June 20, 1989.
Narita International Airport, Terminal 1.
The early summer sun pierced through the massive glass dome and poured unreservedly onto the polished marble floors. The air was thick with a distinct scent. It was a mixture of expensive perfume, jet fuel, and the restless energy of people about to head overseas to spend money.
The automatic doors of the VIP lounge slid open to both sides.
A group of young girls in deep blue uniforms walked in. They were second-year high school students from Seika Academy, and they were waiting for their chartered flight for a school trip to Paris.
Unlike the ordinary tour groups in the main hall that held up flags, the girls chatted and laughed in low, elegant voices. The faint rustle of silk fabric was drowned out by the noise of the airport.
The carts were piled high with luggage.
Sturdy, custom Louis Vuitton Monogram trunks were stacked together, and their brass locks glinted with a matte finish in the sun. There were also vintage Globe-Trotter leather suitcases, and their worn corners exuded an air of old money.
The girls gathered together. Some held cameras, and others flipped through French magazines.
"Hey, Ayako, I heard there's a line at the LV flagship store on the Champs-Élysées again?" one girl asked.
"Queuing is for tourists."
Yoshino Ayako closed her magazine nonchalantly, and her tone was flat.
"For this trip to Paris, my father asked me to visit a descendant of an Impressionist painter living in Montmartre. He said I should discuss the collection of several unpublished manuscripts."
"Me too."
Isokawa Reiko, standing nearby, took up the conversation as she smoothed her skirt.
"Grandfather asked me to check on the acquisition progress of that shop on the Champs-Élysées. Although it's only a small six-story building, it is right next to the Arc de Triomphe. It should be barely sufficient as the family's office in Europe."
A chorus of reserved agreement rose from those around them.
Though they were still a group of underage high school students, they exuded a striking aura.
It was a sense of being the masters of the world.
In their eyes, Paris was not a distant foreign capital, nor was it some artistic holy land to be looked up to. It was merely Japan's backyard. It was a convenient catchment pool for the overflow of the yen's purchasing power.
Going there felt as natural as going to Karuizawa for the summer.
Just then, a prompt sounded over the intercom.
"Students of Seika Academy, ANA charter flight JL405 is about to begin boarding. Please line up in order of your classes…"
A small commotion broke out in the lounge.
Even though it was a charter flight, over two hundred people had to gather for roll call, passport checks, and security lines. The noise and tediousness of collective action instantly shattered the elegant atmosphere from moments before.
On a leather sofa in the corner, Satsuki sat quietly while holding a Sotheby's auction catalog.
She was wearing a cream-colored trench coat and had no intention of getting up to join the line.
"I really can't stand this."
Isokawa Reiko glanced at the long queue forming over there and frowned slightly. She had no intention of moving.
"Even if it's a charter flight, having to be called by a teacher like an elementary student makes my head ache just thinking about it. The itinerary arranged by the school is also too cramped. It doesn't feel like a vacation at all."
"That's why it's wiser to travel separately."
Yoshino Ayako checked her watch, then turned to Satsuki with a grateful and expectant smile.
"Saionji-san, thank you so much. If it weren't for your invitation, I'm afraid I would have to be over there queuing right now."
This had been arranged long ago.
As core members of the "Rose Society," they naturally didn't need to squeeze onto the charter flight like ordinary students.
"Mm."
Satsuki closed the Sotheby's auction catalog and stood up.
"Fujita has already handled the procedures. Rather than coordinating with the school's schedule, I prefer to control my own time."
She smiled and waved to the teacher leading the group.
The teacher bowed respectfully in response. She had clearly received special instructions from the board of directors long ago. For the eldest daughter of the Saionji family, the "collective action" in the school rules was nothing more than a scrap of paper.
"Let's go."
Satsuki pointed out the floor-to-ceiling window to the other side of the apron. The spot was far from the bustle of commercial flights.
A deep blue airplane was parked there.
It was a Gulfstream G4. Its call sign was "Midnight Ghost."
The streamlined fuselage gleamed coldly in the sun, and the mitsudomoe family crest on the tail fin was clearly visible.
"It just so happens that my plane needs to go to Zurich for maintenance, so I'll give everyone a ride along the way."
Satsuki's voice was soft, and it exuded a naturally born sense of relaxation.
"Let's go have a quiet cup of tea and chat slowly."
---
Ten minutes later.
The door of the Gulfstream G4 slowly closed and sealed out the heat from outside.
The cabin was covered with thick wool carpets, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance.
Although Ayako and Reiko came from prominent families and usually traveled in first class, this kind of custom-made, top-tier business jet was still a first-time experience for them.
The two sat down in wide leather aeronautical chairs. Their hands gently stroked the fine walnut grain on the armrests.
They made an effort to keep their backs straight and maintain the composure expected of young ladies from prestigious families. They did not look around like ordinary girls.
But the corners of their eyes were twitching slightly, and their gaze couldn't help but wander over the exquisite decorations and the full set of audio-visual equipment in the cabin. The light of excitement in their eyes was impossible to hide.
"Is… is this what a private jet is like?" Ayako's fingers gripped her teacup a bit tightly. "It certainly is much quieter than the ANA charter flight."
"Yes," Reiko agreed and stole a glance at the independent bar nearby that looked very expensive. "It feels like being in a mobile hotel suite."
Satsuki sat on the single sofa opposite them and took everything in.
She simply gave a slight smile and signaled Fujita Tsuyoshi to serve the tea.
"It's just a tool for travel. By flying a bit higher, we don't have to worry about turbulence."
The plane taxied and took off.
After the massive surge of acceleration, the Gulfstream G4 sliced through the sea of clouds in the stratosphere. The fuselage was as steady as if it were gliding on a still lake.
Fujita Tsuyoshi acted as the butler and brought freshly baked scones and clotted cream to the table.
As the flight stabilized, the two girls' emotions also relaxed, and the conversation naturally turned to the purpose of this trip.
Ayako leaned back in her chair and swirled a glass of champagne. She looked at the dazzling clouds outside the window.
"It's much more comfortable here."
She sighed.
"Seeing that crowd of nouveau riche in the lounge who insisted on showing off their logos gave me a headache. Japan has too much money nowadays. There is so much that people have lost their taste."
"That's true," Reiko agreed. "But my father says it can't be helped. The current exchange rate is the best since the war. Spending yen in Europe and buying their antiques and their buildings is actually helping them."
"We are showing Japan's goodwill through consumption. You see, the most popular people in the world right now are us Japanese."
Reiko turned her head to look at Satsuki.
"I heard the French government is being particularly polite to us this time. The Palace of Versailles is even closing for half a day specifically for Seika Academy. After all, the renovation of the Louvre Museum still needs Japanese sponsorship. Nowadays, Japanese people are honored guests wherever they go."
Satsuki held a fountain pen and was marking something in the auction catalog.
Hearing this, she looked up and offered the smile of a perfect listener.
"Indeed."
"After all, no one refuses a generous guest."
She lowered her head and drew a circle on a page of the catalog.
Compared to the blind confidence of Ayako and Reiko that Japan has bought the world, Satsuki appeared exceptionally calm. She wasn't going there to show off national power. She was going to restock.
It was just like a housewife going to the supermarket to buy discounted eggs.
She wanted to take the yen in her hands, which were burning hot at the peak of this bubble, and exchange them for hard currency that would shine in any era.
"By the way."
Ayako casually picked up a copy of the Nikkei Shimbun from the table and flipped to the society section.
"Look at this."
She pointed to an inconspicuous short news item in the corner.
A Japanese businessman overseas is suspected to have gone missing in Southeast Asia; police have intervened in the investigation.
Although no names were mentioned, everyone in this circle knew who it was.
President Ezaki. He was the former head of the Apex Group.
"What a pity."
Ayako sighed softly, and her tone was devoid of malice. It sounded more like a rational analysis.
"Mr. Ezaki actually had great vision, but unfortunately, his leverage was too high, and he got caught up in a political storm. In the world of finance, risk control is life. He broke the rules, and being eliminated by the market was inevitable."
"Yes," Reiko also shook her head. "I heard he even made off with a lot of his employees' pensions? That's a bit undignified. As a manager, one should maintain their final dignity no matter what."
In this comfortable cabin flying above the clouds, death and bankruptcy seemed so distant. The topics felt even a bit surreal.
For them, it was just a bit of conversation after tea. They used it to corroborate the superiority of their own families' stable management.
Satsuki picked up her teacup and took a sip.
The warmth of the hot tea slid down her throat.
As the person behind all of this, her face showed not a single ripple.
"Perhaps."
She looked at the unchanging blue sky outside the window and said softly,
"I hope he… can find the peace he wants over there."
Satsuki's fingers gently stroked the black briefcase placed beside her.
Inside were the offshore account keys for S.A. Investment and a safety deposit box voucher from a Swiss bank.
In the world above the clouds, the mud and struggle on the ground were but a smudge of gray occasionally seen through the gaps in the clouds.
---
Ten hours later.
The plane began its descent.
The massive wings sliced through the clouds, and the scenery below gradually became clear.
Paris under the cover of night appeared in their field of vision.
The Eiffel Tower shimmered with golden light. The Seine wound like a ribbon, and the radial streets of the Arc de Triomphe looked like a giant, open jewelry box. The city seemed to entice people to come and take from it.
"We're here."
Ayako and Reiko uttered appropriate sounds of admiration and began to fix their makeup. They took out mirrors to touch up their lipstick. They were ready to greet the shopping paradise that belonged to them.
Satsuki did not look out the window.
She took a fountain pen from her crocodile-skin bag and filled in her information on the immigration card.
The tip of the pen paused at the "Carrying Cash/Valuables" column.
Her bag contained the offshore account keys for S.A. Investment and a Swiss bank delivery order that could withdraw two tons of gold.
That was wealth beyond measure.
But in the "No" column, she drew a checkmark.
Vrrr—
The sound of the landing gear being lowered came. The tires touched the ground with a slight friction sound, and the plane taxied on the runway of Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Satsuki closed her passport and tucked her pen back into her pocket.
A very faint smile played at the corners of her mouth.
"We're here."
She said softly.
"That… is our shopping mall."