If it had been in the past, Rika Kawasaki— the one who only needed to be responsible for herself and feared nothing— would have naturally scoffed at her Father’s pragmatic words, perhaps even coldly snapping back at him.
But now, it seemed that somewhere inside her heart, another person’s vague silhouette and presence had quietly found its way in, unnoticed.
This realization made it hard for her to reject and ignore these real-world concerns she used to disdain, the way she once did.
Sitting at the head of the table, Mother had been carefully watching her eldest daughter’s reaction.
With sharp intuition, she caught Rika Kawasaki’s uncharacteristic silence and the flash of hesitation in her eyes.
For once, she didn’t immediately erupt in fierce opposition.
A clear flicker of surprise and deep suspicion flashed across her keen eyes.
[Rika… what’s with this child today…? She didn’t immediately jump up and object? That’s not like her at all… Did she suddenly change her personality…? Or did something—or someone—happen outside?]
This unexpected discovery instantly filled her heart with countless guesses.
Father, too, noticed his daughter’s hesitation, and seized the moment to press on:
“All right, let’s do it this way. Rika, since you’re not opposed, you’ll start your Internship in the Market Department. That department often requires field work, meeting all kinds of people and situations—just right for your outgoing nature.”
In truth, the reason he was so insistent on forcing this daughter—who had repeatedly expressed strong resistance—into the Company, was, at its core, simply because Rika Kawasaki was, after all, his own flesh and blood, the only legal and rightful heir in both law and bloodline.
How could he not see through his wife’s little schemes and calculations?
If he let Rika Kawasaki drift away, abandoning all involvement in the family business and her Inheritance Rights, then wouldn’t this vast fortune, in the future, end up being handed over, helplessly, to that Bastard Daughter bearing the blood of another man?
That was a scenario he could never accept.
The middle-aged woman at the head of the table, although equally surprised that her always-rebellious eldest daughter hadn’t flipped the table today and instead seemed to be tacitly agreeing, was actually pleased with how smoothly things were progressing.
After all, in her view, introducing a little competition would motivate both parties to reach their potential.
Though, for now, Rika Kawasaki’s chances of success didn’t look high, still, if…
By some chance, the two sisters could truly build a good relationship during this time—helping and supporting each other—then for the long-term development of the family, that would be the best outcome.
She coolly weighed and calculated all this in her heart, then turned her face toward Chinatsu Ayase, her expression softening as she asked in a gentle, guiding tone:
“All right, then. Just as your Father said, Rika will go to the Market Department first. So, Chinatsu, how about you? Which department are you interested in?”
“Me… Me? I’m not really sure… Maybe I’ll go to the Market Department with big sister.”
Suddenly being called on, Chinatsu Ayase looked up like a startled fawn, tilting her head slightly, her face full of innocent confusion and naivety.
Her voice was soft and tentative, probing carefully,
“If not… then maybe the Human Resources Department…?”
Her voice trailed off at the end, full of uncertainty, as if afraid her suggestion was too abrupt and would be rejected.
“Haha, seems like Chinatsu wants to stick close to her sister. Still, since you’re both here to get a sense of the Company’s overall operation and broaden your horizons, there’s no need for you to squeeze into the same department. That’d just limit your experiences. Chinatsu, you’ll go to the Human Resources Department.”
The middle-aged woman clearly felt her younger daughter’s softness and lack of confidence came from her past, full of neglect and hardships, which left her shy and indecisive.
But, in her eyes, these were by no means fatal flaws. After all, things like personality and courage could be cultivated and shaped by the right environment and training.
These were not real problems; such things could always be changed with time.
And so, this undercurrent-filled, each-hiding-their-own-thoughts Kawasaki Family Meeting ended, surprisingly smoothly, with a surface atmosphere that was relatively “harmonious,” and without the expected arguments.
Starting tomorrow, Rika Kawasaki and Chinatsu Ayase—these two half-sisters—would both go, as arranged, to their Mother and Father’s Company for several months of Internship.
And the name of this huge enterprise, now a titan in the Nihon Cuisine Industry and famous throughout the land, was—“Quansheng.”
—————
Time left before your boyfriend, Kaoru Hoshitani, is stolen from you:
———
Eighty-four days
—————
“Aina! What’s this!? You’re resigning?! Why didn’t you discuss something this huge with me?!”
Today was the day Aina Saiten had agreed upon with the Quansheng Group Human Resources Department for her interview.
In her bedroom, she had already changed into a deep gray suit-skirt set, carefully ironed and prepared just for this interview, and was now tidying the collar of her shirt in the mirror, her heart both tense and full of anticipation.
She had prepared thoroughly, hoping to win this dream job in one go.
But, unexpectedly, an incident occurred at just this moment.
These last few days, after that drunken dinner gathering, her boyfriend Kaoru Hoshitani was still quietly sulking, giving her the cold shoulder.
But even with a knot in his heart, his habitual care made him get up early, as usual, and silently prepare the things she’d need for work—including her usual Black Leather Briefcase.
Kaoru Hoshitani never had the habit of checking his girlfriend’s phone or personal things.
However, this morning, when he reached out to grab the briefcase from the entryway cabinet, intending to set it by the door for her, he noticed the clasp wasn’t completely fastened.
Accidentally, his hand slipped, and the heavy briefcase fell with a loud “thud” onto the cold tile floor, the contents spilling out—documents, Notebook, pen case—all scattered in a mess.
“Ah…”
Kaoru Hoshitani let out a soft cry, hurriedly bending down to gather everything back up.
As he picked up a Binder to shove it back in, something caught his eye—a folded sheet of A4 Paper, densely printed in black text, lying on the floor.
A strange suspicion flashed through his mind.
Kaoru Hoshitani instinctively picked it up and unfolded it, his eyes scanning the contents—a neatly formatted, formally worded Resignation Letter template.
Aina Saiten’s basic information and current Company department were already filled in.
For the “Reason for Leaving” section, it clearly read “For personal career development.”
At the bottom, in the date field, her elegant Signature was already penned…
His pupils shrank; the tips of his fingers holding the paper turned pale from the force.
Almost trembling, he scanned every word in a rush.
Shock, confusion, and the pain of being kept in the dark swept through him like a bucket of ice water…