After the men and their associates retreated, we were finally left to our own devices.
However, a fair number of onlookers still lingered in the vicinity, their eyes fixed on us.
"...So, who is that guy supposed to be, anyway?"
"...Who knows? But at the very least, he clearly seems to be on intimate terms with the Senior Managing Director's daughter."
"...Idiot, that's shocking enough on its own! We're talking about the Young Lady here, you know!?"
"...Wait, maybe he’s just a relative?"
"...Right, that makes sense. The wife was chatting with him so casually, it’s more natural to think he's family."
"...A relative, huh? Well, if that's the case..."
"...It appears the young man is someone quite close to them."
"...But still, there have never been any rumors of a man in the Young Lady's life. If anything, she was rumored to be a man-hater. To think they're on a first-name basis..."
"...I’ve never heard of a boy around that age among Senior Managing Director Satsukawa’s inner circle or his relatives."
"...Then, just who on earth is he?"
The onlookers were whispering fervently, staring at us with unshielded curiosity. It was painfully obvious that the subject of their gossip wasn't Sara or Mayumi-san... but me.
I was being scrutinized without the slightest bit of discretion.
"Madam, it has been far too long," Takenaka said.
He had been standing by somewhere out of sight until now, but he finally stepped forward to exchange polite bows with Mayumi-san.
"Oh, Takenaka-san. My husband is always in your debt," she replied.
While Takenaka’s posture was the picture of reverence, Mayumi-san’s tone was remarkably frank. It was a clear sign of just how long they had known each other.
"No, not at all. It is I who am profoundly grateful for the Senior Managing Director's continued support."
"Hehe, there's no need to be so humble. Oh, that’s right—congratulations on your promotion."
"Thank you very much. To be honest, I still harbor some anxiety over whether someone like me is truly suited for the role..."
"Nonsense. You've been supporting my husband for years, Takenaka-san. I’m certain you’re the perfect fit."
"Haha... I am honored beyond words."
As Mayumi-san and Takenaka shared a warm smile, a peaceful atmosphere settled over the group. However, our surroundings hadn't changed at all. If it were up to me, I would have asked them to save the catching up for once we had actually left this spot.
Not that I could actually say that aloud, of course.
"More importantly, please accept my apologies. I intended to intervene the moment the Young Master was cornered, but..."
"Oh? Did we happen to ruin your big moment?" Mayumi-san teased.
"N-No, certainly not..." Takenaka stammered, shaking his head in a panic. It looked like she had hit the nail on the head.
"It’s quite alright. You’re a man in service to the company, Takenaka-san. You have to avoid friction with other firms whenever possible. Especially considering I was right there."
"...Even so, I am deeply sorry."
"Goodness, I told you, don't worry about it. Let’s consider the matter closed. Agreed?"
Mayumi-san offered a soft smile and a playful wink to the downcast, apologetic Takenaka.
As always, those little gestures suited her perfectly. It was almost unfair. To think she was roughly the same age as my Mom...
"Young Master, I apologize for being of no use at such a critical moment," Takenaka said, turning to me.
"P-Please, stop! I don't mind at all. Besides, I only made it this far because of you, Takenaka-san! If anything, I'm the one who should apologize. You set everything up for me, and I wasn't useful at all..."
I had rushed over as bravely as I could, but in the end, Sara and Mayumi-san had been the ones to settle the dispute. They had even handled the threats those men directed at me.
In practice, I hadn't contributed a single thing.
"Kazunari-san... shame on you, okay?"
"「!?」"
Suddenly, Sara poked my forehead lightly with her finger. She was wearing her usual gentle, radiant smile.
For a moment, I thought I heard a collective gasp from the crowd, but I was too distracted to care.
"It was only because you rushed to me, Kazunari-san, that I was able to take such a bold stance. You already know how much strength I find just by having you at my side... don't you?"
"Sara..."
"I'm sorry for the delay in saying this, but thank you so much for coming to my rescue. Seeing you appear so gallantly was truly moving. You looked so dignified, so reliable, and so dazzling... I’ve gone and fallen in love with you all over again♪"
"Er... well..."
Gazing into her passionate, entranced eyes and hearing such sweet words, my heart began to race at a dangerous speed.
"Hehe... you make me fall for you over and over. Every time I look at you, my heart pounds, and I can't contain my affection... You’re truly unfair, Kazunari-san. But that’s why I..."
"Sara... san."
"Kazunari-san... I..."
I couldn't look away from her eyes. It was as if she were about to pour out her heart and declare her love once more. As our gazes locked and intertwined...
Sara whispered my name with a heavy, longing sigh. My own gaze drifted to hers, and for a moment, the world around us ceased to exist... until...
"Alright, that’s enough!"
Mayumi-san suddenly wedged herself between us, physically breaking the tension. The romantic mood that had been thickening between Sara and me vanished in an instant.
Regaining my composure, I saw Takenaka staring at us with wide, shocked eyes. To make matters worse, we were the absolute center of attention for every onlooker in the area.
That was bad. That was really, really bad.
"What was that for?" Sara snapped.
She was clearly incensed at the interruption and rounded on Mayumi-san immediately. Personally, though, I was grateful for the intervention. If Mayumi-san hadn't stopped us, we probably would have broken the promise to Masaomi-san and ruined the whole evening.
"Now, now, Sara-chan. Did you forget the promise?"
"The promise? ...Ah."
The realization seemed to hit Sara, and her expression instantly shifted from anger to sheepishness. She was in the same boat as me.
"S-Should we move elsewhere?" Takenaka suggested awkwardly. "If we stay here much longer... well, we’re likely to invite even more unwanted scrutiny."
"I suppose so," Mayumi-san agreed, though she added a playful barb. "Especially since Sara-chan tries to flirt no matter where we are."
"I see no reason to hold back when I am being intimate with Kazunari-san," Sara countered.
"Honestly... think of the time and place. It might be fine for you, Sara-chan, but Kazunari-kun has a certain status to maintain from here on."
"Um... I mean, I want to be close to Sara-san whenever possible, too, but..."
"Kazunari-san♪"
When I offered that bit of support (which was my honest feeling), Sara’s face lit up with joy.
Beside us, Mayumi-san let out a defeated sigh while Takenaka could only manage a strained, polite laugh.
"Phew... they really are two of a kind. Is this what people call a typical stupid couple? Don't you agree, Takenaka-san?"
"H-Haha... well, I never dreamed the Young Master and the Young Lady were this close, so truthfully... I'm too surprised to give a proper answer."
The way Takenaka whispered that last part with such deep emotion made it clear he wasn't exaggerating. I’d seen this reaction plenty of times before, so it didn't bother me. It seemed to be a universal experience for anyone who knew the "old" Sara.
"A-Anyway, let’s hurry. I’ve kept the spot we secured earlier, so let’s head there for now..."
"We’ll guide you! Please follow us!"
Ueyama suddenly appeared—I had no idea where she’d been—and stood by Takenaka’s side. The female employees who had been guarding Sara and Mayumi-san quickly fanned out to our sides and rear. Then, the rest of the group dispersed to form a perimeter, and in the blink of an eye, an incredibly elaborate entourage was formed.
Even for a crowded party, this felt a bit over the top.
"Shall we?"
Takenaka took the lead, and I followed along with Sara, Mayumi-san, and the rest of the group.
The onlookers watched our procession with unflagging interest.
"...Look, that guy really is moving with them."
"...I caught a bit of their conversation just now. Apparently, he's a distant relative of Senior Managing Director Satsukawa."
"...Oh, that makes sense. Well, if that's the case..."
"...Why do you look so relieved?"
"...I mean, it’s not like I had a chance anyway, but it’s better if it’s family than some random guy, right?"
"...Yeah... I get that."
"...Ugh, this is why unpopular guys are the worst..."
"...This is quite the development."
"...Indeed. I’ve never seen a man get that close to the Senior Managing Director’s daughter... but still."
"...I overheard something about him being a distant relative. That would certainly explain it..."
"...A distant relative. I see. No wonder he's in the wife's good graces as well."
"...This is getting interesting. I had no idea the Senior Managing Director had a relative of that age. The fact that he’s bringing him out now must mean..."
"...That boy seems very close to the Young Lady."
"...He’s close with the wife, too. I heard Takenaka-san was assigned as his personal guide."
"...I wonder what his actual standing is?"
"...I heard he was one of the relatives."
"...A relative of the Senior Managing Director!? Then, could he be...?"
"...Oh my, things are certainly starting to look interesting."
As we walked, people continued to whisper and cast meaningful—and in some cases, strangely intense—glances our way. I didn't know exactly what they were saying, but being treated like a museum exhibit wasn't exactly my idea of a good time.
"Kazunari-san?"
"Kazunari-kun?"
"Ah, sorry."
There was no point in obsessing over every little whisper. I just needed to keep moving.
We eventually reached the seats Takenaka had secured. Even though we were still being watched, I felt like I could finally breathe.
Being in a corner helped, and having several people standing around us provided a makeshift wall of sorts. It was a relief—I really wasn't cut out for being the center of attention.
"So, Takenaka-san, you’re calling Kazunari-kun 'Young Master' now?" Mayumi-san asked.
"Yes. I wanted a title that matched 'Young Lady,' and 'Young Master' seemed to be the best fit..."
"Hehe... 'Young Master,' huh?"
"...Wh-What is it?"
Mayumi-san turned a mischievous, knowing smile toward me. Personally, I thought the title was incredibly embarrassing, so I really wished she would just drop it.
"Sara-chan, what do you think?"
"I see no issue with it. I’m sure he has no ulterior motives for using that title... right, Takenaka-san?"
"E-Er, yes, of course."
For a moment, I thought I felt a chill in the air at Sara's "right?", but I was sure Takenaka was being sincere. There was no need to worry.
"Man... you guys are standing out like crazy."
"It can't be helped. We’ve got the wife and the Young Lady here, and besides..."
"I still can't believe it."
"Seriously, being this close is insane..."
"Hard agree..."
Beside Takenaka, the members of his team were still eyeing Sara and me with intense curiosity. Every time Sara smiled, they seemed to cycle through shock and (in some cases) blushing.
"Um... sorry, Takenaka-san. Should we introduce ourselves?" one of them asked.
"Ah, that’s right. I haven't done that yet. ...Wait, was that why you guys were so quiet?"
"Well, not exactly, but..."
The man who seemed the most brash of the group spoke up while glancing at me. Oh, right—I remembered these guys making a scene earlier. I’d been so focused on getting to Sara that I’d completely forgotten.
"Ah, sorry for the delay. I'm Kazunari Takanashi."
When I offered a brief introduction, the man in front of me blinked in surprise before suddenly bowing repeatedly.
"H-How polite of you! I... I mean, my name is..."
Starting with that man—Tanabe-san—everyone in the group took turns introducing themselves and their positions. As expected, they were all from the department directly under Masaomi-san's control.
"And so, we look forward to working with you," Takenaka concluded.
With the female employees who had been with Sara also finishing their introductions, the formal greetings were complete. We exchanged a few more "looking forward to working with you"s and bows before the conversation turned more casual.
"Seriously... if Takenaka-san had just communicated properly, I wouldn't have been panicking about 'messing up' right from the start."
"Hm? What are you talking about?"
"The Young Master! I told you to let us know if he was acting separately from the Senior Managing Director!"
It seemed Tanabe-san, who had been the most flustered earlier, had a bone to pick with Takenaka over the lack of communication. Personally, I thought calling it "messing up" was a bit dramatic.
"Ah, that. Well, I’ll admit I should have reached out, but didn't you know the Young Master was coming as a guest today? Even if you didn't know his face, seeing a high schooler with me should have been a giveaway, right?"
"Listen... last year, and the year before that, and the year before that, you were always suddenly taking care of some officer's kid, or guiding an acquaintance's child who happened to be visiting! You’d drag them around saying they were joining the company next year!"
"A-Ah, well, when you put it that way..."
"So when I saw you with a boy I didn't recognize, I just figured it was happening again! How was I supposed to know he was the Young Master who was supposed to be with the Senior Managing Director!?"
"I-I see. My apologies..."
Pressed by the collective excitement of the group, a surprised Takenaka offered a small, apologetic bow. So that was why they didn't recognize me. It seemed they had plenty of reasons to be confused... though I still thought they were being a bit too intense about it.
"Hehe... well, everyone has their reasons," Mayumi-san said with a smile.
"Y-Yes, I suppose so."
Mayumi-san was beaming, but I still wasn't sure if I entirely followed. And Mayumi-san—please stop reading my mind so naturally.
"I think I understand the gist of it," Sara said. Her voice wasn't angry, but it carried a distinct weight. "However, let me ask one thing. I trust... no one was rude to Kazunari-san?"
It seemed she had caught on to the situation as well. Even if she wasn't truly upset, her protective instincts were clearly on high alert. Given that the people in question were men (other than me), her gaze had turned quite cold.
"C-C-Certainly not! We were just... a bit slow with our greetings, so to speak..."
"Sara, nothing happened. It’s okay," I said, hoping to ease the tension.
Since nothing had actually happened, I told her the truth directly. That seemed to satisfy her, and her expression softened.
"I see. If you say so, Kazunari-san..."
"I do. But... thank you for worrying about me."
"Hehe... it’s only natural for me to look out for you."
"Sara..."
Even in something this trivial, if it concerned me, Sara was dead serious. And that alone made me incredibly happy.
"...Wait, the Young Lady's attitude changes way too fast!"
"...Even if she has a boyfriend, her man-hating hasn't changed at all. If anything, it feels like the Young Master is just the one massive exception."
"...How on earth did he pull it off?"
"...That is the ultimate mystery."
"Now, now, don't go ruining the mood. They’ll start flirting the second you look away," Mayumi-san teased.
"I don't care," Sara retorted. "In fact, if we're going to make things official, could we please just do it already? Restraining my affection for Kazunari-san is becoming quite painful."
"The party has only just started... Honestly."
"Ahaha..."
Even in a room full of people, Sara’s devotion never wavered. I really was the luckiest guy in the world.
"Um..."
"No..."
"...Ah."
The team members were watching us—well, watching Sara’s declarations—with stunned expressions, looking more than a little awkward. I couldn't really blame them.
"Thank you for..."
"Nice to meet..."
"If you have some time..."
"Oh...?"
Mayumi-san suddenly made a sound of surprise, her eyes fixing on something in the distance. A noisy group was approaching.
And at the center of it was...
"Senior Managing Director!?" Takenaka exclaimed.
The rest of the team turned around in unison. Masaomi-san, the man at the center of the crowd, raised a hand toward us.
"My apologies, but could we save the rest for later? I’m here to join my family..."
"Senior Managing Director!"
Takenaka rushed over to his side, with Tanabe-san and the others following closely behind.
"Senior Managing Director, I told you to contact me once you were done with the guests..."
"There was no need for that. I left things in your hands, after all."
"Are you not even with your secretary?"
"No, I left them to handle the follow-up."
"I see... regardless, thank you for your hard work, sir."
"I should be thanking you for stepping in on such short notice. It was a huge help. Good work, everyone."
Masaomi-san gave Takenaka a warm smile and a pat on the shoulder before offering a nod of appreciation to the rest of the team. Then, he turned his attention to me.
"Kazunari-kun, I am truly sorry. I didn't expect things to get so chaotic so quickly."
"It’s okay. Takenaka-san came to get me right away, so everything was fine."
"That’s good to hear. Though, strictly speaking, you were supposed to have met up with Mayumi and the others the moment you arrived at the hotel."
Masaomi-san shot a scornful look toward Mayumi-san. Sara was giving her the same look. Under the weight of their combined judgment, Mayumi-san looked quite small.
"I-I couldn't help it! We’re appearing in public today, so I couldn't just get ready like I usually do. And besides, I wanted to show Kazunari-kun his mother's beautiful side..."
"Um... I think you’re always beautiful, Mayumi-san," I said.
"...!?"
I offered her my honest opinion, despite the fact that she was sulking. I knew that wasn't exactly what she meant, but I appreciated that she’d put in the effort for my sake.
"Kazunari-kun! Mother is so happy!"
Mayumi-san’s eyes welled with tears of joy. In the next instant, she shifted her weight—Gasp! Bloodthirst!?
"I won't let you," Sara said.
Before I could even brace myself, Sara had moved with near-instantaneous speed to block her mother’s path. Mayumi-san, denied even a single touch, puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
"Hmph! Sara-chan, you're so mean! I was going to give him a hug full of affection!"
"I have told you time and again that I will not allow such outrages. Besides, didn't you just tell me to hold back earlier?"
"Ah..."
Caught in her own logic, Mayumi-san looked away awkwardly. She cleared her throat and tried to regain her composure.
"...Wh-What was that?"
"Madam...?"
"Wait, was that a tug-of-war over the Young Master?"
"S-Senior Managing Director?"
"Ha... haha. Just... please pretend you didn't see that," Masaomi-san said, looking even more embarrassed than his wife.
The team members were frozen in shock. I was being watched just as closely, and I felt just as awkward.
『Attention, ladies and gentlemen. The time has come. We will now begin the opening ceremony for the Sawa Group All-Company Joint Social Gathering Party.』
A female MC’s voice cut through the air with perfect timing, and elegant classical music began to play in the background.
The chatter in the venue died down instantly. Everyone around me—Takenaka-san, his team, Masaomi-san, and Mayumi-san—turned toward the landing where the MC was standing. Sara, standing right beside me, met my eyes and gave a small smile.
It looked like I was saved.
『To begin the festivities, we will have an address from the Representative Director, President, and CEO of Sawa Electronics, Shoji Satsukawa. Everyone, please lend him your ears. President Satsukawa, if you please.』
As the announcement finished, a pair of grand doors opened onto the second-floor terrace. A man stepped out.
He carried himself with a distinct, powerful presence. Even from a distance, he wore a warm, composed smile that suggested he was perfectly at ease in front of such a massive crowd. He began to descend the stairs slowly, with measured, steady steps.
"...Is that him?"
"Yes. That is the Representative Director of Sawa Electronics..."
"He’s my uncle, the younger brother of the previous President... and the current President of the Sawa Group, Shoji Satsukawa-san," Mayumi-san explained.
"I see. So that’s him..."
The man who had succeeded Mayumi-san’s father. The man who sat at the very top of one of the world’s leading international corporations. A year ago, I wouldn't have had a single point of contact with someone like him. He was a being above the clouds.
The Representative Director, President, and CEO of Sawa Electronics: Shoji Satsukawa.