Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

(Thanks to the amazing "Immortal of Daxu Mountain" for the certification! I finally caught up, but I still have some altitude sickness, so I don't feel very well. However, I wrote as soon as I got to the hotel, and it's a long chapter of 6800 words~)

Wednesday, April 24, 1991, 3 p.m.

Gakushuin University, Economics Research Department Activity Room.

The window near the corridor was open a crack.

A late April breeze slipped in from under the curtains, ruffling several newly copied documents on the table. Naoki Kojima quickly reached out to hold down one corner, his other hand still gripping the stapler.

There are many more things in the activity room than three weeks ago.

The names and departments of this year's freshmen are posted on the wall, the topics for the next issue of the department journal are left on the blackboard, and the cardboard box near the door is still piled with the lecture notes that were not distributed on the day of the open research meeting.

The sign that originally read "Was Seibu really saved?" has been taken down, leaving only the diagram of the business relationship between the two parties, with new correction slips covering a few numbers.

The fourth-grade minister sat at the end of the long table, checking the revised draft page by page.

"This still won't work."

He circled a passage of text with a pencil.

"Seibu was forced to relinquish its commercial operation rights within the station due to cash flow pressure." The cash flow pressure can be found in public reports, but the word "forced" is a judgment. This will be included in the analysis section later.

The girl in charge of taking notes lowered her head to correct the words.

Kojima finished binding the last set of new student information and looked up at the clock on the wall.

"Will Takahashi-senpai really come today?"

"He sent a message through someone yesterday."

The minister turned to the next page.

"They said they're free this afternoon."

"On which day recently hasn't he said that?"

Kojima put down the stapler.

Since the public research meeting ended, Takahashi has only appeared in the department once.

That day, he took all the original survey data and copied the words "Seibu has benefited in the long term" from the blackboard into his notebook. Before leaving, he only said that he wanted to redo it.

For the next ten days, Takahashi practically disappeared from the campus.

Kojima could occasionally see him in economics classes, but as soon as get out of class ended, Takahashi would rush off with his materials. Some people saw him at the National Diet Library, while others said he stayed in his dorm for several nights in a row organizing data.

Not only did he fail to recruit the three girls, but his own ace girl also frequently stayed out all night.

On April 7, the day the votes were counted in the Tokyo gubernatorial election, he went to Marunouchi again with two document bags.

This matter has caused quite a stir in the research department.

Everyone knew he had the business card personally given to him by Saionji Satsuki, and that the card was what allowed him to get into the Saionji Group. As for who he met after he got in, whether his report was approved, and why he appeared at school less often after that, no one knew.

The door to the activity room was pushed open at that moment.

Kojima immediately turned his head away.

Takahashi stood outside the door, carrying his usual schoolbag on his shoulder and a dark brown briefcase in his right hand.

His coat was draped over his arm, his tie was still neatly tied, but there was a barely noticeable ink stain on his shirt cuff. The briefcase was fastened with brass clasps, and a thin string for sealing documents was wrapped around the opening.

The most eye-catching thing was the white envelope sandwiched between the books and the document bag.

The top left corner features the silver logo of SA Entertainment.

"Takahashi-senpai!"

Kojima stood up from his chair, speaking with a delighted smile.

"So, the elite finally decided to come back."

"Hey kid, how dare you talk to your senior like that?"

Takahashi casually closed the door and laughed and cursed.

"Besides, didn't I have someone tell you yesterday?"

"That only proves that you still remember the research department's address." Kojima came up to him, glanced at his face first, then looked down at the briefcase. "We almost thought you had dropped out of Gakushuin and gone straight to work at Marunouchi."

Someone at the table burst out laughing.

"They may have already become ministers, but just haven't had time to inform us."

"Promoted to minister in fourteen days?" Takahashi walked around the small island and placed the briefcase next to the chair. "The Saionji Group shouldn't be that short-staffed yet."

"Fourteen days?"

The island has grasped this number.

"Are you really working there?"

Takahashi placed the book on the table.

Kojima's gaze followed the white envelope, then quickly shifted to the briefcase at his feet—clearly not a student item. The others also gradually stopped what they were doing; even the girl responsible for transcribing and revising the manuscript put down her pen.

Takahashi pulled out a chair and placed the envelope next to the book.

Noticing the intense gazes of countless people, Takahashi couldn't help but speak.

"Don't look at me like that."

"What?"

Kojima returned to his seat but did not sit down; instead, he rested his hands on the edge of the table.

"I haven't asked a single question yet."

"You already have seven or eight problems on your face."

"Then choose the answer you can give."

The minister then walked over and closed the revised draft in his hand.

"Has the report been submitted?"

"It was submitted on the 17th."

"Did it pass?"

"The first judgment has been passed."

After Takahashi finished answering, the activity room fell silent for a moment.

Kojima blinked.

"Wait a minute, what does 'first condition' mean?"

"That's the first judgment in the report."

"I know it's the first one," Kojima said somewhat anxiously. "I mean, are there a second and a third one? Did she leave you with more questions?"

Takahashi didn't reply immediately, but instead took out several course materials from his bag and stacked them one by one on the corner of the table.

Kojima stared at his movements for a few seconds.

"Are there really still some?"

"What we're doing now is follow-up work."

"Follow-up work..."

Kojima repeated those words, then suddenly turned to look at the minister.

"Minister, isn't he deliberately showing off?"

"Calculate."

The minister answered calmly.

"Moreover, saying only half is more effective than saying the whole thing."

Laughter erupted again in the activity room.

"Eh—senpai is too cunning."

"They only told half of it, but deliberately acted like 'you asked them yourselves'."

"That's not an answer at all, it's just teasing us."

The group started arguing back and forth. The girl in charge of taking notes even drew out her words, repeating Takahashi's tone from earlier:

"What we're doing now is—follow-up work."

Kojima immediately took over.

"Did you hear that? They won't even say 'what kind of job it is,' but they insist on letting us know there's more to it."

"It was you who asked that question."

Takahashi raised his hand and pushed up his glasses, trying his best to keep his tone as normal, but he just couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

"Look, he still won't admit it."

"You've only been in Marunouchi for fourteen days, and you've already learned this way of speaking."

"That's so mean, Takahashi-senpai—"

The last sound was drawn out especially long, and the activity room burst into laughter again.

"So you really did see Saionji-kun?"

A third-year student finally couldn't resist interrupting.

"I saw him."

"At the group headquarters?"

"Um."

"Just the two of you?"

Takahashi glanced at him.

The other party immediately changed their tune:

"Can't I ask that?"

"This question is meaningless and dangerous."

"That means there are other people involved."

"Senior Kobayashi, your attempts to get information out of me are useless."

Takahashi bent down and pushed the briefcase further into the chair.

Kojima's gaze drifted under the chair once more.

"The fact that the senior pushed it so far in only makes it more noticeable."

"Just work materials."

Takahashi bent down to organize his books, and casually pressed the thin string of the document bag back into the opening.

"So, what kind of job is it exactly?"

"I've said everything I could say."

"Ugh—it's that kind of answer again."

Kojima drawled out his words and turned to greet the others at the table.

"Did you hear that? Now even when you're refusing someone, you're acting like a typical office worker."

"Indeed," the girl in charge of taking notes agreed with a smile. "Shouldn't we say next, 'Please refer to the official announcement for details'?"

"Then we will not comment to the outside world."

Another member added a comment.

Takahashi raised his eyes.

"How do you usually treat the company as a place?"

"The senior has been going there every day lately, so of course we should ask the senior."

As Kojima spoke, his gaze suddenly shifted to the table.

"I can't ask about the document bag, but surely I can ask about this?"

He pointed to the white envelope.

"SA Entertainment's logo is so big, and the seniors have been facing it directly towards us since they came in. It would be a bit too much to say you can't ask questions now."

"I just put it there casually."

"Huh—really?"

Several clearly agreeing voices immediately rang out from the table.

"It was placed so neatly."

"The books are all tilted, only the envelope is facing the center."

"Takahashi-senpai, you're doing this on purpose a little bit—"

Takahashi glanced down.

The envelopes were indeed arranged much more neatly than the books next to them.

He reached out and pressed the envelope under the book, and Kojima immediately laughed.

"It's too late, we've already seen it."

"So who gave it to you?"

The girl next to her also moved closer.

"Saionji-kun."

As soon as Takahashi finished speaking, the few people who were just watching the show couldn't sit still anymore.

"Did Saionji give it to you personally?"

Why SA Entertainment?

"Could it be a performance invitation inside?"

"I haven't taken it down yet."

"Wait a moment."

Kojima raised a hand, signaling for everyone else to stop talking.

He looked at Takahashi again, his expression much more serious than before.

"Saionji-kun handed you the envelope, and you just carried it all the way back to school without even looking at it?"

"She told me to dismantle it after I returned to the research department."

After those words were spoken, there was a moment of silence at the table.

Then, several people almost simultaneously emitted a drawn-out sound.

"Eh—"

"This is really something to be concerned about."

"They even specifically specified that it should be opened in the research department..."

"Senior, how come you've held back until now?"

Kojima slowly sat back in his chair, looked at the envelope, and then at Takahashi.

"So, Saionji-san even knew you were going back to the research club today?"

"As mentioned before."

Takahashi's tone remained calm, but his finger pressed down on the edge of the envelope.

"You guys are talking about this kind of thing now, huh?"

"Just mentioning it in passing."

"By the way, speaking of the research department, here's an envelope for you, and I'd like to remind you to open it when you get back."

Kojima listed them one by one, and finally couldn't help but laugh.

"Senior, isn't this 'by the way' a bit too much?"

Another burst of laughter erupted from the table.

"What else do you usually talk about?"

Some people took the opportunity to ask further questions.

"Work."

"What about outside of work?"

"They occasionally talk about things at school."

"Occasionally?"

Kojima immediately grasped the word.

"Takahashi-senpai has actually started using 'occasionally'."

"What's the problem?"

"Of course there is. Before, as long as you remembered the numbers, you would always clearly state how many times, which day, and how long the conversation lasted. Now, suddenly all you say is 'occasionally,' which seems very suspicious, doesn't it?"

"that is."

The girl in charge of taking notes smiled and nodded.

"My senior used to hate this kind of vague expression the most."

"So how many times exactly?"

Takahashi glanced around at the people waiting for an answer, then finally pulled the envelope closer to himself.

"There are some numbers I cannot tell you."

"Sigh—senpai is being too unfair—"

Kojima was the first to shout it out.

"They don't say anything about the most crucial parts, but they deliberately tell us that 'some numbers' do exist."

"That's the kind of statement that people care about the most."

"You've only been in Marunouchi for fourteen days, and you've already learned how to keep people in suspense."

The sounds of commotion came one after another from both sides of the long table.

Takahashi raised his hand and pushed up his glasses, trying to look the same as usual, but the corners of his lips still turned up slightly.

"You're asking too many questions."

"Look, that same expression again."

The island immediately pointed at him.

"You're clearly very happy right now."

The minister waited for them to make a fuss for a while before bringing the topic back on track.

"Alright. If we keep asking Takahashi questions, today's event will have to be turned into a job information session."

He closed the revised manuscript and looked across the table.

"There are some things that are inconvenient to talk about, and please don't keep asking. The fact that Takahashi is sitting here at least shows that Saionji doesn't mind him continuing to participate in the research club."

"Is that even a question?"

Kojima glanced at the white envelope on the table.

"Saionji-kun even sent a gift to the research club."

"It's not confirmed yet whether it's a gift."

Takahashi moved the envelope closer to the book.

The island immediately turned its gaze away from it.

"Senior, moving around like this won't help. I can still see the SA Entertainment logo."

That's why I told you not to look at it yet.

"Hey—it's been here ever since you came in, isn't it a bit too late to say don't look at it now?"

A few more voices echoed from the table.

Takahashi ignored them and took the revised manuscript from the minister. Just as he turned to the first page, a girl sitting at the end of the long table suddenly sighed.

"Now that Takahashi-senpai is already a member of Saionji's group, could you do me a small favor?"

She clasped her hands together and tilted her head playfully to look at Takahashi.

"When did I become one of Saionji's people?"

"They're already sitting outside the main room, are they still going to deny it?"

She smiled and pushed aside the folder in front of her, pulling out a flyer that had been folded several times.

"Don't worry, there's no need to pry into company secrets. Just help me get two tickets for Izumi Sakai."

Once the flyer was unfolded, the photo on the dark blue paper was revealed.

The girl, wearing a white shirt, stood in front of the microphone, her long hair falling over her shoulders, but her gaze slightly avoided the camera, as if she were a little shy.

The photo is accompanied by the date May 18, Seibu Stadium, and the words "First large-scale public performance".

"You haven't bought it yet?"

Another girl leaned over and took a look.

"Didn't the phone appointments start the day before yesterday?"

"That's why I'm sitting here complaining."

She rested her chin on the back of her folded hands.

"I started calling at 10:03 and didn't get through even once. I finally heard the phone ring in the afternoon, but by the time I answered, only the outermost part of the stands was left."

"At least you got through. My brother used the company phone, but he was sent back to his seat by the section chief after only two tries."

"Didn't they say we could get a number at the karaoke bar?"

Xiaodao asked casually.

"Get an appointment number first, then pay at the designated counter within three days. The SA stores near Mejiro all have signs saying that."

"Don't even mention it, it's even more outrageous over there."

The girl looked up, her voice full of resentment.

"Last night, the line stretched from the storefront to the street corner. Some people weren't even singing; they just wanted to use the reservation phone inside. The staff had to hand out number tags, and only two people could register per private room at most."

Takahashi glanced down at the flyer.

"Are these tickets really that hard to get? Seibu Stadium should be able to hold quite a few spectators, right?"

There was a moment of silence around the table.

Several people looked at him at the same time.

"senior."

Kojima turned his chair slightly towards him.

"You really don't know?"

"Know what?"

"How popular is Izumi Sakai right now?"

Takahashi looked at the photo again.

He did know that name.

In SA Entertainment's company records, she is listed as a major contracted artist. Takahashi had previously seen even earlier records when researching the group's history: before her official debut, this singer had long been recording demo tapes for karaoke.

Entertainment companies only made up a small part of that report. He remembered the artists' names, their agencies, and the release dates of their records, but he never paid attention to how many records a single album actually sold, nor did he know what young people were listening to lately.

Wait, am I not young anymore...?

"Good-bye My Loneliness."

The girl at the end of the long table pointed to the song title on the flyer with her finger.

"Have you been to a record store recently? The most prominent spots near the entrance are all filled with her photos. There's another store in Shibuya that has replaced the entire window with this picture."

"It's been playing on the radio all the time."

The person next to him took it.

"Yesterday I took a taxi, and the driver listened to the recording once, then rewound the tape he had just recorded and played it again. He was clearly a man in his forties, but he even sang along to the chorus."

"The chorus of that song is easy to remember."

Kojima hummed a couple of lines, but the minister tapped the table with a pencil as soon as he got to the second line.

"This is not a karaoke room."

"I was just helping Takahashi-senpai remember."

"He doesn't seem to remember."

The girl in charge of taking notes suppressed a laugh and pulled the flyer in front of her.

"When people first heard her voice, they felt it was familiar. Later, some people dug out old demo tapes and realized they had heard her sing dozens of songs in karaoke."

"So when the album came out, it felt like everyone had known her for many years."

"And that sound, right?"

The girl at the end of the long table thought for a while before slowly continuing her sentence.

"It sounds glamorous, yet it also feels like it's coming to an end. Lately, people have been saying that Tokyo can never be the same as it was a few years ago, right? But the moment she opened her mouth, the lights of Ginza, the company banquets, and the taxis that were always booked late at night all seemed to come back."

"My sister exaggerated even more."

Another member laughed.

She said that as long as she hears the song of the spring, she feels that the era of extravagant spending has not truly passed.

"Haven't you written something similar in a magazine?"

"Last week's Oricon".

"Oh, I know that too, but I thought it was just a promotional slogan."

Kojima said.

"There must be someone pushing her behind the scenes. Saionji probably intends to make her famous."

"The same song is playing everywhere – train stations, record stores, radio stations, and karaoke bars. It's hard not to hear it."

"Even with a lot of publicity, there also needs to be people willing to listen a second time."

The girl at the end of the long table folded the flyer again.

"If she sings badly, the more 'GG's' she posts, the more annoying she'll become."

This statement received widespread approval.

Although Izumi Sakai has not been in the public eye for very long, the amount of information surrounding her is already so vast that it is hard to ignore.

In addition to records and radio, SA Entertainment recently launched an event called "Campus Voice 91" near more than a dozen universities in Tokyo.

Promotional staff will distribute registration cards at school gates and student streets. Participants can record a song at SA-owned karaoke bars, and each bar will select its nominees to participate in an open preliminary round between universities.

Initially, many people thought it was just an activity that KTVs came up with to attract business.

Until the second batch of flyers had an extra line of text.

The winner from the Tokyo area will receive a formal audition at SA Entertainment's recording studio and will participate as the opening act at Izumi Sakai's Seibu Stadium performance.

"Did some people from our school sign up too?"

Takahashi asked.

"Is anyone there?"

Kojima couldn't help but laugh.

"The Light Music Club has been so busy these past few days that they don't even have enough activity rooms. The girls' choir originally said they wouldn't participate in the pop song competition, but when they heard that the winner would get to Seibu Stadium, they sent someone to get twenty registration cards the very next day."

"Even the tennis club is practicing."

The girl in charge of taking notes added a sentence.

"They said the competition required at least three people to register under the school's name, so they just randomly picked a few people who could sing to form a team. Lately, every evening when I pass by the West Gate, I can hear them singing 'Good-bye My Loneliness' in the department office."

Why did the tennis club participate in the singing competition?

"Because the teams that pass the preliminary selection can use SA's private rooms for practice for free for a month."

"I see."

Takahashi nodded.

This reason is clearly easier to understand than going on stage.

Even if you only pass the preliminary test, you'll still get a full month of free access to the private room.

And the finals... who says tennis players can't sing well? What if they do?

Kojima looked at his expression of finally understanding and suddenly sighed.

"The company you go to every day has recently been attracting almost all the university students in Tokyo to sing karaoke, and you yourself are completely unaware of it."

"The work I'm responsible for has nothing to do with the artists."

"But SA Entertainment is also under Saionji's umbrella, right?"

"With so many subsidiaries in the group, it's impossible for me to get involved in every single one."

"Your answer sounds more and more like that of a full-time employee."

Kojima chuckled and picked up the flyer again.

"However, since Takahashi-senpai really didn't know, let's forget about talking about using connections."

The girl at the end of the long table immediately looked up.

"Why did you decide to settle it?"

"Because he doesn't even know who's the most popular. Sending someone like that to ask for votes might result in him solemnly walking into the head office and saying that the research department is investigating Seibu Stadium and hopes the company can provide two samples."

"That works too."

"Then they'll give us a ticketing process and audience admission instructions?"

"As long as there are tickets in the end, that's fine."

The group became increasingly serious as they talked, as if they had already begun discussing how to draft the investigation application.

Takahashi placed the revised draft on the table.

"Don't even think about it, I won't go looking for someone over something like this."

"Your senior is too heartless."

Xiaodao said with a grin.

"It's just two tickets."

"A seat for related parties is also acceptable."

"We don't mind standing room only."

"You were just saying that all the regular tickets were sold out."

"That's why we need the seniors to make an appearance."

The minister raised his hand, signaling them to be quiet.

"Don't cause Takahashi any trouble. Keep work-related matters and research department activities separate, and this will remain the same from now on."

After he finished speaking, he glanced at Takahashi again.

"The same goes for the data you brought back. The report can only use information that the research department can obtain. Even if you've seen the contract or heard certain figures from Saionji, you can't use them to revise our conclusions."

"I see."

Takahashi tucked the briefcase at his feet further into the chair.

"Internal group documents will not be brought into the research department, and this document bag will not be opened today."

Kojima glanced at it subconsciously.

"What about the white envelope?"

"That can be opened."

"Now?"

"Saionji told me to dismantle it after I returned to the research department."

As soon as the words were spoken, the group of people who had just been discussing the concert stopped at the same time.

The girl at the end of the long table was the first to react.

"Wait a moment."

Her gaze fell on the silver logo of SA Entertainment.

"Senior, this letter wouldn't be...?"