Chapter 349 - The Director, the Chef, the Maid, the Manager, and the Acrobat
It's a secret point of pride, but ever since elementary school, I've often been praised for my note-taking.
I suppose I was good at information processing—organizing and recording things. If I lent my notes to classmates, they'd tell me they were neat and easy to understand, and teachers would say the same if I submitted them. It made me feel pretty proud.
That skill hasn't rusted. It's only gotten more polished over the years, and even now as a university student, it's still serving me well. Just look at this artistically organized notebook of mine—
"...I have absolutely no idea what any of this says."
"You're the one who wrote it, what are you talking about?"
I stared at the open page from end to end, and gracefully admitting defeat in the face of its complexity, I threw in the towel. Toshiki, sitting next to me, just gave a wry smile, as expected.
This top-tier university is no joke... I hadn't intended to underestimate it at all, but I've been completely left in the dust.
"Well, can't be helped, right? You've got other things on your mind."
From my other side, Shoko, who had me and my partner sandwiched between her, offered some support. What she said is completely true, but I don't want to use the virtual world as an excuse...
After all, I'm the one who decided to continue attending university like a normal student.
"Sorry to ask, but when I get to the point where I don't understand a single thing, could we maybe have a study session or something...?"
"Oh, sounds good! Let's do it, it'll be fun."
"I don't mind, but do you really have time for that?"
"Ah... yeah, that's gonna be impossible for a while."
My daily life is jam-packed, caught between the real and virtual worlds.
I've somehow managed to get used to the torrential pace and have started to regain some mental composure, but still.
According to Mizuki—'The responsibility expected of you is too great; I can't imagine it being possible to balance it with your studies,' I believe she said. And boy, is she right.
Juggling being a 'normal student in the real world' and a 'ranked player in the virtual world' is quite the mission impossible.
I was so overloaded with fulfilling activities that I could barely see tomorrow.
"—Kaede, sorry to keep you waiting."
After the last class of the day, I parted ways with Toshiki and the others and headed straight for our meeting spot. When I called out to my friend... and manager... who had arrived before me, she turned around with her usual gentle smile and gave a little wave, saying, "Good work today."
My public sponsor, the young lady of the Shijo family, seems to be in a fine mood today as well.
"Sorry for taking up your time so suddenly."
"Don't apologize. It's not like you were the one who called me out here."
Blending into the crowd near the school gate, we exchanged words with the easy familiarity that comes from sharing all sorts of secrets.
"Ah... well, thanks, then. I'll be in your care today."
"Yes. Same here."
We bowed to each other with mock formality, a little greeting ritual... then, when I looked around—
"Looks like our ride is already here."
Parked within sight was a familiar car. The license plate matched my memory, which meant the one waiting inside was undoubtedly our chef.
"Well then, shall we go?"
"You've got a lot of nerve for someone who looks so gentle, Kaede-san."
"Fufu, my heart is actually pounding, you know."
Kaede started walking without hesitation in the direction I indicated. When I voiced my admiration, she just smiled as if putting on a brave face.
Ah, I see. Her cheeks are indeed twitching just a little.
As we chatted and approached, the car door opened automatically to welcome us, and we climbed inside—
"Hello there. Shijo Kaede-san, it's a pleasure to meet you in person."
"Yes, a pleasure to meet you. I'll be in your care today."
"The pleasure is all mine. I'm Chitose Kazuharu."
I once thought that Kaede was 'a little like Sora,' but as far as young ladies go, my partner is... how should I put it, more authentic.
It might just be because she's older, but she has a dignified presence, she's not easily intimidated, and she acts composed even in front of Chitose-san, who has a considerable aura of his own.
From the perspective of someone her own age, she's genuinely cool—it's a shame what happens when she goes into fan mode...
"Let's save the proper greetings for when we've settled down. Are you ready to head out now?"
"Yes, I am."
Kaede and I nodded in unison. As our eyes met in the rearview mirror, he nodded back and started the engine.
◇◆◇◆◇
—And so, while the young lady of the Shijo family put on a brave front for Chitose-san, the 'deputy director',
"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Yotsuya Togo."
"Y-Yes...! Um, I-I'm Shijo Kaede...!"
As expected, or rather, as I predicted... when faced with the head of the great Yotsuya corporation, her 'armor' proved insufficient.
I could understand why Kaede was so tense in front of Mr. Togo. The man just has this presence, this aura about him.
Though on the inside, he's just a doting father who bulldozes his way through everything.
The location was the same office I'd visited before. Including myself and Kaede, there were five of us for this first face-to-face meeting.
Mr. Togo, Chitose-san, and not my partner... but the mysterious maid from last time, Natsume-san.
"I trust Kana-san and Yoshiki-kun are doing well?"
"Ah, th-they are! My mother especially is almost too energetic...!"
And so, a topic I wasn't privy to—well, not entirely—began as the head of the Yotsuya family and the daughter of the Shijo family started to communicate through small talk.
I've heard the fantastical stories about main and branch families, relationships that ordinary people living in the modern world would never encounter, but—
"Here you are. It's been a while."
"Thank you. It has."
It was a world I couldn't understand, and besides, when we first talked about employment, sponsors, and managers, I was told 'not to worry about it.'
So... I nonchalantly slipped out of the conversation and savored the coffee that was served to me, deciding to have a little chat with the maid who was radiating a 'let's talk' aura.
As always, it was an excellent brew. My own amateur skills couldn't even compare.
"How has my young lady been since we last spoke?"
"How has she been?"
"Is she cute?"
"The intent of your question is..."
"She is cute, isn't she?"
"You're as free-spirited as ever, Natsume-san."
"So she isn't cute?"
"This maid is impossible to talk to..."
I know she's doing it on purpose, and I have a pretty good idea of her intentions... but Sora's probably having a tough time with this too.
A teasing older sister maid and a pure, innocent younger mistress—their character traits are too strong.
...Wait a minute? Speaking of which,
"Um... is this okay?"
I glanced over at Kaede, who was still flusteredly dealing with Mr. Togo, and made a silent gesture for 'secret'.
That's because the existence of Sora, the Yotsuya heiress, was supposed to be a top secret, unknown to the general public—
"We're relatives. The Shijo family knows, of course."
The answer to my question came from the deputy director beside me.
"Ah, I see."
Now that he mentioned it, it was only natural.
I was worried for a second, but if that's the case, then it's fine—what's with that look? Being stared at by an older woman makes me uncomfortable, so could you please not?
"The fact that your risk management is solid gets you high marks from me."
"...Let's not ask what I'm being graded on."
This meeting got off to a pretty chaotic start... but even with this short amount of time, there's one thing I can say with certainty.
The most troublesome character here—both inside and out—is without a doubt this mysterious maid.