Chapter 137 - What Was Entrusted
The elevator silently stopped on the top floor. The top floor, huh…
“Please.”
Prompted by the woman in the suit, we exited.
The woman, who was the last to step out, swiftly moved forward and said,
“This way,”
leading us, so we had no choice but to follow.
For Mion, this seemed normal; her expression was as utterly ordinary as it was in the classroom.
Still, it felt completely like an office, so was Mion living here?
Also, what was the kitchen like…
It was the room at the very end of the hallway.
The woman in the suit held up something like an employee ID.
Then,
“The young lady and Ise-sama have arrived.”
Confirming the sound of the door unlocking, she opened it for us.
“Mm…”
Still being pulled by my sleeve, I was led inside. Mashiro-nee and Miki followed.
Finally, the woman in the suit entered, and the door closed.
“Just a moment, please.”
From the back of the room, beyond a luxurious CEO’s desk, came a woman’s voice, seemingly working.
I guessed—no, I was certain—it was Mion’s mother.
“Everyone, please take a seat. I’ll bring you some tea.”
Was it alright to sit before greeting?
What do you do in these situations? Is sitting rude? Is not sitting ruder?
As I worried, I was again pulled by my sleeve and led to the sofa.
Mion plopped down onto it.
Looking at Mashiro-nee on the opposite sofa, she gave a nod, then sat down alongside Miki, so I decided to sit as well.
“I’m sorry. Just a little more, please…”
Her murmurs could be heard from beyond the CEO’s desk, but Mion remained expressionless, or perhaps just accustomed to it…
The woman in the suit, who had temporarily exited, now returned with tea for everyone, placing it before each of us. A pleasant aroma wafted from the expensive-looking green tea.
“Here…”
Mion picked up the tea placed before me and handed it to me.
It wasn’t just a polite gesture, so she meant for me to drink without hesitation, right…
Seeing this, Mashiro-nee and Miki also reached for their tea.
…Ah, this is incredibly delicious. I wonder what kind of tea leaves these are.
Still, if she was busy, I wanted to skip the greetings for now and start preparing lunch.
As I thought that, Mion’s eyes turned to the woman in the suit, who then briskly…
“President? Soon, the young lady’s mood might…”
“Yes! Yes, I’m finished!”
She replied, standing up sharply.
Her face, now clearly visible, certainly resembled Mion’s, but she looked older than my mother?
“Shou, Miki.”
“Ah, yeah.”
I followed Mashiro-nee’s unspoken instruction to stand and greet them properly.
Mion looked a little perplexed, but that’s how it normally is, you know?
“Nice to meet you, I’m Shizuku, Mio’s mother. My daughter is in your care.”
“I’m Ise Shou. Izumo-san, I feel like I’m the one who’s been taken care of by Mio-san, or rather…”
“No, no, I’ve heard all about it. How you guard Mio every morning on the train, and stay with her on the way home, and such.”
Ah, ahh… Yes.
That’s true, but why don’t you just pick her up and drop her off in that car every day? No, that’s not important. Before that,
“Uhm…”
“I’m Mashiro, the older sister. I apologize for our sudden intrusion today.”
“I’m Miki, the younger sister.”
“No, no, you’re very welcome. And I apologize for having to call you here.
And you’re even making us lunch… I really should be treating you, but Mio insisted…”
“Ah…”
From her earlier demeanor, she seemed very lenient with Mion. Was it because she was a single parent?
“I apologize for my selfish daughter. If her father were alive, she might have been a bit more… Oh, that was unnecessary. Please, sit down.”
After confirming that Shizuku-san sat in the head chair, a single-seater sofa, we also sat down.
I planned to bring up the club and part-time job topics, but…
“Kumano-sensei has thoroughly explained both of your club activities and part-time work.
And I wanted to properly explain the financial matters to Shou-kun. First, please accept this.”
Saying that, the woman in the suit handed something to me, Mashiro-nee, and Miki… a business card?
*“UZUME Co., Ltd.
President and CEO Izumo Shizuku”*
Huh? UZUME was a pretty famous talent agency, wasn’t it? Don’t tell me…
“After consulting with Kumano-sensei, we’ve decided to make Mio one of UZUME’s talents. If it’s her parent’s company, the school can’t complain, can they?”
I-I see…
“Please keep this matter between us.”
“Yes.”
No, seriously, if that ever got out, girls wanting to be idols would flock to Mion.
“So, we’ve set up a new subsidiary specializing in virtual idols. The money you and Shou-kun earn will be its revenue.”
“Ah, yes.”
Shizuku-san was also serving as president, and Mion was effectively hired as a part-timer. As for me, since it was Mion’s earnings, I thought it was naturally fine… but then there was Miki’s training camp expenses.
“Normally, half of Mio’s earnings should go to Shou-kun, but…”
“No, I’m just playing around.”
“You mustn’t think that way. When a person appears in a photo, they have value, you see.”
Ugh, that’s certainly true for models and such.
“Kumano-sensei mentioned donating a portion of the revenue to the school, but apparently, too much would be troublesome.
If you and Shou-kun need anything, we’ll purchase it as an expense for that subsidiary and lend it to you.”
“Yes, yes.”
For example, if I wanted to upgrade my VR HMD to the latest model, the company would buy it, and I’d borrow it for free, would that be alright?
Miki’s travel expenses… Bell-buchou said they’d be covered as expenses, so that’s fine.
Yata-sensei? No, he’s an adult, so he’ll probably pay for it himself…
“Furthermore, please save any leftover money until you both become adults. Once you’re able to work and earn money properly, consult with us about how to use it.”
“Understood.”
“Then, this.”
At her words, the woman in the suit handed me an account card.
“Eh, this is?”
“It’s the account card for that subsidiary.”
“No, no, no! I can’t possibly hold this!”
Just as I said that, Mion firmly grasped my arm.
Then, she stared intently at me…
“…Understood. I will hold onto it.”
“Mm.”
“Alright. This matter is settled, then. If there are any issues…”
It was then that the woman in the suit spoke up for the first time.
“My name is Tsubaki. I have been in charge of assisting the young lady with her personal affairs, and from this time, I will also be responsible for the accounting of the subsidiary.”
“Ah, yes. Please take care of us.”
Apparently, Tsubaki-san would handle all the tax-related matters.
That was incredibly helpful, but… was this really okay?