Work Text:
Monday, October 30, 2017
There was no mirror in the director's office, but the huge window behind the desk could serve the same purpose if you were willing to squint a bit. I leaned closer, peering at my indistinct reflection. From what I could see, everything was perfect: hair smoothed into place, shirt fully buttoned, tie neatly knotted and tucked into the front of my jacket.
Well, almost perfect. I squared my shoulders and straightened my back, then settled my features into a vaguely disapproving expression. Now that was perfect, and so different from my usual self that my own heart skipped a beat at the stern look my reflection was giving me. If I dealt directly with students, I'm sure that face would have served me well. But I was facing a different adversary today, one more powerful and experienced than any mere student.
I pressed one hand to my chest, willing my heart to calm itself.
You've done this before. You've beaten this enemy once.
I nodded in response to my own pep talk, remembering how the elder Sakaki had been driven from my office by the threat of retaliation. All the pressure and fear he'd thrown at me had melted away in an instant, the bully forced back by a simple act of resistance. I still had the printout from that time, the one Yuki had innocently handed to him, not understanding its significance.
Yuki...
My confidence faded, a lump forming in my throat as I remembered that time. I'd been strong because Yuki had been at my side, watching with confused excitement as I hacked into the Sakaki group's network. No, it had started even earlier, with Yuki's constant prodding and support throughout the Bell One and before, when I'd been reluctant to team up with him. Hell, Yuki had started prodding me from the moment he arrived in the classroom, cheerful and friendly, urging me to be more active and responsible. He'd annoyed me at first - who is this smiling fool, and why does he care so much about what I do or don't do? - but once I understood that his warmth was genuine, I couldn't help being drawn to him. Maybe a little too strongly.
I swallowed back both the pang of jealousy and the dull throb of doubt, surprised at how easy it was to shove them back into my subconscious. Old habits die hard, I guess. I could give in to those feelings later, but right now was no time to indulge in worry and pessimism. It was time for battle, and all my armor had to be in place - not just physical, but mental.
I closed my eyes, drawing in a deep breath, then releasing it through my nose; a familiar technique for calming nerves before a track meet, but Yuki had been so excited when he told me about it that I'd pretended it was new to me. The memory of his bright smile and enthusiastic explanation made my chest twinge again. Ugh, I really needed to focus.
He'll be here any moment, I thought, abandoning the breathing exercise and turning away from the window. I'm ready. The plain manila folder containing the Sakaki group's dual account statements rested on my otherwise clear work surface, stark against the dark wood. A silent threat, but one that wouldn't remain silent if I needed to draw on its power.
I hated lowering myself to threats and intimidation. It made me no better than Sakaki himself, a coward who, I was sure, still wouldn't hesitate to pressure a minor if he thought his business would benefit from such actions. Unfortunately, he was still involved with the school board, though he'd dialed back his frenzied tirades quite a bit, remaining silent during some of my less radical proposals. Once someone else on the Sakaki side piped up, then he would jump on it in full force, declaring that nothing would work or that it was all unrealistic, the 'fantasies of a delusional child!'
Just thinking about it was enough to make my scalp prickle. I was used to being underestimated, but to be attacked in such a petty way in front of the entire board... I knew it was an intimidation tactic, or meant to provoke a response, but it was hard to avoid rising to the bait. It helped to remember the evidence that was locked away in my desk, stored on my computer, backed up in various places. He had no power over me.
We both knew that, but simply having the documents wasn't enough. If I wanted to get the board back into proper order, I'd need to remind President Sakaki that I was prepared to use those scandalous records if necessary. Even if doing so would make me feel dirty.
When you're fighting an adult, you have to fight like an adult.
Cold comfort, but at least I could tell myself that I had a reason for stooping so low. What I wanted wasn't just something personal; it would benefit the entire school. All I had to do was keep my goal in mind and stick to the plan.
A sharp series of knocks stirred me from my thoughts. It was time.
I took a second to straighten my tie one last time before settling into my chair, leaning over to press the button that unlocked the office doors. "Please enter."
The doors swung open with a soft creak, revealing the tall, suit-clad form of President Sakaki. He stalked into the office without pausing to close the doors behind himself, stopping about half a meter in front of my desk to glare down at me. "Well? You summoning me here in the middle of a work day, do you have any idea how valuable my time is? I don't have time to play school with kids!"
So this discussion was going to skip right to shouting? How annoying. "Before we begin our discussion, could you close the doors, please? I'm sure you would prefer for this to be a private conversation, President Sakaki."
His brows drew together in an impressive scowl, and I bit back the urge to tell him that making a face like that would deepen the lines on his face. I simply looked up at him, expression placid and unchanging, until he turned away with a muttered fine and closed the doors.
It was incredibly hard not to smirk as he did so.
He didn't wait until he was in front of my desk to start ranting again, angry words spilling out the moment the soundproof doors were shut. "It's ridiculous that you've demanded a personal meeting for a trivial matter that could be easily resolved with a simple phone call! Do you realize how much money you're costing my companies, monopolizing my precious time like this? And you already know what my answer's going to be!"
I let him run out of steam, let the awkward silence after his tirade grow deeper for a few seconds, before responding, "I sincerely appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day to meet with me like this. I thought a personal, one-on-one meeting would be the most expedient way to solve this problem."
"Problem? What problem?" he sneered, banging his large hands on the desk and leaning forward. "We've been over this multiple times, boy. If you want a new assistant director, you should choose one from the capable candidates who've been recommended to you."
Of course that's what President Sakaki would suggest; every candidate he'd presented was someone with close ties to the Sakaki group, particularly the pharmaceutical companies. In other words, his personal flunkies, the members of the board who stood to gain the most from sucking up to the boss and pushing his interests. If I accepted any of them, it would be a hundred times worse than when Professor Sakaki was in the position, halfheartedly poking at me, urging me to make a decision without really caring which decision it was.
No, that wasn't true. He'd been hoping that I would make the right decision. Praying that I would summon the courage and strength that his family had already sucked out of him.
I'd done it, with Yuki's help. The professor's spirit had been renewed by witnessing my victory, spurring him to cut ties with his family. That newfound freedom had caused a striking shift in his personality. Harshness had softened to an appropriate level of sternness, tempered by a steadily growing pool of patience. That patience had saved me multiple times since the professor had been dismissed from his post as assistant director; he'd worked behind the scenes without complaint, handling a good portion of my work.
But there was only so much he could do in an unofficial capacity, and only so much I could do on my own if I wanted to press forward and bring the plans that he and Brother had discussed to life. In short, I needed the professor, no matter how many times the board said no.
I rested my elbows on the desk, tenting my fingers. "I agree that the candidates recommended by the board are all very capable individuals--"
"Then why haven't you chosen one of them yet? You can't keep going on about desperately needing an assistant director if you refuse to make a choice!"
"That's not true," I protested mildly, hoping that he hadn't noticed my pulse throbbing in my neck. "I have made a choice, President Sakaki. I just need your help with getting the board's support."
"Hah, are you serious?" The elder Sakaki's face was turning red with the strain of holding back - yes, holding back. I could see his hands trembling on the desk, no doubt as he suppressed the urge to bang on the surface once more for emphasis. "Neither I nor the board will approve my, my traitorous little brother for any position, at this school or anywhere else I have any influence!"
"Traitorous?" I raised one eyebrow. "That sounds like an accusation."
His eyes flicked to the nondescript folder in front of me, then back up to my face. "Only a fool would recommend someone who was dismissed from the position only a few months ago. You think the board is going to vote him back in, even if someone in a position of power like myself was crazy enough to offer a word of support?" He straightened up, folding his arms over his chest. "Ridiculous. Sojiro was fired because he was incompetent and ineffective."
I think you may have him confused with yourself, President.
"Professor Sakaki has practical experience, both as an educator and as someone who held the position in question for over two years. The proposed candidates, if I recall correctly, are a marketing director, a vice president of finance, and a senior project manager, and all from the Sakaki family of companies." I paused, not long enough for him to cut in, but just long enough to make the split-second decision that it was time to stop playing coy. "In fact, I've heard that the finance group at Sakaki Pharmaceuticals has been rather busy lately... surely that candidate is needed on-site at his home company?"
Sakaki's smug look quickly turned to one of displeasure, eyes narrowing in disgust. "Something you could only know through illegal spying, brat! What did you leave behind in our systems?!"
I spread my hands in a gesture of innocence: nothing to hide. "The speculations are all over the business news, President Sakaki. I merely read the papers."
"It's because of your damned stealing, you, you..."
"Yes?" I leaned forward, awaiting the rest of his sentence. Despite the racing of my heart, I felt strangely calm, almost at peace. You have no power over me, I thought again, realizing that it was true. Here was an adult, used to shoving and stomping his way to the top, who had encountered an insurmountable obstacle, a monster of his own creation. I, a boy of only sixteen, had beaten the bully at his own game.
"You thief!" he finally spat, reaching for the folder of documents, but I snatched it back before his fingers could close around it. "Give me that!"
I leaned back in my chair, settling the folder in my lap. "President Sakaki, it won't do you any good to take these from me. This is just a simple physical copy of the financial documents. There are multiple backups stashed in various places, online and off, just in case."
"In case of what?"
"Oh, come now, you can't be that naive." I tilted my head with a smile. "In case I need something from you, of course."
"Are you trying to blackmail me, boy?" Sakaki looked like his head was about to explode. But under the mask of rage, I detected a hint of something more valuable: fear.
I stood, dropping the folder onto my desk, and leaned forward. "I learned from the master."
"You insolent brat! How dare you accuse me?"
"Is it really an accusation if it's the truth?"
"Hmph," he snorted, a twisted smile coming to his mouth. "You have no proof of anything."
"It's true that you were careful to avoid including any incriminating details in emails and text messages, and you spoke quite cleverly at the board meetings, but there were also several meetings in this very office. I recall you making some very specific demands during those meetings."
"What are you trying to say?"
I shrugged, glancing up toward a corner of the room. There was nothing there - at least, not in that particular corner - but he didn't need to know that. "Just that camera technology is amazing these days." When I turned back to Sakaki, he was already going pale. "Well, I assume you already know that from your work with the Sakaki electronics group. Amazing how powerful a tiny security camera can be, isn't it?"
His jaw worked for a moment as if testing his words before he finally snapped, "In that case, you're recording the evidence that will seal your own fate! Self-incrimination!"
"Perhaps, but I'm in control of the security here. And as you'll recall, the Suzubishi secrets are protected extremely well from prying outsiders." I gestured toward my computer. "However, if you're confident enough, I always welcome a challenge."
There was a long, uncomfortable silence.
"What do you want?"
Feigning ignorance would have been amusing, but I could tell that his anger was barely hidden beneath his outward calm. Now was the time to ask directly. "I want Professor Sakaki reinstated as assistant director."
A bit of that rage bubbled to the surface. "Impossible! I won't allow it!"
"You won't change your mind, no matter what?"
"Absolutely not! Sojiro will not be returned to any position of power!"
"I see. Then there's only one solution." I walked out from behind my desk, leaving the folder behind. President Sakaki's eyes flicked from the documents to me and back again as I began to pace the office. "I've been thinking that I'm not really suited for the position of director."
Sakaki snorted. "That much was obvious."
This from the guy who voted to approve Brother's recommendation of me. Pathetic.
"It's difficult to work without an experienced assistant director. I intend to pass my position on to someone else." I paused, turning to face the president again. Oh, he looked shocked, just as I'd expected, but there was a glimmer of anticipation in his expression. Cold and calculating, already mentally searching the list of possible replacements.
"Interesting. Giving up after only a few months, even though it was your brother's final request?"
His words and his self-satisfied smirk were a cold punch to the gut, and for a moment my control was shaken, as if someone had grabbed it and tried to rip it from me. I swallowed my retort with visible effort, but the slight widening of his smarmy grin was enough to bring me back to reality. I was not going to lose to a hateful, petty man like him, someone who could only win an argument by intimidating his opponent. I was no longer a lost, frightened child cowering before a spiteful adult. I had friends, allies, and my own newfound strength.
"My brother would want what is best for the school he loved, which is why I intend to nominate Professor Sakaki as my replacement."
It was almost funny, the way he gaped at me for several seconds before recovering his composure. "Don't be ridiculous! What makes you think the board would approve him as director if they're not willing to reinstate him as the assistant?! Are you an idiot?"
"I don't think I am, and neither are you. You do remember the financial statements?"
Of course he did; he kept looking at them every few seconds, as if I'd left a live snake on my desk rather than a folder full of paper.
"You wouldn't...!"
"Oh, it's not what you think." I strolled over to my desk, picking up the folder to make a show of flipping through the pages. "Actually, I did a bit of research. A number of the board members, including the vice president of finance who you favor so much, seem to have been involved in the, hmm... let's call it tweaking of accounts. The information here would cause quite a stir if it was leaked at a stockholders' meeting, or, heaven forbid, to the public. I'm not finished with my analysis yet, but is looks like at least half of the Sakaki group members currently on the Bell Liberty board would be affected by the scandal." I glanced up. "You included, of course."
"What are you getting at?"
Don't play dumb. "I think you know."
Another long silence. I waited, keeping my expression neutral, until he cracked. It happened faster than I expected.
"What do you want?" This time, Sakaki sounded almost contrite. Almost.
"I already told you, I want Professor Sakaki reinstated as assistant director, which means I'll need your support when it comes to dealing with the board."
Irritation flashed in his eyes. "You just said you intended to make him the director!"
"I know, but there's no need to go that far, is there?" I set the folder on my desk again. "I'm not an unreasonable or greedy man, President Sakaki. I'd be quite happy to have your brother's assistance as I develop my own skills as director. That is, after all, what my brother would want."
He glared at me, but there was no real weight or fire in it. We both knew that it was over; he was defeated, and I was the winner. Hell, he'd probably known there was no hope of winning when he agreed to come to the school, but had stubbornly clung to the dim hope that his usual tactics would have an effect. Disapproval and pressure were his usual tools, and if those weren't enough, he'd apply their stronger cousins, intimidation and blackmail. I was sure they'd always served him well, and that defeats were rare.
But it was time for him to get used to losing. Now that I'd tasted confidence and freedom, I wasn't about to let them slip away so easily. I was sure the professor felt the same.
"So what will you do?" I pressed.
Push for yes. Close the deal. Were those words I'd read in a management self-help book, or had they been scribbled in the margins of Brother's diary, self-encouragement for an anticipated difficult meeting? I didn't know, and it didn't matter. Only the results mattered.
"Fine," President Sakaki snapped, fists clenching at his sides, "you can have my worthless brother if that's what you really want. He has no spine and no ambition, hell, he couldn't even complete a simple task like getting a kid to follow orders!"
"Neither could you, considering that your brother works for me now."
Oh, crap, maybe I'd gone too far. Sakaki's eyes widened, and his face turned even redder. If we'd been in a casual setting, he might have taken a swing at me; I saw his hands twitch with the effort of holding back, and he actually sputtered for several seconds before finding his voice. "Just you wait, boy, this is only a temporary setback! A brat like you doesn't know anything about real power!"
"I see," I murmured, fighting to maintain my cool demeanor while my heart raced, mind urging me to get back in case he decided to take a cheap shot. "Well, it seems like our conversation is over, President Sakaki. I'd hate to take up any more of your valuable time."
"Are you forcing me out?!"
I edged away, putting the wide, sturdy desk between us. My shoulders relaxed the moment that barrier was in place. "Not at all. I simply wish to respect your time. Or," I let a hint of a smile curl my lips, just a little, "if you wish to stay, I can give you a tour of the school and show you all the new programs and projects that I've put into action. You could even stay a while and have dinner with the students, I'm sure they'd appreciate the opportunity to meet a man of your importance."
"Don't mock me, brat! No one cares about your stupid school or its useless students!" Sakaki snarled, turning and stomping toward the door.
I watched him go, amused, but then he muttered something else, loud enough that I could hear.
"You and your feeble brother are nothing but worthless Suzubishi half-breeds anyway."
Incredibly, I managed to hold back my rage until the heavy double doors shut behind him, sealing me in the soundproofed office. I snatched the solid glass paperweight from my desk - a birthday gift from Professor Sakaki - and launched it at the door. It exploded into a million pieces, scattering chunks of glass across the carpet.
A few seconds later, the rush of adrenaline was gone, and I winced at the half-circle of crystal on the floor. With the security restrictions of the server building, I was required to be present whenever someone was in my office, whether it was my secretary... or a janitor.
"Crap, someone's gonna know I freaked out and threw it... how annoying..."
Even with a professional cleaning up the mess, I'd probably be finding shards of glass until the day I graduated. I sighed and sank into my chair, suddenly tired and wobbling. It had been the same after the first confrontation with President Sakaki, my knees turned to jelly and hands shaking.
I reached for the phone and pressed a speed dial button with one trembling finger. The number's owner picked up after a single ring.
"Kasahara? What is it?"
"Hey, Professor Sakaki," I sighed, feeling like I'd just run a marathon. "Two things. I got your job back."
He was silent for a few seconds, stunned by the announcement. I hadn't told him about my plans, though maybe he'd guessed at my intentions when I told him to stay in the school building until further notice.
"I see. And the second?"
"Uh... well..." I glanced toward the door. "Can you get me another one of those fancy paperweights?"
~ end ~