Kyouko was momentarily dazed as she stared at Shido's handsome visage. Still, as a professional businesswoman, she quickly composed herself, and her expression returned to normal in an instant.
When Shido and Rinko entered and stopped in front of her, Kyouko rose from the couch and was the first to greet Shido.
With a poised expression and a faint, courteous smile, she extended her hand toward him and said, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Itsuka-san. I've been looking forward to our discussion. I truly appreciate you taking the time to meet with me today."
Shido also smiled and said, "I'm glad we could finally meet, Yuuki-san. I've been looking forward to meeting you as well."
As he spoke, he extended his hand and took Kyouko's outstretched one, giving it a firm yet polite shake. Kyouko returned the gesture, noting inwardly how composed and nice this young boss before her seemed. She nodded inwardly forming a good impression of Shido.
It seemed that he had put thought into their meeting, as Shido was dressed flawlessly, giving off the aura of one of those dominating CEOs Kyouko had seen in dramas during her free time.
Kyouko's calm expression wavered slightly as a faint warmth spread through her body when she felt his touch. However, thanks to her experience, she managed to maintain her usual composure, though a small, almost unnoticeable smile curved her lips.
Shido on the other hand observed her closely as well. He had to admit that, even though Kyouko was in her late 40s, she clearly took great care of herself. Her skin was still silky smooth and healthy, giving the impression of someone in her early 30s.
Still, the two didn't shake hands for too long since it would be weird and Rinko was also with them who handed over the nessessary documents for the business discussion.
And so, after a brief exchange and introduction, the two of them finally began the meeting.
...
"Well, I'll accept the terms and acquire your company."
After reviewing the documents and asking Kyouko a few questions, Shido placed them back on the table and looked at her calmly.
Hearing his words, Kyouko's eyes lit up with joy. She could finally breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that Shido would be acquiring their company.
"Really? Thank you so much."
Kyouko bowed her head in gratitude. After the scandal caused by Sugou, there had been an overwhelming amount of work to handle, from managing the business itself to addressing public concerns. They had to settle complaints from the public, and her husband even had to step down from his position as an apology.
Since then, all the burdens had fallen on her shoulders, leaving her busier than ever. Now, with Shido showing interest in their company and wanting to acquire it, Kyouko felt the weight pressing on her gradually lift. She could finally breathe a genuine sigh of relief.
Still, she couldn't help but smile helplessly inside, feeling a twinge of regret that their company would be sold to someone else. If only her husband didn't give Sugou so much authority then none of this would have led to this point.
Yet, now that Shido wanted to acquire the company, Kyouko began to consider her own future. Should she return to teaching at the university where she had previously worked, or should she find a new job entirely? She couldn't count on her husband, ever since stepping down as CEO, he had been living like a NEET, leaving all responsibility squarely on her shoulders.
As she was lost in thought, Shido's voice rang out again making her snap out of her daze and focus on Shido.
"Yes, Itsuka-san?" Kyouko missed the words Shido said so she embarrassedly asked again.
Nevertheless, Shido didn't really mind her actions since he know there was a lot going on in her mind since she was pressured so much lately. While acquireing RECT Progress Inc wasn't really that important to him. Seeing this mature and a little cold woman in front of him suddenly showed an embarrassed expression made Shido thought that it was all worth it.
After all, Kyouko rarely showed her true emotions, instead she would show a sharp and cold demeanor that often kept people at a distance, including her own daughter.
In reality, Kyouko wasn't a woman who disregarded the feelings of others. She simply found it difficult to be honest with herself and felt too embarrassed to express her true emotions. As a result, her feelings never reached her daughter, only further straining their relationship.
"I said that while I'll be acquiring your company, I'll still need someone to manage it, since I'm quite busy most of the time." Shido said, looking her straight in the eyes.
"…Oh, I see," Kyouko replied, nodding slowly, a bit puzzled by his sudden remark. Yet she didn't look away from his gaze. Instead, she found herself staring at him just as intently, and she couldn't help but sigh, Shido was simply too handsome.
'Sigh, If I weren't married to my husband, I might be tempted to...' The thought crossed Kyouko's mind, leaving her momentarily dumbfounded. She quickly shook her head, embarrassed that a dignified, married woman with a daughter like her could think of such shameless thoughts.
Her face flushed slightly as she stole a glance at Shido. He only smiled at her, making her heart skip a beat and stirring a strange, familiar feeling within her.
Yet, as she glanced beside Shido, Kyouko then realized that it wasn't just the two of them present in the room. Rinko was sitting beside Shido silently while looking at her with a strange gaze.
"!!!" Kyouko.
Seeing that she was seen and mostly likely, Rinko have seen her every reaction, Kyouko was frightened and embarrassed which caused her to lower her head in shame.
'This woman...' Rinko's lips twitched slightly as she observed Kyouko's expression, like that of a teenage girl caught staring at her crush. Yet, she sighed and couldn't really blame her if she became attracted to Shido. After all she know how dangerous his charm was, that would even make a married woman attracted to him.
Shido raised an eyebrow, sensing the inner turmoil flickering across the mature woman before him and was also the mother of the heroine and also his secretary beside him. Yet he said nothing, continuing with his words.
"So, as I was saying, I'll need a capable person to manage the company, and I want that person to be you, Yuuki-san."
"Eh? Are you sure?" Kyouko blinked in surprise at Shido's announcement, momentarily forgetting about Rinko's strange gaze. While it was uncommon for a new company owner to appoint the previous owner to manage operations, it did happen on occasion.
Seeing the surprise on her usually cold face, Shido chuckled quietly to himself, finding this mature woman surprisingly cute at times. If only she smiled more often, he was certain many men would be captivated by her beauty. Though, even with her cold and sharp demeanor, she was undeniably attractive.
Shido nodded reassuringly in response to her confusion. "Yes. I know you're a diligent woman, deeply committed to your work. And wouldn't it make more sense for the previous owner to help manage the company, since you're already familiar with its operations?"
"…Itsuka-san." Kyouko felt deeply moved by Shido's words. While she understood that he might also have information about her, including how she worked, it felt as if he genuinely wanted to help her, and that his earlier words had been just an excuse.
Whatever Shido's true intentions were, Kyouko couldn't help but feel that he was doing so much for her, even though this was their first meeting. Yet, as she contemplated his motives, a certain thought crossed her mind which made her face turned slightly pinkish and caused her to lower her gaze, sneaking a quick glance at Shido.
'Eh? He wouldn't possibly be interested in an old woman like me, right? After all, I'm already in my 40s, and I have a husband and a daughter.'
Kyouko felt a deep flush of embarrassment and shame at the thought. Yet, as she looked at Shido's smile and the way his eyes met hers so directly, she couldn't help but wonder if her thoughts weren't entirely impossible.
'There's no... way, right?'
Seeing her fall silent, Shido realized she was likely lost in some strange thoughts again, but he ignored it. "Of course, the work will be shared with Ymir, the group I'll assign to manage the company, and they'll cooperate with you."
After saying that, Shido gently look at Kyouko and said "So Yuuki-san, what would it be? Will you accept my proposal?"
"...I—" Kyouko.
Of course, the answer was already clear.