Nagumo Sian's Request
So, Ryuta really is a Taira?
“Yes. He’s my cousin.”
While we were eating, the topic of whether I was truly a Taira came up again. When Kiyohira asked as if seeking confirmation, Aris nodded.
“You’re part of the Taira family, but Miss Aris looks far too Caucasian….”
“Oh, I’m a quarter. My grandmother was American, and my mother married an American man as well.”
Aris accepted the potentially rude question about race with graceful ease. It seemed she received questions like this often and didn’t find them particularly offensive.
“Aah~ A quarter…. Then is Ryuta also one-fourth American?”
“No, my grandmother is different. After Aris’s grandmother Olivia passed away, Grandfather married Taira Shizuku, who’s my grandmother.”
“Oh, so the grandmothers are different. That means there’s less shared blood than with regular cousins, right?”
Now that he mentioned it, he was right. Most cousins share the same grandmother, so even though Aris and I were called cousins, our blood relation was much more distant.
“Well, you believe me now, right?”
“Yeah, sorry for doubting you.”
Even I had to admit that if my middle-school friend suddenly told me “Actually I’m from the S Group lol and the chairman is my grandfather lol,” I probably wouldn’t have believed him either.
While we talked, Kagawa Umi and Aris continued chattering away happily, completely in their own world. Now that Umi knew Aris was a lady of the Taira family, her eyes sparkled with even greater admiration.
“So you’re a daughter of the Taira Group, yet you work as a model?”
“The Taira family is on my mother’s side, so I don’t really get treated like a proper lady. I did receive some help joining the agency my aunt owns, but I haven’t been given any special treatment.”
For an ordinary person, joining Taira Entertainment—Japan’s largest agency—would be an incredible privilege. But for Aris, daughter of the rising Talon Company in America, it didn’t feel like much at all.
Besides, even though Aris worked in Japan, there weren’t many roles suitable for a Caucasian woman, which left her troubled. With her looks and talent, I thought she would benefit more from signing with an American agency.
“What will you do if Kazuhiro moves to America?”
Aris looked slightly flustered by Kagawa Umi’s relentless questions, so I jumped in with my own to change the subject.
At my question, Kagawa Umi’s expression turned thoughtful.
“There’s school to consider, so I’m not sure yet. There’s the option of studying abroad for my senior year at an American university partnered with Edo University…. I’m still deciding.”
Hmm, I see. Since it was between the two of them, I kept my mouth shut. Personally, I thought a long-distance relationship with Kazuhiro in America and Umi in Japan would fall apart quickly, but the future was anyone’s guess.
“Kazuhiro, where are you thinking of transferring?”
“I’m torn between New York City CF and LAFC.”
One East Coast team and one West Coast team. Aris, a New York native, immediately insisted he should join New York City CF, while Kiyohira, who currently lived in LA, pushed for LAFC.
“Obviously you should come to New York, the heart of the American economy!”
“Warm LA is the best, Smikaz!”
“Hmm, I’m just planning to go with whoever offers the most money….”
In the end, the argument between the two was pointless. The decision would come down to whichever team paid more, just as Kazuhiro said. According to him, that would be settled soon.
“Oh, and we’re planning to head to America for vacation in about four weeks.”
I had already promised Aris we would travel together in the States during this break. This American trip would likely be the final item on my vacation schedule.
“That works out perfectly. Let’s meet up then. I want to see Master Rinka too.”
“I left the entire American itinerary to Aris, so coordinate the date with her.”
I really did need to meet my martial arts master, Fujigasaki Rinka, at least once. I wanted to learn more about Shinkaiyatsude and spar with her to get a feel for the strength of the world’s greatest martial artist.
“I actually have work that will take me to Hollywood around then, so we can meet up.”
“Just tell me the date and I’ll make the arrangements.”
“I’ll be in America around that time too, so count me in.”
While the three of them were sorting out a meeting date, my phone vibrated with a new Line message.
When I looked up from my phone, everyone was staring at me. Had they never seen someone check their messages before? Why were they all looking at me?
“What?”
“Your expression got really serious all of a sudden.”
Kiyohira answered my question. I hadn’t realized I was making a serious face. Maybe it had just turned grave while I was thinking.
“Ah, I recently acquired a company. When I heard a request had come in for them, I got lost in thought and must have looked intense.”
“Whoa, what company?”
“As expected of the Taira family—you must be raking it in, huh?”
Both Kiyohira and Kazuhiro reacted with surprise when I mentioned acquiring a company. I had already told Aris beforehand that I earned a fortune through stocks and used it to buy a company, so she wasn’t shocked.
“I bought a PMC called East Weapon. And I didn’t actually receive that much money after becoming a Taira. I bought the company with money I earned from stock investments.”
It seemed Kiyohira thought that becoming part of the Taira family meant money would simply fall from the sky. In reality, someone like me without a powerful father had very few sources of income. Aside from my salary, the only money I received from Grandfather Taira Danjo was occasional allowance, and even that was usually a reward for stopping the Jinil Party terrorist attack or catching Minamoto’s spy. I had almost never received anything for doing nothing.
“East Weapon is a huge company, right? You bought it with money you earned from stocks?”
“Heh heh heh. I’m the guy who bought in when Health Miracle was still one dollar a share.”
“Oh right! I never properly thanked you, did I? Thank you. Thanks to you, I’ve become incredibly rich too!”
After introducing it to Han Yukyung, I had also told Aris about Health Miracle. She said she had invested most of the money she earned from modeling. While Yukyung had put in around fifty million won, Aris had invested far more and must have earned a massive return.
“Wait, why didn’t you tell us about it?”
“I invested about a million yen after you told me. The problem was that you were off training in the American forests and unreachable.”
“Ah, that’s right…. I was in Yosemite National Park at the time.”
When even Kazuhiro said he had made money, Kiyohira looked utterly drained, as if he had thrown away a golden opportunity himself. Still, since this guy loved fighting more than money, he would probably recover his spirits soon.
“Anyway, it looks like I’ll need to head to the company after lunch.”
“Ah, really? Can’t be helped then….”
“I get to play with my Umi, hehe….”
“Aww~ Why are you like this, hohoho.”
My friends seemed to have sorted themselves out. I leaned over and whispered into Aris’s ear.
“I’ll show you around the company.”
“Really? Hehe. I was so disappointed thinking we’d have to part so soon~!”
Aris looked genuinely delighted at my offer. After finally reuniting, if we had separated right away she probably would have sulked for days.
Kiyohira, watching the two couples being lovey-dovey on either side of him, wore an expression of clear disgust.
“I should’ve brought my American girlfriend too…..”
Kiyohira, whose tastes ran toward plus-sized women, found plenty of women who matched his preferences in America, where obesity rates were higher. He happily rotated through girlfriends. He claimed to have one right now; when he showed me her photo, she was a Caucasian woman who would be quite attractive if she lost some weight.
To annoy him further, Aris and I fed each other bites of food in an obnoxiously sweet display. Kiyohira eventually lost his appetite and put down his spoon halfway through the meal.
After many twists and turns, lunch finally ended. Kiyohira left to train, while Kazuhiro and Kagawa Umi disappeared down a street lined with love hotels, radiating an unmistakably steamy atmosphere.
Aris and I got into the car and headed for East Weapon’s headquarters.
“By the way, who is Cherry?”
She must have seen me using Line. How should I explain this?
“She’s actually the president of East Weapon. I still don’t have all the necessary certifications to officially hold the position…. So Grandfather assigned her as my secretary, gave her the president title, and I operate behind the scenes as an outside director.”
“Really? I’d like to meet her in person.”
Her tone had suddenly turned icy. Was it just my imagination? Surely they wouldn’t fight, right?
Feeling a slight sense of unease, I drove toward Saitama Prefecture. East Weapon’s headquarters was in Kawaguchi City, north of Tokyo, so it would take at least thirty minutes.
Aris quickly returned to her usual cheerful self and began chattering again as if the cold tone had never existed.
“Lately I’ve become very interested in singing, so I’ve been practicing a lot.”
“Then will you sing something for me?”
Without any embarrassment, Aris began to sing at my request. Just like when we had gone to karaoke before, she was incredibly talented. She was truly born to be an entertainer.
Listening to Aris’s beautiful voice, I drove the rest of the way to East Weapon’s headquarters.
The building was ten stories tall. I parked in the lot and we headed inside. Getting a ten-story building at such a cheap price—if the former president’s son hadn’t been in life-threatening debt, the acquisition cost would have been three or four times higher. There was still some debt secured against the building, but I could pay it off anytime.
“Good afternoon, Director!”
It seemed Mimata Chieri had trained the staff thoroughly using my photo. The employees greeted me the moment I walked in. It was impressive they recognized me on my first visit.
“The president is waiting for you.”
Following the employee’s guidance, Aris and I headed to the president’s office on the tenth floor. When the door opened, I saw Mimata Chieri wearing a slightly more formal suit than the one she had worn at the talent development center.
Chieri broke into a bright smile when she saw me, but her expression turned slightly puzzled when her gaze landed on Aris.
“Ju— Ah… Director?”
“Just speak normally, Senior.”
She had been about to call me “Junior” but switched to “Director” after noticing Aris. I told her to talk as she usually did. There was no need to hide the fact that she had been my senior at the talent development center. I could just explain the whole “junior and senior” thing later.
“Yes, Junior!”
“This is my cousin, Aris.”
“Nice to meet you. I am Mimata Chieri. I received full authority from Taira Ryuta and currently lead East Weapon.”
“Hello. I’m Aris Fitzgerald, and I adore Ryuta very, very much!”
For a moment I could have sworn I saw lightning crackle between them. Must have been my imagination… right?
“Fufufufu…!”
“Fu. Fu. Fu.”
“Fufufufufu…!”
“Fu. Fu. Fu. Fu.”
Now what do I do?
I broke into a cold sweat as I watched the two women stare at each other while laughing in perfect, ominous harmony.