I truly wanted to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Sara and Takanashi-san on their decision to become fiancés.
There were moments when I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy at being left behind, but more than anything, I wanted to celebrate my two precious friends finding happiness together.
However, they were currently embroiled in the kind of turmoil that my future self and a wonderful husband—a desperate wish of mine—might one day have to face.
To put it bluntly, both Sara and I were "Young Ladies." We were positions that carried the weight of our respective companies—though in Sara's case, it was a burden she had only recently inherited. In short, for people like us, a simple romance was never truly simple.
It required a heavy perspective on love, one where you had to demand a certain level of resolve from your partner.
Takanashi-san probably didn't fully grasp that yet, but I believed his unwavering determination to protect Sara would allow him to adapt to whatever came next. I truly felt Sara was lucky to have found such a person through pure love, and I was even a little envious. I hoped a partner like that would appear for me as well... but enough about my own concerns for now.
This situation was undoubtedly riddled with uncertain factors. Perhaps I didn't need to overthink it so grandly. It might all end quietly if we just watched over their progress and the President of Sawa eventually gave them his blessing.
But this wasn't just about them.
Even if they desired it and their families permitted it, as long as they stood on the corporate stage, there was no guarantee that the people around them would allow it.
The fact that an arranged marriage proposal had already surfaced suggested that the number of people looking to make a move was only going to increase.
If it were a purely personal romance, they could ignore the noise from the peanut gallery. In that sense, Sara's last resort would be to abandon the House of Satsukawa entirely.
However, if Takanashi-san wouldn't find such a sacrifice acceptable, then as her best friend, I wanted to do everything in my power to help.
But how?
Though I had stepped up to see what I could do, the more I pondered it, the less I felt I could actually influence the situation.
I was still a student with only a marginal involvement in company operations. It wouldn't be unfair for someone to tell me it was beyond my station to interfere in such a massive affair.
Knock, knock.
The sound at the door pulled my consciousness back from the depths of my thoughts.
"Yes?"
"Eri-san, did you call for me?"
"Please, come in."
"Excuse me."
The woman who quietly opened the door and entered with impeccable posture was my secretary. She was the person I turned to most for conversation and advice, possessing a deep well of knowledge on a vast array of subjects.
"I'm sorry, Yuki-san. I have something I'd like to consult you about again..."
"Yes, I've heard as much. Please, feel free to speak your mind."
I gestured with my eyes for her to take a seat, but she seemed intent on proceeding with the discussion while standing.
In that case, I would start with an explanation of the current circumstances.
"Actually, my best friend is getting engaged..."
"Would that be Sara Satsukawa-san?"
Yuki-san correctly identified her immediately, despite me only saying "best friend." Then again, she likely surmised that Sara was the only one of my close friends who could find herself in such a unique predicament.
"Yes."
"And is this... a political arrangement?"
Yuki-san's eyes narrowed. She was notoriously strict when it came to matters that treated women as mere tools.
"No, it's love."
"I see. Then that is wonderful news."
Her expression softened instantly.
I kept the fact that she had slightly intimidated me to myself.
I began to lay out the situation in detail. Yuki-san listened, occasionally interjecting with questions to analyze the facts, drawing on her extensive experience.
Once I finished the overview, she provided an immediate response to my concerns.
"I see. He sounds like quite a likable young man. By the way, the name Takanashi-san... I feel as though I've heard it before."
Yuki-san voiced her thoughts while appearing to search her memory.
"Ah, it was from The Yamasaki Matter. He was the one acting as our central contact back then."
"Ah, so it was that gentleman. It seems Sara-san has formed a bond with an excellent person. In that case, as an employee of the Nishikawa Group, I must show my gratitude to the man who helped our President and our Young Lady. I will support this matter with everything I have."
I felt a wave of relief.
Having Yuki-san's cooperation was a godsend. Honestly, this problem was far too large for me to handle alone, and I had been desperate for the help of an adult.
"Thank you. So, regarding our next move..."
"Yes. To be frank, I have witnessed several situations like this in the past, so I believe I understand the core problems here."
Her words were incredibly reassuring. Nothing surpassed experience, and I was eager for any advice she could offer based on that history.
"However, because this involves a different company, it will be extremely difficult to intervene directly. Doing so might even invite unnecessary backlash. Therefore, we should set aside the idea of direct interference and instead focus on securing the outer defenses. That is the more realistic path."
I already knew that direct intervention would be difficult. If another company told us to mind our own business, that would be the end of it.
But securing the outer defenses without interfering? How could we manage that?
"To put it simply, Eri-san, you understand that if Takanashi-san is officially acknowledged, the problem disappears instantly. Therefore, in this context, securing the outer defenses means..."
"Creating a situation where the other side has no choice but to acknowledge him? But wouldn't that be nearly impossible?"
I understood her logic, and if it worked, it would solve everything. However, Takanashi-san had no corporate track record or connections. I couldn't see how we could force them to recognize him. Even in our discussions yesterday, we had concluded that this was the highest hurdle.
"Normally, yes. But we are actually quite fortunate this time. Without this specific factor, I'm not sure I could have found a solution. You see, the President and Eri-san both owe Takanashi-san a debt of gratitude for The Yamasaki Matter."
"A debt? It’s true he helped us, but..."
It was an undeniable fact that my father and I were indebted to him. If it hadn't been for Takanashi-san, we wouldn't have even noticed the danger. His actions had helped me personally and prevented a massive blow to the entire Nishikawa Group.
"The President met directly with the Satsukawa Senior Managing Director and used the evidence provided by him—or rather, provided to him by Sara-san—to jointly eliminate President Yamasaki. My father later held a meeting and expressed profound gratitude to the Senior Managing Director. If he learns that everything was actually spearheaded by Takanashi-san—the man who will be the Senior Managing Director's son-in-law—he will certainly listen to what we have to say. I will accompany you to handle the finer details, but Eri-san, your job is to convey to the President just how good of a person Takanashi-san is, and how much he means to your best friend. That will make my technical arguments much easier to swallow."
This was incredible.
I could feel the gears of the situation, which I thought had been rusted shut, finally beginning to turn. This was truly a ray of light in the darkness.
I had always known Yuki-san was competent, but this made me want her as my exclusive secretary even more.
"The key to success lies in two steps. First, Takanashi-san must be formally recognized as the daughter's fiancé by the Satsukawa Senior Managing Director. That is the absolute prerequisite. Next, you and I will report the full details of The Yamasaki Matter to the President. If we can secure his cooperation..."
"Then that will finally secure the outer defenses!"
"Exactly. As long as we don't interfere directly, we can minimize any friction with Sawa. I'll hammer out the details of the plan and report back once it's solid."
I was so glad there were still moves left to play.
The Yamasaki Matter had been a wretched experience, but it was ironic that it would end up being the very thing that saved those two. At any rate, I prayed this would be the help they needed.
That night, I was on a Group RAIN call with Natsumi and Hanako-san.
Natsumi was there to keep an eye on Sara, and Hanako-san was there to support Takanashi-san. I felt that Hanako-san, in particular, was a necessary pillar for him right now.
"Still... Sara is being a bit pathetic lately," I muttered, my true feelings slipping out. It was something that had been eating at me.
"Now, don't be like that, Eririn," Natsumi said. "Sara only recently ended up in this position. She wasn't exactly mentally prepared for it."
"Even so, it's disappointing," Hanako-san interjected. "Takanashi-kun is desperately steeling himself, so it's the wife's job to support him. Instead, she’s just terrified and clinging to him."
She was exactly right. If this were the Sara we knew, she would have marched up to her father herself, demanded he acknowledge her relationship with Takanashi-san, and told him never to bring up an arranged marriage again.
But that strength was nowhere to be found, which was why it felt so frustrating.
"My guess is," Natsumi offered, "she's been running on pure love and hasn't looked back once. She probably never considered for a second that she could actually lose him. But this incident made her realize—for the first time—that there are forces beyond their control that can tear them apart. I think it just scared the life out of her."
Natsumi's theory made sense.
If she had just realized that her relationship wasn't 100% invincible against an opponent she couldn't match in power...
Given how intense her feelings were, it wasn't surprising that she had become physically unable to leave his side out of sheer terror.
"...That might be it. But at this rate, Takanashi-kun won't be able to keep pushing himself. We need to light a fire under her."
"I agree," I said. "Natsumi, when you take Sara out this weekend, I'm coming along."
"Got it!"
Adults with their grubby ulterior motives were interfering with two people and their pure feelings. I wondered if the day would come when I would have to face that reality as well.