Episode 328: Gathering

Kusahara Yutaka (Rena’s cousin) POV

「Sorry to keep you waiting.」

「Not at all. I was just waiting of my own accord, so please don’t let it concern you.」

About an hour had passed since Managing Director Satsukawa entered the principal’s office.

Staff members had gone in with tea along the way, so I was prepared for a somewhat long wait.

I’d even resigned myself to the possibility of missing Rena’s big moment, but as someone in a certain position, there was no question about which should take priority.

So, I was relieved that it ended just as I was wondering how to make up for it if I did miss out.

Since Managing Director Satsukawa mentioned heading to the Miss Contest venue next, we should be able to make it in time for the final judging.

「Managing Director Satsukawa, are you heading to the venue?」

「Yes. I was delayed by some extra talk, but if we head there now, we should be able to see a little of it.」

「Understood. Well then…」

I was honestly quite curious about what kind of discussion Managing Director Satsukawa had come all this way to have with the principal.

Assuming it was about his daughter, bringing it to the principal would normally be quite an exaggeration.

Or perhaps it was a matter that couldn’t be discussed openly, though there was no reason to do that at a busy time like the school festival.

I wonder.

「Are you curious about the conversation?」

「Gasp!! N-no, not at all!!」

「It was a personal matter, so it was nothing major. Just a little something about the children…」

「I, I see…」

Darn it, what was I doing.

The Managing Director didn’t seem to mind, but showing too much curiosity while having accompanied him uninvited was a terrible look.

Especially with an important person where mistakes aren’t allowed, that was bad.

I have to be careful… wait.

Did he just say… the「children」?

I’m fairly sure Managing Director Satsukawa’s daughter was an only child. Just what did he mean by that?

「Kusahara-san, over here!!」

As we arrived in front of the venue, one of my subordinates who had been waiting rushed over.

They’d been here since morning and were fired up about securing a spot in advance. With a crowd this large, we probably wouldn’t have been able to see much without it.

「This is incredible. When I was at this school, we didn’t have this many regular guests.」

「You’re right. I came to watch last year too, but I wonder if there was even half this many people…」

To be precise, I only saw part of it, but there were so many regular guests. Students from other schools, middle-aged people, families, and I don’t really want to say it like this, but people who looked like what they call otaku. There weren’t this many spectators before.

The crowd and scale are clearly different from last year. What on earth is going on?

「M-M-Managing Director Satsukawa, I am truly sorry for the late greeting! I am…」

「Ah, I told him earlier too, but we aren’t at the office and we aren’t meeting for work, so you don’t have to be so formal, you know?」

「Y-yes, thank you very much!!」

Well… it’s impossible not to be nervous in front of the Managing Director Satsukawa.

To think I’d meet a top executive from the main office… the man said to be the next Chairman of the Saba Group… in a place like this. Calling it unexpected doesn’t even cover it.

I’d let them know just in case, but even if they were prepared, this reaction was unavoidable.

「I’ll introduce my subordinates properly later. More importantly, Managing Director, what would you like to do now?」

「Hmm… I tried to contact Mayumi… my Wife, earlier, but I couldn’t get through. My RAIN messages aren’t being marked as read either. She was supposed to be here ahead of me, so I planned to meet up with her…」

「I see. But in this situation, finding your Wife might be difficult.」

「Yeah, you’re right. Now, what should I do…」

「If it’s alright with you, would you like to join us? Fortunately, we’ve secured some space.」

I’d contacted my subordinates with this possibility in mind, after all.

And this was a rare opportunity. Introducing my subordinates to the next Group Chairman. If I thought of it as a benefit or a reward for them sticking with me, it wasn’t a bad deal.

「Y-yes!! We’ve secured plenty of space, so if Managing Director Satsukawa is okay with it, please join us!!」

「Is that so? Then I’ll take you up on that. Honestly, I could try contacting Kazunari-kun, but Sara would probably be angry if I did that.」

「Pardon? Did you say something?」

「No, no, it’s nothing. Well then, sorry for the trouble, but I’ll count on you.」

Alright.

Now all that’s left is to introduce my subordinates to the Managing Director… and when we meet up with his Wife, I’ll give my greetings. And once the Miss Contest is over, I’ll greet the daughter too.

That’s right, since the Managing Director’s daughter is competing, I have to think about the cheering as well.

I’ll keep the cheering for Rena moderate and do a bit more for the daughter… though I’ll have to warn my subordinates not to make it too obvious.

Everything should work out as long as Rena handles herself well.

Fufu… things are going too smoothly.

If anything, it’s so smooth it’s almost scary.

I’m impressed with myself.

Currently, the cooking round… the final judging… is happening on stage, and the hype in the stands is incredible.

Everyone is shouting the names of the contestants they support, including Rena’s name, of course.

But the name being shouted the most, no matter how you listen to it, is Satsukawa Sara-san. There’s an overwhelming, clear difference.

Rena is definitely at a disadvantage at this point, but unfortunately, it’s a fact that I find that unavoidable.

Because… the daughter’s beauty is just that superior.

I’d caught a glimpse of her at a party before, but this is the first time I’ve seen her this clearly.

Call it bias if you want, but Rena is undeniably a beauty herself, yet the Managing Director’s daughter is literally on a different dimension.

Just seeing her standing there is breathtaking. Features so perfect they’re almost a work of art, and long black hair that even other women would envy. A neat appearance with an atmosphere that suggests a certain strength of heart… I’ve never seen a woman who fits the word「dignified」so perfectly.

Even what they call「idols」on the street would pale in comparison to her.

Against such a beautiful girl, it’s impossible for Rena to win on looks alone. That’s clear from the cheers in the stands, and as much as I feel for her, I have to admit it.

Of course, I can’t be purely happy about it… but it’s safe to say that even without Rena being considerate, the daughter’s victory is certain.

Normally, that is.

「Wh-what’s going on… what is Mayumi doing?」

Managing Director Satsukawa stared at the scene on stage, looking stunned and dazed, as if he couldn’t understand the situation in front of him at all.

But I felt exactly the same.

「TH-THIS IS A SURPRISEEEEE!!!!! This unexpected mother-daughter showdown is actually a battle with the exact same dish!!!! I guess you chose the same dish as a trial for your daughter, then!!!!!」

A mother-daughter showdown… no matter how you look at her, that’s definitely Satsukawa Mayumi-san.

No, to begin with, it’s impossible to mistake her. Managing Director Satsukawa’s Wife is famous within the Sawa Group as a legendary beauty… in that sense, you could say the daughter’s beauty comes from her Mother’s blood.

Wait, this isn’t the time for that!!

「Why didn’t you report the Wife’s presence!?」

「No, we had no idea what was happening either…」

「Until just a moment ago, she had a different name and was in disguise!! It happened so suddenly that even we were half in doubt…」

A different name… and a disguise?

Does that mean she was participating while hiding her identity?

「M-Managing Director Satsukawa…」

「…No, sorry, I can’t quite grasp the situation myself… what on earth is Mayumi doing…」

His own Wife, participating in a Miss Contest with a hidden identity. If there’s anyone who could easily accept such a situation, I’d like to see them.

Even so, I didn’t know what to say… I couldn’t exactly go barging in and demand they stop the contest.

「Managing Director Satsukawa, I’m sure your Wife has a reason…」

「I’m sure she does. But… I wonder what I should do…」

Managing Director Satsukawa stared intently at his Wife on stage with a bewildered look.

But unfortunately, I didn’t have anything I could say about it.

The only thing I knew for sure was that the greeting after we met up might have become difficult.

Or, if I could handle it well, maybe I could get on the Wife’s good side too. Either way, for now, I just have to watch how things unfold.

「Alright!!! Three minutes remaining!!!!」

The timer on the screen dropped below three minutes, and the movements of the contestants on stage became even more frantic.

In the middle of that, Sara-san and Mayumi-san, who were plating their dishes, looked perfectly on track without any sign of panic.

Well… I can’t imagine Sara-san ever being troubled by anything related to cooking.

「Oh, it looks like Satsukawa-senpai’s finished.」

「Mayumi-san finished too.」

「Almost at the same time, huh.」

「Now then, I wonder how the results will turn out.」

Since she made the same recipe as Mayumi-san, the technical side will be the biggest factor. There will be fine seasonings and subtle adjustments, of course, but just how well can she do against a serious Mayumi-san?

「Munch, munch…」

Meanwhile, Mio-chan was having snack time while quietly being held by me.

She was munching happily on a madeleine Kazumi-san had given her.

Her puffed-out cheeks and the tiny hands gripping the madeleine reminded me of a small animal like a hamster or a squirrel.

How could anyone not think this is cute!!!

Also, Hanako-san, I get how you feel, but you’re being way too desperate with that filming. You look like a camera geek at a certain convention… not that I’ve seen one in person.

「Here, onii-chan, say ahhh.」

With those cute little hands, Mio-chan gently brought a small piece of madeleine to my lips.

Well then, don’t mind if I do.

Chomp… munch, munch…

Oh, this is good.

「Is it good?」

「Yeah, it’s delicious.」

「Right!」

「Gasp!!??」

Mio-chan gave an innocent smile to my response… and Hanako-san suddenly spit「something」out and collapsed.

Well… I guess that can’t be helped.

「KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!」

「SO CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!!!!」

Huh!?

Suddenly, a chorus of high-pitched screams erupted for the first time since the Miss Contest began.

There are nothing but guys around us, and it sounded like it came from pretty far back… wait, what was so cute, and what happened?

「Onii-chan, look!!」

When I checked the direction Mio-chan was frantically pointing, there we were… on the screen!?

Was it that camera!?

「MAAAAAAN, Vice President, thanks for the nice footage!!!!!! Sorry about that, we had a request from a certain area… oh, give the camera a wave!!!」

Mio-chan waved her hands happily.

Caught up in it, I waved my hand too… what am I doing?

「TAKANASHI-KUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!!」

「VICE PRESIDEE-E-E-E-E-NT!!!!」

「…Pardon?」

And for some reason, I heard… high-pitched cheers calling my name??

Um, seriously, what is this?

「Let me give an explanation!!! After seeing that footage earlier, the women in the audience sent in requests to see the Vice President again!!!! I’m not one to talk, but that scene is really gonna score some points with the girl… no… well… um… IT’S NOTHING I’M SORRY PLEASE FORGIVE ME I WON’T DO IT AGAIN!」

Her smirking face as she teased me shifted instantly into a look of terror, as if she’d seen something she shouldn’t have… Minamin started muttering apologies like a spell.

What happened all of a sudd… oh.

「Ah… Minamin, you really did it now.」

「That host stepped right on the Wife’s landmine. She’s got guts.」

「Whoa… Sa-Satsukawa-senpai is…」

「Sa-Satsukawa-senpai… mentioned other girls to Kazunari right in front of her…」

「That was… a suicide mission…」

No, no, guys, you’re exaggerating.

Is what I wanted to say, but I couldn’t.

Even from here, I can tell Sara-san’s eyes are completely dead.

That cold gaze was piercing through Minamin intensely. There was no path left for her but to tremble and mutter apologies like someone fearing a snake… no, a Goddess’s divine punishment.

But it’s a fact that Sara-san is scary…

「Fukazawa-san…?」

「HIIIIIIIIEEEEEE!!! I’M SORRY I’M SO SORRY I GOT CARRIED AWAYYYYYY!!!! I’LL GET MOVING RIGHT AWAYYYY!!!」

Minamin gave a sharp, military-style salute and started scurrying away for cover.

Sara-san’s intense pressure seemed to be affecting the surroundings as well. The other contestants were all frozen… though Mayumi-san was just giving a wry smile.

But if you ask me, that scene just now was more about「Mio-chan as the lead + me,」so it wasn’t that big a deal, right?

I’m not so full of myself that I’d get carried away by that.

BEEP!!!!!!!!

「TIME’S UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!!!!」

The whistle signaling the end of the match… I mean, the end of the time limit, rang out, and Minamin made the closing declaration.

With that, all the contestants had done their part. All that was left was to wait for the results. Some looked relieved and showed expressions of peace, while others looked anxious as they compared their own dishes with those around them.

Sara-san and Mayumi-san were staring at each other with serious faces.

In the middle of that, the only one wearing a strangely confident, smug look was… it’s a complete mystery why she’s that confident.

「Now then, before this wonderful food gets cold, let’s get right into the judging!!! Judges, please come on up!!!!」

At Minamin’s signal, a group appeared from the side of the stage… the judges.

The ratio was heavily skewed toward women, with only a few men mixed in. Those were probably people from the Prep Committee.

But more than that, what caught my eye was the final, unique presence.

A misplaced traditional Japanese outfit, and a white wig? An old man(?) with a long beard covering his mouth… wait, no way!?

「Who’s that at the end?」

「Who knows… probably some kind of cosplay?」

「That’s King of Ta…」

「Stop, Hanako-san, you shouldn’t go any further.」

That name was too direct, so an emergency stop order came down from God.

It’s true that when you hear cooking judging, you think of that ridiculous old man who has things flying out of his mouth, or a certain club for eating delicious food… no, it’s nothing.

「It’s delicii…」

「Hanako-san, STOOOOP!!!」

「Mph…」

Detecting a very dangerous line, God issued a second emergency stop order!!!

My right hand was busy holding Mio-chan, so I used my free left hand to cover Hanako-san’s mouth… wait!? Oh, crap…

「Mnh…」

Chu.

A soft, warm sensation on my palm. I instantly remembered my previous failure and tried to pull my hand away, but it was too late.

I’d received another kiss from Hanako-san.

It was a little ticklish…

「Hwaaaaa!! H-H-Hanako-san!!??」

「Wait!? In a place like this…」

「Ah, whoops. I didn’t mean to.」

Despite what she said, Hanako-san didn’t look at all like she’d made a mistake.

And Todo-san, who had clearly seen the whole thing, was bright red… while Mio-chan looked at her and tilted her head curiously. Kazumi-san too.

I’m glad they didn’t see me…

「Marina onee-chan, what’s wrong?」

「Hwaaa!? N-n-nothing’s wrong!?」

Looking at that reaction, how many people would actually be satisfied with「nothing’s wrong」?

Well, it was my fault for reaching out carelessly in the first place.

「Now, we’ll begin the judging!!!!」

On stage, the judges started writing something on the check sheets(?) in their hands as they looked at the dishes lined up in front of them. Were they scoring the appearance?

「I’m kind of nervous. Regardless of the Miss Contest results, Satsukawa-senpai worked so hard…」

「I’m sure she’ll be fine. Right, Takanashi-kun?」

「Yeah… Sara-san will definitely win.」

I said that, but I couldn’t help but wish her opponent hadn’t been Mayumi-san.

And with her even sealing her dishes for me to compete, the truth was I couldn’t say for sure that she’d win.

But… even so, if it’s Sara-san.

Sara-san, who has built up her daily efforts in our life together. I’m sure… no, she will definitely win.

So, I’ll just believe in that and wait for the results.