Sōbu High.
A quiet corridor.
"You still have the audacity to call me, Yukinoshita Haruno? You tricked me into buying that country villa, then that unprofitable seaside inn—what do you want me to buy now?" The black-haired boy spoke through clenched teeth.
"Don't be mad, Wataru-kun. I'm not asking you to buy anything this time. I have a friend who works in the animation industry. He wants to invest in an anime, and he's short on funds."
"Make an anime? Heh."
"Don't rush to refuse. The original work for this anime is excellent. I'll send it to your email—look it over tonight and call me back," Yukinoshita Haruno said, and hung up.
Wataru tucked his phone away, a little gloomy.
How had he ever believed her back then?
A "country villa," said to have beautiful scenery.
A "seaside inn," said to watch sunrises and sunsets.
The result…
A villa was a villa, sure, but the yard was full of rapeseed blossoms, and there wasn't even anyone hired to take care of it.
The seaside inn was even shabbier; even with plenty of summer visitors at the shore, it didn't bring in much money.
Together, the two had cost him 400 million yen.
Later, Yukinoshita Haruno told the truth.
They were all tasks assigned to her by Mrs. Yukinoshita.
Get rid of properties they couldn't sell.
That way, she could obtain a pool of funds to invest—and bring him in to invest alongside.
She even said that if Wataru didn't want the two properties in the future, he could sell them back to her at any time, and she'd add ten million yen on top as a fee for helping out.
"Was that my sister's call?" A voice sounded from behind Wataru.
"Your sister's out to cheat me of money again," Wataru said, looking at the newcomer.
"I heard from my sister, you bought places that couldn't possibly be sold and helped her a lot. Thanks to you, she has ten billion yen in funds." Yukinoshita Yukino wore a full smile.
"Does that make you feel pleased?"
"I'd call it…an interesting matter."
"One with a fake smile, while the other one is a black-hearted scammer—you really are sisters."
"What did you say, Wataru-kun?"
"I was talking to myself—is that not allowed? Don't think you can scare me just because you know Aikido."
"Don't you also know martial arts? What we did would count as sparring, right?"
At that, Wataru's mouth twitched.
The "martial arts" Yukinoshita Yukino meant was the Tai Chi he'd learned from the grandpas at the public square.
Using the grandpas' Tai Chi against Yukinoshita Yukino's seriously trained Aikido.
Current win rate: zero.
Yukinoshita Yukino, smiling, walked ahead.
That smile was one no one else had seen.
Everyone's impression of her was the unattainable flower on the high ridge.
Only Wataru had seen the many smiles of that high-ridge flower.
After all, the two had more or less grown up together.
…
Kamiya Wataru was a transmigrator.
Not the usual kind.
He'd been slotted into this world with an identity, with many memories in his head.
To him, those memories were fake.
But to the people of this world, they were real.
Take Yukinoshita Yukino as an example.
In her memory, she had known Wataru since elementary school, all the way to now.
However, compared to childhood sweethearts, the two were more like good friends.
Wataru's relationship with the Yukinoshita family was basically distant.
His acquaintance with Yukinoshita Haruno had come through one person.
Hiratsuka Shizuka.
Back in the first year.
Wataru's parents were on a flight that had an accident.
He was devastated and stayed home for many days.
Hiratsuka Shizuka often went to see him.
It was at that time.
Wataru transmigrated.
He mortgaged the house and, with his parents' savings, started an agency.
A virtual idol agency.
It was basically betting half his life.
Fortunately, the virtual idol agency succeeded.
When Wataru sold shares of the agency, he met Yukinoshita Haruno through Hiratsuka Shizuka's introduction.
She bought forty percent of the shares and took managerial control.
Wataru had one billion yen.
Plus a towering backer to lean on.
…
The Service Club.
Inside the quiet clubroom.
Wataru was thinking about the virtual idol agency.
After arriving, he'd roughly understood his own situation and, to make money, researched a lot.
His first idea was to become a light novelist.
Sadly, he didn't have an eidetic memory.
Invest in anime?
That wasn't something he could invest in back then.
When he searched "virtual idols,"
Wataru discovered that this world didn't yet have a virtual idol industry.
That was why he succeeded.
Now…
Several virtual idol agencies were competing with one another; because Wataru entered early, and with the Yukinoshita family at his back, he had become the industry's number-one agency.
If he tried to start another agency now, it would be impossible to have the current scale and results.
"Your black tea is going to get cold," came Yukinoshita Yukino's voice.
"I like it cold." Wataru came back to himself and lifted the teacup before him.
"I remember over there you all love to drink hot water, don't you?"
"Over there, the impression of this side is that the girls here drink iced drinks anytime."
"It's not like we drink iced drinks at all times. Besides, I'd rather have black tea than ice water."
"Then I can use ice water to test you."
"Mm?" Yukinoshita Yukino looked at Wataru, puzzled.
"Nothing—just talking to myself." A smile curved Wataru's face.
Looked like the Second Miss Yukinoshita didn't know what that meant.
"I don't quite understand what you said, but your smile makes me feel you're up to no good. When I get back, I'll look up what that phrase means," Yukinoshita Yukino said with a frown, seeing Wataru's smile.
"Ahem. Our relationship's so good—just let it go. I was only joking," Wataru said, putting away the smile and looking all proper.
The Second Miss Yukinoshita's gaze turned cold in an instant.
That only confirmed for her that it hadn't been something nice.
Wataru drank his black tea guiltily, not daring to look at her.
The Second Miss Yukinoshita Aikido skill didn't joke around with him.
"Forget it. I happen to have something I want to ask you. If you're willing to answer, I'll forgive you," Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly said.
"What is it?" Wataru froze for a moment.
Yukino hesitated, then took a document envelope from the table beside them.
Wataru took the envelope, opened it, and looked.
His expression turned a little odd.
Inside were investment proposals.
More than one.
They were very detailed: the shop's rent, how to operate, how many people were needed, and how much capital had to be put in up front.
A rough look said most of them were budgeted at thirty to fifty million yen.
"My sister says you're an expert at investing—you turned two hundred million yen into several billions of yen. So I want to consult you on what I can invest in. I'll transfer you a consulting fee after I invest," Yukino said to Wataru.
"Are you short on money?" Wataru looked up at her.
Yukino turned her head away.
Wataru understood instantly: she wasn't short on money; investing wasn't for the money.
In that case…
There was only one answer;
The Yukinoshita family's enterprises weren't managed by the head of the house, but by Mrs. Yukinoshita.