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"You really are a leaky little cotton jacket for your father," Yukio shook his head, clicking his tongue. Chairman Sakayanagi—his potential future father-in-law—didn't seem to hold much sway at home.
If his own daughter acted like this someday, Yukio figured he'd have to punish her by banning desserts for a whole week. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized... he might not be all that different from the chairman himself.
Sakayanagi didn't take it to heart. She seemed to understand that Yukio was merely teasing her—it was nothing serious or indicative of how much she cared for her father. "I just wanted to talk to you a little longer, that's all," she said softly.
"I'm doing it all from your perspective, you know."
Honestly speaking, it was no wonder why boys found this side of Sakayanagi so charming. It was like she was born knowing exactly how to win a guy's heart. Even a few simple words, when delivered in her tone, could ripple through a man's heart like waves across a still lake.
But of course, she never showed this side to guys she had no interest in. To them, she simply wore the elegant mask of etiquette and kept her distance.
Even Yukio's heart felt a little shaken. "Fine, fine. I'll treat you to a late-night snack."
Sakayanagi gave a satisfied smile. "Something warm, I hope. I'm temporarily fatherless now, all alone... I can only rely on you, Yukio-kun."
"..." Yukio once again offered a silent moment of mourning for Chairman Sakayanagi. Damn. Even if she'd said temporarily, dropping a line like "I'm without a father" was way too filial in a tragic kind of way.
And who would actually believe she was helpless? With her own capabilities, Sakayanagi could live exceptionally well at AN High, even without her father's help.
But Yukio, ever mischievous, decided to poke fun: "Then how about this—call me Daddy and let me hear it?"
"Tch." Sakayanagi maintained her gentle smile, but her eyes gleamed with amusement. "So that's what you're into, Yukio-kun?"
"Nope. On second thought, let's not." Honestly, Yukio wasn't into that. In his past life, sure, he used to joke about being his roommates' old man, but now? Hard pass.
To avoid that awkward topic from spiraling, he decided to bring things back on track. "You've probably already guessed—things aren't going to stay peaceful from here."
"Mhm." Seeing Yukio get serious, Sakayanagi's expression shifted as well. A rare clarity flashed in her eyes. "Ayanokouji Atsuomi definitely didn't stop at just getting my father temporarily suspended."
"There will definitely be more moves to follow."
"My father, for all his faults, is still a valuable asset. If they've bartered away so many interests and made so many compromises just to get him out of the picture temporarily... that's way too small of a return. Ayanokouji Atsuomi would never make such a foolish move."
Yukio nodded, agreeing with her analysis. "That's what I think too. The most likely scenario is that Ayanokouji Atsuomi will send someone in to fill the temporary vacuum left by your father."
"Once they're in place, it'll be easy to manipulate things from the inside and remove Ayanokouji the younger. That's the most textbook kind of power trade."
Could Ayanokouji Atsuomi really have bartered all those favors just to get back at Chairman Sakayanagi for a bruised ego? Was he that immature, even at his age?
Far more likely was the classic play: remove one person, replace them with your own.
Sakayanagi followed the logic. "Seems like school life at AN is about to get a lot more interesting. But what about you, Yukio-kun?"
"You came to this school specifically to take Ayanokouji with you, right?"
In other words, if Ayanokouji Atsuomi's people succeeded in extracting Ayanokouji, wouldn't Yukio's entire mission here be a waste of time? A bucket dipped into water, pulled up empty.
Yukio didn't tell Sakayanagi everything—not yet. His other motive for coming to AN was to fully understand its overarching rules and systems. He figured there was no need to lay all his cards on the table right now; that could wait until their relationship deepened.
For now, the topic remained on Ayanokouji. "It shouldn't be a problem. AN runs on its own system. When I asked Chairman Sakayanagi for ten billion points recently, he told me even he couldn't bend the school's rules."
"So no matter who Ayanokouji Atsuomi sends, as long as they play within the school's framework, I don't have anything to worry about."
"Besides, don't I have you on my side?" Yukio smiled with genuine confidence in Sakayanagi.
A gentle flush of warmth rose on her porcelain cheeks. She understood what he meant—he was referring to their previous agreement.
Back during the sports festival, they had met and agreed: Yukio would orchestrate a confrontation between Sakayanagi and Ayanokouji, and in return, Sakayanagi would later help Yukio take Ayanokouji away.
"Oh?" Sakayanagi's gaze sharpened with playful heat, as if she meant to draw his very soul out through her eyes. "Back then, it was just a mutually beneficial alliance. A cold, calculated arrangement."
"But now, if Yukio-kun wants my help, shouldn't you be a little more... passionate about it? For example, maybe finish the rest of the chocolate I made with such care?"
Yukio gave her a look. Could she not go ten minutes without shifting into flirt mode?
Still, thinking back on the taste of her chocolate… he had to admit, it was tempting. Without complaint, he picked up another piece—but instead of eating it himself, he offered it to Sakayanagi. "How's this? Passionate enough for you?"
Sakayanagi showed no hint of embarrassment. She was clearly used to this kind of intimacy. "If all you're doing is feeding me like that, then no, it's not enough."
As soon as the words left her lips, she leaned in slightly and decisively took the chocolate—though not to swallow. No, she let it melt in her mouth, eyes fixed on Yukio's with a clear message: Come get it.
The look in her eyes shimmered like autumn water, like she meant to melt Yukio the same way the chocolate melted on her tongue.
Yukio rose to the challenge, unfazed. "Alright, let's go. I'm gonna smear your pearly whites in chocolate. That's what you're worried about, isn't it?"
"!" For once, Sakayanagi wavered. Her face flushed a deeper red, and she let out a muffled squeal around the chocolate: "Thath'shh rude—are you a devil? How could you do thith to a ladhy's teef?"
Even with a mouthful of chocolate, Sakayanagi still managed to enunciate most of her words with impressive clarity. Truly, she lived up to her name.
In the end, this little episode taught Sakayanagi a valuable lesson: she could keep sharing desserts—or other things—with Yukio in the future. Like that homemade late-night snack he had just promised.
But chocolate—the kind that temporarily darkens your teeth? Yeah, that was a hard pass.
Even a fleeting moment of public embarrassment was too much for her to accept.
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