Chapter 1423. Next Mission / Swallowing Fear
「 It’s not impossible, Kou-kun will do something about it if you ask for it 」
Marika tells the Matsumoto siblings gently.
「 All you have to do is ask, say ‘help us’ 」
I…
No, the Matsumoto siblings want to both continue their music studies, and reconcile with their grandfather, and I can use everything in my power to make sure that happens.
I’m the one who told them to be greedy.
「 Marika’s right, if that’s what you want, I’ll make it that way. I’ll use whatever means possible 」
I said.
「 Then, please 」
Miki-san replied immediately.
「 I want to continue playing my violin. I want to reconcile with Grandfather 」
Then.
「 Miki-oneesan too, right? 」
She looks at her sister.
「 Yes. That’s right. I don’t want to stop playing my piano, and I don’t want to cut off my relationship with my Grandfather either. He’s still my relative 」
Relative.
I don’t understand that sentiment.
My parents abandoned me after all.
Both my father and mother never asked me how I’m living now.
I’ve forgotten about them already.
To me, having a blood relationship doesn’t mean anything.
My family isn’t connected by blood, it’s the Kuromori house.
「 I understand, then let’s make it that way 」
I replied.
Before meeting with their Grandfather in the hotel…
I have to discuss with Minaho-neesan and Kyouko-san the order that the Matsumoto siblings wished.
They probably already have a plan on how to face the old man.
I look at the Benz driving in front of our limousine.
Minaho-neesan and Kyouko-san are in that car.
「 Kinosh*ta-san, I want to contact the car in front 」
I tell Kinosh*ta-san who’s driving.
Now, we can’t use a regular phone because we’re in a middle of a Black Forest operation.
Kuozuki SS uses a communication system dedicated only to the convoy.
So, I’ll contact Minaho-neesan through that.
As soon as we pulled over, I’ll go to that car.
After that, we’ll discuss how to talk with the Matsumoto elder.
We still have time before arriving at the hotel so that’s what we have to do.
But…
『 We’re listening. Kou 』
Minaho-neesan’s voice comes from the speakers in the limousine.
『 I heard it too. Kukuku 』
Kyouko-san’s voice also comes out.
『 Don’t worry, we have it planned from the start. Letting Matsumoto-san continue playing music, and reconciling them with their Grandfather 』
Minaho-neesan.
『 It would be a waste, don’t you think? The siblings cut off their relationship with their grandfather. 』
Matsumoto elder is the founder of a huge drugstore chain.
『 I’m willing to invest in Matsumoto-san. Both the elder and younger sister have talent in music. I’m willing to pay for your lessons, and living expenses, but… 』
『 If you have a wealthy grandfather, then make him pay for it anyway 』
Kyouko-san said.
『 It’s better to have your relatives pay instead of strangers. If that’s not enough, Minaho will pay for whatever’s lacking, or we can call it a scholarship from the Kouzuki house’s foundation. Either way, their grandfather should go first. If not, that’ll just crush the old man’s honor. He’ll lose face to his granddaughters 』
Why?
『 Family problems are troublesome. Especially when it comes to a grown man who saved up a lot of money 』
I don’t get it.
『 n.o.ble families as big as the Kouzuki house is an exception, Kouzuki-sama doesn’t consider the Kouzuki house’s a.s.sets to be his alone 』
Minaho-neesan said.
「 Yes, Grandfather always mentions that the Kouzuki house’s fortune is entrusted to us by our ancestors, and we must pa.s.s it down to our descendants 」
Ruriko smiles.
Kouzuki house was established during the Muromachi period.
Their a.s.set volume and their house’s status are at the top of the n.o.bility.
『 But, Matsumoto-san’s grandfather thinks that his a.s.sets are something he earned and saved by himself 』
『 That’s why it’s troublesome 』
Minaho-neesan and Kyouko-san said.
『 Anyway, let Minaho and I take care of the rest. We’ll guide him to the desired outcome for the girls 』
Then that’s good.
Kyouko-san and Minaho-neesan are unlikely to screw up.
「 Yeah. I’ll leave it to you. Now we don’t have to worry 」
I told the Matsumoto sisters.
「 Yes, it’s good now 」
Marika smiled at Matsumoto Maki-san.
『 By the way, Kou 』
Minaho-neesan calls me.
「 What? 」
『 Remember that look Matsumoto-san and her sister have right now 』
The sisters?
The sisters still look uneasy, they seem to be troubled.
『 That’s the reaction of normal people we come into contact with 』
Normal reaction?
『 Ordinary people won’t be able to understand anything after seeing our world. They’re just afraid 』
Right, Matsumoto Maki-san did say that she’s scared.
『 They figured out that we don’t live in an ordinary world, but the unusual world for them is well established that it scares them 』
This afternoon, when we first met at the cafeteria.
I was just a high school student. Someone who sells pastries at the school festival.
Then, Mariko was the daughter of the president of Torii electronics.
Margo-san was a slightly scary American.
Then, Rei-chan.
The people they met gradually become beyond normal.
Then, after coming to our mansion…
『 It would be surprising if someone’s taken to a mansion with nothing but beautiful girls, right? And Agnes, who’s too cute, is talking to them 』
Kyouko-san’s right, Agnes was trying her best to talk to the Matsumoto siblings knowing that Marika wanted them to join the family.
To us, Agnes’ beauty is already normal.
But to the Matsumoto siblings. They can’t figure out why a half-foreign beauty is talking to them like they’re already close.
『 Then, the case with c.l.i.to. When you just stripped and slapped her a.s.s, I laughed so hard while watching it, but I’m sure that ordinary people would be shocked 』
No, that aside.
c.l.i.to trying to take away Matsumoto Miki-san’s violin…
Anne Roze and Ososo trying to kill her, holding a drill spear, isn’t normal.
Of course, spanking c.l.i.to’s a.s.s raw was also beyond normal.
『 But, unusual things went without issue in the mansion. n.o.body tried to criticize you for spanking c.l.i.to’s a.s.s until it was red, and if anything, the situation just went away nicely. Of course, they’d be scared in that situation 』
When an abnormal situation is accepted as normal, then you call that ‘weird.’
They’re horrified that the world is different from the common sense they know is established.
『 And lastly, the limousine, Kouzuki SS convoy, and Ruriko-chan and you put on your expensive clothes. They’ll see that Ruriko’s not lying when she says that she’s the daughter of the Kouzuki house. And since you talk like it’s natural, then the story becomes valid. If it’s a lie, then something might be out of order, but there’s no hesitation in how you speak. It’s established, so it’s scary 』
Kyouko-san speaks her a.n.a.lysis.
I look at Matsumoto again.
That’s indeed scary.
They’re afraid of our established existence.
「 Don’t be afraid 」
Marika told Maki-san.
「 Once you realize that everything and everyone thinks that ‘it’s the way it is,’ then there’s nothing to fear. 」
That’s…
「 I and my sister were also surprised by what Kou-kun and everyone did, but once we swallowed it thinking “that’s the way it is,” then it becomes easier to accept 」
Marika’s the daughter of the prost.i.tute of the brothel.
Marika’s father impregnated the retired prost.i.tute.
It was only recently that she learned that she had a sister named Erica.
Marika’s suddenly informed about the secret of her birth and the existence of her sister.
Then, that night, she and her sister became my woman.
「 What’s important is to swallow the information you have. Feeling fear won’t move you forward 」
Marika says while holding Maki-san’s hand.
「 Takahata-san. 」
「 Maki-san looks at Marika’s eyes. 」
「 Call me Marika, I’ll call you Maki from now on too 」
Marika smiled gently.
「 Isn’t it exciting? I feel the same. I’m feeling excited. I’m also feeling Maki’s nervousness. But this isn’t some suspension bridge effect. Maki has me. And I have Kou-kun, you don’t have to worry about anything 」
Marika;
「 Don’t worry, things will go well. Kou-kun and the sisters will solve it all 」
「 Yes. Thank you 」
Maki-san;
「 Takahaata-san…I’ll believe in Marika. I believe in the people Marika believes in 」
This time, Maki-san holds Marika’s hand.
「 See, it’s not scary. Don’t be afraid, Maki 」
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
「 Okay, we’ve arrived! 」
Kinosh*ta-san says from the driver’s seat.
Looking ahead, I see the hotel in front of the station. Our destination.
『 Kou, just to append… 』
Minaho-neesan talks to me.
『 Matsumoto-san’s grandfather is just like them 』
Huh?
『 He’s unlike us, he’s an ordinary person. That includes his common sense and way of thinking 』
Someone different from us.
『 You should learn how to deal with a normal person tonight 』
『 Minaho and I will be giving you a special lesson 』
Kyouko-san’s voice looks like she’s having fun.
『 Well then, lesson start 』
Our convoy goes down the underground parking lot.
Kouzuki SS car goes as the head.
The second car is the Benz with Minaho-neesan and Kyouko-san inside.
The third is our Limousine.
Behind us are two more bodyguard cars.
The convoy parks on the second bas.e.m.e.nt floor.
This floor doesn’t have that many cars parked.
「 Oh, it seems that they’re already here 」
I looked in the direction Kinosh*ta-san was looking and saw a foreign car parked.
It’s about seven meters away from where we got off.
「 That’s Grandfather’s car 」
Matsumoto Miki-san said.
「 It’s BMW Series 1 」
Kinosh*ta-san said.
「 What kind of car is that? 」
「 It’s one of the cheapest BMW cars out there 」
In other words, the president of the major drugstore chain thinks that he should at least drive a foreign car, but…
He’s not going to buy some overpriced car.
「 Oh, Minaho-san’s here 」
Looking at the Benz, Minaho-neesan comes out.
「 And they’re coming out too 」
A person comes out from the rear seat of the cheap BMW.
It’s an old man in his 70s, with dark gla.s.ses and a gray suit. His hair is thin.
「 Kuormori Minaho 」
Minaho-neesan named herself to the old man.
「 Matsumoto Hiroki 」
Elder Matsumoto named himself.
「 Thank you for coming on such short notice 」
Minaho-neesan said. But she’s not bowing to the old man.
「 I came here because you have something exceptional to say 」
Minaho-neesan called the elder Matsumoto under the pretext that she’ll tell him bad news about the pharmaceutical industry.
Saying that she has some information that a drugstore chain manager would want to know.
「 However, what does this mean, you told me to come alone. Thus, I had my driver with me, but my secretary didn’t come 」
Elder Matsumoto’s BMW still has a chauffeur.
「 The engine is still on 」
Kinosh*ta-san’s right, the BMW is ready to drive off if the Elder Matsumoto wants to leave.
He still kept his door open.
Minaho-neesan’s door isn’t closed either.
The whole convoy, including the Kouzuki SS bodyguard cars, haven’t turned off their engines.
As expected, they’re also ready to leave anytime.
「 Oh? I didn’t say that I will go alone however 」
Saying that Minaho-neesan closed the door.
Simultaneously, Minaho-neesan’s Benz, our limo, and the bodyguard cars have turned off their engines.
The underground parking lot turned quiet.
Elder Matsumoto’s car is the only one still turned on.
「 What did you hear about me? 」
Minaho-neesan asks elder Matsumoto.
「 I heard from people on the underground That your friends are scary people 」
Elder Matsumoto replied.
「 Not really, sure, I live from behind the scenes, but all my clients are on stage 」
Minaho-neesan.
「 That’s why I’m letting Matsumoto-san know about the special deals from both the back and front 」
「 That’s appreciated, however, I’m still not sure that I can trust that 」
Elder Matsumoto points at our limo.
「 Who did you bring with you? Is it someone related to what you’re going to tell me? 」
He thought that Minaho-neesan was the only one selling him some secret information, yet…
There’s a luxury limousine and three escort cars that came with her, so he’s cautious.
「 They’re here for a different business with me 」
Minaho-neesan smiles.
「 As mentioned earlier, I make business with the people on the surface 」
「 Not with the people on the other side? 」
「 People from the shadows won’t ride such cars, only people from the surface do 」
So that’s the reason why she prepared something this fancy.
Elder Matsumoto knows that Minaho-neesan’s someone from the shadows.
So, he’ll a.s.sume that if she brings other people, they would also belong in the same place.
Thus, she used an expensive limousine to lower elder Matsumoto’s caution.
True, this won’t be a car that a boss from Yakuza would ride on.
「 So you say, but what kind of person from the surface would ride such a car? 」
Elder Matsumoto said.
「 Someone from the n.o.bility 」
Minaho-neesan said. Elder Matsumoto reacted curiously.
「 I’m guiding the Kouzuki house 」
As soon as Minaho-neesan said, Chemin Koda, or Kyouko-san in disguise, appears from Minaho-neesan’s Benz.
Then, Shou-neechan came from the driver’s seat.
Shou-neechan was driving?!
The two of them got off the car.
「 I’m Seki from Kouzuki SS. We’ve had the pleasure of meeting once before, do you remember, Matsumoto-sama?
「 I’m Koda from Kouzuki world cultural exchange center 」
The two greeted sophisticatedly.
「 Kouzuki?! No, but you’re… 」
Shou-neechan is Jii-chan’s personal bodyguard.
She’s in contact with most of the political and business circles around the world, not just in j.a.pan.
She memorized the faces, names, and positions of people who come to parties, meetings, and such.
It won’t be strange if she met elder Matsumoto at least once.
「 However, how could sir Kouzuki be in a place like this? 」
Elder Matsumoto seems to misunderstand that Jii-chan’s in the limousine since Shou-neechan is here.
「 Yes. He’s not here. It’s not Kakka 」
Shou-neechan.
「 It’s not Kakka himself, but it’s still the Kouzuki house. And of course, Kakka himself knows that we’re to meet with Matsumoto-sama tonight 」
She’s telling us that Jii-chan is aware of this meeting.
Elder Matsumoto stares at our limo for a few seconds.
「 Stop the engine 」
He tells his driver.
「 It’s rude to the Kouzuki house 」
The BMW stopped.
The underground parking turned quiet.