◇
As he stroked her hair, Hinako looked back on the events of the past few days.
Was I making Itsuki suffer? That anxiety had only grown stronger as his presence in her heart expanded.
She had been terrified to confirm the truth, but it had become impossible to suppress the uncertainty swelling in her chest. Hinako had eventually summoned every ounce of her courage to ask him.
She had asked him what it was he truly wanted to do.
(I'm so... glad.)
As Itsuki continued to stroke her hair, Hinako felt a wave of relief wash over her from the bottom of her soul.
He had patted her head several times before. He had carried her on his back, they had shared meals, they had even bathed together... so many things had happened.
And he had done all of it because he wanted to.
She wasn't making Itsuki unhappy.
(I... I can love Itsuki. It’s okay...)
She was happier than anything to finally have that confidence.
(In that case, I won't hold back anymore. From now on, I'll be more courageous...)
She had no idea what steps to take yet, but she told herself she could figure that out in due time.
He stroked her hair gently. Every time he did, a sense of comfort filled her. Itsuki was likely doing this without a shred of romantic intent, which made her feel slightly conflicted... but perhaps her first order of business should be working to reform his awareness in that regard.
She also had to properly respond to the declaration of rivalry she had received from Yuri. There was no longer any reason to back down from that challenge. It was the start of the battle.
He stroked her head again. Her fighting spirit, which had just begun to flare up, melted away into a soft, blissful haze.
She decided that, just for today... she could allow herself to relax.
For the first time in a long while, Hinako fell into a peaceful, secure sleep.
◆
A while after Hinako fell asleep, Ms. Shizune returned home.
Hinako was out cold, but it was still too early for the rest of us to turn in. To avoid waking her, I studied quietly while Ms. Shizune began her own work.
That was when a soft knock came at the door.
(A knock? Even though there's an intercom...)
I peered through the peephole.
"Takuma-san?"
A familiar face was standing in the hall.
"Is that Takuma-sama?"
"Yes. I'll go see him for a moment."
I slipped on my shoes and stepped outside.
I had a feeling his business wasn't with Hinako or Ms. Shizune, but with me.
"Hello, Itsuki-kun. Sorry for dropping by so late at night."
I gave a slight bow, unsure of his purpose.
Takuma-san looked at my face and smiled.
"From the look on your face, it seems you’ve successfully become a place where Hinako can truly belong."
"...You really do see through everything, don't you?"
"Hahaha, I'm often called creepy because of that."
It seemed he could grasp the general situation just by looking at me. To be honest, I couldn't blame people for finding it unsettling.
"Let's walk for a bit."
With those words, Takuma-san started moving.
As I walked alongside him, I asked a question.
"Was the reason you didn't use the intercom earlier for Hinako's sake?"
"Of course. It would be a shame to wake her while she's recovering."
"You really do worry about her."
"I am her brother, after all. It’s only natural, isn’t it?"
Hearing Takuma-san say that made me feel relieved.
Based on everything I had heard from Hinako and Ms. Shizune, I had been left with a terrifying impression of him, but perhaps Takuma-san was actually a more sensible and kind person than I’d been led to believe. Or so I thought.
"So, what did you say to put Hinako at ease?"
"That was..."
I suppose that had been his main goal from the start. I explained to Takuma-san what I had told Hinako earlier.
"Hmm... You want to become someone who can shoulder great responsibility, do you?"
Takuma-san nodded slightly after hearing my answer.
"I’m aware it’s still a vague vision. But for me, that was enough to decide which society I wanted to live in."
"No, that's fine. In fact, if you had decided on a specific career path immediately just because I provoked you, it would have felt artificial. A vision for the future isn't something that should be decided easily, is it?"
Even though he was the one who had prodded me in the first place...
I used my reason to suppress the slight annoyance rising in my chest.
"But in your case, it seems there's more to it than just that."
Takuma-san spoke with an amused tone.
"Haven't you found a slightly more concrete outlook?"
As usual, his insight was uncanny. When facing this man, it felt impossible to hide anything.
"...It's only something I'm considering as a general direction, but..."
I revealed a resolution that I hadn't even shared with Hinako yet.
"If possible, I want to become an executive of the Konohana Group."
That was the desire I had suddenly arrived at while searching for an answer.
What kind of person did I want to be? When asked that, the first things that came to mind were the people living noble lives at Kikou Academy, like Hinako and the others.
Beyond that, what did I want to do in the future? When asked that, I thought of... adults like Kegon-san. People like the parents of Tennoji-san and Narika, who were on the front lines, carrying the weight of massive organizations.
When I thought that far, I finally visualized the position I should aim for.
"Pfft—Ahahahaha! Well, aren't you ambitious!"
Takuma-san laughed out loud. His laughter echoed through the quiet night streets.
"...Please don't laugh. That's why I kept it to myself."
"The only reason people laugh is because you still lack the ability to back up your words."
That was true. It was obvious that saying such a thing now would only result in embarrassment.
Someday, I would have to become a person who could make that statement and have the listener nod with a straight face.
"For now, I'll acknowledge your courage in saying that to me. As a reward, shall I tell you a bit more about the details of the recent events?"
"The details?"
"Regarding the scandal within the Konohana Group. If you're aiming for the board, it won't hurt to listen."
Takuma-san looked at me with a serious expression.
"The reason I was specifically summoned to that manor was that my father and I had different stances regarding this scandal."
Takuma-san began his story.
"The one who blew the whistle on the power harassment at the subsidiary... was me."
I... didn't know that. The person who started it all was Takuma-san?
"Konoha Drink Co., Ltd. is a company we acquired six months ago. However, that company had a long-standing issue with a culture of power harassment. They apparently did a good job of hiding it during the acquisition, but just by looking at the employees' faces, I immediately sensed that the problem remained."
His natural insight. He possessed an EQ that was rare even on a global scale. For someone like Takuma-san, gauging a company's health from the expressions of its employees was likely an easy task.
"So, I decided to leak the matter to the media and have it announced on a large scale. That way, not only would the problems at Konoha Drink be resolved, but it would also serve as a warning to other power-harassing employees throughout the group. However, my father stopped it at the last minute. He said doing such a thing would lead to the impairment of the Konohana Group's brand."
Takuma-san's reasoning made some sense. But to me, Kegon-san's judgment seemed even more correct. Takuma-san's methods were extreme. Kegon-san likely judged that the fallout would be too great.
"For the past few days, after you all left the manor, I’ve been debating with my father, but in the end, I lost out to the advantage of numbers. I thought it was the best course of action, though."
"The best...?"
When I inadvertently spoke up, Takuma-san stared straight at me. Pierced by his gaze, I hesitated for a moment, wondering if someone like me had the right to intervene. But since he had gone to the trouble of explaining it, I felt I had the right to at least state an opinion.
"...If the Konohana Group's brand is damaged, wouldn't that also jeopardize the positions of all the employees?"
If that happened, wouldn't the end result be counterproductive?
"That's what you call a necessary sacrifice," Takuma-san said nonchalantly.
He spoke as if to say, What's the problem with that?
"You know, I think it might be fine if the Konohana Group just broke apart once."
For a moment, I couldn't comprehend the meaning of that statement.
The Konohana Group... can break apart? What is this person saying?
"Our group has such a long history that rot and corruption are lurking in every corner. That's why I think 'scrap and build' is necessary. Without the resolve to temporarily tarnish the brand, you can't have fundamental reform. That’s where I’m at odds with my father."
I understood the logic of what he was saying. But I still felt that his way of thinking was dangerously radical. Was it because I was a commoner... because I didn't know enough about running a corporation that I couldn't visualize it properly?
As if sensing my internal state, Takuma-san continued.
"You find it strange too, don't you? Why Hinako has to struggle so much?"
That was something I could empathize with. I had thought it from the very beginning. Why does Hinako have to go through this?
"Originally, the Konohana bloodline has its quirks. Hinako is lazy, and I am self-centered. For a clan with quirks like ours to maintain control over a group of this scale, we have to prune away the excesses whenever appropriate. But my father doesn't want to do that. That's why Hinako's burden is becoming so heavy. My father is bad at cutting things away."
"...But even though there was a scandal this time, isn't Kegon-san managing the current group appropriately?"
"My father is pushing himself too hard. He has been ever since Mother died."
Takuma-san said, slightly lowering his gaze.
Was Takuma-san purely worried about his family? However, a strange sense of dissonance lingered.
"...Is this what Hinako wants?"
I knew Hinako disliked Takuma-san, but did she feel the same way about his philosophy? I felt compelled to ask.
Takuma-san thought for a moment before answering.
"I wonder. To be honest, Itsuki-kun, you're the first person I've told about my vision in such detail."
"Wait... really?"
"Yeah. So I don't know if I'd get Hinako's approval."
Takuma-san spoke with airy indifference.
"Hold on a second."
I couldn't understand that nonchalance.
"Without talking to Hinako at all... you intend to carry out a reform that will dictate the course of her life?"
Terrified of the answer, I asked cautiously. But Takuma-san answered as if it were a matter of course.
"Yeah. After all, there's no doubt it will make things easier for Hinako in the end."
Hearing that answer, I finally understood.
...I see.
I finally realized the true nature of the dissonance I had been feeling from this man.
When I learned he hadn't used the intercom out of consideration for Hinako, I thought that he must value his family in his own way.
But the reality was different.
Just as Hinako had said at the manor, this man only thought about himself.
This person was only focused on himself, in the role of the man who worries for his family.
Takuma-san didn't care about his family. Likely, the same was true for the Konohana Group. To Takuma-san, what mattered was his own judgment in considering the group important; the feelings of the people living within that group were secondary. The employees who were harassed might not have wanted such a high-profile, destructive solution. Even if that were the case, Takuma-san had no interest in their feelings.
That was why he could speak so calmly about "scrap and build."
I could guess why he held such values. This man had absolute confidence that his judgment was correct. His insight, which allowed him to read others—a constitution that allowed him to see things others couldn't—had led him there.
And he was likely right. I felt that even with Takuma-san's methods, the intended reforms could be achieved.
But if it was done that way, then I—
Then Hinako—
"You're making the same face my father does," Takuma-san said, looking at me.
There was neither expectation nor disappointment in his voice. Takuma-san wore a detached, clinical expression.
"Well, whatever. If you can find a different way than mine, that's fine too."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"I'm just trying to make the most correct choice available at this point in time. But if you struggle and change the situation in the future, other options might emerge."
Takuma-san was implicitly stating that, as things stood, his choice was more correct than Kegon-san's. He was being objective. While his attitude felt arrogant, his statements were delivered with the weight of impartial calculation, not conceit.
The only thing he hadn't included in his calculations was our emotions.
"If you don't like my choice—you'll just have to be the one to create a different option."