Chapter 1: An unexpected marriage

Akane’s angry yell exploded in the 3A classroom.

“Did you write randomly in the class’s journal yesterday then left?”

“I wrote it properly. That was my duty yesterday.”

Saito replied while reading the class book. Class rotating duty was a wasteful and meaningless system, but teachers had no choice if they wanted the class tasks to be taken care of.

The person on duty today, Akane, tossed the journal on Saito’s desk.

“Then what’s ‘N/A’ in the ‘Today’s opinion’ column?”

“Yesterday there was obviously nothing to comment on.”

“You didn’t write anything in the subjects column! What do you mean ‘refer to the times table’?”

“The times table wasn’t changed. Is it necessary?”

Saito shrugged.

“Of course it is necessary! You also didn’t erase the board thoroughly, didn’t write anything in the ‘contacts’ section! And why did you write ‘ghost and demons’ in the absentee column? Are there any demons in class?”

(Raws: 魑魅魍魎)

“Ah~, I thought those kanji characters looked cool so I wrote it in. Is it not?”

“It is cool.”

“And also there’s a demon in this class, you. So I wasn’t particularly wrong in writing that.”

(In the original it’s a word play about 魑魅魍魎, Full: 魑魅魍魎が跳梁跋扈 means something like demons free roam or some shit. I’m not paid enough to cover nuances like this so bare with it)

Saito clapped his hands together as if praying.

“You can prattle on all you want! But please don’t write bullcrap in the class journal!?”

“There’s no problem since no one reads it.”

“I do!”

“You are so free.”

“I’m not free!”

Akane glared at Saito after gasping for breath.

Saito heaved a heavy sigh.

“…..Annoying.”

“What do you mean annoying.”

“If you have time to flirt with me, use it to read a book.”

“Flirt my head! I’m trying to shape your rotten personality!”

“No need. Leave it like that.”

To someone who had never read the class journal like Saito, he would never understand why Akane was angry. No, it was more correct to say he didn’t understand any of Akane’s thought process. The two were in the same class since enrollment, yet had never stood on common ground since.

Akane’s friend, Ishikura Himari appeared to console her.

“Mou~, Akane~, this much is enough. Saito is crying.”

“I’m not crying.”

Saito would not yield on that front. Even though he was sick and tired of having Akane quarelling with him every day, there was no way he would cry in an argument with her.

Akane pointed at Saito.

“It’s this guy’s fault. He is too irresponsible in class duty works, and also as a human being in general.”

“I am responsible as a human, and don’t point at others.”

“That’s true, pointing at you will make my fingers rot.”

“You are too much!”

Even Saito had to shout.

While Himari gave up and hugged Akane back, who was now like an angry growling dog.

Himari’s appearance is definitely the gyaru type.

Sunshine yellow hair, while her uniform is barely long enough to not break school rules. The skinny fit blouse accentuated her bountiful chest. She was also Akane’s close friend, whom he wanted to name as “The cute girl he would never approach #1”

“Akane, why do you keep arguing with Saito? You two have been at each other’s throats since the first year.”

Himari asked while holding Akane back.

“Why? Why…?”

Akane eyes became unfocused. The same reaction as if she was asked why she was breathing.”

“I didn’t think too much about the reason…. I get angry just seeing his face…like I want to slap him with my shoes….”

“Can’t stand me? Thanks a lot.”

Being treated as a cockroach, Saito glared straight at Akane.

“Bro, are you arguing again?” (In JP: Ani-kun)

Houjou Shisei approached Saito.

She was Saito’s cousin, but grew up with him as if she was Saito’s blood sibling.

She looked like a doll with a miniature body. Her skin was a delicate snow white, fitting of white tights.

“I’m not arguing. I was just single sidedly dragged into this.”

“Poor bro. Now now.”

Shisei patted Saito’s head.

“Only Shise understands me.”

“Yes, only Shise understands Bro. Shise is sharing Bro’s pain.”

She said this without a hint of embarrassment.

Her appearance isn’t the only thing that resembles a doll, she was also expressionless and had a monotone. It seemed a lot of students couldn’t understand what Shisei was thinking about, and she was given the nickname spacegirl.

Himari touched her chin and thought.

“But think about it, does Akane actually care a lot about Saito? Since they keep interacting with each other.”

And that made Akane blush furiously.

“Ha, haaa? That’s impossible! Even if all boys in this world except for Saito disappeared, I would not date this guy!”

Getting told so frankly, Saito got mad.

“That is my line! Even if this world flips upside down, I would not date you!”

Both Akane and Saito turned away.

After class, while Saito was walking on the road back home, he received a call from his smartphone.

The screen displayed “Grandpa (Houjou)”

“Saito, are you free? Well no, even if you are not free. Let’s have some tea with me.”

“Sorry grandpa, I don’t want to go on a date. I have a book I want to read today.”

“You can read a book whenever. You will work at my place sooner or later. If you don’t flatter me now, you’ll regret it later you know?”

He said flat out.

“Gee, long live grandpa”

Saito flattered him with a monotone.

“Oi oi, don’t be so cold. I would be hurt.”

“I know you can’t be hurt with something as simple as that.”

“You understand me well. I also understand that someone as smart as you would not dare to go against my orders? I had my car over to pick you up.”

A car horn sounded behind him.

A black limousine pulled up from behind Saito. The driver was a familiar gentleman, hired to work at his grandfather’s mansion. He wore bland sunglasses and had white teeth. (beat me, I don’t know why they went from sunglasses to teeth).

Saito quickly made distance with the limousine.

“What if I ran?”

“There would be a car chase sequence.”

“Human to car huh.”

There was no benefit for him in doing that.

“Yes. When you are caught, you would receive 2 to 3 punches. I think it would be better for your own body if you obediently do what you are told.”

“Are there any grandparents out there who would threaten their grandchild like that….”

“He’s right here. Now, hurry up.”

He hung up after finishing.

There was no denying his grandpa when he was like this. He didn’t know if this was normal for successful businessmen or not, but his grandfather was always consistent and kept improving in the work he wanted to do.

It wasn’t worth having a car chase sequence just for a book. Saito had a feeling he would be chased by a helicopter, so he had no other choice than to step in the car.

The driver politely greeted him

“You must be tired, Mr.Saito. Apologies on behalf of my employer for causing troubles for you this time.”

“You don’t have to apologize. It’s my grandfather’s fault.”

Saito tossed the backpack on the 10-people seat.

“Please don’t be so disappointed with him. He isn’t an evil person…though he isn’t a particularly nice one either.”

“I know he’s not a nice one.”

The car locked itself, and the limousine started running. The windows could be opened automatically, but there’s some heavy furniture smell in the car.

The driver made no accidents driving, while also talking with him.

“Saito is loved by that man, unlike your father.”

“I don’t know anyone who loves their grandchildren to the point of kidnapping him on his way home.”

“It’s fine. Aren’t all geniuses like that?”

Saito couldn’t deny it.

46 years ago, in the crisis, the person who revived the great Houjou corporation that had fallen to the depths was no one else than Saito’s grandfather – Houjou Tenryuu. Despite criticisms, he readjusted the employees, mercilessly culled the old board of leaders, and carried out reformations.

The result of that was, the Houjou corp had now turned into the top IT company in Japan. Saito’s grandfather was 60 now, but he hadn’t so much as weakened with age, firmly walking on the path of AI development he set out for himself. Tenryuu was obviously a genius.
“So, where am I being led to?”

“Look forward to it, sir.”

“Huh?”

“This is my order. I apologize for my employer’s arbitrariness.” 

“Alright. I’m already used to it.”

Saito leaned deeply on the seat.

And the place you arrived at after stepping down from the Limousine was a luxurious restaurant deep in the mountains.

This restaurant included a Japanese style garden, and the front was decorated with paper lanterns. Above the long row of chairs covered with red silk linings, there were Japanese style umbrellas to replace the roof, looking very colourful.

Saito’s father was Tenryuu’s first child; however, he didn’t work in the Houjou corp, but rather, a regular office worker. So for Saito, growing up in the same environment as his father’s, this wasn’t a regular place he could set foot into.

Since it looked like his grandfather hadn’t arrived yet, Saito waited outside. He would be shocked if he waited inside this luxurious restaurant.

He sat on the long row of chairs, enjoying the mountainous atmosphere while reading a book, then suddenly hearing a nearby voice.

“W, why, why are you here?”

Saito looked up.

“…..Ge”

The person standing there was his archnemesis, Akane. She seemed to have just stepped down from the taxi, and pinching her eyebrows together while still holding the school bag and her purse. Just like Saito, she was wearing her uniform.

“My grandfather called me here, that’s why…. You?”

“My grandmother called me here. But, what does that have anything to do with you?”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with me, but the person who asked it first was you?”

Getting criticized by Saito, Akane could only growl while clutching her hand tight to form a fist.

She walked to the gate and looked inside the restaurant, but she didn’t intend to step inside. From her anxious expression, she also didn’t seem to be used to places like this.

She gave up and approached the rows of chairs. She picked a place that’s far away from Saito and sat down in the corner. Lifting her hair strands with one hand, she heaved a heavy sigh.

“A~ah, it’s been such a while since I could enjoy a dinner with grandma, and now you are here, ruining my mood. Such bad fortune.”

“That I wholeheartedly agree. Please don’t bother me while I’m reading.”

Saito looked down on his book, while Akane pushed herself up by using her arms on the chair as support. Then, she glared at him at a close distance like their faces were touching.

“Haaaaaa? I’m not bothering you! Please don’t say things that imply I care about your existence!”

“Where did I say that? Since we both are unrelated, please keep silent.”

“I don’t like your attitude! I won’t keep silent until you apologize! Forever!”

“So you plan to follow me until I apologize?”

“That’s right! I’ll follow you wherever you are!”

If you just took her words at face value, it might seem cutesy, but actually, this girl was a full on stalker.

“You are annoying…”

“Your existence is annoying!”

“No, yours. Could you just vanish within a 10km radius from me?”

“That’s easily achievable if you vanished instead.”

To Saito, it wasn’t like he hated Akane for no reason at all. He was attacked relentlessly like this every day, it would be a miracle if he wasn’t annoyed. Relatives like Shisei aside, the person who talked the most with him was Akane – well, more like arguing.

While the two were arguing, a convertible pulled up next to the restaurant.

There was a loud engine noise, accompanied by music. The car’s body was painted shiny.

The gentleman in the driver’s seat wore sunglasses, while the lady in shotgun was sitting cross legged.

They looked like party animals, but jazz was played instead. Both the man and woman were over 60 years old.

“Grandpa?”

“Grandma!?”

Saito and Akane both stood up.

Hand in hand with the old but stylish gentleman that was Tenryuu, Akane’s grandmother stepped down from the convertible.

“Ara ara, they’ve already begun? Kids these days are too impatient.”

“You can just wait for us inside. We wouldn’t mind if you ate before us.”

Tenryuu laughed.

“What are they talking about?”

“No idea…?”

Saito and Akane looked at each other.

Leaving the kids behind, Akane’s grandmother and Saito’s grandfather quickly walked into the luxurious restaurant.

“You two hurry up. How long do you plan to just stand there?”

“‘You two’… you mean me and Sakuramori?”

“W,wait, what do you mean? I don’t get it.”

Saito and Akane chased after them. How did their grandparents get acquainted, and why they were riding with each other in that convertible, they had no idea.

Akane’s grandmother turned around.

“We will have dinner between the four of us today.”

“Why!?”

“There’s something important.”

“I can’t have dinner with this guy! I’m confident I would puke eating with him.”

“Same here. It would be disrespectful to the food.”

Saito also stated his opinion.

Akane’s grandmother giggled. She might look kind, but that was a laugh with hidden intentions behind it.

“You should just give up.”

“Fukyu~”

Getting grabbed by the collar by her grandmother, Akane fell silent. She got dragged away like a cat.”

–I didn’t think there was anyone who could make her silent.

Saito was moved, but his shirt’s collar was also pulled by his grandfather.

“I feel like I’m going to suffocate, can you let me go?”

“I won’t let you die. Just as long as you don’t try to escape.”

Even if I didn’t run away, his grip strength was enough to snap one’s neck. This definitely wasn’t a regular old man.

The restaurant’s employees didn’t intervene, and paid their attention to other matters. Which made sense, because even if it’s a high end restaurant, if they made an enemy of Houjou Tenryuu, they wouldn’t exist for much longer.

The place the 4 was led to was a separate room.

It was a large Japanese style room, in which there was a table made from ebony. Outside of the room was a pond, with kois swimming inside. The sound of the shishiodoshi bamboo pipe was also very comforting, what a nice place.

Saito and Akane were forced to sit next to each other, opposite of them were Akane’s grandmother and Tenryuu, sitting together.

Appetizer and drinks were served first, which consisted of some wild vegetables and some fried dishes. Dried peppers were placed along the plates’ edges, making them look more colourful.

Tenryuu held his wine glass full of Japanese up.

“First off, let’s raise our glasses for today.”

“…Cheers.”

Akane pouted, holding orange juice on her hand.

-Cheers….?For what….?

Saito became fluttered. He became skeptical, partly due to the fact that the doors were currently locked tightly.

A flurry of high quality dishes like seabreams, squid sashimis, steamed lobsters, grilled abalone were brought to their table. The aroma from the lobster steamed inside the clay pot was arousing.

However, sitting next to the girl he hated, Saito couldn’t relax.

“Can I have another cup please.”

Akane gave the waiter her cup.

“You, you have been drinking oranges from the very start.”

Saito immediately poked fun at her.

“I was hungry, but it seemed having you here made my appetite disappear.”

“Me too. But did you puke out the part of your stomach that allows it to contract?”

“What a pity, they all look so delicious. Can you please just reduce yourself to less than an atom for me?”

“It would be faster if you were reduced to less than a quantum unit.”

There were sparks flying between Saito and Akane.

While the two old people laughed delightedly.

“Wa~ha~ha. There’s nothing better than you two getting along.”

“That’s true dear~. Reminds me of when we were young~”

“”True where?””

Both Saito and Akane shouted. Saito had a feeling that he had been arguing ever since coming to this restaurant. He was also very worried, maybe because that genius Tenryuu was weakening?

“So let’s cut to the chase, what’s the important thing here? Why were we called here?”

Saito cut straight to the chase and asked his grandfather.

The two grandparents looked at each other and nodded. Then they looked at their grandchilds and said the same line.

“”Get married you two.””

“”……………..Huh?””

The sashimi Saito and Akane were fighting over for fell down from their chopsticks.

“I had a feeling I heard something along the lines of getting married….Is this a metaphor? No, symbol language. Did you give us some sort of signal?”

“Don’t try to complicate my words. Get married.”

Tenryuu repeated.

Akane put her hands on the table and pushed herself up.

“I, I don’t understand anything! Marriage!? What does that mean!? We, we’re still high school students.”

“18 is enough for marriage. Get married.”

Akane’s grandmother also clearly repeated. So it wasn’t a hearing mistake.

Tenryuu sighed. He pushed his elbows on the table, then gave a faraway look.

“Me and Chiyo used to be old friends…”

“And Chiyo is…?”

“Me.”

Saito’s inquiry was answered by Akane’s grandmother.

“When we were young, Chiyo and I were very close… or I think. However, we kept passing through each other, so we didn’t get together as a couple. I married my wife, and lived happily. She has passed away for more than a decade now, so I have finished my responsibilities as a husband.”

“So that’s why you were enjoying your second spring with Ms.Chiyo on that convertible……?”

When Saito was mumbling, Chiyo held her wrinkled cheeks and showed clear embarrassment.

“My husband also passed away a while ago. So nowadays I’m always taken cared of by Tenryuu every night.”

“I don’t need to hear that!”

Akane shouted with a crimson face. Saito sympathized with her. He didn’t understand why she was straight up talking about his grandfather’s private life.

Tenryuu cleared his throat.

“That’s that. Even though we had happy lives, we still hold regrets ‘if only we got together from the beginning…’. That would be the best. So, to experience the emotions that we couldn’t have, we wanted to let you taste it.”

Chiyo continued with a gentle voice.

“Akane. For me, would you consider marriage?”

“I wouldn’t! How can you be so arbitrary? Marriage means having the right to be with the one you truly love, getting a romantic proposal! Not something that’s decided on a whim!”

“That’s awfully maiden-like”

Saito was surprised.

“W,what maiden-like~! Isn’t that something taken for granted!?”

“I also decline! Marrying this girl will definitely lead to misfortune.”

“Haaa!? What impolite slander did you just say about me? Marrying me will make anyone happy! More than any girl who will marry you!”

“What do you exactly want…. To marry, or not to>….?”

“I don’t want to! Especially you, definiteeeeeeeeeeeeeeely not!”

Akane crossed her arms and turned away. She was red to her ears, due to anger.

Saito slumped his shoulders and looked at his grandfather, Tenryuu.

“This is why. We don’t have remotely any feelings for each other. You can’t force a marriage ignoring the other intentions in modern Japan. Sorry, but please give up.”

“Kuku……kukukukuku….”

“Fufu…….fufufufufufufu….”

Tenryuu and Chiyo laughed. Their whole bodies were shaking, as if just hearing some terrific jokes. They really look like ancestors, looking down on their offspring from heaven.

“Some,something wrong?”

Akane shyly asked.

“We predicted that you would say that. Actually, you two…. Look just like when we were younger.”

Tenryuu mumbled, with a wistful voice.

But, his serious face was immediately filled with evil intentions, especially in his eyes, then he clapped.

Responding to the signal, the doors were opened.

Tenryuu’s secretary led a dirty dog in. Its collared up, but its feet were full of mud, snot everywhere, this was obviously a wild dog.

“Saito. If you won’t listen to me no matter what, I will let this dog freely inherit the Houjou corp.”

“What do you mean that dog!?”

“That dog was randomly picked up running wild around here. Truth be told, I’m still worried about our organization’s practical prowess, keeping us away from the leading position.”

“It’s a dog! It can’t even stamp!?”

Moreover, it seemed to be one of the worst kinds of dogs, and was now peeing all over the tatami mats in the luxurious restaurant. It was gluttonous, and launched straight on the table, devouring the sashimi and meats. The type that did whatever it wanted.

“Oh it can take care of the stamps. If the operator spreads ink over its paw, it could validate documents with its paw prints. Prints are legal so there’s no problem.”

“Before it can even stamp… can it even make agreements and contracts?”

“Oh yeah. It may be the end for both me and the Houjou corp.”

“Are you sane?”

Saito glared at Tenryuu.

“Did you really think it can man a company?”

Tenryuu just smirked. His eyes were serious.

—Is this a joke…..? He was willing to destroy the entire Houjou corp, just for something as stupid as this…..?

Saito facepalmed.

But, it might be possible for the genius Tenryuu. Even his first son, Saito’s father, was not only not granted a high position, but fired from the company due to his lack of skills. There’s a rumour that what’s running inside his veins wasn’t blood, but steel.

“Akane, come with me for a bit.”

Waved over by Chiyo, Akane approached her grandmother. Then Chiyo whispered something into Akane’s ears.

“……..~!”

Akane’s shoulder trembled, the colour from her face also changed.

After confirming that, Tenryuu nodded looking satisfied.

“Just think about it seriously. Do whatever is the most advantageous for you. Not being tied down by temporary likes and dislikes, but look straight at the truth. Give an answer after 3 days.”

Tenryuu and Chiyo went mountain-seeing in the convertible, leaving Saito and Akane to go back themselves by taxi.

Saito was deep in thought as the car seat shook left and right going along the road with night light.

“M, mariage…”

Akane clutched her hands tight forming fists on her knee.

“What, do you plan to do…? Will, you marry me….?”

She looked at Saito as if she was about to cry. He felt strange because, different from the one who always assaulted him everyday, this was a normal, cute highschool girl.

“What do you plan to do?”

“I don’t know! I have never planned for this!”

“It’s also out of my expectations.”

It’s more correct to say that this was out of every normal youths’ expectations in modern Japan. Since they were all taught that marriage out of true love was the only acceptable answer.

“What did your grandmother tell you?”

Saito asked, while Akane wiggled.

“H,has nothing to do with you.”

“It has everything to do with me. We both need to know what cards the other side are using to threaten us. If we don’t we would be pushed into that unfair agreement.”

“Not necessary. Don’t try to see through me.”

She crossed her arms as if trying to hug them tight. This was a defensive stance. It wasn’t easy to read someone who was being so cautious.

“Then suit yourself.”

“Suit myself indeed! It’s my future!”

Then, both turned away in a state that no one would think there were any chances of marriage between these two in the future.

Akane returned home and lied face down.

Today, when receiving her grandmother’s call, she thought she would be spending everyday life as normal tomorrow and onwards. But, just from a several hours, everything flipped upside down for her.

Moreover, she didn’t expect it was related to Houjou Saito.

To Akane, Saito was a thorn in her eyes. Despite all of Akane’s efforts, Saito kept sitting on the top seat in maths, ever since enrollment. She would get unconsciously angry just seeing that unaware face.

But, what was whispered into her ears by her grandmother was a very strong condition. If she was patient enough to listen to her, Akane’s dream would become reality. Her childhood dream was slowly becoming reality.

Her brain would explode from thinking alone, so she called Himari.

“Yes~ yes~, what’s the matter, Akane?”

Listening to Himari’s bright voice through the speaker, Akane’s fractured heart was mended a bit.

“Ah, ah, Say, alright. Imagine if Himari has to listen to your family’s order of marrying someone you don’t love, what would you do?”

She apparently wanted consultation from her close friend.

“Eh~? I would definitely not do something like that~. It sounds like something from the Joumon era.”

“Y, yeah…..it’s really strange right….”

Even though it’s not clear if the “family choosing marriage partners” existed back in the Joumon era.

“But, if it’s me, I would probably decline.”

“Why?”

Hearing a shocking answer, Akane held the smartphone tight.

Himari answered shyly.

“……Because, I, have someone I like. I don’t want to marry anyone but that person.”

“Himari has a crush? That’s the first time I’ve heard it! Who?”

Akane sat straight up.

“I thought someone like Akane would not be interested in things like this.”

“Usually…I wouldn’t be….”

Akane was embarrassed, and she rubbed her bare feet. After returning from the marriage fiesta, even if she didn’t like it, she had to think about love.

“Who…I’ll keep it a secret.”

“Tell me. Is it a classmate?”

“…….Un.”

A small voice, one that could be blown away with a small wind. An innocence that wasn’t imaginable coming from the usual Himari.

—-People change in love?

Akane felt a bit jealous. This was the taste of a normal highschool girl’s love. If she married without knowing about this taste, it would feel very lonely and boring.

Himari asked as if to hide her embarrassment.

“W,what about Akane? Do you have anyone you like?”

“Anyone I like? Anyone I like….anyone I like…….?”

Akane looked up and thought. Her brain apparently overloaded, now her head was completely blank.

“It seems like you don’t have any!”

Himari’s voice pulled her back to reality. It seemed she was about to fall asleep, drool was leaking out.

“But I have someone I want to send to the grave right now.”

“You don’t have to tell me who!”

“Yeah….If only he died, everything would be solved……Are there any meteors out there that can fall on his head right this instant….”

Akane bit her fingernails.

“If you didn’t have anyone you like, you could just marry then.”

“That,so?”

“When you get married, the rent and the electricity bill would be split in half. And since you are making meals together, eating costs would be cheaper also. Isn’t it convenient.”

“If you marry just for that, it’s kinda…”

“Yeah, ha~, ahahah.”

Himari laughed innocently.

“But, even if it’s a forced marriage, wouldn’t there be any…?”

“Eh? What?”

“The, the thing boys and girls do…erm…”

“I can’t understand you if you keep mumbling!”

“The, t-th-the, e,ec,ecchi things!”

Akane felt like she got a high fever. Even though Akane was an excellent student, she was completely vulnerable to the male-female matters, to the point she couldn’t look in the sex ed textbooks.

“That, can you not do it?”

“Supposedly….uuu….”

She held her burning cheeks and sunk herself on the bed.

“If it’s listening to family orders, wouldn’t they expect getting descendants? About 100 children.”

“100 is impossible!”

That number can fill 3 full classrooms.

“It’s  possible. If it’s 5 at once…. Well no, if it’s 10 at once, you would only have to do it 10 times.”

“I’m not that strong…”

“Oh? Were we talking about Akane?”

“It’s not about me! It’s just what if!”

She watched her own words.

“If Akane was worried about things like that, I can give you some referral documents! A few days ago I saw an article about ‘monopolizing your man’s heart ❤ A collection of night techniques’~”

“No need! Because I will definitely, definitely not marry!”

Akane threw the smartphone away and buried herself into the pillow.

On the desk, the clock’s hand kept turning.

Looking at it, Saito seemed deep in thought.

Marriage and the company. Those were a strange set. He wanted to have his grandfather’s company in his hand, but the price for that was having his partner decided.

Though he wasn’t that interested in love, he did have a desire. He understood that to have a meaningful student life, one should experience one or two loves.

And the person shoved in his face was Akane. Just thinking about getting poked fun of at school was enough to make him annoyed. He would never keep his cool if they spent decades arguing under a house.

Shisei was lying on Saito’s bed. She was his cousin, studying in the same year, coming by his home regularly since small, essentially being a part of the family.

Shisei arranged stuffed animals on the bed, then poked them so they fell over like Dominos. Saito did not find any fun in doing that, but he didn’t mind when she played alone.

“Bro, what are you thinking about?”

Shisei sat on the desk and looked at Saito.

“I’m not thinking about anything.”

“You are. When bro thinks too hard, this wrinkles up.”

Shisei scowled her face to let him see, but she was expressionless from the start, so there wasn’t any change. The toes from within that white tights were now poking Saito’s side.

“There’s nothing big. Don’t sit on the table.”

“Understood.”

Shisei obediently followed, and sat on Saito’s knee.

“How did it become like this?”

“Because I’m worried for Bro. If you don’t speak up, I won’t leave you.”

Her body was small, so he didn’t feel the weight. Her eyes looked clearer than a well, with long lashes like a doll, seemingly staring at Saito. A sweet and comforting aroma enters his nose from that thin nape.

Saito heaved a heavy sigh.

“I was assigned an unreasonable and difficult task.”

“An unreasonable and difficult task? Like peeling your skin inside out?”

“Not that kind of destructive. At least… I think.”

His grandfather was quite unreasonable after all.

“So what?”

“He wants someone to inherit the Houjou corp, so he chose to essentially decide his grandson’s life. If I didn’t listen to him, he would let a random dog take over. Something like that.”

“The old man went overboard this time.”

“I know right?”

Both the grandchild understood their grandfather too well. All of his family encountered some difficult situations when the genius Tenryuu was involved.

“What does bro want to do?”

“What do I want to do?”

“Does bro prefer living freely? Or do you prefer the company?”

“If possible, I want both.”

“That’s greedy.”

Shisei’s index finger gently touched Saito’s kips.

“And living beings have never been free from the very start. This world is full of rules. Bro’s cells, and Shise’s cells, are all bound by instinctual rules. The best method is not running away from rules, but using them to your advantage.”

“…..to get the company?”

“It’s fine if you don’t get it. Even if bro falls, becoming a man who would scrounge for leftovers in trash cans, Shise would follow you.”

“Please toss away that kind of useless man.”

Saito was worried when his cousin seemed like she would be involved with some strange guys.

“Shise knows. To achieve your dream, bro needs the Old man’s company. So Shise won’t stop Bro. Even if bro’s life was filled with thorns, Shise would be bro’s companion forever. Just count on me.”

Shise leaned her forehead on Saito’s chest.

Even though that body was small, it was surprisingly reliable.

“……Thank you, Shise.”

Saito put his hand on Shisei’s head.