With no way to bring Kiyotaka along that day—especially with Director Sakayanagi shielding him—Ayanokoji Atsuomi could only leave in frustration. He stormed out of the office, not even acknowledging Yukio and Sakayanagi in the outer room, treating them like ordinary students unworthy of a glance. He strode off with an air of indignation, and shortly afterward, Kiyotaka seemed to exchange a few words with Director Sakayanagi before also departing.
At this point, Director Sakayanagi finally stepped out, allowing Yukio to see the man in person—a middle-aged gentleman exuding a scholarly aura. His hair was a shade lighter than his daughter's, close to white, and cut short. Wearing glasses, he radiated a refined and intellectual vibe.
"Yukio-kun." Director Sakayanagi greeted him affably, earning a surprised look from the secretary. He then took a seat on the sofa opposite theirs. "About the incident during the last special exam, I've been meaning to thank you privately. Thanks to your help, nothing dangerous happened to my daughter. I tried to find the right moment to express my gratitude, but the opportunity never came up. I hope you won't mind."
He was referring to the Workplace Special Exam, during which Yukio had stepped in to save Sakayanagi from the eel farm manager, Fujii, who had plotted to harm her.
Watching her father arrive, Sakayanagi responded with a subtle, girlish smile, promptly assisting Yukio by removing his earbud, then taking out her own, placing both back in her pocket.
Meanwhile, Yukio, instead of appearing shy or nervous (as most high schoolers might be when meeting a friend's parent), showed remarkable composure. In fact, he seemed rather thick-skinned and unabashed about taking credit. "Yes, that was truly dangerous for Sakayanagi. If I'd been just a little later, she might have been zapped by that stun device. Could've killed her, right there."
"..."
Director Sakayanagi, having prepared to show courtesy and appreciation, found himself at a momentary loss. Sure, he knew this young man named Yukio was exceptionally capable—leading his class to Class A, even outdoing his own daughter in some respects. But did he really have to flaunt his heroic deeds quite so blatantly? Normally, one would expect a more modest tone and polite back-and-forth—gratitude from one side, modesty from the other—before moving on to friendly conversation.
Yet here he was, plainly boasting about his achievement. How was Director Sakayanagi supposed to respond? Something felt off. Surely, he thought, a student as accomplished as this doesn't actually suffer from such a glaring social blind spot. Plus, his daughter had mentioned Yukio numerous times, always emphasizing his cunning and quick wit. This boy was no simpleton.
In other words, Yukio-kun must have a specific goal in mind, using this brazen "boast" to fish for something—likely a reward. Realizing this, Director Sakayanagi couldn't help but give a wry inward smile. 'What a bold young man, so direct about wanting payback. Most people wouldn't dare bring it up so blatantly.'
And indeed, Director Sakayanagi dearly loved his daughter. Since Yukio had saved her life, rewarding him was by no means unreasonable. Even as he pondered how best to phrase his agreement, carefully and politely, his daughter suddenly chimed in.
"Yukio-kun, please—just call me Arisu. It's awkward to hear you switch between 'Director Sakayanagi' and 'Sakayanagi' while you're speaking. I don't want Father to think you're referring to him so casually."
"?"
'Call her by her first name? That's… quite a leap.' Director Sakayanagi's gentle eyes momentarily narrowed as he discreetly studied both Yukio and his daughter's expressions.
Yukio seemed unbothered, simply nodding as if such closeness were normal. Meanwhile, Arisu's cheeks bore the faintest blush… 'My precious, carefully raised daughter, showing such open affection?' The director sensed a small jolt of alarm. 'Could this kid's "reward" be… my beloved daughter?'
At the mere possibility, Director Sakayanagi's heart skipped. 'This cunning rascal—does he intend to claim my daughter as his prize?' The mental image jarred him so much that he momentarily grew tense and stern, looking suddenly grave, almost as though Yukio were literally walking off with his prized child.
"U-hem!" Director Sakayanagi coughed, managing to suppress his urge to interrogate them directly, and forced himself to return to the original subject. "Y-Yukio-kun, I truly appreciate what you did for my daughter. Thank you again. So… how are things for you at AN? Have you come across any difficulties? Any suggestions you'd like to bring to my attention?"
Hearing his own words, Director Sakayanagi momentarily wished he could slap some sense into himself. 'What on earth am I saying?' he thought, fully aware of how unrefined and clumsy he must sound. Still, at least it got them moving toward the main topic.
Yukio, however, had no clue that Director Sakayanagi's imagination was already running wild. He assumed this was simply the moment to request the "reward."
"Haha, I don't really have any particular suggestions for the school," Yukio said with a casual grin. "But there are plenty of things I'd like to buy in my day-to-day life—things I can't afford right now. Perhaps Director Sakayanagi could transfer some private points to me—say, around… ten billion?"
"Pfft!" Sakayanagi Arisu jerked her head sideways, nearly spitting her tea onto the floor in surprise.
"Cough… cough!" Her father started coughing uncontrollably, equally thrown off. Instinctively, he tried to steady himself, still choking slightly.
Arisu hurriedly wiped up her spilled tea with a handkerchief, looking speechless as she turned to Yukio. 'What the heck did I just hear?' She'd been expecting a bit of awkwardness after urging him to use her first name. She'd even taken a sip of tea to settle her fluttering thoughts. Instead, she nearly choked on it thanks to his outrageous proposal.
Director Sakayanagi eventually recovered, but shock lingered in his gaze. 'This kid just asked for ten billion, as though it's pocket change. Seriously?'
Yukio, meanwhile, kept his composed expression and impeccable politeness, giving no hint that this enormous sum was—secretly—intended to fund the means to replace Director Sakayanagi as head of AN High School. If one were to put it bluntly, he was asking for the rope with which to hang the director… and requesting the director pay for it.
That kind of audacity was practically unthinkable. Someone else in Yukio's shoes would be too embarrassed even to mention such a figure. But for him, it seemed as natural as breathing.
After all, Horikita Manabu's intel about the possibility of buying the director's seat with thirty billion private points sounded promising. But how would one even begin to accumulate such a colossal amount of points? The only feasible routes were to spend the next few years madly amassing them himself—or to see if any of the school's staff, including the director, might be persuaded to chip in.
Obviously, if Director Sakayanagi agreed to front the money, that would be perfect. If he refused, he'd presumably give some reason, which Yukio could dissect. Was the director aware of the "secret rule" in the S-system that allowed a student to purchase the seat for thirty billion points?
If Director Sakayanagi knew about it, he might suspect Yukio's true motive upon hearing such a laughable request. Then his reaction would give away all sorts of information.
If he wasn't aware, then so much the better. Without any defenses in place, he wouldn't realize Yukio was steadily amassing the funds to dethrone him. And when that day finally arrived, well… so be it. 'Sorry, Arisu… But business is business.'
***
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