Kamiyā Yuu bought a basket of high-end fruit as a gift. The moment he exited Subway Exit 2, he saw Busujima Murasaki nearby, dressed in a dark blue kimono.
Her long, beautiful hair was tied into a high ponytail, making her look less gentle than a traditional Yamato nadeshiko and more valiant, like a samurai.
It was cold. The moment Kamiyā Yuu came out of the subway entrance, he felt the icy wind slicing into his bones like knives, making him instinctively shrink his neck to preserve the warmth inside his down jacket.
Most of the passersby around him were wearing thick down jackets. Even the women wore odd outfits, pairing down jackets with skirts. Compared to them, Busujima Murasaki in her thin kimono was especially eye-catching.
—Japanese women's cold resistance must already be polar bear level.
Kamiyā Yuu glanced at the snow-white thighs of the women passing by, purely admiring their bodies' resistance to the cold. Then he waved at Busujima Murasaki from a distance and jogged over with the fruit basket, greeting her with a smile.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Busujima."
It was worth mentioning Japan's gift-giving customs here. Whether moving house or celebrating holidays, Japanese people habitually bring gifts when visiting someone. The gifts usually leaned toward practicality, such as soap, body wash, alcohol, fruit, or even vegetables they had grown themselves. Visiting someone during the holidays without preparing a gift was generally considered disrespectful to the host.
"No, I only just arrived as well. Mr. Kamiyā, please follow me."
Busujima Murasaki bowed respectfully to Kamiyā Yuu in greeting.
Kamiyā Yuu was currently Uehara Etsuki's nominal superior, so based on that point, Busujima Murasaki needed to carefully consider her attitude toward him.
Kamiyā Yuu followed Busujima Murasaki to a nearby open-air parking lot.
When he saw her stop in front of a streamlined black supercar, his expression froze.
Beep beep.
When he saw her take out the electronic key controller, Kamiyā Yuu felt as though a million alpacas were galloping through his heart.
Just from the appearance of the supercar, he could tell its price was definitely in the million-dollar range or above.
Not to mention, no matter how he thought about it, a valiant woman in a kimono driving a supercar felt incredibly out of place.
The pedestrians who saw this scene unconsciously stopped and curiously stared at them.
A supercar alone wasn't especially conspicuous, but paired with a beautiful woman in a kimono, it became something completely different.
Busujima Murasaki opened the rear door and said softly, "Mr. Kamiyā, please."
"Thank you."
Kamiyā Yuu didn't reveal his inner astonishment. He nodded politely and sat inside, then realized the interior felt quite comfortable. This sort of supercar was probably a daily-use model, not something meant for racing or showing off.
Rumble.
After a faintly deep engine sound rang out, the black supercar slowly drove out of the parking lot.
Compared to Fujiwara Tora's wild driving in his van, Busujima Murasaki's driving, whether in speed or handling, was very proper. It was the sort that made passengers feel extremely comfortable.
Along the way, Kamiyā Yuu occasionally asked a few questions, and Busujima Murasaki answered them all in detail.
For example, this black supercar was a twentieth-birthday coming-of-age gift from Uehara Etsuki.
For example, where she and Uehara Etsuki had gone for their New Year shrine visit.
And also a few questions concerning Uehara Etsuki.
After a smooth half-hour drive, the black supercar entered a relatively quiet suburban residential area. After several turns, it stopped before an old-fashioned Japanese wooden gate. On both sides of the gate were tall walls stretching so far their ends couldn't be seen.
Busujima Murasaki simply took out the string of electronic keys and pressed them several times. The heavy old-fashioned wooden gate then slowly opened automatically.
—Rich. Truly rich!
What type of building was most expensive in Japan?
Not high-end apartments, nor large villas, but old-fashioned Japanese wooden houses. Especially when the house was located in Tokyo, where every inch of land was worth gold.
Kamiyā Yuu couldn't imagine what astronomical sum would be required to purchase such a luxurious ancient Japanese-style residence.
"Miss has been waiting in the main house for quite some time. Mr. Kamiyā, you may enter directly."
After getting out at what looked like an independent parking area, Busujima Murasaki bowed and took Kamiyā Yuu's fruit basket, then told him that he only needed to follow the main path ahead to reach the formal residence.
Kamiyā Yuu smiled and nodded politely.
"Sorry to trouble you, Miss Busujima. That said, this house really is astonishing."
Even though he already knew Uehara Etsuki was not short on money, he still felt shaken by her extravagance.
As if seeing through his doubts, Busujima Murasaki smiled and explained, "If Mr. Kamiyā wishes to know about this residence, you may ask Miss. It would not be appropriate for me to explain too much."
Kamiyā Yuu's thoughts shifted, and he realized this probably involved Uehara Etsuki's background. He readily replied, "My apologies."
...
After walking along the main path for only a few minutes, Kamiyā Yuu saw a spacious old-fashioned Japanese building, as well as Uehara Etsuki waiting for him in front of the door.
She was wearing the plain white kimono Kamiyā Yuu had seen before. It lacked the bulky and elaborate design of traditional kimonos, preserving the traditional style while incorporating modern clothing design in subtle, barely noticeable details.
This sort of custom-made kimono was usually extremely expensive.
Or rather, kimonos themselves were not cheap to begin with. Inferior ones cost tens of thousands or over a hundred thousand yen, while high-quality ones could cost more than a million. The kimonos worn by women from ordinary Japanese families during holidays were actually much cheaper yukata.
When she saw Kamiyā Yuu arrive, Uehara Etsuki took several steps forward and bowed solemnly.
"Happy New Year. Kamiyā-kun, I am deeply honored that you have come all this way."
That respectful greeting made Kamiyā Yuu feel as though every pore on his body was screaming with embarrassment and discomfort.
He smiled wryly and shook his head.
"Happy New Year, Sensei. Can we act as usual? I really can't get used to such a heavy atmosphere."
Uehara Etsuki smiled and raised her head, slightly covering her cherry lips with her long sleeve as she said calmly, "Since Kamiyā-kun, as the guest, has made such a request, of course."
After entering the house, the interior furnishings were not particularly luxurious. Instead, there was a simple, almost desolate atmosphere that made Kamiyā Yuu somewhat uncomfortable.
They arrived at a solemnly arranged tea room, where Uehara Etsuki used boiled water to brew him a cup of steaming, clear tea.
As Uehara Etsuki handled the Japanese tea utensils, Kamiyā Yuu couldn't help asking curiously, "Sensei, how much would it cost to buy this house?"
Kneeling on a cushion, Uehara Etsuki slowly whisked the thick tea with a tea whisk, then shook her head and explained, "This residence is a family inheritance. I am not entirely clear on its exact value."
The Uehara family had been passed down from Japan's Sengoku period to the present day.
As a major clan, even setting aside Uehara Clothing, the world-famous clothing industry chain, the family itself possessed astonishing hidden wealth throughout Japan.
"Is Kamiyā-kun curious about my background? That is not exactly something that needs to be hidden."
Uehara Etsuki rose and placed a cup of tea at a suitable temperature on the tea table before Kamiyā Yuu, smiling as she spoke.
Sitting formally before the tea table, Kamiyā Yuu nodded with interest.
"I am indeed very curious. But if this is very rude to Sensei, then I won't pry further. If Sensei is willing to tell me, I would also be very happy to listen."
"You little brat. You're clearly so curious you can hardly stand it, yet you still pass the ball to someone else."
Uehara Etsuki looked at Kamiyā Yuu with a teasing smile.
This was the first time she had addressed him with such an impolite term.
Even without makeup, her appearance was almost no different from that of a woman in her twenties. In truth, Uehara Etsuki was a full generation older than Kamiyā Yuu.
Kamiyā Yuu laughed awkwardly.
"Kamiyā-kun should know Uehara Clothing, that famous clothing company, correct?" Uehara Etsuki continued softly.
—As expected.
Kamiyā Yuu thought inwardly, then nodded outwardly.
"When Sensei mentioned your circumstances last time, I already had some guesses."
From the following conversation, Kamiyā Yuu learned Uehara Etsuki's true identity.
She had originally been the direct-line heir of the Uehara main family. Or rather, she had indeed already taken control of the Uehara family and become the youngest head in its history.
Exceptionally capable, she completely seized control of the Uehara family at the age of twenty. Even the council of elders, which nominally existed to restrict the family head's power, had been stripped of authority by her.
After obtaining all of that, however, Uehara Etsuki found it rather boring.
Because within the Uehara family, the only person who could truly be called family was Busujima Murasaki. As for everyone else, only they themselves knew what was hidden beneath their smiling faces.
At the same time that she held all authority, the Uehara family also entered its most glorious period of development.
Already a colossal entity, the Uehara family's total wealth multiplied several times over in just two short years.
But this surge in wealth did not satisfy most members of the Uehara family. Instead, resentment spread everywhere because she monopolized power.
Coincidentally, after two years of constantly working inside and outside the family, Uehara Etsuki had grown bored and exhausted.
So she went along with the family's "scheme," half-resisting and half-accepting as she took an astonishingly large pension and was "exiled" from the Uehara family.
After beginning an ordinary life, she devoted herself to her own interest—the anime industry.
As for Busujima Murasaki, she was born into the Busujima family, a branch clan that had served the Uehara family since ancient Japan.
The greatest fortune of being born into the Busujima family was being selected to become the protector and assistant of the Uehara family heir.
Busujima Murasaki was the most outstanding member of the Busujima family in that generation. Because of that, she had undergone all sorts of inhumane training from a young age and had been instilled with a loyalty-to-one 's-lord mindset completely incompatible with the modern era.
So even after Uehara Etsuki left the Uehara family, she followed her without regret. Even after coming into contact with modern knowledge and ideas, she never doubted her convictions.
A qualified Busujima family protector not only needed to be proficient in martial arts and assassination, but was also held to extremely harsh standards in manners, conduct, cultural knowledge, and appearance.
It was similar to the saying about pilots: the cost of training a pilot was equal to the pilot's own weight in gold.
But to train a qualified protector like this, one needed to add another zero to the end of that cost.
Listening to Uehara Etsuki calmly recount her own experiences, Kamiyā Yuu felt a perfectly natural sense of shock, but also developed a strange thought.
"Could it be that everyone in this world has a protagonist halo? No matter how I look at it, this kind of legendary experience belongs only to a child of destiny."
After hearing everything, Kamiyā Yuu rubbed his head and smiled wryly.
"What Sensei said really is hard to believe. Even if I want to believe you, it still feels unreal."
What Uehara Etsuki had said was as absurd and unbelievable as Jack Ma giving up his status to become a janitor.
Uehara Etsuki picked up her tea and took a sip, then smiled softly, half-serious and half-joking.
"It is an interesting story, isn't it?"
At that moment, the Japanese sliding door was pulled open.
Busujima Murasaki brought the documents and original drawing tools placed outside the door into the tea room one by one. After finishing, she entered the room again, closed the sliding door, and delivered the items to the tea table.
"Miss, these are the things you instructed me to bring."
Uehara Etsuki nodded to Busujima Murasaki, then turned to look at Kamiyā Yuu and said thoughtfully, "The story is over. Let us begin the proper business of Kamiyā-kun's visit today. Regarding the character design for Kamiyā-kun's new project, I would like to understand as many requirements and details as possible."
Kamiyā Yuu certainly didn't dare say he had only casually mentioned coming to offer New Year greetings because he was bored.
He nodded and agreed, "All right."
...
How exactly should Blake's character design use a calm, almost transparent personality to highlight a strong sense of presence?
The character's own design was one point.
The contrast in her cuteness was another.
The flashiness of her weapon was also another.
"Kamiyā-kun, is it like this?"
After adjusting her hair, Uehara Etsuki stood before a full-length mirror.
Her aura as a classical Japanese beauty left Kamiyā Yuu slightly amazed.
However, after staring at the person in the mirror for a long while, she frowned and said, "The image matches what Kamiyā-kun called long straight black hair, but it is not right. This is completely different from Kamiyā-kun's requirements."
"Heh."
Kamiyā Yuu couldn't help laughing.
Uehara Etsuki looked at him strangely and asked, "Kamiyā-kun said it himself. As long as I let down my hair, I could become a reference for the character design."
Kamiyā Yuu answered calmly, "Because Sensei's aura is different. Rather than possessing decisive courage and composure, Sensei feels more like someone who gives orders rather than someone who carries them out. As a character design reference, isn't there actually someone very suitable right beside Sensei?"
As he spoke, his gaze fell on Busujima Murasaki, who was sitting quietly nearby.
Busujima Murasaki looked at Uehara Etsuki, then looked back at Kamiyā Yuu and nodded calmly.
"I understand."
She pulled down the cord tying up her beautiful, long, dark purple hair, and her hair spilled down.
Even though she was dressed almost the same as Uehara Etsuki, her body still carried a solemn aura that made people afraid to touch her.
After returning to her seat, Uehara Etsuki covered her mouth with a smile and commented, "Too mature. Murasaki's appearance when she was sixteen or seventeen would better fit Kamiyā-kun's requirements."
Busujima Murasaki thought for a moment, then said to Kamiyā Yuu and Uehara Etsuki, "Please wait a moment."
Busujima Murasaki left the tea room.
When she returned a few minutes later, she had already changed into a green sailor uniform.
Compared to her mature and beautiful body, the uniform was clearly too small, outlining her perfect figure instead. Through the white fabric, the black bra underneath could even be faintly seen. The green long skirt, which originally should have reached the calves, could only barely cover her knees because of her height.
Uehara Etsuki's eyes lit up, and she said nostalgically, "Isn't this the uniform from Seiran High School? Back then, I envied other people's high school lives, so I refused the tutoring from my private teachers."
"Yes. The reason Miss was able to spend one peaceful year at Seiran High School was also thanks to your yearly efforts. Your academic results were always first in the entire school."
Busujima Murasaki gazed at Uehara Etsuki with gentle eyes.
—What about me? I'm still here!
Kamiyā Yuu felt as though his eyes were about to be blinded by something.
He suddenly remembered the days he had spent with Fujiwara Tora.
Fujiwara Tora, Shindō Tsukasa.
Uehara Etsuki, Busujima Murasaki.
—It's over. I can feel the malice of the world. Could this be one yuri pair and one gay pair, while the remaining one is...
Kamiyā Yuu looked at himself.
—Probably not a miserable loner...