Chapter 138: Professor Suzuki
On this day, Rie Sakai was told that Professor Suzuki had asked her to make sure she went to his office today. When she found out, she immediately set out to go.
Rie Sakai walked along the school’s boulevard wondering why she was asked to go. Professor Suzuki was a highly respected person within their Tokyo University of the Arts.
Whether it was his teaching or his artistic attainments, he still had some achievements. There was no lack of university students who admired him.
Rie Sakai arrived at the administrative office building and walked up the stairs. She walked until she reached the door of Prof. Suzuki’s office, and instead of walking directly in, she raised her right hand and knocked twice.
Prof. Suzuki, who was sitting in his chair, raised his head and looked at the door. He suddenly stood up, and with a kind smile on his face, he said to Sakai Rie, who was standing at the outer door, “Since you’re here, come on in!”
Only then did Sakai Rie walk in, looking a bit terrified, “What is it that you are looking for me for?”
“Don’t stand, sit down and talk.” Professor Suzuki warmly said as he took the initiative to go and pour her water.
Sakai Rie was filled with confusion, completely unsure why the other party would treat her with such courtesy. She was nothing more than an ordinary college student in school, while the other party was a renowned professor. According to reason, it was only necessary for her to treat him with respect.
When Professor Suzuki placed the glass of water in front of her, Sakai Rie unconsciously stood up, thus showing a kind of respect from below to above.
“Sit, sit, sit.” Prof. Suzuki said as he gestured for her to sit down with his hands facing downward.
Sakai Rie once again sat down, but with a formal look. Both of her eyes kept looking towards Prof. Suzuki who walked back to his original position.
Professor Suzuki turned around and sat down in his own chair, “Sakai, I know that you not only work hard, but you also have an artistic talent for the Western flute.
You will certainly become an outstanding artist in the future, and your attainments and achievements in art will certainly surpass mine.
The only drawback is that you lack the necessary experience. I have a dear friend who is a conductor of the Tokyo Art Symphony Orchestra.
He is now in need of a Western flutist. Although it is only a trainee position, it is a rare opportunity.
So I recommended you to him. You mustn’t mind that it’s just playing with a crowd, and you can’t emphasize your talent as much as you can with a solo performance.”
Sakai Rie stood up expansively with excitement, not only with the feeling of being recognized, but also going to the Tokyo Art Symphony Orchestra.
Flattered, she bowed ninety degrees towards the other party and said, “It’s already very good. Thank you so much indeed, Professor Suzuki.”
“Sakai, don’t be so polite, sit down and talk.” Professor Suzuki didn’t show any lechery in his smile.
Sakai Rie slowly re-sat down, and couldn’t help but have a full happy smile appear on her face. She never expected that she would have such an unexpected joy.
Professor Suzuki waited until she had sat down, and looked out towards the open door with both eyes, not seeing anyone pass by, before truly cutting into the true intentions of calling her here, “Sakai, I’ve heard about it.
I just heard that it’s here in Ueno, Taito District. President Masayoshi Kishimoto of Hard Gold Capital is your fianc茅.”
Sakai Rie froze. She clearly sensed a jumping thought pattern. The other party was first still talking to herself about one thing, and now, she was talking about another. These two things were completely incompatible.
Seeing that she did not make a sound, Professor Suzuki’s face once again appeared with a hypocritical and kind smile and said, “What’s there to keep secret?”
He said this after an intentional pause, naturally wanting the other party to give a personal answer, and then added, “I don’t know if it’s true, or not?”
As Rie Sakai gradually came back to her senses, she seemed to understand that there was an inevitable connection between the two. She couldn’t say it herself for a while.
She bit her lower lip, but began to struggle in her mind. It would be great if she could really go to the Tokyo Art Symphony Orchestra, even if it was just for an apprenticeship.
As far as she knew, every year, there were quite a few people who came to the organization and were going to make a positive bid for it. However, there were not enough to go around, and the elimination rate was brutal.
Now, just such a great opportunity was placed in front of her. After all, with Prof. Suzuki’s personal recommendation to his dear friend, the effect would be completely different.
Sakai Rie also knew that being a person should be down-to-earth, step by step, and that it was impossible to become a big fat person in one bite. However, she felt in her heart that she could do it, she could.
Sakai Rie finished her contemplation, and for the first time, she openly admitted the special relationship between herself and Kishimoto Masayoshi in front of others saying, “He is my fianc茅.”
“I don’t have any extra hobbies for this one, I just love to befriend exceptionally talented young people. If it’s convenient, could you make an appointment with your fianc茅 for me.
We are simply having dinner and chatting. If we talk to each other well, we can even make friends for life. I’m a person who is spontaneous and open-minded, and I’m not bound to any form of seniors and juniors.” Professor Suzuki spoke in a very grandiose manner.
Rie Sakai hesitated for a while before she managed to utter the word “yes” through the gaps in her teeth. She strongly felt that if she said “no”, she was afraid that her apprenticeship as a Western flutist in the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra would be canceled.
“Then I’ll be much obliged to you.” Prof. Suzuki’s face that looked like a bun’s folds showed a satisfied smile.
Rie Sakai didn’t stay any longer, her body looked a bit stiff as she stood up and left. The gratitude she had felt towards Professor Suzuki from the very beginning had all of a sudden vanished.
Not only that, but a sense of divine guilt had also arisen within her heart. When Rie Sakai walked out of Professor Suzuki’s office, it was as if she had experienced a dream.
Although it wasn’t a nightmare, her mind was filled with chaos. She felt that it had all become so unreal.
Rie Sakai walked down the stairs, out of the administrative office building, and placed herself in the middle of the outdoors, which made her feel a little more relaxed.
Inside her head, she wondered what Masayoshi Kishimoto was doing. How did even Prof. Suzuki know his name and the name of his company?
She didn’t think too much about it and headed straight for home. If she wanted to know what was going on, she only needed to ask one of the parties involved to fully understand.
Rie Sakai didn’t have the courage to question Prof. Suzuki, but had every personal habit of questioning Masayoshi Kishimoto as she pleased.