私が勝ちます。
Class 3-E, the "END CLASS", the class filled with students who were constantly mocked and degraded for what they thought they lack, was just given the chance to earn 10 billion yen from the government. But how can they earn this high amount...
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SEVEN YEARS LATER.
Riku Akiyama, a freshly turned 22-year-old, stared at the tall skyscrapers and million-dollar worth buildings that surrounded her newly built office. After skipping a few years...Well, completely skipping high school and going to college, taking a few more years working under her father, Riku has finally -- with the help of her parents' money and some old...connections, of course -- finally had a building for herself.
Her Gamer's Guide was officially open for business.
It hasn't even been a few months since the young woman left her dad's company and she already had opened her very own under her name. With much preparation and assistance of course, which she was grateful for.
Dressed formally with her pastel-blue slacks and white buttoned-up polo, Riku let her now shoulder-length hair, down. Drink in hand as she let herself bask in small glory, mentally patting herself on the back for a job well done -- she was finally finished with phase one on her pathway to sweet success.
Every victory, big or small, should be valued and appreciated. Hence, the cold liquor that is in her hand now.
"Miss Akiyama." The young CEO turned around at the call of her last name.
"Ah, Genevieve, good morning," Riku looked up at the digital clock on her wall. 09:30 AM. "Right on time."
Her secretary bowed a full 90 degrees before turning on her tab and reading out its content. Despite being new and this being her first job, the latter did this automatically, automated, almost, as if Genevieve did this a thousand times before.
Quick to adapt. Which is one of the reasons why Riku chose to hire her.
"100 Thieves has agreed to invest, and their management team head alongside Nadeshot will be here around 11 AM or so for the contract signing. And right after, you have another meeting with Corpse for arrangements of him hand modeling your console collection release this October. Virtually, of course." As Genevieve recited today's schedule out loud, Riku took a seat on her lavender-colored customized gaming chair and began to go over documents and sign them, while simultaneously listening to her secretary.
"How about that Twitch streamer, Tinker?" Riku momentarily looked up at Genevieve before her eyes went back to her documents. "Has he agreed to sign under us?"
Genevieve's reply came not even a moment after. "He says that he is still thinking things through. It seems like we are not the only company that sees his potential."
A pause from Riku. "Give me the contract that we have written out for him, please. I have to see what I can offer better."
"Yes, miss." Genevieve took another glance at her tablet. "Your therapist just emailed. You haven't met her at all last week and is hoping to see you later this afternoon if you are free."
Another pause from the young Akiyama. "Is my 4 PM available?"
"Yes. It is. Shall I set a schedule?" Genevieve asked.
Riku nodded, smiling up at her secretary. "Please do."
Genevieve's eyebrows furrowed as she cleared her throat. "You have another e-mail..." The secretary was hesitant, trailing off unsurely before going back to her professional voice. "From a," A tilt of her head. "Yuma Iso--Isogai?"
Riku felt her hands come to a full stop.
Genevieve, being a foreigner, had a hard time pronouncing the name of Riku's middle school class representative. Riku could not blame her, Genevieve and Riku had a strict business relationship after all. Aside from what is required in the resume and the skill sets the two had observed from each other, Riku knew nothing else about her secretary.
Riku learned from experience that knowing too much could be deadly for you after all.
"What does it say?"
Sensing how her boss became stern from her slightly laid-back attitude from earlier, Genevieve couldn't help but gulp slightly in nervousness. Thinking that this Yuma Isogai person may be a bad memory from Riku Akiyama's past.
Skimming through the e-mail quickly, Genevieve gave out the summary. "He seems to be inviting you to a reunion, miss. A class reunion."
It didn't take much of Riku's overload of brain cells (that she should actually share with the author because the author needs it, fr fr.) to immediately understand. Well -- no, understand might not be the right term.
Rather than understand -- the phrase hard to forget is a better use.
Because what happened years ago was something that is certainly hard to forget.
Riku leaned back into her seat, her arms resting on the armrests as she stared ahead.
She has not made any effort to contact or stay in touch with any of her End Class classmates and teachers after they had all graduated from middle school. From middle school and from, well...the assassination of their homeroom teacher.
After all that had happened, Riku kept her promise by being completely immersed in making and getting herself better. And that meant sacrificing her connections with everyone from that school, especially of Class 3E and...
A certain red-haired sadist.
Seven years, was it?
Riku nearly scoffed out loud due to the thought.
I wonder how everyone is doing.
How he...
"Miss Akiyama?"
Genevieve's voice managed to draw Riku out of her train of thought.
"Will you be accepting the invitation?" Her secretary asked politely.
Will I? Riku put her chin on the palm of her hand, thinking. Am I ready?
A glint caught her eye, and by instinct, Riku turned to see her huge mirror with a meticulously designed silver frame hung on the wall. Where she could see her reflection perfectly.
