VISION GRID SYSTEM: THE COMEBACK OF RYOMA TAKEDA

A few days later, representatives from Ronin and NSN gather at the Tokyo headquarters of NSN for the final financial review of the Tokyo Dome project.

The meeting room carries an atmosphere that is unusually energetic for a financial review, with everyone already knowing the project has been a tremendous success.

The excitement surrounding the meeting, however, seems to belong to everyone except the two people occupying the most important positions on opposite sides of the table.

Ryoma has barely looked at the financial documents since the meeting began. His eyes remain fixed on Reika with a cold, judgmental stare.

Reika notices it repeatedly, but every time their eyes almost meet, she immediately lowers her gaze toward the documents in front of her, betraying the uneasiness she is trying to conceal.

Maria actually notices the exchange. But she doesn’t say anything, trying her best to focus on Nobusawa’s presentation.

Aftre more than an hour of presentation, Nobusawa eventually reaches the final summary and adjusts her glasses before looking around the room.

”The Tokyo Dome project has generated a total revenue of $214,114,200.”

A restrained wave of excitement moves through the room. Several executives exchange satisfied looks, while others quietly lean toward their screens to review the figure again.

Nobusawa allows the reaction to settle before moving to the next section of the report. ”Now, to calculate the amount payable to NSN under the terms of our agreement, we need to look at two specific revenue sectors: total ticket sales and global broadcasting and streaming revenue.”

She changes the page on her tablet. ”The total ticket revenue is $32,486,700. Under the partnership agreement, NSN receives 40% of ticket sales. That gives NSN a ticket-sales share of $12,994,680.”

She moves to the next section. ”Now for broadcasting and streaming revenue has reached $108,742,900. The United States accounts for $40,218,600 of that figure, primarily through the PPV market. The remaining revenue comes from Japan, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and other international markets.”

The number draws another round of quiet reactions. Nobusawa briefly glances toward the NSN representatives before continuing.

”Under the agreement, NSN receives 30% of the total global broadcasting and streaming revenue. The total contractual share payable to NSN is therefore $45,617,550.”

For a moment, the room remains quiet, at least before one of the NSN executives suddenly starts applauding.

”Woohoo! We actually did it!”

His enthusiasm immediately breaks the restraint that has held the room together. Several executives join him, applauding loudly while others laugh, exchange congratulations, and raise their hands in celebration.

”Banzai!”

”Congratulations, everyone!”

”That was one hell of a project!”

Kurogane joins the applause with a satisfied grin. Sera laughs and shakes his head, while Nakahara allows himself a small smile as he applauds along with the others.

Ryoma, however, remains completely still. His expression does not change, and his eyes remain fixed on Reika across the table.

Maria notices him and gradually slows her own applause. ”What’s wrong with our young CEO?” she asks teasingly. ”You don’t look very happy. The project just made us a fortune, and you still look like you’re not satisfied?”

Ryoma finally shifts his eyes toward her, but his expression remains cold.

Maria gives him an amused look. ”I also heard you’re keeping Cabello’s $10 million purse. Surely you can afford to enjoy yourself a little.”

Ryoma exhales through his nose, then finally rises from his chair. ”All right. Congratulations, everyone.”

He begins applauding with the others, giving a resigned nod as he looks around the room. ”You all did excellent work. This result belongs to everyone who put this project together, so take the win. You earned it.”

Maria smiles, and then gestures toward one of her staff members, who immediately leaves the room. A few moments later, the staff member returns with several bottles of drinks and a large decorated cake, prompting another burst of applause from around the table.

Maria raises her glass and smiles at everyone. ”This project has taken months of work, countless meetings, endless negotiations, and more headaches than I care to remember. So tonight, we celebrate what we accomplished together. To Ronin, to NSN, and to everyone who made the Tokyo Dome project possible. Congratulations, everyone.”

Glasses begin rising around the table as the room erupts into another round of applause. Ryoma smiles faintly and raises his own glass with them, but his eyes soon drift toward the enormous glass wall overlooking Tokyo.

A moment later, while everyone else exchanging jokes and laughing over their drinks, Ryoma quietly steps away from the table and walks toward the glass wall.

He is not trying to prolong his resentment toward Reika. Seeing her again simply brings the strange memory flashes back to the surface, along with the absurd testimony she once gave Detective Tachibana, and both have begun weighing heavily on his mind.

On the other side of the room, Reika feels the same uneasiness. She manages to share in the celebration for only a moment before her eyes drift back toward Ryoma.

Her smile gradually disappears. After watching his back for several seconds, she finally gathers enough courage to approach him.

Once she gets close enough, Reika clears her throat softly to draw his attention. But Ryoma only glances at her for a moment before turning his attention back toward the city without saying anything.

Reika lowers her gaze for a moment before finally speaking. ”Ryoma, I’m sorry. I realize now how foolish I was. I only gave that testimony because I thought I was helping you, but I never should have made Detective Tachibana suspect that you were the one who killed that man.”

Ryoma exhales slowly before finally responding, but still without looking at her. ”Before you apologize, can you tell me what happened that night?”

Reika blinks, clearly caught off guard by the question. When no answer comes, Ryoma finally turns toward her.

”Maybe this is going to sound crazy,” he says, ”but honestly, I barely remember anything from that night.”

”Eh? Really? How is that possible?”

Ryoma nods slowly. ”I remember leaving the party much earlier than everyone else. But I came back before dusk to borrow the gym’s van. Then I went to visit Ryohei.”

He pauses, his eyes drifting toward the city beyond the glass. ”When I got back home, I went straight to my room. After that, the next thing I remember is waking up before noon the following day.”

Reika remains silent, her expression still filled with confusion as she studies Ryoma’s face. For several seconds, she seems unable to determine whether he is joking, testing her, or somehow playing an elaborate prank on her. She searches his expression for the slightest hint of amusement, but finds none.

”Either you were lying about your testimony,” Ryoma says. ”Or there’s…”

”No, Ryoma,” Reika interrupts quickly, her voice still restrained. ”I wasn’t lying. It’s true that we weren’t together for the entire night. I exaggerated that part. But you and I really did drive around together in my car.”

Ryoma turns toward her again. The coldness has disappeared from his eyes, along with the judgmental stare that has frightened Reika since the meeting began.

What remains instead is the expression of a frightened child desperately trying to hide a nightmare he has just awakened from.

Reika’s guilt returns. ”Why? Is it because I slapped you that night? I’m sorry about how I reacted. I wasn’t angry with you. I just... really wasn’t prepared for it.”

Ryoma reacts with slight confusion. He swallows hard as he studies her eyes and expression, searching for any indication that she is inventing the story. But he finds nothing.

”What are you talking about?” he asks quietly. ”Because honestly, I don’t remember any of it.”

”You don’t remember? How…?”

”Why don’t you just tell me what happened? Start from the moment you said I came to your car.”

Still looking confused by Ryoma’s request, Reika eventually gives in and begins explaining what she remembers.

”You came into Shimizu Shoba and handed the gym van keys to Sera. After that, you left.”

She pauses briefly, then continues. ”Later, when the party was over, I went outside and got into my car. I was about to leave when you appeared and walked straight toward me. You asked me to drive you around for a while.”

”And I thought…” Reika hesitates, visibly embarrassed. ”I thought maybe you wanted to spend some time with me. But once we started driving, you barely said anything. I tried talking to you. But you just kept staring ahead, almost as though you weren’t really paying attention to me.”

Reika lowers her voice slightly. ”Then you asked me to turn into a quiet alley and stop there. I asked you why you wanted to stop there.”

She hesitates for another moment. ”And then, without warning, you leaned toward me… and kissed me.”

Reika’s cheeks gradually turn red as the memory returns to her, but the embarrassment is quickly replaced by an uneasy expression.

”I wasn’t angry with you,” she says softly. ”It was just that you suddenly became so aggressive. I was surprised, and honestly, I was scared. I didn’t know what was happening. So I panicked and slapped you.”

Ryoma does remember the kiss, but nothing about the slap or the aggression Reika describes is familiar to him.

”And after that?” he asks flatly.

”You got out of the car and said you needed some time alone to clear your head. Not long after that, you came back and asked me to take you home,” Reika explains.

Ryoma remains silent for a moment, trying to piece together the sequence of events. His curiosity eventually settles on the moment he left Reika.

”Can you take me to that place?”

”That place?”

”The place where we stopped and you slapped me.”

”Now?”

”Yes.”