CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
"It's the Yaoyozuru family after all." After saying that, Grandma took a sip of wine and sank comfortably into her seat, not registering that her audience had no idea what she was talking about.
"And pray tell, what is this Yaoyozuru family?" Rio asked curiously. Grandma said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Her business partner's name wasn't exactly common information.
Grandma Yukina raised a brow in response to that. "You're usually so knowledgeable that I thought you'd have at least heard of them. My mistake, then."
"No, I'm more concerned about the sociopolitical state of the world though."
Grandma Yukina took another sip of her wine. Rio side-eyed the glass, wondering who could possibly be so difficult to deal with that his grandmother needed a little buzzed just to face them.
"They were just another wealthy family dealing in construction and technology," she began. "They were rich, but nothing special. That is, until one investment changed everything."
She paused. Rio leaned in slightly.
"They invested in some startup in America—a budding scientist fresh out of college and his buddies, that type of stuff."
Another pause, and she gave him a pointed look.
"Turns out the scientist was the best friend of All Might himself."
That was news to Rio. The notion of All Might even having friends beyond his superhero identity was a shocker to him. After all, the man had been resolving incidents non-stop around Japan and the world for over twenty years. It wasn't the most ideal lifestyle to foster or maintain friendships.
"That little startup grew in a couple of years to become I-Island—an entire island nation owned by the top moguls and businesses in the world. They have technology so advanced, it's likely thirty years ahead of what other companies outside could pull off."
She let that sink in before continuing.
"A whole nation funneling its resources into research—there was no way they were going to lose to anyone. Even if they were shrimp at the start, owning so many shares initially had made them one of the wealthiest groups in the nation."
"Remember, Rio," she added with a smirk, "even a shrimp can become a shark when they swim with dragons."
Rio's interest was piqued beyond measure. He knew I-Island, of course. Most of the scientific journals he subscribed to had the names of lead researchers tied to the institute. Well—institute wouldn't be an apt description.
I-Island was basically a country, with it being a recognized member of the United Nations. Now that he knew one of the founders had been a best friend to All Might, it kind of made sense why such a unique territory came to be.
No one would dare antagonize All Might, even if he had never threatened any governments as far as Rio was aware. It would be easier to cede territory in international waters—bordering no one—than to make an enemy of the world's strongest hero.
"So you want a seat on the I-Island board. I don't think even selling your company would get you there."
As far as Rio was aware, the support company his grandmother ran hadn't endorsed any heroes in the national top ten rankings. All they had were a couple of B- and C-listers.
"No, I'm not deluded enough to think that," Yukina sighed, massaging her forehead. "I just hope I can foster a channel to get technology from I-Island. If we can upgrade our gear, I might possibly land that contract from one of the new entrants into the top ten—Best Jeanist. He needs a company that can supply him the best threads on the market, and frankly, right now we probably don't make the cut."
The car came to a halt as the driver opened the partition separating the passengers from him.
"We've reached our location, ma'am," he declared humbly.
Grandma Yukina took one last swig of wine, her expression shifting into a smile—the most fake one Rio had probably ever seen.
"Now, now, Rio. Remember, you represent me today. Don't let anyone bully you, and be on your best behavior."
She stepped out of the car to the dazzling flash of cameras going off.
Rio took her hand as he exited the vehicle, a similar smile on his face. "But of course."
He walked down the red carpet in tandem with his grandmother, a warm smile on his face as he took in the sight of the swarm of paparazzi.
The mansion before them made their house look like a bird's nest in comparison. He hadn't appreciated the magnificence of the building earlier—he hadn't bothered to look out the windows during the drive. But now he could really take in the sheer artistry and grandeur of it.
They walked down a hallway leading to a ballroom, lined with servants transporting food and aged guests laughing boisterously, the sound of a grand orchestra echoing through the halls.
Rio glanced around in awe, wondering if this was really all for a nine-year-old's birthday party.
Rio and Yukina were forced to stop in their tracks as they were met by a balding older man who seemed very determined to speak with his grandmother.
"Ah, Yukina! I never thought I'd see you here. Your very presence fills this room with light. Just seeing you makes me feel years younger," the man said as he shamelessly took her gloved hand and kissed it.
Rio never thought he'd witness the day someone hit on one of his progenitors. Then again, Grandma Yuki wasn't all that old to begin with. The bald geezer, though—that man had to be what? Hitting eighty?
"Mr. Shimura, it's nice to see you as well. I wonder, though—where's your fourth wife? I haven't seen her since that last expo in May. Is she here with you today?" Grandma Yuki replied with a pleasant smile as she pulled off the glove the man had just kissed and casually dropped it onto the tray of a passing waiter.
The man's eye twitched at the display, but he swallowed the curse he was about to utter and forced a smile.
"The poor thing has been feeling sick this past month. I wished for her to be here today, but unfortunately that was impossible—she insisted she needed her rest." He sighed as his head drooped low, shoulders slack.
"Still, would you care for a dance? I hear Chopin in the background, and I must say, I'm a very big fan of Western classical music." Mr. Shimura's mood turned on a dime, his face brightening as he reached again for Yukina's now ungloved hand.
An action which Rio quickly shut down with a burst of speed, smacking the offending hand away.
It must have hurt quite a bit, judging by how Mr. Shimura's face turned the color of pig liver. He was seething with fury, but once again suppressed it as he turned his attention to Rio.
"And who is this little gentleman right here? Care to introduce me?" Mr. Shimura asked with a smile, though his eyes sent daggers.
Grandma Yukina simply looked between the two of them and smiled.
To an outsider, it might have been the picture of an amicable conversation. In truth, Grandma was hiding her disgust for this strange man, the strange man wanted to strangle the cursed brat, and Rio just wanted to be done with this so he could get his shiny new rock.
'Rich people are scary, though. Everyone at the venue seems so happy with all those smiles—I'm sure some of them would like nothing more than to kill each other.' Rio thought to himself as he eyed a tray of shrimp one of the waiters had just brought in.
"Oh, this is my grandson Rio. Say hi to Mr. Shimura, Rio," Yukina said.
"Good evening, Mr. Shimura. It's nice to meet you," Rio said with a polite bow—while not forgetting to deliver a swift kick to the man's shin when he was sure his grandmother wasn't looking.
Mr. Shimura gritted his teeth and forced out a strained, "Nice to meet you too." He quickly excused himself, muttering something about having other matters to attend to, and limped away, his face as ruddy as the steamed prawns on the buffet table.
"Thanks for the assist. I could've handled it on my own though. Don't do that next time," Yukina said suddenly, still watching the retreating figure of Mr. Shimura.
Rio just nodded in acknowledgment. He wasn't surprised she'd caught on to his little stunt. She'd been navigating high-society events longer than he'd been alive—he didn't doubt her skill for a second.
"Also, it seems there aren't any other kids in the hall. There's a sign saying they're in an adjacent room. Just go straight down from the hallway we came in through and make a left," she added, signaling to a nearby waiter to guide him just in case he hadn't understood the directions.
Rio turned to his grandmother and assured her he knew his way around the premises. She sighed and let him head off.
He smirked at his newfound freedom. He was supposed to leave the hall—but he planned to make a little detour first.
Heading toward the food table, he scooped up a whole tray of prawns. He grabbed a few other snacks too as he made his way toward his real destination. The party had been going on for a while, and no one was touching the food—they couldn't blame him for helping himself.
Unknowingly, he caused quite a bit of trouble for one unfortunate waiter, who returned to the buffet and found five trays of food mysteriously missing.
He entered the hall and found it far more fitting for the occasion. A kiddie band played in the corner, but none of the children seemed interested; they chattered loudly among themselves instead. A clown attempted some balloon tricks, but a group of kids found it more amusing to bully him than to watch his act.
Rio spotted a quiet, unoccupied corner and made his way over, setting down the trays in his hands. He began wolfing down his food, watching the chaos unfold around him with detached amusement.
A tap on his shoulder jolted him in surprise. He turned to find a girl who had apparently been sitting beside him the entire time. She had long, black hair styled into a spiky ponytail, with a prominent strand hanging over the right side of her face. Her onyx-colored, slightly angled eyes gave her a feline look—though the lingering baby fat softened her features, making her resemble more of a cute muffin than a cat.
Rio put a hand over his chest in mock distress as he turned to her. "Hey, you startled me!"
She must've been hiding in the shadows, which explained why he hadn't noticed her. That or maybe he was too focused on balancing five trays of food. But he wasn't about to admit that.
"I guess introductions are in order. My name's Rio. What's yours?" he said, extending a greasy hand—then quickly retracting it and offering his clean one instead.
The girl hesitated, eyeing his hands for a moment before reaching out politely. "My name is Momo. Nice to meet you, Rio."