The next morning.
I had just arrived at Kikou Academy and was about to enter the classroom when Tennoji-san beckoned me over.
"Tennoji-san?"
"Tomonari-san, a moment of your time, please."
She led me to a deserted stairwell landing before turning back to face me.
"What became of the buyout situation?"
I was ninety percent sure that was what she wanted to talk about.
It was a delicate matter, and I was torn on how much I should explain, but Tennoji-san was trustworthy, and since we were in an alliance, there shouldn't be any problem.
I laid out the situation step by step. I told her how Suminoe-san was aiming for the top spot in the IT industry, how she had acquired Tech Capital to achieve that, how Hinako had proposed acting as a White Knight out of concern for me, and then—
"...And so, I decided not to rely on Hinako and resolve this by my own strength."
I explained that I had dared to decline Hinako's proposal for the sake of my own professional growth.
Tennoji-san listened to my explanation with her arms crossed.
"Ho ho... Quite a bold resolve you have there."
"That is a very intense smile you have."
Tennoji-san wore a ferocious grin, like that of a predatory beast.
Ultimately, Suminoe-san and I were going to face off head-on... and this was exactly the kind of development a competition-lover like Tennoji-san would adore. Since she viewed Hinako as a rival, my refusal to hide under Hinako's wing likely appealed to her as well.
"You realize, I hope, that such a choice is only possible because this is a simulation?"
"...Yes. I believe I understand that."
If this had all happened in reality, I would have been completely ignoring the lives of the employees working at Tomonari Gift. I have a duty to keep them from being thrown out on the street, yet I had chosen the harder path simply to satisfy my own pride.
Had I faced this scenario in the real world, I would have had no choice but to seek Hinako's protection.
"However, I believe there are things that can only be learned through a simulation. That is the very reason I have repeatedly engaged in M&A myself."
Mergers and acquisitions cost a staggering amount of money. In reality, one cannot repeat M&A so frequently, but Tennoji-san was actively pursuing them as part of her studies.
"You chose to learn rather than simply choosing to win. As long as you are aware of that... I will respect your choice."
"Thank you."
Hearing Tennoji-san say that gave me a surge of confidence.
"So, what do you intend to do for your crucial countermeasure?"
"That is..."
Just as I was about to answer, someone approached us.
"—Good day to you both."
A calm, beautiful voice reached my ears.
"Suminoe-san..."
"Hehe, we seem to run into each other quite often lately."
Suminoe-san wore a graceful, demure smile.
Looking at her like this again, it was hard to believe how calculating she was. The way she maintained a perfect public facade through acting was a trait she shared with Hinako.
Tennoji-san spoke up, addressing Suminoe-san directly.
"Suminoe-san. As it happens, I have formed an alliance with Tomonari-san here."
"...Yes, I am aware."
Of course she was... apparently, she was always spying on our tea parties.
"Therefore, allow me to say one thing. Your methods are quite heavy-handed—almost as if you are slapping your opponent across the face with a wad of cash to force their submission."
"...It is exactly as you say. However, I judged that I could not wake you up, Tennoji-sama, unless I went that far."
"Wake me up...?"
To the puzzled Tennoji-san, Suminoe-san continued.
"Tennoji-sama. I, too, have one thing I wish to say to you. That man there is not worthy of you. Itsuki Tomonari is a person who will only lead you to ruin. I intend to prove it."
Suminoe-san said this while glaring at me.
She had apparently decided she no longer needed to hide her resentment toward me.
I had plenty I wanted to say back, but the fuse for this battle had already been lit. No amount of arguing would change our relationship now.
That was why I... spoke of business.
"Suminoe-san. Are you familiar with Wedding Needs Co., Ltd.?"
Perhaps she hadn't expected me to speak to her in such a tense atmosphere, as Suminoe-san looked slightly surprised for a moment, but she immediately regained her calm.
"Yes, I know of them."
"I figured. I'm planning to speak with the head of that company today."
When I announced this, Suminoe-san smiled thinly.
"I see, I understand what you're trying to do. However, that is a faint hope. Because I also once—"
"—My company is different from yours, Suminoe-san."
That had been the only reason I refused the buyout from the start.
The fundamental nature of Tomonari Gift and SIS were completely different. And the mindsets of their leaders—Suminoe-san and myself—were also worlds apart.
If that difference was what started this commotion, then that was how it would be settled.
"I will survive using my own methods."
The resolution would likely come today.
After school... I had an appointment with a certain person.
◆
After school, at the Kikou Academy cafe.
I was sitting in a pre-booked seat when I saw a male student approaching and stood up.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Ikuno from Wedding Needs Co., Ltd."
"I am Itsuki Tomonari from Tomonari Gift."
I shook hands lightly with the boy, Ikuno-kun, and we sat down.
I had prepared a plan to escape Suminoe-san's control. The key person was this classmate of mine.
The waiter handed menus to us.
"What will you have, Tomonari-kun?"
"I'll have the blended coffee."
"I'll have the same, then."
The waiter nodded and turned away.
"Is this your first time using this cafe, Ikuno-kun?"
"Yes. My parents are quite strict, and I'm told to head home immediately after school."
Ikuno-kun gave a wry smile.
I knew there were many students like that here.
Ikuno-kun's family business, Wedding Needs, was the top player in the bridal industry. Naturally, they provided wedding venues, but they also handled a wide variety of secondary businesses like hotels and restaurants.
When a family business reached that scale, parental restrictions were often severe. It was the same as Narika back when she was forbidden from even going to a candy store. Hinako and Tennoji-san seemed free, but in reality, dedicated security guards were usually lurking somewhere whenever they went out.
Like the other students, Ikuno-kun was managing his family's business, Wedding Needs, within the game. Just like in reality, he reigned over the bridal industry in the simulation.
"This is the first time I've spoken with you like this, Tomonari-kun, but I'm actually a bit nervous."
"Eh, why is that?"
I might have had a reason to be nervous, but I couldn't see why Ikuno-kun would be...
"I mean, you're a member of that Noble Tea Party, aren't you?"
There it was, The Noble Tea Party.
It was a name I'd been hearing a lot lately. I felt like the whole thing was being misunderstood.
"Um... that tea party is really just for chatting. It's not something as grandiose as 'The Noble Tea Party' suggests..."
"Eh? But the rumors say you're all engaged in serious discussions about politics, economics, military science, and even the future of Kikou Academy."
What kind of rumors were those?
With me there—someone who had only transferred in this spring—there was no way such high-level discussions were happening.
"In some circles, there are even rumors that you're pulling the strings from behind the scenes, Tomonari-kun."
"Wh-Why would such wild, groundless rumors...?"
"There's also a rumor that you were the one who originally gathered those members, which might be why..."
What was the original reason the six of us gathered in the first place? Oh, right. Since it would be strange to keep turning down invitations to play from Taisho and Asahi-san, I decided to accept. And since I was at it, I invited Tennoji-san, who seemed to want to get along with Hinako, and Narika, who looked like she wanted friends.
...So, the idea that I gathered them wasn't entirely wrong.
"L-Let's talk about the game! That's what this meeting is for!"
"Y-You're right."
I felt this topic was dangerous, so I decided to steer away from it.
Just then, two cups of coffee were delivered, and we both took a drink to regain our composure.
"Phew," we both exhaled at the same time.
"The buyout situation seems tough," Ikuno-kun said, placing his cup on the table.
"You knew about it?"
"Well, buyouts of venture funds don't happen every day."
It seemed the news of Suminoe-san's acquisition had reached even those who hadn't originally been paying attention to me or her.
I felt like I was the center of attention, which made me feel restless.
"Suminoe-san's SIS Co., Ltd. is a major IT firm. For venture-style IT companies that receive investment from firms like Tech Capital, having SIS as their parent company isn't necessarily a bad thing, but..."
"I'm sure some people think that way. But I've decided to resist."
That was why I had arranged this meeting.
After taking a sip of coffee, I looked at Ikuno-kun.
It was time to get down to serious business.
"As I mentioned the other day, I'd like to discuss a capital and business alliance."
I brought up the main topic.
When I did, Ikuno-kun bowed his head apologetically.
"I'm sorry. I appreciate you setting this up, but... I don't intend to enter a business alliance."
Ikuno-kun spoke while staring into his coffee cup.
"I often get similar proposals from IT companies, but I've turned them all down..."
"And Suminoe-san was among them, right?"
"...Did you know?"
"I didn't hear it directly, but I suspected as much."
I took my laptop out of my bag and opened it.
"I believe I can offer a different proposal than Suminoe-san's."
Ikuno-kun's eyes widened.
"Are you familiar with Tomonari Gift?"
"No, I was so focused on refusing alliances that I didn't look into the details..."
"Then please take a look at these materials."
He had probably lost interest the moment he realized Tomonari Gift was an IT company. I had a feeling I knew why.
First, I displayed the Tomonari Gift materials on the screen.
"Tomonari Gift operates a mail-order service specializing in gifts. Because of that, the items we handle are all high-quality goods that won't cause the sender any embarrassment. It's a perfect service for sending gifts for ceremonial occasions."
You can't choose something cheap for life's major milestones. In that regard, our service was a perfect match.
When analyzing the gift market, the connection to ceremonial occasions is undeniable. Events like weddings and coming-of-age ceremonies are occasions where gift-giving is mandatory.
That was why I predicted Suminoe-san would definitely approach Ikuno-kun. Since her mail-order business included a ceremonial category, she would undoubtedly want to partner with the top player in the bridal industry if she wanted to grow that segment.
Up to that point, I had the exact same thought—but.
"However, what I want to emphasize here is that Tomonari Gift isn't necessarily obsessed with only online interactions."
"...What do you mean?"
Ikuno-kun was clearly hooked.
He likely thought I was going to make the same proposal as Suminoe-san.
But I wasn't. My vision was different from hers.
"Tomonari Gift's philosophy is to cultivate awareness of the beauty and sophistication of the act of giving. While our primary market is mail-order, we want to meet user needs beyond that. In fact, we've already started a catalog gift business that doesn't rely on an internet environment."
I showed Ikuno-kun the data for the catalog gift business.
He stared at the data with a serious expression.
"What do you think?"
I looked straight at him and asked, "What you want to do is similar, isn't it?"
I must have hit the mark, as Ikuno-kun looked stunned.
"When I looked up Wedding Needs' corporate information, it said you wanted to move forward with digitization and DX, but I felt that wasn't your true intention. In reality, you want to stick to traditional methods, just as you have until now, right?"
These days, every company is considering the introduction of IT technology to improve efficiency. Digitization and DX have similar meanings, but strictly speaking, digitization is for efficiency, while DX refers to the creation of new business models using digital technology.
Wedding Needs had written that they were pursuing DX.
But I felt that wasn't the truth.
Looking past the data... Ikuno-kun's expression seemed clouded.
"...It's just as you say, Tomonari-kun."
Ikuno-kun laced his fingers together and began to talk.
"To be honest, I'm almost entirely at the mercy of my parents. Since the Management Game is being watched by the business world, they're anxious about leaving it to me... The DX thing was also something my parents decided. But truthfully, I want to stick to old-fashioned, traditional, and formal services. Recently, things like online weddings and live streaming have emerged, but I'm against those. I wanted to promote the importance of memories that are gained through time and effort through our services."
I had predicted that was likely Ikuno-kun's true feeling.
That was why I believed my proposal would reach him.
"What you're seeking isn't efficiency, but the cultivation of culture. In that regard, I believe we share the same vision. For example, at Tomonari Gift, we provide easy-to-understand explanations of complex etiquette, such as gift wrapping and noshi paper, on our site. We could also include information about wedding traditions there."
The compatibility between Tomonari Gift's mail-order service and ceremonial occasions was as I had mentioned earlier.
But more than that, what I was proposing to Ikuno-kun was a platform to promote the vision of marriage that he truly desired. Fortunately, the foundation was already there.
"Please, would you consider an alliance with my company? If Wedding Needs cooperates with us, we can significantly improve our ceremonial services."
In return, I was looking for the corporate backing to escape Suminoe-san's buyout.
Ikuno-kun thought about my proposal for a while before answering.
"...Initially, I intended to refuse."
Ikuno-kun spoke as if he had finally resigned himself.
"Since I'm not interested in DX myself, I was skeptical about alliances with IT companies. Suminoe-san also brought an alliance proposal to me with a policy of promoting DX, so I turned her down before my parents found out. Besides, given that I was just doing what my parents said, I didn't have much motivation for the game."
With that, Ikuno-kun looked at me.
His eyes were much more lively than when we had started talking.
"But I was happy that you guessed my true feelings, Tomonari-kun. This is a rare opportunity in the Management Game. I'll take this chance to do what I want to do."
Ikuno-kun bowed.
"I accept the capital and business alliance. Please allow me to invest in your company."
"Thank you very much."
I bowed even deeper than he did.
As I felt a sense of relief wash over me, Ikuno-kun looked at me curiously.
"But... how did you know what I wanted to do?"
The policy to pursue DX was not Ikuno-kun's own intention. He asked how I had been able to see through that.
It was a natural question, but I didn't know how to put the answer into words.
It was because I knew from the atmosphere, or rather, from a sensation.
So...
"...It was just a hunch."
I had no choice but to give that answer with a wry smile.