Early March, Seika Academy High School Division.
From early morning, a procession of expensive-looking sedans began passing by the school gate.
Drivers opened the doors for their passengers in the back seats.
Students stepped out in neat uniforms, while parents, dressed in subdued formal wear or suits, bowed slightly to one another as they met, exchanging words of congratulations on the graduation.
The downturn in the broader economic environment seemed not to have affected this historic campus.
The road in front of the auditorium was swept clean, with the light drizzle from last night leaving only faint, dark traces in the crevices of the paving stones.
Banners congratulating the graduates hung on both sides of the school gate, and the early spring flowers in the flowerbeds had been replaced; their colors were not vibrant, yet they were enough to show that the school never cut corners on such occasions.
If one only looked at this scene, it would be hard to associate the declining economic situation outside with this historic campus.
Students would still stop at the school gate to take pictures.
Mothers would adjust their daughters' ties, while fathers stood by, trying to keep their expressions serious.
There were also boys who, having been tapped on the shoulder by friends from behind, nearly bumped into their younger sisters holding bouquets when they turned around.
The graduation ceremony at Seika Academy was likely the same every year: decent, quiet, yet not lacking the liveliness of young people on their final day of school.
But if one looked a little longer, one could still spot some changes.
Some faces that had appeared at the entrance ceremony were no longer here today.
A certain construction company president who once chatted and laughed with the principal in the front row of the parent section had been replaced by his younger brother.
A certain lady who always dressed impeccably did not appear; after her daughter was dropped off at the school gate by the family driver, only the girl herself stood there, adjusting her cuffs.
Yet, there were also a few families who had not been prominent in the past that were now arriving in newer cars; the badges on the fathers' chests had been replaced with commemorative pins from new companies, and the mothers appeared much more composed when conversing with other parents than they had three years ago.
Wealth does not simply vanish into thin air.
Or rather, while a significant amount of wealth had vanished into the bubble, the little bit of broth that leaked out was enough to nourish a new batch of the nouveau riche.
As some were shattered after the bubble burst, others stepped up to fill the vacancies left behind.
Schools like Seika Academy were the first to notice this, because the students and parents here were inherently closer to the flow of capital in Tokyo than ordinary people.
When Saionji Satsuki and Shuichi were walking on campus, they happened to see a mother and daughter taking pictures next to the school gate.
The girl was holding a bouquet, and the mother stood behind her, smiling happily.
Shuichi only took one glance before quickly looking away.
Saionji Satsuki, however, watched for a moment longer.
"Three years ago, their family probably did not arrive in that car."
Shuichi followed her gaze and thought for a moment.
"The one that does medical device trading?"
"Yes," Saionji Satsuki said. "They secured equipment orders from several hospitals last year, and recently they have had a system maintenance partnership with SIS."
Shuichi smiled.
"You have to look at these things even at a graduation ceremony?"
"Did you not notice it too, Father?"
Shuichi did not deny it.
He glanced at the fork in the road ahead, but his pace slowed.
Saionji Satsuki was walking in front and had naturally started heading toward the path on the right, but after just a few steps, she stopped in front of a signpost.
She looked up at it for a while and frowned earnestly.
"Father, this way... I think?"
Shuichi stood where he was, watching his daughter studying the signpost, and finally could not help but laugh out loud.
"You silly girl, it is this way."
He raised his hand to point toward the other path.
Saionji Satsuki turned to look at him.
Shuichi looked at her, his tone amused yet slightly helpless.
"To be honest, I have probably spent more time at this school than you have."
"Did you graduate from Seika Academy too, Father?"
"I certainly did not." Shuichi walked over to her and steered her in the right direction. "I often come to see Principal Kuga for official business. Although the frequency is not high, I at least know where the main auditorium is."
Saionji Satsuki blinked, then naturally stepped aside, folded her hands, and playfully performed a traditional female bow.
"Then I shall trouble you to lead the way, Father."
Shuichi was left between laughter and tears by her action.
"Aren't you going to refute that at all? This is the school you are about to graduate from."
Saionji Satsuki lowered her hands, her tone very serious.
"That will not do. I must listen to Father, I cannot refute Father, and I must be a lady."
Shuichi smiled and shook his head, then turned and walked toward the auditorium.
"All right, let us go. Do not keep Principal Kuga waiting too long."
Saionji Satsuki trotted a few steps to catch up.
"As you wish, Father."
The father and daughter walked along the corridor outside the school building toward the main auditorium.
People stopped to greet them from time to time; Shuichi responded politely, while Saionji Satsuki maintained a very appropriate smile.
Those gazes held curiosity, awe, and probing, but since today was graduation, no one would make any rude gestures on such an occasion.
Shuichi glanced at his daughter, suddenly remembering something.
"By the way, you were selected as the student representative to give a speech on stage, right?"
"Yes."
There was a hint of pride in Saionji Satsuki's tone.
Shuichi found it amusing.
"Although I do not mean to question your public speaking ability, is it really okay for a student who has only attended a total of two months of classes in three years of high school to be the student representative?"
"My classmates like me very much, you know."
As she said this, her eyes curved slightly, as if she truly felt this was something worth being proud of.
Shuichi, seeing his daughter like this, could not help but want to reach out and pat her head.
"That is true. Who would not like my daughter?"
"Do not."
Saionji Satsuki's hair was styled very neatly today, and she immediately raised her hand to protect it.
"Father, my hairstyle will get messed up."
Shuichi's hand stopped in mid-air, and he then withdrew it as if he had been deeply struck.
"The rebellious phase is here. My daughter is not obedient anymore."
"Who told you to mess up my hair, Father?"
Saionji Satsuki also pretended to be very dissatisfied, crossing her arms and walking forward.
This time, it was Shuichi who could not hold it together; his daughter never usually put on such an angry posture.
If anyone really angered her, she would usually "kill" them with a smile—of course, "kill" was a metaphor.
Shuichi caught up with Saionji Satsuki and walked side-by-side with her again.
"So, have you prepared your speech?"
"No."
Shuichi's steps faltered.
"No?"
"Yes."
"Are you planning to speak off the cuff?"
Shuichi looked at her in surprise, thought for a moment, and then nodded as if convincing himself.
"That works too. The content of graduation speeches is always the same; it is nothing more than thanking the teachers, thanking the school, wishing the classmates success in their future."
As he said this, he saw Saionji Satsuki looking at him with a half-smile, and a slightly ominous feeling suddenly emerged in his heart.
Shuichi's voice trailed off.
"You will follow the standard procedure, right?"
Saionji Satsuki was still smiling at him.
Shuichi looked at her expression, his tone becoming less certain.
"...Right?"
Saionji Satsuki walked forward a step, light-heartedly, with her hands behind her back.
"Who knows?"
Shuichi rubbed his forehead.
Saionji Satsuki turned around and reached out to push him to keep walking forward.
"Alright, alright, do not worry about what I am going to say. Let us go, or we will really be late."
"You girl."
Shuichi was pushed forward, but could not help saying: "Today is the graduation ceremony, and Principal Kuga is not young anymore. You should at least give him some time to prepare."
"Do not worry, Father, I will be very polite."
"That has never been what I am worried about."
Saionji Satsuki smiled even more happily.
Shuichi sighed and could not help but raise his hand to rub his forehead.
"As long as you do not declare war on all of Japan, it will be fine."
"What kind of person do you take me for, Father?"
"My daughter."
"Then you should have confidence in me, Father."
"Of course I have confidence," Shuichi sighed again, "that is exactly the problem."
Saionji Satsuki laughed out loud.
Quite a few people were already standing outside the main auditorium.
The staff arranged by the school were confirming the guest list, while underclassmen from the student council were responsible for guiding parents into the venue.
Several teachers were standing by the entrance.
Upon seeing Shuichi and Saionji Satsuki approaching, the teacher in charge of reception immediately came forward, their attitude being a bit more solemn than with other parents.
"Mr. Saionji, Saionji-san, your seats have already been arranged inside."
Shuichi nodded.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Saionji Satsuki also bowed to the person.
After they were led into the auditorium, the noise inside noticeably quieted down.
The VIP section in the front row was already occupied by quite a few people: school board members, parents from the old Kazoku, political figures, and representatives from several companies, all conversing in low voices in their respective seats.
On the other side of the auditorium were the student seats, where the various classes of the third year were seated in order, their neat uniforms spreading out like a dark expanse.
Shuichi quickly found his name in the front row.
Beside his seat was a nameplate with "Saionji Satsuki" written on it.
Principal Kuga had clearly made special arrangements, hoping Satsuki could sit next to her father in a special capacity and then walk over from the VIP seating when it was time to give her speech.
After Shuichi sat down, he saw that Satsuki was still standing.
"Why are you not sitting? Did not Principal Kuga specifically arrange for you to sit next to me?"
Satsuki raised her hand and wagged her index finger.
"It is a graduation ceremony, after all. You have to sit with your classmates."
She glanced at the surrounding VIP seats and lowered her voice slightly.
"Besides, I do not want to sit with a bunch of old men."
Several school board members nearby were talking; when they heard this, their movements paused for a moment.
Shuichi was also stunned for a moment, then laughed and scolded, "Who are you calling old men, you girl."
Satsuki had already turned around, waving at him with her back to him.
"See you in a bit, Father."
Shuichi watched her walk toward the student seating, the smile on his lips not yet faded.
A school board member from the old Kazoku sitting beside him whispered, "Your daughter seems to be in a very good mood."
"She is graduating today, of course she is in a good mood."
Shuichi said, his gaze still fixed on his daughter's retreating figure.
As Satsuki walked through the aisle, quite a few students looked over.
She did not deliberately quicken her pace, nor did she strike any special pose; she simply followed the aisle left between the student seats toward the location of Class 3-A.
From afar, Ayako had already spotted her.
"Saionji-san! Over here!"
Ayako's voice was not loud, but it was still very clear amidst the slightly restrained chatter around them.
She raised her hand to signal Satsuki, but after completing the gesture, she immediately realized this was a graduation ceremony and hurriedly put her hand down, sitting even straighter than before.
Satsuki walked over and found that Ayako and Reiko were already seated, with an empty spot right in the middle.
"Thank you, Yoshino-san."
"It is only right."
After saying this, Ayako glanced at Satsuki's collar again, as if wanting to remind her of something.
Satsuki looked down at her uniform, finding no issues.
"What is wrong?"
"Nothing." Ayako quickly shook her head. "I just think you look very appropriate today."
Satsuki smiled and sat down between them.
"It is a graduation ceremony, after all."
As she spoke, her gaze landed on Reiko to her right.
Reiko was also wearing the Seika Academy uniform today, her hair combed meticulously, the diploma cover resting on her lap.
Her posture was upright, and there was nothing wrong with her expression, but her gaze was fixed on the direction of the stage, dazed and somewhat distracted.
Satsuki did not speak immediately.
She was, of course, aware of the Seiwa faction's moves.
Recently, the momentum of the Saionji faction in the residence and within the party had become increasingly apparent.
The remnants of the old Keiseikai (Takeshita faction) had been mostly absorbed, the Hakusuikai on the Sumitomo Main Family side had quieted down and begun to stabilize, Seibu had been forced to bow their heads, and the banks had also started to look to Saionji for cues.
And this was not a situation that the Seiwa faction liked.
They dared not directly touch the Saionji Main Family Residence, nor was it appropriate to aim their spearheads at the Kaifu Residence at this point in time, so they chose the Isokawa family.
Isokawa Seiichiro carried weight in the residence and also had a past with the old Takeshita faction.
From the Seiwa faction's perspective, the Isokawa family was indeed a convenient position to probe.
Satsuki snorted in her heart.
If they wanted to probe, let them try.
But they should not think about pulling back any hand they reached out intact.
Since the Takashina family was willing to act for the Seiwa faction to touch the Isokawa family, they should bear the consequences of that choice.
Satsuki would not turn this matter into an all-out war with the entire Seiwa faction, as that would give the other side an excuse to band together.
She only needed to beat the Takashina family until they could never stand up again, letting the people of the Seiwa faction see the cost clearly.
Reiko did not know these things yet.
Or rather, she probably knew she should come to find her, but had never spoken up.
Satsuki looked at her sitting so upright, yet with her mind completely absent from the hall, and finally called out softly.
"Reiko?"
Reiko snapped out of it, her voice much louder than she had imagined.
Several people nearby looked over immediately; she quickly raised her hand to cover her mouth, her shoulders shrinking in response.
"Sorry..."
Her voice trailed off.
Satsuki looked at her, her tone still gentle.
"What are you thinking about? You were so distracted."
"I was not thinking about anything."
Reiko gave a dry laugh, her eyes darting away, and quickly found a seemingly suitable excuse.
"I was just wondering why the ceremony has not started yet; I am a bit tired of sitting."
"It probably needs some more time to prepare."
Satsuki averted her gaze, looking toward the busy stage above.
On the stage, Principal Kuga was already confirming the procedures with several teachers.
The emcee stood to the side, holding cards, speaking in low tones with the audio staff.
The parents' seating in the auditorium gradually quieted down, and the chatter in the graduates' ranks also diminished.
Satsuki's gaze remained on the stage, but she felt a bit disappointed inside.
Reiko still had not spoken to her about the matter.
She had originally thought that Reiko would at least talk to her before the graduation ceremony.
After all, Isokawa Seiichiro had already seen through the Seiwa faction's intentions and should also understand that dragging this matter to the end would not benefit the Isokawa family.
Yet Reiko was still suppressing the matter, as if as long as she did not speak, the graduation ceremony would pass peacefully.
Satsuki turned her eyes slightly and looked at Reiko again.
Reiko was still looking at the podium, her expression seemingly calm, but her fingers were still pressing on that program sheet.
In reality, she lacked neither talent nor ability, and her judgment was quite sharp, so why was she hesitating in this matter?
Satsuki thought for a moment.
Could it be because of Naoto Takashina?
The SIS files mentioned that the Isokawa family and the Takashina family had dealings in the past, and their children had met many times at gatherings of political families.
The reason Naoto Takashina was able to lure Reiko out that day was by relying on this old connection.
Satsuki withdrew her gaze and sighed softly in her heart.
Reiko, things like stance cannot be measured repeatedly using old friendships.
The preparations on the podium finally ended, and the chatter in the auditorium gradually died down.
Principal Kuga stood up and walked to the microphone.
He was wearing a black formal suit today, with a white flower pinned to his chest, and a gentle smile on his face.
Seika Academy had a graduation ceremony every year, and every year it sent off a batch of students.
Principal Kuga was clearly very familiar with this process; from the first greeting, every detail of his speech was handled well.
He first thanked the parents for attending and then thanked the third-year students for their hard work during their time at the school.
Subsequently, he spoke about the history of Seika Academy, the school motto, the students about to enter university and society, and also about family, responsibility, and upbringing.
These were all words that usually appeared at graduation ceremonies.
The students in the auditorium listened very quietly.
Some were serious, some were relaxed, and some were already waiting for the photos and dinner after the ceremony ended.
The parents' seating area was even more restrained; occasionally someone would exchange a word in a low voice, then quickly stop again.
Satsuki sat in the student seating, also listening very carefully.
Principal Kuga's speech was not bad.
He knew what kind of families today's graduates came from, and he also knew that the economic environment outside was changing, so his phrasing in several places avoided overly optimistic statements.
He did not say that the future would definitely be smooth, nor did he say that hard work would definitely be rewarded; he only hoped that no matter where the students went, they would not forget the etiquette, responsibility, and knowledge that Seika Academy had taught them.
When the principal finished speaking, he closed the speech manuscript in his hand.
"Graduates, after today, you will leave the Seika Academy High School Division and head toward new paths."
"I wish for everyone, in your future lives, to still cherish the upbringing you learned here, respect those around you, and not live up to the expectations of your families and teachers."
He bowed slightly toward the audience.
Applause rang out in the auditorium.
Satsuki joined in the applause.
Her movements were unhurried, and her expression was calm.
The applause lasted for a while; Principal Kuga did not return to his seat immediately, but waited until the sound gradually died down before looking toward the audience again.
His gaze swept over the student seating and finally stopped on the side of Class 3-A.
Ayako subconsciously sat up straighter.
Reiko also snapped back to reality.
Satsuki raised her eyes and happened to meet Principal Kuga's gaze from across half the auditorium.
Principal Kuga picked up the program sheet, his voice carrying through the microphone across the entire auditorium.
"Next, student representative Saionji-san will come to the stage to give a speech."