Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: Kamijo
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"Tachibana Corporation—we can take it back. The legacy that your parents built."
"…!?"
Disbelief.
Suspicion.
Her eyes screamed that no matter how much you'd given me, there was still a clear line between what was possible and what wasn't.
"D-don't give me false hope! If you're joking about something like this, even you—I'll get mad..?"
Harumi puffed out her cheeks, sulking.
Even that was unbearably cute, but I wasn't kidding around. I hadn't rushed here leaving Ren and Saki behind just to spout empty words. No, I needed to normalize Harumi's family situation and the company's state as quickly as possible—to establish a stable three-girlfriend setup.
"I'm not giving you false hope, miss. Have I ever fed you nonsense or lied to you?"
"Uh..? N-no…? Not really, but…."
"Right? And I don't fight battles I can't win."
Harumi's expression shifted as she caught the seriousness in my voice, realizing I wasn't playing around.
"..Do you have a concrete plan?"
She pulled away from my arms—this wasn't something to hear cuddled up—and stood, crossing her arms.
I explained to her the reclamation strategy for Tachibana Corporation that I'd hashed out with the Academy Director on Saturday.
How Kenji and his friendly shares made up 50%. The extent of the retail investor shares and the neutrals. And even the option for her mother, who wasn't legally dead yet, to file for adult guardianship proceedings.
"Wha..t..uh.."
Harumi short-circuited.
Well, legal jargon like that was overly complex for anyone unfamiliar with it. Her parents didn't seem the type to have drilled successor training into her. It happened more often than you'd think—parents who just wanted their kids to live happy, normal lives in ordinary families. Especially in Harumi's case, it must've been even more true.
As harsh as it sounded, her family had practically crumbled to dust because of her grandfather. They probably hoped their daughter wouldn't get tangled up in corporate mess. So they'd handed Tachibana off to professional management and left their beloved girl just the inheritance, wishing for her to live a plain life as someone's wife.
"But… Uncle's 38% inheritance from Grandpa doesn't add up… And if Mom still holds 20%, where did Dad's shares go?"
"That's exactly where Kenji pulled his stunt. By rights, you—the miss—are the primary heir. But he slipped in lawyers or brokers midway, snatched your father's shares outright, and kicked you out before you could make a legitimate claim. You got chased from the mansion overnight, and after that, you were too busy scraping by day-to-day to even consider legal reviews, right?"
Thud!
Harumi stomped her foot, face flushed with fury.
"That… jerk."
Yeah. Total jerk. Lucky for him she'd never learned low-class curses, or she'd curse him blue for three days straight.
"But right now, we can't tell how Kenji rigged it or stole his brother's shares. Infiltrating the company, digging up illegal evidence, recovering documents, restoring order—it'd take too long. Comparing that hassle to just buying up shares with raw capital and crushing him by majority stake… the difficulty's about the same."
More complex talk, and Harumi's mouth hung open again.
"S-so, how much to secure that majority stake..?"
"Generously, 6 billion yen."
"Huh…? 60 yen..? 60 yen buys three Umaibons…"
Judging money in Umaibons, huh…. How'd my lady end up like this?
"Not bad, right? I have 60 yen—want it?"
She dug into her pocket and held out six grimy 10-yen coins, caked in lint.
"60 billion yen."
"M-me..?"
Harumi tilted her head, then blanched pale.
"S-six… billion yen? That's th-three hundred million Umaibons…!?"
Her legs wobbled.
That much money shakes anyone.
"H-how do you earn six billion yen?! No individual can make that kind of cash!"
True enough.
A salaryman on 300,000 yen a month would need 170 years without spending a dime.
"I'll handle it somehow. Just trust me, miss."
I stood tall, thumping my chest. Harumi eyed me a moment, then nodded.
"Okay!"
Good.
When the lady of the house trusts the man, he finds his strength.
"Leave the 6 billion yen to me completely. You have two tasks. First, when Kenji calls you to the hospital, come with me and we'll pay the overdue bills. Second, file for adult guardianship proceedings at family court."
"Adult guardianship…?"
"For your mother's shares. You can claim them legitimately."
Kenji that bastard had kept her blind to it on purpose.
"Really?"
"Yes. Decisions usually come in one to two months. And there's a legal principle prioritizing direct blood relatives. Kenji can't overturn it, no matter what."
Harumi looked uncertain.
"B-but I don't know how to do that…."
"Don't worry. I'll assign a dedicated lawyer."
Connections are for using.
A crisp black suit, white shirt, no neck accessories. Instead, straight, neatly combed hair completed her icy image. An intellectual air, like she'd devoted her life to work. She looked about the Academy Director's age. I'd heard they were close—friends, maybe?
She looked up from organizing files across the table.
"Tachibana Corporation succession issue, right?"
Short, concise speech. No interest in pleasantries or facades.
I liked that.
"Yes. For Harumi—the comatose executive's biological daughter and heir—I'd like your professional help. This isn't a simple shareholder dispute. It's a fight to reclaim the whole company."
The lawyer's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Succession dispute. Lots to dig into. If the opponent's seasoned, it'll be a long war. Probably some vulture who won't shy from dirty tactics."
"Naturally. A lawyer helping seize a company is basically a crime coordinator anyway. Pure speculation, but even that traffic accident when Harumi's parents died—maybe he—"
"I'll stop you there."
True to her legal training, she shut down excessive speculation before it left my mouth.
"Thanks."
"Did I pass the test?"
I hadn't meant to test her, but it was the right response. Harumi knew zilch about law—if she slipped up, trouble. A lawyer who could firmly shut it down was ideal.
"Me, test a lawyer? Ha. Just confirming you're trustworthy."
She met my eyes with an emotionless gaze for a moment.
"This is a fight with almost no chance of winning."
"Only if I can't secure the funds."
Baseless to anyone else, but her calm face didn't change.
I added a few words to persuade her.
"I know it's a tough request to swallow… but that's why I asked the Academy Director personally to bring you on board. Could you be our legal counsel?"
She closed her eyes, deep in thought.
Click.
Click.
Habit when thinking—she kept pressing the ballpoint pen.
"One condition."
She opened her eyes.
"I hate babysitting. I'm a legal expert, not a nanny—let's make that clear."
"Obviously. I'll handle all of Harumi's whims, so you… be our shield."
"I-I don't throw whims… or anything!"
Harumi, who'd been meekly sitting, bristled—then trailed off, cowed by the lawyer's glassy stare. The corner of the lawyer's mouth twitched faintly. A smile? A smirk? Hard to tell, but she didn't seem offended.
"Fine. Fees and terms later. Joining this unrealistic plan carries big risks, but I'll take it. And if fees fall through… Mesui will cough them up under pressure."
Thought she was all stiff—turns out she had humor. Definitely friends.
She handed over a business card.
"Kamijo Misaki. Pleased to work with you."
I took it with both hands, replying briefly.
"Yu Sanghyeon. Pleased to work with you."
"P-pleased to work with you!"
Good.
I breathed a sigh of relief.