Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 138

Tokyo University Boyfriend

After exchanging greetings with Ninomiya in a private chat, Kurosawa made an appearance in the group and sent a message.

Zero Hour: “Miss Runa, if you want to sign a new talent, go ahead. In a talent agency, it’s impossible to have only one artist.”

Runa: “With your assurance, I feel relieved. I was worried you wouldn’t want more people.”

Zero Hour: “I’m not that petty. By the way, is she a professional model? Her level of photo shoots is quite high. Can she come to our company?”

Runa: “It’s hard to say. After all, I’m not at Illusion Star now, so signing her won’t be that easy.”

Zero Hour: “If she doesn’t sign with us, where else could she go?”

Runa: “I feel like she has professionals around her, probably a professional photographer. If she doesn’t have an agency yet, based on fame and benefits, she might go to “Hundred Flowers” if she wants to secure a stable development, or “Star Group,” both of which are well-known large agencies in the industry. But I hope she doesn’t choose either of them and picks us.”

Zero Hour: “Hundred Flowers and Star Group? I haven’t heard of them. What kind of agencies are they?”

Runa: “Just make sure she doesn’t go to Hundred Flowers. Hundred Flowers has been heavily infiltrated by capital, and those models might have to engage in social activities, meaning there might be some unspoken rules. However, Hundred Flowers has also produced many well-known models and artists. After all, with money, anything is negotiable.” 

Runa: “As for Star Group, there haven’t been any scandals about unspoken rules, but their resources aren’t as powerful as Hundred Flowers’. After all, they haven’t been completely controlled by capital.”

“Star Group, huh…” Seeing this, Kurosawa already had an answer in his heart.

In fact, both of these agencies have sent private messages to Ichinose before… he checked, and they are both large companies, but he couldn’t find any insider information.

Indeed, when it comes to industry matters, it’s best to ask someone in the know.

Things he couldn’t clarify on the internet, he could find out with a simple inquiry.

To avoid raising suspicion, Kurosawa continued to send messages.

Zero Hour: “Why isn’t there mention of Illusion Star?”

Runa: “If you look at the industry as a whole, Illusion Star isn’t the top-tier agency. They mainly focus on actors, singers, and idols… Although they can sign models, considering their resumes and resources, it’s not necessary. Also, Illusion Star’s resource grading system is famously troublesome in the industry.”

Zero Hour: “By the way, how do you know that she has a professional photographer with her?”

Runa: “With such great photos, it’s not just because this hot girl has a good foundation; the photographer is also crucial. Actually, I want to sign her for a personal reason too, to have this photographer shoot your MV. I feel their skills are top-notch.”

Zero Hour: “I see.”

Runa: “Let’s take signing a new artist slowly. The priority now is you. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow morning.”

Zero Hour: “Speaking of which, Illusion Star has seen my face. If I upload a video, that Hamada will definitely know that ‘Zero Hour’ is me. Is there a possibility of exposure in the future?”

Runa：“Rest assured, unless Illusion Star has closed down, it’s impossible for them to reveal your true identity.”

Zero Hour：“Why is that?”

Runa：“In the entertainment industry, there isn’t a single company that dares to claim they are clean. There are too many secrets and interests involved. Besides, I used to be one of the elites in Illusion Star, and I know too many secrets. Before they dare expose your secrets, they need to be wary of my counterattack.”

Ninomiya, who had been watching, found an opportunity to chime in: “Our agency is quite clean.”

Runa：“Chizuru, you finally joined in… Our agency is clean because we haven’t started yet. When we sign more artists in the future, let’s say each artist has a secret, the number will increase… In short, there are quite a few rules in the entertainment industry. Basically, there’s no need to worry about exposure issues. After all, who doesn’t have secrets?”

Seeing this, Kurosawa thought about it and also felt it made sense.

Artists, both on and off the stage, usually have two different sides. Everyone has secrets, big or small.

For example, his true identity was a secret… In the future, his relationship with Ninomiya might also become a secret, known to people within the same company.

However, even if they knew, everyone would abide by the rules and not disclose it to the public, unless they decided to quit the industry altogether.

Otherwise, no company would accept an employee who couldn’t keep secrets and had a bad record.

“I’ll take a shower first. I sweated a lot during the club activities.”

After subtly finding out about the situation, Kurosawa left with these words.

Then, he sent a message to Yuki:

“I’m home. Going to take a shower.”

“Mm-mm. I’ll go wash up later. I’m chatting with my parents. You go ahead.” Ichinose quickly replied.

With that settled, Kurosawa put down his phone and quickly got into action.

After a day of running around outside, he didn’t dare to lie down directly on the bed when he got home, so as not to dirty the sheets.

Once he was clean, he could get into bed, play with his phone, and wait for sleep.

Although he didn’t have any particular cleanliness obsession, he still liked to keep things tidy. After all, since his rebirth, he had decided to be a disciplined man.

……

At the Ichinose household, Ichinose hadn’t even had a chance to return to her room after coming home before she was caught.

“Yuki, the photos you took are really beautiful. The neighbors keep asking me if it’s you. They say you’re too beautiful. Hahaha.”

Ichinose’s mother was in high spirits, clearly pleased with the compliments.

“Looking at the background of these photos, it seems like it was taken in a hotel… Did you take them with the boy from earlier at the hotel? Who is he?”

Mr. Ichinose sat on the sofa, arms crossed, with a heavy expression.

Returning home after 5 o’clock, he looked at the three photos countless times. His intuition told him that the location of the photos was a hotel.

He knew very well what kind of personality his daughter had.

Being an “hot girl” was just her way of protecting herself. 

In reality, her academic performance wasn’t bottom-tier. She deliberately didn’t perform well on exams at school, but occasionally she would study at home.

However, just now, he had been watching from upstairs and saw his obedient daughter kissing a boy at the door.

Unfortunately, it was dark, and he couldn’t clearly see the boy’s face.

Who was that guy who managed to win his daughter’s heart?

It didn’t make sense. She had been targeted by boys in middle school, so she should be wary of the opposite sex.

“Dad, you actually saw that… He’s Kurosawa Hikaru. I call him Hikaru-kun. He’s a student at the University of Tokyo and also my boyfriend.”

Ichinose was surprised and a bit shy, but she gathered courage and explained.

“Yuki came back with a boy?”

“From the University of Tokyo?  The University of Tokyo?” Mr. Ichinose, initially looking frustrated, now wore an astonished expression.

“Yep.”

Seeing her father’s changing expression, Ichinose pursed her lips, feeling a sense of pride.

Kurosawa’s educational background was indeed impressive. She could proudly introduce him to her family.

“Yuki, how did you meet this Tokyo University boyfriend? Why don’t you bring him in to meet your mother?”

Initially overjoyed because of the good photos her daughter took, Mrs. Ichinose was now taken aback and extremely pleased upon learning about the boyfriend’s background.

After all, being a student at the University of Tokyo meant something significant, not just nationally but even in Asia. Graduates from such prestigious institutions often had limitless prospects.

For the daughter to find a boyfriend from such a prestigious university meant that her life was taking a positive turn.

“I met him by chance. He probably isn’t mentally prepared yet. Maybe next time.”

Seeing the joyful expression on her mother’s face, Ichinose smiled.

“Snap!”

At that moment, the sound of a lighter echoed as Mr. Ichinose lit a cigarette.

“Hey, I thought you quit smoking? And you’re doing it in front of Yuki.” Mrs. Ichinose, noticing him smoking, immediately became displeased, glaring at him with disapproval.

“Cough, cough, cough… Feeling a bit stressed. Just leave me be.”

Mr. Ichinose, feeling irritated, took a deep drag from the cigarette. It had been a while since he last smoked, and suddenly, he got choked up, coughing violently a few times before speaking.

With his daughter finding a boyfriend, if the young man had a bad character, he was certainly going to intervene. 

However, the irony was that this boyfriend turned out to be a student from the University of Tokyo, and this left him baffled.

“Just this once, okay, Yuki? Do you have any pictures of him?”

Mrs. Ichinose sensed his sorrowful loss of their beloved daughter and, after a moment of thought, decided not to bother him. She turned around with a smiling face.

“Yes, take a look.”

Ichinose, still in her double ponytail Lolita style, nodded and picked up her phone. After unlocking it with her fingerprint, she displayed the wallpaper, but quickly opened the photo album, selecting the first picture.

“Oh my, this child is really handsome. Such outstanding looks, and he’s a University of Tokyo student. It’s hard to find a man like this. You must cherish him well.”

Mrs. Ichinose, seeing the photo of them together, burst into laughter.

After chatting for a while, Ichinose’s phone suddenly vibrated. She picked it up and saw a message from Kurosawa, saying he was home and going to take a shower. She quickly replied.

With that settled, she continued chatting with her parents.

Because she had such an outstanding boyfriend, it had been a long time since she had such a happy conversation with her parents.

“Have you kissed?”

During their heart-to-heart talk, Mrs. Ichinose was curious about the progress of their relationship.

“We kissed today, and, in fact, we officially started dating just today.”

“Oh my!”

Realizing that they had only kissed today, Mrs. Ichinose laughed joyfully.

“Inhale—! Cough, cough, cough!” Mr. Ichinose lit another cigarette, took a deep drag, and coughed heavily, using the smoke to dispel his worries.

After chatting for a while, Ichinose’s phone suddenly rang.

“Miss Itsuragi?”

Ichinose glanced at it and felt surprised.

Didn’t she say to wait for good news? Why would she call herself?

“Miss Itsuragi, good evening. I haven’t made a decision yet.”

She glanced at her parents, then answered the call, putting the phone to her ear.

“Miss Ichinose, I’m calling you this time not to rush you but to give you a friendly reminder. Since you may not be familiar with the industry, I thought I should warn you.”

“A warning?”

“Absolutely do not join the Hundred Flowers Agency. This agency has serious issues with the hidden rules and workplace harassment.”

“Ah, I’m sorry. Thank you for the warning.”

Realizing that she was kindly giving advice, Ichinose apologized for her earlier words and made a mental note of this information.

“If you decide on a talent agency and have any uncertainties, feel free to ask me. Even if you don’t sign with my agency, it’s nice to make friends. Perhaps, in the future, we might have opportunities for collaboration.”

“All right, thank you.”

“I won’t disturb you any longer, goodbye.”

“Goodbye, thank you.”

“What a kind person…” After the brief exchange, she hung up the phone, and Ichinose looked down at her mobile.

For some reason, she had a strong sense that signing with Itsuragi might be a very good decision. 

Moreover, based on the information she learned from Shiina, collaborating with someone she was relatively familiar with should work out better than other agencies.