6 Main Heroines Who Absolutely Want to Monopolize Me - V1 Chapter 1.1

Invitation to a Love Study Abroad 1

【Shinichi, ‘true love’ refers to a relationship where ‘interests align’.】

She said, looking at him while lying on the hospital bed.

【Words like ‘liking someone’s face’ or ‘having a compatible personality’ are just uncertain bonds and unpredictable emotions that can change anytime. Looks and personalities can change over time, and our preferences may not remain the same forever. That might be ‘infatuation,’ but it’s not ‘true love.’ The magic of infatuation can suddenly break one day; and it often happens.】

Considering she was speaking to an elementary school student, this might be a bit difficult to understand.

【But you see, when your interests align with someone, you form a strong bond. After all, when your interests align, what benefits the other person benefits you, and what harms the other person harms you. Everyone naturally does things that benefit themselves and tries to avoid things that harm themselves.】

【…I see.】

Shinichi replied and nod, showing that he somehow understood her words.

【That’s why Shinichi, I want you to marry someone who shares that kind of bond with you, someone with whom you can have true love. I believe that way; you’ll find happiness. That’s what Mama wants.】

【But then Mom… you don’t love me and Dad?】

In response to that question, she furrowed her brows, seemingly troubled.

【Why would you think that?】

【Because we can’t do anything for you, and we can’t cure your illness either…】

While saying that, the frail child burst into tears.

In the hazy view, the sensation of being hugged reached him.

Then, she laughed with a voice that seemed like she was about to cry.

【What are you talking about? Our interests align perfectly. Because…】

【…because?】

Opening my eyelids, the familiar ceiling stain greeted me once again today.

“That dream again…”

In the corner of the four-and-a-half tatami room, I sat up on the futon and wiped away the sweat with the hem of my T-shirt.

I frequently dreamed of that scene.

It happened ten years ago just before I turned seven, a little before my mother, Kaede Hirakawa, passed away.

Although I must have heard what she said next, I cried too much to remember anything.

I wonder if it’s my subconscious desire to know that answer, that’s why it keeps showing me this dream and urging me to recall it somehow.

I washed my face with cold water and nibble a bite of bread crust for breakfast.

At my part-time job in the bakery, they give me the cutoff crusts from making sandwiches.

I am reminded of how rich this country is to be able to get such delicious food for free, even though I am an employee.

Usually, I would cook sautéed leftovers (vegetables near the expiration date or with imperfect appearance, sold cheaply in supermarkets) and put them in my lunch box, but there’s no need for it today since there’s no lunch break.

Then I changed into my uniform and left the house, because today is the closing ceremony of the first semester, and it’s incredibly hot outside since morning.

Machi High School, a private boys’ school in Musashi, Tokyo.

As I entered the classroom and passed through the door, I saw a classmate sitting in my seat, patting the shoulder of a boy who was prostrating in front of him as if to comfort him.

“Hey, stop crying already. You’re a guy, aren’t you? No need to be so emotional.”

“You don’t get it. It’s not about being a guy or a girl when it comes to feeling sad about your favorite idol’s graduation… Ahh, Ria-chan, why did you have to suddenly graduate like that…”

“Is Ria Meguro retiring? It’s probably not because of a scandal or anything. I get it, it’s strange since it’s the peak of her popularity. But well, it does give her a legendary vibe in a way.”

It seems that the boy is crying because his favorite idol has announced her retirement.

I suppose I would dampen the mood if I went over to my seat now, but I have no other place to be… I contemplate my options and slowly approach my seat.

“Yesterday, it also said that actress Leona Kanda would take a break for studying abroad. There seems to be a lot of shocking news lately. You know, I’ve been a fan of Leona Kanda since she was a child actress.”

The boy sitting in my seat mutters this while playing with his smartphone, then opens his eyes wide.

“Hey, check this out.”

“What is it?”

“YouTuber Yuu Shibuya is also going on a hiatus!”

“Seriously… What’s happening with Japanese entertainment industry…!”

Various celebrities retiring or taking breaks seem to be announced one after another.

However, the immediate issue for me now is that I have arrived in front of my seat.

I let out a small clearing of my throat, trying my best not to frighten anyone and maintaining a gentle tone of voice.

“Good morning, over there, is my…”

” “I-I-I’m really sorry, Hirakawa-san!!” “

Two classmates turned pale in unison.

“Ah, it’s fine…”

I don’t really need more than a handful of friends, but I don’t want to be disliked either. I thought to myself.

Memories about my Father resurfaced again, and at the same time, I reaffirmed my dream.

After the closing ceremony, I received my report card, all straight 10s, and headed home.

With this, my tuition fee would be fully waived for the next semester. I couldn’t let my guard down, but I felt a slight sense of relief.

Once I’m back home, I’ll have to make the sautéed leftovers to recover my energy.

“…So, ‘A mysterious struggling-loner-student of unknown cause,’ huh?”

Suddenly, I remembered the words Sakiho said to me yesterday, and I let out a small sigh.

There is a reason why I live a life immersed in studying.

In short, I want to take over the Hirakawa Group, my father’s company, without relying on his power.

The estrangement between my father, Shinnosuke Hirakawa, and me (though he probably doesn’t see it that way) hasn’t been there from the beginning.

On the contrary, I used to genuinely admire my father. He rarely had time to see me since he was always busy, but in exchange, the employees of the group took care of me instead.

They all used to say:

【Shinichi, your father is truly an admirable person. If it weren’t for him as the second generation, the Hirakawa Group wouldn’t have become this big.】

Being praised and loved because of my father made me proud of him as a child.

However, my father changed drastically around the time my mother passed away.

Since then, he began to dominate both inside and outside the company through a politics of fear.

He got angry with an employee who submitted a paid leave request during the busy season and transferred him to a remote location.

During a business trip, he threatened to fire a manager who dared to talk back to him.

He created a department exclusively for those who signed a pledge never to go against him, providing them with special treatment.

… and so on, these are just a few examples that illustrate his reign of terror.

There are even rumors connecting him to the underworld these days.

Weekly magazines regularly feature his activities, and his bad reputation has spread throughout the entire Japanese population.

And the one who was caught in the crossfire was me, his son.

If anyone dared to defy his son, they didn’t know what they would face from his father.

Fearful and trembling of my father, people avoided crossing paths with me.

In the winter of my second year of junior high, I had the opportunity to speak to my father for just one minute on an international call.

At that moment, I spoke directly.

[Father, I’m leaving the house.]

Simultaneously, I had made up my mind—I would become the president of the Hirakawa Group without relying on the money earned through my father’s reign of terror.

I would quickly reclaim the former glory of the Hirakawa Group.

The first major hurdle of my ambition was to break free from my father’s support, and to do that, I needed to earn a monthly salary of at least 10000 yen on my own.

If I wanted to stand firm in refusing parental support, I also had to cover my tuition fees.

Hence, I decided to maintain the appearance of a fully exempted scholarship student.

During the day, I aimed to excel in my studies at school, while at night, I devoted myself to part-time work.

Naturally, I lost both time and money to hang out with friends, and inevitably, I became a struggling loner student.

I don’t feel ashamed of my way of living, nor do I feel discontent about not having friends.

However, that doesn’t mean I’m dismissing the value of other people’s youth spent enjoying summer vacation with friends or a partner.

Happiness is different for everyone.

Now, first things first, I need to quickly finish my summer vacation homework… as I think these thoughts, I insert the key into the keyhole of the door of my house and turn the key.

As I inserted the key into the hole and turned it, my spine froze.

…There was no feeling of the key turning.

『I really, really can’t come here this year, I can promise you that.』

That liar…!

“Hey, Sakiho…!”

I forcefully opened the door, and there, sitting in seiza, was not Sakiho but an incredibly beautiful woman.

“Welcome back, Shinichi-sama.”

“…what?”

My voice, thrown off balance, echoed in the small room.

“I apologize for suddenly intruding into your room, Shinichi-sama. Starting today, I will be supporting your Love study abroad for one year. I am Juujo Kumi, who used to be the secretary of the late Kaede Hirakawa-sama.”

The woman in a pants-suit (she appeared to be in her early 20s) bowed her head with three fingers touching the floor in the center of my lifeless room.