Reborn in Tokyo: From Heiress to Global Tycoon

September 18th, Wednesday.

It was just past six o'clock in the evening.

Seson Museum, Ikebukuro.

This museum moved from the 12th floor of Seibu Department Store Ikebukuro to the SMA building on the south side of Meiji-dori just two years ago, and is currently hosting the "Art and GG Exhibition: The Street Was Once a Stage - The Century of Creation".

Normal daytime opening hours have ended.

The ticket window at the entrance had been darkened early, and the last group of ordinary visitors had already left. However, the lights inside the museum remained on, and several staff members were checking the artworks and lighting in the exhibition halls, making final preparations for another small-scale appreciation session that evening, which was not open to the public.

Not many people were invited.

In addition to the curators involved in this exhibition, there were also several collectors, GG people, and cultural figures who were acquainted with Seiji Tsutsumi.

Seiji Tsutsumi himself, as the organizer, did not stay in the exhibition hall upstairs.

In the underground parking area of ​​the SMA building, he was standing next to the elevator lobby leading to the museum, talking to the curator in charge of tonight's arrangements.

"Have the people from Asahi arrived yet?"

"Two people have arrived."

The curator glanced down at the list in his hand.

"Mr. Igarashi just called and said it would take about ten more minutes. Of the four people originally invited from the GG community, only three have confirmed they will be here."

"It's okay."

Seiji Tsutsumi didn't care about the number of people.

"It wasn't a press conference to begin with. Fewer people means we can actually see the real stuff."

The curator nodded and turned the page.

"The lighting on the second floor has been readjusted as you mentioned this afternoon. Also, regarding those brochures about street guys, we've moved the original informational signs further away; guests can look at them themselves tonight."

"That's good."

Seiji Tsutsumi looked up at the floor numbers above the elevator.

"If you have to read 500 words before you know what you should see in an exhibition, then the exhibition itself is probably not well done."

The curator smiled.

When someone else says something like that, it's probably just considered a comment.

But Seiji Tsutsumi isn't the kind of boss who just makes the decisions and gives money.

From the Seibu Museum to the current Saison Museum, the direction, space, and even the promotional methods of many exhibitions over the past decade have all reflected this man's own aesthetic.

"Oh, right."

The curator suddenly remembered something.

"The guest you just said you wanted to wait for personally..."

He glanced at the list again.

Only one surname is written on it.

Saionji Temple.

"Is this Mr. Shuichi Saionji?"

"no."

Seiji Tsutsumi shook his head.

"His daughter."

The curator paused for a moment.

"Miss Saionji Satsuki?"

"Um."

"Is she also interested in this exhibition?"

When Tsutsumi Seiji heard this question, he chuckled instead.

"She knows more than you think."

The curator was somewhat surprised.

Satsuki is gradually coming into the public eye.

Finance, corporate acquisitions, Odaiba, and the attack a few months ago that shocked almost the entire nation of Japan.

None of these words make it easy to immediately associate that eighteen-year-old girl with an art exhibition.

To achieve this much at such a young age, shouldn't he be a financial monster? And he even understands art?

Just as he was about to ask another question, a deep engine sound suddenly came from the entrance of the parking lot.

The sound was getting closer.

Moreover, it was clearly not one of the large luxury cars that Seiji Tsutsumi was used to hearing about.

The two of them looked towards the slope at the same time.

The first vehicle to turn in was a black police car.

Then another one.

And then—

A striking red color slowly emerged from below the slope.

Looking at the low-slung sports car that was almost touching the ground, Tsutsumi Seiji forgot to reply to what he had just said.

Wide tail fin.

Bright red body.

There was also the sound of an engine that was particularly clear in the underground space.

The curator recognized it first.

"...F40?"

The red sports car slowly drove up in front of them.

The parking spaces in the parking lot were wide, but Satsuki didn't back in immediately. Instead, she drove forward a little more, adjusted the angle, and then steadily backed the car into the empty space.

The engine shut down.

The car door opened.

The first thing that appeared was a foot wearing a black low-heeled shoe.

Immediately afterwards, Satsuki, holding onto the car door, climbed out of the sports car, which was lower than expected.

She wasn't wearing a formal suit today; her long hair was loosely tied back, and she wore a simple dark-colored short jacket over a white shirt and trousers.

However, that car was far too flashy.

So much so that when she got out of the driver's seat, Seiji Tsutsumi couldn't help but take a second look.

The petite girl stood next to the bright red F40, raising her hand to tuck a strand of hair that had been ruffled by the seat behind her ear.

She didn't look like the Satsuki Saionji he remembered, sitting in the gallery, smiling and talking to him about supply chains and bank loans.

Satsuki closed the car door and looked up to see him.

"Mr. Seiji?"

She clearly hadn't expected the other party to come down in person.

What are you doing here?

"I heard you were coming, so I came down to pick you up."

Tsutsumi Seiji took a few steps closer, first looking at her, then at the car next to her.

"By the way, could you confirm if the eldest daughter of the Saionji family has been replaced?"

Satsuki was stunned.

Following his gaze to the F40 behind him, he quickly realized what was happening.

Is that strange?

"A little."

Seiji Tsutsumi glanced around the front of the car.

"I used to think you'd be sitting in a Toyota Century until you're sixty."

"..."

Satsuki's lips twitched slightly.

It's strange that this person and Yoshiaki Tsutsumi are brothers; they're both like this.

She's only eighteen years old, a young girl in the prime of her life.

Why do people assume they should be sitting in the back seat of a large black sedan, being driven around by a driver?

"This is my own car."

Satsuki tapped on the hood, emphasizing it.

"And I opened it myself."

"I can tell."

Tsutsumi Seiji smiled.

"It suits you quite well."

Satsuki was prepared to immediately reassess whether or not to respect the artist tonight if he dared to ask, "Is your foot high enough to reach the footrest?"

Hearing just that one sentence, I was finally a little more satisfied.

"Mr. Qing'er's judgment is indeed better than some people's."

"Some people?"

"It's nothing."

Satsuki shook her head with a smile.

Tsutsumi Seiji did not ask any further questions.

His gaze returned to Satsuki's face.

As the two drew closer, Tsutsumi Seiji's gaze lingered on Satsuki's face for a moment.

There are no obvious scars near the right cheekbone anymore; only when the parking lot overhead light shines on them can you vaguely see some light-colored marks that haven't completely faded.

The smile on his face faded slightly.

"Is your body alright now?"

Following his gaze, Satsuki subconsciously raised her hand and touched the side of her face.

"Yes, I've almost fully recovered."

She looked at Tsutsumi Seiji again and gave a slight bow.

"I am grateful to Mr. Qing for sending me gifts earlier.

"Don't be polite with me at times like this."

Tsutsumi Seiji waved his hand.

"I was really shocked when I heard the news."

As he said this, he took another careful look at Satsuki.

"Now that I can see you standing here in person, I feel relieved."

Satsuki's smile softened a little after hearing this.

I'm sorry to have worried you.

"When the doctor checked me a few days ago, he said that I was recovering very well, and the scars on my face would probably be invisible after a while."

"That's good."

Tsutsumi Seiji nodded.

"You're still young. It would be a shame if you were left with any obvious injuries."

Satsuki blinked.

"Is Mr. Seiji saying that my face is more important?"

"At least it's more important than that car."

Tsutsumi Seiji glanced at the F40 next to him.

"You can buy another car if it breaks down, but your face is probably worth a billion dollars."

Satsuki looked over as well, and then couldn't help but laugh.

"If the car salesperson heard that, they would probably be very upset."

"Then don't let them hear it."

After Tsutsumi Seiji finished speaking, he smiled again.

"But seeing that you can still drive this kind of car here by yourself, your health should really be fine."

"Thanks to you."

Satsuki nodded gently.

"I've finally been allowed a little more freedom recently."

She paused for a moment, then added with a smile:

"Otherwise, I would probably have to sit in the back seat and have the driver bring me here again today."

That is indeed a bit of a pity.

Seiji Tsutsumi took another look at the F40.

"I've bought such an eye-catching car, so I have to drive it a few times to make it worthwhile."

"Right?"

"That's what I think too."

After these words were spoken, the tension that had briefly arisen between the two of them because of June 27 naturally dissipated.

"Then let's go up."

After speaking, Tsutsumi Seiji slightly turned his body to make way for the elevator lobby.

"Tonight's event is just a small preview, there aren't many people."

He waited for Satsuki to take the first step before following her and continuing forward.

"However, a few old friends have already arrived. If anyone comes over to say hello later, don't worry about them, just take a look."

As they were talking, the elevator doors slowly opened in front of them.

……

The elevator went up and soon stopped at the floor where the art museum was located.

As soon as the door opened, the lights in the exhibition hall came into view.

Most of the guests who had already arrived were scattered in twos and threes. Some stood in front of the artworks and talked quietly, while others held wine glasses and chatted with acquaintances.

Several staff members in charge of tonight's preview were still busy near the entrance. When they saw Tsutsumi Seiji bring Satsuki in, they all stopped what they were doing and bowed to greet him.

Ti Qing Er responded with a few words.

Inside, someone had already recognized Satsuki.

The group of people who were talking soon looked over. Two of them, who had dealings with the Saionji family, took the initiative to approach, first greeting Tsutsumi Seiji, and then solemnly greeting Satsuki.

Satsuki responded with a slight smile and then followed Tsutsumi Seiji deeper into the area.

Once inside the exhibition hall, the surrounding conversations gradually faded behind me.

After Satsuki followed Tsutsumi Seiji inside, she quickly discovered that tonight's offerings were more interesting than she had expected.

This exhibition is not like a typical exhibition that arranges a large number of artworks in order.

The walls, metal, stone, glass, and even the empty spaces within the exhibition area all became part of the exhibition itself.

The two stopped in front of a white canvas that was almost entirely devoid of color.

There are only a few clean and neat cuts in the center of the image.

Satsuki had been following Seiji Tsutsumi slowly forward, but after seeing this, she stopped on her own.

She stood in front of the painting for a while, then moved slightly to the side.

"Is this Fontana?"

Seiji Tsutsumi, who was about to continue forward, stopped when he heard this.

He turned to look at Satsuki, a hint of surprise in his expression.

"You've even read his works?"

"I've seen him a few times before."

Satsuki nodded gently.

"But when I first watched it, I didn't really understand it."

She chuckled as she finished speaking.

"At the time, I even thought that if you could turn a canvas into a work of art by making a few cuts, it seemed a bit too easy."

Tsutsumi Seiji laughed after hearing this.

"It's best not to let people who like Fontana hear these kinds of things."

"So haven't I changed my mind now?"

Satsuki responded with a slight smile.

She looked at the incisions again.

"When I looked at it again later, I realized that what he really wanted to do probably had little to do with whether or not he drew well."

Tsutsumi Seiji did not interrupt her.

Satsuki then continued:

"No matter how the style of traditional painting changes, it still mostly creates space on a flat surface."

"Perspective, light and shadow, and the relationship between near and far are all ultimately about making the viewer believe that there is something behind the canvas that does not exist."

She raised her hand, but did not approach the artwork; she simply measured it lightly along one of the cuts from a suitable distance.

"Fontana simply cut through that illusion."

There is space behind the canvas.

"So he doesn't even need to draw it anymore."

The light only fell on the white surface, while the inside of those cracks remained a deep darkness.

Satsuki stared at that spot for a moment.

"Looking at it that way, I think he's quite honest."

Seiji Tsutsumi followed her gaze and looked back at the artwork.

"honest?"

"Um."

Satsuki nodded gently.

"At least he didn't pretend that he could invent another, more realistic space on two-dimensional objects."

He was just telling the viewers—

She paused for a moment.

"The real space has always been there."

This time, Seiji Tsutsumi remained silent for a longer period.

Then he smiled slightly.

"That's quite a novel idea; I've never heard anyone say that before."

"What does Mr. Seiji think?"

Satsuki turned her head.

This time it was Tsutsumi Seiji's turn to look at the painting.

"When I first saw Fontana, I didn't think he was slacking off."

He spoke very slowly.

"I just think this person is arrogant."

Satsuki's eyes immediately showed a hint of interest.

"arrogant?"

"Painting has taken hundreds of years to find ways to create another world on a flat surface."

"In the end, he took a knife and negated the whole thing."

Tsutsumi Seiji smiled.

"Isn't that arrogant?"

Satsuki couldn't help but laugh after hearing this.

"That's certainly true to some extent."

"But an artist who isn't arrogant at all probably wouldn't do something like this."

I agree with that.

Neither of them spoke for a moment.

Satsuki took another small step back.

With the distance increased, the cuts became even more noticeable.

She looked at it for a while, then suddenly said:

"Moreover, it's more interesting to display such works in an art museum than to hang them alone at home."

Di Qing Er leaned over.

"How so?"

"Because I'll be aware of my surroundings."

Satsuki didn't answer immediately, but first glanced at both sides of the canvas.

"The distance to the wall, the direction the light is coming from, and where I'm standing."

"Even the presence or absence of other artworks nearby can affect how it looks."

She looked again at the black slits.

"If I just buy it and hang it in the living room, I'll probably get used to it after looking at it a few times."

"But if I put it here, I'll find myself standing there a little longer."

Upon hearing this, Seiji Tsutsumi's smile deepened noticeably.

"If those who only think about hanging famous paintings in their living rooms heard this, they would probably offend quite a few people."

Satsuki blinked.

"Mr. Qing Er was also a collector."

"so what?"

"So I've already been very polite."

Tsutsumi Seiji was stunned for a moment, then finally burst out laughing.

"So you were just trying to save face for me."

"certainly."

Satsuki nodded seriously.

"I am honored to have been invited by Mr. Seiji to see such a wonderful exhibition. I shouldn't offend the host as soon as I walk in."

"You've offended me quite a bit in the past."

"Those are all business matters."

Satsuki said with a smile.

"When looking at artworks, I still have great respect for Mr. Qing Er."

Tsutsumi Seiji glanced at her.

"Only when looking at artworks?"

Satsuki simply smiled and turned back to look at the painting in front of her.

Tsutsumi Seiji looked at her and laughed along.

The atmosphere between the two seemed to lighten completely with that joke.