After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

Why is he here?

And with... Kiryu Hina.

Who's that man next to them?

Never had Ayakoji Chiyoko imagined she'd encounter Kagura Hikaru here; she froze completely—of course, in part because her stepmother was hugging her tightly.

Xiaosong Lisha, her father's former girlfriend who had dated him longest after the divorce, ultimately failed to hold onto him.

But Chiyoko's fondness for her didn't stem from that alone.

Out of all her father's numerous girlfriends, who ranged from gentle to violent in temperament, only Xiaosong Lisha had truly treated her like a daughter.

To repay her, Chiyoko sincerely regarded her as her 'mother' in her heart.

She had indeed heard recently that her stepmother was returning to Japan, and they had arranged to meet tomorrow. It was for this meeting and to buy clothes after a long time as well as to unwind that Chiyoko had stepped out.

Unexpectedly, they bumped into each other at the shopping center.

Even more coincidentally, Kagura Hikaru and Kiryu Hina were also here.

Tokyo is really small.

Kiryu Hina knew this woman was her stepmother, but Kagura Hikaru had surely never met Xiaosong Lisha; introducing her stepmother to him would be a bit awkward, especially since he saw her being held like a little girl.

"Cough, cough."

Chiyoko pushed away her stepmother and cleared her throat, ready to speak, when Xiaosong Lisha beat her to it.

"Chiyoko, let me introduce you to someone," said Xiaosong Lisha, taking her hand and walking over to where Kagura Hikaru and the others were.

That's when Chiyoko realized they had come together.

She looked at the man next to Kiryu Hina; if she wasn't mistaken, he was probably Kiryu Hina's father, her stepmother's fiancé, the one she was supposed to introduce.

The man had a distinguished appearance and demeanor, and his clothes and watch were from luxurious brands that ordinary people could hardly afford; if he wasn't pretending to be richer than he was, his financial situation must be very good.

And although she didn't want to admit it, after all, he was the jerk who produced someone as exceptional as Kiryu Hina, so he must indeed be worthy of her stepmother.

Of course, what was most crucial was that she trusted her stepmother's judgment; the man her stepmother liked couldn't possibly be a bad person.

In Chiyoko's heart, she was already half on board with the marriage.

As she thought this, she then heard Xiaosong Lisha point at Kagura Hikaru with a smile and say, "This is my son, Kagura Hikaru."

Chiyoko's eyes widened in shock.

What?

"What??"

Cunningly, Xiaosong Lisha asserted, "He's also a student at Yuqiu High School, your classmate, isn't that a surprise? Actually, when I suggested you apply to Ugao High, part of the reason was because my son was going there."

Chiyoko: "What?!"

Xiaosong Lisha wore a puzzled expression: "Eh, why so surprised, haven't you met before?"

Chiyoko: "..."

Kagura Hikaru: "..."

Not only had they met, but they had also touched and kissed, but could that be said out loud!

Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru exchanged a secret glance and mustered up a stiff smile, saying, "We've met, Aunt Risa, we're classmates."

"Oh, that's great!" exclaimed Xiaosong Lisha, "Hikaru, why didn't you tell me your class had such a beautiful girl as Chiyoko? If you had, I would have definitely recognized her!"

Kagura Hikaru rolled his eyes, "Why don't you ask 'Classmate Kiriyu' over here?"

Kiryu Hina smiled teasingly at Chiyoko, winking provocatively: "Good afternoon, Chiyoko~"

Chiyoko: "...(Angry)"

The three high school students stared at each other.

Xiaosong Lisha was still blissfully smiling in the 'surrounded by her children' atmosphere, completely oblivious to the subtle tension between the kids.

"Well," Kiryu Masaki found a suitable moment to speak, smiling, "you must be Classmate Ayakoji, right? Risa has mentioned you to me."

Chiyoko greeted him with an expressionless face and a nod: "Hello, I'm Ayakoji Chiyoko."

"I'm Kiryu Masaki, nice to meet you," he said, "we're going to a restaurant after shopping; would you like to join us?"

Chiyoko was taken aback.

She had intended to decline, but obviously couldn't withstand her stepmother's enthusiasm.

Moreover, she was quite concerned about the relationship between Kagura Hikaru and her stepmother.

Kagura Hikaru's birth mother was Xiaosong Lisha?!

This is absolutely...!

Wait, wait, on second thought, it seems like this could be to her advantage.

Ayakoji Chiyoko thought carefully.

If Kagura Hikaru is her stepmother's child, doesn't that mean that she is not only Kiryu Hina's sister but also Kagura Hikaru's sister?

However, this "brother" had no blood relation to her.

Ayakoji Chiyoko felt extremely relieved about this fact, otherwise... well. Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire

In any case, with the stepmother as a link, there should be no lack of opportunities to meet each other in the future.

How is this a bad thing? It's clearly a great thing!

After purchasing their items, they drove to an upscale Italian restaurant located at the top floor of a hotel building.

The decor was luxurious, the atmosphere calm, and there were few patrons.

Kiryu Masaki had reserved a table in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, arguably the best spot in the restaurant, from which one could clearly see the Tokyo skyline stretching far into the distance, a truly magnificent sight.

The server guided them to their seats, and quite soon someone brought over red wine and appetizers.

The wine was intended for Xiaosong Lisha to enjoy alone.

Kagura Hikaru and the others were underage and couldn't drink, and Kiryu Masaki had to drive.

"It would be too awkward for me to drink alone, let's switch to juice," Xiaosong Lisha hinted as she eyed the 2000 vintage Château Latour before her.

Kiryu Masaki said with a smile, "I had planned to save this bottle for the wedding. Are you sure you don't want to try it?"

"Didn't you tell me last time we were only having champagne..."

"Yes, but really, it feels like something's missing without the red wine."

While commending Kiryu Masaki's smooth talk in his mind, Kagura Hikaru dined on the appetizers and looked up to see his mother had already picked up her glass of wine and begun to drink.

He exchanged glances with Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko, it seemed they were all of the same opinion.

Kiryu Hina: "I really don't want to watch adults flaunting their romance in front of us."

Ayakoji Chiyoko: "How could Aunt Risa be so utterly captivated."

Kagura Hikaru: "It's no wonder he's Hina's father, he might be a Control Freak too. We need to keep an eye on this."

They nodded to each other in agreement, it appeared they all shared the same thoughts.

Upscale restaurants all share one common problem—the food isn't filling, you only get small portions.

But then again, people who come to such places probably don't care much about that aspect.

Besides, Italian cuisine is still a bit more pragmatic than French, avoiding the absurdity of serving 90% decoration and only 10% food.

All things considered, the food was quite good, the service not bad, and the waiter's voice was pleasant to the ear.

After finishing the last dessert, Kagura Hikaru went to the bathroom.

Upon washing his hands and coming out, he found Ayakoji Chiyoko standing outside the door, leaning against the wall, as if she was waiting for him.

"What are you doing here?" Kagura Hikaru asked, drying his hands with a paper towel.

Ayakoji Chiyoko turned around, her head slightly bowed, "I want to apologize for what happened before."

"What thing?"

"Everything."

"No need, it's all in the past."

"And... about Aunt Risa," Ayakoji Chiyoko's large eyes looked up at him, "I had no idea you were Aunt Risa's son."

Kagura Hikaru replied with relief, knowing he wasn't the only one kept in the dark, "She never mentioned it to you?"

"I knew the aunt had a biological son, but I wasn't clear on the details. We didn't talk that deeply," Ayakoji Chiyoko paused, "If I had known... known it was you, those things probably wouldn't have happened. We might have had a better relationship."

"I think our relationship as it stands is pretty good," Kagura Hikaru crumpled the paper towel in his hand and tossed it into the trash can.

"Speaking of which, what's your father's real name?"

"Ayakoji Daisuke, why?"

"Nothing."

So it really was him, then "Ryoma Ayakoji" must be a stage name.

"I was wondering why it took so long for you guys to use the bathroom. Turned out you were whispering sweet nothings," said Kiryu Hina as she approached from down the hall, her expression a mix of amusement and teasing. "Do you mind if I join in?"

At the sound of her voice, the expression on Ayakoji Chiyoko's face soured in an instant.