naruto-story Chapter 165 School Trip
Chapter 165 School Trip
(Thanks to reader "Forty-Leaf Clover" for the gift! Thank you for your support! Thank you to "Sassinny" for the two author certifications! Bonus chapter for you~)
June 20, 1989.
Narita International Airport, Terminal 1.
The early summer sun pierced through the enormous glass dome, pouring unreservedly onto the polished marble floor. A peculiar scent filled the air—a mixture of expensive perfume, aviation kerosene, and the restless anticipation of someone about to embark on a lavish overseas trip.
The automatic doors of the VIP waiting room slide open to both sides.
A group of girls in dark blue uniforms walked in. They were second-year high school students at the private Saint-Vic Academy, waiting for their chartered plane to Paris for a school trip.
Unlike the ordinary tour groups holding flags in the lobby, the young women chatted and laughed softly and elegantly, the slight rustling of silk being drowned out by the noise of the airport.
The cart was piled high with luggage.
Stacks of sturdy Louis Vuitton Monogram trunks, their brass clasps gleaming matte in the sunlight; or vintage Globe-Trotter leather trunks, their worn edges exuding an "old money" vibe.
The girls gathered together, some holding cameras, others flipping through French magazines.
"Hey, Ayako, I heard there's going to be long lines at the LV flagship store on the Champs-Élysées again?" a girl asked.
"Queuing is a tourist's problem."
Ayako Yoshino casually closed the magazine, her tone indifferent.
"During this trip to Paris, my father asked me to visit a descendant of an Impressionist painter living in Montmartre, to discuss the collection of those unpublished manuscripts."
"Me too."
Reiko Isokawa, who was standing next to her, took over the conversation and straightened her skirt.
"Grandpa asked me to check on the progress of the acquisition of that shop on the Champs-Élysées. Although it's just a six-story building, it's next to the Arc de Triomphe, so it's just about enough to serve as the family's office in Europe."
A chorus of restrained agreement arose from the surrounding crowd.
Although they are still a group of underage high school students, they exude a striking aura.
A sense of ownership of the world.
In their eyes, Paris was neither a distant foreign capital nor an artistic mecca to be revered. It was merely Japan's backyard, a convenient outlet for the overflowing purchasing power of the yen.
It felt as natural as going to Karuizawa to escape the summer heat.
At that moment, a notification tone came over the loudspeaker.
"Dear students of Sheng Hua College, boarding for ANA charter flight JL405 is about to begin. Please line up in class order..."
A small commotion broke out in the waiting room.
Although it was a chartered flight, more than two hundred people had to gather together for roll call, passport checks, and queuing for security checks. The noise and hassle of that "collective action" instantly ruined the elegant atmosphere from before.
Satsuki sat quietly on the leather sofa in the corner, holding a Sotheby's auction catalog in her hand.
She was wearing a beige trench coat and had no intention of getting up to join the queue.
"I can't stand it."
Reiko Isokawa glanced at the long queue that had started to form, frowned slightly, and showed no intention of moving.
"Even though it's a chartered flight, I still have to be called on by the teacher like a primary school student. Just thinking about it gives me a headache. The school's schedule is too tight; it doesn't feel like a vacation at all."
"So it's wiser to go our separate ways."
Ayako Yoshino glanced at her watch, then turned to look at Satsuki, a grateful and expectant smile on her face.
"Saionji-kun, thank you so much. If it weren't for your invitation, I'd probably be queuing up over there right now."
This was agreed upon long ago.
As core members of the "Rose Society," they naturally didn't need to squeeze onto chartered planes like ordinary students.
"Um."
Satsuki closed the Sotheby's auction catalog in her hand and stood up.
"Fujita has already completed the formalities. I prefer to be in control of my own time rather than following the school's schedule."
She smiled and waved to the teacher leading the group.
The teacher bowed respectfully in response, clearly having already received special attention from the board of directors—for the eldest daughter of the Saionji family, the "collective action" rule in the school regulations was nothing more than a piece of paper.
"Let's go."
Satsuki pointed out the floor-to-ceiling window to the other side of the tarmac, to private parking spaces far from the noise of commercial flights.
There was a dark blue plane parked there.
Gulfstream G4, "Midnight Ghost".
The streamlined fuselage gleamed with a cool sheen in the sunlight, and the three-pointed family crest on the tail was clearly visible.
"My plane is going to Zurich for maintenance, so I'll give you all a ride along the way."
Satsuki's voice was soft, with a natural sense of relaxation.
"Let's go have a quiet cup of tea and chat slowly."
……
Ten minutes later.
The Gulfstream G4's cabin door slowly closed, shutting out the heat from the outside.
The cabin was covered with thick wool carpets, and a faint fragrance filled the air.
Although Ayako and Reiko come from prominent families and usually travel in first class, this kind of privately customized top-of-the-line business jet is still a first for them.
The two sat down in the large, genuine leather airline chairs, their hands gently stroking the delicate walnut wood grain on the armrests.
They straightened their backs, maintaining the composure expected of daughters of noble families, and did not look around like ordinary girls.
But their eyes twitched slightly, their gazes lingering on the exquisite decorations and the full suite of audio-visual equipment in the cabin, the excitement in their eyes impossible to conceal.
"This...this is a private jet?" Ayako's fingers tightened slightly as she picked up her teacup. "It's definitely much quieter than ANA's charter flights."
"Yeah," Reiko chimed in, glancing furtively at the expensive-looking independent bar next to her. "It feels like being in a mobile hotel suite."
Satsuki sat on the single sofa opposite, taking in all of this.
She simply smiled and gestured for Fujita to serve tea.
"It's just a means of transportation. Flying higher means you don't have to worry about turbulence."
The plane taxis and takes off.
After a tremendous push-back sensation, the Gulfstream G4 cut through the clouds in the stratosphere, its fuselage as smooth as if gliding on a still lake.
Fujita acted as the butler, bringing out the freshly baked scones and cream.
As the flight became smoother, the two relaxed, and the conversation naturally turned to the purpose of the trip.
Ayako leaned back in her chair, swirling a glass of champagne in her hand, gazing at the dazzling clouds outside the window.
"It's still more comfortable here."
She sighed.
"I just saw those nouveau riche in the waiting room who insisted on showing off their logos, and it gave me a headache. There's just too much money in Japan these days, so much that it's made people lose their sense of taste."
"Yes," Reiko agreed, "but Father said there's nothing we can do about it. The current exchange rate is the best it's been since the war. Spending yen in Europe, buying their antiques and their buildings, is actually helping them."
"We are demonstrating Japan's goodwill through consumption. You see, the most popular people in the world right now are the Japanese."
Reiko turned her head and looked at Satsuki.
"I heard that the French government has been particularly hospitable to us this time. The Palace of Versailles even closed for half a day for the Saint-Étienne Academy. After all, the Louvre's renovations still need Japan's sponsorship. These days, Japan is treated like royalty wherever they go."
Satsuki was holding a fountain pen and sketching something on the auction catalog.
Upon hearing this, she looked up and gave a perfect listener's smile.
Yes, that's right.
"After all, no one will refuse a generous guest."
She lowered her head and drew a circle on a page of the catalog.
Compared to Ayako and Reiko's blind confidence that "Japan has bought the world," Satsuki appeared remarkably calm. She wasn't there to flaunt national power; she was there to "stock up."
Just like a housewife going to the supermarket to buy discounted eggs.
She wanted to exchange the yen in her hands, which were burning hot at the peak of the bubble, for those "hard currencies" that would shine in any era.
"Oh, right."
Ayako casually picked up a copy of the Nikkei newspaper from the table and flipped to the social section.
"Look at this."
She pointed to an inconspicuous text message in the corner.
A Japanese businessman is suspected of disappearing in Southeast Asia; police have launched an investigation.
Although no names were mentioned, everyone in this circle knows who it is.
President Ezaki. Former head of the Epes Group.
"What a pity."
Ayako sighed softly, her tone devoid of malice, but rather reflecting a rational analysis.
"Mr. Ezaki was actually very insightful, but unfortunately, he leveraged too much and got caught up in political turmoil. In the world of finance, risk control is life. He broke the rules, so it was inevitable that he would be eliminated by the market."
"Yes," Reiko shook her head as well. "I heard he also absconded with a lot of his employees' pension funds? That's a bit disgraceful. As a business owner, you should at least preserve your last shred of dignity."
In this comfortable cabin, soaring through the clouds, death and bankruptcy seem so distant, even a little unreal.
For them, it was just something to talk about over tea, used to prove their family's sense of superiority in "stable management".
Satsuki picked up her teacup and took a sip.
The warmth of the hot tea slid down my throat.
As the mastermind behind all of this, her face remained completely expressionless.
"Perhaps."
She looked out the window at the ever-changing blue sky and said softly.
"I hope he can find the peace he wants over there."
Satsuki's fingers gently stroked the black briefcase placed beside her.
It contained SA Investment's offshore account key and a Swiss bank safe deposit box certificate.
In the world of clouds, the mud and struggles on the ground are nothing more than a glimpse of gray seen occasionally through gaps in the clouds.
……
Ten hours later.
The plane began its descent.
The massive wings sliced through the clouds, gradually revealing the view below.
Paris came into view under the cover of night.
The Eiffel Tower shimmered with golden light, the Seine meandered like a ribbon, and the streets radiating from the Arc de Triomphe resembled a giant, open jewel box, seemingly beckoning people to take what they needed.
"We've arrived."
Ayako and Reiko let out a moderate exclamation of admiration, then began to tidy their makeup, taking out a mirror to touch up their lipstick. They were ready to welcome their "shopping paradise."
Satsuki did not look out the window.
She took a pen from her crocodile-skin bag and filled in her information on the immigration card.
The pen paused on the "Carrying cash/valuables" column.
Her bag contained the key to SA Investment's offshore account and a Swiss bank delivery order that allowed her to withdraw two tons of gold.
That is a priceless treasure.
But she put a checkmark in the "No" column.
"Buzz—"
The sound of landing gear lowering could be heard. The tires touched the ground, making a slight rubbing sound, and the plane taxied on the runway of Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Satsuki closed her passport and put the pen back in her pocket.
A very faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
"arrive."
She said softly.
That's...our shopping mall.