Chapter 11: Filler Chapter - The Swan and the Duck

Saeki Sayaka is the heiress to an international corporation that designs and produces interiors for luxury cars. It is not unusual that she will have surveillance unbeknownst to her. The purpose is to keep her safe and have advance knowledge of the people who might get close. An agency has been hired since she started going to middle school. They are to follow her and protect her if needed. The agency does background checks on every student in her class and anyone who interacts with her, inside and outside of school. Thus, the agency also has inside men at the school to give information when Sayaka is inside the premises. Now that she is in her second year of high school, Her level of security was heightened. Sayaka was then given the codename Swan.

A new file was delivered to Watanabe as part of a protocol set in motion when a new subject has the potential to interact with Sayaka.

Takeshi was having a little break when Watanabe enter his office.

"We have another duck, sir."

"A duck? Oh, code for a squeaky-clean profile."

"Yes sir." Answered Watanabe handing the file. "Her name is Koito Yuu. Our inside man said that this girl might interact more with our swan."

"How so?"

"She might decide to help the student council's coming presidential election. First contact happened today."

"Give me a summary."

"A typical high school girl. No police record. No drugs or alcohol intake. Family has decent income with a family-owned bookstore and the father is a senior associate at Tanaka Infrastructures. Financial record of the girl goes to games and manga. And going out with friends."

"Seems decent enough. Keep me posted."

"Very well sir."

-*+/

Takeshi is excited today. He will meet his daughter and give her a new assignment. He knows that his daughter will appreciate this one and might give him a hug as a reward.

"Ah Kaito, has my daughter arrived?"

"She sent me a thirty-minute ETA twenty minutes ago."

"Might as well go now and be early for once."

A video call was initiated as Takeshi was on his way out of the door.

"Sir, South Korea branch want to have a quick word with you and some of the board members."

"A quick word?"

"Maybe an hour sir."

"My daughter will not be pleased."

"I will send your apologies sir."

"Yeah, it might as well be you rather than me. Though the wrath might still be active when I get home."

"Very well, sir."

After thirty minutes.

Takeshi muted his mic and turn off his video when Watanabe came back.

"So?"

"As you predicted sir. She was not pleased. But she has a friend with her to keep her company."

"She brought a friend. Here?"

"Yes, sir. Koito Yuu."

"You have her file?"

Watanabe goes to a cabinet and retrieve a file. And handed it to his boss.

"Ah, the squeaky duck."

"Yes sir"

"Any changes?"

"She joined the student council and was the campaign manager during the election."

"She was? But my daughter is the best friend of the president."

"She is, I was confused by it too. But it seems our swan doesn't have a problem with her since she invited the duck here."

"Why are we talking in code again?"

"You insisted on it, sir."

"Yeah, that sounds like me."

"The swan looks comfortable with her, sir. And happy."

"Happy?"

"Yes sir. They are really close together when I arrive, and she was looking at the duck quite fondly."

"Show me."

Watanabe access the feed to the VIP conference room on the seventh floor. And rewind to fifteen minutes ago.

"Oh, she's the one to give the girl some water. And comforting her."

Watanabe change the feed to the designer room. Sayaka can be seen explaining the materials to Yuu.

"Hmmmn she's enjoying herself. And the duck is impressed with everything she said. I like it. What is your impression, Kaito?"

"I read the file quite extensively and paid a visit to the bookstore. I disguised myself. She didn't remember me when I saw her again earlier."

"My man. So, what do you think?"

"The family is decent sir. They owned that store for over thirty-five years. No tax fraud. No indecent transaction. The store is well liked by the community. And the girl is very courteous and a hard worker. No record of romantic relationship yet. Daily itinerary is school, house and on occasion out with friends to the mall and cinemas. I think it will be at the advantage of the swan to have a friend like her."

"My daughter will be the one to benefit?"

"Yes sir"

"Explain."

"She is a clean slate, sir. No corruption, no blemish, no trauma. From what I gathered she is an outstanding person. Willing to be of help even though she has other interest."

"Interest?"

"The duck plays softball on middle school and was a vital part of the district tournament semi-finals."

"Oh, no softball club in this high school."

"Yes sir. It means she was asked to help the student council, and she did even though it won't benefit her in anyway."

"My daughter's heart had been broken during middle school. I don't want that to happen again if I have a say in it. And Nanami-san doesn't seem to have any interest on my daughter."

"Yes sir. Nanami-san is focus on her studies and the student council. Top of the class and president, respectively."

"She would have been a good partner for our swan."

"That she is, sir. But we have a duck. And that duck seems to bring back the smile on our swan. What is your order, sir?"

"Let's put our duck in a row."