A Late Bloomer's Powerful Restart ~My Second Life Starts at a Prestigious School Where the Gender Ratio Is Totally Off, and for Some Reason, All These Talented Girls Get Attached to Me...!?~ - 03

Chapter 3: Making Sure the Connection Does Not Break This Time

Yashima Electronics.

In this era, this company is still a major corporation representing the country, but it will soon fall into management difficulties.

Even in my first life, the connection with the managing family was cut off, but it was not that I had no involvement at all. After joining the Kunoe Group, a certain product developed by this company became one of the reasons for my promotion.

That said, the current relationship is by no means good.

It lies in the deteriorated relationship between the current chairman, Kasumi Yashima, and his daughter, who is my mother.

My mother got fed up with the numerous marriage proposals arranged by her father and eloped with my dad, so to speak.

As proof, my father’s accompaniment was not allowed at this gathering.

Otherwise, my dad, a humble novelist, would surely have come eagerly to such a rare occasion.

I put on the best clothes I had at home and headed to the Yashima residence, overwhelmed by the interior befitting what could be called nobility and the antique furniture.

In the dining room, the Yashima clan relatives sat at a long table.

“Mitsu, you are late. The food is about to get cold because of you.”

Mitsu is my mother.

As you can see, the one who threw clearly unwelcoming words was Chuya Yashima, the eldest son of Chairman Yashima. In other words, my uncle.

Next to him sat his son, Kuya Yashima… since he is the same age as me, he sent meaningful glances while grinning.

Finally, the second son, Utsumi Yashima, kept glancing at my mom and acting suspiciously. This person felt creepy even in my previous life.

“Both of you, sit down.”

To my tense mother, Kasumi Yashima, the head of the clan and chairman of Yashima Electronics, called out firmly.

Prompted by those words, we took seats at the table lined with luxurious dishes.

Judging from the cold glances toward my mom, improving the parent-child relationship seems quite difficult.

The meal in this tense atmosphere felt just like a meeting room gathered for overtime.

It was something I was used to, but no one could enjoy a meal in such an atmosphere.

At that time, the one who broke the heavy air was my uncle Chuya.

“By the way, Father, how is the talk about getting Kuya into Teimon Academy? You will consider it, right?”

“!?”

Kuya, Chuya’s son, is around the age to think about high school entrance exams.

But I never thought the words “Teimon Academy” would come up, and I almost choked.

“There will be no favoritism for Kuya’s exam. I believe I said that before.”

“B-But… we cannot send the heir of the Yashima family to just any high school—”

Unlike me, Kuya carries the Yashima name.

Normally, he should advance to university on an escalator system without exams, but the title of being from Teimon Academy has that much prestige.

“There is no backdoor admission to Teimon.”

However, Grandpa’s attitude did not change.

“Father, do you think I know nothing? Teimon Academy has recommendation slots, do they not? I heard that exams are mere decoration, and most upper-class children get in through recommendations.”

“…That is not wrong.”

Hey, seriously? This is troublesome.

Then, even if I take the exam normally and get good scores, there is a chance of failing.

Saying exams are decoration means the passing criteria for general slots are opaque.

“But I did not use any recommendation slot.”

“As a result, I failed, did I not! Please understand that I desperately do not want my son to suffer.”

“…Mitsu passed, did she not?”

“…!”

At that reply, my uncle clenched his teeth and fell silent.

This was another surprising truth.

Mom is a Teimon graduate? Moreover, from this atmosphere, the eldest and second sons failed.

If so, the most outstanding among the siblings was Mom, was it not?

…I gradually started to understand why my uncle mocks Mom so much.

This person probably has a complex about his excellent younger sister.

(I am starting to read it… so, calling me and Mom was for this reason.)

Probably, we were called to poke at my uncle’s weakness.

If my uncle had been asking Grandpa to help with his son’s admission, this topic coming up is predictable.

If Grandpa called Mom, who is my uncle’s weakness, in advance, it makes sense.

Kasumi Yashima… I had no chance to talk directly in the first loop, but he is quite a sly old man.

“Even so, there is no reason not to use the Yashima recommendation slot!? It is unthinkable not to use what we have. Come on, Kuya has something to say too.”

“G-Grandpa, please! As the only heir of the Yashima family, I will do my best!”

The parent and child stood up together and bowed to Grandpa.

Grandpa stroked his beard, pondered, and stared at them. Just as he was about to speak again… there, I raised my hand.

“Um… sorry for interrupting, but… am I not counted as a Yashima heir?”

“A failure like you…? Are you joking?”

Kuya immediately mocked me.

Well, it is true that the original me was a failure, so I swallow it for now.

But the me who stays silent here no longer exists.

Besides, the one with decision power is not you.

“I am asking Grandpa. Please do not interrupt.”

“Wha!? Someone like you—”

“…Hmm. Taiki, is it?”

At Grandpa’s words, the room froze.

Seeing him seriously ponder, I became convinced that I am still counted as an heir.

Mom could only timidly watch the situation… but I want her to believe in me.

My instinct as a former elite tells me this is where I should push in.

“Then, how about this? In the next mock exam, Kuya and I compete. What do you think about giving the recommendation slot to the one with better scores?”

Instead of begging, I should first show value worthy of the recommendation slot.

Besides, it fulfills my goal of asking Mom to let me take the mock exam… truly killing two birds with one stone.

At this unexpected development, my uncle’s face showed stunned amazement.

In contrast, Kuya started mocking my proposal.

“Taiki… you? You think I do not know you are called useless because no matter how hard you try, your grades do not improve? Are you serious about beating me?”

“Whether I am serious or not aside, if you are that confident in studying, you do not need the recommendation slot, right?”

“Wha! That is because Dad…”

“S-Shut up, Kuya. You are the one who said you wanted it. Right?”

Kuya made a sour face and checked his father’s expression.

It seems he really is confident in studying, but his father does not trust him.

Well, if exams are decoration, I can understand that feeling.

“Taiki’s idea… is not bad.”

Soon, Grandpa spoke.

Under the table, I clenched my fist. This is probably the only way to get the recommendation slot.

The moment I seized the chance, the outcome was already decided. In the second loop, Kuya has zero chance of winning against me.

“…Besides the clan, many excellent children who will carry the next generation are appearing in Kuya’s generation. I was thinking of giving the recommendation slots to them, but… Mitsu, you raised your son well.”

“…I am honored. Father.”

The relationship between Mom and Grandpa is somehow difficult.

Mom humbled herself without noticing, but to me, Grandpa’s words sounded like praise.

This old man… was he actually expecting things from Mom?

“Fine. Kuya and Taiki… I will recommend the one who gets better scores in the next mock exam.”

With the head’s words, no further objections arose.

On the contrary, my uncle covered his mouth with his hand and twisted the corners of it. Kuya stared at me again and grinned arrogantly. This parent and child are two of a kind.

The second son Utsumi let out a relieved sigh now that the heated argument had settled. Why is this person so nervous? He is creepy as ever, but probably not worth worrying about.

Finally… Mom looked at me with a worried face. She must have noticed that I have changed somehow. Still, I want to believe that she does not ask anything because she has even a faint expectation toward me.