"Miss Yukinoshita, what exactly is my job?"
Kira Yoshikage asked.
Yukinoshita Haruno clicked her tongue.
"Well, let me first explain the job requirements."
"The working hours are from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. every day, and the hourly wage is 2,000 yen. There are no weekends off; you get three days off each month, which you can request in advance. Of course, if the customers are satisfied, they might give you tips personally. You get to keep all of that..."
Yukinoshita Haruno went into detail about the job requirements. A sly glint flashed through her eyes as she raised her index finger and emphasized her next words:
"But apart from that, there's one most important point—the customer is always right. So during working hours, you can't refuse any request a customer makes! Understood, Kira-kun~?"
"Understood."
Yukinoshita Haruno's eyes held a hint of amusement. You clearly don't understand at all~!
Seeing the amusement in the girl's eyes, Kira Yoshikage's heart remained utterly calm.
During working hours, the customers could be gods, but after work, that might not necessarily be the case.
Minato Ward, Nishikino General Hospital.
Inside the luxurious VIP ward, Shinomiya Kaguya, who had already awakened, lay on the hospital bed. Standing beside it was a middle-aged man in a suit, his expression emotionless.
He was the chairman of Shuchiin Academy and also the eldest son of the Shinomiya Family—Shinomiya Kōkō.
"Shinomiya Kaguya, tell me what happened."
Shinomiya Kōkō coldly watched the pale girl on the bed, as though the person lying there were a stranger rather than his younger sister, who shared his blood.
Shinomiya Kaguya turned her head away, her tone equally indifferent:
"Didn't you already hear about it from the others?"
"I jumped into the swamp to save Koyasu-senpai, but my right leg cramped midway, and I ended up drowning and needing someone else to rescue me. If you came here to blame me for disgracing the Shinomiya..."
Shinomiya Kōkō rudely cut her off and said in a deep voice:
"That isn't what I want to hear! What did you see before you lost consciousness?"
Shinomiya Kaguya frowned slightly.
"See what? I saw Koyasu-senpai drowning. What else was there?"
Shinomiya Kōkō continued questioning her:
"What about the person who saved you? What did he look like?"
Shinomiya Kaguya was silent for two seconds before gently shaking her head.
"I was probably already losing consciousness. I don't remember who saved me. Wasn't it Kashiwagi?"
Shinomiya Kaguya wore an expression of surprise and confusion, as though she found the matter quite unexpected.
However.
That was a lie.
Although her consciousness had been hazy at the time, Shinomiya Kaguya clearly remembered that the person who saved her was a blond boy... Well, since he appeared at Shuchiin Academy, he should be a student, right?
Shinomiya Kōkō stared intently into Shinomiya Kaguya's eyes, seemingly trying to determine whether she was lying, but he could discern nothing. Just as he was about to continue questioning her, he heard the door open.
"Who is it?"
Shinomiya Kōkō said coldly, "Didn't I say no one was allowed in?"
Shinomiya Kōkō turned coldly toward the young man entering through the open door. It was his third younger brother, Shinomiya Unkō.
Just as he showed no warmth toward his younger sister Shinomiya Kaguya, he had no goodwill toward this younger brother either.
Shinomiya Unkō likewise showed him no respect and said indifferently:
"Father wants you to go over."
Shinomiya Kōkō's expression shifted slightly. He glanced at Shinomiya Kaguya on the bed, then turned and left the ward.
Outside in the corridor, an elderly man with graying temples stood calmly watching the ward. He was still dressed in a suit and tie, and he looked hale and vigorous. His eyes remained fixed on Shinomiya Kōkō as he emerged from the room.
"Father."
Shinomiya Kōkō stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
Although he managed most of the Shinomiya Family's businesses now, Shinomiya Kōkō knew perfectly well that none of them belonged to him. They belonged to the old man standing before him—the head of the Shinomiya Family, the supreme leader of the Shinomiya Group, and the father he shared with Shinomiya Unkō and Shinomiya Kaguya: Shinomiya Gan'an.
Shinomiya Gan'an cast him a casual glance before turning to the attractive female doctor beside him. She had dark red hair and wore a white coat. With concern in his voice, he asked:
"Director Nishikino, how is Kaguya doing?"
Nishikino Mizuki flipped through the medical records and replied softly:
"She's not in serious danger. Miss Shinomiya broke one rib during the rescue. But thanks to that emergency treatment, she was pulled back from the brink of death. Miss Koyasu is in the same condition, though hers was even more dangerous."
"The person who saved them used highly professional first-aid techniques. He must have received specialized training..."
Shinomiya Gan'an looked relieved. He also saw through Nishikino Mizuki's thoughts and smiled.
"Rest assured, Director Nishikino. We'll thank him properly. By the way, Kōkō and I have something to discuss. May we borrow your office?"
"Please, go ahead."
Nishikino Mizuki gestured invitingly.
"Thank you."
Shinomiya Gan'an smiled in thanks and glanced at his eldest son from the corner of his eye.
"Would you mind if I sat in?"
Kashiwagi Masao suddenly spoke up.
Shinomiya Gan'an looked at Kashiwagi Masao's insincere smile but did not take offense at his rudeness. Instead, he smiled and said:
"Then, President Kashiwagi, you should come along as well."
With that, Shinomiya Gan'an turned and entered the director's office. Kashiwagi Masao followed without the slightest hesitation.
Although this appeared to be a family matter concerning the Shinomiya Family, his daughter had nearly died because of it today. As her father, he could not possibly fail to demand justice for her.
Inside the office, Shinomiya Kōkō closed the door, cutting off everyone else's view, and hurriedly began:
"Father, I..."
Shinomiya Gan'an sat down on the sofa and calmly interrupted him.
"Explain yourself. Why did such a serious mistake occur during the sacrifice ritual?"
"..."
Shinomiya Kōkō fell silent for a moment before explaining in a low voice:
"I couldn't find a suitable sacrifice..."
Shinomiya Gan'an's gaze turned icy.
"Couldn't find one? Or didn't want to look? You wanted to kill your own sister, didn't you?"
Shinomiya Kōkō's heart tightened. He explained solemnly:
"Father, you know me.
"Although I've never liked her, she is still a member of the Shinomiya Family. If something happened to her at the school under my management, I would be the one to suffer the greatest loss!"
"That's a very convincing explanation."
Shinomiya Gan'an nodded slightly, then suddenly changed tack. "But I don't believe you."
"I don't believe you either." Kashiwagi Masao let out a cold laugh.
Shinomiya Kōkō was rendered speechless by those words. With no choice, he explained everything honestly:
"Father, President Kashiwagi, although I manage Shuchiin Academy, you should both know that the Lake God's appetite has been growing over the past few years. I've done my best to search for a suitable sacrifice, but I was still missing an appropriate Miko."
"And that girl named Koyasu Tsubame happened to meet the Lake God's requirements. Originally, sacrificing only her would have been enough to complete the blessing ritual. In other words, this matter originally had nothing to do with Kaguya or President Kashiwagi's daughter..."
Shinomiya Kōkō paused and did not continue.
Kashiwagi Masao also fell silent.
Everyone present knew very clearly that the Lake God existed within Shuchiin Academy.
The Lake God had existed even before the academy was built. In fact, Shuchiin Academy itself had been established because of the Lake God. Every year, new Pure Academy students participated in an entrance ceremony called "clearing the swamp." In reality, it was a sacrifice and blessing ritual directed at the Lake God.
As long as a suitable sacrifice was offered, the Lake God would bless the Pure Academy students. Those who received the blessing would be protected by the Lake God and would no longer need to fear attacks from Evil Spirits.
The families of these people had continued to flourish for centuries, growing ever more powerful. That was inseparable from the Lake God's protection.
Of course, not every Pure Academy student's parents knew about this.
Only a handful of ancient families with centuries of inheritance, families that truly stood at the peak of Japanese society, were qualified to know of the Lake God's existence.
The Shinomiya Family was one example. The Kashiwagi Family was another.
As for the girl named Koyasu Tsubame, although she was also a Pure Academy student, her father was merely a regional manager for a large catering company. He had no right to know about the Lake God. So even if Koyasu Tsubame were secretly sacrificed, he would only assume that she had accidentally fallen into the water and drowned.
In other words, if Shinomiya Kōkō's account was correct...
If Shinomiya Kaguya had not gone into the water to save someone without permission, none of the events that followed would have happened.
Chapter 25: I Know Faith Is Important
Shinomiya Kōkō calmly accepted his father's scrutiny because his conscience was clear.
Koyasu Tsubame's father had once been a student at Shuchiin Academy.
At the time, however, he had been a Mixed Academy student, and Mixed Academy students had also participated in the swamp-clearing entrance activity.
Without knowing of the Lake God's existence, he had followed the other Pure Academy students and benefited from the Lake God's blessing. His rise from a Mixed Academy student to a manager at a large catering company had also been thanks to the support of the Pure Academy.
Even his daughter had now been transformed into a Pure Academy student.
As the price for everything he had gained, wasn't it perfectly reasonable for his daughter to repay the debt now?
The reason things had spiraled out of control was, ultimately, Shinomiya Kaguya's fault!
Kashiwagi Masao remained silent regarding Shinomiya Kōkō's viewpoint.
If Shinomiya Kaguya had not gone into the water to save someone and been treated as a sacrifice by the Lake God, his daughter, Kashiwagi Nagisa, would not have gone in after her either. She would never have been placed in danger of becoming a sacrifice herself...
"Idiot!"
Shinomiya Gan'an roared furiously, like a lion overcome with rage:
"Who gave you permission to use a Pure Academy student as a sacrifice?"
"Father, your rebuke is justified."
Shinomiya Kōkō did not dare argue and lowered his head in agreement.
Shinomiya Gan'an's tone was cold.
"You will bear the consequences of this matter alone."
"As for that student named Koyasu Tsubame, give her father adequate compensation."
"Yes."
"And Kaguya. Transfer part of the businesses under your name to her."
"Yes."
Shinomiya Kōkō remained respectful, not daring to show the slightest resistance.
Kashiwagi Masao said quietly:
"What about my daughter? What compensation are you planning to give her?"
Shinomiya Gan'an scoffed, but Shinomiya Kōkō calmly spoke up:
"Speaking of President Kashiwagi's daughter, there is another matter for which we need Miss Kashiwagi's help."
"What matter?"
Kashiwagi Masao looked wary. "Nagisa was frightened and needs a few days to recover. What do you want to ask her?"
Shinomiya Kōkō did not dare be careless and carefully explained: