FFD 14

"Hey Kato, when is your dad gonna show up?" Ginko asked, gasping for air inside the gymnasium. She had been training for a solid half hour, and considering she could barely make it through the third part of the radio calisthenics, she was really giving it her all!

Kato sat on the sidelines, messing around with her phone, and mumbled with her head down, "I don't know. He should've been here by now."

"I'm so done, seriously. I'm beat! That blockhead is all I can think about! He yawns his way through shogi matches, but when it comes to soccer, he's all fired up," Ginko complained as she plopped down next to Kato.

Hayama didn't say anything. Ginko had given it everything she had, so what more could he really say?

After he finished packing up, Hayama made his way back to the gymnasium. Kato and Ginko were still huddled together in their original spots, heads close as they engaged in a hushed and secretive conversation.

He broke into their secretive exchange, asking, "Hey Kato, has your dad shown up yet?"

It was already pushing 7 o'clock, and considering Kato's father typically finished work at 6, he should have been on his way soon.

She turned her head and tilted it slightly before responding, "I'm not sure."

He blinked, a sudden terrifying thought crossing his mind. "Kato, could it be that your dad forgot about you?"

Kato stared at him for a few seconds and replied, "Hmm, there's a possibility!"

He and Ginko exchanged glances, taken aback by her nonchalant response. The way she treated such a serious matter so casually gave off an impression of "it doesn't bother me, I'm used to it."

"You should give him a call... It's getting late. If your dad forgot, I'll make sure you both get home," He suggested.

One minute later...

"Hayama, you were right," Kato finally spoke up, her expression unchanged. However, Ginko's eye twitched with agitation. He felt a sense of helplessness in the face of the situation. While they had grown accustomed to Kato's tendency to be overlooked, it was still perplexing that even her own family could forget about her.

"Let's go, I'll give you both a ride home," he offered.

After a couple of detours, he finally back at his apartment, well past nine in the evening.

The apartment felt eerily quiet at night, and the typically bustling elevator now seemed deserted. He stepped into the elevator, with a black-haired girl engrossed in a book following closely behind him.

He glanced at the girl, a mixture of surprise and recognition evident in his eyes. "Are you stalking me?"

The book clutched in the girl's hand caught his attention instantly. It was none other than "Love Metronome," a title he knew all too well. With her long, flowing black hair, her identity was obvious.

Looking up from her book, the girl met his gaze and a mischievous smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Hayama-kun, shouldn't I be the one asking that?"

He chuckled, "Come on now, I entered the elevator first. How could I possibly be stalking you? Are you suggesting some sort of quantum entanglement at play? I highly doubt it."

She smiled, "Hayama-kun, can't you just admit it openly? You went through so much trouble to find my apartment address, hung around for hours, and finally managed to catch a glimpse of me. Then you hastily entered the apartment building, taking over the elevator—the only way to go upstairs. Was it all just to have a chance encounter with me?"

The girl closed her book, and with a quick flick of her hand through her hair, a delightful rose fragrance filled the air.

"You have quite an imagination. If I didn't have a key to the apartment, I might have almost believed you."

Although the girl with black hair was talkative, she was actually quite cautious. She gazed at him with suspicion and asked, "Do you live here too?"

"Yes, and what do you mean by 'too'?"

Both of them suddenly realized that they had accidentally pressed the same floor. They locked eyes and exchanged perplexed glances. "This person is actually my neighbor?"

"You live in 1601!"

"And you're in 1602?"

"Did you deliberately move here after finding out my address?" Her heart raced, and in her eyes, he transformed into a ferocious beast. Nevertheless, her sharp-tongued nature remained unchanged.

"While I would love to spare your pitiful self-esteem, I'm sorry, but I'm a practical person. I moved here a month ago! Perhaps you can call me 'senpai.'"

"I've been living here for a whole year!" The girl's expression turned fierce, but her roar sounded more like that of a little kitten—cute and adorable. He couldn't help but find it amusing.

"We go to the same school, we've been living on the same floor for over a month, and yet, this is the first time I've seen you in the elevator. Are you always hiding at home or something?" he asked.

The girl shot a glare at him, "Pervert-kun, so you did get off at the right station that day. I thought you got off early because I caught you doing something nasty! Just to avoid you following me, I deliberately took an extra stop and took a taxi back!"

"Follow you? A plump woman in black stockings? Even the goalposts on the soccer field are more appealing than you!"

Hayama's words held a touch of insincerity. The girl standing before him couldn't be described as "plump," although she did have a certain things that occupied quite a bit of space. However, the latter part of his statement carried a genuine sentiment.

"Oh dear, my hearing isn't very good. Could you please come closer, Hayama-kun, and say it again for me?"

As he faced the girl's enigmatic smile and heard her voice, distant yet lingering, a chill ran down his spine. He knew that if he uttered another word, the girl in front of him would swiftly transform into a sinister character.

Just as he found himself trapped in a dilemma, the elevator made a "ding" sound and came to a halt.

"Sorry, but I don't repeat myself. Goodbye!" He hurriedly moved forward, effortlessly sliding the key into the lock and opening the door. He swiftly stepped inside the apartment.

As he nonchalantly attempted to close the door, it was halted by a slender hand.

"Hayama-kun, I haven't properly introduced myself yet! I'm Kasumigaoka Utaha. Make sure you remember that name when you're writing your will!"

After closing the door, he scoffed and slumped down onto the sofa. However, as soon as he settled in, a message from Kato popped up on his phone.

"Hayama, are you back home?"

'Huh, what? Could there be surveillance cameras installed in my room?' he wondered, before responding, "Just got home, no need to worry."

After finishing up his bath, he plopped down in front of his computer. He had originally intended to dive into some mathematical modeling, but recent events had left his mind restless. In a peculiar moment of impulsiveness, he clicked on the shogi app.

"I recall Ginko mentioning some tutorials for me to check out."

"Huh? Can you actually play shogi like this as well? Sacrificing pieces for a strategic advantage doesn't sound as boring as I thought."

A couple of minutes passed, and he found himself engrossed in the game. Before he knew it, he had opened more than ten game records on his screen.

...

At the Yukinoshita residence in Chiba...

"Madam, Miss Yukinoshita made a yen expenditure yesterday." the chief financial officer informed, bowing respectfully to Mrs. Yukinoshita, who sat elegantly in her traditional kimono, savoring her tea.

"Any noteworthy income?" Mrs. Yukinoshita asked while enjoying her tea.

"The overseas branch received a revenue of two million euros." the chief financial officer replied, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"In the future, such special income and expenditures won't be uncommon. There's no need to bring them to my attention." She looked at the chief financial officer, feeling somewhat disappointed. Was this the level of the newly appointed CFO who had returned from studying at Harvard?

"Should we keep this transaction discreet, madam?" The CFO's legs trembled beneath him. Mrs. Yukinoshita's presence was truly formidable. Despite her composed demeanor, a single glance from her could exert immense pressure on those in her vicinity.

"Are you suggesting we manipulate the records?" Mrs. Yukinoshita chuckled lightly. "The Yukinoshita family has no need for such things."

"I deeply apologize, madam," the CFO uttered, even going so far as to kneel down before her.

"You needn't concern yourself with these accounts. Simply focus on your responsibilities," she remarked, taking another sip of her tea. If she had been disappointed with the CFO before, now she had completely lost hope in him.

"But, but... madam, if we don't take any action regarding the accounts, the company is going to end up with a net loss of ten million yen. And that's definitely not good for us," the CFO explained, holding up an expense report. Haruno had managed to spend 260 million yen! Even after considering the two million euros, it would only add up to 250 million yen.

She glanced at the report and placed her teacup down with a frown.

"Hayama family... they're still a bunch of bastards as always!"

...

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