Late April in Tokyo had finally shed some of its sticky humidity. Cherry blossom season was drawing to a close, and the roadside gutters were littered with wet, blackened petals—the faded remnants of fleeting splendor.
A black Nissan President sedan glided slowly through the quiet streets of Bunkyo Ward, its tires humming a dull, monotonous rhythm against the asphalt. Dark curtains hung over the windows, sealing the interior away from the outside world.
Satsuki sat in the back seat, the half-century-old crocodile-leather schoolbag resting on her lap.
She tilted her head slightly and peered through a narrow gap in the curtains.
Ahead, a massive wrought-iron gate adorned with intricate carvings was slowly sliding open. On the gateposts, the gilded characters for "Private Seika Girls' Academy" shimmered with understated elegance in the sunlight.
This was no ordinary school.
For Satsuki, who had witnessed plenty of fame and fortune in her previous life, it was Japan's most elite finishing school for young ladies—a training ground for political marriages and a miniature battlefield of power struggles.
"Young Mistress, we've arrived."
The driver brought the car to a smooth stop. White-gloved butler Fujita opened the door for her.
Satsuki took a deep breath and carefully adjusted her facial expression.
The cold soul of the Wall Street vulture vanished in an instant, replaced by the image of the Saionji family's only daughter—recently bereaved and heartbreakingly delicate.
She stepped out of the car.
Luxury vehicles filled the surroundings: mostly Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, and even a few Rolls-Royces. Beside them, the Saionji family's well-maintained but outdated Nissan looked almost shabby.
"Is that someone from the Saionji family?"
"I heard her mother passed away just last week…"
"How pitiful. I heard Duke Saionji's business hasn't been doing well lately…"
Whispers rippled through the air. Girls in identical dark blue sailor uniforms clustered in small groups, covering their mouths with feather fans or handkerchiefs. Their gazes mixed sympathy, curiosity, and a thinly veiled sense of superiority.
Satsuki kept her head slightly lowered, hands folded neatly over her abdomen, each step measured with perfect, equal spacing. A simple black hair ribbon held back her jet-black hair, swaying gently with every movement.
She didn't need to speak a word. This quiet, Heian-era elegance alone made the girls loudly debating Hawaii versus Paris vacations seem noisy and uncouth by comparison.
In any era, "tragic elegance" was always the best camouflage.
Inside Class 1-A, the air carried a blend of expensive perfume and chalk dust.
The seating arrangement was telling.
The window side belonged mostly to descendants of old kazoku families—illustrious but low-key. Their stationery often featured heirloom fountain pens, and their schoolbags were worn yet classic leather pieces.
The corridor and middle rows were claimed by the "new money"—daughters of construction magnates, appliance tycoons, and even pachinko parlor owners who had struck gold during Japan's economic boom. Their pencil cases sparkled with the latest glittery materials, their schoolbags dangled flashy Harajuku charms, and their conversations revolved around the newest idols and designer bags.
A clear divide.
Satsuki walked to her assigned seat in the second-to-last row by the window—an excellent vantage point: inconspicuous, yet offering a full view of the entire classroom.
She set down her schoolbag, pulled out a plain paperback novel with no cover, and quietly opened it.
Behind the pages, however, her peripheral vision rapidly scanned every "target" in the room.
The bespectacled girl in the front row was the second daughter of the Director-General of the Budget Bureau at the Ministry of Finance. She would be the perfect entry point for national budget flows.
The girl on the right, proudly showing off her new watch, was the niece of a Managing Director at Mitsui Bank. Even as a collateral relative, she could offer valuable insights into credit trends.
And the short-haired girl sleeping on her desk… was she connected to a high-ranking police official?
Satsuki mentally labeled each twelve-year-old girl: [A-grade intelligence source], [B-grade potential stock], [C-grade junk asset].
Just as she was deep in her "asset assessment," a shadow fell across the pages of her book.
"Oh my, isn't this Saionji san?"
A sharp, high-pitched voice laced with obvious provocation cut through the air.
Satsuki slowly looked up.
Standing before her was a slightly plump, dark-skinned girl wearing a gold watch far too extravagant for the era. Her uniform skirt had been deliberately shortened, radiating an unmistakable "I have money" aura.
Okura Masami. Her family had built its fortune on concrete and land reclamation projects—a classic nouveau riche clan.
On the eve of the bubble economy, construction families were indeed far richer than textile ones, and by a wide margin.
"I heard your family is holding a funeral recently? How unfortunate," Okura Masami said, her tone dripping with false sympathy while her face wore a gloating smile. "No wonder you're dressed all in black. It looks so… inauspicious."
A few followers behind her giggled in agreement.
The classroom air instantly froze. The old kazoku girls frowned, finding Okura lacking manners. The new money girls watched with keen interest, eager to see how the duke's daughter would be humiliated.
Satsuki closed her book with movements as gentle as stroking a feather.
She did not stand. Instead, she tilted her head slightly and regarded Okura Masami with calm, steady eyes.
"Okura san, good day."
Her voice was soft yet clear enough to reach every corner of the room. There was no anger in it—only the tolerant patience of an elder addressing a misguided junior.
"Thank you for your concern. However, this is my late mother's favorite hair ribbon. It is not inauspicious."
Okura Masami had expected tears or rage. Instead, she felt as if she had punched soft cotton. The composed response only fueled her irritation.
She crossed her arms and looked down with a snort. "Tch, still acting all high and mighty. I heard from my dad that your Saionji family's factories are laying off workers. What era is this, still clinging to those old looms? If you don't mind, my dad's company is hiring cleaners lately. Maybe you could…"
"Okura san."
Satsuki gently interrupted her.
She took a pristine white handkerchief from her pocket, lightly covered her nose and mouth, and offered an apologetic smile, her eyes curving sweetly.
"I'm sorry, but could you please… step back a little?"
Okura Masami blinked. "What?"
"The scent on you," Satsuki continued in the same gentle tone, as if discussing the weather, "is a bit too… full of vitality. It reminds me of a construction site pouring concrete—that honest smell of hard work and sweat. Truly admirable."
She paused, her gaze flickering briefly to Okura Masami's gold watch before drifting away, as though looking any longer might sting her eyes.
"However, this is a classroom, and the ventilation isn't the best. Such an intense industrial scent might make everyone feel a little… choked."
Dead silence.
After two seconds, someone failed to suppress a snicker.
Soon, scattered laughter spread through the room like wildfire.
"Concrete smell… haha…"
"The smell of hard work and sweat…"
"Is she saying she smells like dirt?"
Okura Masami's face flushed beet red. She understood perfectly: this was calling her a "construction worker's daughter," implying she carried an indelible nouveau riche vulgarity.
The worst part was that Satsuki hadn't uttered a single curse. She had even used positive words like "full of vitality" and "admirable."
If Okura lost her temper now, she would only prove the accusation of being crude and ill-mannered.
"You… you…" Okura Masami pointed at Satsuki, her finger trembling so hard the gold watch clicked noisily.
But Satsuki was no longer paying her any attention.
She reopened her book, her profile glowing like fine porcelain in the sunlight—the most exquisite doll in a display case.
"Moreover, Okura san."
Still looking at the page, she delivered the final blow with casual grace:
"Your watch strap is a bit loose. That material may look shiny, but if it doesn't fit the skin properly, it can easily harbor bacteria. This is for your own health, of course."
The words landed like a resounding slap.
In true high society, custom tailoring was basic knowledge. A loose watch strap screamed "off-the-shelf" or "intentionally oversized for show." It wasn't merely tacky—it was synonymous with cheap.
Okura Masami felt the surrounding gazes prick her like needles. Her proud display of wealth suddenly felt worthless under Satsuki's calm remarks.
She stomped her foot and stormed out of the classroom.
"What's the big deal! Acting all high and mighty!"
As her disheveled figure disappeared through the door, the atmosphere in the room shifted subtly.
Those who had once looked down on the Saionji family now carried a trace of wariness in their eyes. The old kazoku girls, however, cast approving glances at Satsuki. The Saionji family might be relatively poor, but their ingrained pride and sharp tongue were clearly still intact.
Sensing the change in the air, Satsuki's lips curved in the faintest, almost imperceptible smile.
She turned a page, though she read none of the words.
"Okura Construction…" she repeated silently in her mind.
If her memory served correctly, the Okura family had built its fortune on high-leverage land reclamation projects in Chiba Prefecture. Such ventures had fragile cash flows, thin as rice paper.
Once the Plaza Accord struck, yen appreciation would lower raw material import costs, but the coming bubble burst would send land prices plummeting.
"I'll let you strut for a few more days."
Satsuki's finger lightly traced the edge of the page.
"When the time comes, I'll show you what real 'concrete smell' is."