dkrc Chapter 95 Recruit
Chapter 95 Recruit
In May 1988, the air in Tokyo already carried a hint of the heat characteristic of early summer.
The heavy wrought-iron gates of St. Hua Academy's high school slid open to both sides, the sound drowned out by the morning birdsong. A black Nissan Presidential Sedan rolled over the slightly damp asphalt and slowly came to a stop on the circular driveway in front of the school building.
Fujita opened the car door.
A foot wearing shiny black loafers (so-called little leather shoes) stepped on the ground.
Satsuki climbed out of the carriage and habitually straightened the hem of her suit jacket. The high school uniform was still dark blue, but the ribbon at the collar had been changed to a deep, dark green. She looked up at the somewhat old red brick building in front of her.
This is different from the junior high school. Due to the tradition of family marriages and resource integration, the senior high school of Sheng Hua has always been a co-educational school. Although the proportion of boys is not large, and most of them come from prominent families, there is still a strong sense of hormones in the air.
"Young lady, I'll be waiting for you at our usual spot after school." Fujita bowed slightly.
"Um."
Satsuki responded and stepped onto the stairs.
The hallway was noisy. Although a month had passed since the start of the school year, the novelty hadn't completely worn off for these newly enrolled high school students.
When Satsuki appeared at the door of Class 1-A, the previously noisy classroom fell silent for a moment.
Countless gazes were cast upon them.
The "top student in the grade" who had missed the opening ceremony and even skipped classes for a whole month finally appeared.
Satsuki wore a polite smile and nodded slightly to the familiar faces looking at her, her steps never faltering. She walked straight to the empty seat by the window in the back row of the classroom.
There was a person sitting there.
Amy Suzuki sat in the chair next to her, engrossed in reading a thick English original copy of "The C++ Programming Language." Today she wore a new pair of thin-rimmed silver glasses, her hair was styled in a neat bob, and her Saint-Valor uniform had been subtly adjusted to fit her perfectly. The factory girl who used to walk with her head down was gone; in her place was a calm, intellectual air unique to technical professionals.
But this intellectual air was shattered the moment she realized Satsuki had arrived.
Good morning, Satsuki-chan!
From afar, Amy put down her book and greeted Satsuki. If it weren't for the crowd around, she would have rushed up and hugged Satsuki (although there was a risk of being knocked away by Fujita Tsuyoshi who appeared out of nowhere).
Good morning, Amy.
Satsuki walked to her seat and smiled as she responded to Amy.
The tabletop was clean and dust-free, clearly indicating that someone wipes it down every day.
"Even though I was mentally prepared, this is what they call 'being the center of attention,' isn't it?"
Amy rested her chin on her hand, watching Satsuki hang her schoolbag on the hook on the side of the table, even the way she pulled out the chair and sat down was so elegant and composed.
"This is just the beginning." Satsuki's voice was soft, only the two of them could hear. "By the way, have you adjusted to the time difference yet?"
"It's alright, I just stayed up very late last night organizing those Cisco data."
Amy took two thick notebooks out of her bag and placed them on Satsuki's desk, her tone carrying a hint of confidence.
"Also, these are my notes that I borrowed from a classmate in the next class. Although I missed a month of classes, it wasn't difficult to catch up after a quick look."
Before she could finish speaking, a strong scent of perfume wafted over from the side.
Unlike the restrained and understated perfumes usually worn by the older students in Class A, this one was a blend of citrus and tuberose, bold and passionate, which seemed out of place in the classroom.
"Saionji-kun! You've finally arrived!"
A loud voice interrupted their low-key conversation.
Satsuki turned her head.
Standing in the aisle was a girl with wavy hair. Her uniform had been carefully altered, with a tight waist and a skirt that was two centimeters shorter than the school's permitted length. On her wrist was a Cartier bracelet covered in diamonds, which glittered almost blindingly in the sunlight streaming in from the window.
Mariko Esaki.
Satsuki remembered the name. The daughter of the president of the Apes Group (based on the Recruit Corporation), and the daughter of the president of the human resources and information services company that was currently making waves in Tokyo.
"You are...Ezaki-kun?" Satsuki smiled, her tone calm.
"Yes! I am Mariko Ezaki!"
Mariko nodded excitedly, her cheeks flushed slightly with excitement. Unlike other girls who maintained a reserved distance, she stepped forward directly, her perfume becoming even more intense.
"I have always... I have always admired you greatly!"
Mariko's voice trembled slightly, not as an act, but as a genuine longing for the "top circle." For nouveau riche like the Ezaki family, the Saionji family, with its old aristocratic lineage and its wielding influence in the business world, represented the ultimate social destination she had always dreamed of.
The students around them stopped what they were doing, some pretending to read, others tilting their ears and silently watching what was happening.
But their eyes held a hint of disgust. While the recent economic situation was indeed good, it had also created a lot of nouveau riche, which made them uncomfortable.
"Admiration?" Satsuki blinked, still maintaining that flawless smile. "Ezaki-kun, you flatter me. We're just ordinary classmates."
"No! This is more than just friendship between classmates!"
As if she had rehearsed it beforehand, Mariko suddenly pulled a small dark blue velvet box from her uniform pocket.
Holding the box in both hands, with her knees slightly bent, she performed a curtsy that was almost too perfect, under the watchful eyes of the entire class.
"This is...this is a small gift my father brought back from South Africa. Although...although it may not be to your liking, please accept it! It's a small token of my desire to join the Rose Society...no, it's a token of my wish to serve you!"
A collective gasp filled the classroom.
That's way too blunt.
In a campus that values subtlety and "reading the room," this blatant act of "paying a blood oath" seems extremely out of place.
Amy looked at the box, then at Satsuki.
Ah, the old days are repeating themselves... By the way, why do these nouveau riche particularly like diamonds?
Satsuki did not immediately reach out to take it.
Her gaze fell on the box. Judging from the distinctive emblem, she could roughly guess what was inside.
"Ezaki-san."
Satsuki's voice remained gentle.
"School rules prohibit bringing valuables. This...is putting me in a difficult position."
Mariko remained kneeling, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She felt the mocking gazes around her, but she did not back down.
"This isn't a valuable item!" She gritted her teeth and snapped the box open.
A crystal the size of a fingernail, with a pale pink luster, lay quietly on the black velvet.
An uncut pink diamond rough.
Although it hasn't been cut or has no dazzling fire, its original, pure colors still radiate a captivating glow in this sun-drenched classroom.
"It's just... just a stone." Mariko looked up, her eyes pleading. "A stone that hasn't been polished yet. Just like... just like me. If you'd like to take it..."
Satsuki looked at her.
His eyes were filled with greed and ambition to climb the social ladder.
Mariko didn't want to fight against Satsuki; she wanted to be Satsuki's dog. Because she knew that only by following this alpha wolf could she carve out a territory in this hierarchical school.
But she also understood that being a dog wasn't easy. It's not something you can just decide to do.
"A stone?"
Satsuki chuckled softly.
Mariko's heart skipped a beat.
She reached out and gently touched the rough stone with her fingertips.
It was cold, hard, and had a slightly rough texture.
"Since it's a stone, then it's fine."
She took the box, casually closed it, making a soft sound.
"I appreciate your kind gesture. Thank you, Ezaki-kun."
Satsuki looked at Mariko, her smile growing even brighter, even carrying a hint of encouragement.
"Also, your hair clip is beautiful. This color suits you very well."
Mariko was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed.
I'll take it!
"Yes! Thank you, Saionji-sama... no, Saionji-kun!"
Mariko was so excited that she was incoherent. She bowed deeply, and then, as if she had accomplished some great mission, she returned to her seat with a flushed face.
The surrounding classmates cast mixed glances at her. Although they felt that Mariko's behavior was degrading, being able to get in touch with Saionji was indeed something to be envied.
"Alright, everyone, sit down quickly, the teacher is coming."
Satsuki clapped her hands like a dutiful class leader, calming the commotion.
She sat down in her seat and casually placed the box, which was quite valuable on the market, in the corner of her desk, squeezed together with her pencil case.
Amy, who had witnessed the whole thing, sat to the side, adjusted her glasses, and whispered:
"Um...it must be really expensive, right?"
Although Amy didn't know anything about jewelry, the luster of it made it look like a stone picked up from the roadside.
"Maybe."
Satsuki took her textbook out of her bag and answered casually.
"However, for those who want to climb up, this is the cheapest ticket available."
She opened the book, her gaze falling on the clock above the blackboard.
The second hand ticked away, one tick at a time.
Epes Group...
The protagonist of the "Recruit Incident," which was about to ignite the entire Japanese political scene and bring down countless important figures.
She was still figuring out how to approach the issue.
Now, the key has been handed to her on its own initiative.
"for you."
Satsuki suddenly picked up the velvet box and threw it into Amy's arms.
Amy hurriedly caught it, saying, "Huh? For...for me?"
"Take it and play with it."
Satsuki rested her chin on her hand, watching the camphor tree leaves swaying in the wind outside the window.
"Or you could put it on your new computer case. A pink power switch would be quite cute."
"Huh?!" Amy was so shocked she almost threw the box away. "Use this as a switch? That would be a sin against the gods! And... it's too valuable, I can't accept it."
"Didn't they already say? It's just a rock."
Satsuki turned her head and winked at Amy.
"As long as it hasn't been defined as a jewel, it's just a stone. Here, consider it a thank you gift for helping me deal with my teacher this week."
"But……"
"Take it."
Satsuki's voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable force.
Amy hesitated for a moment, then put the box in her pocket. She knew that refusing this friend would be pointless.
The school bell rang.
The teacher entered the classroom and began taking attendance.
"Saionji-kun?"
"arrive."
Satsuki stood up, her voice clear and crisp.
Sunlight streamed down her profile, outlining her perfect features. In that bright spring sunshine, her smile was pure and flawless, like a pink diamond yet to be cut.
She sat down, picked up a pen, and wrote a line in her notebook.
These are not class notes.
Instead, it contained several names and a date.
Outside the window, a black crow landed on a treetop, tilted its head, looked at the students in the classroom who were flipping through books, and let out a hoarse cry.
"Gah—"
The wind blew across the playground, swirling up a few fallen leaves.
In this seemingly peaceful campus, something is quietly brewing.