I can introduce you. Returns are settled quarterly."
Hachiman had stopped checking; he changed his settlement to once a year. That reliable middle-aged man wouldn't ruin his own reputation.
"No, no..." Sakiko felt her face turn a bit red. Taking her small amount of money to a private equity firm for investment felt like she'd be laughed at. "Okay, I understand."
Hachiman didn't press her. Bank interest existed, even if it was far lower than private equity.
Hachiman saw the hotel where they were going to eat. This hotel had high-end apartments as well as guest rooms. This was why Sakiko was unwilling to face her past luxury; it was too easy to fall back into decadence. Sakiko had her own plans—once she gathered her band members, that five million would have a new purpose. But Sakiko knew to keep a low profile until she was certain of success.
Once Hachiman parked the car, he and Sakiko took the elevator up together. While not a top-tier luxury restaurant, the one Sakiko chose was far beyond her current spending level. She
hadn't put her money into wealth management because she didn't know how much this meal would cost.
What Sakiko didn't know was that her close friend Wakaba Mutsumi and Mutsumi's mother were actually dining in the same restaurant. Mutsumi's mother was an award-winning actress—a screen queen with immense influence and popularity. Top stars like her had a very high status in the entertainment industry and many fans, so her outings involved disguises. They chose restaurants that, while perhaps not the most "high-end," had a high consumption index, which filtered out most obsessive fans. Thus, the star could eat in relative peace.
Because Hachiman was discussing parking arrangements with an attendant, Sakiko walked ahead. As she passed a private room, she saw a familiar face. It was Mutsumi and her mother. Mutsumi's mother was looking at her daughter with a playful expression.
"Mutsumi, your father says you've started dating recently. Tell Mama, what kind of person is he?"
The scene of Mutsumi being interrogated by her mother was seen directly by Sakiko, and she heard those words clearly. Sakiko froze instantly, barely believing her ears.
'Who?'
Her dear friend had actually started dating? Her calm heart was suddenly hit by a tidal wave.
'That's Mutsumi we're talking about.'
Mutsumi has a boyfriend? Since when? How did she not know?!
"What's wrong?" Hachiman asked, walking over after confirming his business.
He too saw Mutsumi and her mother.
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