"So you actually know how to drive?"
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki stood beside a red Ferrari 348, watching Satsuki as she sat in the driver's seat and deftly began adjusting the position of the seat and steering wheel, raising his eyebrows in slight surprise.
The salesperson had only briefly introduced it a moment ago.
Yet Satsuki had already found the locations of the various switches on her own.
She first adjusted the seat forward a little, stretched out her foot to test the distance to the clutch, then placed one hand on the steering wheel and gripped the gear shift with the other, trying shifting it twice without starting the engine.
Her movements were so natural that she looked nothing like someone who had only recently obtained her driver's licence.
"I could not tell."
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki stood outside the car door, looking down at her.
"Miss Saionji, who usually 'lives on cash', is actually so skilled at driving."
He paused.
"Where did you find the time to practice?"
"Hey, hey."
Satsuki raised her head and glared at him irritably.
"What do you mean by 'lives on cash'?"
After saying that, she turned the steering wheel with one hand again.
The feedback from the steering wheel was much more direct than that of the large luxury cars at home.
The throw of the gear shift was also very comfortable.
Satsuki gripped the gear shift again and pushed it gently.
Not bad.
Although she had not actually driven it yet, at least the first impression of sitting inside was already much more interesting than those dark, bulky beasts in the garage this morning.
She even began to imagine what she would look like driving this car out on the weekend.
Picking a day with good weather.
Driving all the way along the Metropolitan Expressway to Yokohama, or simply going to Hakone for a vacation would be fine.
Thinking of this, the corners of Satsuki's mouth could not help but curl up slightly.
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki, standing nearby, suddenly leaned in a bit closer.
His gaze travelled down from the steering wheel and finally landed on Satsuki's legs stepping on the pedals.
"However…"
"Hmm?"
"Can your feet reach the pedals?"
"…"
Satsuki's hand holding the gear shift froze.
The Ferrari interior, which she had thought was quite nice just a moment ago, suddenly did not look so appealing anymore.
She fell silent for about two seconds.
Then she slowly turned her head.
There was even a smile on her face.
Only that smile looked somewhat dangerous no matter how you looked at it.
"Uncle Tsutsumi."
"Hmm?"
"Would you like us to discuss the renovation budget plan for Gokurakukan this winter?"
The trace of a smile that had been hanging on the corners of Tsutsumi Yoshiaki's mouth instantly froze.
Yet Satsuki continued gently, as if she had not seen it at all:
"I recently took another look at the plan over there."
"Winter equipment, guest room renovations, and the phase two entertainment area."
She counted on her fingers.
"It all seems quite expensive."
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki could already tell something was wrong.
"However…"
Satsuki tilted her head slightly.
"I suddenly feel that this financing does not seem all that urgent after all."
"With Uncle Tsutsumi's vast family business, you probably do not need Saionji's meagre funds anymore, right?"
"Ahem, ahem…"
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki coughed twice very naturally.
The winter renovation of Gokurakukan definitely had to be done, and it could not just be done halfway.
That thing was truly 'eating cash' in the literal sense, and the expenses were no joke.
Nowadays, Seibu and Saionji were becoming more and more deeply bound together in Hokkaido; tourists, hotels, ski resorts, and even transportation arrangements over there were mutually channelling traffic. If the renovation were really halted, it would not just be Gokurakukan itself that suffered the losses in the end.
Moreover, he knew better than anyone what Seibu's cash flow situation was like right now.
Saying "we do not need financing" to Saionji at a time like this?
Are you kidding me?
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki quickly glanced around.
Fortunately.
Ayako and Reiko had already run off to the other side to look at cars.
Shimada had also retreated into the distance at some point.
As for the people from Cornes...
The salesperson closest to them was still several metres away.
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki lowered his head and suddenly showed an intense interest in the 348's seats, stroking the seat material and exclaiming in amazement.
"Were not we out to have fun today?"
He reached out again and pressed twice on the seat back, looking dead serious.
"Let us not talk about official business."
"Yeah."
"Not talking about it today."
Satsuki sat in the car, the smile on her face becoming more and more radiant.
"Huh?"
"Are you really not going to discuss it?"
"Actually…"
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki looked back at her.
"I looked closely just now."
Satsuki blinked.
"What?"
"Your body proportions are great."
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki said with peerless earnestness.
"Your legs are actually very long."
"…"
Satsuki stared at him.
Not a hint of joking could be seen on Tsutsumi Yoshiaki's face.
As if the person who had just suddenly changed his tune to praise an eighteen-year-old girl for having long legs was not him at all.
The corners of Satsuki's mouth twitched.
This old fellow…
He really has thick skin.
"Hey——"
However, Tsutsumi Yoshiaki did not intend to give her a chance to continue pressing the advantage.
He raised his hand and waved at the salesperson in the distance.
"What are you still standing over there for?"
The salesperson immediately hurried over.
"Mr. Tsutsumi."
"Come over and introduce it."
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki motioned toward the 348 Satsuki was sitting in.
"How would Miss Saionji know whether this car is any good or not?"
Although the salesperson felt that this sentence sounded a bit strange somewhere, he immediately entered work mode.
"Of course."
"The model Miss Saionji is currently sitting in is the 348 tb. This vehicle model adopts—"
Satsuki sat in the car and glanced at Tsutsumi Yoshiaki.
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki nonchalantly averted his gaze.
Fine then.
He even brought out reinforcements.
For the sake of Gokurakukan's continued cooperation, she would let him off for today.
Satsuki pushed open the car door.
When getting out, she deliberately shifted to the side a bit, her shoulder gently bumping against Tsutsumi Yoshiaki.
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki looked down at her.
Satsuki had already re-adjusted her clothes as if nothing had happened.
"Right."
She looked at the salesperson.
"Are all these display cars parked here available for purchase?"
"I want the kind that can be processed for delivery directly."
The salesperson, who was originally prepared to continue introducing the performance of the 348, paused visibly at those words.
He quickly followed Satsuki's gaze to look across the entire area.
"Yes, Miss Saionji."
The salesperson stepped aside half a step, holding his fingers together, and gestured toward the vehicles displayed on this side.
"The vehicles currently displayed on this side are all in-stock cars available for normal sale. As long as the necessary procedures are completed, delivery can be arranged."
"Oh?"
Satsuki's eyes brightened a little.
But the salesperson added another sentence:
"However…"
"That one right at the innermost part is temporarily not within the scope of sale."
Satsuki looked over in the direction he was pointing.
Right at the very innermost spot stood a single red Ferrari.
The wide rear wing caught her eye almost instantly.
Compared to the sports cars around it that were already eye-catching enough, that car still looked exceptionally special.
Satsuki had noticed it before, but just had not had the time to go over and look.
"Why?"
The salesperson hesitated for a moment.
Then, subconsciously, he looked at Tsutsumi Yoshiaki standing nearby.
"That F40…"
"...is specifically reserved for Mr. Tsutsumi."
Satsuki immediately turned her head and stared at the old fellow who was always snatching things she liked.
Yet Tsutsumi Yoshiaki furrowed his brows even earlier than her, acting even more surprised than Satsuki.
"Mine?"
The professional smile on the salesperson's face stiffened slightly.
"Y-Yes."
"When did I ask for it?"
"This…"
Sweat vaguely began to bead on the salesperson's temples.
"It was not personally reserved by Mr. Tsutsumi."
He hurriedly explained.
"It is just that after this batch of vehicle quotas was confirmed, we thought you might be interested in this model, so we temporarily did not open it to other customers."
By the end, his voice had become noticeably much more cautious.
Originally, this matter was actually very simple.
When such a rare model arrived in Japan, there were naturally very few people who truly had the qualifications and financial resources to purchase it.
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki was also one of Cornes's most important long-term clients.
Reserving an opportunity for him first and letting him decide after seeing it himself was naturally doing him a favour.
Who would have known that Tsutsumi Yoshiaki himself had no idea at all.
And even less did he expect that Saionji Satsuki would happen to be here today.
"If this has caused you trouble, I am terribly sorry."
The salesperson hurriedly lowered his head.
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki glanced at him, but did not get angry.
"You guys thought quite thoroughly on my behalf."
"I am extremely sorry."
"Alright."
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki waved his hand.
"I did not say I wanted to hold anyone accountable."
Only then did the salesperson breathe a slight sigh of relief.
When he raised his head again, he found that Miss Saionji, who had been standing right here just a moment ago, was already gone.
Turning his head again.
Satsuki had already reached the side of the F40.
"Wow…"
She walked half a circle around the car.
First looking at the front, then running to look at the rear.
Finally, she simply squatted down a bit and leaned closer to study the side of the car body.
The interest that had been somewhat restrained inside the 348 was now completely written all over her face.
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki stood a few paces away and watched for a moment.
Satsuki reached out and lightly touched the car body, then looked inside through the glass.
"You like it?"
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki suddenly asked.
"Of course."
Satsuki did not even raise her head.
"It is so pretty."
She looked inside again, not forgetting to add:
"It is just that such a good car is actually going to end up in the hands of an old uncle who does not understand cars at all."
"What a pity…"
"I will give it to you."
Satsuki's words stopped.
She poked her head out from behind the car body.
"...Hmm?"
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki's expression did not change much.
"Do not you like it?"
"Anyway, I am that 'old uncle who does not understand cars' you mentioned."
He glanced toward the F40.
"I did not have them reserve this thing either, and I never had much interest in this kind of car to begin with."
The smile on Satsuki's face quickly reappeared.
Of course she knew what Tsutsumi Yoshiaki meant.
It was just a car.
To people like them, how much it was worth was actually the least important part.
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki's remark earlier about whether she could reach the pedals had clearly let this old fellow see that she cared somewhat about her height.
Right now, there was a car here that she clearly liked and that he himself did not care about at all.
Give it to her.
By the way, brush off that little bit of unhappiness from earlier.
It could also push their personal relationship a step further.
No matter how you calculated it, it was a very cheap favour.
Satsuki was well aware of this in her heart.
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki naturally knew she could see through it.
Therefore, neither of them purposely spelled these words out.
"Huh?"
Satsuki walked back with a beaming smile.
"Are you really giving it to me?"
"Otherwise?"
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki glanced at her.
"Seibu is not so poor that it cannot afford to give away a car."
After saying that, he paused again.
"And also."
"Hmm?"
"Just pretend I never said what I said earlier."
The expression on Satsuki's face instantly turned subtle.
Actually, she was not very clear on why she was a bit sensitive about the height issue; she just felt that when others said things like that, she would get very annoyed.
She gave a soft hmph.
But very soon, she grinned and moved a bit closer to Tsutsumi Yoshiaki's side.
"Then thank you, Uncle Tsutsumi."
"Yeah."
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki replied casually.
Satsuki, however, had already turned to the salesperson in a great mood.
"Then this car is mine."
The salesperson immediately nodded.
"Yes, Miss Saionji."
"Right."
As if suddenly remembering something, Satsuki reached out and pointed at Tsutsumi Yoshiaki.
"Remember to put it on Seibu's tab, oh."
"This is Uncle Tsutsumi's kind intention, after all."
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki could not help letting out a laugh.
"Little girl."
"You really took advantage of me."
"You said yourself that you were giving it to me."
Satsuki did not feel embarrassed at all.
"Since when does giving a gift involve making the recipient pay for it?"
"Fine, fine, fine."
Tsutsumi Yoshiaki could not be bothered to argue with her.
The salesperson standing nearby was just getting ready to note down the settlement arrangements for this F40, but then saw Satsuki's gaze fall back onto the entire row of sports cars beside it.
"And then—"