Chapter 456

What? You don't even have a way to reply quickly? Then what kind of playboy are you, running a trading company? You're utterly shameful!

The next morning.

Refreshed and full of energy, Sakurakoji Talent was fully revived once again. She glanced at Hoshino Ai, who was fast asleep beside her, her beautiful profile showing a pitiful weariness.

Ah, all I wanted was to deepen our relationship after so long, but it seems he went too far for his own sake.

He reflected on himself for three minutes, while admiring her delicate and charming face, which was as beautiful as Phoebe.

Five minutes, ten minutes...

Finally, he couldn't resist reaching out and turning her over from her sleeping position.

"Eh? Why was it so... Oh dear! Why was it like this this morning?!"

"..."

Hoshino Ai, who hadn't had a good rest, had to skip work for the morning. At noon, just as she got up, he walked in from outside.

Hearing the door open, Hoshino Ai, who was getting dressed, was startled.

"Ai-chan, do you have anything planned for this afternoon?"

"... I'm going to the TV station for a rehearsal of a small variety show."

She responded weakly, silently increasing the speed of her hands.

He noticed her subtle reaction, a strange smile playing on his lips. Really, was he really that scary?

"I don't have anything to do right now, can we come together?"

"Um?"

Hoshino Ai pulled her alluring purple-black hair from under her clothes and looked at him, puzzled. "Don't you have to go to class, Mr. Talent?"

He quickly moved to her side, his familiar touch making her heart tremble as he lifted her chin and gently kissed her. "Those things are nothing compared to spending time with your girlfriend."

While Hoshino Ai, she looked extremely flustered, shaking her head frantically, "No, really no, I can't! I'll be late!"

"Huh? I just said I wanted to see your work, what were you thinking?"

Faced with his teasing and strange gaze, she bit her pink lips, blushed, and turned her head away to sulk.

It's clearly because you're too... and you still criticize me...

"Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore."

He chuckled and pushed her toward the bathroom, saying, "Hurry up and wash up, then come upstairs with me for dinner. I've already prepared the food."

"Food?"

Hoshino Ai stirred, and her large eyes sparkled with the light of countless stars.

Just thinking about his amazing skills made her mouth water.

Once she understood his intention in leaving without a word, the faint resentment and emptiness that had arisen when she first woke up vanished instantly.

"Yeah, I've made our Ai-chan so hard, of course we have to make it up to her~"

In the mirror, he was holding her waist from behind, his head resting lightly on her slender shoulders.

Her cheeks flushed, and she pouted in embarrassment and indignation. She broke free from his embrace and pushed him into the living room. "I... I need to wash my face, please, please don't stick to me!"

"Do you need my help? I can brush your teeth for you."

"No need! I'm not a child anymore!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, still can't grasp the fun of this? That's a sign of your immaturity~ Looks like I need to teach you a bit more."

"..."

After enjoying a sumptuous lunch in a rather intimate atmosphere, the two arrived at the entertainment company, driven by Sakurakoji Talent.

While Hoshino Ai changed into her performance outfit, he made a slight attempt to conceal his presence, blending into the group of staff and arriving at the television station with her.

"Love~ You and Sakurakoji-san, it seems you've already..."

"Oh my! Do you even need to ask? Last time, the president called her in the morning, and her boyfriend answered!"

"How wonderful it is to have such a handsome and wealthy boyfriend as Sakurakoji-san!"

"They even accompanied me to see you at work today, we're such good friends!"

"Coo coo coo! I'm so envious!"

"Hey, by the way, he looks so... what's he really like? In terms of scale and timing..."

"..."

Hoshino Ai had only been there a short time when her teammates saw her arrive hand in hand. Her colleagues kept asking her questions and teasing her, and she could only blush and lower her head, speechless.

On one hand, she felt happy about Sakurakoji Talent and the love his family had for her, and she was proud of her excellent boyfriend;

On the other hand, she also felt extremely distressed whenever they asked her those private questions, due to her reserved nature and lack of eloquence.

It's a happy kind of trouble!

She really wanted to say that her boyfriend had no other shortcomings besides possibly being a bit of a womanizer, but she was afraid they would dig deeper...

What if they find out about my embarrassing performance? How will I ever be able to face them again?

Chapter 420 Rising Popularity and Opportunistic Extortion.

Fortunately, the banter didn't last long before it was interrupted by the start of the actual work.

The schedule of the major TV station is very tight. Putting aside the others who came a few hours in advance to greet and hand over the work, Hoshino Ai and Sakurakoji Talent basically arrived right on time.

After joining [Sakura Rain], the resources available to Ichigo Pro are now vastly different from before.

Previously, Saito Ichigo could only find some small to medium-sized local TV stations, and even then, they were only for regular time slots and late-night programs, which was a very standard treatment for an ordinary Underground Idol.

Even Saito Ichigo, who is a talent agent and producer, rarely has the opportunity to enter such a TV station building, let alone the idols below.

Speaking of which... wasn't Sakurajima Mai's half-sister also an underground idol?

The older sister is a nationally popular actress, while the younger sister is a relatively unknown actress, much Hoshino Ai in the past... Tsk tsk, is this a fixed, standard trope of one sister being stronger than the other?

Moreover, the older sister had the upper hand, making Hikawa Sayo next door extremely envious.

But what he couldn't understand even more was what Sakurajima Mai's father was thinking? He'd rather give up a great beauty like Mai's mother and go after someone several grades below her... Never mind, love comes first.

Sitting in a special seat, wearing sunglasses, Sakurakoji Talent observed the setup and flow of people, gaining a basic understanding of the work process in preparation for possible future interactions.

While listening to the discussions around him about Hoshino Ai:

"That girl's performance wasn't particularly amazing, but it was very captivating."

"Indeed, in all my years in this industry, this is the first time I've seen this kind of style."

"Which company is she signed with?"

"They were recommended by Avenx, but it seems they belong to a different company..."

"The other members of B-Komachi are quite ordinary, no different from other idols, but she... she might become a huge star in the future! I have a feeling that way!"

"Oh~ Your intuition and insight are always very accurate, even you think so?"

"With her own Talent and the backing of Avenx, it seems that it won't be long before we see another rising star!"

"Damn it! If it weren't for Avenx, I would definitely steal her!"

"Wasn't it said that it would belong to another entertainment company? It's not like there's no chance, is it?"

"..."

Sakurakoji Talent felt both gratified and speechless at the discussions among industry professionals regarding Hoshino Ai.

Thankfully, Hoshino Ai recently—or more accurately, after confessing her feelings to him—seems to have completely unleashed her potential, perhaps because she has learned how to love.

Every performance, with each jump and leap, exudes unparalleled charm, driving the fans and audience below into a frenzy!

Her fan base is growing at an astonishing rate. At this rate, with his support and resources, she should be able to secure a performance opportunity at the Taipei Arena a few years sooner...

Sigh~ Is this what talent is? The girls in the band next door are still racking their brains over whether they can perform at the Budokan, while her minimum requirement is the Tokyo Dome, which is three or four times bigger than the Budokan.

[Note: The Budokan has a maximum capacity of 15,000 people, Budokan has a capacity of 55,000 people.]

Speechless... he wondered, was it really just due to her talent?

To be fair, while Hoshino Ai is hardworking enough, she's not exactly unique, and her learning ability... well, to put it nicely, is just average.

He didn't believe there were no other factors behind her rapid increase in followers, such as... her own succubus-like allure.

Could it be that, as the Anomalous Power are gradually unsealed, her Eye Bewitchment Talent has also returned?

"..."

Sir! I need to report someone cheating!

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. Thankfully, it wasn't a big deal. After all, this was rather mysterious, and whether it could be considered an ability was another matter entirely.

However, he was momentarily speechless; if something else were mixed in on top of that... well, that would be hard to say.

Could it be...? That can't be...

In the afternoon, after attending the ceremony with Hoshino Ai, he didn't return to the company with her; instead, he teleported directly back to his mansion.

"..."

In the living room on the first floor, he carefully reviewed the documents he had asked his parents and aunts to look up a couple of days ago.

Before long, he had finished reviewing all the key points and put the stack of papers back on the coffee table.

Just as he had expected, things changed.

For example, there is no male student named Sōta Azusagawa in the second year of Minehara High School. Not just in Class 2-1, but in the entire second year.

This also explains why I don't remember seeing him in the library on the 6th.

The reason he didn't appear there, or rather, didn't apply to Minehara High School, is probably because he never met Shōko Makinohara during her high school years.

If we delve deeper, we can divide it into several possibilities: Shōko Makinohara did not experience Adolescence Syndrome during time travel, Kaede Azusagawa did not experience Adolescence Syndrome due to bullying, or the current Sakuta Azusagawa is someone who can solve the timeline of events on his own... and so on.

But which one it was wasn't important to Sakurakoji Talent, and he didn't want to care about the affairs of boys who had nothing to do with him.

The important thing is that he can learn from this experience that Adolescence Syndrome is not a phenomenon that always exists.

Although he had already guessed it, it was still a bit troublesome. He sighed and turned his gaze to his parents.

"Mother, Father, are you getting ready to go back to New York?"

"Yes, we've been back long enough, it's about time we went back. We still have a lot to do."

Okura Yusei smiled and nodded.

"If we don't go back soon, Yachiyo and Minato will nag us to death."

Sakurakoji Luna stretched out her Hands, utterly helpless.

"What?! I only stayed a few extra days because of my son and daughter, and they're calling me over a dozen times a day to urge me... Doesn't the boss even have this much power?"

[Note: Yachiyo refers to Yamabuki Yachiyo, the aunt of Kuyachiyo; Minato refers to Minato Yanaginose, one of the main heroines of the first game.]

Unlike him, who has so much free time that he can only date different girls every day, as the head of a multi-millionaire company and a major brand, it's impossible for them to take so many days off to come here... It's obvious.

Actually, they had only taken three or four days off, and now they are in a state of serious absenteeism and dereliction of duty!

Huh, is skipping classes and work hereditary?

"I see. When was that plane?"

"Because there's a lot of backlog of tasks, I'm leaving tonight."

"Oh, I have to work tonight, so I won't see you off. Have a safe trip!"

He sipped his tea and played on his phone nonchalantly, completely oblivious to the situation.

He's not a little kid anymore; he'd be overjoyed if his parents left!

"..."