"So, Akira-kun, you didn't know?"
Asato Hitomi was a bit surprised. She'd assumed Kuroha Akira definitely knew the origin of the Shinomiya surname. But on second thought, it wasn't strange—he barely seemed to have heard of Asato either, which indicated he wasn't interested in powerful names and the factions behind them.
"No, I didn't know…"
Before this, Kuroha Akira didn't even know Shinomiya Shion's stepfather's name. It was only now, through the Class Rep, that he learned Shinomiya Shion's stepfather was Shinomiya Kazuhiro—the founder of Japan's third-largest mobile carrier.
After learning the true value of the Shinomiya name, Kuroha Akira suddenly thought of a terrifying but incredibly satisfying possibility.
Let's say, hypothetically…
If he could find a way to mend Shion's relationship with her family, reconcile her with her mother, and then—boom—he accepted Shion's feelings and became the son-in-law of the Shinomiya family…
Wouldn't he be able to just coast at light speed?
Wasn't this way faster than cultivating Shinomiya Shion into a voice actress?
And most importantly… he wouldn't have to endure all this suffering anymore! He could indulge immediately! Go all out! Get married because of a child!
Money and beauty—double harvest, instant winner of life!
However, this idea wasn't without risks. First of all, Shion was only a stepdaughter. Even if Shinomiya Kazuhiro doted on her, there was no guarantee he'd pass the company down to her. Of course, he'd still leave enough money for his daughter to live comfortably for several lifetimes. And Kuroha Akira just wanted to coast—he was too lazy to manage a company or run a telecom. So even if he didn't inherit the company as the Shinomiya son-in-law, as long as he had enough money, he wouldn't mind if the rest got donated.
People should learn to be content… contentment brings lasting joy! But it's best to keep a bit more… a few hundred million yen shouldn't be too much, right?
Second, the marriage stability was questionable—doubly so. Granny Kobayashi had said Shinomiya Kazuhiro was an older bachelor who suddenly married a divorced woman with a child. There was no guarantee he wouldn't regret it later. If, after marrying Shion, the mother-daughter duo got expelled from the family, Kuroha Akira would instantly revert to his past life's predicament. And if Shion's landmine girl tendencies acted up again… the suffocating pressure of a middle-aged man's life would come crashing down.
Another instability: Shion had already had the spark of a "dream" ignited by him. Would she be willing to give up that dream and obediently settle down? For those born into wealth, the most important thing is never money—it's recognition and a sense of achievement. It's like playing a game with cheat codes; you get bored after a while. Wealth not earned through your own efforts rarely brings satisfaction.
Of course, Kuroha Akira didn't have such psychological baggage. Turning down free money was just stupid.
But despite the risks, Kuroha Akira still felt this path was a feasible solution. Provided the family conflict could truly be resolved smoothly.
But if the family conflict was resolved, Shion would regain her family as her ultimate refuge—after all, nowhere was better than home. At that time, Kuroha Akira would no longer be her only refuge. Would he even get the chance to become the son-in-law?
No—if he helped her reconcile with her mother, she'd definitely be even more grateful to him…
But gratitude and love were still quite different…
Forget it. Thinking so much is useless. Anyway, if he could help resolve the Shinomiya family conflict later, he should still try.
Kuroha Akira temporarily set aside his beautiful dream of becoming a Shinomiya house-husband and returned to the topic with the Class Rep.
"Speaking of which, Shion and your childhood friend Saionji attended the same high school, didn't they? I think it was called Shirayuri something?"
"Saionji Makoto attends the high school division of Shirayuri Academy."
"Right, right—that all-girls high school. But like I said earlier, due to family circumstances, Shion already dropped out… So I was thinking, she never got the chance to experience a high school cultural festival. I wanted to help her fill that regret."
Kuroha Akira continued playing the sympathy card, trying to extract as much pity as possible from the Class Rep for Shinomiya.
"Alright, alright, I understand what Akira-kun means. You're not asking if the Cultural Festival can invite outside guests—you're asking if I can look after your roommate during the festival, right?"
"Haha… you saw right through me. I was thinking, if the Class Rep wasn't willing, I'd use the one-day usage rights…"
Asato Hitomi pouted slightly and complained.
"Honestly, Akira-kun, don't use the one-day usage rights on such small matters!"
"Since the Class Rep says it's a small matter, could I trouble you to show her around the festival? Shion doesn't have any female friends her own age…"
"If Akira-kun wishes for me to get along well with her, I will do as you wish."
"Really? Thank you so much, Class Rep! I knew you were the best!"
As expected of the Class Rep—so reliable!
Kuroha Akira believed that with the Class Rep's god-tier social skills, as long as she was willing, she could definitely become friends with Shinomiya. That way, when these two met in the future, it probably wouldn't create that terrifying gravitational field anymore.
Now, the potential crisis of a suspected love triangle could be nipped in the bud… Phew~
Kuroha Akira breathed a sigh of relief, feeling one step further away from a landmine explosion.
"Hehe… as long as you're happy."
Asato Hitomi revealed a meaningful smile.
"I'm the best"? Actually, I'm doing this for myself too, Akira-kun… she secretly said in her heart.
Asato Hitomi could guess why Kuroha Akira had come to ask her for help. He probably thought Shinomiya Shion lacked friendship, which was why she focused exclusively on love. Conversely, this also showed that Kuroha Akira wasn't dating Shinomiya Shion yet, and currently had no intention of dating her—because he felt her current mental state and interpersonal relationships were abnormal.
Then, the reason Kuroha Akira came to her for help was because she valued friendship the most. So he hoped she could accept Shinomiya Shion.
This way, Shinomiya Shion would also understand that Asato Hitomi's feelings for Kuroha Akira were friendship, not love, and that the two of them weren't in a romantic relationship.
For Kuroha Akira, the misunderstanding would be resolved, and he wouldn't have to suffer from anxiety anymore.
As for Asato Hitomi, she actually wanted to gain a friendship declaration.
Once she and Shinomiya Shion became friends, then among the three arrows connecting the three of them, only the "Shinomiya Shion → Kuroha Akira" arrow would remain a love arrow.
Then, when Shinomiya wanted to form a romantic relationship with Kuroha Akira, Asato Hitomi could persuade her to give up confessing by saying, "We're all friends" and "I don't want to ruin the relationship between the three of us."
As long as the line wasn't broken, a triangle was the most stable shape!
Unless Kuroha Akira also fell in love with Shinomiya Shion, and the two were mutually attracted and pursuing each other—then there would be nothing for Asato Hitomi to do.
But Asato Hitomi would not let their relationship develop to that point.
Because she still held a trump card.
However, she didn't really want to use this ultimate move, because it would also affect Kuroha Akira's perception of her…
So, I hope you'll be sensible, Miss Shinomiya Shion. Be content with what is "given to you" and don't push your luck…
I don't want to "fight to the death" with you…
Let's get along peacefully.