novelones Chapter 386 Returning to School with All Our Might
Chapter 386 Returning to School with All Our Might
February 5, 1991, Saionji Main Residence.
Breakfast was served in the small dining room.
Slightly toasted bread, sandwiched with a fried egg and bacon, a small bowl of hot soup, and a small dish of sliced fruit. The courtyard outside the window is still covered with a thin layer of snow, and when the sunlight shines through the clouds, it shines on the branches as if they have been sprinkled with fine salt.
The television was placed on one side of the dining room, and the volume was low enough that the news anchor's voice could be heard clearly.
"Saionji Group and Seibu Group jointly announced yesterday that they have reached a basic cooperation agreement in areas such as commercial development along railway lines, hotel food procurement, stadium-related services, and tourism logistics in Hokkaido..."
The scene shifts to the press conference.
Shuichi sat calmly on the stage, flanked by several representatives from Seibu. Endo stood to one side, reading aloud from a prepared statement.
The news anchor continued, "Both parties stated that this collaboration aims to address changes in the consumption and asset environment during the adjustment period of the bubble economy, improve the group's operational efficiency through cooperation in areas such as railways, hotels, sports and entertainment, and food logistics, and promote the integration of urban consumption with local tourism resources..."
Every word on TV was perfectly safe, and the reports used words like "cooperation," "cooperation," "joint promotion," and "operational efficiency"—words that left no room for criticism—as if this were just a perfectly normal corporate collaboration.
But the Tokyo business community doesn't really think that way.
Business along the railway line, food procurement for Prince Hotel, services around Seibu Lions Stadium, and tourism logistics in Hokkaido.
Putting these words together, anyone in the know can tell at a glance that Seibu has handed over several of the easiest and most stable channels for cash outflow to Saionji.
Satsuki sat at the dining table, holding a silver fork, slowly poking at the fried egg on her plate.
She watched TV for a while, then suddenly pointed at the screen.
"Father, does Endo look unwell?"
Xiu looked up.
On the TV, Endo turned a page of a document, his movements still steady, but his complexion was not as rosy as before, and his fatigue was even more obvious when he stood under the light.
"really."
Xiu nodded slightly, a hint of a smile in his voice.
"His complexion has been getting worse and worse ever since you took over the family business."
"Do you remember how healthy he looked when he was with me?"
Satsuki blinked.
"Hehe~ Those who are capable should do more work, right?"
"Say that to Endo's face next time."
"No, he'll cry."
Shuichi couldn't help but laugh and curse.
The news on TV had switched to a financial commentator. He was seriously analyzing how the collaboration between Saionji and Seibu would affect the landscape of Japan's service industry. On the table was a very complicated diagram, connecting railways, hotels, farms, logistics, and sports fields.
Satsuki only glanced at it before losing interest.
She put down her cutlery, picked up a napkin, and wiped her mouth.
"I'm stuffed."
After saying that, she stood up from her chair.
"Then I'm going to school, Father."
Shuichi paused for a moment, his hand holding the coffee cup still.
This word was already somewhat unfamiliar to him.
go to school.
So, my daughter still has to go to school?
He looked at the youngest daughter in front of him who had just forced... no, it should be said that she had facilitated the cooperation between Xiwu and others, and then looked at the Saint Hua Academy uniform she was now wearing. He suddenly felt that the scene was utterly absurd.
"Too."
Shuichi put down his coffee cup, suppressing a laugh, and said, "I almost forgot you're still a student."
Satsuki nodded very seriously.
"I only remembered it when I saw the uniform this morning."
Xiu was speechless when he saw her self-righteous attitude.
He paused for a moment, then softened his tone.
"However, you don't actually need to go. There's not much to learn in those university courses anymore."
"But didn't my principal just call and talk to my father for a full half hour a few days ago?"
Satsuki tilted her head and said with a smile.
"I don't think I've had a single month of attendance in the past three years, have I? Principal Hisa must be having a really tough time. He sounded like he was about to cry, so pitiful."
Xiu Yi recalled that phone call and remained silent for a few seconds.
Although Satsuki's tone wasn't as tearful as she had described, Principal Kuga Munehisa had clearly run out of options before coming to him.
His wording was clearly carefully considered.
The statement that "the college fully understands Saionji's special circumstances regarding family affairs" is false. The statement that "the third year of the senior high school is about to enter the final confirmation stage before graduation" is false. The statement that "if the student continues to be absent from school for an extended period, there will be formal difficulties in attendance records, comprehensive evaluation, graduation certification, and alumni association registration" is false.
It translates to just one sentence.
Please, please let Satsuki come back to class for a few days. (Oh my god! Waitashi...)
If she doesn't come back soon, the college really doesn't know how to help her graduate.
That's true.
Shuichi sighed, finding it somewhat amusing.
"Just go to class as usual this last month. You haven't really experienced much campus life these past few years anyway."
"Um."
Satsuki picked up her schoolbag and waved gently at him.
"Then I'm off, Father."
"Okay, take care."
Xiuyi watched her walk out of the restaurant.
The financial commentator on TV was still saying that the collaboration between Saionji and Seibu might signify a new round of restructuring in the financial world. The subtitles at the bottom of the screen kept scrolling, with words like securities, railways, hotels, food, and logistics appearing repeatedly.
The person who truly brought about this reorganization had just gone to school with a backpack from Sheng Hua Academy.
Shuichi suddenly realized that if he told Yoshiaki Tsutsumi about this, the latter would probably get a stomachache again.
……
Office of Class 3A, Senior Division, Sheng Hua College.
Sawako Sugiura has already gone through the same student file three times.
The file folder was thick, with a neat label on the cover.
Senior Division, Grade 3, Group A.
Saionji Satsuki.
Judging by his name alone, this should be the student that Shenghua Academy is most proud of.
Born into a prominent Chinese family, with excellent academic records and impeccable manners, and whose family consistently ranks highly on the college's donation list every year, this student should rightfully be placed at the very beginning of the yearbook, accompanied by a gentle and dignified eulogy, becoming the perfect example for the college to showcase its educational achievements.
Every time Sugiura Sawako sees the attendance record, she feels her temples throbbing.
Forty-two days.
For three whole years, I attended school a total of forty-two days.
She taught at St. Hua College for twelve years and saw many special students. Some were on long-term leave due to poor health, some went abroad early due to family arrangements, some were forced to frequently miss classes due to engagement issues, and some were simply too lazy to come to school.
Saint Hua Academy is not an ordinary school. The students sitting here all have some kind of trouble behind them that the teachers have to pretend not to notice. So it's normal for students here to miss a few dozen days or even several months of classes.
However, the number 42 days is still too outrageous.
So absurdly, when Sugiura Sawako first saw the statistics, she thought the office had accidentally written three years instead of one semester.
She checked it three times later.
That's right, it's three years.
Satsuki Saionji, with her extremely stable, elegant, and polite demeanor, set a new record for the worst attendance since the founding of Seika Academy—a record achieved by an absolute margin.
What's even more troublesome is that this last place can't simply be treated as the last place.
Because her surname is Saionji.
Because the principal personally intervened.
Because the council can't really say "don't let her graduate".
If this young lady really isn't allowed to graduate, she has every reason to believe that the entire Saint Hua Academy will be razed to the ground the next day.
Sawako Sugiura closed the file, picked up the black tea on the table, took a sip, and tried to clear her head.
Today is the day that great-aunt goes back to school.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but glance at the file folder again.
Of course, the word "great-aunt" cannot be uttered.
At faculty meetings, everyone referred to her as "Saionji-kun." The principal would deliberately slow down his speech when addressing her, as if saying the name even slightly too quickly would seem inappropriate.
But in the entire senior high school office, who didn't know how difficult this Saionji student was to deal with?
Yesterday evening, Principal Hisako called her to his office and talked with her for the entire afternoon.
The principal's meaning can be summarized in a very simple way.
Never mess with that living Buddha.
Make sure she finishes this month's courses.
Make sure she doesn't feel uncomfortable about Shenghua Academy.
Of course, Principal Kuga himself didn't put it that directly. He used his usual calm tone to emphasize that the college should respect students' special circumstances and help them successfully complete their final year of high school.
After listening for ten minutes, Sugiura Sawako finally couldn't help but ask a question.
"Headmaster, are you worried that Saionji will tell her family when she gets home?"
Kuga Munehisa's gaze at her at that time was very complicated.
It was a look that mixed surprise, helplessness, and a little bit of pity.
"To tattle?"
The principal seemed to have heard a word that was difficult to understand.
"Ms. Sugiura, her whole family listens to her now. Who can she complain to?"
Sugiura Sawako was stunned.
She knew the Saionji family was powerful, and she also knew Satsuki's special status. But the statement that "the whole family has to listen to her" was still beyond a teacher's normal understanding of her students.
Kuga Munehisa probably realized that he had been too blunt, paused for a moment, and waved his hand.
"It's normal that you don't know since you're not in that circle."
"In short, Saionji is not the kind of child who would make things difficult for a teacher. She is very well-mannered and knows how to behave appropriately."
"Just remember to go along with her as much as possible and let her finish this month smoothly."
Sugiura Sawako nodded, seemingly understanding.
When she came out of the principal's office yesterday, she still felt that Principal Hisa's words were somewhat exaggerated.
Their whole family has to listen to her.
Such words would seem absurd in an ordinary family. But in the context of old Chinese and wealthy families, they might not be entirely incomprehensible.
Sawako Sugiura had seen plenty of spoiled children from prestigious families. Some students were the undisputed bosses at home and treated their teachers like housekeepers at school; some students had terrible grades, yet their families could arrange perfect make-up exams; and some students would simply frown, and the principal's office would receive a very polite phone call the next day.
So she naturally assumed that Saionji Satsuki was probably just the most exaggerated one among them.
She comes from a very wealthy family, is spoiled by her father, and dares not offend the school.
What else could it be?
She saw the newspaper in the teachers' office this morning.
Saionji Group and Seibu Group reach business cooperation agreement.
"Cooperation will be carried out in railway, hotel and stadium surrounding businesses."
The financial sector is paying attention to new forms of cooperation among large groups.
In the newspaper photo, Shuichi Saionji sat on the stage at a press conference, while Endo stood to the side reading the announcement. The report portrayed the matter in a very respectable manner, but the expressions of several teachers in the office, whose families had some connections in the financial world, visibly changed.
Someone whispered that Seibu probably gave up quite a lot this time.
Some people say that putting words like railway, hotel, and stadium together already indicates that this is not an ordinary collaboration.
Sawako Sugiura stood to the side, not quite understanding what she was hearing.
She knew Seibu was huge, and she knew the Saionji family was powerful. But she couldn't immediately tell, like those teachers from wealthy families, who knew who had yielded to whom or what they had gained.
There's only one thing she can understand.
The name Saionji appeared in national newspapers again this morning.
The student whose name corresponds to this name will later sit in the classroom of Class 3A, listen to her lecture, and finish filling out the long-overdue graduation documents.
Sawako Sugiura glanced down at the attendance book in her hand.
The newspaper featured the Saionji Group and the Seibu Group.
The attendance book lists Satsuki Saionji from Class 3-A as absent.
She suddenly became even more convinced of her judgment from yesterday.
This is probably a child who has been spoiled rotten by his family.
However, her "boundlessness" went far beyond that of ordinary students from prestigious schools. It went so far that the principal had to personally call Mr. Shuichi, and the entire high school had to accompany her to make up for the last month of her campus life.
Sawako Sugiura put the file back on the table and took a deep breath.
Her goal for today was very simple.
First, don't say the wrong thing.
Second, don't ask unnecessary questions.
Third, let Saionji Satsuki sit in the classroom safely, finish her class safely, and leave school safely.
If she can accomplish these three things, she will have completed the most important task in her career as the homeroom teacher of Group A in the three-year senior division of Shenghua Academy.
She picked up the lesson plan and checked the documents tucked inside again.
Attendance confirmation before graduation.
Supplementary explanation for comprehensive evaluation.
Route registration form.
Graduation yearbook materials.
There are also a few research reports that require my personal confirmation.
All of these things must be given to Satsuki herself. Sugiura Sawako knew very well that many of the forms could be handled by the Saionji family's clerks, who would even do them ten times better than the average student. But the school needed to see her sitting in the classroom, receiving the documents, and writing her name.
She tidied up the documents and left the teachers' office.
The corridor was quieter than usual.
Third-grade students no longer have the same playful energy as lower-grade students in the mornings. The air in February carries a sense of impending end. Those preparing for entrance exams are clutching their reference books, those who have received recommendations are discussing their post-graduation plans, while those whose families have already decided on their future paths seem much more relaxed.
But there are clearly other reasons for the quiet today.
As soon as Sugiura Sawako reached the stairwell, she saw a large group of students gathered at the far end of the corridor.
It wasn't the kind of chaotic onlookers.
Even when curious, the students of St. Hua Academy maintained basic manners. They simply slowed their pace, pretending to organize their bags, pretending to talk to their companions, and pretending they weren't constantly looking in the same direction.
But everyone's eyes were on that.
Sawako Sugiura followed their gaze.
Satsuki was walking from the other end of the corridor.
She was wearing the uniform of the senior division of St. Hua Academy, a dark coat, a white shirt, and a neatly tied bow tie, carrying a schoolbag in her hand.
She had no bodyguards or secretary with her, only a female student from Shenghua Academy. Yet, as she approached, the surrounding students naturally made way for her.
The scene was strange.
Judging by her clothes alone, she is indeed a student here.
However, her aura made it difficult for Sugiura Sawako to treat her as an ordinary student.
Several students greeted her quietly.
"Good morning, Saionji-kun."
Satsuki responded with a smile.
"Good morning."
Her tone was gentle, and her manners were impeccable, befitting a well-educated young lady from a distinguished family.
Sugiura Sawako subconsciously clenched the lesson plan in her hand.
She silently encouraged herself.
Calm down, Sawako Sugiura.
She is just your student.
Although this student only came for forty-two days in three years.
Although this student may have kept the principal up at night.
Although the student's family had just issued a joint statement with the Seibu Group, the entire business world was re-evaluating Tokyo's political climate.
But today she returned to St. Hua Academy, as a student in the third year, Class A.
Sawako Sugiura took a deep breath and put on the gentle smile that a homeroom teacher should have.
He risked his career.
She must give it her all this month.