Sad news

On February 20, 2003, the Suzuki family mourned the loss of a pivotal figure, Sazama Suzuki, the venerable founder and former chairman of the Suzuki Group. The family chose to keep the details of his passing private, leaving the cause of his death a matter of speculation among the public and media alike. Many surmised that his advanced age was the likely reason, as Sazama had reached the age of 99, just shy of a centennial milestone he never got to celebrate. This fact weighed heavily on Shin, who deeply felt the sadness of his grandfather not living to see his 100th birthday in July.

During the traditional Japanese funeral, the Suzuki family, accompanied by Sazama's friends and respected acquaintances, gathered to honor his memory. Shin, along with his wife Mira and their children, Shinichi and Mikasa, were among those paying their respects. The entire Suzuki clan was there—uncles, aunts, cousins, and most poignantly, Shin's parents.

Amidst the solemn proceedings, whispers circulated. "Look, there's his favorite grandson," Etsuko, Shin's cousin and daughter of Shimizu Myoga, Sazama's eldest daughter, remarked quietly to her cousin, Kazue Miyoshi. Kazue, the progeny of Shira Miyoshi, Sazama's third daughter, responded with a hint of envy, "Hmph! I bet his company's success is all thanks to grandpa." Their hushed tones betrayed a mix of admiration and jealousy toward Shin, who had made a name for himself in the business world. Everywhere in the finance and business magazines, Shinro Suzuki and his enterprise, KiShin—a behemoth in the industry—were lauded.

As the family united in grief, undercurrents of familial rivalry and the legacy of Sazama Suzuki's monumental life stirred quietly.

"Stop it, you guys. It's our grandpa's funeral," came a voice, cutting through the murmurs of discontent and rivalry. Etsuko and Kazue, caught in their whispered exchange, turned to find Seki, Shinro's third eldest brother, addressing them. His unexpected intervention momentarily silenced their bitter remarks.

Caught off guard, Kazue, unable to resist a jab, retorted, "If it isn't Seki. Aren't you jealous of your younger brother?" But Seki, his mood visibly somber, merely sipped his sake quietly, choosing not to engage.

Just then, another voice chimed in, "Hmm, I sense that there are some drama going on over here..." They all turned to see Atsushi Suzuki, the progeny of Shintani Suzuki, Sazama's third son, approaching. Seki's expression tightened; his strained relationship with Atsushi and by extension, Shintani, was no secret. Neither was it a mystery that Shintani had a fraught relationship with Shiro, Seki's father. Despite these familial tensions, Atsushi held a significant role within the Suzuki Group, aided by Shintani and their influential uncle, Shito, the vice chairman of the Suzuki Group.

Atsushi, attempting to insert himself into the conversation, moved closer, prompting Seki's curt dismissal, "Well, it was none of your business."

Atsushi, ever the provocateur, feigned hurt, pressing a hand to his chest as he laughed, "Ouch, you're too blunt."

The interplay of tensions, subtle jabs, and the underlying complexities of familial relations were laid bare in these exchanges, all under the solemn backdrop of their grandfather's funeral.

At that moment, Atsushi's gaze drifted towards Shin, who was conversing with his parents at a distance. "Well, look at that. The black sheep of the Suzuki family is now the sheep at the top of the pyramid, unreachable by any of us," Atsushi mused with a mix of irony and reflection. "I still remember the days when he was considered the family's shame... But now... Sigh, how the times have changed..."

"Shut up," Etsuko interjected sharply, clearly displeased with Atsushi's commentary, and Kazue's expression hardened in agreement.

"Oh? Did you two get hurt because you're now the black sheep?" Atsushi prodded, chuckling at his own jest.

"Bastard," Kazue muttered under her breath. Before Etsuko could retaliate, another cousin, Shuichi, stepped in to defuse the tension.

"You guys, have you no shame? We're at our grandfather's funeral. You're tarnishing the image of both the Suzuki family and the Suzuki Group," Shuichi chastised them, his voice tinged with disappointment.

"We aren't speaking loudly, you know?" Atsushi attempted to defend their behavior.

"It doesn't matter. I could hear you as I approached. We must be careful; we don't want to give our competitors or the media any ammunition against us. Reputation is everything..." Shuichi cautioned, only for Atsushi to retort, "Money makes the world go round. We could just pay off the media."

"Not everything can be bought with money. Our competitors might ensure that," countered another voice, belonging to Shiko, seen by many as a likely future chairman of the Suzuki Group.

Shuichi met Shiko's comment with a fleeting look of solemnity, quickly masked.

Meanwhile, as Shin continued his discussions, figures of notable repute in the business world who had come to pay their respects to Sazama were increasingly drawn to him, eager to engage. This visible shift of attention towards Shin stirred a profound sense of envy in Shuichi and the other cousins. Witnessing Shin effortlessly garner the interest of such important guests amplified their feelings of jealousy, a testament to Shin's rising influence and the complicated web of familial and business dynamics at play during this solemn gathering.