"You want to fight Kengan matches for the Shinomiya family?"
Jaden frowned slowly.
He still hadn't decided whether he wanted to live as a fighter in this world, but he was very familiar with the na Shinomiya.
From the mories of this life-no, more accurately, from common knowledge-no one living in this country was unfamiliar with the three major conglorates.
Togami.
Shinomiya.
Sanzenin.
Aside from these three, there was supposedly once another giant corporation, but for so reason it had vanished. Even digging through his mories, Jaden couldn't recall its na.
Even so, Togami, Shinomiya, and Sanzenin were absolute giants.
So when Kaguya Shinomiya ntioned the Shinomiya family, Jaden couldn't help but feel surprised.
Not tempted.
Just genuinely astonished.
He had already heard from Erina how important Kengan matches were to corporations in this country.
Which ant-
How could a family like Shinomiya lack fighters?
And yet they were approaching a newcor like him?
It was hard to imagine.
"Not for the Shinomiya family," Kaguya Shinomiya said calmly. "For ."
She exhaled slowly and t Jaden's gaze directly.
"The Shinomiya family has no shortage of fighters. In fact, we have many."
"Even if soone wins a Kengan match, it ans nothing to the Shinomiya na."
"Because we fight Kengan matches frequently, even the more capable fighters only receive better treatnt within the family. It's not enough to make a direct mber go out of their way to recruit them."
She paused briefly.
"And you wouldn't think a corporation as large as Shinomiya doesn't train its own fighters, would you?"
...That was blunt.
Jaden swept his gaze over her and smiled faintly.
"So not for the Shinomiya family, but for you."
"That ans what you need isn't just a fighter."
"And since you ca to -a newcor-it also ans the compensation you can offer isn't particularly high."
"At least, not high enough to match what you want to do."
"Am I wrong?"
Kaguya Shinomiya nodded without hesitation.
"That is indeed the case at present."
She smiled.
"But the present is irrelevant."
"Even if you fought Kengan matches for the Shinomiya family, all you'd gain is slightly better treatnt."
"But if you help accomplish certain things..."
"You'll secure an entire bright future."
This had always been her plan.
Kaguya Shinomiya understood her own advantages.
And she acknowledged her disadvantages.
She wasn't highly valued within the family.
But she was still a legitimate direct mber.
The eldest daughter of a rchant family on the scale of Shinomiya.
The reason she hadn't acted before was simple.
What she had seen up until now wasn't enough.
But then she saw Jaden.
A newcor who defeated the super rookie Ryo Himuro with a single punch.
Most investnts pursued stable, high returns.
But she had already been pushed to the edge.
So she could only choose a high-risk gamble.
Or accept a slow death.
For Kaguya Shinomiya, seeing a possibility was enough.
And Jaden was that possibility.
"If we fail, we lose everything," she said softly.
"But if we succeed..."
"Mr. Yuki, I'm willing to give you one-tenth of the Shinomiya family."
One-tenth.
The words carried weight.
In Jaden's understanding of this country, the Shinomiya family was essentially a strengthened, rged version of multiple top conglorates from his previous life.
Among Shinomiya, Togami, and Sanzenin, the latter two were more active overseas, their influence spread across the world.
Shinomiya, on the other hand, rarely extended outward.
In exchange, its control over the mainland was terrifying.
Even combined, Togami and Sanzenin could only restrain Shinomiya to so extent.
They couldn't achieve true balance.
Calling an ordinary rchant family "rich enough to rival a nation" was praise.
Calling one-tenth of Shinomiya "rich enough to rival a nation" was almost an understatent.
The offer was undeniably tempting.
But Jaden wasn't the kind of person who would be blinded by it.
Because he could see it clearly.
Kaguya Shinomiya was offering him a banknote called "opportunity."
A zero-cost gamble for her.
If he won, she gained nine-tenths for free.
If he lost, he lost everything.
Jaden understood how important opportunity was in this country.
He really did.
But-
When he had been researching this world at ho, he had already thought about it.
In his previous life, he was constantly busy.
Studying.
Chasing opportunities.
Pouring everything he had into the future.
And just as he was about to realize his value-
He arrived here.
If she wanted him to exhaust himself again for a so-called opportunity...
He didn't want that anymore.
Not becoming a chef was like that.
Fighting Kengan matches for interest was like that.
All his days here had followed that sa principle.
As long as he was happy, it was enough.
Using his second life to desperately fight for soone else-
"Let's forget it," Jaden said calmly.
"A reward this large ans trouble countless tis greater."
"If this were a ga, I'd definitely accept the hidden quest."
"But betting my life on it?"
"I'm sorry."
"I can't help you."
"You should look for soone else."
Kaguya Shinomiya wasn't surprised.
If he had agreed so easily, she would have been disappointed.
"Profit and risk always go hand in hand, Mr. Yuki," she said. "Are you afraid?"
"Provocation won't work on ."
"If you think I'm afraid, then so be it."
"I genuinely lack the ability."
"You should invite soone more capable."
Jaden said this calmly.
And Kaguya Shinomiya smiled.
She slipped a business card into his hand.
"In that case," she said, "contact when you're more confident."
"There's no need to rush."
The mont the card touched his palm, Jaden hesitated-just for a split second.
That was enough.
Kaguya Shinomiya and Ai Hayasaka turned and walked away.
...
Jaden stared at the business card in his hand.
Speechless.
"Did she just set a trap for ?"
There was no helping it.
Who wouldn't hesitate when holding a ticket that could grant one-tenth of the Shinomiya family?
This ti-
It was his desire fighting against his reason.
Sigh.
Jaden let out a breath.
His decision hadn't changed.
Still, he casually tucked the business card into his pocket.
They hadn't spoken outside the O-uchu owner's office.
He had followed Kaguya Shinomiya and Ai Hayasaka to a quiet corner of the hallway.
anwhile, Erina had already finished speaking with Ohya Ken.
She ca looking for Jaden.
And while hiding on the other side of the corner wall, she heard almost the entire conversation.
At first, she was shocked that the Shinomiya family wanted Jaden.
But as she listened-
To Kaguya Shinomiya's offer.
To Jaden's refusal-
The hesitation in her heart slowly faded.
-If Jaden refused Shinomiya, then I definitely can't drag him into Totsuki's affairs.
She knew he wasn't a bad person.
She understood that when he helped her, it was out of goodwill, wrapped in awkward excuses.
-Just like bringing her to O-uchu this ti.
And because she understood that, she felt even more certain.
She couldn't pull him down with her.
Even though the Nakiri family hadn't taught her this way-
She made the decision herself.
As for Jaden-
Just as he put away the business card, another figure erged from the corner.
Seeing the person approach, Jaden finally understood what Erina ant earlier about him becoming famous after just one Kengan match.
-This is getting troubleso.
But unlike Kaguya Shinomiya, this person didn't make an offer.
They handed him a letter.
"Mr. Yugi asked to give you this," the person said.
"He was worried you might overthink things."
"He said that after you read it, you should visit him when you have ti in the next few days."
With that, the person turned and disappeared into the shadows.
Jaden looked down at the letter.
From the mories of this life, he already knew the old director-Old Man Yugi-wasn't as simple as he seed.
After all, the old man had given him an apartnt.
Arranged for him to enroll at Totsuki.
Even so, Jaden hadn't expected contact after just one Kengan match.
But judging from everything he knew, the old man was kind.
He would never harm him.
Even the house he lived in now ca from him.
Jaden rembered that kindness.
And since enrolling at Totsuki, he hadn't gone back to visit in a long ti.
Now that the old man wanted to see him-
"Then," Jaden murmured, "after settling Erina's return to Totsuki..."
"I'll bring a gift."
"And go see the old man."
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