At the center of the peachwood doors, friends and family led by Katsuta Takenori craned their necks in anticipation.
Behind them, politicians, entrepreneurs, and other guests stood in orderly rows.
Waiters, doormen, security guards, and other attendants stood ready on either side.
The stretch Lincoln slowly turned into the circular driveway. Through the crowd, Tetsuhiro immediately spotted all the coaches from the swimming complex, along with Kintaro.
Sure enough, they had all come, unwilling to miss a high-society banquet like this.
"Huh? Kintaro... don't tell me?" Tetsuhiro instinctively looked at Naoko.
She playfully stuck out her tongue and winked.
Sure enough, this little minx was up to something again. She must be planning to mess with Kintaro.
Tetsuhiro sighed helplessly. "You really have a twisted sense of humor. Don't take it too far, Naoko."
"Relax."
"All right, let's get out!"
A doorman was about to step forward when the butler caught him and held him back. To his astonishment, their master went to open the door himself.
He was not the only one surprised. Even the distinguished guests had not expected this. Just how high-ranking an official would warrant the head of the Katsuta family personally opening his door?
A mayor? Katsuta Juzo was already a mayor. It had to be at least a governor or someone from the Central Government Departments. Could it be a leader from Tokyo?
The broad-built, normally stern Katsuta Takenori walked over to open the car door with a beaming smile, in full view of everyone.
Just as everyone stretched their necks and strained to get a good look, a long-haired girl in a school uniform unexpectedly stepped out first.
Wasn't she the star of today's celebration?
"Naoko, how could you come out first? That was terribly rude!"
"It's fine. There are more people behind