Kyouji Yuuki and his daughter, Yuuki Asuna, sat across from Nozomi and Haruno in the serene atmosphere of a quiet café, where the soft clinking of cups and gentle background music frad the tension in the air.
Each ordered a cup of coffee. Asuna's eyes sparkled with a mixture of curiosity and subtle anxiety. After all, wasn't she invited here by Miss Haruno herself? So why did the boy sitting beside Haruno keep glancing at her like she was so kind of rare Pokémon he had finally encountered in the wild?
"Mr. Kyouji Yuuki," Haruno began calmly, her tone smooth and deliberate, "this is the person you wished to et—Nozomi. He's my junior."
A brief pause. The corner of her lips lifted with faint amusent.
"We're planning to get engaged at the end of this month."
Kyouji raised a brow, visibly surprised. "Oh? Young man, so you're Miss Haruno's fiancé? That's quite unexpected."
The businessman then gave Nozomi a aningful look.
"Moreover, Miss Haruno actually brought you to this eting... That must an you're the true owner of the ga company's shares."
Nozomi responded with a casual, knowing smile. "Correct. But you could say they're Sister Haruno's too. Since we'll be family soon, what's mine is hers."
He leaned back slightly in his seat, relaxed and exuding quiet confidence.
"Though I must admit, I was surprised to hear Mr. Kyouji Yuuki wanted to discuss cooperation. So, Mr. Yuuki, what exactly are you hoping to achieve?"
Kyouji glanced subtly at Asuna before responding.
"In that case, I'll leave you two to talk shop," Haruno interjected with a wink. "Miss Asuna, could you accompany for a walk? I have a few things I'd like to discuss with you."
"O-of course," Asuna said, standing up quickly. Though she was curious about the business talk, she understood that certain discussions were best left to her father.
After the two won exited, Kyouji wasted no ti.
"Mr. Nozomi, as you may know, my company is the largest local supplier of high-grade electronic components. I currently own about 20% of the shares in the virtual reality ga sector. Our equipnt and materials are critical to the production of VR hardware."
He adjusted his tie slightly, eyes locked on Nozomi.
"To put it bluntly, whether the ga launches or not depends heavily on whether our components are delivered on ti. I'm looking for a win-win situation here."
Kyouji 's tone beca more probing. "Miss Haruno ntioned that your ga company holds the technical core. Are you the one supporting it?"
Nozomi sipped his coffee calmly. "Yes. One day, a strange, data crystal appeared on my phone. I passed it to Akasaka Ryunosuke. I believe he's now one of your lead researchers?"
(About the data crystal, I think the Kryptonian tech is the most closely related. Call it ani bullshit science.)
"Indeed. With that core technology, Akasaka's beco the chief assistant. The lead developer remains Kayaba Akihiko."
At the ntion of the na, Kyouji 's gaze sharpened. "Mr. Nozomi, let speak plainly. I want to know your degree of control over that technical core."
His stare was hard, calculating. He didn't believe the core just "showed up" one day. He suspected the boy before him was soone with a genius that possibly eclipsed even Kayaba Akihiko.
Nozomi's lips curled into a wry smile. "Sharp instincts. Is this what makes you a business titan? You're right. I do have full control over the technology. Even if the ga launches successfully, its continued operation hinges entirely on my will."
He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in.
"Of course, I won't deny Kayaba's genius. He might unravel the chanics behind the core and build his own VR paradise... but by then, the core will have already bonded with my system. I'll simply take control again."
Kyouji 's eyes glead with understanding.
"In that case, I believe we can work together more effectively. I'll transfer my 20% stake in the ga company to you. In return, you'll ensure that only my company's electronic components are used in all production going forward."
"Agreed," Nozomi answered without hesitation. The technical logistics were beneath him. His mind played in far higher realms than soldered circuits and production lines.
Kyouji 's motives were transparent. By monopolizing component supply for the booming VR market, he'd crush competitors and boost his company's influence. He didn't care about developing new tech—he'd leave that to geniuses and mavericks like Nozomi. As long as the Yukinoshita family held sway over most research institutions, he wasn't planning to challenge them directly.
Instead, he would ride the tide they created.
"So, we have a pleasant cooperation?"
Kyouji extended his hand.
Nozomi smiled calmly as he shook Kyouji Yuuki's hand, exuding the quiet confidence of soone who always held the upper hand.
Then, as though asking about the weather, he posed an unexpected question. "Mr. Yuki, is your daughter, Miss Asuna, currently engaged?"
Kyouji Yuuki's brows knit together. He hadn't anticipated that line of inquiry.
Still, he replied truthfully, if cautiously. "She is. Her fiancé is a junior of mine—a capable young man nad Nobuyuki Sugo. He's working as a researcher on the beta operations of the ga project."
(Asuna's politically arranged fiancé (from her father's plans for her future) is Keiji. However, the na "Keiji" is not as prominently detailed in the series, and his role is not heavily expanded upon in the story. He is primarily ntioned in the Sword Art Online light novel Aincrad (Volu 1).)
Nozomi's expression remained placid, but his next words struck like lightning on a clear day.
"Then, as a condition of our cooperation, Miss Asuna must cancel her engagent with Nobuyuki Sugo."
Kyouji Yuuki froze, stunned. "Is... is there a particular reason for that? You and Asuna...?"
Nozomi didn't hesitate. "Yes. I like her. I would prefer that she not belong to anyone else."
Kyouji Yuuki's jaw slackened. He stared at the boy with disbelief. "Aren't you already engaged to Miss Haruno Yukinoshita?!"
He was aghast. Was this boy really trying to juggle the daughters of two powerful families? Was he serious—or just wildly reckless?
Nozomi gave a faint, dangerous smile. "Mr. Kyouji Yuuki, do you think soone capable of producing the core of true virtual reality technology is just so average kid? This world is far more complicated than it appears on the surface."
There was a strange weight to his words—sothing that made Kyouji Yuuki's heart skip a beat.
"What... do you an?" he asked, his voice slightly hoarse.
Nozomi's eyes glead with sothing ancient and knowing. "The Yukinoshita family is already preparing to betroth their daughters to . Oh, and I forgot to ntion sothing important... I used to go by another na—Masachika Suo."
Kyouji Yuuki shot to his feet, knocking his chair back. "Masachika Suo?! You—!"
"Relax," Nozomi said smoothly, gesturing for him to sit. "I wouldn't deceive soone I intend to partner with. But I recomnd you consider things carefully."
Kyouji Yuuki's mind spun.
Suo Masachika. The na was almost legendary among the more traditional families. A being rumored to be the Son of God. He granted the wishes of those who approached him with sincerity—and calamity befell those who tried to use him for greed.
Later, Nozomi t up again with Yukinoshita Haruno.
He still looked puzzled.
"Haruno-senpai, I did what you said. I dropped the na Masachika Suo, and Mr. Yuuki imdiately caved. What's the deal? Is that na really that influential?"
Haruno rely smiled, mischievous yet mysterious. "Why think so much? You got what you wanted, right? Besides, I'll be sure to invite Asuna over often. You'll have plenty of chances to win her heart."
Even Haruno didn't know why the na held so much power. Her mother had simply instructed her: if negotiations ever hit a wall, and the opposing party ca from an old family with real roots—use the na Masachika Suo. Success would be almost guaranteed.
Of course, if it were a nouveau riche family with little tradition, the na might an nothing.
But the Yuki family wasn't new. They were clawing their way back to their old glory, and it showed in everything they did.
Yuki Kyouko's strict upbringing of Asuna, the refinent in their manners—they weren't just putting on airs. They rembered what it ant to be noble.
And if Masachika Suo truly had returned in the form of this calm, cunning young man nad Nozomi...
Then the Yuki family's future was about to burn bright once more.
***********
I called him Masachika Suo to show his surna rather than Masachika Kuze.
Anyway fam, if you find any errors with the lore here, please notify imdiately. I'm out of my depth especially with these minor characters that can't be found on wiki easily.
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