So many geniuses in anime! What's wrong with me joining?

They lack the ability to nurture talent; they're a bunch of typical vampires who only think about ruthlessly exploiting ordinary artists, draining them dry with exorbitant breach of contract fees and unfair profit-sharing in black-hearted contracts.

Even if they did, he had no interest in becoming a star. He didn't want excessive exposure, nor was he short on money.

"Sorry, I don't have any plans like that for now," he honestly stated his intentions.

"I see." Saito Ichigo's disappointment was visible, but he didn't push it. He simply handed over his business card.

"Here's my card. If you ever change your mind, you're always welcome!"

"If you have any industry questions you want to know, I'll tell you everything I can."

"Thank you." Sakurakoji Talent took the small card. "If I'm interested, I will."

Saito Ichigo nodded in disappointment. People who said that usually had no intention of following up. But everyone has their own aspirations, and he couldn't force it.

If it were a naive young girl like Hoshino Ai, he might have been able to persuade her by targeting her weaknesses with the silver tongue of a scout. But Sakurakoji Talent's demeanor suggested he wasn't someone without experience. He wasn't confident he could sign him, and pushing too hard would only earn his dislike, so he had to give up.

"It's about time. Miss Hoshino, thank you for inviting me today. I should be going now."

"Eh, you're leaving already?"

Hoshino Ai snapped out of her complex emotions and quickly looked at Sakurakoji Talent.

"Yes, I have work matters to attend to later, and it's about time."

"I see. Well then, Mr. Sakurakoji, good luck with your work!"

Hoshino Ai spun around, clasped her hands into a heart shape, and gave him a gesture of encouragement, like she would on stage.

"Thanks, you too!"

He returned the gesture with a smile, and Sakurakoji Talent walked towards the edge of the set. After he was gone, the others resumed their conversation.

"Ah~ He's gone!"

"Ai! Are you really not together with him? Then introduce me next time!"

"Don't even think about it! Mr. Sakurakoji is mine!"

"Tch, you didn't even dare to speak just now. What's it to you? Go away!"

"Speaking of which, Mr. Sakurakoji said he was here to offer condolences, right? Did he bring any gifts? I'm hungry."

"Absolutely not when it comes to that!" Hoshino Ai's sudden serious expression stunned everyone around her, who didn't know what she was referring to.

Volume 1: The Everyday Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies: Chapter 22: Favorite Fashion Designer

A few days later, at Starlight.

"Hey, hey, Mr. Talent, have you seen the recent fashion week magazines?"

As they neared opening time, PA flipped through a magazine in her hands and casually chatted with Sakurakoji Talent beside her.

Sakurakoji Talent's ears twitched, but his gaze remained fixed on his phone, showing no intention of moving. He gave a perfunctory reply.

"Somewhat."

"Then which one did you like the most?" PA asked curiously.

"The one with the honeysuckle pattern on the surface, I suppose."

"Ah! That one is good! It reinterprets ancient floral patterns and combines them with new-generation trends. It's quite outstanding among this year's designs!"

PA suddenly sat up, her face beaming with joy. She continuously expressed her opinions.

"Multiple layers of smooth, glossy silk fabrics overlap, sewn with modern techniques, giving a sense of progression."

"The fusion of ancient and modern elements and craftsmanship, the overall structure is excellent. The designer has grasped the sense of balance within it exquisitely!"

"And not just this one piece; they presented an entire ancient charm series!"

"Some professional judges even said it might lead this year's fashion. Don't you think it's amazing? Cough cough!"

Getting excited, she couldn't help but cough a few times. A slight, feverish flush appeared on her face, usually filled with dark elements. She leaned her face closer to Sakurakoji Talent, her expectant gaze seeking understanding and affirmation.

The daggers are finally out, Sakurakoji Talent thought wryly. In this shop, only I can discuss this topic with her, so I knew she wouldn't let me off the hook.

"Mhm, mhm, I think so too." Sakurakoji Talent tilted his head to the side and replied perfunctorily.

Hearing his own designs praised to his face felt a bit strange.

Fortunately, she seemed satisfied even with such an answer and smiled as she retreated.

"Eh, which one, which one?"

Ichiji Nijika, who had overheard the conversation, walked over to PA curiously, hands behind her back, and looked at the magazine she was holding.

"This one." PA flipped to a page and pointed it out to her.

She was happy to see Ichiji Nijika starting to take an interest in this area and generously shared.

"Aren't these fall/winter clothes? Are we going to wear them now?"

"But winter is almost over, isn't it?"

Ichiji Nijika was confused. Spring was almost here; wasn't it a bit too late to look at this now?

"No, these are for next year's fall/winter season."

"No way! We're looking at outfits for half a year from now? Isn't that a bit too early?"

"That's just how trends work. The themes for next fall and winter are already decided by top professionals."

Ichiji Nijika was shocked by this, and PA shrugged helplessly. She couldn't quite understand it either, but she expressed her respect and willingness to follow along.

"Is this... clothing?"

A soft, weak voice sounded near their ears, drawing their attention.

In their sight appeared a cute, silver-haired kitten holding a colorful... Matcha Parfait.

"Mm, yes, are you interested too, Kanau?" Ichiji Nijika asked cheerfully.

Since Kanau had been frequenting their shop to buy sweets lately, everyone at Starlight had gotten to know this unique and adorable girl. They were almost all captivated by her harmless appearance.

Under the decision made by Saito Ichigo reporting and Ichiji Hoshika approving, she was granted the privilege of skipping the pre-opening queue and entering Starlight early.

"Not interested, but my mom is a designer." Kanau scooped a spoonful of parfait into her mouth, a look of bliss on her face.

"Kanau's mom is a fashion designer? That's amazing!" Ichiji Nijika exclaimed.

"But she's still chasing her dream, she's not famous. Her dream is to one day be featured in the London Fashion Week."

"That's not true. Having a dream to strive for is already wonderful!"

"Mm, she and my dad are both in London right now, working hard for their respective dreams."

"Ah? So, does that mean Kanau is living alone now?" Ichiji Nijika sounded surprised. It was the first time she had heard Kanau talk about her family situation.

She couldn't help but worry a little. After all, Kanau's appearance easily evoked a desire to protect her. She was even thinking that if Kanau was living alone, she'd invite her to live with her.

"No, I live with my grandma." Kanau shook her head, denying it, then looked at Saito Ichigo.

"Do you want to be a designer too, Ichigo?"

"No, I don't have any particular profession I want to become."

"Even though you're interested in fashion?" Kanau tilted her head, confused.

"That doesn't mean you have to do it as a profession," Saito Ichigo smiled, expressing a thought that would surely disappoint his family.

"Mm... I don't understand." Kanau frowned, unable to comprehend his idea.

If it were her, she would definitely pursue it as her goal if she liked it, like music.

"You don't need to understand it now. You just need to remember this."

"Kanau is Kanau, and Saito Ichigo is Saito Ichigo. That's all there is to it."

Kanau tilted her head again, but this time she seemed to understand his meaning. She stopped talking and focused on eating her food.

"By the way, Mr. Ichigo, who is your favorite fashion designer?"

Glancing around stealthily, seeing that the other three had fallen silent, PA broke the brief silence with her usual low tone.

"Hmm, I don't have a particular favorite. Many designers' work is excellent."

"If I had to name one, it would be Sakurakoji Luna."

Saito Ichigo put down his phone and looked up at the ambient lighting on the ceiling, giving a non-committal answer.

"Ah! Me too! I absolutely love her designs! Simple yet gorgeous, they're practically works of art!"

"She's very active in the four major fashion weeks, a top designer on a global scale!"

"I heard her designs are just a side hustle. She owns several companies and is a regular on business magazines. She's practically a role model for all women!"

"And she's Japanese too, right? That design earlier, it seems like it was released by a studio under her name."

"It's just... it doesn't seem like she designed it herself, even though she's so talented."

Knowing that Saito Ichigo's favorite designer was the same as hers, PA couldn't hide her excitement, wishing she could become sworn siblings with him right then and there.

"Huh? Speaking of which, Mr. Ichigo, you have the same last name, Sakurakoji. Could you be related?"

Ichiji Nijika seemed to have spotted a loophole, slapping her hand and teasing with a smile.

Hearing her say that, Ichiji Hoshika and the others shifted their gaze, all looking at him.

But no one took it seriously. After all, the probability was almost negligible. Although Sakurakoji was indeed a rare surname, who would expect such a fantastical plot twist in reality?

"Could it be that Mr. Ichigo likes her just because they share the same last name?!"

Thinking about his indifferent attitude earlier, PA made a guess, showing a look of dejection.

Saito Ichigo didn't confirm or deny it, only saying, "Alright, alright, it doesn't matter what it is. It's almost time, let's get ready to open the doors."

Image: "Just put a random picture", Location: "Images/1754245229-100446961-113678998.jpg"

Volume 1: The Everyday Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies : Chapter 23: Which Brave Soul Dares to Provoke Our Archangel?

"What do you mean 'it doesn't matter'?! That's so heartless!"

"Alright, alright, stop pestering him and come over here to prepare the sound source for the band that's about to perform."

"How can you call this pestering? This is love! This is the intimate conversation between close friends, something you lonely sis-con manager wouldn't understand!"

"You little punk! Are you looking for a death wish?"

"Ahaha."

PA let out a cry and was then pulled away by Ichiji Hoshika. Ichiji Nijika let out a laugh and prepared to open the gate.

After she opened the main gate, a large number of customers immediately flooded into Starlight, and Sakurakoji Talent and Ichiji Nijika began to get busy.

One, with a warm smile like the sun, sold tickets to the arriving guests; the other, precisely and quickly prepared food and drinks, clearing the queue almost as fast as the place next door.

Just as Sakurakoji Talent was immersed in his own world, he suddenly heard a frantic shout from beside him, his voice starting to stutter.

He paused what he was doing and turned his gaze towards Ichiji Nijika, a look of confusion on his face.

It was the first time he had seen the Archangel of Starlight flustered since he started working at Starlight, which was quite rare. What on earth had happened?

Damn it, who's the one who's not afraid of death and dares to cause trouble for this lady at Starlight? Are they tired of living?

A few seats away, he saw Ichiji Nijika waving her hands in a way he couldn't understand, frantically trying to express her point, her words coming out in broken fragments.

"Um, you understand what I mean, right?"

"This is the ticket booth, you need to buy tickets first before you can go over there..."

"There's still some time before the performance starts, if you don't mind waiting..."

Shifting his gaze to in front of her, he saw three guests with light brown hair and European features standing at the counter. There were men and women, and a child, looking like a family of three.

At this moment, the man among them was standing in a relatively forward position, negotiating with Ichiji Nijika, his expression a mix of confusion and anxiety.

Ichiji Nijika stared blankly at the person in front of her, unsure how to respond. She couldn't understand the other person's language at all. Although she had spoken a few words in English, which she wasn't very fluent in, it didn't seem to help.

She had tried her best to explain the process here, but it seemed the other party hadn't gotten the answer they wanted.

"What's wrong?"