70. "It's All My Credit, My Talent for Being a Playboy"

"Hey, let's not get led astray by Akira, okay?"

"Do you all remember what we agreed on earlier? To teach this playboy a lesson?"

"Akira just scared us on purpose to change the subject."

"He made us forget about how he and Leonora disappeared for three days and nights~."

"Hey, Hina! Stop calling my mom 'Leonora-nee'!"

Alice was hopping mad. These so-called friends of hers were just too much.

"Sorry, Alice, my tongue slipped again."

Hoshina Sena quickly raised her hands in surrender.

"Sena, you're my only best friend."

"But you have no say in what happens between me and Leonora-nee, right?"

"Has our friendship changed or something?"

Akira Sawamura looked shocked, his eyes wide and his tone exaggerated.

"Sena, you've really disappointed me."

"What happened to being best friends forever?"

This over-the-top performance left Sena both flustered and furious.

She couldn't bring herself to admit that her feelings for Akira had started to change in just a few short days.

"Waaah! Akira, you're such a meanie! I'm not playing with you anymore!"

"I'm going home!"

Feeling utterly humiliated, Sena broke down in tears and tried to leave.

Her pride wouldn't allow her to stay any longer.

After all, she was just Akira's friend, not his childhood sweetheart.

The others watched the scene unfold, thoroughly entertained.

Serves her right for always teasing others.

Now she's the one who's upset.

"Hey, hey, Sena! I was just joking!"

Akira quickly grabbed Sena's arm, pulling her delicate, boneless body into his embrace.

"I'm sorry."

"I liked you the moment I saw you, Sena."

"I admit it was wrong of me to tease you."

"But you ignored me at first and even turned down my dad's invitation."

Sena, feeling a bit better, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and pouted as she questioned him.

She thought Akira was just sweet-talking her, not being sincere at all.

"That's called playing hard to get!"

"Because I could tell your dad is the ultimate doting father."

"If I tried to approach you normally, he'd probably be on high alert."

"Tsk tsk tsk! You're such a modern-day Casanova, full of tricks."

"If you weren't so slick, how would you have so many childhood sweethearts?"

"You're such a player! Falling for everyone you meet."

The childhood sweethearts couldn't help but mock him.

"Who's the real player here?"

"Have you forgotten how I was the one who shamelessly approached all of you when we were kids?"

"You were all such cold, aloof young ladies."

"What tricks do I have?"

"If I really had some kind of playbook, wouldn't I have over a hundred childhood sweethearts by now?"

"Think about it."

"Without me, would all of you have become such good friends?"

"You'd probably all be lonely, socially awkward kids by now."

"I especially need to call out Yukino, Kazusa, and Erina."

"You're all such heartbreakers!"

"When we were kids, you all had so much fun together, but now you've turned your backs on me."

"You've forgotten all my hard work and effort."

Everyone was stunned by Akira's shamelessness.

For a moment, their minds went blank, and they forgot what they were going to say.

Seeing this, Sena looked confused and quickly broke free from Akira's embrace.

She joined the side of the childhood sweethearts.

"Akira, you're so mean, twisting the truth like that. I'm siding with Erina and the others."

"Now I know why you fell for my mom at first sight. You two are so alike."

"My mom's tongue is just as sharp as yours."

"I've never seen anyone in Northern Europe who could win an argument against her."

"Honestly, you two are wasted not being unscrupulous lawyers."

Alice twitched her mouth as she complained.

"She's just not good at Japanese, or you'd see how sharp her tongue is, just like Akira's."

"Onii-chan, why don't you two just get married already?"

Yuki Suou smirked, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she deliberately set a trap.

"No way! I refuse."

"I promised to be Akira's lover for life, and that's what I'll be."

"I, Leonora, always keep my word."

Leonora clearly sensed Yuki's malicious intent and immediately rejected the idea.

"Akira, Yuki-chan is being so mean."

"You little sister who loves to trap your brother, I've had enough of you."

Akira stomped his right foot and dashed forward.

Pulling out a rope he carried with him, he quickly tied Yuki up.

"Onii-chan, why do you even have a rope on you?"

"Yuki doesn't understand."

Even now, Yuki didn't forget her role as the speaker, asking with a tearful expression.

"This is something I've carried since I was a kid, just to deal with Karura."

"Yuki, take Yuki to Karura."

"Let Karura teach this little sister a lesson."

"And make sure to supervise for me."

"Yes, Master."

"Yuki-sama, I'm sorry."

Yuki effortlessly lifted Yuki with one hand and walked away.

"Having someone like Yuki as a maid is so convenient."

"There are so many things I can't do myself that I can leave to her."

Yuki, who hadn't gone far, heard this and a faint, gentle smile appeared on her cold, beautiful face.

"Akira, you're so sly."

"After all that, we're not even mad anymore."

Alice looked at this annoying yet gentle childhood sweetheart and pouted.

Even the dumbest among them realized now.

Akira had been deliberately throwing out topics to distract them.

But they still underestimated just how good he was at changing the subject.

So smooth.

"Yumeko, it's been so many years."

"You must realize by now that conventional medical treatments won't wake Saki up."

"Should we try the new drug developed by Dr. Amamiya?"

"Akira, has Dr. Amamiya ever actually killed anyone with her treatments?"

"How do you even track the patients' conditions after treatment?"

Yumeko Jabami's face was conflicted as her mind raced, asking the most critical question.

"Ahaha! Actually, Dr. Amamiya also developed a simple biochip."

"Right now, it can only monitor basic life signs."

"But it's enough for our purposes."

"That's amazing!"

The girls were stunned, their voices filled with awe.

Wasn't this kind of biochip supposed to be futuristic technology from sci-fi?

"Dr. Amamiya and I have built the largest private hospital underground in Tokyo."

"I forgot to tell you."

"We recently got our official license."

"We're now affiliated with Nishikino Private Hospital Chain."

"If Dr. Amamiya is that good, then let's transfer my sister there."

Yumeko knew that her sister lying in a coma was no different from a slow death.

In that case, she might as well take a gamble.

"Mom, do you want Dr. Amamiya to give you a full check-up?"

"Not just you, but also Sensei, Yuki, Chisato, Arisu, and Shinagi-san."

"You should all get a check-up."

"Especially Chisato, from now on, you can only go to our family's hospital."

"Let Dr. Amamiya personally examine you."

"Other hospitals might be infiltrated by the Alan Institute."

"Including the hospitals within the DA organization."

"Akira, aren't you being a bit too extreme?"

"I was raised by DA."

Chisato wasn't happy, refuting with a stubborn look on her face.

She couldn't believe that the aunts and sisters who watched her grow up in DA would ever harm her.

"How can you guarantee that your hospital is completely safe?"

"Alright, let me break it down for you."

"First, Dr. Amamiya is obviously bound to me for life."

"She would never betray me."

"Second, the power structure in my hospital is different."

"Dr. Amamiya and I are the bosses."

"Next are the nine nurses who started with us."

"Then come the regular doctors and nurses."

"They don't know the hospital's secrets; they're just here for the high salary."

"Those nine nurses all have their own issues."

"They're not exactly paragons of virtue."

"Like Dr. Amamiya, they were all in desperate situations."

"I gave them a hand when they needed it."

"What kind of proper nurse would join an underground hospital?"

"They signed a life contract with me and Dr. Amamiya."

"It's not a normal work contract."

"They're bound to this hospital for life."

Akira shrugged, explaining casually.

"Something about Akira's explanation feels off."

"Life contracts don't exist in modern times, right?"

"And they have no legal standing."

"How do you ensure those nurses won't betray you?"

Chisato's eyes narrowed with suspicion as she pressed further.

"The only way I can think of is threatening their families."

"But someone like Akira would never do something so underhanded."

Crap!

Chisato's intuition was too sharp.

Akira was sweating bullets internally, scrambling for a suitable excuse.

"Chisato, isn't it obvious?"

"Those nine nurses are probably all stunning beauties."

"Each one more tempting than the last."

"Their bodies are marked as Akira's property."

"They've become his possessions."

Arisu Sakayanami crossed her arms, a cold smile on her face.

"Like some kind of star slaves or something!"

The childhood sweethearts couldn't help but blush at Arisu's blunt words.

"I'm really innocent here!"

"I was just a kid back then. How could I have such outrageous thoughts?"

"You've always been more mature than your peers."

"Why wouldn't you have thoughts like that?"

"Given how you started collecting childhood sweethearts from a young age."

"It's only natural you'd do something like this."

"To borrow your own words."

"If Chisato's talent is combat, and Yumeko's is gambling."

"Then your talent is being a playboy."

Arisu, like Sherlock Holmes pointing out the culprit, adjusted the brim of her beret and pointed at Akira, delivering her final verdict.

This last line was a killer blow, leaving Akira stiff and speechless.

Clap clap clap!

The childhood sweethearts erupted into applause for Arisu.

So cool!

Absolutely brilliant!

Arisu's words were as impactful as Akira's earlier speech.

Inspiring and thrilling.

Pfft!

Seeing Akira's miserable expression, Yumi Suou couldn't help but laugh.

She gave Arisu a thumbs-up.

This was the first time she'd seen her always calm and collected son rendered speechless.

It was absolutely hilarious.

"Thank you for the applause. My speech is over."

"Now, Akira, please rebut my points."

Arisu gave a slight bow, as if she'd just finished a performance, elegantly thanking the audience.

Hahaha!

Seeing Akira's increasingly grim expression, the girls couldn't hold back anymore.

They laughed heartily.

It was rare to see their playboy childhood sweetheart so flustered.

It felt amazing, from head to toe.

"Arisu Sakayanagi, just you wait."

"You're taking advantage of your heart condition to mess with me, huh?"

"Once your heart is fixed, I'll spank you every day."

Akira threatened with a fierce expression.

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