"Ideas?"
Yukino glanced at Chisato with a hint of suspicion.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'll help out too."
Chisato voiced the decision he had just made.
Yukino was somewhat surprised by his response.
After all, based on how disengaged he had seemed during the previous meetings between the two schools, he didn't seem like the type to take an interest in things unrelated to himself.
It was hard to imagine why he would suddenly decide to get involved now.
Though maybe she was overthinking it, but still…
Seeing the directness of Chisato's gaze, Yukino uncharacteristically looked away.
"Just a moment ago, you were still telling me that everything I'm doing is a waste of time, advising me to give up early."
Chisato shrugged.
"I never said that. That was a conclusion you came to all on your own by overanalyzing me."
Yukino let out a soft sigh.
"…Then, what exactly are you planning to do?"
"Simply put, we just have to fulfill the chairman's wish—prepare some bonus prizes that are presentable enough for the students who place in the sports festival.
As long as we choose the right method and strategy, making that happen isn't too difficult."
Looking at Chisato's confident expression, Yukino pondered for a moment and seemed to realize something.
"Don't tell me you're thinking of sponsoring all the prizes out of your own pocket?"
She remembered that Chisato was, at the very least, the head of a company, so he likely had access to a considerable amount of funds.
But she didn't want him to fulfill the chairman's wish through such means.
If one person's satisfaction comes at the cost of another's sacrifice, she'd rather the whole thing be abandoned.
Even if the latter is willing, it's still too unfair to the one sacrificing, and from the perspective of a bystander, it's not something they'd want to witness either.
Fortunately, after hearing her words, Chisato shook his head without hesitation.
"I have no intention of doing that, don't worry. I'm just playing the role of an intermediary.
Just like we discussed at the meeting before, the goal is to create a win-win situation. So, the core of my approach isn't all that different from yours—it's just the details that vary."
Only the details are different?
Just what exactly is different?
"Can't you be more specific?"
"It's hard to explain, but you'll understand soon enough."
…
After they wrapped up their discussion, they exited the tea restaurant.
Unlike before, Chisato now took the lead, with Yukino following at his side.
The afternoon weather had unexpectedly improved.
The sky, which had been overcast all morning, now showed signs of clearing. Sunlight broke through the clouds and shone down warmly on their bodies.
Yukino followed behind Chisato without asking further questions.
She couldn't quite describe what she was feeling—perhaps anticipation mixed with curiosity, and maybe even a little bit of schadenfreude hoping to see him hit a wall.
If that happened, she'd be able to take on the relaxed role of a spectator and throw back at him the very words he had said to her earlier.
Still, she hoped he would succeed.
However, from the time they left the shop until now, she hadn't been able to come up with any perfect solution herself.
So it was hard for her to place complete confidence in Chisato.
They crossed the street and entered the train station.
Up to that point, everything was still normal.
The train wasn't crowded, and they found side-by-side seats and sat down.
Once on board, Chisato took out his phone and frequently tapped the screen.
Since he was operating it one-handed, he was likely chatting with someone.
Yukino could only glean that much from the corner of her eye. She would never stoop to peeking at someone else's screen.
Which was fine—this was a good moment to relax a little.
She also took out her phone, but unlike Chisato, she opened her photo album and began browsing through her collection of adorable cats and pandas to ease her physical and mental fatigue.
After getting off the train, Chisato led Yukino onto a bus.
The bus rattled along, and even now Yukino still didn't know where they were going.
The scenery outside became increasingly unfamiliar. She glanced across the aisle at Chisato, who had his eyes closed, resting.
She resisted the urge to ask again, quietly shifting her gaze to the window instead.
Twenty minutes later, they got off the bus and walked a short distance before Yukino came to a sudden stop, staring at the massive sign in front of her and the sounds of laughter from parents with children and couples of all ages around them.
"…An amusement park."
"Yep, an amusement park."
Chisato stretched lazily. The last time he came here, he drove, so he hadn't noticed—but taking public transport really did take a while.
That was a miscalculation. He should've just taken a cab.
"Let's go."
"…What do you mean by bringing me here?"
Yukino asked after taking a deep breath.
Chisato looked confused as he replied,
"What else could it mean? We're here to get sponsorship prizes for the sports festival. Amusement park all-access play vouchers—those should be pretty respectable prizes, right?"
Yukino was momentarily at a loss for words. Realizing her slight overreaction, she quickly shifted the topic.
"Trying to get sponsorship from a place like this is ridiculous."
"Who knows? People make things happen. You never know until you try."
Chisato sounded relaxed and confident.
And Yukino quickly understood where that confidence came from.
As they approached the amusement park's gates, a middle-aged man emerged from the ticket booth.
The badge on his chest read "Manager," and a younger woman—probably his assistant—trailed behind him.
"Long time no see, President Suzumiya."
"Long time no see…"
As soon as the man saw Chisato, he shook his hand and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.
Before Yukino could even process what was happening, they were being led through the staff entrance into the inner part of the park.
They boarded one of the park's signature slow-moving trains and were taken to a meeting room.
Listening to the exchange between Chisato and the manager, she quickly pieced together the backstory.
Apparently, this amusement park had previously collaborated with Chisato's company, and it had gone very well.
The partnership had brought in extra customer traffic for a long time afterward, which explained the manager's warm attitude.
With that context, what followed made perfect sense.
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50 advanced chapters on p@t re on (.) com/SenatusTheta
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