Chapter 15: The Chairman’s Pressure

“Kiyomiya-san, I’ve taken care of the arrangements.”

“You’re a lifesaver, Maritsuji.”

The next day, after school, I found myself once again facing Maritsuji Anri in that same tea room. Today, however, I couldn’t be bothered with etiquette and sat cross-legged on the tatami mat. A faint, knowing smile was the only sign that Maritsuji noticed, offering no complaint.

“I’ll be sure to repay this debt,” I assured her.

“Are you sure?” she countered, her eyes gleaming. “A debt to me will cost you dearly, you know?”

“Ugh… F-Fine. One shouldn’t have people do things for free. Especially not the young lady of the Maritsuji family.”

“If we were friends, asking for favors without charge would be perfectly acceptable,” she said, her tone smooth as silk. “But you and I are not friends, are we, Kiyomiya-kun?”

“No, we’re not,” I agreed.

What a terrible thing to say to a classmate. Anyone overhearing us would assume we were on the worst of terms, but that wasn’t it at all. As long as we carried the names Kiyomiya and Maritsuji, we couldn’t form simple relationships. Our families defined our connection.

“You’re welcome to ask me for more favors in the future,” she continued, a predatory glint in her smile. “You have plenty I can collect on, Kiyomiya-kun.”

“That’s terrifying!” You aren’t seriously planning on pressuring me into marriage, are you? “S-Surely this one little favor isn’t that big of a debt, right?”

“Now, I wonder about that?” Maritsuji teased, sticking her tongue out playfully.

“Hey, Anri-chan. Didn’t your father tell you to stop doing that?”

“Ah, my apologies. I can’t help but revert to my childhood self around you, Kiyomiya-san—” She paused, her eyes widening slightly. “Wait, you just called me ‘Anri-chan,’ didn’t you? Just like you used to.”

“…Did I?”

Back when I was ignorant of the weight her family name carried, I used to call her by her first name so casually. The memory of her parents’ openly displeased expressions was what made me switch to her surname.

“You did,” she confirmed, her smile returning, softer this time. “Calling me ‘Anri-chan’ might be too much to ask, but from now on, could you just call me ‘Maritsuji,’ even in public? No honorifics. Let’s consider the debt repaid with that.”

“…I wonder if I got off surprisingly cheap?” Just calling Sayaka by her first name is already causing ripples. This will only invite more trouble… but I suppose it can’t be helped.

“Oops, it’s getting late. The appointment was for four, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” she confirmed. “I have arranged a meeting with Chairman Toyohara for four o’clock.”

“Thank you, Maritsuji.”

“You’re welcome.” Maritsuji nodded, then placed her hands on the tatami and bowed her head in a gesture of perfect grace. “Take care, my dear husband. Around what time will you be returning? I’ll have a meal prepared and waiting for you.”

“What are you, my newlywed wife?!”

I’ve made a debt with the wrong person. But a meeting with the chairman of Sōshūkan Academy—Toyohara Shuuichirou, head of a prestigious family on par with Kiyomiya and Maritsuji—was something I could never have managed on my own. It required Maritsuji Anri to ask on behalf of her family name.

Thinking back, going to the faculty office was a mistake. Abolishing the special scholarship program is a decision made by the management; a teacher, who is essentially an employee, has no power to oppose it. Involving Reizen-sensei might have been a poor move.

I knocked on the door of the chairman’s office, located on the first floor of the main school building.

“Enter.”

“Excuse me.”

A grave voice beckoned from within. I pushed the door open slowly, revealing a room that, while not spacious, was impeccably furnished. A plush carpet covered the floor, complemented by a handsome reception set and a magnificent wooden desk by the window.

“I’m Kiyomiya Keiji, from class 1-B.” I addressed the man seated at the desk.

His gray hair was neatly combed, his shoulders broad beneath a well-tailored brown suit. With a finely trimmed beard, he had the imposing air of a man who would look perfectly natural puffing on a cigar. “Chairman Toyohara, I’ve come to speak with you.”

“To come directly to me, bypassing the principal,” Chairman Toyohara said, his face stern and unsmiling. “The Kiyomiya are as impudent as ever.” This was the chairman of Sōshūkan Academy and the current head of the esteemed Toyohara family. “However,” he continued, “I can hardly refuse a meeting mediated by the young lady of the Maritsuji family.”

“I am grateful to Maritsuji-san for her help.”

“That young lady may seem gentle, but she is a difficult one. I’m surprised you managed to curry her favour.”

“She is kind.”

“She chooses who to be kind to. You would be wise not to make an enemy of her.” The chairman leaned back, sinking deep into his expensive-looking chair. “Keiji, it’s been a while. We’re at the same school, yet this is the first time we’ve met on campus, isn’t it? How is Takatsugu? That man is too much at his own pace. If you leave him be, years can go by without so much as a phone call.”

“My apologies. My father is also very busy…” My father, Kiyomiya Takatsugu, was an old acquaintance of the chairman’s, and I had met the man several times as a child.

“No, you didn’t come here to talk about your father, did you?” he said, cutting to the chase. “It’s about the special scholarship program, isn’t it?”

“Eh? How did you…?”

“There is nothing in this school that I do not know,” he stated flatly. “This is a decision from management. It’s not for children to meddle in.”

“Isn’t it too harsh to abolish the program so suddenly? You’re dealing with a child’s future.”

“Are you planning to leak this to the media? Post about it on social networks? Go ahead. I will teach you that Sōshūkan is not like other schools.”

“You sound just like a villain, Uncle—I mean, Chairman.”

“On the contrary, the fact that you, a Kiyomiya, are complaining has only strengthened my resolve to abolish it.”

“Isn’t that just a personal grudge?!” This cool old man who would look so good with a cigar is starting to sound awfully childish.

“Even a boy like you must know of the long-standing feud between the Toyohara and the Kiyomiya.”

“I’ve heard bits and pieces, but I thought that was something that didn’t concern our generation.”

“It most certainly does. It is a feud that will be passed down from one generation to the next.”

“Master, it’s cruel to threaten him like that.”

“O-Oh. Is that so?”

A voice suddenly emerged from behind me, and Chairman Toyohara’s composure instantly faltered. Turning, I saw a maid standing there.

“Eh? A-A maid?”

“Yes. My name is Kino, and I am a maid. It has been a while, Keiji-sama.”

“…My apologies, have we met?”

She held a tray bearing two cups of tea. Her black hair was neatly braided, accentuating an intelligent beauty. Tall and slender, she wore a long-skirted, classic maid outfit, looking as though she’d stepped directly out of a British aristocratic drama.

“Um, are you a maid of the Toyohara family?”

“Yes. We only met when you were a child, Keiji-sama, so it is quite understandable that you’ve forgotten.”

“I see…” To be honest, I grew up in a world where servants were a normal part of life. I couldn’t possibly remember the staff of other houses after meeting them only a few times.

“Master,” Kino said, her tone gentle but firm, “it would be one thing if it were any other student, but this is Keiji-sama of the Kiyomiya. It would be rude not to at least offer him tea.”

“Y-You’re right,” the chairman stammered. “Keiji, take a seat on the sofa.” He stood and moved toward the reception set, and I followed, sitting across from him. Kino gracefully placed the two cups of tea on the table between us.

“Chairman, you have a weakness for maids, don’t you,” I observed.

“Those who stand above others must listen to the advice of their subordinates,” he declared, pretending his earlier flustered reaction never happened. This maid is probably a little older than Reizen-sensei—still in her twenties, I’d guess. From his perspective, she could be his daughter’s age, yet he can’t seem to stand firm against her.

“To continue our discussion, Keiji,” he said, regaining his composure. “Let me explain, just in case. The Toyohara family has absolutely no blood relation to the Kiyomiya family. This is because, despite both being prestigious families for a thousand years, we have never once been joined by marriage.”

“You must have been on truly terrible terms.”

“We may not have married, but it seems we’ve tried to kill each other countless times. Back in the Heian period, we apparently even sent curses to one another.”

“Curses. What a quaint story.” If anything, I’m feeling the urge to send you a curse right about now. “But no matter how bad the relationship between our families is, the matter of the special scholarship program is a separate issue, isn’t it?”

“Don’t get worked up. In the first place, the program has always had a poor reputation. Whenever a special scholarship student was admitted, many students and parents would openly show their displeasure.”

“For a bunch of rich people, they’re quite small-minded.”

“They have immense pride. Let me put it in terms you’ll understand. It’s about your mother.”

“Huh?” My mother? What about the woman who gave birth to me without marrying my father?

“You didn’t know? Keiji, your mother was a special scholarship student at Sōshūkan. She met Kiyomiya Takatsugu at this very school.”

“…This is the first I’ve heard of it.” In fact, I know almost nothing about my real mother. In the Kiyomiya family, talking about her was a taboo.

“But…” the chairman began, then hesitated.

“What is it?”

“No, it’s nothing. I’ve said too much.” It’s clearly not nothing. If even this pompous old man finds it difficult to say…

“Could it be,” I ventured, a cold realization dawning on me, “that the reputation of the special scholarship program soured because my mother, a scholarship student, met the head of the Kiyomiya family and bore his child?” Was she seen as a girl from a common family who inappropriately snared a scion of the upper class?

My guess must have hit the mark, as the chairman’s face twisted into a bitter expression. “It’s not that I’m a staunch supporter of the class system. I’m aware it is not suited for modern society. However, it is a fact that the people of Sōshūkan and its circle are elitist.”

“Well, I’m a small part of that class too, so I understand.” Even among the prestigious families, there are many who find the idea of ‘class difference’ old-fashioned, but there are far more who take immense pride in the lineage passed down for generations.

“The special scholarship program has continued for about twenty years. The consensus was that it was time for it to end, and I had no reason to refuse. Hisaka Sayaka is an excellent student, and she had a recommendation from the Reizen family, but that is not enough reason to protect her.”

“As the chairman, you should protect your students.”

“There is no reversing this decision. Hisaka Sayaka either pays the one million yen, or she will be expelled.” He made it clear that my protests were meaningless. “Keiji, frankly, you are a disappointment.”

“Huh? You had expectations for me?”

“I’m not joking. The current first years of the high school division are dominated by Fujikawa’s faction.”

“Are you talking about factional struggles?” Since the students here are a collection of prestigious families with pre-existing connections and conflicts, factions are an unavoidable reality. It’s not just about student relationships; it’s the balance of power and feuds between their families playing out in the microcosm of a school.

“As the son of the Kiyomiya head, what are you doing not forming a group? You are not fulfilling your noble duty.”

“You want me to create a faction? I’m a man with average grades and athletic ability, laughed at as ‘the trash of the Kiyomiya.’”

“If things continue as they are, even if you could solve this issue with the scholarship, the next time a problem arises, you will once again be faced with your own powerlessness.”

“Chairman, are you telling me to carry the Kiyomiya name and start playing politics?”

“School is a microcosm of society. It’s a cliché, but it’s true. That is why we manage schools and educate the children of prestigious families.”

“I have no intention of jumping into that societal competition in the first place.” My live-in, aspiring-maid houseguest is eager to train me, but I have no foolish ambitions of aiming for the top of aristocratic society.

“That is complacency, Keiji. If you wish to protect a friend like Hisaka Sayaka at Sōshūkan, then you must aim to stand at the top as a Kiyomiya.”

“You too?” Why is a student treated like trash suddenly on the reciving end of the chairman’s expectations?

“It’s been nine years since elementary school. No one will follow me now if I suddenly start acting like a leader. Everyone knows my circumstances.”

“Keiji-sama, I apologize for interjecting,” Kino-san said timidly from her position beside the reception set.

“What is it?”

“My family was hostile to the Toyohara family until about ten years ago.”

“Eh… Does that mean you were forced into submission by the chairman and made into a maid?”

“Hey, watch your mouth,” Chairman Toyohara snapped, looking genuinely displeased.

“The Toyohara is a clan that has always subjugated those around them, and they continue to do so,” she continued, unfazed. “The Kiyomiya are no different. It means you have the power to do so as well.”

“Kino-san, are you trying to instigate me too?” There isn’t a single decent person around me. The adults are especially bad. Him, Reizen-sensei…

“Honestly…” The chairman let out a very obvious, weary sigh. “I’ve known you since you were a child. For old time’s sake, I’ll give you one piece of advice.”

“What is it now? I thought I came here to ask you for a favor.”

“You foolish child. There’s no need to be indebted to me. The special scholarship program is abolished, and Hisaka Sayaka will be expelled unless she pays one million yen. Once it comes to this, the solution is simple. Consult your homeroom teacher? Appeal directly to the chairman? Create a debt with a Toyohara, of all people? Ridiculous. There is a much easier solution, and it should be obvious what that is. The question is—Keiji, whether you will do it or not.”

“…”

 

“I can’t be dealing with a child forever.”

With those parting words, I was essentially kicked out of the chairman’s office.

“A simple solution, huh…” I muttered, walking down the corridor.

“Hey, Kiyomiya.”

“What is it, Fujikawa?”

Standing in front of me—no, waiting for me—was Fujikawa Koutarou.

“What are you doing wandering around here? You’ve got some nerve going to see the chairman directly.”

“It’s perfectly normal for the chairman to meet with a student, isn’t it?” From the sound of it, Fujikawa fears the chairman. Considering the Toyohara family’s standing is a few ranks above his, that’s to be expected.

“I know all about it,” he sneered. “That Hisaka you’re so friendly with is on the verge of expulsion, isn’t she? Haha, that’s what happens when you get involved with trash like you, Kiyomiya.”

“By the way, I heard the program is being abolished because of protests from multiple parents. Was the Fujikawa family involved?”

“Who knows,” Fujikawa said with a smug grin and a shrug. His ‘who knows’ makes it sound like he knows everything.

“But maybe Hisaka is thinking the same thing? Is that woman smart but dense? Perhaps she’ll finally realize that nothing good comes from getting involved with someone like you. For the record, neither I nor the Fujikawa family had anything to do with it.”

“I see. Well then… Fujikawa, if you’re not involved, then get lost.”

“…!”

My words seemed to shock him, his face freezing in place. I expected anger, but all I see is surprise. This guy might actually be a coward. A small man. Just like I was until a moment ago.

 

Fujikawa doesn’t matter right now.

I hurried back to the Kiyomiya Family’s Old Manor. After a brief exchange with Sayaka, who was already home as usual, I went straight to my room. She might have found my behavior strange, but I didn’t have time to worry about that.

I stood before my bookshelf, took out a single photo album, and opened it. “To think my mother went through the same thing as Sayaka…”

The existence of my mother, who died when I was young, has always been a faint one. Because her “status” was that of a commoner, she was never truly accepted in the house where I was born and raised. It’s not that I ever resented her—or rather, I don’t know her well enough to feel resentment. I hadn’t looked at the only photograph I had of her in years.

She was smiling in the garden of the Kiyomiya main residence, holding me as a baby. Her long brown hair is in a braid, and she is dressed elegantly. Other than her name, Wakura Honoka, and her appearance in this photo, I know nothing about her. The only new piece of information I’d learned today was from the chairman: she was a special scholarship student at Sōshūkan.

“Hey, Mother,” I whispered to the photograph. “Your special scholarship kouhai is in a bad spot. What should I do?”

The smiling woman in the photo, of course, didn’t answer.

“You know, it’s been a while since I’ve looked at this, but she really does look intelligent.” I’d always thought she was beautiful, but now I could see a certain sharpness in her features, a high intellect that shone through. It must have been incredibly difficult to qualify as a special scholarship student back then, just as it is now. Sayaka, too, has that same intelligent look. I’m even starting to see a resemblance between her and my mother. Your inner self really does show on your face…

“Keiji-kun?”

“Whoa!”

Startled by the sudden voice, I hastily shoved the photo into my pocket. From the wide-open doorway, Sayaka was peeking in, only half her body visible. The housekeeper—no, the maid was spying on me?

“You went straight to your room, so I thought you might be doing something you couldn’t tell anyone. I couldn’t help but take a peek.”

“…Your curiosity is quite something.” Thankfully, I’d managed to hide the photo just in time. It’s not that I needed to hide a picture of my own mother, but for some reason, I felt embarrassed.

“I got curious about what a boy does alone in his room. I’m sorry,” she said, though she didn’t sound particularly repentant.

“I’m not doing anything weird! M-More importantly, you should go get dinner ready or something.”

“You’re right. Should I make something to boost your stamina?”

“I told you, I’m not cooped up in my room doing anything!” I was about to be terribly misunderstood.

This was no time to be lost in contemplation while looking at a photo of my late mother. I had to decide what I must do to save this girl—this girl who was facing the same circumstances my mother once did.