A few days after we decided on the club's new direction, Yuji informed me immediately upon arriving at school—right before morning homeroom—that Kiritani Real Estate had sent over the draft land contracts. We obviously couldn't carry documents like that around school, so we agreed to stop by Yuji’s house after class to discuss them.
Even if he had brought them, there wouldn't have been a quiet moment to sit down and review the contents anyway. Meeting after school was the only sensible choice.
"There were three copies of the draft, so we each have one to keep. Yuta-san likely had the foresight to provide those for us."
"That’s a big help. Since we’re still minors, we have to show these kinds of contracts to our parents too. Having three copies is much more convenient than passing a single one around."
"That’s true," Hiiragi-san added. "Our fathers are probably worried about us getting scammed since we aren’t used to this, so they'll want to see the details. If we were sharing one copy, the verification process would take forever."
Since these weren't the formal contracts yet, we could have just made copies ourselves, but Kiritani Real Estate had gone ahead and prepared them for us. I had already briefed my father and the others about the training ground project, but as our parents, they naturally wanted to review the details of a legal agreement like this.
I’d heard that predatory businesses sometimes used a web of clauses to dodge liability for their own negligence or to legalize charging for completely unnecessary items. Before signing anything, it was the safest move for both us and our guardians to have someone with experience scrutinize the text.
"Anyway, that's why we're having a review session at my house after school. I gave the draft to the Old Man before I left this morning and asked him to look it over. I'm sure he'll point out if anything looks fishy."
"Oh, you already have Juzo-san looking at it? Does it seem okay?"
"Yeah. A thorough reading takes time, so I figured I'd let him get a head start. I took a quick glance myself before coming to school, and since it matched what we talked about during the meeting the other day, I didn't see anything too strange. Though, to be honest, I really only looked at the rent and the contract period..."
"I see. I guess those are the first things you'd check. Well, if there’s anything truly weird, Juzo-san will catch it."
With his wealth of experience in these matters, I was confident Juzo-san would notice things that amateurs like us would overlook. Since Juzo-san was the one who introduced us to Kiritani Real Estate in the first place, I didn't think we had to be overly paranoid.
Still, they were a business. Even if they weren't being fraudulent, they might try to pad the profit margins in areas that were technically legal. We couldn't afford to let our guard down just because they were acquaintances. I just hoped the contract would fall within a mutually acceptable range where no one felt cheated.
"I’m sure it’ll be fine... but we’ll talk details after we get back."
"Yeah, sounds good. I'll let Mika know that we're skipping club today."
"Thanks. I feel a bit bad about taking off right after setting the club's new direction, but we need to give them an answer, so I think prioritizing this is the right call."
"I agree," Hiiragi-san said. "Given the history of that property, I don't think we have to be in a frantic rush, but the sooner we reply, the easier it is for them to move forward."
The land had been sitting idle for a decade, so it wasn't likely that another buyer would swoop in within the next few days. If it had been a popular, competitive piece of real estate, we would have had to put down a small deposit just to keep it on the table.
Regardless, Kiritani Real Estate would appreciate a prompt response.
"Right. Now that we've settled that, let's just focus on getting through the day."
"Got it."
"Yes."
Just then, I saw our teacher entering the classroom through the front door, so we cut our conversation short and returned to our seats.
As much as the contracts were on my mind, I had to concentrate on my lessons first.
The school day ended peacefully, and after-school hours arrived without incident. Usually, major headaches don't happen that frequently—or at least, they shouldn't.
Ignoring our classmates as they scattered to various clubs and activities, the three of us quickly packed our bags and headed for the gate. We hadn't set a specific time, but since Juzo-san was carving out part of his day for us, we wanted to be as early as possible.
"Alright, I've got everything. Shall we go?"
"Yeah. By the way, Daiki, were you able to get a hold of Mika-chan?"
"Hmm? Yeah, I messaged her during lunch and she already replied. She said it was fine. Apparently, the four of them are going to talk in the clubroom for a bit and then take a detour on their way home. Since we won't be there, they probably can't make much progress on the research anyway."
"I see... I'll have to apologize to them tomorrow."
Yuji scratched the back of his head with a guilty look, but it wasn't really something he needed to apologize for. We weren't on a strict deadline, so we could just move forward at our own pace.
Besides, if they were planning a detour, it meant they were enjoying themselves. They were probably going to grab a snack somewhere.
"Fufu, you're right. Let's apologize tomorrow and ask where they went. They were talking about a great pudding shop in the clubroom yesterday, so they might be heading there."
Hiiragi-san offered that bit of info with a small smile.
"Pudding, huh? I didn't know there was a place like that near school."
"It's a hot topic among the girls—everyone wonders what the next seasonal flavor will be. It's a bit more expensive than what you'd find at a convenience store, but since so many students are explorers these days, it's well within their budget."
"I see... Wait, if it's fine for students who are explorers, doesn't that mean it's expensive for the ones who aren't? Is it okay for the four of them to go?"
"Even if it's 'expensive,' it's not outrageously so. As long as they don't make it a daily habit, it shouldn't be a problem. I'm sure Mika-chan and the others have considered that, so you don't need to worry."
Well, if Hiiragi-san said so, I'd take her word for it. I was a little concerned, but Mika and Saori-chan were perceptive enough; they wouldn't drag someone along if they were genuinely reluctant.
I just hoped it hadn't turned into a scene where Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san were left moping over spent allowances while Mika and Saori-chan apologized frantically.
"Well, if Mika and the others are fine, then we don't need to stress about missing club."
"True. If they're having fun on their end, that's for the best. Anyway, we should get moving. We shouldn't keep the Old Man waiting."
"Right, let's go."
With my worries eased, we left the school grounds, weaving past the students heading to practice.
Wait, since we were asking for a consultation, maybe I should have bought some sweets as a gift? The pudding shop Hiiragi-san mentioned was in the opposite direction, so that was out, but she mentioned a few other popular sweets shops nearby.
After taking a quick detour to pick up a gift for our host, we arrived at Yuji's house. It had been less than twenty minutes since we left school, so we had made good time.
Led by Yuji, Hiiragi-san and I stepped through the front door and were shown to his room. He told us to wait there while he went to fetch Juzo-san.
"I'll go find the Old Man. He's probably at the dojo, so I'll be right back."
"Yeah, give Juzo-san my best."
"Thank you, Hirose-kun. We appreciate it."
Leaving Hiiragi-san and me in his room, Yuji headed out with the box of sweets we had brought.
"I wonder what Juzo-san is going to say..."
"Me too. When we heard the proposal from Kiritani-san, it didn't seem like a bad deal, but Juzo-san might see things we missed. And once it's written down in a formal contract, who knows what else was added..."
"I've heard that even changing a single word can completely flip the meaning of a clause. I don't think Kiritani-san would do anything that malicious, but if you asked me if I have the skills to accurately parse legal jargon... I'm not so sure."
"Contracts have a very specific way of phrasing things, and our legal knowledge is still lacking."
Hiiragi-san was right. We were studying, but we weren't ready to go toe-to-toe with professionals. If someone told us 'this is the legal standard,' we would have to take their word for it. We didn't have the background to push back, and if a problem touched on multiple complex laws, we had no way of solving it ourselves.
I hoped Juzo-san would help us bridge that gap... though I was also a bit afraid he'd scold us for being underprepared to buy land. Not that I could argue if he did.
"He might be a bit harsh with us. But still, that's better than saying nothing and letting us take a massive loss later."
"You're right. If that happens, we'll just have to accept that we weren't ready and try again."
"“Haa...”"
The two of us let out a synchronized sigh, feeling like students waiting to be called into the office to receive failing grades on a test we knew we'd flunked.
True to his word, Yuji returned before long.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. I found him. He said since we're reviewing the contracts, we should head to the reception room."
"Got it. So we're not going to the dojo today."
"Well, this is a legal consultation. If we get into the weeds, we won't have time for training anyway."
Yuji narrowed his eyes slightly as he spoke, scratching the back of his head with an awkward expression. It seemed something had happened when he went to get his grandfather.
Was my intuition right?
"...Did Juzo-san say something?"
"No, not exactly. He didn't say anything specific... but the way he was looking at me, you know?"
"...I can't even imagine what that means."
"Right?"
Silence combined with a certain look is the hardest reaction to read because it leaves so much to the imagination. Should we take it as a good sign or a bad one? It was nerve-wracking.
In a way, it’s mentally easier when someone just yells at you.
"Well, if he didn't look angry or completely exasperated, it's probably not that bad... but we should probably go find out for ourselves."
"Yeah, let's do that. You two head to the reception room first. I'll get the tea and the snacks ready and bring them over."
"Okay. Come on, Hiiragi-san, let's go."
"Yes, we'll see you in a bit, Hirose-kun."
Tense and wondering what Juzo-san had in store for us, we left our bags and stepped out of Yuji's room. Yuji split off toward the kitchen while we made our way to the reception room.
Once we arrived, we took a moment to straighten ourselves before knocking on the door.
"Come in."
"Excuse me."
Hearing the permission from inside, I opened the door and we stepped in. In the center of the room sat a long table flanked by six plush, single-seater sofas. The walls were adorned with paintings by unknown but clearly talented artists, and the shelves were filled with heavy, leather-bound books and expensive-looking liquor. It was exactly like the 'VIP rooms' you see in movies and TV dramas.
Juzo-san was seated on the sofa at the far end of the room. He raised a hand slightly to welcome us as we entered.
"Welcome. I apologize for making you both come over the moment school ended. Did you have to hurry?"
"Not at all. Thank you for making time for us today, Juzo-san. Since this is our first time handling a contract like this, your help is invaluable."
"Thank you very much for seeing us despite your busy schedule," Hiiragi-san added with a bow.
With our hearts racing and unsure of how he would judge us, the consultation was finally about to begin.