Sumi Yuki suddenly lost all interest in romance.
Attending the celebration party would mean having to make small talk, and that would just be awkward.
"Yuki-chan, bye-bye~!" ().
MEM waved as she bid farewell.
Kurokawa Akane stared at MEM with the same expression Kaguya had when looking at Chika.
You're not planning to leave too!? (_ )
"Boss, what were you and the director scheming just now? I saw everything! Spill it!"
MEM turned around, flashing a sly grin at Yukima Azuma.
By now, she was completely used to hanging out with Yukima Azuma,
showing none of the nervousness she once had when facing the Big Boss.
"Said they wanted to shoot a drama, trying to drag me into acting."
Yukima Azuma answered nonchalantly.
It wasn't exactly a secret.
If he really joined, these two girls would find out sooner or later anyway.
Upon hearing this, Kurokawa Akane's heart trembled slightly.
MEM-chan, good thing you stayed! ( )
If MEM hadn't been here, she would've missed this information!
"Is it a drama series or a movie?"
Kurokawa Akane immediately asked.
She wanted the chance to work alongside Yukima Azuma.
Doing what you love with the person you like, double the happiness!
( )
Yukima Azuma briefly explained the TV drama Hikaru no Shogi to them.
The two girls were left speechless.
"Boss, you know how to play shogi!?"
( ®®) !!
MEM's face was filled with utter disbelief.
Her bright eyes stared daggers at Yukima Azuma, filled with resentment toward the unfairness of the world.
( _ )
He already had so much moneywhy did he have to be ridiculously talented too!?
Under MEM's piercing gaze, Yukima Azuma simply smiled back.
"Filming's over, MEM. Shouldn't you treat us to a yakiniku feast to celebrate?"
Hearing this, MEM's eyes widened in shock. ( )!!!
Aaaa! Boss is exploiting me! How could he say something like that!
While internally wailing, MEM shot Kurokawa Akane a desperate look for help.
"Don't look at Akane-san! You know, back at her old company, she only got 20% of the cut."
The moment MEM heard that, she quickly retracted her pleading gaze.
20%? That's way too harsh.
How could someone have such rotten luck in this world!?
"Then what about you, Boss? How much money do you have!?"
MEM made one last desperate attempt.
"Want Boss to treat you to a meal? You're not a kid anymorestop saying shameless things like that."
Yukima Azuma's words were a double-edged strike.
MEM felt like an arrow had just pierced her knee.
"Fine, fine! I'll pay!" (;`)
Yukima Azuma glanced at Kurokawa Akane with a playful look in his eyes.
Kurokawa Akane couldn't hold back her laughter.
Why hadn't she noticed before? This boy was that scheming.
...
The three of them entered a yakiniku restaurant together.
Yukima Azuma showed no hesitation in claiming his "reward" from MEM.
A9 and Wagyu beefhe ordered without a second thought.
As the beautifully marbled, pink-and-white slices of beef were served,
MEM's gaze gradually transformed into that of an assassin
( _ )
Chapter 175: MEM, You Dont Want Fans to Know Your Real Age Either, Right?
Chapter 175: MEM, You Don't Want Fans to Know Your Real Age Either, Right?
"Eat up! Everyone, just eat as much as you want!"
MEM spoke generously while flipping the meat with tongs.
Since she had no choice but to treat them, she might as well enjoy it.
Turn frustration into appetite instead.
MEM inside: (ЇЇ)$$$
Yukima Azuma casually adjusted the stove's temperature, helping MEM grill the meat.
After watching for a while, he noticed that MEM was flipping the meat too often, which was wasting ingredients.
So he decisively snatched the tongs from MEM's hand and took over the grilling himself.
"By the way, now that the variety show is over, do you guys have any plans?"
Yukima Azuma asked casually while grilling.
Right now, both of them were artists under Laplace Corporation.
As their boss, he had to help his employees find a good direction.
"Not yet, but I want to join the Hikaru no Shogi film crew."
Kurokawa Akane answered straightforwardly.
Initially, she had joined the dating show because her fame was limited to dramas, and she wasn't receiving many other job offers.
She wanted to boost her popularity to gain more acting opportunities.
Moreover, she had no reason to hide her desire to collaborate with Yukima Azuma.
"Umu, then I'll have the company reach out to the film crew later."
Yukima Azuma nodded in agreement, then turned his gaze to MEM.
"What about you? Want to try acting?"
MEM immediately shook her head like a spinning top.
"No, no, I have no talent for acting. I'd better stick to making YouTube videos."
Watching the demon horns on MEM's head sway back and forth, Yukima Azuma nodded slightly.
"That makes sense. You don't want to be an actress, but you want to be an idol, right?"
MEM: ( ®®) !!!
The moment she heard the word "idol," MEM's eyes widened.
She looked at Yukima Azuma in surprise.
The dream of becoming an idol
This was something MEM had always kept buried in her heart.
Normally, she acted carefree and optimistic, but now that her true feelings had been exposed, her eyes reflected the dreams of a girl chasing her aspirations.
"How does boss know? No, wait, I don't want to be an idol at all!"
After spacing out for a long moment, MEM finally reacted.
But her explanation was completely unconvincing.
Her expression just now had already given everything away.
()
"So, MEM wants to be an idol?"
Kurokawa Akane was a little surprised.
After all, MEM's YouTube channel was doing very well.
She seemed to really enjoy making videos.
Moreover, in all her videos, she had never mentioned wanting to be an idol.
"Well I just thought about it before, that's all."
MEM said, somewhat embarrassed.
"Then why not debut? MEM is so cuteshe'd definitely have a lot of fans!"
Kurokawa Akane suggested.
After all, she had entered the entertainment industry because she admired acting.
MEM lowered her head, her expression somewhat gloomy.
( )
Yukima Azuma reached out and flicked Kurokawa Akane's forehead.
Kurokawa Akane held her forehead, looking at Yukima Azuma pitifully.
She was supposed to be the guardian here, so why was she being lectured by the "child" instead?
"Akane-san, you should maintain a consistent image in front of the camera. Think carefully before you speak and act."
"A lot of times, people can't do what they want. Reality forces them to compromise."
Hearing this, Kurokawa Akane immediately understood.
She blamed herself inwardly.
She had already noticed before that MEM's family wasn't well-off.
Why hadn't she thought a little deeper?
"It's really nothing, don't worry about it."
MEM lifted her head and smiled. ()
Yukima Azuma picked up a piece of meat for her.
She popped it into her mouth right away and immediately started hissing from the heat.
After swallowing the meat, MEM's eyes lit up again.
Yummy! ( )
Then she ate a few more pieces.
Her mood quickly stabilized.
Indeed, when feeling down, good food is the best remedy.
She smiled and casually said,
"When I was little, I wanted to be an idol, but then my mom suddenly fell seriously ill."
"Being an underground idol doesn't just mean not making money at firstyou might even have to spend your own money."
"So I had to put my dream on hold and work part-time jobs to earn money. Later, when video platforms started booming, I became a YouTuber."
"By the time I had saved up some money, I had already reached my current agecompletely unsuitable for debuting as an idol anymore."
MEM recounted everything in a calm tone, as if she were talking about someone else's story.
Even though she couldn't fulfill her dream, she still considered herself lucky.
She had been in the right place at the right time when video platforms exploded in popularity, and her content style was well-received.
Becoming a YouTuber had earned her a decent income.
Her mother's illness had also been cured.
So what was there to regret?
Except
"Aaa! Why the hell do you know about all this, boss!?"
MEM pouted and stared at Yukima Azuma. ( )
This was a secret she had buried deep in her heart.
"As an artist signed under my company, of course, I had to do a thorough background check."
"You damn capitalist!" ( Д )*
"I'm a businessman So, MEM, do you want to try debuting as an idol?"
( ) "Stop messing with me! Watch out, or I'll bite you!"
"I'm serious. If you want to try, Laplace Corporation can make the arrangements."
Yukima Azuma spoke firmly.
Laplace Corporation had never trained idols before.
But in this industry, the big corporations held all the power.
With enough money, even someone without outstanding talent could be successfully promoted.
And MEM's online fame already proved that she had her own unique charm.
Spending a bit of money to help MEM become a famous idol wasn't difficult for him.
Besides, Laplace Corporation's future plans already included developing artists and idols
Laying the groundwork for next year's short-video platform.
Once the platform launched, they would definitely need artists and idols to attract users.
Seeing Yukima Azuma's serious expression,
MEM's heart started pounding wildly.
Even though she had spoken about it so calmly,
If she had truly given up, she wouldn't have frozen the moment she heard the word "idol."
MEM truly wanted to be an idol, to stand on a dazzling stage under the bright lights.
"Can I really?" She pointed at herself, her voice tinged with hesitation.
"Whether it's possible or not is my problemyou just need to decide if you want it or not."
Yukima Azuma said decisively.
"I want to!" MEM was genuinely moved and agreed without hesitation.
But the moment she said it, a hint of regret surfaced.
"But in a few years"
"By then, I'll already be an oba-san, and I'll have to retire."
"That's so cruel! Are you just going to throw me away after using me?!"
She complained, but deep down,
Yukima Azuma's firm response had calmed the anxiety in her heart.
If the time came, then she would retire.
After all, no one could be an idol forever.
Even if it was just for two or three years, that would be enough for MEM to fulfill her dream.
Under her golden hair, the girl's eyes sparkled with light.
Suddenly, she understood how Kurokawa Akane felt.
This man really had a way of stirring a girl's heart.
MEM: Doki doki ( )!
Kurokawa Akane: ( ®®) !!!
The mommy guardian had a vague sense that something was off.
Loving an exceptionally outstanding man sometimes came with its own troubles.
The number of love rivals was increasing at an alarming rate.
She took a big gulp of Coca-Cola.
Then, a curious thought popped into her head.
Wait a minutedidn't this mean MEM had lied about her age?
But even if she fudged it by two or three years, was that really enough to be so pessimistic about an idol career?
Sure, being an idol was a "fast-food job for youth"...
Most idol companies only recruited girls between 16 and 20 years old.
But MEM already had a solid fan base as a stepping stone.
Debuting shouldn't have been an issue at all.
Besides, the typical retirement age for idols hovered around 30.
"Right now, MEM still whose image is a JK, so even if she tweaked her age by a year or two, there's no need to be this worried about debuting, right?"
In the end, Kurokawa Akane couldn't suppress her curiosity and asked directly.
MEM, who just moments ago had clutched her heart, eyes shining with longing
Almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
( )
"Eto ne~ to be honest, I may have fudged it just a tiny bit."
MEM held up her thumb and index finger, making a tiny gap.
But her guilty, darting eyes told a different story.
"So that means MEM is 21 or 22?"
Kurokawa Akane raised her estimate.
MEM silently lowered her head. ()
Seeing this, Kurokawa Akane's heart skipped a beat.
M-Masaka ( _ )
"23?" Her eyes widened. "24!?"
"This spring I was still 24"
"Which meansyou're already 25!?"
Kurokawa Akane was stunned.
A "JK" at 25? This wasn't just fudging the numbersthis was straight-up fraud!
No wonder she was so pessimistic about her idol career.
In just four more years, MEM would hit the idol age limit!
But she didn't look 25 at all!?
Aside from her dyed blonde hair setting her apart from actual high schoolers
Her petite frame, her adorable face MEM could absolutely pass as a high school girl!
In fact, she even looked younger than her!
This was downright absurd!
"MEM, you probably don't want your fans to find out that their 'adorable JK'when rounded upis actually pushing 30, do you?"
Yukima Azuma quietly landed the final blow.
MEM: ( )!???
( )
— — — — — — — — — — —
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Chapter 176: A Potential Man?
MEM was like a dried fish, slumped on the chair.
She lifted her small head to look at the ceiling of the barbecue restaurant.
She put on a look of complete surrender.
( '') . ЊЌ‹Ќ
Yukima Azuma felt that
If he wanted to use "hidden rules" on MEM right now, he could probably do whatever he wanted.
After finishing their meal, the three of them went their separate ways.
Yukima Azuma sent a message to Laplace Corporation, requesting the company to prepare for MEM's debut.
As for the drama Hikaru no Shogi
He wanted to review his upcoming schedule before making arrangements.
After the Ryuuou Tournament ended, it would be almost time for school to start.
Time was indeed quite valuable.
Although he could apply for a leave of absence
As soon as Yukima Azuma returned to his apartment
He saw President Tsukimitsu and his female assistant waiting at the door.
"President Tsukimitsu, why are you here? Isn't the next round of the Ryuuou Tournament being held at your shogi association?"
