Chapter 359: Hoshino of the Hoshino Conglomerate |
Hearing Carole recount the actions of this [Y], Shirayanagi Ayaha found the player ID increasingly familiar. Coupling that with the person's high position on the Ranking List and the game's mechanism that prevented duplicate nicknames...
She scratched her cheek, looking rather embarrassed. "Um... are you planning to get revenge?"
"Of course! Getting even is my life motto!"
Shirayanagi Ayaha asked somewhat nervously, "How exactly do you plan to get revenge?"
"As long as I catch him fighting a boss, I'm going to swoop in and steal the final blow. It would be best if I could snatch it from him ten times! After all, I believe in returning favors tenfold!"
"..." Shirayanagi Ayaha's mouth twitched slightly. "That is it?"
"What else would I do?" Carole turned to look at her, giggling. "Despite how I might seem, following the rules when playing a game is also my life motto!"
"..."
...
Having pressed Shimizu Yu several times to finally learn the whole story, Hoshino Rin looked thoroughly surprised. "So something like that actually happened?"
She did not offer any deeper opinion on the matter, merely laughing it off. "My brother has always been like that. You know he is constantly dealing with bizarre and terrifying things, so his way of treating people and handling matters has become very different from ordinary folks. When I am at home, he is always acting disgusted with me too. You really do not need to take it to heart, Yu-chan!"
Adding to that, she chuckled, "Most people wouldn't even get the chance to be treated like that by him. Just look at how he usually ignores people when they try to talk to him!"
"..." Walking down the bustling Shopping Street arm in arm with Hoshino Rin, Shimizu Yu puffed out her cheeks, her spirits still rather low.
Although Hoshino Rin made a lot of sense, thinking back on everything that happened at school today made it incredibly difficult for her to just let it go.
But Hoshino Rin was already moving past the topic. She pointed to a clothing store not far away and smiled brightly. "Let's go look around over there! When I was at the Agency today, Kaoru-chan recommended that shop to me. She said they just got a really beautiful new dress in stock!"
...
"I already told you, I'll have someone bring the money over later! It's just 1.2 million yen, right? Do you really think I can't afford a single meal here?"
"My bank card was just frozen by my elder sister!"
"Do you know who I am? My brother-in-law's last name is Hoshino! The Hoshino of the Hoshino Conglomerate!"
In a corner of the restaurant, Hoshino Gen and Kiryu Wakaba, who were casually chatting, had their attention drawn by the commotion at the front desk.
They saw a teenage boy with a short, dyed-blonde buzz cut and flashy earrings standing there, his face flushed red as he shouted at the staff. Behind him stood two exceptionally beautiful girls.
Naturally, Hoshino Gen and Kiryu Wakaba were not the only ones whose attention was caught. The boy's final declaration in particular caused a peculiar gleam to flash in the eyes of many patrons.
After all, he had mentioned the Hoshino Conglomerate.
Those capable of dining in such an establishment were certainly not ordinary members of society. Just as the boy had implied, a single meal here cost 1.2 million yen. No sane commoner would lose their mind and spend months of their salary just to eat a single meal here.
For this exact reason, the diners here understood the true weight behind the name 'Hoshino Conglomerate' far better than the average person on the street.
"Senior Student, do you know that guy?" Kiryu Wakaba asked Hoshino Gen out of curiosity.
However, Hoshino Gen had already withdrawn his gaze. He replied indifferently, "I don't know him. I'm not the only one in this generation of the Hoshino family."
"Is that so? So, assuming he isn't lying, the 'brother-in-law' he mentioned would be one of your cousins?"
Resting his cheek on his hand, Hoshino Gen stated calmly, "As far as I know, none of my cousins are married."
"So he's just lying and boasting?" Kiryu Wakaba tilted her head. "But looking at how solemnly he vowed, it doesn't seem like he's making it up."
While they were talking, there was new progress at the front desk. The blonde, short-haired boy likely felt he was losing face in front of his two female companions and flew into a furious rage.
"Fine, you want to look down on me? I'll call my brother-in-law and have him talk to you..."
With that, he actually pulled out his mobile phone and made a call.
By this point, many people in the restaurant had paused their meals. Evidently, they were also quite curious to see if this boy could truly summon a big shot from the Hoshino family.
The call placed by the blonde boy was answered. As if eager to prove himself as quickly as possible, he even put it on speakerphone—
"Brother-in-law, where are you?"
"..." A gentle voice, as soothing as a spring breeze, drifted from the other end of the line. "Ah, it's Takuto. I'm out on the street with your elder sister. Is something wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing major. It's just that it's one of my girlfriends' birthdays today, so I brought her and her friend out to eat at the Pépin Restaurant here on August Shopping Street. When I went to pay the bill, I finally remembered that all my bank cards were frozen by my elder sister. Anyway, I have other plans lined up after this. Brother-in-law, could you maybe put in a word with the management for me..."
"..."
The voice on the other end paused for a brief moment before replying, "Pépin, huh? It is a pretty nice place. I went there a few times before I went abroad. I wonder if their flavors have changed since then. Your elder sister and I were actually just struggling to decide where to have dinner, but I suppose we don't have to agonize over it anymore. It just so happens we aren't too far away. Wait there, we will be over shortly."
"Ah? You... you and my elder sister are coming over personally? But I have other things to..."
Beep, beep, beep—
Before he could finish his sentence, the call was abruptly disconnected.
The blonde boy gaped for a second before looking down and putting his mobile phone away. He waved at the two girls behind him and turned to head back to the table where they had been eating. Halfway there, he snapped his head back to glare viciously at the staff behind the counter. "What are you looking at? I just brought in VIPs for you, shouldn't you show a little appreciation?"
The staff member behind the bar counter replied in a calm and composed manner, "We already served you complimentary items during your meal. Our establishment does not provide any additional freebies."
"..."
At the corner table, Kiryu Wakaba lowered her voice and asked Hoshino Gen, "Could you tell who that was on the speakerphone just now, Senior Student?"
"It sounded somewhat familiar," Hoshino Gen replied, not seeming to care very much.
"What do you mean, 'somewhat familiar'? So he wasn't lying? His brother-in-law really is one of your cousins, Senior Student?"
"Perhaps." Hoshino Gen speared a piece of beef with his fork and placed it in his mouth. Only after swallowing did he continue, "I'm not exactly close to them either."
Similar low murmurs of discussion filled the restaurant until, over ten minutes later, the door was pushed open. A young man dressed in casual clothes walked in, leading an incredibly fashionable, sexy, and beautiful woman.
The whispering in the restaurant finally died down.
That was because the young man with a gentle smile on his lips was named Hoshino Hidezawa. And his 'Hoshino' was indeed the Hoshino of the Hoshino Conglomerate.