Alliance Negotiations, Preparing to Leave School for the Meeting / An Unexpected Encounter Off Campus
We hope you can grace us with your presence.
[Koenji Shogo.]
"Wait, how do they know my real identity?"
Hashiba Hikaru was startled by the unexpected email. When using the Sakayanagi Family's corporate account, he had not changed his identity information at all; the information stored there should have been that of Sakayanagi Narimori.
Why does the Koenji Family know my name?
"Could it be Koenji?"
Sakayanagi Arisu quickly grasped the key point.
"... That's quite possible."
Hashiba Hikaru immediately took out her phone, ready to call Koenji Rokusuke.
But as if by some strange coincidence, just as he picked up his phone, the man called first.
"Hashiba Boy, you've received the email, haven't you?"
Koenji Rokusuke's voice was as confident as ever.
"I told you long ago that you would always stand by my side. See? I wasn't wrong."
"..."
Chapter 776 Cooperation Negotiations, Preparing to Leave School for the Appointment.
After listening to Koenji Rokusuke's explanation, Hashiba Hikaru immediately arranged to meet him the next afternoon.
Actually, you don't need to think too much; once the other party calls, everything naturally falls into place.
From the sudden contact between the Koenji Family and the Kujo Family to this unexpected email, it's clear that the other party already knew about these matters. This zaibatsu heir should not be underestimated.
"Should I come with you tomorrow?"
Sakayanagi Arisu gazed at Hashiba Hikaru, who had just hung up the phone, wondering what she was thinking.
"Yes, in this upcoming exchange, I will be representing a portion of the Sakayanagi Family's position, and Arisu will be able to better understand the situation."
Hashiba Hikaru nodded, agreeing to her request.
"Okay, then you should go back now, dear. Ichinose is probably still waiting for you."
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled, his features were picturesque.
She knew that Ichinose Honami had been spending the night in the boy's room during this time, so it was easy for her to make the connection.
"Yes, if I really want to attend this board meeting, I'll have to submit a leave of absence application."
Hashiba Hikaru touched her hair, a slight smile playing on her lips. "We also have to pay a hefty sum of Private Points as a fee."
"If the reason is important, perhaps it can be waived."
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled, because he understood the implication in the other person's words.
The last time Hashiba Hikaru left school was to accompany Ichinose Honami back to her hometown for winter break, but this time it's for serious business. Sakayanagi Narimori will definitely support his decision and won't charge him any fees.
I hope so.
Hashiba Hikaru shrugged, smiled, and then quickly left Sakayanagi Arisu's dormitory.
The following afternoon, Hashiba Hikaru took Sakayanagi Arisu to the agreed-upon location.
It wasn't a well-soundproofed private room or interior space, but rather an elegantly decorated glass-enclosed coffee shop.
This position was chosen by Koenji Rokusuke himself. From the first day of school, he had been talking about being the heir to a conglomerate, so he naturally didn't care about such a trivial matter as information leakage. Rather, he thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of being watched.
"Good afternoon, Hashiba Boy and Sakayanagi Girl!"
Koenji Rokusuke arrived early, and he sat down in his seat with an imposing air.
"Good afternoon, Koenji. You've really given me a big surprise."
Hashiba Hikaru and Sakayanagi Arisu sat down together in the chair opposite him. Although the café wasn't particularly crowded, their meeting was still quite eye-catching.
After all, none of these three people were unknown.
Hashiba Hikaru goes without saying; he's a well-known attention-grabber throughout the school. Koenji Rokusuke, the heir to the Koenji conglomerate, is equally famous. He also has a penchant for pursuing older female students, and many people know about his various feats.
As for Sakayanagi Arisu, most people who know her are Second Year students, making her the least well-known of the three.
How surprising?
After the two were seated, Koenji Rokusuke raised an eyebrow slightly, his expression remaining perfectly composed.
"Hehe, I thought I'd have to wait a bit longer before you noticed what was going on here. I really didn't expect that."
Hashiba Hikaru poured a glass of warm water for the girl next to her, then smiled at Koenji and asked, "When did you find out about my situation?"
"It was last Wednesday."
Koenji Rokusuke's eyes held a hint of a smile. Although he usually had an arrogant and haughty demeanor, his tone softened when facing a strategic talent like Hashiba Hikaru, who was "very worthwhile to win over."
Did someone tip you off?
Hashiba Hikaru was very concerned about this matter. After all, he had already guessed that the sudden contact between the Kujo Family and the Koenji Family was most likely orchestrated by the man opposite him, since he was the heir of the Koenji Family.
"Of course not, Hashiba Boy is oversimplifying things."
Koenji Rokusuke shook his head and said with absolute confidence, "I started getting involved in family affairs when I was in elementary school. In the financial world, there are many things that can't be hidden from my eyes."
"Hehe, that's really impressive."
Hashiba Hikaru offered a lukewarm compliment, while Sakayanagi Arisu, standing beside her, chose not to speak at that moment. She believed that the man she had chosen would be able to complete today's negotiations.
"Hashiba Boy, let's not beat around the bush. I know what you want to ask, and I don't intend to hide it from you."
Koenji Rokusuke looked at Hashiba Hikaru's face, and his tone suddenly became serious.
"After I graduate from university, I will officially take over the family business. At that time, I will need an assistant to help me coordinate affairs, and I think this position is very suitable for you."
Would you be willing to help me?
"You haven't explained your previous sentence yet; isn't it inappropriate to bring up such an important topic now?"
Hashiba Hikaru frowned slightly. Although he wanted to cooperate with the Koenji Family, he did not want to become a retainer of the Koenji Family, as that would reduce his freedom considerably.
"Haha, let me explain it to you first."
Koenji Rokusuke glanced at Hashiba Hikaru Sakayanagi Arisu, his tone somewhat amused, "The account you're using belongs to the Sakayanagi Family's company; we can find that out without any investigation."
"Yes."
"After entering the stock market, although your goals seem rather scattered on the surface, I can actually detect some of your true intentions. Moreover, your moves are always very shrewd and decisive, and you always manage to achieve good returns. This immediately convinced me that you were definitely not the original account owner."
The blond man seemed quite pleased with his analysis, after all, he had guessed correctly.
"Then why did you send me an invitation?"
Hashiba Hikaru's tone became even more serious, "Do you think I could join your board of directors?"
"This is your problem; I won't make the decision for you."
Koenji Rokusuke shook his head. "Besides, I've guessed the deeper reason why you're doing these things. If you really want to cooperate with the Koenji Family, wouldn't becoming a member of the board of directors be just the right thing to do?"
"Do you think this is normal? I'm still a minor."
Hashiba Hikaru believed she could accomplish many things, but for a minor to join the board of directors of a conglomerate was simply a pipe dream.
He simply wanted to cooperate, not to actually form a deep alliance with the Koenji Family.
"It's alright. The Koenji Family motto is 'Unconstrained by Convention,' and besides, this qualification was earned by Hashiba Boy himself. I didn't go easy on you."
Koenji Rokusuke smiled. "I didn't hold back in the stock market battle, and the final result has proven your ability."
"So... I have to go?"
Hashiba Hikaru thought about it and realized that in order to counter Ayanokoji's Father and the Kujo Family behind him, talking to the real head of the Koenji Family was actually a good idea. At least she could lay out her conditions, and there would be opportunities for negotiation later.
I think you'll go.
Koenji Rokusuke seemed to have Hashiba Hikaru completely under his thumb, his tone quite smug.
"A few days ago, it was I who asked my father to invite the heir of the Kujo Family to the Koenji Family. This signal has many interpretations."
"If you can talk to my father, I believe he will give you the answer you want."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Hashiba Hikaru raised her head and looked directly into Koenji Rokusuke's eyes.
"It seems I have no choice but to make this trip, don't you think, Koenji?"
"Certainly."
"You're not going to send someone to detain me, are you?"
Hashiba Hikaru suddenly asked another question.
"That's not out of the question. I mentioned Hashiba Boy to my father, and he's just as curious about you."
Koenji Rokusuke grinned. This usually arrogant man spoke with surprising respect when mentioning his father.
"..."
Chapter 777 A Sudden Encounter Outside of School
When Hashiba Hikaru received the document from Sakayanagi Narimori allowing her to leave school, just as Sakayanagi Arisu expected, the school did not charge any Private Points; it was simply stamped and that was it.
"Hashiba- kun, have you finalized your schedule?"
Sakayanagi Narimori sat in the leather chair, sizing up the tall, imposing figure standing before him.
"Yes, I'll leave school tomorrow morning, rest at the hotel for a day, attend the meeting promptly at 10:00 AM the next morning, and return to school in the evening."
Having accepted the Koenji Family's invitation, Hashiba Hikaru must attend tomorrow's board meeting in order to further advance the cooperation.
Do you need me to send someone with you?
Sakayanagi Narimori pressed further, saying that the Koenji Family was no ordinary conglomerate; their astonishing wealth and status were built upon the blood of countless people.
"No need, the Koenji Family isn't some kind of den of dragons or tigers,"
Hashiba Hikaru shook her head. "I can go by myself. I'll be back soon anyway."
"Oh well."
Sakayanagi Narimori a little regretful. Although he had great faith in the boy's abilities, he still felt that it would be safer to have more people around.
This was also a precautionary measure, since no one knew Ayanokoji Atsuomi would suddenly attack the school. If they could find strong allies in advance, they would have more opportunities to retaliate.
"Yes, I will complete this task successfully."
Hashiba Hikaru smiled slightly. This was his second time leaving school privately, and he felt no unease, but rather great anticipation.
After completing all the formalities, Sakayanagi Narimori stood up and watched the boy leave.
"Hashiba- kun, I wish you great success in your military campaigns!"
"Thanks."
Leaving school is not complicated in itself, but there are just too many people involved with Hashiba Hikaru.
Aside from his girlfriend Ichinose Honami, who was most concerned about him, the other girls were equally concerned. After all, tomorrow was a normal school day, and not seeing him would naturally lead to different thoughts.
To minimize the impact of this incident, Hashiba Hikaru sent individual messages to the girls beforehand to explain, while Ichinose Honami had been spending the night in his room every day during this period, naturally had to explain verbally.
Even though they only had one day to see each other, the pink-haired girl suddenly started acting cute, and after Hashiba Hikaru was forced to give him a round of "public service" (a euphemism for sexual intercourse), she finally fell asleep contentedly.
I hope everything goes well tomorrow.
Hashiba Hikaru glanced at her phone, which displayed very comprehensive process information.
After sending out the invitation, the Koenji Family made a series of arrangements, including pre-booking a star-rated hotel room and a driver to pick up the boy the next day, to ensure that he could arrive at the venue on time.