Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 58 Keiko Miyazawa's Feelings

Takahiro Matsumoto extended his fourth finger.

"fourth."

"Ms. Miyazawa."

"Yes."

Keiko Miyazawa sat up a little straighter.

"You will attend the Sumitomo Bank briefing as usual tomorrow."

Keiko Miyazawa's eyelashes trembled slightly.

Takahiro Matsumoto continued:

"Our bank cannot publicly appear at the meeting because Mitsubishi Bank and Sumitomo Bank are rival banks, and doing so would immediately alert Miyazawa Hara, causing him to change his story prematurely."

"So, be there as planned tomorrow morning and see how he performs."

"Section Chief Yamada, Section Chief Chihaya, and Kiryu will be on standby near Sumitomo Bank. Please keep in touch if there are any special circumstances."

"Ms. Miyazawa, please take the 'Confirmation Checklist' that we compiled tonight into the room."

"Never do anything that the other party asks you to sign, stamp, ratify, or make supplementary commitments on the spot."

"All matters involving amounts, guarantees, joint and several guarantees, shares, and the safekeeping of seals must be explained in writing and brought back on the grounds that 'it is necessary to reconfirm with the main creditor bank.'"

Keiko Miyazawa listened very attentively.

She nodded gently.

"I see."

The fifth finger is raised.

"Fifth, and most importantly."

Matsumoto Takahiro's gaze fell on her, and his tone softened slightly, which was unusual for him.

"Starting tonight, do not hand over the company seal, bank seal, or president's seal to anyone."

"If you are worried that your uncle's people will forcibly take it away, come to our bank first thing tomorrow morning to apply for a seal preservation order."

"Once an old seal is placed under security, it can no longer be used independently with our bank."

"He cannot gain control of our bank's financial procedures unless you agree."

Keiko Miyazawa's pale face finally softened slightly.

She lowered her head and said solemnly:

"Thank you, Matsumoto Branch Manager."

Matsumoto Takahiro waved his hand.

"Don't thank me yet."

"This is just to protect our bank's claims, and also to let you see the situation clearly."

After saying that, he looked at Kiryu Yaya.

"Kiryu-kun."

"Yes."

"You'll be attending the Sumitomo briefing tomorrow, again."

"Before going back tonight, write down a copy of the 'Confirmation Items List' and a copy of the 'Memorandum of Items Not to be Signed' and give them to Ms. Miyazawa."

Kiryu Yaya bowed his head and replied:

"clear."

Takahiro Matsumoto pushed the documents back.

"Then, let's get started."

"No one at the Osaka branch will get a good night's sleep tonight."

The branch manager's office is located outside.

The cold, white light in the corridor cast a sense of weariness on everyone's faces, as if the night was still lingering.

Masakazu Yamada, carrying a folder, assigned tasks as he walked:

"Chihaya, go and oversee the copying and sealing."

"I'll handle things with Iwakura."

"Kiryu, go over the confirmations for tomorrow with Ms. Miyazawa. Return to the Financing Review Division in an hour, and we'll revise the summary for our store together."

"Yes."

Keiko Miyazawa stood beside her without interrupting.

It wasn't until they reached the elevator that Masakazu Yamada seemed to suddenly remember something, stopped, and turned to look at her.

"Ms. Miyazawa."

"Yes."

"Don't come back to the house tonight."

Keiko Miyazawa paused for a moment.

Masakazu Yamada's expression was very serious.

"You withstood the letter of appointment at the group headquarters this morning, and the ledgers went to the bank this afternoon. If Miyazawa Hara isn't an idiot, he should know that you've already started to be wary of him."

"Going back at this time is not safe for you, nor for the seal."

Keiko Miyazawa pursed her lips and nodded:

"Okay, I'll stay at a hotel nearby."

Masakazu Yamada nodded.

"That's settled then. Come directly to the Mitsubishi Bank Osaka branch at 7:30 tomorrow morning."

"Applications for preservation of goods in the event of an accident, confirmation of the list of items, and rehearsals for Sumitomo briefings are all done here."

"It's still raining outside, Kiryu, you'll take him down."

Keiko Miyazawa took a soft breath and whispered:

"I see."

Kiryu Yaya also nodded.

The elevator has arrived.

The three of them went down to the first floor, where only the staff on duty remained behind the front desk.

The bank was warmly lit, a stark contrast to the torrential rain outside.

Kiryu Yaya opened his umbrella and led Miyazawa Keiko into the rain.

The rain, which started at 3 p.m., has continued until now. Although it is no longer as torrential as it was in the afternoon, it has become more fine and melancholic.

The fine, dense rain was blown sideways by the night wind, hitting the umbrella surface with a soft rustling sound.

It was already past midnight.

There were no pedestrians on the street, and not many lights.

Kiryu Yaya held the umbrella, with most of the umbrella tilted towards Miyazawa Keiko.

One of his shoulders was already slightly wet from the rain, and his dark suit had absorbed the moisture, making it appear even darker.

Keiko Miyazawa stood beside him, very close, close enough to smell the faint scent of rain and a light fragrance of laundry soap from his collar.

The two walked from the street corner to the hotel entrance, neither of them deliberately quickening their pace.

Instead, it seemed as if everyone was tacitly agreeing to slow down the pace of this journey.

The lightbox at the entrance was lit, and warm light spilled out from the revolving door, casting the shadows of the two people obliquely onto the damp floor tiles.

Upon reaching the eaves, Kiryu Yaya folded his umbrella, gently touching the tip to the ground. Water droplets trickled down the umbrella ribs, gathering into a small puddle at the edge of the steps.

Keiko Miyazawa did not go in immediately.

She simply stood under the eaves, looking at the streets outside shrouded in rain, and gently tucked the damp strands of hair behind her ear.

"I've troubled Kiryu-kun again today."

Her voice was soft, with a gentle quality unique to rainy nights.

Kiryu Yaya shook his head.

"It's nothing, I was just going that way."

Upon hearing this, Keiko Miyazawa lowered her head and smiled.

"Kiryu-kun is always like this."

"Um?"

"They've done a lot, but they always talk about it as if it's nothing big."

She looked up at him, her eyes reflecting the warm light from the hotel entrance, like a layer of light water floating in them.

"It was like this before, and it's like this now."

Kiryu Yaya didn't respond to that, but just stood there quietly, still holding the umbrella that wasn't fully closed.

A breeze blew from the street corner, causing the umbrella to sway slightly.

Keiko Miyazawa looked at him for a few seconds, as if she had finally made up her mind, and spoke softly:

"Kiryu-kun."

"Um."

"Since my father passed away, I've been overwhelmed with so many things, but thankfully Kiryu-kun has been by my side during this time, otherwise I really don't know what I would have done."

Kiryu Yaya smiled:

"Miyazawa-san is a very intelligent person. Even without me, you will be able to stand on your own after a while."

Keiko Miyazawa gently shook her head:

"No, I know myself too well. I'm not the kind of person who can carry the whole group."

Keiko Miyazawa's voice was soft, but every word was clear.

She did not lower her head, nor did she avoid his gaze.

She simply stood in the warm yellow light in front of the hotel, letting the night breeze ruffle the stray hairs around her ears.

"When my father was still alive, I thought that all I had to do was study hard and live a normal life. My father would take care of the company's affairs, the bank's affairs, and the board's affairs. The adults would handle everything."

"But after my father passed away, I realized that I was not cut out for it at all."

"I'm not decisive or assertive enough. If others talk too fast, I can't keep up; if there are too many numbers, I get nervous; I'm still afraid of contracts, guarantees, authorizations, and extensions."

As she said this, she gently bit her lip.

It was as if she had crushed the last bit of hesitation in her heart.

"I kept thinking about this while I was at the bank today."

"If it weren't for Kiryu-kun, I probably would have been led astray by my uncle long ago. I might have already signed that letter of appointment; I might not have even suspected the Rokko accounts; even if I had, I wouldn't know who to turn to, let alone what to do."

She slowly took half a step forward.

The distance between the two was so close that they were only half an arm's length apart.

Then, she reached out and gently took Kiryu Yaya's hand.

"so……"

Keiko Miyazawa raised her eyes, her gaze unwavering, revealing only the almost frank courage that followed the rainy night.

"Kiryu-kun, from now on..."

"Can you always stay by my side?"

The wind seemed to suddenly still for a moment.

Kiryu Yaya paused almost imperceptibly.