an operating system developed by a private company could destroy a government-backed product?
If you couldn't see as far ahead as someone else,
then questioning them now would just be slapping yourself in the face.
Unable to understand it was one thingSayuri decided to drop it altogether.
"There are some old men who want to meet you. Do you have time?"
Sayuri finally revealed the real purpose of the call.
And just the fact that she was calling personally, saying "old men" wanted to meet
you could already guess what kind of people they were.
Yukima Azuma opened his mouth,
originally intending to decline and end the matter.
After all, the next steps for Laplace Corporation didn't need to be reported to anyone.
Once Laplace's video platform launched, its direct competitors would be the big boysYouTube, Twitter.
If it really succeeded, Laplace Corporation would become the fifth largest conglomerate in the Land of the Rising Sun.
At that point, even those "old men" would have to watch his mood before making a move.
Getting tangled up with them now?
What a waste of breath.
But just as the words of refusal were about to slip from his mouth, Yukima Azuma suddenly remembered something.
The sentence that was about to be spoken turned around mid-air and shifted into:
"I'm free, but it'll have to wait until next week. Also, I need to bring someone with me."
On the other end of the line, Sayuri glanced at her phone in confusion.
Bring someone?
Who was he planning to bring?
Sayuri pondered for a moment, but no one seemed to fit.
The Yukinoshita family? That girl was already being kept hidden like a treasureno way Yukima Azuma would let her show up in public.
The Hinatsuru family? Still way too young, bringing her out now would serve no purpose.
The Suou family? Possibly, but they were probably swamped right now.
One by one, Sayuri went through all the people close to Yukima Azuma.
But she still couldn't think of anyone who matched the situation.
"Got it. Let me know when the time comes then," Sayuri agreed, not pressing further.
After all, once they met, everything would become clear.
After hanging up,
Yukima Azuma casually flipped the phone in his hand.
Spring break was just around the corner.
Winter had long since passed.
And once spring arrived,
the general election of Japan's National Diet would officially begin.
If one wanted to start making moves nowthere wasn't much time left.
Scrolling through his contact list,
Yukima Azuma found Hayasaka Nao's number and dialed straight away.
The phone barely rang once before it was picked up.
"Nao-nee, have you landed yet?"
"Didn't even send someone to pick me up, and now you're calling like you care. What's with the fake courtesy?"
On the other end, Hayasaka Nao's voice was clearly teasing.
She had, in essence, already boarded Yukima Azuma's ship.
Getting off that ship was no longer an option.
So Hayasaka Nao didn't bother playing any of that superiorsubordinate role-playing with Yukima Azuma.
On the contrary, their relationship had become surprisingly close.
"You really want me to pick you up, Nao-nee? I'll come personally right now."
Yukima Azuma chuckled lightly.
Hearing that, Hayasaka Nao immediately rolled her eyes.
"Forget it. My bad."
Officially, she was still a key figure within the Shinomiya household.
She hadn't openly broken ties with them yet.
The Shinomiya family had just sent a car to pick her up earlier.
If Yukima Azuma were to show up in person now
then her time in Japan would definitely be filled with endless trouble.
"Speaking of which, are you heading to the Shinomiya main residence this time? Or straight to Shuchiin?"
Yukima Azuma asked curiously.
Logically speaking, Hayasaka Nao shouldn't be returning to Japan at this time.
But the reason for her return this time
Wasn't because Yukima Azuma summoned her.
It was because Hayasaka Nao had to returnfor the parent-teacher conference at Shuchiin Academy.
Final exams had ended.
Before spring break, Shuchiin would be holding a parent-teacher meeting.
Homeroom teachers and subject instructors would meet with each student and their guardian individually for discussion.
The main topics would be academic performance and future plans.
As a prestigious noble academy,
the future of Shuchiin students
was expected to be clearly charted from the very first year of high school, based on their individual strengths.
If the grades were excellent, they would consider moving on to the internal university system or other top-tier universities.
If they had special talents, the focus would shift toward developing that pathwhether it be as an athlete, musician, artist, etc.
In the following semesters, Shuchiin would tailor its advanced curriculum according to that chosen track.
All in all, the meeting was a big deal.
Hayasaka Nao's return wasn't just for the meeting as Hayasaka Ai's mother,
She also carried an important mission entrusted to her by the Shinomiya family
To attend the parent-teacher conference as a representative for Shinomiya Kaguya.
Kaguya's fatherattending such a meeting himself was practically out of the question.
As for Hayasaka Nao, in her roles as Kaguya's former nanny and a senior officer of the Shinomiya family
She was the perfect stand-in.
Only thing was, since she had now "defected" to Yukima Azuma's camp,
there was still a slight trace of awkwardness lingering in her heart.
(Note: This chapter doesn't have anything to add emojis to.)
(ЇЇ)
Chapter 264 Has Ice Kaguya Turned into Love-Brain-Dead Kaguya?
Chapter 264 Has Ice Kaguya Turned into "Love-Brain-Dead Kaguya"?
Shuchiin Private Academy.
Student Council Room.
"Is it really... not going to look weird like this?"
(><)
Shinomiya Kaguya showed a typically girlish worried expression, staring intently at herself in the mirror.
Standing beside her, Hayasaka Ai felt a slight headache coming on.
"( _ <,, )
Since early morning, her Oujou-sama had suddenly said she wanted to change her image a little.
Because makeup was banned at Shuchiin,
After careful consideration, Hayasaka Ai decided that changing her hairstyle would be the simplest option.
So she lent a hand, gathering up the long black hair that had been flowing down her Oujou-sama's back.
Based on Shinomiya Kaguya's usual image,
Hayasaka Ai first tied her hair into a ponytail
Then folded the end of the ponytail back once, securing it with a dark red ribbon.
That way, the excess hair wouldn't fall down anymore.
From the front, it looked neat and elegant.
The ribbon at the back of her head became a cute focal point, adding a touch of moe.
The image of the "Ice Princess" Shinomiya Kaguya was suddenly transformed
Into a graceful young lady with a hint of cuteness, very eye-catching.
Even though the transformation was flawless,
Shinomiya Kaguya was still repeatedly checking herself in the mirror.
It was unclear whether it was because she feared someone (whose name started with Y-A) wouldn't like her new look.
Hayasaka Ai had never imagined a scene like this before
Her Oujou-sama checking herself in the mirror back and forth like this.
Ever since returning from the deserted island...
Shinomiya Kaguya seemed like she had turned into a completely different person.
Although most of the time she was still clear-headed,
Every now and then, she would act foolishly.
Especially whenever anything related to Yukima Azuma came up.
It was like her IQ would suddenly drop to zero in an instant.
If Hayasaka Ai hadn't checked and confirmed that her Oujou-sama was still 100% the original Shinomiya Kaguya
She would've thought that on that deserted island, Yukima Azuma had trained her Oujou-sama into...
Thinking about such blasphemous things,
Hayasaka Ai shook her head, brushing the words like "SM, Pet, Hard Play" out of her mind.
( )
How could she think of her Oujou-sama like that?
Her Oujou-sama probably just had water in the brain.
After looking at herself in the mirror over and over again, Shinomiya Kaguya finally set it down.
She waited eagerly for Yukima Azuma to walk into the student council room.
Then see her new image and say something.
Would he like it?
Would he even notice?
()
"It's almost time for the parent-teacher meeting."
Hayasaka Ai spoke up to remind her.
Which made Shinomiya Kaguya realize that now wasn't the time for idle fantasies.
The Shinomiya family would be sending someone to attend the parent-teacher meeting.
If Shinomiya Kaguya performed poorly during it
It would definitely be reported back.
At that point, the little freedom she still had might very well be taken away.
Upon hearing that,
The bright look of anticipation on Shinomiya Kaguya's face dimmed a little.
Although in name, she was the Oujou-sama of the Shinomiya family, the heir of the main lineage,
In reality, within the Shinomiya household, she had to tread extremely carefully.
Just one small misstep,
And she would be punished severely without hesitation.
Being the Oujou-sama didn't mean she had freedom.
Shinomiya Kaguya unconsciously recalled the days she spent on the deserted island.
Since birth, those might have been the only days when she truly felt free.
She shook her head, dispelling those thoughts.
She wasn't the type to drown in memories or run away from problems.
No matter how dark the road ahead might be, she had to keep walking forward.
"Is Hayasaka's mother, Nao-san, coming?"
Shinomiya Kaguya asked casually.
But there was a hint of jealousy in her voice.
Her own mother had already passed away.
And her father...
Don't even mention the idea of Shinomiya Gan'an ever attending a parent-teacher meeting because of her.
Even if he did show up, Shinomiya Kaguya would hardly feel even a shred of affection from Shinomiya Gan'an.
That so-called head of the Shinomiya family, her father in name
The number of times they had met could be counted on one hand.
Let alone any affection between father and daughter.
If he suddenly showed up now, Shinomiya Kaguya would instead suspect he had ulterior motives.
As soon as she heard that, Hayasaka Ai immediately showed a hint of irritation.
"She's not coming. She's probably still busy over on Wall Street."
"She probably forgot she even has a daughter!"
><
As a thousand-faced maid
Hayasaka Ai almost never revealed her emotions openly.
Even if she did, it was usually just an act.
But this time, it was real.
Her words had a bit of a tsundere flavor.
The anticipation of Hayasaka Nao comingwas practically about to spill out of her.
"Nao-nee, someone's talking bad about you, it seems."
Just then, the student council room door was pushed open.
Yukima Azuma's voice echoed from outside.
The moment Hayasaka Ai heard the name "Nao," she immediately turned her head.
Sure enough, standing behind Yukima Azuma was a graceful onee-san silhouette.
Today, Hayasaka Nao wore a long white dress, with a round-brimmed sunhat on her head.
She looked exactly like a stylish older sister on vacation.
"Mom!"
The moment Hayasaka Ai saw Hayasaka Nao, she couldn't take her eyes off her.
She ran over as if she were about to leap into Hayasaka Nao's arms.
Hayasaka Nao extended a hand and gently tapped her finger on Hayasaka Ai's forehead.
"How could I forget my adorable daughter?"
Poked in the forehead, Hayasaka Ai gave a happy smile.
After comforting her daughter,
Hayasaka Nao removed her hat and bowed politely to Shinomiya Kaguya.
"Kaguya-sama, wishing you good health."
"I've been appointed by the Shinomiya family to attend the parent-teacher meeting this time."
Shinomiya Kaguya gave a light nod.
But her attention wasn't really on Hayasaka Nao.
It was mostly fixed on Yukima Azuma.
Although Hayasaka Nao showing up was a bit unexpected, it wasn't entirely unbelievable.
Besides, if it had been another official from the Shinomiya family, Kaguya's reaction likely wouldn't have been much different.
"Good afternoon, Azuma-kun."
()
Shinomiya Kaguya greeted Yukima Azuma.
Her small head tilted slightly, as if she had moved unconsciously.
The dark red ribbon tied in her bun swayed lightly, looking like a fluttering butterfly.
"Good afternoon, President Kaguya you changed your hairstyle today, huh."
Yukima Azuma, of course, noticed the change in Shinomiya Kaguya's hairstyle the moment he arrived.
This current hairstyle was actually the one he remembered Kaguya usually having in his memories.
But still, changing back to this styledid that mean Ice Kaguya had turned into "Love-Brain-Dead Kaguya"?
Yukima Azuma found it rather interesting.
"Umu, after coming back from the sea, it feels like I'm starting life over again."
"So I wanted to change my image a little... how is it?"
(,,,,)
Shinomiya Kaguya asked with a hint of shyness.
She looked intently at Yukima Azuma, waiting for the boy's answer.
"It really suits you. Elegant and lively, and you seem even more feminine than beforevery cute."
Yukima Azuma didn't hesitate to compliment her.
The corners of Shinomiya Kaguya's mouth clearly lifted.
( )
Her slender, pale hand quickly pressed to her cheek.
After forcing herself to calm down,
Shinomiya Kaguya gave a soft smile and nodded.
"Thank you for the compliment. It's just a small experiment."
Standing nearby, Hayasaka Nao raised an eyebrow as she watched this scene.
At that moment, Hayasaka Ai finally wrapped her arms around her mother after some hesitation.
Hayasaka Nao gently patted her daughter's head.
Then she bent down, leaned close to Hayasaka Ai's ear, and whispered softly:
"What's the story with those two?"
Because she knew very well that the Shinomiya Kaguya she once knew was never that kind of person.
Even though she was an official of the Shinomiya family,
Hayasaka Nao had been stationed overseas.
So of course, she didn't know what had happened recently.
When asked by her mother,
Hayasaka Ai leaned in and whispered the whole backstory.
After all the missing drama was filled in
A sparkle lit up in Hayasaka Nao's eyes.
Omoishiroi!
