#320

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What I’m about to do is nothing but childish play imitating adults.

It’s a strategy to push through unreasonable demands with selfishness and youthfulness that one would never be able to accomplish once they become working adults and take responsibility for their jobs.

Of course, the compensation isn’t monetary; it’s the freedom for a single girl to decide the fate of a person named Shinra Minato.

If being a servant is fine with her, I won’t refuse to work in her main residence, let alone her secondary one.

The decision is entrusted solely to Kirasaka Rei.

In return, she managed to arrange a meeting with Kirasaka Reiya, her father and the boss of the Kirasaka Conglomerate.

Honestly, when I made this request to her, I thought I thought of an 80% chance of rejection, 10% of postponement and rest as her acceptance.

However, surprisingly, the answer was an immediate OK with an invitation to come over right away.

Although there are many things I want to do within the school, at this stage, there are limited opportunities for me to actively participate.

If the other party happens to have time available, it’s best to visit them for a meeting as soon as possible.

It seems Kirasaka will also accompany me. We visited a traditional Japanese sweets shop in the shopping district together. When the familiar grandma there asked in a gentle voice, “Did yourself find yourself a girlfriend?” I smiled dryly and denied it.

You see, grandmothers have surprisingly wide social circles.

If rumours spread through casual conversation in the shopping district, it will not only inconvenience me but also her.

So, when I denied it, Kirasaka, who gave me a scary look and pinched my side, she was probably embarrassed, yeah.

I’m not scared, I’m not scared, if I say I’m not scared, then I’m not scared.

This time, Shizuku isn’t participating because, well, you know, the discussion’s content is a bit… sensitive.

I really want Kirasaka to wait in a separate room or something, but since I’ve already asked her for this favour, it can’t be helped.

“Father has set aside some time between work, so one hour is the limit. Anything beyond that is not acceptable.”

While checking the time on the small, cute wristwatch wrapped around her arm, Kirasaka warned me with a single sentence.

It’s already after school hours, and our arrival should be just before 4:00 PM.

If I assume that the typical working hours for adults are from 5:00 to 6:00 PM, this visit is just in time.

“Even five minutes or ten minutes is appreciated, so I’m grateful for you making time for me. Is this kind of souvenir okay?”

“He doesn’t like expensive things too much, so he’ll probably be happy.”

Raising the paper bag in my right hand, I felt anxious several times. Seeing me like that, Kirasaka smiled briefly as we walked side by side.

…Then, I guess it’ll be fine.

Visiting with a souvenir in hand, who do you think you are, some kind of thoughtful gentleman?

Anxiety is inevitable with unfamiliar actions. Let’s think of it as a good experience.

The place I was summoned to is a building where her father has an office he uses while staying in this town, not in Tokyo.

It’s conveniently close to the nearest station I usually use.

Certainly, I’ve been curious about the strikingly elegant building since long ago, but it seems to be a dedicated building her father uses when he needs it for work.

He owns several buildings, but he has chosen the one closest to the school this time to avoid drawing attention.

…Whether the term strikingly elegant is appropriate or not depends on the viewer’s impression, and opinions might be divided.

Certainly, it’s not vertically extensive. Since it probably doesn’t have ten floors, it’s understandable if you hear that multiple companies rent space here.

However, if it’s said to be a single company’s dedicated space… it’s huge.

Standing still in front of the automatic door, contemplating such thoughts, Kirasaka entered the building without hesitation, as if entering her own home. Well, if it’s a building owned by her father, it might feel like home in a sense.

Following her into the building, I saw two women standing at what seemed to be the reception area. As their gaze shifted from the documents in their hands to us, they bowed respectfully upon seeing Kirasaka.

“Miss, thank you for coming.”

“Director is waiting for you in the reception room on the seventh floor.”

The woman on the left expressed gratitude, while the one on the right informed us of the director’s location. I glanced briefly at Kirasaka’s expression, but she responded with a simple “thank you” and continued walking past them towards the corridor leading to the elevator.

…I had been prepared to go through the reception process as usual, but upon further thought, it seemed unnecessary.

Well, personally, I would have appreciated it if they had followed the reception procedure. The receptionists’ stares were quite painful. I wonder how to react to such an intensely curious and warm gaze.

For now, I bowed slightly and followed Kirasaka.

Quietly, the elevator transported us to the seventh floor, and upon disembarking, we were greeted by a large door with a sign that read ‘Reception Room’.

It seems there is nothing on the seventh floor except for the reception room and restroom. More accurately, it seems the entire floor is occupied by the reception room.

Perhaps it’s designed to accommodate a large number of visitors from other companies in one room with chairs and tables.

The atmosphere of this floor is different from the typical office building, to say the least. Prompted by the atmosphere, I stopped next to Kirasaka and observed her demeanour.

Kirasaka gave a small smile and gestured for me to proceed. From here on, it seems it’s your job, as indicated by her attitude.

I took a deep breath and lightly adjusted my hair with my hand. Kirasaka peeked at me and nodded slightly as I adjusted my blazer and tie.

With her signal, I knocked on the door a few times.

“Come in.”

The reply came from behind the door.

It’s a voice I’ve heard a few times before, the voice of the director. Once again, I exhaled to calm my nerves and grasped the doorknob.

…It’s okay, my hands aren’t trembling, and my thoughts are clearer than I imagined.

“Excuse me.”

I announced firmly before turning the doorknob and pushing the door open.

For a moment, I closed my eyelids lightly against the light pouring in from the room’s lighting and windows, but soon, I quickly scanned the room with minimal eye movement.

It’s not lavish or ornate, just pure minimalism.

The sofas, the desks, and even the carpets are all very simple in shape and colour, but definitely not cheap.

Even I, who haven’t seen much furniture other than what’s at home, can tell at a glance that they’re quite expensive.

However, there are no flashy ornaments or paintings on the walls, just a room for face-to-face conversation… that’s the impression.

Sitting there, already waiting, was Kirasaka’s father, Kirasaka Reiya, the head of the Kirasaka Conglomerate.

As usual, he wore a suit impeccably, with a clean hairstyle and a gaze that seemed to be examining something.

When his daughter informed him of today’s conversation, he might have had intentions of this. What will this boy talk about and wish for today?

It’s probably some kind of entertainment. From the gaze directed at me, I feel something reminiscent of the Kirasaka I first met.

“Thank you for taking the time today. It’s nothing special, but…”

“This is thoughtful of you. I’ll enjoy it later.”

First, expressing gratitude for making time. The director conveyed his intention to Kirasaka with eye contact as she nodded slightly and took the bag from me.

Heading towards the serving area at the back of the room implies they’ll be consumed during this time, despite Kirasaka’s earlier statement about not preferring expensive sweets.

While observing Kirasaka gracefully preparing tea in the corner of my vision, I focused my attention on the person in front of me.

As the director gestured for me to sit, I uttered a few words before taking my seat.

The first time we exchanged words was almost ten months ago when I went to a hotel affiliated with the conglomerate for a job experience.

Since then, we’ve had a few brief interactions, even during the cultural festival, but this is the first time we’re having a one-on-one conversation.

A renowned entrepreneur who single-handedly expanded the company into a globally recognized conglomerate.

Normally, it would be unusual for a student to be seated in the same room as such a person. I wonder what Kirasaka told him and what prompted him to agree.

There are many things I’d like to ask, but they’re irrelevant to the current discussion.

“Shinra-kun, Rei asked me to make some time to talk with you. So, what do you have to say today?”

Seated comfortably, legs crossed, hands clasped together, he looked at me, and his lips curled up slightly.

He just looked like a male version of Kirasaka Rei while doing such gestures.

I had thought about what to say. However, I hadn’t decided on the approach until I saw his reaction in this setting.

So, while I had the content in mind, I hadn’t thought about how to introduce the subject.

Each of the three approaches—starting with the main topic and pushing with intensity, speaking like a wise student, or appealing emotionally—seemed bad.

All three methods would likely have been tried and tested by someone with extensive experience in countless business dealings.

Naturally, the requirements were communicated by Kirasaka since I requested this meeting.

Seeing the director not bring up the topic from the requirements, I wondered if he hadn’t been informed or if he was waiting for me to approach the topic.

Given my position as the one who requested the meeting, it seemed only natural for me to start the conversation…

In the background, Kirasaka, who was observing from a slightly distant place behind the director, showed no signs of anxiety on her face.

Whether they were there out of friendship, trust, or love, it didn’t matter.

Just the fact that she believed I would be okay dispelled any lingering fragments of anxiety in the depths of my heart.

“I’m currently involved in preparing for a farewell party for the graduates next weekend with your daughter Rei-san and several friends. The president… Akane-senpai, whom your daughter has a close relationship with, will also be there.”

“For Rei, who sees Akane as a true older sister, graduation is both a joyous and somewhat lonely occasion. It’s a bit sad to see them leave the nest as a parent.”

“I haven’t known President for as long as Rei-san, but she has still taken care of me. …I want to send her off with the greatest celebration.”

The words flowed smoothly without anything choking in my throat. They were honest words that conveyed my current position and feelings.

The slight smiles on both of our faces conveyed a hint of sadness. Even though our positions were different, we all felt a bit lonely.

The one thing we had in common between me and the director was the desire to celebrate and send off President.

But as long as we shared that one point, there was no problem.

“Embarrassingly enough, the performance of the students giving instructions leaves much to be desired, and we’re facing a mountain of problems.”

I shrugged my shoulders with a wry smile.

Director didn’t interject or interrupt the conversation, but simply muttered, “Hmm,” before speaking.

“What are the current issues?”

“We only have a week left, including weekends. We’re short on manpower, and the video messages scheduled for the day are barely progressing.”

There are other problems remaining, but there’s no need to explain everything upfront. As long as he understands that there are many remaining issues, that’s sufficient.

Kirasaka has a favourable opinion of me, and I feel sorry for having to explain my incompetence to her father in detail. What I’m about to ask for should be enough to lower the director’s evaluation of me.

…I don’t like it. Even knowing that it’s something I don’t like doing, I can’t stop myself. The switch has been flipped, and it’s a non-stop express train to either success or failure, not a local train with multiple stops.

“This time, I requested Rei-san for an appointment to discuss the most pressing issue among them.”

“Let’s hear it.”

Director urged me to continue without changing his demeanour.

I’ve simulated this scenario many times. I’ve twisted my inadequate brain to anticipate reactions and have prepared my responses in advance.

But secretly, I’ve often thought that if I were in the opposite position, I’d truly be a brat.

To an onlooker, my forced smile would be obvious, but I maintain my tone without lowering it and straighten my posture to deliver the main point concisely.

“It’s about money.”

“…”

“It’s money.”

“…I didn’t miss that.”

Ah, I see.

I had mistakenly thought the director had missed it because it wasn’t the words he was expecting. However, before getting into the main topic, there’s one more thing I want to address.

Just a formality—I intend to wrap up everything with this one statement.

“…Please bear with me for a moment as I explain a bit of ‘the whims of an ignorant child.’”

With that, I smiled as big as I could go.

Yes, this is just the whim of a child.

It’s nothing more than an innocent child who doesn’t know any better coming to make a grand request based on a small connection with his daughter’s classmate.

There’s a girl in the corner of the room, trying to suppress her laughter, probably touched by my words.

I’m delighted to have such a humorous friend.

And perhaps, looking back later, I realized that the smile I wore at that moment was probably quite twisted.

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