CH 220

From the vehicle that took me away from the after-school preparation activities, I looked at the unfamiliar cityscape, which was different from what I’m used to seeing.

I had heard that Kirasaka’s house was in the opposite direction to mine.

But I never had the chance to go there, and it was also her villa that I visited as a part-timer during the summer holidays, not her actual home.

Even that villa was as luxurious as I expected it to be, so secretly I’m wondering what kind of a mansion her house would be.

I peeked at President and Kirasaka, who were accompanying me, looked calm as usual.

President has been familiar with Kirasaka’s place for a long time, so it is only natural that she is not nervous.

Away from the Sakuranaoka Academy, surprisingly, the car stopped when we had proceeded close to the mountains.

A wooden gate surrounded by a fine stone wall fence appeared there, a short distance from the residential area, blocking the car’s way.

“Miss, I’ll put the car around the back, this way.”

“Thank you, Grandpa.”

After Kirasaka had a short conversation with the driver, Kuroi-san, I got out of the car as if urged to do so and just stood in front of the gate in a daze.

“…”

It’s huge.

Yes, the gate alone is probably more than the width of a car, and the length is well over two meters.

It may be my own assumption, but it is surprising because I had the image that rich people’s houses tended to be luxurious, Western-style buildings.

The three of us got out of the vehicle and the limousine we were riding in went on its way somewhere.

Kirasaka walks up to the gate, knocks lightly a few times and the gate slowly opens with a heavy thud.

“Welcome home, miss.”

“I’m home, is father in his study?”

After asking the woman at the other end of the gate, Kirasaka goes on ahead.

President was also walking behind her, but did not seem to be wondering anything.

Am I the only one confused by this situation?

First of all, what about the gate, and what about the women waiting at the end of the opening?

A maid, a housekeeper?

Besides, I look at the garden past the gate, and it is huge.

Beautifully landscaped garden plants and a large pond.

The side of the cobbled path I am now walking on was strewn with white pebbles, creating a white scene.

A picturesque mansion is just ahead of my gaze, making it clear what the owner of this house likes to do.

Continuing along the cobblestones, my gaze shifts to the side just before the front door.

There is a trench-like depression from where bonsai trees are neatly lined up, perhaps a hobby of Kirasaka’s father, and water flows through it as if it were a replica of a river.

The house is full of things that would be strange to find in an ordinary home, and to be honest, I’m a little taken aback, but because it’s Kirasaka’s house, I somehow managed to endure it without reacting in an over-dramatic way.

No, normally when you see a house like this, you want to say something out loud.

With Kirasaka leading the way, we stop in front of the entrance and she opens the heavy front door.

The wide-open front door welcomes us, and at the end of it is Kuroi-san, who was driving the car just a few minutes ago.

“I have already reported to Master that you have arrived, miss.”

“Right, then Grandpa can go back.”

When Kirasaka tells him briefly, Kuroi-san gives a small bow and leaves the scene.

Fearfully, I stepped through the front door onto the floor of the Kirasaka household and proceeded down the old-fashioned corridor.

After advancing down the long corridor, Kirasaka stops in front of a door at the innermost part of the mansion and knocks on the door of the room.

“It’s Rei.”

There is no response to this call from inside.

Kirasaka puts her hand on the door and opens it without any sign of hesitation.

“President, I beg your pardon then!”

A middle-aged man in an expensive-looking suit bowed deeply as we entered the room.

He left the room at the same time as the time we entered.

His expression and the sound of his voice showed that he was in a hurry.

…I’m still wondering why I’ve been called here.

Inwardly, I couldn’t stop sweating, an uncomfortable feeling.

Watching the backs of the man who had left, and standing alone at the entrance, the two people ahead of me went inside the room without paying attention to him.

“Father, I’ve brought them both here.”

“Welcome back Rei, sorry for asking so suddenly.”

After the exchange of conversation between father and daughter, his gaze turns towards us.

President bowed her head in a familiar manner shortly after.

“Long time no see, Oji-sama*.”

“Akane has also become a beautiful woman in the time since I last saw her.”

“Thank you very much.”

The two, who had known each other for a long time, exchanged compliments.

Then Kirasaka’s father’s gaze turned to me.

I gulped and looked into his eyes.

“We haven’t seen each other since your work experience, Shinra Minato-kun.”

“…Thank you for your help on that occasion.”

Kirasaka Reiya.

Kirasaka Rei’s father and the president of one of Japan’s largest companies.

A figure who seemed strangely at home in such a secluded country town was standing in front of me with a scowling smile on his face.

I entered the room as prompted and sat down on the guest’s sofa.

President, too, could sense a slight stiffness in the expression on his face.

It’s only natural since we don’t know the reason for being summoned to this room.

The room is called a study, and the walls are lined with various books.

The amount of books is so great that counting them can become a chore.

In such a room, Kirasaka Reiya was sitting on an expensive-looking chair, sorting out the paperwork at hand.

“A joint cultural festival with the Kikyo Girls’ Academy is an interesting experiment.”

Said the father as Kirasaka served drinks to me and President, and sat himself down opposite me.

I turned my gaze to Kirasaka to see if he had received information from her daughter, but she shook her head and denied my expectations.

“Did you know?”

“The shopping district is also involved, so naturally…”

In response to the President’s question, Kirasaka Reiya gave a short answer.

I remember overhearing that this person was contributing to the shopping district, or something like that.

If you become as big a figure as this person, your information network is immeasurable.

I guess information comes in even if you don’t want it to.

“I’ve heard and grasped a little about the joint overview from my daughter. I think Akane thought about it at one point, but I called her in with a suggestion about securing the means of transport.”

President’s expression changes at that comment.

Certainly, the only side that has not secured a means of transport at the scene is the Sakuranaoka Academy, and the other side was asked if it could not be secured prior to the event.

However, they came to the view that it would be difficult to do so due to budgetary problems, but if they say they have called that matter, that means there is a possibility to prepare for it.

As a student council, we don’t want to miss this opportunity.

“However, there is someone I would like to have a word with, not to say a condition, and that’s why I asked Rei to invite you.”

The eyes that should have been looking down to his hands for work are raised and are directed at me.

The reason why hasn’t he just invited the President?

The reason is that it’s the continuation of the work experience.

In a situation where President and Kirasaka are quietly looking on, I quietly exhale.

Unlike before, my nervousness jumps because I know that this person is much bigger than I imagined.

As if enjoying this state of mind and all of my gestures, Kirasaka Reiya stands up and sits down next to her daughter.

…I sighed inwardly, thinking that I had been spotted by a troublesome family, with both parents and children being fond of unusual people.