Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 234 Yuri-chan, I think Kiryu-kun definitely likes you.

Konosuke Nakajima continued, "Secondly, regarding our public statements. Until the investigation results are released, the Osaka branch will only respond by saying that we are cooperating with the investigation and will not make any comments beyond that statement."

"If the media raises any questions, we will forward them to the General Affairs Department for handling."

He paused, his gaze shifting from Matsumoto Takahiro's face to Todo Takafumi's: "Captain Todo, do you have any objections?"

Takafumi Todo bowed slightly: "No, we will proceed according to Managing Director Nakajima's instructions."

Konosuke Nakajima nodded: "Third, and most importantly, after this matter is resolved, the Osaka branch must resume normal operations as soon as possible."

"Minister Kouda's actions are personal and do not represent the overall position of Mitsubishi Bank. The self-examination is to clarify the issues, not to amplify the impact. Please remember this."

No one responded in the meeting room.

But everyone understood the subtext of those words:

This matter needs to be investigated, but we can't let the storm escalate to an uncontrollable level.

"above.

""

Konosuke Nakajima closed the folder in front of him and leaned back slightly: "Everyone, please ask any questions you have now."

After a few seconds of silence, Nonaka Shigeru, sitting in the middle of the long table, raised his hand: "Managing Director Nakajima, about the Miyazawa Group—"

"Is the deal for Rinko City still progressing? Although Takahashi Taishi was taken away, the letter of intent has been signed, and the board of directors of the Miyazawa Group has also passed the resolution to sell."

"If this deal is stalled due to Minister Kouda's incident, it will have an impact on both the Miyazawa Group and the bank."

Konosuke Nakajima nodded: "The transaction in Rinko City itself is not problematic. Taishi Takahashi's actions were personal and do not represent the overall position of his company."

"As long as the Miyazawa Group is willing to continue to push forward, and the bank cooperates according to normal procedures, the fact that Minister Furuta was taken away will not affect the Osaka branch's normal services to the Miyazawa Group."

After he finished speaking, he added, "Of course, someone else needs to be in charge of the guarantee termination documents. Matsumoto branch manager, do you have anyone in mind?"

'

Matsumoto Takahiro said almost without hesitation: "Yamada Masakazu, the head of the Financing Review Division, has been in charge of the Miyazawa Group's credit lines and is quite familiar with the guarantee structure. It should be fine to have him take over."

Konosuke Nakajima glanced at Masakazu Yamada and nodded: "Then Section Chief Yamada will come."

Masakazu Yamada replied, "Understood."

The meeting lasted for about ten more minutes, during which some specific details of the division of labor were discussed.

The meeting ended at 11:30.

Kiryu Yaya followed the crowd out of the conference room, with Chihaya Yuri walking behind him. He was half a step ahead, shielding her from the flow of people.

"Kiryu-kun.

"7

Masakazu Yamada's voice came from behind.

He quickly walked over to Kiryu Yaya and lowered his voice, saying, "For the Miyazawa Group, regarding the follow-up procedures for Rinko City and the guarantee release documents, you'll come with me. That way, it'll be easier to communicate with the Miyazawa Group."

Kiryu Yaya nodded: "Understood."

The three of them went back to the financing review department on the third floor.

Chihaya Yuri returned to her workstation, while Yamada Masakazu went straight into the section chief's office.

Kiryu Yaya also sat down in his chair and casually flipped through the archived materials on the table.

But his mind was still processing the attitude of the head office conveyed in the meeting just now.

First of all, as a special envoy sent by the head office, Managing Director Nakajima's every word and action inevitably represents the head office's attitude.

It's certain that Kouyuda has caught them red-handed, and with Hanayama-in Taki causing such a huge uproar, he'll definitely try to make this case airtight.

Only in this way can he gain public support and pave the way for his future political career.

The remarks made by Managing Director Nakajima just now also corroborate this point.

Although Kiryu Yaya still couldn't figure out why Oogaki Kiyomasa was the first to propose cutting ties with Furutahiko.

However, the fact that Managing Director Nakajima supported the decision already indicates that the head office decided to abandon Furuta in the face of overwhelming public opinion.

This is a good sign for Kiryu Yaya.

During lunch break, the cafeteria was filled with noise as usual.

Yayoi Mina was already sitting in her usual spot near the drinks counter.

When she saw Kiryu Yaya approaching, her eyes lit up slightly, and she gently pushed the bento box in front of him towards her.

Kiryu Yaya opened the lid and saw that the dishes inside were salmon rice, teriyaki chicken, tamagoyaki, and a small dish of pickles.

He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of teriyaki chicken, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and nodded: "Still so delicious."

However, after she finished speaking, Mizuna Yayoi was not very happy. Instead, she looked at Yaya Kiryu, as if she had something to say but hesitated.

Kiryu Yaya noticed her expression and asked, "What's wrong? The bento box was so good today, but you didn't eat much."

Yayoi Mizuna gently shook her head, a faint blush rising to her ears: "No—I was just thinking that you must be very busy lately, senpai."

"It's alright."

Kiryu Yaya put down his chopsticks, picked up his miso soup, and took a sip: "Although there's still a lot of follow-up work to be done on Minister Kouuda's case, it's all being led by the department, so I'm relatively relaxed for now."

.

"That----"

Yayoi Mizuna's fingers lightly traced the edge of the table, as if encouraging herself: "Does senpai have any plans lately?"

Kiryu Yaya thought for a moment and replied naturally, "I'm going to take my driver's license test. Commuting by motorcycle all the time isn't a long-term solution. I'll get my license while I'm not too busy."

Upon hearing this, Yayoi Mizuna's eyes suddenly lit up: "? Senpai also needs to take a driving test?"

Kiryu Yaya paused slightly, then smiled: "What, you're planning this too?"

Yayoi Mizuna nodded, lowered her head, and said in a softer voice, "Recently, my mother has been saying that she wants to buy me a car so that I can go home to see her more often on weekends."

She lowered her voice as she said this: "Actually, I know that my mother lives alone in Kyoto and really needs me to go back and spend more time with her. But—I don't have a driver's license, so even if she bought a car, I wouldn't be able to drive it back."

If it's not rush hour, driving back to Nanzenji from Osaka is definitely faster than taking the train and transferring.

It takes an hour by tram, but if you drive on the Meishin Expressway, it only takes about forty minutes if there's no traffic.

"That's perfect."

Kiryu Yaya put down his soup bowl, his tone smiling, "I'm going to take the driving test too, let's go together, let's go together, we can go to the driving school after get off work today."

Yayoi Mizuna suddenly looked up, her eyes glistening with a slight sheen of tears: "Really?"

"Of course it's true. Going to driving school alone is pretty boring, so having two people is good for keeping each other company."

Yayoi Mizuna nodded vigorously: "Yes! Then—together."

Seeing her like this, Kiryu Yaya couldn't help but smile again and casually asked, "So, have you decided what kind of car to buy?"

Mizuna Yayoi blinked, then shook her head somewhat shyly: "Actually—I don't know much about cars. I've always ridden in my family's car since I was a child, and I've never studied it myself. Do you have any recommendations, senior?"

Kiryu Yaya thought about it seriously.

In 1991, the Japanese automobile market had entered the final frenzy of the bubble economy.

There are more than twice as many car models on the market as there were ten years ago.

It includes the three major mainstream brands: Toyota, Nissan, and Honda, as well as manufacturers with distinct personalities such as Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Subaru.

I definitely wouldn't recommend a Mazda; it's too easy to be late.

"If it's a newbie driving—"

He picked up a piece of tamagoyaki: "The Toyota Corolla is quite suitable. The car body is not too big or too small, easy to drive and park, and the maintenance is cheap. It is very suitable for city commuting."

Mizuna Yayoi nodded seriously, as if silently memorizing the name: "Corolla—is that the round, cute car?"

"Round?"

Kiryu Yaya thought for a moment, then suddenly laughed: "You mean the previous generation, right? This generation of Corolla has a more angular design, but it is indeed quite suitable for girls."

Yayoi Mizuna nodded as if she understood, then asked, "Then—what about Nissan? I remember my family used to have a Nissan. When my father was still alive, he would occasionally drive it to Arashiyama."

Kiryu Yaya's heart stirred slightly.

I had never asked the Yayoi family how they viewed Masato Yayoi's disappearance before.

However, judging from Mizuna Yayoi's words, she probably thought that Masato Yayoi had already passed away.

After much deliberation, Kiryu Yaya decided to ask clearly to avoid touching on Mizuna's inner pain if he didn't say something right later.

So he carefully chose his words: "Mina—your father is—"

Mizuna Yayoi lowered her head and said softly, "In the third year after my grandfather's car accident, the family business—it seems to have run into some problems."

"I was young then, and my parents didn't tell me many things."

"Then one day, my father never came back. Then everyone found his car parked at the dock, but he was gone."

"Perhaps he was just too tired. The company's affairs, the family's affairs, the mess left behind after his grandfather's sudden death—he had been carrying it all alone for too long."

As she spoke, Mizuna Yayoi slowly smiled: "But that was a long time ago. I'm doing very well now, and so is Mom. So—there's nothing to be sad about."

Kiryu Yaya looked at Yayoi Mizuna in front of him, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes.

At the age when she was still in school, she lost her grandfather and father, the pillars of her family, one after another. It's no wonder that she became so introverted.

"Feel sorry----"

"This is the first time I've heard you mention it."

Mizuna Yayoi shook her head and smiled. "It's okay. I never dared to tell anyone before. But when I'm with you, senpai, for some reason, those heavy things don't seem so heavy anymore."

Kiryu Yaya didn't press for more details and changed the subject: "After get off work, shall we go check out a driving school? I happen to know one in Umeda that's supposedly quite reputable and open until 8 p.m."

Yayoi Mizuna's eyes lit up, and she smiled faintly, "Okay!"

It was lunchtime, and only Chihaya Yuri and Kishigami Wakako were in the office area of ​​the Financing Review Division.

They are having lunch together right now.

A bento box was spread out on Chihaya Yuri's workstation.

The meal consisted of a salt-grilled mackerel set meal that Section Chief Anshi had packed from the cafeteria, with a sprinkle of sesame seeds on the rice as a special treat for his injured colleague.

Chihaya Yuri lowered her head and picked up a piece of mackerel with her chopsticks, her movements very ladylike.

Wakako ate slowly, her gaze occasionally sweeping over Chihaya Yuri's face with a unique, intrigued look characteristic of a married woman.

"Chihaya—Kiryu-kun has been taking care of you these past few days, hasn't he?"

-

This question was asked casually, as if it were just something mentioned offhand.

However, Chihaya Yuri's chopsticks paused almost imperceptibly.

"No, I just delivered a few meals along the way."

"Oh, it's on my way."

Wakako Kishiue repeated it with a smile, her tone slightly raised, clearly teasing.

"That's so thoughtful of us to be going that way."

She put down her chopsticks and asked with great curiosity, "Yesterday I heard Sasaki say that Kiryu-kun specially went to the cafeteria at noon to pack a set meal for you."

"And what about tonight?"

"What delicious food did he bring you?"

Chihaya Yuri's chopsticks paused in mid-air. After two seconds, she picked up another piece of rice, put it in her mouth, and chewed it slowly, as if she was delaying her answer.

Wakako on the shore just watched her with a smile, resting her chin on her hand and urging Chihaya Yuri with her eyes.

Chihaya Yuri looked away, defeated: "He cooked a few home-style dishes himself—"

After hearing this, Wakako put down her chopsticks, rested her chin on her hands, and her eyes were filled with such interest that they were almost overflowing.

"Home-style dishes—"

She drew out the words, making them sound soft and drawn out, as if savoring a delicious dish: "Kiryu-kun can cook?"

"Yes, he said he knows a little bit."

Chihaya Yuri gently stirred the rice grains in the bento box with her chopsticks, as if searching for an excuse to change the subject: "Actually, it's just some ordinary stuff, mackerel, miso soup, spinach salad and stuff like that —"

"How's the mackerel fried?"

As expected of a married woman, Wakako Kishigami immediately grasped the key point.

Chihaya Yuri paused for a moment, a slight blush rising to her ears.

"----Well enough.

2

"It's just okay?"

Wakako Kishigami smiled and said, "Chihaya, you know what? Your biggest flaw is that you're not very good at lying."

When you say "it's okay," it usually means "it's very good," but you're just too embarrassed to admit it.

""

Chihaya Yuri looked up at her, her lips moved as if she wanted to object, but in the end she just lowered her head and muttered softly, "Okay—it is indeed better than many other shops."

When Wakako Kishigami heard this, her eyes crinkled with laughter, as if she had discovered a very interesting secret.

She reached for her teacup, took a sip, and then said with an air of knowing wisdom, "Think about it, a guy is willing to go to the supermarket after get off work to buy groceries, then carry the bags to your house, and stand in the kitchen for an hour just to cook you dinner."

"Chihaya, do you know how many people would kill for this kind of treatment?"

Chihaya Yuri was silent for two seconds: "Wakako—you're exaggerating."

"Where is it exaggerated?"

Wakako Kishigami stood her ground: "Yuri-chan, I think Kiryu-kun definitely likes you."

Chihaya Yuri finally stopped picking up food with her chopsticks.

She paused for two seconds, placed her chopsticks on the edge of the bento box, looked up at Wakako on the shore, and said with a rare hint of helplessness in her voice, "Wakako—we are in a superior-subordinate relationship, and what you're saying will trouble Kiryu-kun."

Seeing her like this, Wakako on the shore laughed so hard her shoulders trembled slightly, but she didn't continue to pursue her.

She picked up her chopsticks again, took a piece of mackerel, and softened her tone: "Okay, okay, I won't tease you anymore."

"I just think that Kiryu-kun is a really good person. If you're really interested, then stop being so aloof."

"If you don't hurry, I've seen him having meals with Mizuna-chan from the sales department quite often. Maybe someone else will beat you to it."

Chihaya Yuri's chopsticks stopped in mid-air, and her cheeks flushed pink.

"Mina-chan————"

She lingered those three words on her tongue, then swallowed them back, ultimately just lowering her head and whispering, "Wakako, you're overthinking it."

"I'm overthinking it? You're underthinking it."

Wakako Kishigami moved the bento box aside, leaned forward slightly, and lowered her voice: "Not to mention Mina-chan, Yuka-chan from our classroom clearly likes Kiryu-kun too, you couldn't have missed that, could you?"

Chihaya Yuri remained silent.

Almost everyone in the classroom could see that Nakamura Yuka liked Kiryu Yaya.

However, it seems that Kiryu Yaya respects this girl more than he likes her.

"Think about it, Kiryu-kun is young, capable, good-looking, has a good personality, and is reliable. A guy like that is a rare resource in a bank."

"Even though you're a few years older than him, you're so beautiful and have such a great figure. If you just take the initiative, getting a virgin like him should be a piece of cake, right?"

Wakako Kishiyama paused, then added, "I'm serious, if you keep putting on airs, don't come crying to me one day when he suddenly gets together with someone else."

.

Chihaya Yuri was silent for a moment, then said softly, "—If he gets together with someone else, that's his choice."

Kishigami Wakako looked at her for two seconds, then suddenly sighed softly: "Never mind, you're just stubborn."

Upon hearing this, Chihaya Yuri still wanted to argue.

Just then, footsteps suddenly appeared in the corridor, and the two immediately stopped talking.

The person walking towards us was Kiryu Yaya.

He saw the two department heads and greeted them with a smile: "Department Head Chihaya, Department Head Kishigami."

His voice echoed in the office area like a pebble thrown into a still pond.

Both of them paused at the same time.

Wakako Kishigami reacted quickly, putting down her chopsticks and waving at him with a smile: "Kiryu-kun, you're back? How was lunch at the cafeteria?"

"It should be pretty good, right?"

Anyway, Kiryu Yaya is in the cafeteria every day, but he has hardly ever eaten the cafeteria's set meals.

Chihaya Yuri finally looked up and subconsciously steered the conversation toward work: "This afternoon, there's a guarantee release document from the Miyazawa Group. If you have time, take a look at the first draft. The section chief should be looking for you."

Kiryu Yaya nodded: "Understood."

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