On the expressway outside Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School.
A black sedan cruised along smoothly, the scenery beyond the windows streaming backward in a blur.
Sakayanagi Narumori sat behind the wheel, both hands on it, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.
There was something relaxed in his face, and something wistful too.
"It really is remarkable…" he said, breaking the silence in the car.
"I never imagined your body would actually be healed by Shiki."
A trace of disbelief still lingered in his voice. His daughter's condition was something Sakayanagi Narumori had long since given up hope on, and now that a healthy daughter stood before him, he felt nothing but gratitude toward Shikime Natsu.
In the passenger seat, Sakayanagi Arisu heard her father's words and let out a soft laugh.
She wore casual clothes, her long silver hair spilling over her shoulders, those violet eyes carrying a serene detachment.
"We already discussed this on the way here," she said.
"Of course, Father, if you want to know how Natsu managed it, I won't be telling you. That is his secret. And… I'd like you to keep this secret as well."
Hearing that, Sakayanagi Narumori gave a helpless laugh.
"All right, all right. If you won't say, you won't say."
He nodded, then continued.
"Still… the fact that your body has recovered is the best outcome there is."
"After all… all these years, watching you rely on that cane every single day — it never sat well with me."
"Now it's over. You can finally live like anyone else."
"Mm."
Sakayanagi Arisu answered softly, her gaze drifting out the window, that faint smile still resting on her face.
Sakayanagi Narumori paused, then went on.
"That reminds me. Dr. Zaizen was quite curious as well."
"He asked me… how exactly your body recovered. I brushed him off with something vague at the time, of course. I have no idea whether Dr. Zaizen believed it, but a recovery like yours is already beyond belief, so whatever I said should hold up well enough."
At those words, the corner of Sakayanagi Arisu's mouth curved upward. She was quite satisfied with how her father had handled it.
Dr. Zaizen was one of the finest physicians in Japan, a man of considerable standing and reputation in the medical world. Ordinarily he was extraordinarily busy, but today he happened to have an opening, and Sakayanagi Narumori had secured an appointment.
After all… even though Sakayanagi Arisu's body appeared fully restored, as a father he still wanted to confirm, as far as possible, that nothing had been overlooked.
So he had taken advantage of the weekend to bring her out for an examination.
By the rules, once a student entered Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, they were forbidden from contacting the outside world for three years.
That was the school's regulation, and the constraint placed on its students.
But… this was a special case.
Besides, Sakayanagi Narumori was the chairman.
A minor rule like that hardly bound him.
The car rolled on down the expressway, the scenery outside shifting at speed. Sakayanagi Narumori was quiet for a while before speaking again.
"Even so…"
There was something complicated in his tone.
"Arisu, I never expected…"
"That your heart would end up set on Shiki."
Sakayanagi Arisu raised an eyebrow slightly. She said nothing, only listened.
Sakayanagi Narumori kept his eyes on the road ahead, then spoke again, slowly.
"Can you truly accept it… that Shiki has that many girlfriends?"
"As I see it, Arisu, you've always been a child with a great deal of pride."
"You've been that way since you were small."
"Whatever you did, you demanded the very best of yourself."
"Whoever you faced, you never bowed your head easily."
"Can someone like that… really accept… sharing a boyfriend with other girls?"
He paused, then continued.
"If it makes you feel wronged… there's no need for any of it."
"The debt for healing your body — the Sakayanagi family can repay it."
"With money, or by some other means…"
"We can find a way."
"There's no reason… for you to force yourself to endure this."
Sakayanagi Arisu simply gave a light laugh at her father's words, an odd brightness flickering through those violet eyes.
"Father… I love Natsu. There's no question about that. So no matter how many girls stand beside him, I will never leave him."
"Feelings like these can't be faked, and I would never date someone I didn't love."
When Sakayanagi Arisu said it, her tone was thoroughly serious.
Sakayanagi Narumori blinked, then sighed. If his daughter had grown this serious, there was nothing more for him to say. It was her decision, and it wasn't his place to interfere.
Still, something felt missing, and after a moment it came to him — the missing piece was a certain arrogant flourish.
The Sakayanagi Arisu he knew would have added something like, "In this world, apart from Natsu, I don't think anyone is worthy of me."
Yet she hadn't said it this time. Had something in her changed?
He had to admit — somewhere beyond his sight, his daughter had grown a great deal.
Sakayanagi Narumori watched the road ahead, hands on the wheel, fingers tapping lightly against it. It was a good while before he spoke.
"Then… what about that prodigy from the White Room?"
"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. As I recall, didn't you once declare you'd defeat him?"
At that name, Sakayanagi Arisu laughed softly.
"That was never affection, only a competitive streak. Besides, set against Natsu, Ayanokouji is a firefly next to the bright moon."
Sakayanagi Narumori raised an eyebrow. His daughter had fallen for the boy completely.
"You know it yourself, Father. Natsu's ability can't be measured by ordinary standards of genius. What he can do… it goes beyond the range of normal human beings. Forget Ayanokouji — even if the entire White Room came at him together, I doubt they'd be a match for Natsu."
Listening to her, Sakayanagi Narumori thought back on Shikime Natsu's performance at the school. Thanks to that boy, the special exams had become little more than scrap paper.
They posed no difficulty whatsoever to Shikime Natsu. The school had been founded to cultivate talent through competition — and while Shikime Natsu certainly counted as talent, and had helped a great many students grow, in the end he had stripped away the process of competing itself.
For some people, competition was genuinely necessary. But faced with a mountain like Shikime Natsu, the will to compete inevitably withered.
Sakayanagi Narumori nodded slightly, then spoke again.
"Since that's how you feel, I have nothing more to add. As long as you're moving in the direction you want, there's no problem."
"Mm."
Sakayanagi Arisu answered quietly and turned her gaze back to the window.
The car drove on. After a while, Sakayanagi Narumori spoke up again.
"By the way…"
"Before we head back to the school, there's someone we need to see for a moment."
"Someone we need to see?"
Sakayanagi Arisu raised an eyebrow, looking at her father with mild surprise.
"Who?"
Sakayanagi Narumori answered calmly.
"Mr. Ayanokouji."
At the name, Sakayanagi Arisu fell silent for a moment, then nodded and said nothing more.
After all… the matter didn't concern her.
Ayanokouji Atsuomi… the man in charge of the White Room, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's father.
Ayanokouji Atsuomi did have no small amount of dealings with her father. But none of that had anything to do with Sakayanagi Arisu. All she needed to focus on was her own affairs; irrelevant people weren't worth a thought.
Before long, Sakayanagi Narumori brought her to a restaurant that looked rather upscale.
The interior leaned toward Japanese minimalism — wooden tables and chairs, warm amber lighting, an atmosphere of quiet comfort.
Sakayanagi Narumori led his daughter into a private room, and they sat down.
Not long after, the door slid open and a middle-aged man stepped inside. He wore a well-tailored suit, his hair combed without a strand out of place, a certain severity on his face.
His eyes were sharp, and paired with those features they lent him a stern impression. It was Ayanokouji Atsuomi.
"Sakayanagi." He offered the greeting in a flat tone.
"Mr. Ayanokouji." Sakayanagi Narumori rose to his feet, answering with a smile. "Please, have a seat."
Ayanokouji Atsuomi nodded and sat down, his gaze drifting briefly to Sakayanagi Arisu at the side, taking her measure with a single glance.
Then he spoke.
"So this time… Chairman Sakayanagi has come out for your daughter's sake, I take it?"
"Mm." Sakayanagi Narumori nodded, smiling. "I brought her out for an examination. After all… health matters most."
"I see…"
Ayanokouji Atsuomi nodded and asked nothing further. To him as well, Sakayanagi Arisu fell outside the range of things worth his attention. A moment later, he and Sakayanagi Narumori exchanged a glance.
Sakayanagi Narumori understood at once that the man intended to speak with him alone.
He turned his head toward his daughter and said, "Arisu, step out for a bit."
"Mr. Ayanokouji and I… have matters to discuss."
"Mm."
Sakayanagi Arisu nodded and stood. She had no desire to involve herself in whatever passed between them anyway.
After all… conversations between adults like this had nothing to do with her.
She walked out of the room and pulled the door shut behind her.
Inside, only Sakayanagi Narumori and Ayanokouji Atsuomi remained.
Sakayanagi Narumori lifted his teacup, took a small sip, set it down again, and looked at the other man.
"So then…" he asked. "What is it that brings Mr. Ayanokouji to call on me?"
"Please, speak plainly."
At that, Ayanokouji Atsuomi raised his eyes and settled them squarely on Sakayanagi Narumori, meeting his gaze.
"There's a boy at your school called Shikime Natsu, isn't there?"
"…"
Nothing in Sakayanagi Narumori's face shifted at the name. He merely offered a faint smile and nodded.
Ayanokouji Atsuomi continued.
"That boy… is quite exceptional."
"Whether in academics, or in physical ability…"
"He stands head and shoulders above the rest."
"And more than that… he pulls those around him forward with him."
"That is not something an ordinary person can do."
"One might call it… quite remarkable."
Sakayanagi Narumori nodded at that.
"Indeed. Shiki is the finest talent I have encountered in my life."
"I've never denied that."
Ayanokouji Atsuomi watched him, something weighted behind those sharp eyes.
"Then—"
He paused, then said, "I want to meet that boy."
"I wonder… whether you might arrange it?"
Sakayanagi Narumori was silent for a moment. Then he shook his head.
"No."
His tone left no room for negotiation.
At the refusal, Ayanokouji Atsuomi's brow furrowed slightly.
"Why?"
Sakayanagi Narumori looked at him and said, "Allowing Mr. Ayanokouji to see Kiyotaka last time was already an exception."
"But this time… wanting to see Shiki is something I cannot permit. Besides, Mr. Ayanokouji has no connection whatsoever to this boy called Shiki, does he?"
"I can't hand a student over for a meeting simply because Mr. Ayanokouji asks."
"It's against the rules."
Ayanokouji Atsuomi went quiet for a while, his gaze resting on Sakayanagi Narumori with a distinct pressure behind it.
"Truly not?"
"Truly not." Sakayanagi Narumori's answer was as firm as before.
"However many times Mr. Ayanokouji asks…"
"My answer will be the same."
"No."
Ayanokouji Atsuomi studied him, an unreadable glint passing through those sharp eyes. Then he stood.
"In that case…" he said, his voice level. "I won't trouble you further."
He turned and walked toward the door of the private room.
At the threshold he stopped, without looking back.
"Still — no matter how you try to stop me, I will meet him."
He left the words behind, pushed the door open, and walked out.
The door slid shut with a soft click.
Sakayanagi Narumori remained in his chair, looking after him, and let out a quiet sigh.
He hadn't expected it… that without anyone noticing, Shikime Natsu — still inside the school — had already surfaced in the sights of quite a few people beyond its walls.
Outside, Sakayanagi Arisu stood in the corridor, leaning against the wall with her arms folded. Seeing Ayanokouji Atsuomi emerge so quickly, she raised an eyebrow.
Ayanokouji Atsuomi glanced at her, said nothing, and turned to leave.
Sakayanagi Arisu watched his retreating back. Clearly, the exchange had not gone pleasantly.
Then she pushed open the door and stepped inside.
"Finished talking?" she asked.
"Mm." Sakayanagi Narumori nodded and rose to his feet.
"Let's go. Back to the school."
"What did he want from you?" Sakayanagi Arisu asked, a note of curiosity in her voice.
"Nothing much. He wanted to meet Shiki, that's all. I refused, of course." Sakayanagi Narumori shook his head as he spoke.
"Good."
Sakayanagi Arisu nodded slightly at his answer. The two of them had a simple lunch, then got back into the car. Sakayanagi Narumori started the engine, and the sedan rolled slowly out of the parking lot.
Sakayanagi Arisu sat in the passenger seat, gaze fixed beyond the window, lost in thoughts of her own.
Sakayanagi Narumori glanced at his daughter, then said, "Arisu, when you get back, remind Shiki about this. Mr. Ayanokouji isn't the sort of man who gives up easily. If he wants to meet Shiki, he'll certainly have more than one way to go about it."
Sakayanagi Arisu nodded, a cold light flickering through those violet eyes.
"Understood."
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