At the same time Tojo Karen, Kishimoto Rika, and Kim Yu-seong were deep in a shopping spree at the Tokyu Department Store in Shibuya.
Key executives of the Toseikai were gathering one by one at the organization's grand mansion in Meguro, Tokyo.
A solemn atmosphere filled the conference room.
Seated at the head of the table was a middle-aged man, the sixth chairman of the Toseikai, Tojo Naoto.
Commonly known as Naoto "the Bloodbath."
He stroked the knife scar on the bridge of his nose, his expression serious as he surveyed the faces of his executives, before suddenly slamming the sashimi knife in his hand onto the floor and speaking.
"It seems Karen has found a boy she likes."
The moment he said it, a murmur rippled through the executives.
And for good reason. Before being executives of the organization, everyone present at this meeting were uncles who had watched Tojo Karen grow up.
The one thing everyone gathered here had in common was their profound affection for Tojo Karen, who they saw as a daughter or granddaughter.
These were men among men, who would gladly give up a pinky for the girl who was the apple of their eye.
An unofficial meeting of the Toseikai's key executives.
That was the official pretext for the gathering, but in reality, it was Tojo Karen's personal fan club.
And the fan club's president and member number one, her doting fool of a father, Tojo Naoto, scowled with his scarred face and spoke.
"I don't know what kind of gutter rat he is, but I can't just give my daughter away to anyone. Sento!"
"Yes!"
The organization's accountant, an elite yakuza named Sento Osamu, pushed up his glasses with his middle finger and projected an image onto the white wall of the conference room.
"Name, Sakamoto Ryuji. Born October 7th. His family consists of his archaeologist parents and a younger sister, two years his junior. He is currently enrolled at the private Ichijo Academy. His school grades are mid-tier, and his athletic ability seems quite good, as he has attended a karate dojo run by his childhood friend's father since he was young. It's reported he recently got into a street fight and put two punks in the hospital with injuries requiring two weeks of recovery."
"Hmm. He's got a girly, delicate face, but it seems he's got guts."
As Tojo Naoto muttered with his arms crossed, Sento nodded and moved to the next page of the presentation.
"According to information from a mole we planted inside Ichijo Academy, it is presumed that the Young Miss fell for this Sakamoto Ryuji on Monday of this week. The punks I mentioned earlier are first-year students in the kendo club the Young Miss belongs to. It appears she went to confront them about their violent behavior, driven by her strong sense of justice, and ended up falling for him in the process."
"Damn it! If it weren't for those damn punks!"
"Next slide."
Sento pressed a button on the remote, and photos of Tojo Karen's friends who had recently visited appeared on the screen.
At this, Naoto's glare, which had been fixed in a grind, shifted.
"That young man in the back, his physique is extraordinary."
"Yes. That is a student named Kim Yu-seong, whom the Young Miss recently brought over, introducing him as a friend. I suspected he might be an assassin planted by another organization and investigated him separately, but he was just an ordinary student who enjoys working out. He has no particular criminal record and is an honor student at school who has never failed to be at the top of his grade."
"Hoh, the more I look at him, the more I like this young man. I understand for now. Next."
"The blonde girl next to him is another of the Young Miss's friends, a student named Kishimoto Rika. Her father is the famous manga artist Kishimoto Sojiro, and her mother, Kishimoto Maria, is currently a part-time French instructor at Waseda University's language center. To be precise, she is an elite who can speak a total of four languages: English, French, Japanese, and Korean. Miss Rika has such an excellent fashion sense that she worked as a reader model for a fashion magazine in her hometown of Shizuoka. It seems she used that talent to teach the Young Miss how to apply makeup."
*Click!*
When he displayed a before-and-after comparison on the presentation screen, all the executives in the room gasped in admiration.
"Ooh! She was always cute, but with makeup, she's even cuter."
"That's our Young Miss. She was special from the start."
"I knew she'd become a beauty when she grew up, but honestly, I never thought she'd become this pretty."
While the executives were each voicing their impressions, only her father, Naoto, was looking at the photos with a displeased expression.
"Quiet. I'm not in a good mood right now."
Seeing the displeasure on his face, the executives quickly shut their mouths.
As a quiet stillness fell over the room, Sento quickly moved to the next slide.
Attached were photos of various receipts.
"Yesterday, the Young Miss mentioned for the first time that she wanted to go to a hair salon, so I personally escorted her. This is the receipt. And just today, a new charge appeared on the Young Miss's card. As you can see, they are all from clothing stores in the Tokyu Department Store."
*Murmur- Murmur-*
Only then did the Toseikai executives begin to grasp the gravity of the situation and start discussing it amongst themselves.
The reason Naoto was so displeased, despite his daughter becoming prettier, was simple.
His daughter, who never cared for makeup, suddenly learns how to apply it. The girl who only ever used shampoo and rinse suddenly goes to a hair salon for the first time in her life. The child who insisted on wearing either her school uniform or comfortable clothes year-round suddenly goes to a women's clothing store?
All these clues pointed to only one thing.
"It is highly likely that the Young Miss will be going on a date this weekend."
"SAKAMOTOOOOOO!!"
"Chairman! I understand how you feel, but please, calm down!"
His eyes rolled back in fury, and the executives hastily restrained Naoto, who looked ready to find Sakamoto Ryuji and stab him that very instant.
After some time had passed and he had barely calmed down, Naoto said, panting.
"Anyone free this weekend, assemble here! Got it!"
"Yes!"
"Our objective is to follow my daughter on her date and stop that Sakamoto punk from trying anything funny!"
"Yes!"
Toseikai's Sixth Chairman, Tojo Naoto, and eight key executives.
All members confirmed for deployment!
***
"I'm exhausted~!"
After about two hours of marathon shopping, we had finally picked out an outfit and accessories for Tojo Karen's date tomorrow.
We were now having a late dinner at a gourmet burger joint in the department store's food court.
"I don't even have the energy to chew anymore~"
Despite her words, Kishimoto was stuffing her cheeks like a squirrel, diligently eating her french fries.
Tojo Karen watched her for a moment before managing to speak.
"Rika, I'll say it again, but thank you so much."
Rika waved her hand as if it were nothing.
"Hey~ what's a little thing like this between friends? So don't worry about it. I had fun shopping with you too."
"Yeah, you've been like that from the start."
Tojo chuckled at Kishimoto's playful remark, then looked at me and asked with a tilt of her head.
"Kim Yu-seong, are you okay with just one hamburger for a guy your size? This is my treat, so you can eat as much as you want."
I shrugged at her words and replied.
"I ate a big lunch, so I'm fine. Besides, I prefer rice to bread."
"If you're still hungry, just let me know. Compared to how much you helped me, this is nothing."
At first, I thought she just had a delinquent-like personality, but getting to know her, I saw she had a surprisingly thoughtful side.
I guess you really can't judge a person until you get to know them.
As I stared at her, Tojo asked, "Is there something on my face?" to which I replied, "Ketchup."
Tojo's face turned red, and she quickly wiped her face with a napkin.
Kishimoto, who had been sipping her cola through a straw next to us, suddenly asked.
"By the way, Karen, where are you meeting Sakamoto tomorrow?"
"At the Hachiko statue in front of Shibuya Station, 10 in the morning."
"Have you planned out the date course?"
Tojo nodded and replied.
"We'll go to a café for a quick drink, then a movie, then get something to eat and part ways, right?"
At that, the previously listless Kishimoto suddenly slammed the table and sprang back to life.
"Wrong! For a first date, that's a hopelessly complacent attitude!"
"Huh? Huh?"
Tojo looked startled by her sudden outburst.
Ignoring her, Kishimoto launched into a passionate speech.
"You'll never win someone's heart by just copying what everyone else does! So instead of a movie, how about here!"
With that, Kishimoto showed her smartphone, displaying the aquarium at Ikebukuro Sunshine City.
Indeed, an aquarium is a popular choice for a couple's date.
It was a short subway or bus ride away, so meeting in Shibuya and then taking public transportation to Sunshine City wasn't a bad idea.
That place was also a comprehensive cultural center, with plenty to do and see, just like Shibuya.
In the end, persuaded by Kishimoto, Tojo added the aquarium to her date itinerary for tomorrow.
After we finished dinner, we parted ways with Tojo in front of Shibuya Station. Dragging my tired body onto the subway, Kishimoto, who sat next to me, asked.
"What are you doing tomorrow, Ryu-chan?"
"Probably just reading manga at home."
"Then let's tail Tojo together!"
"What?"
I looked at her, thinking she was making another joke, but seeing the sparkle in her eyes, I knew she was serious.
"Hey, I have a weekend too... I have the right... to use it freely..."
"You haven't forgotten about Golden Week, have you?"
Argh!
Faced with an offer I couldn't refuse, I meekly agreed to surrender my Saturday.
Just you wait until I get that autograph.
The Kishimoto Rika & Kim Yu-seong duo!
Confirmed for deployment