“My hair. Quickly. Wash it.”
“Y—Yes.”
Itsuki timidly began to wash Hinako’s hair.
◇
With a bag of potato chips in hand, Itsuki headed for Hinako’s room.
Having received word from one of her subordinate maids, Shizune followed him in secret to witness the situation firsthand.
However, there was no response when she knocked on the door.
Was she in the bath? With that thought, Shizune headed toward the bathroom. As expected, the duo’s clothes were left in the dressing room.
Peeking in, Shizune watched the scene play out.
(Young Lady… you are being far too impatient…)
Itsuki treasured Hinako. That was precisely why he would not cross the line on a whim. In this regard, Shizune placed absolute trust in Itsuki.
If Hinako truly wanted to win him over, a heavier, more serious mood would likely be more effective. Also, he seemed incredibly vulnerable to a fait accompli.
(…No, no, what am I thinking?)
She seemed shaken by the strange sight she had witnessed. To calm herself, she stepped away from the bathroom.
A shoujo manga was sitting on the bed. She picked it up and skimmed the contents.…I see. It seemed Hinako had tried to mimic this manga today.
Shizune placed a hand to her forehead and let out a sigh.
It seemed it would be a long time before the girl realized that reality and manga were two very different things.
Just then, her phone rang.
She looked at the screen. It was yet another cause for a sigh.
Shizune reluctantly answered the call.
“You have dialed the wrong number.”
『No, I haven’t.』
She considered hanging up instantly, but the man on the other end caught her before she could.
Surely this man—Takuma Konohana—was wearing a flippant, frivolous smile even now.
『It’s been a while, Shizune. Do you have a moment?』
“I do not. Unlike certain people, I am very busy.”
『Managing your workload is part of the job. Since you’re the Head Maid, you need to utilize others and delegate properly.』
She had only meant it sarcastically, yet he replied with a straight face.
He was an annoying man.
『There’s some data I need for work, but I’m out and don’t have access. Could you send items D7 through 9 of the customer list on the main office server to my computer?』
“…Certainly.”
If she refused, he would simply ask someone else. Since that would only increase someone else’s workload, Shizune reluctantly accepted the request.
“Takuma-sama. What do you intend to do with Itsuki-san?”
『Hinako asked me that same question once.』
Having realized that Takuma was Itsuki’s observer, Hinako had suspected her brother was up to no good again and had contacted him. He was likely referring to that incident.
“Itsuki-san is progressing through the game smoothly.…To be honest, his momentum has exceeded expectations. That is why I am curious about what you intend for him to achieve beyond this.”
『Even so, there are only about three weeks left until the game ends. His growth rate is staggering, but the results themselves might settle into something unexpectedly ordinary, you know?』
“I am not talking only about the game.”
Besides, she had a feeling he wouldn’t settle for a safe result even within the game.
Perhaps Takuma shared the same premonition, as he deliberately gave a vague, noncommittal answer.
“Ultimately, what kind of person do you want Itsuki-san to become?”
At that question, Takuma fell silent for a moment.
It was rare to see this man at a loss for words.
『…Initially, I intended to make him a serial entrepreneur.』
A serial entrepreneur—someone who continuously starts businesses, gets them on track, sells them for a profit, and then uses those gains to start the next venture.
『But his talent for business was greater than I imagined. I decided it might be better for him not to take any unnecessary detours.』
“Was being a serial entrepreneur a detour?”
『Yeah. I only intended for it to be a stepping stone for him to learn the ropes of management.』
I see. Certainly, if one experienced several companies from startup to sale, they would acquire firm management skills.
However, the fact that he described it as a detour meant—
What Takuma sought from Itsuki was not just someone with vast knowledge of management.
“What you are ultimately seeking from Itsuki-san is…”
『Exactly. —Someone just like me.』
She finally understood the full scope of what this man wanted Itsuki to become.
It likely wasn’t impossible. No, rather—it might be the optimal path.
He was definitely suited for it. In that field, Itsuki would surely thrive.
『Don’t you think it’s a grand aim?』
Takuma laughed, sounding genuinely amused.
“…Do you intend to create a double of yourself?”
『Yeah. Isn’t it ideal? If there were a double of me in this world, I could handle twice the work. I might even be able to accomplish things I thought were impossible in my lifetime.』
“Itsuki-san won’t become like you.”
『Hinako told me that, too.』
Shizune heard Takuma’s chuckle through the speaker.
『Anyway, Shizune. This coming Friday, can I borrow Itsuki-kun?』
“What do you plan to do?”
To the suspicious Shizune, Takuma declared:
『A field trip.』
◆
Three days later, on Friday.
Since Fridays during the Management Game were holidays, I had intended to spend the day studying in my room at the manor. However, after breakfast, Ms. Shizune summoned me to the office.
Takuma-san was there.
With only a brief greeting, Takuma-san told me he had business with me.
And that business was—
“A field trip?”
“Correct.”
Takuma-san nodded.
“I’m going to attend a shareholders’ meeting for work, and I want you to come along.”
“…Is it really that easy to attend a shareholders’ meeting? Are you using some strange connection again?”
“Hahaha, what are you talking about? You’re a trainee judicial scrivener attending for your training, right? It’s a stroke of luck that your training office happened to have a pipeline to the company.”
He was definitely using a strange connection.
So I was finally going to end up utilizing Takuma-san’s outrageous network.…If I’m inconveniencing anyone out there, I’m sorry.
“I would love to participate.”
“I thought you’d say that.”
Feeling that my studies were still lacking, I had no reason to refuse the offer.
“Now then, Hinako. Could you stop glaring at me?”
“…”
Behind me, Hinako was staring daggers at Takuma-san.
She had insisted on coming along just in case, but she hadn’t uttered a single word since seeing him. Instead, she continued to bore a hole through him with her sharp gaze.
“…If you do anything strange to Itsuki, you’ll regret it.”
“I won’t do anything of the sort. I’m not like you, Hinako.”
“Wha—!?”
“Oh, did you actually do something? Judging by that reaction, it must have been recently. Yesterday, the day before… no, I’d bet it was three days ago.”
“Wh-Wh-Wha—!?”
Takuma-san stated his guess while gauging Hinako’s reaction.
Hinako’s face turned red as an apple, and she could only stammer wordlessly.
Was she remembering what happened in the bath three nights ago?…I feel awkward, too.
“St-St-Stupid—!!”
Her temper boiling over, Hinako stormed out of the room.
Worried about her, Ms. Shizune also dashed out of the office.
“Well then, shall we go?”
“…Yes.”
He acted so casually, as if nothing had happened…
…I wonder if this is okay. Will I be able to keep up with this man?
Feeling a sense of unease, I left the manor.
◆
“While we’re traveling, I want Itsuki-kun to first learn the basics of a general shareholders’ meeting.”
Once in the car, Takuma-san handed me a tablet.
The screen was open to the world’s most famous video site. In the search bar were the words “Shareholders’ Meeting.”
“They actually upload videos of shareholders’ meetings online?”
“The major ones do.”
For now, I tried watching a video with a high view count.
I felt like I might get a bit carsick, so I focused mostly on the audio, looking away from the screen and checking the footage while skipping ahead as necessary.
Twenty minutes later.
“…I think I have the general idea.”
“Any thoughts?”
Takuma-san asked as I returned the tablet.
“I had this image of shareholders’ meetings being sessions where discussions break into heated conflict, but they aren't really like that at all…”
“Yeah. It’s more of a reporting session than a debate. There are Q&A sessions, but essentially, it’s a venue for the company to fulfill its accountability to the shareholders who have opinions.”
The meetings I saw in the footage consisted mostly of the president’s one-sided presentation.
During the Q&A, various opinions were raised, but there was no discussion about future steps; it was mostly just feedback on things that had already been decided.
Just as Takuma-san said, it felt more like a venue for reporting or announcements than an actual meeting.
“The flow is roughly the same for any shareholders’ meeting. After the business report, votes are taken on matters such as changes to the Articles of Incorporation, dividends, and the appointment of directors. Then comes the Q&A. You’ve got that down, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then let me give you a quick rundown of today’s meeting.”
Takuma-san continued.
“Today, we’re attending the meeting for Taiyo Construction Co., Ltd. It has a capital of twenty billion yen and two thousand employees. It’s what you’d call a mid-tier general contractor. They’re strong in marine civil engineering and have an international presence.”
Taiyo Construction… I hadn’t heard of them, but they certainly weren't small.
“However, this company is currently facing a certain problem.”
“A problem?”
“I’ll explain the specifics once we’re there. The issue will be touched upon during the meeting today, so look forward to it.”
Takuma-san laughed.
I had a nagging feeling this wouldn't turn out well.
A short while later, the car pulled up in front of a large office building. Apparently, this was the venue. I followed an accustomed-looking Takuma-san toward a rental meeting room inside.
At the reception desk, a woman in a suit saw my face and bowed.
“You’re the trainee, correct? I’ve been told to expect you. Please take this name tag.”
“A—Ah, thank you very much.”
I felt a pang of guilt. I was actually just a student…
Beside me, Takuma-san was handing a small piece of paper to the receptionist.
“Takuma-san, what was that?”
“A voting form. Think of it like a ballot.”
That was a new term for me.…I’ll have to look it up later.
Inside the meeting room, tables and folding chairs were neatly arranged. I found an empty seat and sat down with Takuma-san.
“Now then, I hereby call the 97th Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders to order.”
The President of Taiyo Construction, acting as Chairman according to the Articles of Incorporation, gave the signal to begin.
An Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders.
This was the meeting that a corporation was required to hold once every year.
First, the procedure was explained. To put it simply, the company would first report on business strategies and resolution items.
After that, there would be a Q&A session, followed by a final vote.
This flow seemed standard for any shareholders’ meeting. The videos I saw in the car followed the same pattern.
“Now, we will explain the growth strategy of Taiyo Construction.”
The Chairman played a pre-prepared video.
The production was elaborate, but it was essentially the same as the financial reports I’d done with the members of the Tea Party Alliance. The only real difference was that this was for shareholders, so it included details like dividends.
…Looking at it this way, the Management Game really is authentic.
Familiar terms like net sales and operating income kept popping up.
“Next, we move to the resolution items. The first proposal concerns the dividend from surplus—”
The video ended, and a slide was projected onto the screen.
Resolution items were the matters that needed to be decided during the meeting.
The first was about dividends. Apparently, they were set to increase slightly compared to the previous year. Since that was a positive for the shareholders, no one was likely to oppose it.
“The second proposal is, uh, regarding the appointment of directors.”
The President of Taiyo Construction switched the slide.
“With the conclusion of this meeting, the terms of office for all directors will expire. Therefore, we ask the shareholders to appoint new directors.”
Since the current directors' terms were ending, they needed to select the next board.
The slide listed a long row of candidates prepared by Taiyo Construction, but…
(Is he… nervous?)
It might have been my imagination, but the Chairman’s expression seemed stiff.
He proceeded to explain the resolution items regarding the appointment of an Audit & Supervisory Board Member and executive compensation.