#283

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“–ra? Hey, Shinra, are you even listening?”

After school for the first time in the new term, I was taken to the common room by President, and I was stunned for about ten minutes. As my gaze was directed towards her, my consciousness seemed to be wandering far away. Then, a hand shook my body from the side and the sound of a voice brought me back.

“…I think it’s wonderful.”

“Well, I wasn’t paying attention, but it’s pretty obvious you’re just nodding along…”

The eyes of the two people in the room, except for me, were focused on me, so I thought they were asking me to say something or give an opinion, so I said something that didn’t cause any harm, but was it a mistake?

President smiled wryly and the dandy man sitting across didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Certainly, the conversation between me and Akane was a bit personal, so I guess it was a bit boring for you.”

Sitting on the sofa across the desk was Kirasaka’s father, better known as the company director.

I shook my head to express that it wasn’t the case, but even he looked apologetic.

“Last time we met, I invited her to come work for our company after you graduate. Even if intend to decline, I felt it was necessary to say hello.”

I see, I see. I nodded twice, not having any memory of the conversation itself, having been in a daze during their entire exchange. It’s quite appreciated that he’s recounting the content of the conversation.

After all, it’s an impressive thing for the director himself to invite you to work for his well-known company right after high school graduation.

And as expected of President, politely refusing his request.

Then, naturally, there’s one thing I must ask.

“Why was I called here too?”

When I was brought here, somewhat forcibly, the idea was to listen to a perspective from a real business owner to see if I could find any hints about my future career. However, it started with such private matters that Minato felt a bit out of place.

In response to my words, President muttered, “Yes!” as if she had just remembered something, and swayed her long chestnut-coloured hair. Then, she turned to Kirasaka’s father again.

“Uncle, please take it as a casual conversation. How about giving a student like him a try at your company?”

Extending her hand towards us, President made this suggestion. I just went with the flow, waiting to see the response from the other side. This was merely a passing question within the conversation.

It wasn’t a serious or urgent inquiry. Kirasaka’s father understood that and thought for a moment.

With his hand under his chin, a moment of silence hung in the air among the three of us.

…Indeed, seeing Kirasaka’s father, I couldn’t help but reconfirm that he was a businessman. Despite his slightly sharp gaze and eyes, and hair styled in a slicked-back manner, he exuded an aura that represented the ideal image of a working adult male. It was quite clear that his presence was on a different level compared to people I might encounter nearby.

While Kirasaka’s father contemplated the question, President, as the questioner, eagerly awaited his response, seemingly implying that it was a great idea.

“He doesn’t have any exceptional abilities, but he is known for consistently delivering results. I believe this will remain the same even if he enters the workforce as a society member.”

“He indeed had a reputation… So, it wasn’t just my own misconception.”

Personally, I thought I had a reputation for consistently scoring average grades, but to have President think the same… It’s a bit embarrassing. Well, it’s not like I had any virtues to speak of in the first place. I could say that there were other virtues I should have listed, but upon reflection, there really weren’t any.

My friend was beautiful, my childhood friend is beautiful, another friend handsome, and my sister extremely beautiful.

However, having no connection is an achievement in itself. I was separated that I’m heartbroken.

But such thoughts had nothing to do with the current Q&A session.

The question posed in tandem by both of them hung in the air, and after a moment of silence, the director provided a response that was unexpected of him.

“It’s only a hypothetical discussion, but I don’t think Shinra Minato would be a suitable hire.”

The answer was delivered with such clarity, and it was almost to the point where I felt the urge to ask, “Why?” But before I could voice it, the question was posed by the person next to me.

“Why is that? Is it because he’s unsuitable for the position or field in your company?”

“No, it’s not about the position. It’s a fundamental reason.”

Hearing that, I involuntarily shut my mouth and showed a contemplative expression.

A fundamental reason… like a lack of communication skills?

Oh no, if that’s the case, then wouldn’t almost every company not hire me?

It’s possible, isn’t it?

If I graduate from university, I might spend some time as a jobless person honing my skills as a home security guard.

I don’t want to think about it, but I thought about it. And I even envisioned what that would look like.

Upon hearing this from the director, the two of us remained silent and showed our willingness to hear an explanation. So, Director continued the conversation.

“Business owners must take risks, especially the ones that might surpass boundaries.”

“Risks?”

“People gifted with talent often have peculiar traits… including my daughter, Akane, your childhood friend, and your other friend. They’re likely to have slightly different set of values than the others.”

Director’s words were accurate. These friends indeed had different value systems than the others. However, to me, those different value systems were what made them exceptional.

What’s the risk in having someone with different value systems among us? I found myself intrigued by this question.

“Why do many talented people flock to you? That’s because you, too, have fundamentally different set of values.”

Director held up two of his fingers and continued.

“Many people are inclined to twist their identities to fit into a group’s circle, adapting to group psychology and behaviours. Nowadays, the crowd is often seen as virtuous. However, you don’t change who you are. Rather than changing your form, you choose to be alone.”

I listened closely to the director’s words and expression, completely serious. He mentioned one set of my values, but what was the next one?

With a calm breath and a focused gaze, I looked at him.

“What’s most important to protect should be yourself, but you easily disregard the risks that others might hesitate to confront, even in situations that are not ideal for you. This is your second set of values.”

Director’s serious eyes turned gentle as he exhaled and continued. Those were the eyes of a parent looking at their children.

“I personally like you, not as a superior but as someone in the position of watching you grow, just as I do with my daughter. I don’t want to be your boss; it would be difficult to hold onto your reins.”

He said with a smile and turned to the President.

Well done for deciding to take the reins, or so he seemed to convey from his eyes.

President also appeared to understand the meaning of his gaze and smiled.

After observing their conversation for a while and just before leaving the room, spoke.

“Once you settle on a career, you also have the option of being a sole proprietor or even starting your own business… I believe that working under a large umbrella is not the only choice for young people.”

“Thank you very much; it was enlightening.”

As he left the room I spoke, releasing a sigh filled with a mixture of relief and reassurance.

Starting a business or becoming a sole proprietor… It’s a path I need to consider for the future, even if it’s challenging to decide at this stage. However, the words ‘not just under the last umbrella’ were welcome and seemed to suggest that there might be more to Kirasaka’s father than meets the eye—a young man who held different values, perhaps.

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