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...!?~ - 08

Chapter 8: Relationships Connected from a Past Life

There were other children in the room too, but most of them had formed small friendly groups or were reading alone.

The three of us kept talking for a while longer, but eventually an adult approached from behind.

“Hey, you… what are you doing trying to sweet-talk someone else’s daughter?”

The man who suddenly appeared and stepped between us glared at me.

The next chairman of the Nanamiya Group… Kokonoe Kohei.

He was still just the president now, I think. In the future, he would be known as a ruthless genius in business. No, getting handed the president’s position this young already made him a real go-getter.

He had the same amber eyes as Sasa, and even in my first life, people feared him, calling his angry face a tiger’s glare.

This intimidating presence… it might be too much for an ordinary middle schooler to handle.

“Which family are you from?”

“My father is an ordinary novelist, and my mother is an ordinary housewife. I was brought here as a guest.”

I hadn’t expected him to ask about my family background before my name, but I answered honestly.

But that seemed to make him even angrier.

“A commoner, huh? Ha, not knowing your own place is just like a commoner.”

President Kokonoe raised his arm, looking like he was about to hit me.

But the raised right arm only came down to rest a hand on my shoulder.

“Not looking away until the end… you’ve got some guts for a kid, boy.”

“I knew it… that the glaring was just an act.”

“How did you figure it out?”

“Because your kind and lively daughter didn’t step in to stop you.”

The truth was, I had a deep connection with President Kokonoe in my previous life.

He gave me a lot of help beyond just my promotions, and he often took me to good restaurants.

He was businesslike, but I thought I knew better than anyone that he was honest at heart.

Even without that, I couldn’t imagine an upper-class adult actually hitting a child.

No matter the difference in status, that would cause a huge scandal.

If anything happened, it would be from drunken impulse, but he didn’t smell like alcohol. Anyway, if he’d been drinking, he probably wouldn’t have been allowed in this room.

“Huh. You understood Sasa’s personality on your first meeting.”

“She’s easy to read.”

“Hahaha, you’re right about that.”

“Hey, Taiki!? Dad, you stop it too!”

The Sasa I knew now was so different from the one in my memories… honestly, I was confused about which one was the real her.

“Let me introduce myself properly. I’m Kokonoe Kohei, Sasa’s father. Could you tell me your name?”

“Taiki Kashiwado.”

“I see. So you’re the grandson that Kasumi Yashima brags about. You look put together, so I had a feeling.”

Appearance really matters. It’s well known that he cherishes his daughter, and if I’d looked plain, he might not have acted this way.

But Grandpa isn’t the type to praise people easily, so calling it bragging is probably a misunderstanding.

Anyway, once the Yashima name came up, all the kids in the room turned to look at me at once.

Ousei and Sasa looked surprised too.

“…I’m not the successor. Even as family, we aren’t that close.”

“Maybe not. Kasumi Yashima retiring is still far off, but I’ve always found it odd that someone as sharp as him hasn’t named anyone. But now it makes sense.”

He didn’t seem to believe me. Well, bringing me to the October meeting would cause that kind of misunderstanding.

“Please keep being friends with Sasa from now on. Of course, no laying a hand on her.”

“Yes, of course!”

That hand from earlier that looked like it was going to hit me might actually do it for real.

It didn’t happen in my previous life, but this time, who knows. It felt that way.

“You’re the grandson of the Yashima Electronics chairman… were you hiding it?”

“N-No… believe me, Ousei! My parents really are ordinary.”

“If the person himself is extraordinary, that excuse doesn’t hold up, does it?”

Yashima Electronics and Tateakawa Science deal in a lot of overlapping products.

To Ousei, the name of the industry leader Yashima Electronics must seem dazzling.

But eventually, Ousei himself would grow the company big enough to flip that perception with his own hands. To me, this guy looks way more dazzling.

A money tree… a long-term investment.

Meanwhile, Sasa seemed lost in thought… then she looked up and our eyes met.

“Hey, Taiki. You’re probably 15 this year, right? You look about that age!”

“Uh, yeah. You’re right.”

“Then why don’t you take the entrance exam for Teimon Academy? I bet you’d pass, Taiki! My hunches are always spot on!”

Her excitement shot up as she bounced around, and it started after she learned I was from the Yashima family. So she knows about recommendation slots.

As expected, the Sasa of this life was easy to read.

“I was planning to take it anyway. I’m confident in my studies.”

“Yay! Ousei is too!”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself when we haven’t passed yet…”

From the moment Teimon Academy came up, Ousei seemed nervous.

Come to think of it, Tateakawa Science is still small now, but they probably have recommendation slots… no, a guy as talented as Ousei couldn’t fail on merit alone.

There are ways to get in on the general track besides top scores, with some other criteria, so it’s probably nothing to worry about.

“Have confidence, Ousei! The three of us will pass. It’s a promise!”

Ousei could only give a wry smile and stay quiet under Sasa’s energy.

We’re still middle schoolers… getting nervous about an exam that could shape our lives is only natural.

After that, we spent some meaningful time together.

When we returned to the venue, wondering what rumors Grandpa had spread, adults’ eyes turned to me.

I thought they’d look at me with curiosity, but they seemed warmer than expected.

…Appearance really is important.