"Suspended?" The word echoed from the phone, leaving both Sakayanagi and Yukio stunned—though for entirely different reasons.
Sakayanagi's reaction was immediate and concerned. "What happened, Father?"
Yukio, on the other hand, immediately considered other possibilities. His first thought: Could it be that Horikita-senpai somehow managed to silently gather thirty billion points and directly replaced the chairman?
This was a top-secret piece of information, classified to the highest level and revealed only to the student council president at the academy's founding. Even Chairman Sakayanagi himself didn't know about it—Yukio had deduced it through careful probing.
At this point in the school, only Yukio and Horikita Manabu were aware of this truth. Yukio was still far from collecting such an astronomical sum himself, so… it couldn't be Horikita. No matter how talented Manabu was, thirty billion was no small amount. Even with two years' head start, without a miracle, gathering such wealth was impossible.
And even if a miracle had occurred—enough to net billions in one go—there's no way that kind of windfall wouldn't have drawn attention. It would've caused a huge commotion, spread like wildfire, and couldn't have been kept from the student body.
So Yukio calmed down and ruled out his first theory. The suspension clearly had nothing to do with the thirty-billion clause. That left his second theory: a conclusion had finally emerged from the chaotic power struggles happening in the upper echelons.
It had started back in December of the previous year. The source? Ayanokouji's father, Ayanokouji Atsuomi, arrived at AN High School intending to take his son away. When Chairman Sakayanagi opposed him, it ignited a political battle behind the scenes.
To reclaim his honor—and retrieve his son—Ayanokouji Atsuomi initiated a web of influence trading and retaliation, all aimed at bringing down Chairman Sakayanagi.
As if to confirm Yukio's suspicion, the voice of Chairman Sakayanagi on the phone sounded unusually composed as he explained the reason, almost casually.
"It's Ayanokouji-sensei. That man has always been that way—anyone who opposes him becomes a target of retaliation."
"After much consideration at the top, they concluded that perhaps some of my decisions at AN haven't been ideal. So I've been temporarily suspended for review."
"Arisu, I'm telling you this not to make you worry. Rest assured, nothing will happen to me. I simply won't be reachable for a while."
Both Yukio and Sakayanagi could hear the underlying care in the chairman's voice. He hadn't spoken ill of anyone—except for a single line about Ayanokouji Atsuomi. The message was clear: this was the result of broad compromise, not something that could be reversed.
And most importantly, he didn't want Sakayanagi to dwell on it. He encouraged her to continue her days as usual and not exhaust herself mentally. There was no prison sentence, no scandal—just a period of quiet retreat before his eventual return.
In short, the call was mainly to soothe Sakayanagi and prevent any emotional stress that might affect her heart condition. The explanation of his upcoming unavailability was secondary.
Sakayanagi, ever composed, didn't react like a fragile girl on the verge of tears. Instead, her calm and grace showed through. "I understand, Father," she replied.
"I'll wait patiently to hear from you. Who knows…" She tilted her head slightly, casting a glance toward Yukio. "Maybe there's still a way to turn things around."
Yukio caught the implication. She might be hoping to ask for his help. After all, Sakayanagi knew—Yukio himself had deep ties to people among the upper ranks.
Well, now things were getting awkward.
Back when Ayanokouji Atsuomi left the school and the upper echelons began their tug-of-war—trading favors, forming factions—Yukio had been fully informed. Every day, someone would report the latest developments to him.
But at the time, since their goal was to unseat Chairman Sakayanagi, Yukio had chosen to stay hands-off. He let the chairman and Ayanokouji duke it out while he relaxed and watched the show.
And now? Barely two months later, he had ended up dating Sakayanagi's daughter. Not only had he accepted her Valentine's chocolate, but he had also stolen her first kiss.
Talk about awkward.
If he could've seen the future—known that Chairman Sakayanagi might one day become his father-in-law—he probably would've sent some help back then.
Now, all he could do was a bit of damage control. It wouldn't reverse the situation, but at least it might ease Sakayanagi Arisu's worries. So Yukio gave a subtle nod, wordlessly conveying that he'd intervene—just a little—to help the chairman return to office sooner.
Upon seeing Yukio's affirmation, Sakayanagi offered a rare smile, one that broke her usual aristocratic composure and revealed a hint of girlish joy. She really hadn't picked the wrong man.
For Yukio to still offer help—out of affection—even after her father had fallen from power only deepened her trust and feelings for him.
"Turnaround?" Chairman Sakayanagi chuckled from the other end of the line. "Haha, I'll take that as a good omen from you, Arisu. I believe things will turn around soon."
And just like that, the two of them were suddenly having a bit of a cross-cultural conversation.
On Sakayanagi's side, she genuinely believed that Yukio's connections could make a difference—that there truly could be a turnaround.
On the chairman's side, knowing his daughter wasn't the type to be comforted by empty words, he assumed she was simply trying to cheer him on in her own way. A subtle encouragement, urging him not to lose hope.
But Arisu could tell—her father hadn't really believed her. That stung. Even a biological daughter had so little weight in these matters. So lowly a voice… so weak a presence. She sighed inwardly.
She shook her head but said nothing, keeping those thoughts to herself. Instead, she spoke calmly, "Well then, I'm sure you have much to handle, Father. I won't keep you any longer."
The chairman was surprised. "Huh? But I've just been suspended, I'm not even—"
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The call disconnected.
Chairman Sakayanagi stared at his phone, utterly dumbfounded. His brain stalled for a moment, unable to comprehend.
"What… just happened? Arisu didn't want to talk more?"
You couldn't blame him. Any father, upon being sent on a months-long training mission or business trip, would at least expect to chat a little with his daughter after breaking such news.
But Arisu had just… hung up?
The chairman was flabbergasted. A foreign proverb suddenly popped into his mind: When daughters grow up, they turn their elbows outward. (An idiom meaning: daughters side with outsiders.)
"No way… Arisu isn't that kind of girl," he muttered, unsettled. Strangely, the emotional blow from her abrupt hang-up hurt more than his suspension.
…
"You… you just hung up like that?" Even Yukio was caught off guard. Being a guy himself, he could easily understand what the chairman must've felt. He hadn't expected Sakayanagi to hang up so decisively either.
Sakayanagi put her phone away, smiling playfully at Yukio. "Right now, I'd rather chat with you than with my father."
Well damn.
That line didn't just fill Yukio with satisfaction—it also sparked a tiny moment of silence for Chairman Sakayanagi.
...
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