kscans

Chapter 25 -

Pulling on the threads of fate

"Wow... that was a huge victory, wasn't it?"
"Yeah... it really was a huge victory."

At a smoking area in the shopping district.
We're taking a breather after finishing our business negotiations, but... man, it went unbelievably well.
This morning, I went to the other company with the president, and things just kept moving forward. The talks progressed so smoothly that we wrapped everything up in no time.
The outcome exceeded our expectations, and I think we managed to have a discussion that was beneficial for both parties.

But our streak of good luck didn't stop there.

Since it was getting to be a good time, they invited us out for lunch.
It wasn't a place featured in the media, but rather a hidden gem recommended by locals.
We were excited as we headed to the restaurant, and guess what?
We ran into some big shots, including the president of a company they do business with. We ended up having lunch together.
And boy, did things get lively.
We even managed to establish a good relationship with that company too, you know?
Apparently, they're a pretty successful company in Kyushu looking for a foothold to expand into the Kanto region.

"The timing was just too perfect, wasn't it?"
"We must be heaven's favorites at this point."

Having the president with me was another stroke of luck.
There were some things I couldn't decide on my own, but with the president there, it was no problem at all.
The conversation flowed so smoothly... it felt incredibly satisfying.
There's still more to discuss, but the rest is going to be a breeze. It's like we're already in garbage time.

"If there's a goddess of fortune, this is beyond just taking a break at a hotel - we'd be heading straight there."
"Forget a break, we'd be checking in for the night."

The president and I must be what they call "lucky guys."

"So, what should we do now?"
"Well, we have quite a bit of time before our appointment."

The get-together with Mama's acquaintance is tonight at 8 o'clock, but right now it's just a little past 3 PM.
We were supposed to be working until evening, but... things went way too smoothly.

"Why don't we have an early dinner, then lounge around at the hotel until it's time?"
"Yeah, I'm not really in the mood for sightseeing."

The mood is good, but I guess this is a side effect of things going too well. We're in a bit of a post-climax state.

"What should we eat?"
"We had soba for lunch, so let's go for something rich and heavy."
"...Ramen?"
"Well, it is a local specialty, but..."

Having noodles for both lunch and dinner seems a bit much.
Sure, a hearty tonkotsu ramen with a side of fried rice would satisfy the craving for something rich, but...

"Oh, how about motsunabe? What do you think of motsunabe?"
"Motsunabe! That sounds great~ Oh man, it'd go so well with some drinks."
"We're not drinking, you know?"
"What!?"

Is this guy in his right mind...?

"Sure, motsunabe goes great with alcohol. But we'll deliberately hold back. That way, we can enjoy even better drinks tonight."
"!"
"We've been trained by Mama. It's bound to be an amazing place. Don't you want to enjoy it to the fullest?"
"...I'm ashamed of my shallow thinking."

This is why he's the president... Now that he mentions it, he's absolutely right.
But the fact that I couldn't realize this on my own clearly shows the difference in our "caliber."
I was blinded by desire and couldn't see what was important.

"I'll follow you for life, President."
"Oh, stop it, you're making me blush."

And so we set out in search of a motsunabe restaurant.
If we asked the business partners we exchanged contact information with, they'd probably recommend a good place.
But neither the president nor I intended to ask. Why? Because we were confident.
Right now, we're invincible. We win without even trying to win.
And we were right. We entered a motsunabe restaurant that caught our eye, and boy was it delicious.
We ate the piping hot motsu while forcibly restraining our desire for alcohol.
We returned to the business hotel with a mix of satisfaction from a full stomach and frustration from not being able to drink.
We bought some ice cream at a convenience store on the way back. We'll eat it after taking a shower.

"Ahh... that's refreshing."

As soon as we got back to the hotel, I took a shower. Of course, after a bath, I'm in just my underwear.
Being in your underwear at home versus at a business hotel. It's the same state of undress, but the sense of liberation is different.
I think it's because when you do it in your own territory at home, you don't feel as liberated.

"Oh, I forgot."

I realized as I was lying on the bed eating the expensive ice cream.
I forgot to ask Chika and the others what souvenirs they wanted.
I should at least ask the Saionji family first (by the way, they've gone back to their original surname).

"What kind of souvenir would you like? Please ask Rika-chan too... There."

I type out the message and put down my smartphone.
Just as I was thinking about watching some pay-per-view, my phone rings.

"Eek!"

It's from Chika-san.
It's probably nothing, but the timing was so perfect that it startled me a bit.

"Hello, it's me."
"It's Chika. Is now a good time?"
"Yeah. What's up?"
"Hehe, I just wanted to hear Hiro-kun's voice."

How cute...!

"I see. Aren't you at work?"
"It's fine. I was just taking a coffee break."
"Oh, I'm eating ice cream at the hotel right now."
"...Eh, not during a break or anything?"
"Things went really smoothly. We finished early today. So I'm just killing time until tonight."
"Well, congratulations on that."
"Thank you. So, what kind of souvenir would you like?"
"Um, it's Fukuoka, right?"
"Yeah."
"How about Fukuoka ramen and mentaiko... or something like that?"

I laugh at how predictable it is, and then she says,

"Hmm... but when you think of Fukuoka, that's what comes to mind, right?"
"Haha, that's true. Okay, I'll get those for you, plus some local alcohol."
"Thanks. As for Rika... well, I'll ask her, but she'll probably request something weird."
"Something weird?"
"That girl has some quirks. She prefers souvenirs that make you wonder 'Why did you choose this?' rather than the standard ones."

And apparently, she laughs her head off when she sees them.
But I kind of get it. Gag souvenirs can be a total flop if they don't land, but they're hilarious when they hit the mark.
After that, I talked with Chika-san for about 30 minutes before ending the call.
Then I just lazed around, wasting time until our appointment.
I met up with Mama at the meeting place, and she guided me to the restaurant in question.
Probably because Mama's place is called "Shunranman" (Spring in Full Bloom), this place was called "Natsu Masakari" (Summer in Full Bloom).

"Ran-chan~ We're here~"

As she called out, someone who seemed to be Ran-mama came out from the back... huh?

"Mama! It's been so long! Thank you for today~"
"Don't be so formal. We're close, aren't we?"

Two maidens (♂) getting all lovey-dovey.
That's... no, it can't be... because... there must be some mistake...

"Oh, right. Let me introduce you. This is our regular customer."
"Oh my! Nice to meet you, I'm Ranko. Today is really..."

The friendly smile freezes on her face.
The person at the end of that gaze is... me.

"...Are you... Satou Hideo...?"
"...Ki-Kizaki... Ranmaru...?"

It was a reunion with a former nemesis. I was a salaryman, and he was an okama.