(Maybe I should take a look at the other students’ companies too.)
When I opened the map, the screen filled with a diagonal, bird’s-eye view of a cityscape. At its center sat a mid-sized building, a portion of which served as my office.
Just like in reality, the offices in the game were assigned specific addresses. When I tried searching for Taisho’s company, his headquarters in Osaka Prefecture appeared on the screen.
Curious, I checked a map app to see what this area looked like in the real world... and it was almost identical. It seemed the Management Game reproduced real-world geography as accurately as possible.
Impressed, I began looking into the data of nearby corporations.
(...Well, I guess I can't expect to be on the same playing field after skipping only two years.)
Every other student was managing a company on a far grander scale than mine.
Capital, sales, number of employees... no matter which metric I looked at, my company was incomparable. Having the gap shown so clearly in numbers was easy to understand, but at the same time, it was daunting.
—Bring it on.
First, I’d find a way to stand alongside them. If I couldn't manage that, I wouldn't even have to worry about the Student Council.
A day passed within the game, and the numbers for each company updated once more.
Fifteen minutes in the real world equaled one day in the game. If I tried to come up with a strategy in real-time for every single turn, I definitely wouldn’t make it, so I would need to prepare in advance.
(There are NPCs too, huh.)
In the game world, there were companies managed by NPCs rather than students. It looked like it was possible to do business with these companies as well.
"First, what I need to do is... increase the number of users, I guess."
Checking the trends in user growth, I saw that while it had been rising steadily at first, it had plateaued over the last six months. Breaking out of this stagnant state would be my next challenge.
Sites where you can purchase products or services online are called e-commerce sites. What should I do to increase the number of users? Several ideas floated through my mind.
I stretched lightly and checked the clock on my computer.
It was almost 9:00 PM. The game couldn't be played after nine. I was overflowing with motivation, so I felt a bit of a lack of closure, but I decided to carry this feeling over to tomorrow and end things for today.
It seemed Hinako was going to focus on the Management Game for a while starting today to maintain her facade as a perfect young lady. That was why she hadn't come to my room. Usually, Hinako would be on my bed around this time, and her absence made me feel a little lonely.
(Maybe I’ll go see her for a change.)
I closed my laptop and left the room.
As I headed toward Hinako's room, I encountered a familiar face.
"Takuma-san?"
"Hm? Oh, if it isn't Itsuki-kun."
A tall, slender man in a high-quality suit—Takuma-san—turned around.
He held a bundle of documents in his hand. Knowing his true nature as I did, that stack of paper couldn't help but look like a collection of suspicious documents to me.
"Please, don't be so guarded. Have I ever done anything to you?"
"No... it's just a bit of a conditioned reflex."
"That hurts me all the more."
As if he were hurt in the slightest.
"By the way, the Management Game started today, didn't it? Were you able to start your business without a hitch?"
"Yes....Wait, how did you know I chose to start a business from scratch?"
"I just had a feeling that's what you would do."
His insight was as keen as ever.
EQ... emotional intelligence, was it? Takuma-san’s EQ seemed to be abnormally high; apparently, he could tell what someone was thinking just by looking at their face.
"So, what kind of company did you create, Itsuki-kun?"
"A company that operates an e-commerce site specializing in gifts."
"Heh. E-commerce is good; it's a market that will keep growing for the foreseeable future. The teachers at Kikou Academy tend to prioritize current trends, so the evaluation of your idea shouldn't be bad."
Takuma-san rested a hand on his chin as he offered his thoughts.
As I listened to him, a thought occurred to me.
Shouldn't I be getting advice from this person?
I felt a sense of unease around Takuma-san. However, I also had a vague premonition. I felt like I could grow much more if I was with him. Even during summer vacation, I was able to decide on my future prospects thanks to Takuma-san, and since he already knew my goals, it was easy to talk to him.
And above all, Takuma-san was intimately familiar with corporate matters. The other day, he had mentioned the power harassment culture at Konoha Drink Co., Ltd., so there was no doubt he understood the inner workings of business.
"Takuma-san. Could I get some advice regarding the Management Game? I'm torn on what to do next."
"What kind of trouble are you having specifically?"
"I've just used the Skip Function, and I'm considering several ways to increase the user base. But since my budget is limited, I can't try everything..."
"So you want to know which methods are effective."
When I nodded, Takuma-san fell into thought for a moment.
"Then, in exchange, how about you help me with my work? As you can see, I'm buried in paperwork."
With that, Takuma-san gave the bundle of papers in his hand a light shake.
"If I can be of help, I don't mind..."
"It's just organizing documents, so it'll be fine."
Takuma-san turned on his heel and headed off. I followed after him.
He entered a small office on the first floor of the manor. This was the first time I had ever entered this room. According to what Ms. Shizune had told me, this was a room for guests to work in. I had thought there would be very few opportunities to use a workspace for visitors, but it made sense that family members who weren't usually at the manor used it.
Takuma-san handed me a stack of about fifty pages.
"Are these emails? Why did you go through the trouble of printing them?"
"A change of pace. I've been staring at monitors so much lately that I started to miss the feel of paper. Well, in the end, I ran out of time to read them, so I'm asking you."
I had also been staring at my laptop monitor a lot lately, so I could sympathize. The effort to manually boost one's own work motivation was probably a necessary skill for a professional.
"Divide them into those that need a reply and those that don't. Also, if any of the latter have concise content, please tell me verbally. You can throw them away after you've told me."
Takuma-san sat down and began looking through documents himself.
With a slight sense of tension, I began organizing the papers.
"There's a thank-you note from Arise Co., Ltd. saying a deal was closed thanks to you, Takuma-san."
"Mm-hm."
"From With Partners Co., Ltd., they say a prototype is finished and will be mailed soon."
"Got it."
Takuma-san gave short responses to my reports while continuing his own work.
"A message from the Minister of Defense saying he received the contract... wait, what? The Minister of Defense!?"
"One of my important clients."
The appearance of a big name that far exceeded my expectations left me momentarily stunned.
As I thought, Takuma-san must be incredibly capable. Otherwise, his connections wouldn't be this extensive. The fact that he was corresponding with a major political figure meant he had gained a considerable amount of trust.
"I'm finished."
"Good work."
I finished organizing the documents. When I looked over at Takuma-san, he was still reading something that looked incredibly dense.
"It looks like I'll need a little more time. If you're bored, you can look at the documents around here. It might be educational."
"I-is that okay? Aren't there various confidential things in there?"
"A bit late for that, isn't it?"
Well, that was true, but...
I felt embarrassed for having thought of this person as a decent member of society even for a split second. That’s right, this was just the kind of person Takuma-san was. At the point where I was asking for guidance from someone like him, perhaps I was also a bit strange.
I picked up a document that caught my eye.
"This is..."
"It's a proposal for a manufacturer."
I couldn't quite grasp it from that explanation alone. On the other hand, I didn't want to bother Takuma-san while he was busy, so I read through it to try to understand it on my own.
(In short, he's asking for another company's cooperation to complete a product.)
It seemed a general electronics manufacturer within the Konohana Group was developing an air conditioner for wealthy overseas customers. To maximize performance, they wanted to use a part that had been developed by another company and were seeking permission to license it.
If they were allowed to use the part, they would obtain a vast amount of experimental data, which could then be shared with the other company. If an air conditioner was actually completed using that part, it would also increase the other company's brand recognition. Of course, proper compensation would be provided. The proposal stated as much. Specifically, it said they wanted cooperation because such-and-such data could be gathered...
"Is this entire proposal genuine?"
"Hm?"
I had asked the question almost unconsciously. Takuma-san stopped working and looked over at me.
"Um... I felt like several of the proposals written here were fakes. I thought your goal might just be to get the person in charge to meet you in person, no matter what."
Beside the proposal were printed copies of email exchanges with the representative. As far as I could tell, Takuma-san had never actually met this person before.
In response to my question, Takuma-san’s eyes widened... and he laughed.
"Correct. That person is quite stubborn, so it's hard to get a proposal through via text. But I'm confident I can persuade them once I meet them in person, so I scattered some tasty-looking bait."
Whoa...
I inwardly recoiled at the wicked smile on Takuma-san’s face.
"How did you know?"
"Eh?"
"I'm surprised you could tell what I was thinking from just those documents."
"No, it was just a hunch. The contents of the proposal felt a bit... fluffy, I guess..."
I didn't really understand it myself, but for some reason, Takuma-san was staring at me with a serious expression. I couldn't put the sensation into words.
"I just felt like that's what you would do, Takuma-san..."
It wasn't much of an answer, but that was how I felt, so there was no other way to explain it. It really was just a hunch.
Why had Takuma-san become so serious over such a trivial observation?
"I've changed my mind," Takuma-san said in a small voice. "Itsuki-kun. How would you like to become my disciple?"
"Disciple?"
"Yeah. Just for the duration of the Management Game. Why don't you try learning from me?"
That was...
"It's exactly what I've been hoping for, but..."
"Good, it's settled."
Seeing Takuma-san smiling happily gave me a bad feeling. Would I be alright? Had I just signed a contract with a devil?
"Then let's see your current progress immediately. It's outside of game hours now, but you should still be able to check the home screen, right?"
"I understand. I'll go get my laptop."
I returned to my room, grabbed the laptop I had left on my desk, and headed back to the office. I opened it up and showed the game's home screen to Takuma-san.
"It's like this right now, and I've been thinking I want to increase the number of users..."
I explained the current situation while showing him the screen. After listening to my thoughts, Takuma-san thought for a while.
"Rather than increasing the number of products, you should focus on advertising," Takuma-san stated concisely. "The company itself isn't making products, and expecting everything to happen through word of mouth is the height of folly. It's the same level as a restaurant saying, 'We let our taste do the talking.'"
"Is that... a bad thing?"
"Letting the taste do the talking is a given."
I guess he meant that I shouldn't be lazy while pretending to have high standards; I needed to put effort into other areas as well.
"We need to decide on a brand concept."
"A brand concept?"
"Giving the company a clear concept makes it easier to convey an image to people. In the restaurant example, it could be an old folk house style, or a futuristic style. Once the concept is decided, all you have to do is create advertisements that push that to the forefront."
"I understand. Thank you for the advice."
Specifically what kind of concept to go for—that was my role to decide. Since it was an e-commerce site, I wanted to make it as universally appealing as possible.
Since it was an online shopping format, the direct target audience would likely be adults with credit cards. Wouldn't a concept like "sophisticated relationships" be easy to understand? Not in the sense of being distant, but a smart, professional image... an adult in that sense.
"Still, this company name is quite simplistic."
"Ugh."
He poked me right where it hurt.
"Well, company names are often decided by the founder's name, so you don't have to worry about it. Our family is like that, and there are many others like Toyota or Ishibashi. But for an IT company, couldn't you have gone with a slightly more stylish name?"
"Um... I don't have much sense for naming..."
"These days, there are plenty of places that crowdsource their company names. Management isn't something you do alone; you have to rely on others more and more."
Tennoji-san had said it too—that the Management Game was better played while interacting with people. If Takuma-san said so, there was no mistake about it.
"I'll give you some homework. By Friday, research the management methods of the people you're normally involved with and report back to me. Hinako, Tennoji-san, and Miyakojima-san—those three will do."
How did he know my social circle? I thought that, but there would be no end to it if I questioned every little thing, so I kept quiet.
"Also, I'm only at the manor for today, so from next time, let's talk via video call."
"I understand. Thank you for today."
"Don't worry about it. I'm just making an investment."
"An investment?"
When I tilted my head, Takuma-san nodded.
"In your talent."
With that, Takuma-san took the stack of documents and left the office. I also left and thought about his words while returning to my room.
Talent? In me? What kind of talent was he talking about?
I worried about it for a while, but I had just decided that there would be no end to it if I overthought things. For now, I would focus on the task Takuma-san had given me.
As I approached my room, there was a figure in front of the door. It was Hinako.
Come to think of it, the reason I had left my room in the first place was to go see her. Right now, Hinako was in front of my room... doing something with all her might, fixing her bangs.
What was she doing?
"Hinako?"
"!? I-Itsuki...?"
Hinako turned around in surprise. That was rare. For Hinako to be this shaken up.
"W-where were you...?"
"I was talking to Takuma-san for a bit."
"Ugh..."
As usual, she didn't seem to like Takuma-san much.
"You were focused on the Management Game today too, Hinako."
"Yeah. I actually wanted to finish earlier, but... Papa called for me."
"Kegon-san? About the game?"
"Yes. He warned me to produce results worthy of a daughter of the Konohana family..."
Hinako looked exhausted. I thought about starting on the homework Takuma-san had given me right away, but Hinako looked tired, so I decided not to talk about business today.
When the conversation died down, Hinako’s eyes darted left and right, and she became restless.
"Um... do you want to come in?"
"Y-yes, I do."
With her cheeks slightly flushed, Hinako gave a small nod. Amidst a somewhat strange atmosphere, I let Hinako into the room.
Entering Itsuki's room, Hinako looked around at the scenery out of habit. Itsuki probably hadn't noticed this habit of hers.
(Ah... he has more pen holders.)
Since she came to Itsuki's room almost every day, Hinako noticed changes immediately. A new black pen holder had been added to the desk.
Hinako loved coming to Itsuki's room. At first, this room had been tidy and devoid of any unnecessary items, feeling very much like a temporary residence. She liked seeing it become colored with Itsuki's presence day by day. More stationery, more slippers, an alarm clock, a computer... she was happy because it felt like Itsuki was gradually becoming a permanent inhabitant of this manor.
Normally, she would lie on Itsuki's bed with that sense of security in her heart, but...
(I-it's no good...)
Her forehead began to sweat slightly.
(As I thought... I can't act like I used to...!)
She couldn't suppress the throbbing in her chest. Actually, she hadn't been able to settle down at all yesterday either. Although she had been lying on Itsuki's bed, she hadn't been able to sleep; she had been awake the whole time, listening to the conversation between Itsuki and Ms. Shizune.
Even in shoujo manga, a room belonging to the opposite sex was depicted as a special space. Now she understood that feeling. There was a mysterious tension—a feeling that she shouldn't do anything strange.
"Is it okay if I use my computer for a bit? There are some things I want to take notes on..."
"I-it's fine..."
When Hinako nodded, Itsuki immediately faced his computer. Sitting on the bed, she stared at his profile. Seeing Itsuki working so seriously was always attractive.
Suddenly, Itsuki looked her way. Had he realized she was staring? Before things became awkward, she hurriedly looked away.
The sound of typing filled the air. When she looked at Itsuki again... he was also looking at her, and their eyes met.
"W-why have you been glancing at me for a while now?"
"No, I was just thinking that if you fell asleep, I'd carry you to your room."
"Carry me...?"
"Yeah. I've carried you several times before, you know?"
Come to think of it, she felt like that had happened...
If she asked him, would he carry her today too? She stared intently at Itsuki as he typed.
(This is bad... lately, I want to be pampered right away...)
She didn't think Itsuki would hate her for acting spoiled. In the first place, what did Itsuki think of her?
"Itsuki, what do you... think of me?"
"Eh?"
Itsuki's eyes widened as he looked at her.
(T-that was too direct...!)
She had said exactly what was on her mind.
"I mean... what do you think of a sloppy person like me?"
When she rephrased the question, Itsuki fell into thought for a moment.
"You worry about that occasionally, Hinako."
"Ugh..."
"I've told you before, but I don't mind it at all. The reason you're sloppy is because you're always so tense... I feel honored to be able to support a Hinako like that," Itsuki said, looking embarrassed.
Because it felt like her face was going to melt into a grin, Hinako covered her cheeks with her palms. He certainly had said that before. Was that when she tried to change the person who woke her up in the morning from Itsuki to Ms. Shizune? Looking back now, she must have been conscious of Itsuki as a man even then. She had suddenly felt embarrassed being seen right after waking up.
Itsuki probably liked taking care of people. That was why she knew he wouldn't be disappointed no matter how many times he saw her true self, but she occasionally wanted to confirm it like this.
(Love is a strange feeling.)
Her trust in Itsuki hadn't wavered. But she felt like she became anxious more often now than before. Being natural, being her true self, required just a little bit of courage. But surely this distance wouldn't shrink unless he accepted her for who she was.
"Can I... borrow the bed? I might fall asleep, though..."
"Yeah. I'm going to study, so you can spend your time however you like, as usual."
Hinako lay down on Itsuki's bed. If having your true self accepted is important in a normal romance... what should someone who was already accepted from the start do? Perhaps she was involved in a rather difficult romance.
While she was thinking about that as she drifted off...
"Hm? Oh, it's from Tennoji-san."
Hinako’s ears twitched. Itsuki had picked up his smartphone; a call had come in.
"Tomonari-san?"
Tennoji-san’s voice echoed in the quiet room.
"Tennoji-san, what's wrong?"
"I thought you might be struggling with the game around this time, so I thought I'd see if you needed any advice."
Hinako sat up slowly. A phone call, at this hour?
Hinako stared intently at Itsuki. Itsuki hadn't noticed her gaze.
"Thank you for your concern. But it's alright. I've already solved it."
"Is that so?...However, that in itself is worrying. Given your personality, Tomonari-san, it seems likely you might push yourself too hard."
"I'll be careful about that..."
She certainly wanted him to be careful about that.
"Rest is also important, you know. For example, next Sunday, with me..."
Tennoji-san trailed off, sounding hesitant. At that moment, Hinako took a slow breath and—
"Itsuki-kun. Shall we go shopping next Sunday?"
"Huh? That voice... K-Konohana Hinako!?"
Hinako said it in a louder voice than usual—so that her rival on the other end of the line would hear clearly. Itsuki's shoulders jumped in shock.
"By the way, I'm fine with a movie too, you know?"
"A-a movie...!? Tomonari-san!? W-would you mind explaining what's going on!?"
A large amount of cold sweat poured from Itsuki's face.
"N-no! Actually, I was just talking about the game with Konohana-san right now!"
"Is that true!? Weren't you just normally making plans for the weekend!?"
"Ah!? S-sorry, it seems like the signal has gone bad, so I'll hang up!"
"Wait—"
Itsuki hurriedly hung up the phone.
Hinako could have followed up a bit more... but she'd let it slide for now.
"Hinako?"
Itsuki tentatively looked at Hinako, as if he were looking at a landmine he had accidentally stepped on.
"Um... do you want to go see a movie?"
"I have to attend a dinner party that day, so I can't do anything."
As if to say, "Then what was that just now?" Itsuki looked puzzled. I don't know. I don't really understand it myself. It’s just that she had felt veeeeeeeery complicated.
"I'm going to sleep."
"Eh?"
As Hinako lay down on the bed again, Itsuki looked bewildered. Only the ticking of the clock's hands could be heard.
"Um, Hinako. It's almost time for your bath..."
"Carry me."
"..."
"Carry me."
Itsuki was bewildered, but Hinako ignored him. Eventually, Itsuki seemed to resign himself and carried Hinako to her room in a princess carry.
While being held in his unexpectedly sturdy arms, Hinako felt triumphant.
Take that, Mirei Tennoji.
This is the power of physical proximity.