Chapter 86: Sagiri Amamiya’s Birthday

"Is that so?"

Juri Makoto seemed quite satisfied with Anwa’s answer. She let out a soft laugh, set the showerhead down, then turned around and dropped herself onto the lounge chair beside the potted plant, crossing one long, shapely leg over the other. The bathrobe parted slightly, revealing her snow-white, slender legs, but she appeared entirely unconcerned. Leaning her face against one hand, she arched her lips in a mischievous smile, eyes twinkling as she regarded Anwa.

"Since I'm so beautiful, Anwa, why are you so unwilling to give me a call?"

[Temptation, this is blatant temptation! The woman before you is trying to fool you with her poor acting, not realizing you’ve already seen right through her! Since that’s the case, why not turn her trick against her? If memory serves, in a month it’ll be her fiancé's memorial day…]

The sudden voiceover unraveled the doubts in Anwa’s heart. He had sensed something odd about Juri Makoto today. After all, the two of them had only met a handful of times. Though Anwa had helped her before, he wasn’t naïve enough to think someone like her—a woman with underworld ties—would offer herself in gratitude for something so trivial.

Without betraying his thoughts, he let his gaze drift away from her exposed thigh and found a nearby seat. Only then did he respond.

"Miss Juri, you must be mistaken. I have a girlfriend."

At this, Juri Makoto feigned surprise, blinking her eyes dramatically. Then she raised a hand, pretending to ponder aloud.

"Is it the eldest daughter of the Amamiya family? Or perhaps that girl Serizawa Reina? Maybe it’s even Miss Kuroi Nadeshiko?"

She seemed to know Anwa inside out, effortlessly listing off all his connections. But Anwa wasn’t surprised. When it came to information gathering, no one could match the underworld. As one of Tokyo’s local powers, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to uncover these details.

Seeing her look so curious, Anwa decided to lay his cards on the table. "It’s all of them. No need to probe, Miss Juri. Let’s get to the point."

Juri Makoto clearly hadn’t expected such forthrightness. She froze for a moment, then let out a light laugh. "Anwa, you’re quite the playboy, aren’t you?"

As she spoke, she turned away, her delicate hand stroking a vibrant flower petal. Caressing it, she asked, "Do you know why I asked you here, Anwa?"

Anwa ventured a guess. "Is it about the Amamiya sisters?"

"That’s right." Juri nodded, pinching the flower’s stem between thumb and forefinger. With a slight twist, she broke it off and brought it to her nose, closing her eyes to inhale its fragrance as she explained, "That fool Koji Amamiya has thoroughly displeased me. Since he’s after the entire Amamiya fortune, I intend to thwart him."

"So, you plan to use the Amamiya sisters’ status?"

Anwa arched an eyebrow, quickly grasping her intentions. In Japan, inheritance rights first go to spouse, children, and parents, then to siblings. If Juri Makoto wanted to defeat Koji Amamiya through legal means, the most convenient way would be to use the sisters’ status.

Realizing this, Anwa finally relaxed.

...

Half an hour later.

Leaving the manor, Anwa bade farewell to the woman who saw him out, hopped on his motorcycle, and returned to the city.

Juri Makoto’s aim was simple: use the Amamiya sisters’ status to topple Koji Amamiya and profit in the process. As for exactly how much she hoped to gain, she hadn’t said—and even if she had, Anwa wouldn’t have believed her. For now, however, their interests were aligned.

Back home, it was just past noon. The Amamiya sisters hadn’t returned from school yet, so Anwa took the opportunity to wash all the sheets and bedding that had gotten soaked the night before.

Time passed swiftly, and soon it was afternoon.

The clink of a key in the lock sounded, and moments later, the door opened to admit two figures, one after the other.

"I’m home~"

Saori Amamiya’s voice rang out. Noticing the men’s sneakers by the entrance, she exclaimed in surprise, "Eh? Is Anwa back already?"

"He took the day off," Sawu Amamiya replied casually, crouching to change her shoes before padding into the living room in slippers.

"Why didn’t I know about that?" Saori grumbled under her breath, pouting as she changed into her own slippers and followed her sister inside.

In the living room, Anwa was hunched over the table writing. Hearing them enter, he looked up and smiled, "You’re back early today."

"Yeah, no chores duty today." Sawu nodded, slinging her bag down and sitting beside Anwa, immediately asking, "How did it go?"

"The other party’s objective is the same as ours for now, but that could change," Anwa explained, recounting the day’s conversation with Juri Makoto.

After listening, Sawu fell silent. Saori, however, tugged at Anwa’s sleeve and asked quietly, "Did that person have anything to do with our parents’ deaths?"

Unlike her sister, Saori still couldn't let go of her parents' deaths. But Anwa only shook his head.

"Not clear yet."

So far, Juri Makoto didn’t appear to be lying, but that alone wasn’t enough to clear her of suspicion.

Seeing both sisters fall silent, Anwa was about to say something when his phone suddenly rang. Checking the screen, he saw it was Juri Makoto calling.

The three exchanged glances before Anwa answered and put it on speaker. Juri’s sultry voice immediately filled the room.

"So, Anwa, have you and your two little girlfriends come to a decision?"

Hearing this, Saori glanced furtively at her sister and Anwa. Neither denied it, and her cheeks instantly flushed red.

Sawu didn’t notice her sister’s embarrassment. After exchanging a glance with Anwa, she answered, "Miss Juri, could you give us a little time?"

There was a pause on the other end, but Juri didn’t refuse directly. "How long?"

"A month. My sister and I intend to keep vigil for our father."

Without hesitation, Sawu replied.

After a moment’s silence, Juri spoke again. "Alright. But only one month." With that, she hung up.

Saori immediately scooted over to her sister, excitement shining in her eyes. "Sis, are we really keeping vigil for Dad?"

"Don’t ask so many questions." Anwa pushed Saori’s head away, looking at Sawu with a complex expression. "You’re planning to take over from Koji Amamiya once you’re of age?"

"Yes," Sawu confirmed.

In Japan, those under eighteen can inherit, but the process is fraught with procedures, including appointing guardians and guarantors. If Juri Makoto wanted to meddle for profit, she’d have to exploit those procedures. If Sawu waited until she was eighteen to inherit, Juri’s schemes would fall through—assuming she didn’t know Sawu’s real age, which appeared to be the case for now.

Realizing this, Anwa frowned, gripping Sawu’s shoulders and warning her seriously, "It will be exhausting. The endless company affairs will crush you like a mountain."

Seeing his worried look, Sawu blinked, then smiled, lifting his hand to her cheek, nuzzling it softly as she murmured, "As long as you’re with me, Anwa, nothing else matters."

Anwa was stunned for a moment before he, too, smiled.

"Then maybe I should leave?"

Saori, unable to stand the atmosphere any longer, pouted in protest. But to her dismay, the pair ignored her entirely, losing themselves in each other’s embrace.

...

Before they knew it, January had arrived. Anwa and the Amamiya sisters welcomed their first winter break together.

During this time, Anwa’s "Sword Art Online" quietly made its way onto bookstore shelves, gradually gaining recognition. In contrast, his other work, "Attack on Titan," swept through stores the moment it was released, exploding in both reputation and sales, with signs of dominating the charts.

Meanwhile, because of the arrangement with Juri Makoto and to ensure a smooth takeover of the inheritance left by Toshio Amamiya, Sawu began immersing herself in economics and management books day and night. In just a month, she lost over five pounds and even started wearing glasses, much to the worry of both Anwa and Saori.

So, the two decided to give her a surprise.

January 7th—a special day.

Early in the morning, Anwa took Saori out. They browsed the shops on the nearby commercial street and, by the time they returned, their hands were full of packages.

Back home, Sawu was still in the living room, absorbed in her studies of economics and management. Anwa and Saori exchanged a glance. Saori nodded, set down the shopping bags, and hurried into the kitchen, soon emerging with a steaming glass of milk.

Taking a deep breath to calm her excitement, Saori walked over to her sister, offering the milk with a somewhat guilty smile. "Sis, you must be tired after studying for so long. Have some milk."

Without looking up from her book, Sawu opened her mouth and drank the milk. Moments later, she felt her head grow heavy, overcome by drowsiness. As she tried to lift her head, she collapsed onto the table and fell into a deep sleep.

The other two let out a sigh of relief.

"So you used the same milk on me before!" Saori muttered under her breath, but seeing Anwa already at work, she stepped forward to help.

...

When Sawu finally awoke, she was surprised to find herself seated at the dining table in the dimly lit living room, the only light coming from a candle on the table before her.

On either side of her sat Anwa and her sister, Saori. The flickering glow blurred their faces.

"You two..." Sawu shook her head, trying to recall what had happened before she lost consciousness. Anwa quickly nudged Saori under the table.

Saori pouted but shifted her chair closer, hugging Sawu’s shoulders with a dazzling smile, exclaiming, "Happy birthday!"

"Huh?" Sawu was still confused until Anwa spoke, bringing out a cake from under the table. Only then did she realize. "Is it... is it really my birthday today?"

She spoke uncertainly—the matter of Juri Makoto’s arrangement had driven all else from her mind.

"Of course," Anwa confirmed, placing the cake—adorned with eighteen candles—in front of her. "Make a wish."

After a long silence, Sawu wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes and nodded.

As she blew out the candles, Anwa and Saori produced party poppers.

"Happy birthday!" they cheered in unison.

Pop! The party poppers burst, raining colorful streamers onto Sawu’s head.

"Thank you..." she murmured, a smile spreading across her tired face.

"Alright, time for cake!" Saori declared, standing on tiptoe to cut the cake into three equal pieces, handing them to Anwa and Sawu before keeping one for herself.

"Thank you!" Anwa winked at Saori as he took his slice, and she replied with a knowing look.

The next instant, the two of them lifted their cakes and, as one, smeared them across Sawu’s face.

Sawu, startled by the sudden attack, found her face covered in cream. Recovering quickly, she retaliated, smearing cream onto her sister, who didn’t dodge and returned the favor. Thus began a full-fledged cream fight.

It was only when all the cream was gone that the three finally stopped, surveying the chaotic living room and their cream-smeared selves. Calming down, Sawu couldn’t help but laugh helplessly.

"No cake left to eat."

At this, Saori and Anwa exchanged glances. Anwa stood and hurried to the kitchen, returning with a plate of chocolates.

Sawu looked confused, but Saori snuggled up to her, laughing, "We anticipated this! These are chocolates from the Dove specialty store—they cost me ten thousand yen!"

Hearing this, Sawu’s heart warmed. She affectionately rubbed cheeks with her sister and whispered, "Thank you."

"Alright then," Anwa interjected, placing the chocolates on the table. "Sawu, you eat first—it’s your birthday, after all."

"That’s right, you go first, sis!" Saori echoed.

"I know, I know." Sawu nodded, picking up a chocolate with two slender fingers and popping it into her mouth. Instantly, the rich aroma filled her palate. As her teeth bit down, the chocolate split in two and a creamy liquid oozed out, its boozy scent spreading.

Liqueur chocolates?

Sawu was surprised but kept chewing.

Saori, seeing her sister eat, took a chocolate for herself. But as soon as she bit into the liqueur center, she fell back onto the floor, drunk in seconds.

Anwa and Sawu both panicked but, upon checking, realized Saori was merely tipsy.

Phew—

They both breathed a sigh of relief, exchanging a glance.

"Why did you buy liqueur chocolates?" Sawu asked first, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Anwa blinked, his gaze lingering on her luscious lips for a moment before suddenly leaning in.

"Mmm—"

Sawu startled, glancing at her sister to make sure she was still out cold. Relieved, she hesitated, then began to respond.

(End of Chapter)