Rich Girl Caretaker Vol. 6 Chapter 5

Negotiation

The next morning. I headed to school. As I was about to enter the classroom, I saw Tennouji-san wave me over.

"Tennouji-san?"

"Tomonari-kun, come here a moment."

She led me to a deserted stairwell landing and turned to ask:

"How is the acquisition situation?"

I figured it was about this.

It was a sensitive topic, so I hesitated on how best to explain. But I trust her, and we are in an alliance. It should be fine. I explained it all in order: how Suminoe-san's goal was to dominate the IT industry, how she'd acquired the VC, how Hinako had worried and offered to be my White Knight, and—

"...And so, I decided not to rely on Konohana-san. I'm going to handle this myself."

I had refused Hinako's offer, choosing to build my own strength. Tennouji-san listened, her arms crossed.

"Ooh... You've got guts."

"You look way too happy about this."

She was grinning... a fierce smile, almost like a predator. In short, I was now facing Suminoe-san head-on. Tennouji-san loves competition, so this was exactly the kind of development she'd enjoy. She sees Hinako as a rival, so she probably appreciated my decision not to use Hinako's power.

"I'm sure you already know, but you can only make this choice because it's a simulation."

"...Yes. I'm well aware."

If this were real life, I'd be completely ignoring the employees of Tomonari Gifts. I have a duty to keep them from "living on the street," yet here I was, choosing the difficult path just to make a point. In reality, I would have had to accept Hinako's protection.

"However, I believe there are things you can only learn because it's a simulation. In fact, that's why I've been doing so many acquisitions myself."

M&A requires massive capital. It's not something you can do often in the real world. But Tennouji-san was doing it aggressively, for the experience.

"You made your choice not to win, but to learn. Since you're aware of that... I'll respect your decision."

"Thank you."

Hearing her say that gave me a huge boost of confidence.

"So, what's your brilliant counter-plan?"

"I'm..."

Just as I was about to answer, someone else approached.

"—Hello."

A calm, sweet voice reached my ears.

"Suminoe-san..."

"Hehe. We've been seeing a lot of each other."

Suminoe-san smiled, the picture of innocence. Looking at her now, you'd never guess how calculating she was. She and Hinako both had that in common—maintaining a perfect public face. Tennouji-san addressed her.

"Suminoe-san, as it happens, Tomonari-kun and I are in an alliance."

"...Yes. I know."

Of course you know... She's probably always peeking at our tea parties.

"So, let me just say this... Your method is... well, it's like slapping someone in the face with a wad of cash. A little strong-arm, don't you think?"

"...As you say. But I judged that if I didn't go this far, you wouldn't come to your senses."

"Come to my senses...?"

Tennouji-san looked confused. Suminoe-san continued:

"Tennouji-san, I have something to say to you, too... That man is not worthy of you. Itsuki Tomonari will only be your downfall. And I will prove it."

She glared at me as she said it, no longer bothering to hide her hatred. I wanted to argue, but the war had already started. Arguing here wouldn't change anything. So, I... switched to business.

"Suminoe-san, do you know a company called WEDDING•NEEDS Co., Ltd.?"

Suminoe-san seemed surprised that I'd try to talk business in such a hostile atmosphere, but she quickly recovered her composure.

"Yes, I do. What of it?"

"Just... I plan on speaking with their president today."

At my declaration, she smiled faintly.

"I see. I know what you're trying to do, but it's hopeless. After all, I've already contacted—"

"—My company and your company are fundamentally different."

This was my one reason for refusing the buyout from the start. Tomonari Gifts and SIS have completely different philosophies... because we, as managers, are completely different. If that was the cause of the conflict, it was also the key to its solution.

"This is how I'm going to survive."

Today, this would likely be settled. After school... I had an appointment.

◆

After school, at the school cafeteria. I was sitting at a reserved table when a male student walked up. I stood.

"Hello. I'm Ikuno, from WEDDING•NEEDS Co., Ltd."

"Itsuki Tomonari, from Tomonari Gifts."

We shook hands briefly, and I sat back down. This meeting was the key to my plan to escape Suminoe-san's control. The waiter handed us menus.

"What will you have, Tomonari-kun?"

"A blend coffee, please."

"I'll have the same."

The waiter nodded and left.

"Is this your first time here, Ikuno-kun?"

"Yeah. My family's pretty strict. I have to go straight home after school."

Ikuno said with a wry smile. I knew there were a lot of students like that. Ikuno's family ran WEDDING•NEEDS, the leader in the wedding industry. They had all sorts of businesses, from venues to hotels and restaurants, all related to weddings. When a family business is that big, the rules are usually strict. It was just like Narika not being allowed to go to Dagashiya. Hinako and Tennouji-san seem free, but they're almost always being watched by bodyguards. Ikuno ran his family's company in the tournament, and just like in the real world, he was the industry leader.

"This is the first time we've talked. I'm actually a little nervous."

"Huh? Why?"

I'm the one who should be nervous. Why would he be?

"Because... you're a member of the 'Noble Tea Party.'"

Ugh. That again. I'd been hearing that a lot lately... It's a real misunderstanding.

"Er... it's really just a chat group. It's not 'noble' at all..."

"Huh? But the rumors I heard said you were seriously discussing politics, economics, military science, and the future of Kiou Academy."

What kind of rumor is that? With me—a transfer student who just got here this spring—in the group? As if.

"There's even a rumor that you're the one pulling the strings."

"Wh-Why would there be a rumor that ridiculous...?"

"Well, they say you're the one who gathered the members, so..."

Why did we start gathering...? Oh, right. I felt bad turning down Taisho and Asahi-san all the time, so I finally agreed. Then I figured I'd invite Tennouji-san, who wanted to get closer to Hinako, and Narika, who wanted to make friends. ...Come to think of it, "I gathered them" isn't entirely wrong.

"L-Let's talk about the tournament! That's why we're here!"

"R-Right."

The topic felt a little dangerous, so I dodged. Just then, our coffee arrived. We both took a sip to compose ourselves. We both sighed.

"This acquisition business must be tough."

Ikuno said, setting his cup down.

"You knew about it?"

"Yeah. Not many people would try to buy out a VC."

It seems Suminoe-san's move had reached the ears of people who weren't even paying attention to us. I felt like I was in the spotlight, and it was unsettling.

"Suminoe-san's SIS is a tech giant... For the startups under that VC, following the industry leader might not be a bad thing..."

"I'm sure some see it that way. But I've chosen to fight."

That's why I was here. I took another sip and looked at Ikuno. It's time.

"As I mentioned, I'd like to discuss a capital partnership."

I got straight to the point. Ikuno, however, looked apologetic and bowed.

"I'm sorry. I really appreciate you setting this up... but I'm not looking for any alliances."

He stared into his cup.

"Another IT company made the same offer, but I refused them all..."

"That included Suminoe-san, didn't it?"

"...You knew?"

"I didn't ask her, but I figured as much."

I took my laptop from my bag.

"I believe I can offer you something different from what Suminoe-san did."

Ikuno's eyes widened.

"Are you familiar with Tomonari Gifts?"

"No... I was just planning on refusing, so I didn't look..."

"Then please, look at this."

He'd probably assumed Tomonari Gifts was just another IT company and tuned out. I knew why. First, I showed him our company data.

"Tomonari Gifts is an e-commerce site specializing in gifts. Because of that, we only handle high-quality products. Our service is perfect for formal occasions, including weddings and other rites of passage."

You can't send cheap gifts for those events. In that, our philosophies matched. When I analyzed the gift market, I saw the link to these life events. Weddings, coming-of-age ceremonies... these are all times when gifts are required. That's why I'd guessed Suminoe-san had also approached him. Her site also had a 'formal occasions' section. If she wanted to grow it, she'd naturally go to the industry leader. Up to that point, my thinking was the same as hers—

"But, I need to make one thing clear: Tomonari Gifts isn't just an online company."

"...What do you mean?"

Ikuno's eyes lit up. He must have thought I was going to make the same pitch Suminoe-san did. But our visions were completely different.

"Our philosophy is to inspire people to see the beauty and style in the tradition of gift-giving. E-commerce is our main battlefield, but we also respond to user needs offline. In fact, we also run a mail-order catalog business."

I showed him the data for the catalog. He stared at it intently.

"So, what do you think?"

I looked him straight in the eye.

"What we really want to do is very similar, isn't it?"

I must have hit the mark. Ikuno was silent, but clearly shocked.

"When I looked at your company data, I saw your plan for 'digital transformation.' But... I didn't feel that it was what you truly wanted. You actually want to preserve the traditional, formal way of doing things, don't you?"

Every company these days is looking at IT. "Informatization" and "Digital Transformation" (DX) are used to improve efficiency or create new business models. WEDDING•NEEDS's plan said they were pursuing DX. But I didn't buy it. Because the face behind the data... Ikuno's face... looked miserable.

"...You're right."

Ikuno clasped his hands and began to speak.

"Honestly, I'm just doing what my parents say. The tournament is high-profile, and they don't trust me with it... so they decided on the DX plan. But what I want... is to protect the traditions and etiquette. Lately, it's all 'online weddings' and 'live-streamed ceremonies.' I'm against it. Precious memories are made from effort... I want our service to inspire that."

I had guessed this was his true feeling. And because of that, I knew my proposal would resonate.

"You're not pursuing efficiency; you're pursuing cultural enlightenment. I believe we share that vision. For example, my site already explains complex etiquette, like gift wrapping and noshi. We could easily add information about weddings."

Sure, my service was a good fit for his market, as I said before. But my real proposal was to give him what he truly wanted: a platform to champion his ideals. And I had already built it.

"Please, form an alliance with me. With your help, our service for formal occasions will grow immensely."

In return, I'd get the backing I needed to escape Suminoe-san, and improve my service. Ikuno considered this. After a moment, he spoke.

"...I was planning to refuse."

He said, sounding a little down.

"I'm not interested in 'digital transformation,' so I was skeptical of any IT alliance. Suminoe-san pushed the DX angle, too, so I just refused her before my parents could find out... I was just... so unmotivated, just following orders."

Ikuno said this, then looked up at me. His eyes were much brighter than when we started.

"But... you saw what I really wanted. That made me happy. Since I'm in this tournament... I want to try doing things my way."

Ikuno bowed his head.

"I accept the capital partnership and alliance. Please, let me invest in your company."

"Thank you very much."

I bowed, much deeper than he had. I let out a breath of relief. He looked at me, puzzled.

"But... how did you know what I wanted to do?"

He was asking how I saw that the DX plan wasn't his idea. It was a fair question, but I didn't know how to put it into words. I had just... sensed it. So...

"...It was just a gut feeling."

I said with a wry smile. It was the only answer I had.

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