"Now that I think about it, Yukinoshita-san, do you know the meaning behind the name Laplace?"
Yukinoshita Yukino paused to think.
"Pierre-Simon Laplace, the French mathematician. His most well-known idea is Laplace's Demon."
"An entity that knows the exact position and momentum of every atom in the universe," Azuma added smoothly.
"With that knowledge, it could calculate the entire history and future of the universe."
Azuma snapped his fingers, the sound light but deliberate.
"Exactly. That's the origin of our company's name."
"We are the ones under Laplace's Demon."
"Our job is simple: to spy on the future and turn that insight into profit."
"Whether it's developing games or running venture capital funds—it's all just a means to accumulate influence."
"The most profitable thing in the world will always be monopoly."
"But trying to carve out a piece of an existing market is too costly."
"Instead, we reach for the future. We embrace industries that haven't fully formed yet. That's how Laplace's Demon operates."
He spoke as he walked toward the towering glass window that overlooked the city.
Yukino followed his movements with puzzled eyes.
She was still trying to wrap her head around everything he'd said.
How confident could one man possibly be?
Did he actually think he could monopolize the future?
Unless… he was Laplace's Demon.
While she remained skeptical, she watched Azuma lightly tap the windowpane with his finger.
Following his gesture, she caught sight of a Shinkansen train speeding past below.
"Before the train, people just wanted a faster horse."
"People like us—under Laplace's Demon—we don't build faster pigeons."
"We throw a phone in front of them."
"Do you understand now, Yukinoshita-san?"
And at that moment, she did.
Yukinoshita Yukino understood completely.
The person standing before her was a lunatic—
A lunatic with far too much money.
"…President, if you have time, I suggest seeing a psychiatrist."
Azuma chuckled. "Yukinoshita-san, you're really straightforward."
"Umu, that's just the kind of person I am."
"That's fine. When you catch a glimpse of the future yourself, you'll see whether I'm truly crazy or not."
He didn't mind her harsh words.
After all, what he truly valued was Yukino's competence.
Words didn't matter—results did.
More than anything, it was her integrity that made her trustworthy.
She wasn't the type to manipulate or betray someone.
And that peace of mind…
Azuma was willing to pay dearly for it.
"Alright, everyone disperse. Take a break. Recruitment will be handled by Yukinoshita-san."
"President, I… I…"
"Yukinoshita-san, keep being honest. That's the quality I hired you for."
"…Can I get an advance on my salary?"
"You were just insulting me a minute ago, weren't you?"
"You told me to be straightforward!"
Yukino lowered her head slightly, embarrassed.
She knew it was awkward to criticize him and then ask for money.
But she genuinely couldn't wait until payday.
Just as she was about to offer to reduce her salary or write an IOU—
Ding dong.
Her phone vibrated.
She reflexively checked it.
A million yen had just been transferred into her bank account.
Startled, she looked up to see Azuma casually waving his phone at her.
"Anyway, I'm counting on you, okay?"
Yukino stared at the man in front of her for a moment… then smiled faintly.
"Umu. I'll do my best, President."
After leaving the building, the two parted ways.
Yukino walked toward the convenience store near her apartment.
As usual, she reached for the half-priced bento in the discount section—
But paused.
She didn't have to live frugally anymore.
After a moment's hesitation, she turned and picked up a fancy sushi bento.
At checkout, she realized:
The bento she had struggled to afford just yesterday… wasn't expensive at all.
Returning to her rental apartment, she quickly devoured the whole thing.
And as she stared at the empty container, a strange feeling washed over her.
Everything that had happened today felt surreal.
A job she'd gotten by accident.
A windfall of money.
And a bizarre young man who spoke like he could see the future.
Looking at the empty box, Yukino suddenly felt like crying.
Her phone buzzed.
A rent reminder from the landlord.
Just yesterday, this would have sent her into a panic.
But now, she calmly replied:
She wouldn't be renewing the lease.
She'd be moving out before the end of the contract.
Elsewhere—
Yukima Azuma arrived home and stretched.
Everything had been handed off.
The branch office of Laplace was now fully established: Laplace Electronics Technology Co., Ltd.
The programming work for White Album could now be outsourced.
A game like that required a massive amount of coding—doing it all himself would take far too long.
Wasn't that what programmers were for?
As for his other projects…
Until more capital arrived from headquarters, things were on hold.
The shogi tournament had already ended.
Even if he skipped the remaining matches, he'd still be champion based on win count.
After weeks of chaos, he could finally relax.
Lying on the couch, he scooped up Shiratamaru and buried his face in the cat's fur.
Sniff—
Wait.
"Ah! That's right!"
Azuma suddenly jumped up.
Someone had called this morning—
Kirisu Mafuyu was coming to visit!
He immediately shook off his lazy mood and dashed to the living room.
First things first: clean up Kasumigaoka-senpai's stockings from last night.
He found one on the floor and searched for the other, finally spotting it under the sofa.
Yesterday had been… well, they hadn't said they were officially back together,
But it was clear they'd rekindled something.
Kasumigaoka Utaha, as always, had her own incredible ways of expressing affection.
Ahem.
Now was not the time to reminisce.
Azuma hurried to the bathroom to wash the stockings, then hung them in Utaha's room upstairs.
He had the spare key now. She'd given it to him.
Shiratamaru tilted its head in confusion as it watched its owner frantically erase all traces of another woman.
Hadn't they both been marking territory just yesterday?
Why hide it now?
Puzzled but unbothered, the cat trotted off and came back with its empty rice bowl.
It dropped the bowl in the hallway with a loud clang!
(lol)
After school.
Following the address Azuma had given her, Kirisu Mafuyu arrived at his apartment.
She stared at the spacious, two-story unit with subtle disbelief.
This was the home of a student?
…Then again, he did love to rant about national economic trends in the teacher's office.
She rang the bell.
The door opened quickly.
"Kirisu-sensei, please come in," Azuma greeted her with a smile.
Her gaze went straight to the bandage on his forehead.
"How did the check-up go?"
She wanted to scold him.
He'd tackled a criminal with his bare hands!
What if that guy had had a knife instead of a camera?
"This?" Azuma touched the bandage. "Just a scratch. Nothing serious, Kirisu-sensei."
He'd seen through her concerns.
"It really wasn't that dangerous. The guy was clearly trying to stir up trouble, not commit a serious crime.
If he'd wanted to do real harm, he wouldn't have used such roundabout tactics. He was scared of going to jail."
Kirisu shot him a sideways glance.
The way he explained it made it sound so reasonable.
But she didn't believe a word of it.
He hadn't thought that far in the moment.
Even if the man had been a violent criminal, Azuma would've still charged in.
Azuma caught her gaze and immediately changed the topic.
He smiled and pulled out a pair of new slippers.
They were light blue, slightly translucent.
"I'm fine with disposable slippers," she said after spotting them in the cabinet.
"But Kirisu-sensei, I doubt this will be your only visit. And the disposable ones are thin—you'll be uncomfortable."
"…So you do know you're a problem student."
"I do, and I wear the title with pride."
She sighed and reluctantly took the slippers.
As they walked toward the living room, Kirisu glanced around.
Everything was tidy, clean, and well-organized.
So this troublesome student actually lived like a proper adult?
The kitchen had signs of regular use, fully stocked with utensils and appliances.
Even a self-made coffee machine.
"Kirisu-sensei, would you like something to drink? Tea? Soda? Coffee?"
"Just tea is fine."
"I have a variety imported from China. You should try it.
You drink tea often in the office too, don't you?"
Kirisu blinked.
So this guy had noticed even that?
Azuma quickly brewed the tea and placed a cup in front of her.
She took a sip—
And instantly recognized the quality.
The tea leaves were top-tier.
Even the brewing method was refined.
Kirisu Mafuyu was a tea lover.
But this was… next level.
As she quietly savored the tea, her earlier resolve to scold Azuma wavered.
What a troublesome student indeed.