dognovel Chapter 388 Gakushuin University
Chapter 388 Gakushuin University
(Thanks to "ASalpha_R" for the expert certification! And thank you to all the readers for your support! Two chapters today~)
Mid-February 1991, Sheng Hua College, Higher Division.
The last class of the morning had just ended, and the classroom for Class 3-A hadn't completely dispersed yet. Sugiura Sawako walked in carrying a thin stack of papers, glanced at the students who were still sitting neatly in their seats, and sighed softly to herself.
Over the past few days, she has gradually gotten used to this unusual situation.
"This is a course of action survey." Sawako handed the papers to the students in the front row and asked them to pass them on to the back. "Students who have not yet finalized their plans for further education, studying abroad, or other destinations, please fill out a form and submit it today."
"Those who have already secured recommendations or study abroad arrangements should also clearly state their school and department. There are many procedures before graduation, and the career guidance office needs to prepare them in advance."
The papers were passed around the classroom one by one.
On the surface, everyone seemed to be looking down at their forms normally. But Sawako, standing by the podium, could tell almost immediately that at least half the students in the class weren't paying attention to their forms at all.
They were looking at the seats by the window.
After receiving the application form, Saionji Satsuki did not immediately begin writing. She first laid the form flat on the table, glanced at the sections for name, class, first aspiration, second aspiration, and method of enrollment, then put her pen aside, as if deep in thought.
This action made the air in the classroom a little quieter.
Yes, their main purpose today is to find out where Satsuki is. In Japan, university social circles have always been a very important channel for networking, and even for these children of political and business figures, one of the biggest purposes of going to university is to acquire this network of connections.
And clearly, Saionji Satsuki is the most important connection among them—in the current era when the Saionji family is at its zenith, there is no one else like her.
Some people guessed that she would go to Keio University.
After all, Keio has deep ties with the business world, and the Saionji Group is currently riding the wave of Tokyo's business community.
Some people think she could even go to the University of Tokyo.
Given her ability to rank among the top students in the entire grade on a quiz within a week of returning to school, coupled with the wealth and resources of the Saionji family, this is not something unimaginable.
Some people guessed it was overseas.
The name "America" has been appearing more and more frequently at Seiwa Academy lately. Everyone has heard that the Saionji family has business in the United States, although no one knows exactly what kind of business it is, but that doesn't stop them from associating "America," "Wall Street," and "Silicon Valley" with Saionji Satsuki.
For these students, if domestic universities can no longer accommodate Saionji, then it seems reasonable for her to go to the United States to build connections in advance.
There are even bolder speculations.
Perhaps she will never go to university.
Given her background, Saionji Satsuki's education level can hardly add anything more to her resume.
Ordinary people need to go to university to prove themselves, and elites need to go to university to enter the circle, but she is already sitting in the center of the circle, and even adults have to be mindful of her.
So it doesn't seem strange that she went straight into the Saionji Group after graduating from high school.
Of course, no one dared to say these words out loud.
People only glanced at it out of the corner of their eye.
The spot closest to Satsuki was naturally taken by Ayako Yoshino and Reiko Isokawa.
These two are quite special in the class. They aren't just ordinary classmates who recently started surrounding Satsuki; those people always seem to be trying to flatter her.
As those who had steadfastly followed Satsuki from the very beginning, some well-informed students in the class even privately referred to them as "veterans."
The title sounds a bit exaggerated, but when placed next to Satsuki, it doesn't seem so exaggerated—at least their families have already benefited greatly from it.
Ayako Yoshino sat behind Satsuki, holding her own route survey form, but hadn't written a single word. Her fingers were lightly pressing down on the edge of the form, clearly indicating it hadn't been touched since it was handed out.
Reiko Isokawa sat on the right, much more relaxed than Ayako. She had her application form tucked inside her textbook, seemingly unhurried, but her gaze occasionally drifted to the university brochures on Satsuki's desk.
Of course, they were not unprepared.
The Yoshino and Isogawa families were already deeply intertwined with the Saionji family. Their waiting for Satsuki to apply first wasn't entirely due to the girls' shared desire to attend the same university; it was more about their families' judgment.
Wherever Satsuki goes, they should go too.
At least they should be close enough.
"Saionji-kun, are you planning to go to Keio University?" Ayako finally couldn't help but ask. She looked at the brochure that Satsuki had spread out on the table and said softly, "The Faculty of Integrated Policy Studies was only established last year, right? I heard my father mention it; it seems to be promoting a policy of integrating arts and sciences."
Satsuki glanced down at the picture book.
The Shonan Fujisawa campus in the brochure looks very new, and the layout has a bright feel reminiscent of the early 1990s. Terms like integrated policy, environmental information, internationalization, and interdisciplinary studies are all "fresh" and certainly align with many people's imaginations of the future.
But she simply shook her head and closed the picture book.
"No, their campus is in Kanagawa Prefecture, and it's too much trouble to travel to and from Tokyo."
Ayako asked instinctively, "Back and forth to Tokyo? Why go back...?"
She stopped mid-sentence.
Unlike ordinary students, and even unlike these second-generation political and business figures, Satsuki is one of the very few who participate in or lead the family business during her student years.
Even the most ambitious zaibatsu, when pursuing the "Young Eagle Project," at most only have their core heirs attend board meetings or observe business negotiations. But Satsuki is different. If Satsuki really didn't participate in the group's business for several years, Ayako even thought that the Saionji Group would go bankrupt.
"...Oh, I'm sorry, Saionji-kun, my apologies." Ayako immediately bowed her head.
Reiko chuckled beside her.
"So you see, you still haven't changed your 'nouveau riche' mentality, Yoshino-kun."
Ayako's face flushed red.
"Aesopian-kun!"
"I didn't say anything wrong." Reiko rested her chin on her hand and looked at her casually. "What you just said sounded like you were saying, 'University life should of course revolve around the campus.'"
"How could Saionji-san possibly spend all her time at school?"
Satsuki covered her mouth and chuckled softly.
"You have no idea how much work I have to handle every day, even though I'm still a high school student..."
"Uncle Saionji is really something, how can he exploit us Saionji students like this?" Reiko said with a smile.
Ayako lowered her head and said softly, "You've worked hard."
Reiko suppressed a laugh and didn't tease her any further.
At that moment, Satsuki took out another manual from her schoolbag.
Gakushuin University.
"I still plan to go to Gakushuin," Satsuki said.
Ayako paused for a moment.
"Gakushuin University?"
Reiko was the first to react, her eyes lighting up slightly.
"Ah, when I think of Saionji-kun, I feel like this is how it should be."
Several students who had been eavesdropping finally couldn't help but chime in.
"That's right, Gakushuin University is the most suitable for Saionji-kun."
"I thought it would be Keio, but now it sounds like Gakushuin is more like Saionji-kun."
"Is it the Faculty of Economics? Or the Faculty of Law?"
Satsuki opened the manual and slowly wrote on the route survey form.
First desire.
Gakushuin University, Faculty of Economics, Department of Economics.
Her neat and beautiful handwriting appeared on that ordinary school form and was then seen by countless "unintentional" glances.
The news spread quickly.
At first, it was just some people in Class 3-A discussing it quietly. Then, someone from the next class passed by the door under the pretext of finding a teacher, returning reference books, or asking for directions. By the time the lunch break bell rang, the entire third year knew that Saionji Satsuki was going to the Faculty of Economics at Gakushuin University.
This matter itself was not that unexpected.
After hearing this, almost everyone had a feeling of "I see".
The eldest daughter of the Saionji family goes to Gakushuin.
That makes perfect sense.
Where will the daughter of the former Han Chinese go?
Satsuki has written about Gakushuin, but Ayako and Reiko haven't written about it yet.
Ayako glanced at Satsuki's form, then at her own career path survey form, and quickly wrote down "Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics, Gakushuin University".
This choice wasn't difficult for her.
Yoshinoya's family originally came from a banking background, so if she goes to the economics department with Satsuki, her family won't have any objections.
Reiko did not write it down immediately.
She twirled the pen between her fingers, her gaze landing on the "Faculty" section. Going to Gakushuin was a given; she'd go wherever Satsuki went. But which faculty should she choose?
The Department of Economics is also an option.
But that's the direction Satsuki and Ayako are heading.
She is a child of the Isochuan family.
If she wants to continue standing by Satsuki's side in the future, choosing the Faculty of Law would allow her to avoid the same ecological niche as Ayako.
So she filled in "Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law, Gakushuin University".
……
When it was time for lunch, the atmosphere in the classroom finally relaxed a little from the route survey.
Satsuki deliberately didn't bring a lunchbox today.
She packed her schoolbag. "I want to go check out the cafeteria."
Ayako was at her seat, putting away her forms.
"Would you like to eat at the cafeteria, Saionji-kun?"
"Hmm." Satsuki nodded. "I've never been there before. The cafeteria at Seika Academy shouldn't be too bad, right?"
This left Ayako momentarily speechless.
The cafeteria at St. Hua College is certainly not bad. Even the regular set meals are better than the best meals at many schools.
But this situation becomes somewhat ambiguous when it comes to Satsuki Saionji. Her lunches are usually prepared by her family, and even when she eats at school, a maid or driver will bring her a bento box. Now, her sudden request to experience the cafeteria sounds like a foreign royal family member suddenly wanting to ride the subway.
Reiko quickly burst into laughter.
"Let's go then. It'll be a good opportunity for Saionji-kun to see what ordinary high school students eat for lunch."
Satsuki looked at her.
"Reiko, you'd better think about whether you're even a normal high school student before you say that."
Reiko choked for a moment, then simply shrugged.
"I guess so... at least I've eaten in the cafeteria."
The three of them left the classroom together.
There were noticeably more people in the corridor than usual. Some people were standing by the window with their documents in their hands, some were walking slowly down the stairs, and some, who had already headed towards the cafeteria, slowed down again when they heard Satsuki and the others come out, probably because they had suddenly become very interested in the campus notices on the wall.
Satsuki paid no attention to the stares.
Ayako walked on her left and Reiko on her right. The three of them had just turned the corner of the corridor leading to the cafeteria when a second-year student rushed over and stopped in front of Reiko.
"Senior Aesopawa."
Reiko glanced at her.
"What is it?"
The student lowered his voice.
"Someone asked me to tell you something very important about the route."
Reiko frowned slightly.
"Who?"
"She said you'll find out when you get there," the second-year student added somewhat awkwardly. "It seems to be someone you knew before."
Reiko glanced at the route survey form in her hand.
Satsuki turned her head to the side.
"Reiko?"
Reiko smiled, her tone sounding fairly relaxed.
"It's probably someone I know who heard I was applying to Gakushuin University and wanted to ask me about my application path."
Ayako was a little worried.
"Would you like us to come along?"
"No need." Reiko waved her hand. "You guys go to the cafeteria and save some seats. It's Saionji's first time in the cafeteria, we can't let her wait in line for too long."
Satsuki looked at Reiko for a while, but didn't ask any further questions.
"Then let's go over there first."
Reiko nodded and followed the second-year student toward the old school building.