Closing the lid on the pot of stew, I turned off the stove. And it was at this moment that the phone sounded. After rinsing his hands and picking up a towel, he went to pick up the phone.
— Hi, boss. Not distracted? — a voice came from the mobile phone.
"What a stupid question to ask, Taro-san. Yes, distracted.
— Your boredom has no limits, boss.
— I'll fire you, after all, tell me what you wanted.
Nemoto Taro is a member of the public relations department in Shidotemoru. And unofficially engaged in those legal cases in which I do not want to shine.
— It's about Somatsu. He has finished the sketches of the first chapter of this new manga of yours and asks for a meeting. Something about the name.
— Don't you know more specifically?
— He doesn't like Naruto, he wants to offer something of his own. Yes, yes, beat me, scold me, I'm such a plagiarist. And now I have to meet with a person who is not drawing my first manga, and explain to him why this is the case, and not otherwise.
By the way, I leave all the author's glory to Somatz. However, taking away the rights to the manga. Well, I'm a thief, have you forgotten? So I steal the ideas of my world.
—Oh," I sighed. — Okay, tell him that I'll come to him... uh... on Friday, at six o'clock.
— Whatever you say, boss.
"That's all, I hope?"
— Yes, thank the gods. It's just that this weirdo... — He is, by the way, really a little bit of that. — He ate up my entire bald spot with his calls. I first referred to you, they say: the boss said you did it, but he... got it, in general. — M-yes, he is still young to go out against a mangaka with experience.
In general, the guy is very competent, and his punching ability is very well developed. But still, twenty years of age sometimes affects. And he looks two years younger, which also sometimes interferes. It's easier for me in this regard, oddly enough. At business meetings, people know that this child is the main one. And in Japan, the attitude to the authorities, even if someone else's, is special. A person invested with power has the right to small flaws, for example, age. Although the attitude to him will still not be the same as to an adult, but there is no complete disregard, as in other countries. Let's remember at the same time that I am in another world, and in Japan it is not customary to pay attention to the age of about fourteen years. But that's disgusting, coming of age at the same time still comes at eighteen. Apparently, this state of affairs was formed in connection with the total dominance of one or another aristocracy. And, most importantly, the children of this aristocracy. It is not surprising in the end that Taro has never indicated his disregard for me, and this is considering the four years difference.
— We'll figure it out. Tell him about the meeting, but tell him it's my initiative. And then it will sit on your neck completely.
— Whatever you say, boss. Thanks.
— That's it, bye. Call me if you need anything.
— See you later, boss.
He hung up and went into the living room. There are no urgent matters, dinner is cooked, so I'm going to visit my neighbors, I have a conversation with them. And there is a lot to clarify, otherwise my head will explode from unnecessary thoughts. It's necessary to live with them side by side for so many years and not guess that my neighbors Koyama and the Koyama clan are one and the same. That's what it means, not to notice a log in your eye. God, I'm ashamed of myself. Namesakes, yeah, from one of the oldest and strongest clans in Japan. And the coats of arms that they have everywhere? No, I do not know what the coat of arms of the Koyama clan looks like, I was not interested, but what kind of coat of arms it could be. How could I think that the family is the owner of the coat of arms, maybe the namesakes of another such family? It's an aristocracy, there are no families with the same surname, but they wouldn't just be given a coat of arms. This is not my world, there is a very serious attitude to my surname, as well as to my blood. Do you think why aristocrats practically do not swear in public, except within the family? Yes, because, God forbid, you will say something wrong in the parking lot, for example: son of a bitch. Just a son of a bitch. I, not quite an ordinary man in the street, know about two wars because of these words. In one case, two clans fought, in the other — two clans. I do not believe, however, that they insulted by accident, but the fact remains that if you want to swear, swear, just do not touch the family, you will have to answer personally for a personal insult, without bringing trouble to the whole family.
Of course, you can find reasons to justify: they say, how could the aristocrats settle in such an area. Or: and where are the servants that the big shots necessarily have. It is possible to find purely psychological reasons, in the end, I just could not imagine that the family I have known all my life, albeit rich, but very modest, would be among the first families of the empire. And now how many questions arise…
To hell with it, to hell with everything. There is no need to drive the thought around the tenth circle. We have to go and find out.
Having turned off the computer and put away my future dinner and breakfast, by the way, I was going to go to visit. But I didn't have time. The old man beat me to it by ringing the doorbell just as I was putting on my shoes.
— Hello, Kenta-san, please come in. Tea, coffee?
— And hello to you, Shinji. Coffee, if you don't mind.
He would have asked for tea. Actually, the old one likes this drink, but I'm so lousy at it that the old man's choice is obvious. But the fact that he accepted the offer of something to drink at all indicates the seriousness of the upcoming conversation. Interesting. For example, Akeno, Sheena's father, always agrees to have a drink and a snack. And the old man of Kent — only if a conversation about something is planned, and he has never changed his habit. And I really wonder what he came with.
I accompanied the old man, dressed as always in a traditional men's kimono, this time in black and gray, to the living room and, offering to sit in the only chair there, went to the kitchen. I am not an expert in making coffee, I do not understand all these sacred rites when cooking it, as well as when brewing tea, of course, so, having quickly brewed a drink in the coffee maker, I returned to the living room.
— How was your first day at school? Made friends? And how do you like Dakisyuro in general? — after taking the first sip, the old man began to ask.
— A great school, elitism is immediately felt. You won't find friends in one day, but you have made an acquaintance, there is such a thing. Well, in general… So-so day, it could have been much better.
"Friends, acquaintances... you're a bore," I heard a mutter in response. — As I heard, something unpleasant happened at your school today?
Come on, does he really know about the Shin match? Have you been following me? If not, then it's bad. It turns out that rumors about how his granddaughter drove my reputation into the asphalt even reached the director. Great. I became infamous for the whole school in one day. Of course, I understood that this would happen quickly enough, but not so much. Now it's clear what business he came to me with. Apparently, he will apologize.
"Don't worry, Kenta—san, I'll handle it.
— Well, let's say you need to worry.
As? I didn't understand.
— Excuse me?.. — I could feel my eyebrows going up, but there was nothing I could do about it.
— I don't understand your surprise. Do you seriously expect to deal with the head of the Ishikawa clan? And how, if it's not a secret? The guest asked me with a snort. The malice at this moment just peeled out of the old man.
After sitting in a wicker chair, he stared at me curiously, showing with all his appearance that the answer to his question was very interesting to him. I looked around the living room in a kind of prostration.
— I'm completely lost, Kenta-san, what are you talking about?
This time the surprised look was already fixed on me.
— Ishikawa Kisho, forty-four years old. The head of the Ishikawa clan. Married, father of four children. Two sons, two daughters. — Here's an old ferret, it's good to escalate the situation. — And it was just one of these very daughters that you insulted today. The older one. Beloved, I dare say.
That's right ... bitch, really trash! No, well, it's just an amazing skill — it almost brought me to the mat. For the second time in a day! And this is in case of its specific absence in the visibility zone! Yes, I... here… Phew. Calm down, Max, just calm down.
"If I didn't know you, I wouldn't interfere. If I had known a little less, I would have insisted on your public apology. — Calm down, Max, stay calm. — But I know you well enough to come here and clarify what happened between you after all.
— In short, she insulted me three times, and then made it clear that she considers us not exactly servants, but just a nonentity.
— Severe. And what, just like that, for no reason?
— The reason was that we were standing in the middle of the road and preventing her from passing. And this despite the fact that she crashed into me when we were standing on the edge of this very road. Specially moved to the curb.
— You keep saying, "We" — and if you clarify? Kenta asked slowly, a little thoughtfully.
— Ohayashi Raydon. The old man raised his eyebrows slightly. — Yes, yes, the same one. The son of the head of the clan.
— However. The girl got caught. — Yes, the old man knows how to change the style of communication. — I take it your... acquaintance will confirm everything you said? However, I don't see the point in lying to him. Even if these two clans were allies, which is not in sight. Well, you don't have to worry about this problem, there remains another one — and a close look.
— Well, what else? I asked after a short silence, it's not forever to play peek—a-boo?
— And you tell me this. You didn't even think about the incident with the girl, but you still didn't have a very good day. I would like to know why.
— I'm sorry for being rude, but what do I care? If you want, find out. The main thing here is not to overdo it. The words are rude, but the main thing is not the words, but how to present them. Anyway, I was going to tell him about the setup of his granddaughter, but it should not be presented as a complaint. So I said it all with some hesitation, as if his stern gaze had affected me. Like a teenager trying to defend his independence.
— Shinji-kun, — oh, here are the suffixes in use, — you have entered a school where a very specific contingent studies, and one careless word can greatly affect you. It's probably best if you tell me everything.