...Huh?
Only then did Sakurajima Mai realize that, without even noticing, she had completely accepted Inoue Shuya's presence. She'd even started thinking of him as a friend, and they'd exchanged phone numbers.
What terrifying charisma.
Mai went on to see Inoue Shuya getting along wonderfully with the children's clothing company's representative, and even chatting with Blaise in English.
The more Mai learned about Inoue Shuya, the more astonished she became. Could someone really be that talented?
No wonder he was called a child prodigy.
Mai shook her head vigorously.
Her gaze grew resolute.
Just admiring someone else won't get me anywhere!
Sakurajima Mai, you have to work hard!
Work hard, work hard, work hard...and then surpass him!
I'm the best!
Inoue Shuya had ignited Mai's competitive spirit.
"Um, Mai-chan? It's great that you're feeling motivated, but your big brother would be even happier if you could soften your expression a little later."
Hirai Yuyu passed by and tossed out the remark.
"S-sorry!"
Mai's little face flushed red.
Section 15: 15 Clinging to the Big Shots
Since Blaise and Lin, the two company representatives, had both arrived, Shuya and Mai went to change first.
Children's Dream had a wide variety of children's clothes. The outfits Shuya and Mai were to wear had been carefully selected. They came in different styles, but were mostly divided into formalwear and casualwear; there were no plans to feature any of the other eccentric costumes.
The first outfits Shuya and Mai changed into were a smart little suit and a gorgeous evening gown.
Shuya came out first. The men present glanced at him a few times before losing interest, but the women were already squealing.
"So cute!"
"So cute!"
"So cute!"
Shuya: "..."
That's enough. Stop making me react to everything...
That was what Shuya thought, but he still remembered to strike a few poses and give the fans a treat.
"How about it? Cute and handsome enough?"
Giving the fans a little something was part of the job, too.
Inoue Shuya was still working hard at being an idol today.
Hirai Ryuji laughed. "Shu-chan, don't go all out now, or you'll be worn out by the time we take photos."
"Huh? All right, then. I'll stop acting."
Shuya shrugged, stopped posing, and went back to being a quiet little boy.
As a result, Hirai Ryuji could feel the women's piercing gazes and grew deeply uncomfortable.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before everyone's attention shifted.
Sakurajima Mai came out wearing a beautiful evening gown.
The luxurious dress complemented her flawless looks. Her black hair fell around her shoulders, and the hint of shyness in her expression made her even more captivating.
"So cute!"
"She's adorable!"
"I'm going to be Mai-chan's devoted fan from today on!"
This time, both the men and women cried out in amazement, startling Mai so much that she stepped back twice.
At a loss, she pinched at her skirt.
Seeing this, Shuya stepped forward and gave Mai a thumbs-up with a smile. "You look beautiful..."
Mai blushed. "Thank you."
"...in that dress!"
"Eh?"
Mai didn't understand at first.
"Hahahaha!"
"Shu-chan, you're so mean!"
"Mai-chan's totally stunned!"
Only when laughter rang out all around her did Mai realize she'd been tricked.
"Shuya!"
Mai gritted her teeth, clutching the hem of her skirt as she glared at him.
She was so fierce!
"Ahem, just kidding. Let's get to work, Uncle Hirai!"
"Right, let's get started! I can't wait to take pictures!"
Hirai Ryuji was in high spirits. He already loved photographing people, and now he had two perfect little models. He felt the trip had been well worth it.
Mai had no choice but to let Shuya off the hook.
She knew he was trying to help her, but she still couldn't get over being teased.
Even so, she didn't take out her frustration on the job.
Shuya was rather surprised that a six-year-old could act so maturely. No wonder she was a character from an anime; she was just plain unreasonable.
The photoshoot went smoothly. Mai made mistakes now and then, but she improved quickly. Hirai Ryuji nearly called her a genius, but after glancing at Shuya, he wisely swallowed the words.
That kid really didn't leave any room for other child stars to shine.
The girls had it easier, but the boys were destined to live in the shadow of the Demon King.
What he didn't realize was that the Demon King of the girl stars was right in front of him.
Once Hirai Ryuji got to work, he didn't waste words. He focused on directing Shuya and Mai into their poses, and everyone stayed busy until the shoot wrapped up successfully at seven that evening.
"Thanks for all your hard work today."
Shuya bowed slightly. Exhausted Mai quickly followed his example and bowed, too.
"Thanks to you both as well."
Hirai Ryuji returned the bow.
"Thanks to you, we got some photos we're really happy with today."
"Haha, it's because you're so skilled, Uncle."
"No, no. It's all thanks to having such good models."
"Hahaha!"
"Hehehe!"
Shuya and Hirai Ryuji traded compliments. Mai watched them, at a loss.
She was more mature than other kids her age, but she was still too young to shamelessly flatter someone like that.
After a round of mutual praise, Hirai Ryuji called everyone over to pack up.
Hanazawa Sakura and Mai's mother stayed behind to exchange pleasantries with Blaise and Ms. Lin.
With nothing else to do, Shuya kept chatting with Mai, but she still hadn't forgiven him for teasing her and deliberately turned her little head away.
She only stopped being mad after Shuya handed her a few candies.
Shuya couldn't help thinking that little girls were so easy to placate.
The two of them sat off to the side and started chatting.
Mai asked curiously, "Shuya, you took a few months off before. Did something happen?"
Shuya was puzzled. "No, I just had too much work and took a little break because I was tired."
"You can do that...? You won't get scolded?"
Mai was surprised. The entertainment industry wasn't the sort of place where you could just take time off. Otherwise, your popularity would plummet.
"The most important thing in life is to be happy."
Shuya preached his crooked philosophy. "If you're not feeling it, take a break. Someone as talented as me never has to worry about losing popularity."
"Is that so...?"
Mai murmured to herself.
"Of course! Have you ever seen my popularity drop? And let me tell you, the most important thing for newcomers like you is to build good relationships with the big shots in the industry, so you can cling to them later!"
"C-cling to them...?"
Mai tilted her little head and looked at Shuya adorably.
"Exactly. For example, you only got picked as the spokesperson because of me, right? That's what I mean by clinging to a big shot."
Shuya patiently explained. "I'm only telling you this because I like you, Mai-chan. When we're this young, it's the easiest time to cling to influential people. It won't work as well once we grow up. Adults have complicated relationships and don't open their hearts so easily."
"But it's different with kids, especially good-looking kids. Adults usually don't let their guard down around other adults, but they don't tend to be wary of children. That makes it easy for kids to get close to the big shots."
Mai was nearly stunned into silence.
It was rare to have a cute girl listen to Shuya's rambling, so he spoke with even more enthusiasm. "Once you get close to them, all kinds of opportunities will come your way. So what if I take a few months off? Work still comes knocking, and I can pick and choose."
He wasn't lying. Besides the endorsement, there were plenty of other jobs that wanted him. He just hadn't accepted them.
"Shuya, you're amazing."
Mai didn't quite understand, but she thought he made a lot of sense.
"Of course."
Shuya smiled smugly, then noticed that his mother's group seemed to be wrapping up.
"Oh, looks like they're almost done. Let's go over."
"Mm."
Shuya and Mai returned to their respective mothers. After saying goodbye to everyone, they each headed home.
They'd finished the photoshoot today, and tomorrow they'd be filming the commercial. This time it wouldn't be shot indoors; they'd be filming outside.
But that was tomorrow's business.
Once they were in the car, Hanazawa Sakura let out a soft sigh.
"What's wrong, Mom?"
Shuya asked, puzzled.
Hanazawa Sakura poked her son and said irritably, "You had such a nice time chatting with Mai-chan, but I had a rough time over there."
"Hm? Oh, you mean Mai-chan's mother?"
"Exactly."
Shuya smiled. "I could tell. Mai-chan's mother is beautiful, but she looks like the type who's very calculating."
Before you continue