The Cherry Jam Clue

"....So that's what happened."

"Hmm…. I see."

After returning from the business trip, I went straight to Yukiko and gave her a detailed account of everything that had happened. As I explained it all, she nodded along. I covered the shooting murder during the trip, how I had successfully recruited the double agent Suzuki Chisami, and Nagumo Sian's offer of support on the condition that I secure the backing of two major subsidiaries.

"Then you only need one more ally on your side, right?"

"Pardon?"

"Isn't it obvious that the Talent Development Institute where I serve as director will support you, Ryuta? The institute may not produce anything itself, but its network is second to none. That alone qualifies it as a key subsidiary. There's a reason your uncles and aunt have been so desperate to get their hands on it."

Ah, I see. So I already had the support of one company. That meant I just needed to secure one more. I still had no idea how to do it, but having one was far better than starting from zero.

"With my uncles and aunt standing in the way, do you really think I can pull this off?"

"It will be difficult. But if you don't even try, you'll eventually face a brutal purge at the hands of whoever else claims the Taira Group empire."

She was right. Even in The Youngest Son of a Megacorp, if another competitor took the throne it was almost guaranteed to end in death. The Taira Group would be no different. Taira Danjo wouldn't live forever. Sooner or later, a fierce civil war would erupt over the group's throne. All I could do was build up my strength in preparation for that day.

"Here. This is the money you asked me to withdraw. And since you said Health Miracle would drop to the three-hundred-dollar range, I put all of it into a short position. Are you really sure about this? If Health Miracle keeps climbing, every penny you've saved will turn into worthless paper."

"It's fine."

I took the 007 bag Yukiko held out and answered calmly. I could make this investment precisely because I knew it would crash to three hundred dollars. Anyone without that knowledge would never have the guts to short a stock riding such massive hype.

I pulled out my smartphone and searched for a specific article. The CMM piece appeared immediately.

📰 BREAKING NEWS 📰

Health Miracle's Soaring Forest Revealed to Have Severe Side Effects...!

"What was always going to happen is finally happening."

I showed Yukiko the article and smiled.

###

I took thirty million yen from the money Yukiko had given me, put it in a bag, and headed for the gym. It was 6:15, so Kawaji Emiko should still be working out. Sure enough, she was alone in the gym lifting weights. I walked over to her with the bag.

"Kawaji Emiko, here's the money I promised you."

I handed her the bag without hesitation. It was the payment I'd promised her for manipulating the training groups during new employee orientation to create Group 74. Thanks to her, useful information kept flowing my way, so thirty million yen felt like nothing.

"You really do keep your promises, huh? Thanks. If you need anything else, just say the word. I'll help however I can."

"Got it. I'd appreciate it if you could handle arranging the groups again next time."

"We'll see when the time comes. So, how about today?"

Kawaji Emiko turned slightly and wiggled her legging-clad backside at me with a playful shake. Under normal circumstances I would never turn down this kind of experience farming, but today I had to deal with the money I'd brought back, so I had to decline.

"I'm pretty tired after the business trip…. How about tomorrow?"

"I'll be working out tomorrow too, so any time works for me. But are you okay? I heard what happened."

"It's not like I died or anything."

After receiving a mountain of worried questions from Kawaji Emiko about Matsuhira Ginichiro's death, I left the gym. I got in the car and drove to Suzuki Chisami's house. When I'd offered her the money before, she had said she only needed my help, but actually giving her the cash would build more trust.

Suzuki Chisami lived in an apartment building near the Talent Development Institute. I parked in the lot and headed for her unit, which I had already looked up.

"Who is it?"

When I rang the bell, I heard Suzuki Chisami's voice. I simply answered that it was me. The door opened, revealing Suzuki Chisami. She looked quite exhausted, probably because of how much I'd tormented her during the trip. Since she ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was at home, she was dressed comfortably in a white shirt over her underwear. It was incredibly arousing, but I wasn't villainous enough to harass someone who was clearly sick.

"Here's the money I promised."

I held out the 007 bag. It contained fifty million yen.

"What? I ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clearly told you it was fine…."

"You're taking a risk too. Just accept it."

"All right…."

Suzuki Chisami eventually took the bag. I then handed her another small bag containing cold medicine. After being ravaged by me for two straight nights despite being a virgin, she had naturally caught a cold. Feeling a pang of guilt, I had bought the medicine on the way over.

"....Thank you, Ryuta-sama."

The look on Suzuki Chisami's face as she accepted the medicine was one of genuine emotion. Heh, she ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hadn't expected me to be considerate enough to bring medicine? If she was moved, that was fine by me.

"I'll be going now. I parked in the apartment lot, so I need to move the car soon."

"Yes…. Drive safely, Ryuta-sama."

The gratitude from a moment ago had vanished, replaced by a slightly discontented expression. Was I imagining it?

"Good morning, junior."

Mimata Chieri greeted me with that signature refreshing smile. I returned the greeting, asking how her vacation had been, while studying her face.

Her orange hair and the bright, juicy charm that could easily place her as the center of an idol group made it almost impossible to believe Mimata Chieri was the assassin from that day.

"My vacation? It was great. I went to the Shonai area of Yamagata Prefecture. It's famous for pork, so I ate to my heart's content~!"

Mimata Chieri showed me photos of her meals with a blissful expression. There were pictures of tonkatsu, pork sukiyaki, simple grilled dishes, and more. The photos were almost entirely food.

"Did you go alone?"

"O-of course! I'd like to have gone with a boyfriend, but I don't have one, and solo food tours are much more comfortable anyway…. So yes, I went alone! It's not like I'm sad about it or anything!"

Mimata Chieri spoke a little too loudly, as if embarrassed about visiting all those restaurants by herself. Yeah, there was no way someone like her could be an assassin.

"Here's a gift for you, junior~! Yamagata is famous for cherries, so I bought some cherry jam~!"

I hadn't known Yamagata was famous for cherries. I accepted the jam and gave her the Akita sake I had prepared as a return gift.

"Akita is famous for its rice, so I brought you some sake made from Akita rice."

"Whoa! I'll enjoy it, junior!"

We exchanged gifts, then went around the nearly empty office handing out the souvenirs we'd brought back from our vacations. Sinoe Misano, true to her reputation as someone who could down sweet potato shochu without a chaser at company dinners, was especially pleased with the alcohol.

"Thanks, Ryuta-kun. You have an outside assignment tomorrow…. You know what to prepare, right?"

"Yes. I'm always ready."

The outside assignment clearly meant sex. For a brief moment Sinoe Misano's expression turned incredibly lewd before returning to her usual relaxed, composed look.

After distributing all the gifts, I returned to my seat. As I put the cherry jam Mimata Chieri had given me into my bag, I read the label.

This cherry jam is made with cherries from Yamagata at the Fukiyura Culture Center.

The Fukiyura Culture Center? It didn't sound like a factory product; it seemed handmade. Since I had no urgent work and my curiosity was piqued, I searched for the Fukiyura Culture Center.

Yamagata Prefecture… Yuza-machi…. Yuza-machi was at the northernmost tip of Yamagata Prefecture. Right above it was Akita Prefecture. It was about an hour's drive from Yuza-machi to Daisen City, where Matsuhira Ginichiro had been shot.

I closed the browser window as casually as possible.

When I glanced to the side, Mimata Chieri ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was smiling with an innocent, carefree expression. For some reason, that innocent smile of hers now terrified me.

###

A very short side story.

After Taira Ryuta left, Suzuki Chisami took the cold medicine he had brought her. She was grateful that he had even thought of something like this. Money wouldn't run away, so she left the entire bag where it was.

"Am I not attractive enough?"

Suzuki Chisami sighed as she lay on her bed after taking the medicine and looked down at her own body. Her tanned skin overflowing with sexual appeal and her excellent figure were by no means bad. In fact, they were quite good. Ryuta had left quickly out of consideration for her being sick, but she still felt a little resentful.