Sakayanagi Narimori

Not bad. This is a good chance to test it on Kushida—maybe it'll lower her guard around me.

"Since there's nothing else, I'll be going now, Kano~"

After cashing in his rewards, Suzuki Tsubame prepared to slip away.

Gotta say, the Spotlight really never gets old. Using it on little girls like them works every single time.

"Wait..."

Shiranami grabbed Suzuki Tsubame's sleeve, sobbing with teary eyes:

"We, we haven't exchanged contact info yet..."

"Alright, almost forgot..."

Truth was, Suzuki Tsubame never planned to add her in the first place, heh.

After swapping contact info, Suzuki Tsubame took the lead and stepped out of the corner.

"What a delightful show. Thank you very much for your friendly performance, Suzuki."

Sakayanagi stood alone by the wall.

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, a visible hint of amusement coloring her expression.

"Isn't this Her Highness, Princess Alice?"

Suzuki Tsubame smiled back, executing a proper gentleman's bow.

"I hope this humble one's performance brought you... even a shred of enjoyment."

[Sakayanagi Arisu] [Appearance: 9.7] [Intelligence: 9.5] [Physique: 5]

No wonder she was here alone without her cane.

Looks like the Enhancement Serum didn't just add one point five to her physique—it also fixed her congenital defect.

"Clap, clap, clap..."

"A splendid performance. Playing both the destroyer... and the savior."

Sakayanagi applauded him gracefully. From her expression, it was impossible to read her true thoughts.

No telling when she'd arrived.

"Speaking of which... where did Kamuro go?"

Suzuki Tsubame turned to scan the area, not even a trace of Kamuro in sight.

Might as well change the subject... this whole messing-with-feelings thing was a bit of a downer.

Though... someone like Sakayanagi probably wouldn't care.

"Kamuro has her own matters to attend to. Since Suzuki seems to miss her so much, why not transfer to Class A?"

As if reading his thoughts, she placed her delicate hand in front of Suzuki Tsubame, signaling him to take it.

"...Transferring is out of the question. I'm just a little curious."

Suzuki Tsubame took her hand.

Unlike her assertive personality, Her body was incredibly light, like a feather that would blow away with a single gust of wind.

Sakayanagi led Suzuki Tsubame toward the Birch Shopping Center.

Was she trying to go on a date with him?

Suzuki Tsubame noticed the corners of her mouth lift slightly—no, Sakayanagi's expression always seemed to be like that.

"Does Her Highness want to go on a date with me? Lunch break this short might not be enough."

Walking with Sakayanagi... even holding hands, he'd be pegged as her butler or bodyguard.

Sakayanagi didn't look back, speaking unhurriedly:

"You'll find out soon enough... Could it be you're worried about Horikita misunderstanding?"

Suzuki Tsubame had a strange feeling.

Now that her body was better, Sakayanagi seemed even more black-hearted—or should he say, more lively?

The two arrived at a high-end sushi restaurant. The main hall wasn't very crowded.

The waiter immediately dropped what he was doing upon seeing Sakayanagi.

He led them into the elevator and pressed F12—the top floor of the building.

As the elevator rose slowly, Sakayanagi's expression remained unchanged, but Suzuki Tsubame already had a guess in mind.

The door opened, and directly opposite the elevator was a full wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, with a long table placed in the center of the room.

The floor area was estimated to exceed 600 square meters.

Sure enough... seated at the head of the long table was an old man with graying hair.

He was also the chairman of this academy... Sakayanagi Narimori.

Just like his daughter, a faint smile always hung on his face.

"Suzuki-kun, regarding Arisu... I am deeply grateful."

Sakayanagi Narimori stood up facing Suzuki Tsubame, bowed slightly, and his tone was exceptionally sincere.

Before Suzuki Tsubame could answer, he added:

"Or perhaps, I should call you Young Master Oto?"

Suzuki Tsubame's left eye trembled almost imperceptibly for a moment.

In the original story of Youkoso Jitsuryoku, aside from Wang Meiyu, there didn't seem to be any other figures from the Dragon Country.

The family forces Suzuki Tsubame knew of, besides Sakayanagi and Ayanokoji, were only Koenji, Kanzaki, Kiryuin, Ishigami, Amasawa, and so on.

Clearing his thoughts, thinking so much seemed useless anyway.

Suzuki Tsubame looked at him, composed and at ease, and said:

"What my identity is doesn't matter. My purpose... is merely to keep a precious jewel from gathering dust."

Sakayanagi Narimori naturally saw through Suzuki Tsubame's forced calm, and he chuckled, saying:

"Young man, no need to be so tense."

"Regardless, you saved Arisu... whatever conditions you have, as long as I can fulfill them, I will do my utmost to satisfy you."

Should he be called a doting father?

In fact, Sakayanagi Narimori originally supported the construction of the White Room, just like Ayanokoji Atsuomi.

It wasn't until his daughter Arisu was born that he suddenly realized the education in the White Room was far too cruel.

Then this old man turned around and proposed to the government, creating the Advanced Nurturing School.

Hard to judge... If Sakayanagi had been a boy like Ayanokoji, he'd probably have ended up in the White Room too.

"Suzuki-kun, let's sit down and talk."

Sakayanagi Arisu took Suzuki Tsubame's hand and sat down beside her father.

Sakayanagi Narimori also sat down smoothly, picked up his teacup, and looked at the two with a cheerful smile.

"Speaking of which, it wasn't until the Oriental Family sent someone yesterday that I learned... the young master of the Oriental Family had also come to Advanced Nurturing."

Yeah, because I only got the reward yesterday.

Suzuki Tsubame also picked up his teacup.

Sitting at the same table as Chairman Sakayanagi, even he felt a bit uneasy.

After all, it was like meeting the parents.

"Suzuki-kun, your understanding of the Oriental Family probably isn't very deep, is it?"

Suzuki Tsubame looked at Chairman Sakayanagi in surprise. He hadn't said anything yet, and he knew whether he'd revealed anything himself.

"Heh heh, actually, the traditions of the Oriental Family are slightly different from other families."

"To avoid raising heirs who are arrogant and insolent, looking down on others."

"Although they also spare no effort in training their successors, before becoming the young master, they often don't know what their family is."

Sakayanagi Narimori patiently explained to Suzuki Tsubame.

It wasn't just because of Suzuki's help to his daughter; in truth, he also wanted to hitch a ride on the Oriental Family's ship.

With the help of this future head of the Oriental Family, his political path would be smooth sailing.

Suzuki Tsubame listened with a blank look. In fact, he wasn't any Oriental young master at all—it was purely the system's divine power.