"You… are you a pervert?"

Yuuki Asuna said this with a blush, but her body was far more honest than her words. She did not pull away from Asagiri's hand. Instead, she leaned into his arms, her face warm as she tried very hard to look composed.

"Oh, right…"

While Asagiri held her close, Yuuki Asuna suddenly remembered something.

"The electronic equipment supplier where my father is CEO is a pretty good company, but it isn't even ranked first in Japan, let alone globally. Did you ask Ashikaga-sensei to invite that company to cooperate because… because of me?"

"Partly because of you, but not entirely."

Asagiri smiled, then directly scooped Yuuki Asuna into his arms in a princess carry. Looking at his beautiful girlfriend's shy expression, he said softly,

"Because Yuki Shozo is your father, and from how you usually talk about him, he's a very competent father who values his daughter more than anything. Now, he's also my future father in law. Since there's someone close and trustworthy available, it's naturally better to invite him to cooperate."

After hearing Asagiri's explanation, Yuuki Asuna smiled sweetly.

"So in the end, it's still for me, isn't it? Are you being tsundere? Hehe, you're quite cute… Hey, hey, hey."

Before Yuuki Asuna could finish her teasing, Asagiri turned her over and pressed her lightly onto the sofa.

Her soft flaxen hair spread out beneath her, and her exquisite fair face looked almost angelic under the warm light, tinged with a moving blush. Her misty eyes shyly avoided Asagiri's gaze, and her voice grew slightly hesitant, yet there was no resistance in her tone. There was even a hint of anticipation.

"Let me change first… otherwise the outfit might get damaged…"

"Rip."

After the sound of fabric tearing, Yuuki Asuna's face became even redder. She looked up at Asagiri, her eyes full of shy reproach.

"Why did you tear it…? I won't be able to wear it again."

"It's fine. You can wear other things from now on. Nurse, teacher, qipao, evening gown, swimsuit, and so on."

"You really are… Mmm…"

Yuuki Asuna's voice softened, and her body trembled slightly. Her blush deepened as she turned her face away.

"Too rough… but…"

Her voice grew quieter.

"I don't hate this side of you either…"

…

The next afternoon, at Private Shuchiin Academy, inside Ashikaga Miwa's office.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Hearing the knock on the door, Ashikaga Miwa, sitting behind her desk, said in a calm tone,

"Please come in."

After receiving Ashikaga Miwa's response, the person outside pushed the door open and entered. It was Yuki Kyoko, Yuuki Asuna's mother, whom Asagiri had met once before. She had short hair that reached her ears and wore a professional suit. Beside her was a middle-aged man. He was not exceptionally handsome, but he was dressed impeccably in a sharp suit.

"Asuna."

Seeing her parents walk in, Yuuki Asuna quickly stood up from the sofa and took the initiative to introduce them.

"You've already met Mom. Dad, let me introduce you. This is Utsunomiya…"

"Hello, I'm Utsunomiya Asagiri."

Before Yuuki Asuna could finish speaking, Asagiri had already stood up and walked in front of Yuki Shozo, extending his hand.

Yuki Shozo immediately shook his hand and looked directly into his eyes, speaking in a deep voice.

"Hello. I'm Yuki Shozo, Yuuki Asuna's father. May I ask, Utsunomiya, what is your relationship with my daughter?"

Asagiri answered without the slightest hesitation.

"Asuna and I are dating with marriage in mind. We'll get married after graduating from high school."

Yuuki Asuna, who stood at the side, blushed when she heard this. Her mother, however, showed a satisfied smile and patted Yuki Shozo's shoulder.

"I told you before. Utsunomiya is a very good person."

After receiving such a definite answer from Asagiri, Yuki Shozo, who had remained serious until now, could not help showing a faint smile.

"Although you often praise Utsunomiya in front of me, and I know it isn't easy to satisfy you so much, as a father, I still need to be involved in such an important matter concerning my daughter's lifelong happiness."

After that, Yuki Shozo and Yuki Kyoko sat down on the sofa, while Asagiri and Yuuki Asuna sat opposite them.

"Mr. Yuki, since we have a moment, I'd like to discuss the main business."

Hearing Asagiri's words, Yuki Shozo's gaze could not help shifting toward Ashikaga Miwa, who was sitting behind the desk. He then silently exchanged glances with his wife. A hint of surprise appeared in both their eyes.

Whether based on age, status, or the cooperation matters discussed beforehand, Ashikaga Miwa, as a member of Shuchiin Academy's board of directors, should have been leading this conversation.

But now it seemed…

Was Utsunomiya leading the discussion?

Yuki Shozo and Yuki Kyoko had originally thought that Ashikaga Miwa coming to discuss cooperation with them was due to Asagiri's influence. After all, he was Yuuki Asuna's boyfriend and seemed to have some connection with Ashikaga-sensei, so perhaps he had successfully acted as an intermediary.

But looking at the current situation, could it be that Utsunomiya Asagiri was the one facilitating the cooperation, while Ashikaga Miwa was merely following his lead?

Was that really possible?

"Cough, cough."

Yuki Shozo was, after all, the CEO of a large company. He would not lose composure over such a small matter. He immediately adjusted his emotions and looked at Asagiri sitting opposite him.

"If that's the case, then let's talk. But let me say this beforehand. I'm only the CEO, not the actual controller of the company, so I'll have to go back and discuss many major decisions. I can't give you an answer right now…"

"Mr. Yuki."

Just as Yuki Shozo was halfway through his sentence, Ashikaga Miwa, sitting behind the large desk, calmly interrupted him.

"The company you work for was officially acquired by me today. So if you have any opinions, feel free to speak your mind."

"Huh?"

Yuki Shozo and Yuki Kyoko could no longer remain calm after hearing Ashikaga Miwa's words. Both of them looked stunned.

Really?

Acquired?

Company acquisitions were not uncommon to Yuki Shozo as a CEO, but this was the first time he had witnessed an acquisition being mentioned in a tone as casual as, "I bought a drink from a convenience store today."

"Of course, if you are interested, you can sign a contract with me later, and I'll transfer ownership of the company to you."

Upon hearing Ashikaga Miwa's words, Yuki Shozo and Yuki Kyoko were shocked once again.

The two of them knew that anyone who could become a member of Private Shuchiin Academy's board of directors had to be a key figure with great influence and importance in their respective field. After returning last time, Yuki Kyoko had inquired about Ashikaga Miwa's industries, but numbers written on paper had not given her much impact.

It was only at this moment that Yuki Kyoko and Yuki Shozo truly realized how terrifying Ashikaga-sensei's financial power was.

"That… no, no. Let's talk about business first."

Yuki Shozo first waved his hand, then looked at Asagiri beside his daughter. After calming his repeatedly shaken emotions, he spoke in a deep voice.

"Utsunomiya, I'll be blunt. In our industry, we aren't very optimistic about Professor Kayaba Akihiko's idea, because with the current level of technology, it's difficult to manufacture the kind of head mounted electronic device he envisions. Moreover, directly connecting to the user's brainwaves is also a problem, with many safety concerns. For example, if the network suddenly fluctuates, or even disconnects entirely and forces the user offline, how can we ensure the user's brain won't be harmed? Even if the technological level is reached and the safety hazards are resolved, there is still the most crucial problem."

At this point, Yuki Shozo paused slightly. Just as he was about to continue, he heard Asagiri chuckle and speak.

"Government control, right? After all, electronic devices manufactured by a private company would be connected to the brains of tens of thousands of citizens. Just thinking about that is enough to make people shudder."

"Exactly."

After hearing Asagiri mention that hidden danger in advance, Yuki Shozo's eyes showed a hint of appreciation as he looked at him.

Utsunomiya was not only handsome, outstanding in sports and academics, but also possessed a mindset far more mature than ordinary high school students.

Then again, this was not an ordinary high school. It was Private Shuchiin Academy.

"Hmm, that is indeed a problem."

Asagiri first nodded, then looked at Yuuki Kyoko and Yuki Shozo sitting on the opposite sofa and said softly,

"But if it isn't put into large scale use, and is instead developed for internal use without being sold to the public, then it should be fine, right?"

"That would work, but…"

Yuki Shozo frowned, worry appearing on his face.

"I had contact with Professor Kayaba Akihiko before. To put it nicely, he is a very confident person. To put it less nicely, he is extremely arrogant. Even if he doesn't outwardly refute other people's opinions, no one can change his decisions. Persuading him not to put his research results into large scale use… feels difficult."

"Don't worry."

Asagiri picked up the can of iced Coca-Cola on the table, took a sip, then smiled.

"What I'm best at is convincing people."

.....

[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]

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