Our Teacher is a Yakuza Princess

Chapter 43

Kuroda Ryuichiro was worried about his granddaughter.

She and Tetsu were slowly healing from their respective disappointments, and lately she had been just as cheerful as ever. She worried about her students of course, but she was always invariably sure things would work out.

But today… she had spent breakfast in her room, then had sat on the porch in a daze the rest of the afternoon. He knew it had something to do with Shin, and could take a fairly good guess what had happened the other night. This was where her all male family couldn't help that much.

He looked at her as she sat in the sunshine. So confident and ready to take on obstacles she encountered as a teacher, she was woefully unprepared for obstacles on the way of love. He sighed. He didn't believe in interfering with her personal life, (he had learned that lesson the hard way with Kumiko's mother), but he did wish to help in whatever way he could.

Returning from the kitchen with some cups and sake, he seated himself next to his granddaughter.

"Ah, Kumiko. Would you like a drink?"

She gave him a small smile and nodded. As he poured, he watched her carefully out of the corner of his eye.

"Fine day," he commented, looking at the sky.

"Grandpa…"

"Hm?"

She looked down and sighed. "You know about re… rela… re-"

"Relationships?" He asked, then watched her stare at the ground uncomfortably. "You mean, business relationships?"

Her head shot up. "Yes! Exactly! Businessrelationships."

Kuroda smiled. "Well, I've handled some in my time. What would you like to know?"

"Well, say that someone told you they… wanted to be your business partner. And you'd never really thought of that person that way before and now that you've thought about it, you realize that maybe… well, you don't want to say no, but you think that they haven't thought through some things and…"

"You have reservations about it?"

"Yes! Reservations! Business reservations!"

He nodded wisely. "I see. Well, I'd suggest that the next time you see this potential business partner, you talk about your reservations."

"What? No! I can't tell hi- them!"

"Why not?"

"Well, because they're…" Kumiko looked uncomfortable.

"Personal?" He asked gently. She nodded at the ground.

"Well, that changes things." Kumiko glanced up. "Now you have to talk about them."

"Ehh? But, I just told you-"

"Kumiko."

She hesitantly met his gaze.

"The key to any good relationship, business or otherwise, is being able to talk with each other. If these reasons are important to you, then it's even more important to tell this person about them. Put yourself in this person's shoes. Asking someone to… be your business partner isn't easy. And if that someone says 'no', with no explanation at all, I imagine you would feel very hurt." He raised an eyebrow. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Thoroughly chastised, she nodded her agreement.

"You can make a list, if you like. But these things must be done in a way that respects both people's feelings." Kuroda looked at his granddaughter, then decided he should let that sink in for a while. Standing up slowly, he collected the bottle and cups and started back into the house.

"Grandpa…" He turned to see her looking as unsure as he'd ever seen her. "What if… they laugh?" She asked very softly.

He smiled gently. "He won't."

And as he walked back into the living room he finished to himself, "Or if he does, he won't be laughing long. Or breathing long, for that matter."

He liked Shin, he really did. But no one humiliated Kuroda Ryuichiro's granddaughter and lived to tell the tale.

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