ON the sprawling campus of Sosei Academy, various facilities were reserved exclusively for the students of the Corporate Legacy program. In a secluded corner of one such café, Rikka and Ruki shared a discreet meeting.
“So, how did it go?” Ruki inquired, twirling a glass of iced coffee between his fingers.
Rikka paused, taking a slow sip from her iced tea before replying with a wry smile. “There’s not much to tell, except that Mio never ceases to amaze. When I hinted that Shizuki might be concealing trillions in assets, she didn’t even bat an eye.”
“Is that right?” Ruki mused. “And this is the same café waitress I remember?”
Mio, once a commoner who had eked out a living just months prior, now mingled among elites as if born in it. Ruki, though not one to stereotype that all commoners were simpletons who wore their hearts on their sleeves, still found it a stretch that fundamental perspectives on wealth and power could evolve so drastically and swiftly. To any average individual, the revelation of a close relative’s hidden trillions would surely shatter their poise.
“It really is quite fascinating,” Rikka pondered. “Do you think she’s always had such a penchant for pretense?”
“That, or she developed it in a few short months.”
“Now there’s a terrifying thought.”
If it were true that Mio had honed such sophisticated social skills in just a few months—a skill set Rikka and Ruki had spent their lives perfecting—then labeling her as a “prodigy” or a “genius” might not just be flattery but plain truth.
Ruki peered into the depths of his glass. “Though one can’t help but wonder, given how she handled Saionji and Azumaji. That trap was entirely one of her own makings. Unless… No, that can’t be right.”
“Unless what?” Rikka urged. It wasn’t like Ruki to bite back his words.
“No, I was merely pondering whether it was possible that Shizuki might be the mastermind behind it all, and Mio merely her puppet.”
“You’re right. That can’t be.” Rikka laughed away the possibility. If that were true, then Shizuki would not only have perfect knowledge about Sayaka and Asuka but Rikka and Ruki as well, orchestrating every move to make Mio appear flawlessly competent. But that wouldn’t be possible. With that level of knowledge, what would that make her? A clairvoyant?
Ruki snapped out of his thoughts. “At any rate, Mio has shown considerable growth. There’s no doubt about that. Now what about Akizuki? You told her about that, yes? What was her reaction?”
“Yes. I suspect she already knows. She sort of just smiled blandly at me when I told her. I suppose that means…”
“She’s set up another trap, has she?”
Soon, another individual would join Sayaka and Asuka in the hall of unfortunate victims. The two Yukishiros exchanged awkward smiles, a shared understanding that the game was far from over.