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

"Mm," Hoshino Ai pursed her lips and returned to the fitting room.

Because she caused a small commotion in the store, other staff members from around the area were drawn over. From then on, every time she changed and came out in a new outfit, she would receive a flood of compliments for both herself and Sakurakoji Talent, along with teasing about their relationship, which made her feel both shy and helpless.

Finally, after selecting a few outfits that received the best reviews from all the combinations, she paid and walked out of the store under the amused gazes of everyone present. For the first time, she felt like she had escaped a hellish ordeal.

Image: "What Knife Will You Use to Cut You?", Location: "Images/1755441061-100446961-113736023.jpg"

Volume 1: The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies : Chapter 52: You Can't Eat Two Dinners

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sakurakoji, for letting them misunderstand our relationship!" Hoshino Ai bowed and apologized to him after they had walked a distance away.

"It's fine, it's fine. As long as Miss Hoshino doesn't mind, that's all that matters," Sakurakoji Talent waved his hand in the air, signaling her not to worry.

"Rather than apologizing, I'd rather you think that I helped you."

"Mm! As expected of you, Mr. Sakurakoji, your taste is indeed much better than mine! I think these outfits are very beautiful! Thank you so much for tonight!" Speaking of this, the stars in Hoshino Ai's eyes twinkled, and her face was radiant with happiness.

"Oh, right! To thank you, I'll treat you to something to eat. What do you want to eat?" Suddenly remembering this, Hoshino Ai asked him.

"Anything is fine with me."

"Then let's go to the dessert shop over there. I haven't had dinner yet, how about you, Mr. Sakurakoji?" Hoshino Ai looked at him expectantly.

"Uh… I haven't eaten either." Facing her heartfelt gaze, Sakurakoji Talent could only answer this way.

"That's great! We can eat together!"

With that, Hoshino Ai took his hand and led him into the dessert shop next door.

Half an hour later, Sakurakoji Talent looked at the half-eaten crepe and cheesecake in front of him, and the Earl Grey tea that was almost finished. The corners of his eyes twitched, and a faint bitterness appeared on his face.

If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have eaten so much at Shiina Mahiru's place earlier.

But if he hadn't, she would probably suspect that his cooking wasn't good enough, which would affect his efforts to gain favor.

Damn it, is this the price of multitasking? A bitter sigh.

Even so, why can girls accept sweets as a full meal? Isn't it too rich? For him, it was overwhelmingly rich!

Looking at Hoshino Ai, who was eating with great relish and moving her limbs excitedly, he felt this doubt welling up in his heart.

"Are you full already, Mr. Sakurakoji?" Seeing that his eating had stopped, Hoshino Ai asked.

"Mm… I don't have much of an appetite today." Sakurakoji Talent forced a smile.

"Oh, that's a shame. The food here is also very delicious. Ah, although not as good as the snacks you brought me before," Hoshino Ai said regretfully, her eyes occasionally glancing at his half-eaten food, appearing genuinely disappointed.

Her income was also very tight, and she usually had to be very frugal. She often took home extra bento boxes from the set to eat for dinner. Such a big expenditure today was something that happened only once every few months.

Sakurakoji Talent guessed that if she wasn't afraid of ruining the little image she had left in front of him, she would have completely finished the leftover food on these two plates the moment he left.

"…It is indeed a shame. But if you liked those, I'll bring them for you next time."

"Really?!" Hoshino Ai's gaze sparkled, full of enthusiasm.

"Of course. I can't lie to a woman," Sakurakoji Talent said with certainty. "By the way, Miss Hoshino, how have you been lately? Have you encountered any difficulties in your career?"

"Hmm, it's the same as before, always lukewarm," Hoshino Ai's legs unconsciously swayed under the table as she pondered.

"Ah, speaking of which, the President recently asked me if I wanted to go to a well-known theater troupe for advanced studies. It's probably because my acting is too bad, haha…" She could only acknowledge reality with a foolish smile regarding her unspeakable acting skills and the foundation of her various abilities.

After all, she had only been in this industry for 3 years, and her training had only lasted for a maximum of 3 years. Moreover, the things she learned were very diverse, and the teachers the agency could afford were just so-so. Her talent wasn't the exceptionally high kind either.

Therefore, even though she worked very hard in private every day, she didn't have any particular advantage compared to other little idols.

If there was any outstanding talent, it was her inexplicable charm that radiated during performances.

Hearing this, Sakurakoji Talent's eyes sharpened, and his tone involuntarily became a little more serious.

"Did you agree?"

"Not yet~" Hoshino Ai shook her head indifferently. "But I think I'll agree later. After all, my skills are indeed insufficient."

"It's rare for the President to secure this opportunity for me, so I can't let his hard work go to waste just because I'm being willful."

"Don't go," Sakurakoji Talent's expression became serious for the first time, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"Eh?" Hoshino Ai looked at him in surprise, her small movements coming to a halt.

"Ah, I didn't mean it like that." Realizing he had been a bit out of line, he quickly tried to salvage the situation. "I just think going there won't be of much help to you and is a waste of time. It would be better to hire some famous teachers for professional special training or something."

"Look, no matter how famous the theater troupe is, at best, they only specialize in stage plays, right? It's a completely different field from real film and television acting."

"If Miss Hoshino becomes famous in the future, most of the invitations she receives will be for film and television, which is far from this."

"So, for the sake of your future, I think you should focus more on cultivating these abilities now."

Fortunately, his mind was quick, and he quickly came up with a suitable reason, blurting it out without hesitation.

"I see!" After hearing his explanation, Hoshino Ai showed a look of sudden realization. She didn't notice anything wrong and instead thought his analysis was very reasonable. However, she quickly showed a troubled expression.

"What you say makes sense, and I agree with your points, Mr. Sakurakoji. But I'm just a second or third-rate underground idol, and our agency is also an obscure small to medium-sized agency."

"It's already good enough that I could apply for such an opportunity. Where do I have the right to be picky?"

Seeing that she didn't suspect anything, Sakurakoji Talent breathed a sigh of relief. Understanding her dilemma, he smiled and said, "That's simple. If it's training in acting, vocal music, or dance, I think I can help you."

"I know some teachers with good reputations in their professional fields who can teach you."

"Really?!" Hoshino Ai looked at him in disbelief at first, then vigorously shook her head and waved her hands, "No, no, no, I can't accept such huge help from Mr. Sakurakoji for free! I have nothing to repay you with, this is too embarrassing!"

Just accept it properly, you idiot! Veins throbbed on Sakurakoji Talent's temples.

"It's fine, didn't I say it? I'm a fan of B-Komachi, or more accurately, a fan of Miss Hoshino Ai." Sakurakoji Talent said tenderly, his gaze soft.

"I also want to do something for my idol, so this is just a fan's way of expressing their affection, it's just a little different from others, it's definitely not a strange thing!"

Author: Presenting a late update

Volume 1: The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies: Chapter 53: This Night is Far Too Rich

"Affection, love... I see." Hoshino Ai's head felt a little fuzzy as she chewed on his words.

She had received gifts from fans before, and this seemed normal, but she still cautiously asked, "...It's really not strange? Is it really okay to accept?"

Hoshino Ai looked up, her eyes like those of a newborn, cute little deer.

"It's really not strange! It's really okay to accept!" Sakurakoji Talent looked directly into her star-filled eyes and nodded vigorously in affirmation.

"Then... thank you, Mr. Sakurakoji." Hoshino Ai lowered her head and bowed in thanks.

"No, no, if you really want to thank me, I hope you'll consider me a friend from now on." Sakurakoji Talent said with a smile, his heart filled with the joy of soon-to-be-gained points.

Fortunately, in this world full of geniuses, this child in front of him was one of the rare ones who wasn't too smart. To put it nicely, she was a bit naive and easily fooled.

"? I've always considered you a friend." Hoshino Ai tilted her head, confused.

"Then let's call each other by our first names from now on, okay? Always calling each other by our surnames feels quite distant."

"Then I'll call you Talent from now on?" Hoshino Ai asked for his opinion.

"Talent or Mr. Talent is fine, Ai." Sakurakoji Talent calmly picked up his teacup, but only remembered it was empty when he brought it to his lips, and had to put it down again.

"!!!" Hoshino Ai's earlobes gradually turned red, her expression froze slightly, she covered her mouth and nose with her hands, her voice trembling, "How should I put it, I'm still a little shy!"

"You'll get used to it."

"That's true, haha."

Hoshino Ai was not comforted at all by his perfunctory reassurance.

"Well, in any case, you should seriously follow those teachers and work hard to study recently. In a few months, I'll introduce you to a few more friends who have achieved some success in music and performance."

Feeling that the conversation had reached its conclusion, Sakurakoji Talent gave up the idea of ordering another drink and gave Hoshino Ai some instructions.

"Why in a few months?" Although she wasn't unhappy with the arrangement, she was still curious.

"Because," Sakurakoji Talent looked out the shop's glass window and gave an answer that sounded problematic but was absolutely true, "although I know them, they don't know me yet."

"Hmm?"

Hoshino Ai stared at him in shock, countless thoughts flashing through her mind, causing her to doubt everything he had said before.

After ending the conversation with Hoshino Ai, they parted ways at the station. After they each left, Sakurakoji Talent felt incredibly refreshed as he felt the healing points in his body increase.

"Good, good, multi-threaded operations are indeed comfortable! The points increase every now and then, just like a novelist seeing their royalties constantly increasing, it's truly fulfilling!"

In comparison, the days before when there was no change for several consecutive days were like a tragic death of a failed work, making one lose the will to live!

He didn't go straight home. He walked the streets of Shinjuku, aimlessly strolling – having eaten two meals in a short period, he desperately needed to digest.

The night in the big city was as lively as the day, and in some ways even more interesting. The neon lights shining everywhere on the road, the touts in various maid outfits and professional attire on the street, and the men and women laughing and talking – all were scenes that repeatedly played out before his eyes.

Sakurakoji Talent had no interest in going to the nearby Kabukicho or seeing if Okubo Park at night was as dangerous and exciting as rumored, even though he was very close to it now – he was afraid he'd be swarmed and wouldn't be able to get out tonight.

Holding dozens of flyers that had been shoved into his arms, Sakurakoji Talent felt indignant.

"Damn it, these guys who only care about looks, they just bully weak-looking pretty boys like me. Do I look like someone who would give you a good face?"

"You really do."

"Besides, if you're handing out flyers, what's with your hands touching my chest and body?"

"If you're horny, go to the park next door, you idiot!"

Recalling the shallow women who had gone crazy just now, Sakurakoji Talent couldn't help but sneer.

"I admit you're dressed provocatively and your hourly wage is high, but if you want to spend a night with me, I'm afraid your savings are still short by a few zeros."

He organized all the flyers into a stack and casually threw them into a nearby trash can for burnable waste, freeing his hands once again.

Casually putting his hands in his pockets, he prepared to continue his aimless stroll as if nothing had happened.

Suddenly, at a certain moment, the constantly rotating street scene in his eyes seemed to freeze, leaving only a beautiful figure.

At this moment, Sakurakoji Talent was stunned. His handsome face creased, he pinched the bridge of his nose with his hand, and rubbed his eyes, suspecting he might have fallen under the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

He looked again, and the figure was still so clear and captivating.

"Holy crap, it really is!"

"No, isn't this a bit much?"

He hoped to meet more characters as soon as possible to help him escape this bitter sea, but encountering such a jackpot twice in a few hours was a bit too... Could the lottery station have exploded? He'd have to check his pockets later to see if he had any winning tickets – even though he'd never bought one.

Although he was very shocked and surprised, the immediate priority was to keep up with the other person. He silently followed behind, his identity instantly shifting from passerby to stalker.

Fortunately, with his looks, even if he were discovered, no one would suspect him of having any ill intentions.

He had a hundred reasons he could use to explain his way out of trouble, a hundred!

His gaze was fixed on the other person, afraid of losing sight of her.

The other person seemed to have a lot of free time as well, stopping and starting without any apparent purpose, casually looking around. Whenever her gaze was about to sweep over him, Sakurakoji Talent would avert his eyes beforehand, avoiding eye contact.

They walked like this for more than half the street, and finally, she stopped in front of a fast-food restaurant with a sign that read 'Burger.' She pushed open the door and went inside.

After waiting intentionally for two minutes under a roadside tree, he also walked straight into the fast-food restaurant.

He went to the counter, casually ordered a coffee and burger combo, and scanned the room, but found no trace of his target. He looked towards the stairs on one side, guessing that the other person had gone upstairs.

After picking up his order, he maintained a calm and indifferent expression. After hesitating for three seconds at the foot of the stairs about where to sit, he turned and went upstairs.

As soon as he stepped onto the second floor, in just a third of a second, he spotted the woman sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window.

Her outstanding beauty, dignified demeanor, and a cool expression that seemed indifferent to everything spoke of her extraordinary nature.

Although she herself didn't seem to care at all, on the second floor of this ordinary little shop, she was undoubtedly the one with the strongest presence—besides him, who had just followed her here.

Author: It's time to bet, everyone! Come and guess who this newly appearing character is! I think I've given plenty of clues, let's see if any big shots can guess it. If you guess it, then... well, there's no prize to give, hehe.

Volume 1: The Daily Life of Attracting Bees and Butterflies : Chapter 54: Another Top Genius + Rich Woman