A/N: Not mine.


Epilogue

The typical pre-meeting greetings had been completed, and everyone present had the type of tea or coffee which they preferred. As the hour chimed, they seated themselves around the oblong table and turned to the person standing at the head.

"Yes, thank all of you for attending." The man bowed. "Now I will begin the spring quarterly meeting for Pandai Industries."

"Say, Irie-san," one of the men spoke up, "this is a different hour than we usually get together. Is there a particular reason for the change?"

The Chief Executive Officer's forehead sported a light sheen of perspiration. "Ah, yes. You will be happy to learn that our mysterious shareholder will finally join us in person. The time was adjusted to accommodate that person's schedule."

The buzz among those seated rose in their cumulative excitement. "Oh, this is auspicious indeed!" the earlier speaker said then chuckled. "Haji-kun will be sorry that he is not here. He has often wanted to shake that man's hand."

Mr. Irie was now mopping the increased moisture from his face with a handkerchief. "About that…"

He was interrupted by the opening of the door. Naoki stepped in. "Please excuse the tardiness. There was stopped traffic three blocks away, and the quickest alternative was to walk."

"Irie-san, you old dog!" another chortled, slapping his thigh. "Pretending you didn't know his identity and all along it was your son! Of course, from what I've heard about his genius, we shouldn't be surprised."

Naoki turned to his father and shook his head sadly. "You didn't get around to telling them yet, did you?" After Mr. Irie ducked his head, he addressed the group. "Pardon me, but you are mistaken. I am only accompanying your new member on this occasion."

"Accompanying?"

"Perhaps Irie's other son?"

"No, he is much too young. Remember how long this person has been corresponding with us?"

"Yes, the child would still have been in diapers."

Naoki leaned against the wall near a chair yet did not sit down. He smirked as he heard various suppositions, each more fantastic than the previous. Finally the star of the show appeared, only to be greeted by, "Young lady, good timing; our drinks need refreshing." Naoki face-palmed.

Kotoko rose from her deep bow, eyes narrowed. "I am afraid you are laboring under a misapprehension. I am not the 'coffee lady' but the new board member."

"Good one, quite amusing. Now, I like two sugars and one cream in mine."

"Very well. Naoki, if you please?" She winked at her boyfriend, who made a production of preparing the drink while the other men in the room stared in astonishment.

She cleared her throat and brought their attention back to her. "As I previously stated, I will now be attending these meetings in person–"

"But you're a girl!" one burst out.

"Well spotted," she retorted. "If only you could respond to market trends in such a timely manner."

"Why, you–! Irie-san," he gestured, "are you going to allow this young…woman to speak thusly to us?"

"Um," the man looked around the room, not meeting anyone's eyes, "Miss Aihara speaks the truth. She had been our corresponding member. It quite surprised me, as well," he burst out.


True enough, he had required a stiff drink once the two teenagers left, after informing him that she and not his own son was going to enter Pandai. "Naoki's mind is too brilliant to be stifled by the tedium of business. I, on the other hand, enjoy such minutiae."

"But…but…it is a family business," he protested.

"A family business which sells shares on the market," she reminded him, "and I own 32 percent of them. So, we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"I would recommend the easy way," Naoki broke in.

"And what will you be doing, Son?" he asked in a slightly irritated tone.

"I shall be studying and then training to be a physician. Both Kotoko and I will pursue our degrees nearby at Tonan University."

"But, Todai–! I'm sure they will give you a second test date."

"Not interested. Now, would you like to reply to Kotoko? Easy or hard?"

He appeared dissatisfied but asked, "What is the easy way?"

"Why, I will shadow you each afternoon for the first college term. By the fall semester, I expect to be given more responsibility within the firm. Perhaps we could phrase it as an internship, looking forward to a position in administration at least by the time graduation rolls around."

Mr. Irie blinked at her. "That is…rather detailed. What is the, um, alternative?"

"Oh," she waved an arm breezily, "that would be you blocking my suggestions out of spite. I would not be able to do anything to damage Pandai for several years, but ignoring my ideas will have you doing that yourself. In the meantime, with your stock price dropping as a result of resisting me, I will purchase all that become available, so that when I reach my financial majority, I will likely own more than any member of the Irie household. What do you think, Naoki?" she turned to the boy, who was hiding a snicker with one hand, "should I keep the same company name?"

"No, no!" Mr. Irie's face was flushed. "We'll do it the easy way…the easy way!"


And that decision had led to this meeting. The man's attention returned to the present, where Kotoko was finishing up the list of ideas which she had submitted, as well as the annual income which they had produced.

"…So, as you can see, I have been responsible for nearly forty percent of Pandai profits for the last six years. Can any of you gentlemen come close to that?" She calmly stared them down.

"But you're a girl!"

"I believe that was already determined." She sighed, "This is not a matter for debate. I am aligned with Pandai Industries and have been trained for the role for almost a decade. If you are unwilling to work with me, then please contact my financial agent so we may relieve you of your shares."

Mr. Irie rose, having regained his composure. "Of course, in doing so, you will be trading long-term profits for quick monetary gain. But that is your decision. Miss Aihara, here, has my complete confidence."

With that, all arguments ceased. Groaning a little inwardly that it took a male to calm them down, she merely smiled at them and said sweetly, "Welcome, honored elders, to the twenty-first century."


AN2: For those who think Kotoko did not show proper respect for the older men, pause a minute to consider. She was trained by the investment advisor of Yasutake Shin, a 'wolf' in American financial terms, and thus gleaned tips from a master. Naoki likely offered strategy in handling his father, and, at the board meeting, she began with a bow and ended with calling them 'honored elders'. Honestly, there's only so much disrespect one can take before bludgeoning the miscreants with hard facts; too bad if they are bruised by them.