There were three types of people in Shinonome academy, those who brought lunch box from home, those who went to cafeteria, and the last one was those who went to restau for lunch.

Well, even though I said restau, it’s not the real one.

Every payment inside the school use student card after all.

And bringing cash to school is prohibited.

The reason was because coin and paper money might contain bacteria.

Since it’s not clear who has touched it so we can’t bring it to school, I was astonished by their reasoning.

Well, since those who enrolled here are young masters or young misses who more accustomed paying with card, they don’t feel anything wrong with it though. Surprising right?

There was a chip in every student card, and the bill would be sent to their house at the end of the month.

By the way there was a reason why it was called restau and not french restaurant. In Shinonome Academy, there was etiquette class once a week, dinning etiquette once a month and a formal french dining twice a year, and rather than cafeteria, we use this restau instead.

Well, it’s not something to be envied though.

That class was really cruel after all.

First, we are not allowed to be picky. And we are also not allowed to left anything behind.

For those who has food allergy, they would change the ingredients but keep the appearance and thus keeping us in same condition.

What the most frightening was, until we could master it they would bring us the same dish over and over again.

It might not a big deal for Japanese food course, but for western one each dish has decent volume.

For those who has mastered etiquette it’s nothing much.

They would send warm gaze toward their surrounding while saying ‘Today’s dish is delicious as well.’

But for those who failed many times and unable to master it, even though they have reached their limit, food still would be brought to their table.

Even those externals who feel it was funny at first, when they reached the third class in June they would tear up when see the dish, and in the fifth class at September you could see half their soul floating from their mouth.

Other than genuine French, there are also Japanese style and Chinese, Middle East food and even Northern Europe, and thus they would also prepared various pattern including standing party.

No one would imagine dining became a torture.

They don’t want the place for lunch became a serious place like that too, and thus called it restau.

For me who wanted to eat quickly and returned to class I choose sandwich from cafeteria. Because it has a lot of variety, and could be placed in box and brought to the middle garden in clear day it’s pretty popular.

Well no one would do it in rainy day though.

When I went to cafeteria with Hayate, Ariwara and Tachibana who arrived first raised their hand to signal us that there are empty seats.

Bringing coffee and sandwich in a tray, I sat opposite them.

“Mizuki, is that enough?”

Tachibana who saw what was in my tray asked worriedly.

“Yeah, actually I think this is a lot…”

“You have no need for diet right, then that quantity is too little. At least add one more dish, like salad or even soup is fine.”

Who are you, my mother!? Is what I wanted to say, but I only nodded vaguely.

“I don’t have much time, I have something to do after this.”

“Is that related to sharing umbrella with Oogami this morning? It has became quite a rumor.”

Ariwara said it unhappily.

“Well, no. What about sharing umbrella? He just let me in his umbrella when I go down from car.”

“.……..Ah, so that’s it. Well, that’s fine. It would disappear in no time after all. On other hand Kanbara older sister assault is more troublesome.”

I wiped my hand with wet towel and about to took the sandwich but my hand stopped.

The appetite which was not here in the first place, decreased.

“Did they talked bad about Chiaki?”

“Generally no. Or rather, it move in the direction of jealousy…I heard other than hugging you, she also rubbed your body.”

“My side, yes.”

“.…..That’s where she rubbed you!?”
Ariwara groaned in disappointment.

Some said girls like BL while boys like Yuri, it seems it’s not completely false.

Of course it’s limited to 2D.

“It’s to protect her from sexual harassment you know~ By the way I think you need to gain a little more flesh, Mizuki-chan.”

A small hand stretched toward my sandwich and I could hear the sound of someone chewing lettuce.

“.…..Chiaki.”

“Poison tasting complete. Yup. The taste is fine I guess. It’s safe to eat, Mizuki-chan.”

The mini beautiful girl grinning and reached out for the second sandwich.

“Chiaki!! Don’t take people’s food! You have yours, right! You damn eating demon!”

Once again, Chihiro seized her nape and dragged his twin sister away then glared toward her.

“I mean, Mizuki hardly eat her food so I thought she afraid of poison~”

With good grace, Chiaki proclaimed toward her little brother.

I wonder what kind of world she imagined I lived in.

Assassination with poison is not common even here you know.

“Sorry, Mizuki. This fool troubled you again.”

Chihiro who manly apologized for his sister misconduct, took pottage soup from his own tray and placed it on mine.

“This is an apology, please accept it.”

Chihiro, what a capable child.

Did he ordered it knowing her sister might do something!?

Just how much trouble you brought, Chiaki!? Chihiro really pitiful.

But for me whose appetite decreased, rather than sandwich the pottage soup was more appetizing.

Did they aim for this? No way, right?

“Thank you, Chihiro. Would you like to eat lunch with us?”

With accepting the pottage soup I showed that I don’t mind Chiaki action anymore.

With this most likely there would be no external problem later.

“Hm.”

“No problem. You can sit beside me, Chihiro.”

While Chihiro still hesitating, the shrewd Chiaki sat beside me and pat the seat beside her.

“I don’t want to. Or rather, you should seat here. You’re troubling Mizuki, you fool.”

Chihiro rebuked Chiaki sullenly.

Ariwara and Tachibana looked at their interaction in amazement.

“Well…you’re in more hardship than I thought…”

In Tachibana eyes, rather than misanthropy, Chihiro was more like a little brother who was troubled by his older sister eccentricity. Chihiro can’t help but showed an awkward expression.

“Hardship is something that should be experienced even if you need to pay. Do you know that saying, Tachibana-kun?”

The origin of the hardship asked Tachibana in nonchalant manner.

“Although I know there’s such proverb, I wish I could choose my hardship.”

“Well that’s true. No one want to die by poison right~”

Chiaki’s respond toward Tachibana who answered with wry smile in his face was completely off the mark.

“Is the connection between me and poison inside you already set in stone, Chiaki?”

If I don’t correct her there’s a possibility another weird rumor appeared.

“If Mizuki died by poison, it would be a huge loss for humanity. Ah, Mizuki-chan you has a nice scent! What is it, perfume? Come Chihiro, you should sniff it too!”

Chiaki who want to be an esthetician is sensitive toward scents.

She said before that she’s in the middle of searching for healing fragrance, and as expected she reacted immediately with fragrance used by others.

And the twin, Chihiro is also similar.

Following Chiaki’s invitation, Chihiro moved his head closer near my collarbone.

“That’s true. Mint and eucalyptus? And also, Neroli I think?”

Mint and eucalyptus has sterilization and calming effect.

Also lowering the skin temperature while increasing the body temperature.

In other word, stopping the pain.

“It’s aromatherapy. When the air became humid my mood became bad, I think it is good as a change of pace.”

“Ohh, I see.”

It seemed Chihiro bought my excuse and nodded.

He won’t do something like disclose something the other people want to hide.

“If you are interested with fragrance how about participate in fragrance seminar? Grandmother is going to open fragrance seminar again.”

“Yes yes! Let me participate!”

“If amateur allowed to participate then I’m interested.”

Kanbara siblings told their interest in the seminar.

“Understood. Then let me ask grandmother. Perhaps she would even invite you to practice not only seminar.”

“Yay!! Mizuki-chan, I love you!”

Chiaki laughed happily while Chihiro said,”That’s great.” with expressionless face.

While watching those warm scene, I finished the pottage soup.

It’s about time.

“Sorry, I’ve something else to do so I’ll be going ahead. Enjoy yourself.”

After saying that, I put the empty dish to my tray and stood up.

“Mizuki!”

“You should finish your meal, Hayate. Don’t worry about me.”

Restraining Hayate with those words, I returned the tray and walked out from cafe.

When I returned to the classroom, I found Suwa sitting on my desk with difficult expression.

“Did I make you wait?”

When I greeted him, his expression quickly changed.

“No, I asked something unreasonable after all.”

“Where would we talk?”

“We might trouble others here, how about the corridor?”

Suwa stood up and pointed at the corridor’s window.

“All right.”

I nodded and we moved toward the corridor.

There were not many people at the corridor and it’s also not noisy.

Pretty ideal place to talk.

Suwa opened the window and looked toward middle garden.

The sound of the rain would suppress our voices to certain extent.

“All right, let’s hear it.”

While making a calm expression and leaned toward the window frame, I asked.

“Did you hear that I was entrusted with some work at my father’s company?”

“Yeah, I heard from the head.”

“I see, then I can skip it. In there I found a document that I can’t accept. I can’t tell you anything concrete but it’s something that might be connected to some dishonesty. What would you do if you’re in my shoes, Sagara?”

The straight gaze that he gave me waver slightly from the conflict inside him.

Since he said ‘might’ then he hold no proof yet I presume.

And I could guess that those document was mixed in Suwa’s work intentionally.

He most likely wanted to test Suwa, as his son and the next head.

“Suwa, please let me make something clear first.”

While remembering the game I played, I looked at Suwa.

“What do you want to protect as the next head of Suwa family?”

“What I want to protect?”

“Your Group’s honor? Profit? Or people worked to your Group and their family?”

Even if it’s just one thing, depend on how you saw it the answer would change.

And if he couldn’t make his stance clear, my answer also would change.

Suwa was someone who would succeed his father and must have the ability to reign from the top, he need to realize that fact first.

“.…..Those who worked for Suwa family.”

After thinking for a while he answered without hesitation.

Meanwhile, I was able to guess what kind of dishonesty is that.

Suwa family’s head most likely showed his son the most cruel reality.

“I see. Dishonesty is something troublesome. First, you need to collect reliable evidences. About the fact that the dishonesty really took place. Next, who did it. This is really important. If you investigate it you would always found someone suspicious. However there’s also possibility that the person in question is a dummy. This one also important. Dishonesty would have been exposed sooner or later. At the time it was exposed the one who did it would hide themselves. And they most likely would also predict that in some degree and readied scapegoat.”

“Scapegoat huh.”

“That’s right.”

Suwa’s eyes widened, and I nodded.

“After collecting absolute proofs discreetly, you also need to choose carefully who to report. Didn’t you say you want to protect the employees? Then you must never show them to those who want to protect your honor.”

“Why?”

“You didn’t get it? Because they would destroy them. Even though you’re the head’s child, the power you have is not much. That’s why you need to give those proof to someone else, who could make a fair judgment without caring about the company’s honor.”

Game about company group heads which was derived from game about mayor of fictional city, as if to conform with reality, is really a difficult game.

Betrayed by trusted subordinate, sudden natural disaster, and various other problems appeared one after another.

I played that game when I was elementary student.

Playing against my siblings who are older than me, and has been entrusted with work from company despite still in school, was basically unreasonable.

Knowing that, I still forced to participate, and thus the result was crushing defeat.

The only silver lining was, I was not end in last place.

Although I was in disadvantage condition, my competitive spirit saved me.

I lack both knowledge and experience.

Knowing all that I still don’t want to lose.

By the way, the loser was Suou-aniue.

“I see. Then what should I do if the criminal is from my family?”

“That would depend of the situation. If there’s still hope for them then you should detach them from your family. As for the punishment, that would depend on what kind of dishonesty they did. You should decide whether to bring them to court or finish it internally.”

“.……..I see.”

With serious expression because considering something Suwa nodded.

“It’s really helpful, thank you.”

“About collecting the evidence, let me give you one advice. Don’t make assumption first. ‘That person must be the one’. Or, ‘they won’t do something like that’. If you thought something like that when you gather the evidences, then it prone to have holes. Collect all the information without being affected by its content is the best method.”

“.…..I, see. I sincerely, apologize.”

In the next second Suwa bowed his head with almost crying expression.

“You really save me. Do you have any experience on something like that, Sagara?”

“.…..If game counted, then yes.”

Since he asked, I answered honestly.

“Game?”

“When we, Sagara family children, reached a certain age, the head order us to play management game to ascertain our disposition. For me who has five years difference with my sibling right above me, do you think I have a chance? The result was crushing defeat. Well, I somehow barely avoided the last place though.”

“You must be vexed.”

“Yup, more than I anticipated. If I didn’t took even one point, I might be unable to sleep that night.”

“That much!?”

“I realized I don’t have talent in management since then. I also felt furious from our difference in age in the first time. I wonder would I able to took different moves as I am now.”

Hearing my answer, Suwa looked surprised.

“That really help me. I will deal with it carefully.”

Lowering his head and thanking me, we finished our conversation.

Understood that our conversation has ended, I also nodded and we started to walk.

Lately, I’ve accumulate a lot of stress.

If I leave it be, I might collapse. As it crossed my mind, I also noticed, that it’s too late.

Uncomfortable feeling run in my right hand.

The wound has opened again.

Rather than pain, I felt the vanishing blood first.

Before I could think ‘this is bad’, my body already felt heavy.

From the inability to control my body, impatience born.

But before I could say anything, I parted with my consciousness.

==

TL: The raw said ristorante rather than restau, but ristorante is a Italian restaurant according google, so I use restau which should mean restaurant in french. If you have better word for ‘causal french restaurant’ please tell me.