Episode 209: Eri POV

Sara and Takanashi-san… I want to congratulate them from the bottom of my heart on becoming fiancés.

Sometimes I feel like they’ve left me behind, but I truly want to celebrate my two precious friends being joined together.

But those two are currently caught up in a mess that my future self and my wonderful husband (desperately desired) might eventually face too.

To put it bluntly, both Sara and I are「Ojou-samas.」On top of that, we’re in positions where we might have to shoulder our respective companies (though in Sara’s case, it just turned out that way)… basically, we’re in a position where simple romance is difficult.

You have to demand a certain level of resolve from your partner; it requires a heavy outlook on love.

Takanashi-san probably doesn’t understand that yet, but with his unwavering determination to not hesitate for Sara’s sake, I’m sure he’ll adapt. And Sara, who found such a partner through pure love, is truly happy. I’m a bit jealous… if only such a person would appear for me… wait, my own situation doesn’t matter right now.

This current issue definitely has a lot of uncertain factors. Maybe there’s no need to think about it so grandly yet. It might just be settled if we watch their progress and the President of Saba eventually acknowledges them.

But this involves other people.

Even if those two want it and their families allow it, as long as it’s on the stage of a corporation, there’s no guarantee the people around them will permit it.

The fact that a marriage meeting proposal came up means there’s a high possibility that more people will finally start making their moves.

If it were just a personal romance, you wouldn’t need to listen to outside voices. In that sense, as a last resort, Sara could choose to abandon the Satsukawa name.

But if Takanashi-san won’t stand for that, then as their best friend, I want to do what I can.

But how…

I took on the task of seeing if there was anything I could do, but the more I thought about it, the less I felt like it was something I could handle.

It’s only natural that I’d be called presumptuous for trying to interfere in such a massive matter when I’m still a student with only the slightest involvement in company operations.

Knock, knock…

The sound of a knock on the door brought my consciousness back to reality from the depths of my thoughts.

「Yes.」

「Eri-san, did you call for me?」

「Come in.」

「Pardon me.」

The woman who quietly opened the door and entered with perfect posture was the secretary who always acts as my conversation partner. She’s well-versed in various matters, and she’s the person I rely on most as a consultant.

「Sorry, Yuki-san. There’s something else I want to consult you about…」

「Yes, I’ve heard as much, so please, don’t hold back.」

I gestured for her to take a seat, but she seemed intent on proceeding with the talk as she was.

In that case, I’ll start with an explanation of the current situation…

「Actually, a close friend of mine is getting engaged…」

「Would that be Satsukawa Sara-san?」

Yuki-san brought up Sara’s name just from me saying「close friend.」

Then again, she probably judged that Sara was the only person among my friends who could end up in a special situation like an engagement.

「Yes.」

「By the way, is it a political…」

Yuki-san’s eyes grew thin and sharp. This woman is strict regarding matters that disparage women.

「No, it’s love.」

「I see. That’s a joyous occasion then.」

Her expression softened instantly.

I’ll keep the fact that I found her a bit scary to myself.

From there, I began explaining the current situation.

Whether it was through experience or knowledge, she spoke while mixing in questions as if calmly analyzing something.

Once the general explanation was finished, she immediately responded to my consultation.

「I see, he sounds like a quite likeable young man. By the way, I feel like I’ve heard the name Takanashi before…」

Yuki-san spoke as if confirming something while trying to remember.

The name Takanashi from a previous matter involving Yuki-san…

「Ah, the Yamazaki incident. The person who was acting as our center back then was…」

「Is that so? So that person is the one this time… It’s great to hear that Sara-san has also formed a bond with a good person. If that’s the case, as an employee of the Nishikawa Group, I must show my gratitude to the person who helped the President and our Ojou-sama. I will support this matter with everything I have.」

Thank goodness…

It’s truly reassuring to have Yuki-san’s cooperation. Honestly, this was a problem too big for me to handle alone, so I really wanted the help of an adult.

「Thank you. So, about our future response…」

「Yes. Actually, I’ve seen this type of story several times before, so I believe I understand the problems with this case.」

I heard a truly reliable word from Yuki-san.

I believe nothing beats experience, so if I could just get some good advice based on that…

「However, unfortunately, this is a matter involving another company. If they use that as a reason, intervening becomes extremely difficult and risks inviting unnecessary backlash. Therefore, we should discard the option of direct intervention and instead aim to ‘secure the perimeter.’ That’s more realistic.」

I also knew that direct intervention would be difficult. If we’re told not to meddle in other people’s business, everything ends there.

But aiming for the perimeter without intervening?

How would we do that…

「To put it bluntly, Eri-san, you understand that if Takanashi-san is acknowledged, everything will be solved at once. So, in this case, securing the perimeter means…」

「You mean creating a situation where the other side has no choice but to acknowledge him? But isn’t that difficult?」

I understand Yuki-san’s point.

It’s true that if that were possible, the problem would be solved instantly. But I thought it would be impossible to suddenly get Takanashi-san acknowledged when he has no achievements or connections to the company at all. I knew from yesterday’s talk that was the hardest part.

「Normally, that would be true. But I think you’re very lucky this time. In fact, if it weren’t for this element, I’m not sure if I could have found a solution. Because Takanashi-san has the President and Eri-san in his debt from the Yamazaki incident.」

「A debt… you say? It’s true we’re indebted to him, but…」

I believe it’s a fact that my Father and I were helped by Takanashi-san. In reality, we wouldn’t have even noticed the situation without him, and as a result, he helped me personally and even prevented damage to the entire Nishikawa Group.

「The President met directly with Senior Managing Director Satsukawa and, using the information and evidence provided by Sara-san, well, from the Senior Managing Director’s side, they worked together to eliminate President Yamazaki. Afterward, a meeting was held where he expressed his immense gratitude to the Senior Managing Director… If he learns that all of that was led by Takanashi-san, the Senior Managing Director’s future son-in-law, the President will definitely listen. Of course, there’s other necessary talk, but I’ll be present to help with that. Eri-san, you just need to convey to the President that Takanashi-san is a good person and your close friend. With that, my words should carry more weight.」

Amazing!

I can clearly see the situation, which I thought was a complete dead end, starting to move.

This must be what they call a ray of light.

I’ve known about Yuki-san’s competence for a long time, but I really want her to work as my exclusive secretary in the future…

「There are two main keys to making this a success. First, Takanashi-san must be officially recognized by the Senior Managing Director as his daughter’s fiancé; that’s the absolute prerequisite. Next, since I’ll be helping too, Eri-san, let’s report the details of the Yamazaki incident to the President. If we can gain his cooperation…」

「If we can, then that will ultimately lead to ‘securing the perimeter’!?」

「Yes. As long as we don’t intervene directly, we can suppress the backlash from the Saba side. I’ll iron out the details of the plan on my end and report back once it’s taken shape.」

Good, there was still a chance for us to make a move!

The Yamazaki incident was a loathsome affair, but it’s ironic that its existence is turning into an element that will help those two.

At any rate, I just hope this will surely be of help to them…

That night, I was having a group RAIN conversation with Natsumi and Hanako-san.

The reason was to have Natsumi follow up for Sara, and Hanako-san follow up for Takanashi-san. I think Hanako-san is an especially necessary presence for Takanashi-san right now.

「But… Sara is acting a bit pathetic right now, isn’t she?」

My true feelings slipped out.

It was something I’d actually been thinking just a little bit…

「Well, don’t say that, Eri-rin. Sara only recently ended up in her current position. She probably wasn’t mentally prepared.」

「Even considering that, it’s still a bit pathetic. Takanashi-kun is desperately trying to psych himself up, so it’s a wife’s job to support him. Instead, she’s scared and just pampering herself with him.」

It’s exactly as Hanako-san says. The original Sara would’ve likely negotiated with her father herself, forced him to acknowledge her relationship with Takanashi-san, and then yelled at him to never bring up such a talk again.

But right now, that strength is nowhere to be seen, which is exactly why I find it pathetic.

「This is just a guess, but until now she’s just been running full speed ahead with nothing but her feelings of love, so she probably never even considered the possibility of breaking up with Takanashi-kun. But with this incident, she realized for the first time that there’s a possibility of being torn apart regardless of their own will, and she probably got scared all of a sudden.」

It’s true that what Natsumi says might be possible.

If she’s realized for the first time that their relationship might not be 100% absolute due to the existence of an opponent she can’t overcome…

It wouldn’t be strange if her feelings were so strong that she’s become physically unable to leave Takanashi-san’s side out of fear.

「…That might be true. But as things are, Takanashi-kun won’t be able to give it his all. We definitely need to light a fire under her.」

「I agree. Natsumi, when you take Sara out this weekend, I’ll go with you.」

「Got it!」

Adults interfering with the pure feelings of those two with their dirty ulterior motives. I wonder if the day will come when I feel that reality for myself too…