Chapter 56: The Innocent Girl, Ichika-chan
"Oh right, Sakurai-kun, you are lucky to day~ your female co-star today is really cute~"
ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧
In the dressing room next to the makeup room, Ueno Yoko made the introduction.
Sakurai Saki tugged at the hoodie he was wearing, feeling like he didn't understand fashion at all.
What was so good-looking about this penguin on the shirt anyway? Shirogane Miyuki would probably love it — after all, that guy was a total penguin maniac, to the point of even knowing the names of the penguin caretakers.
It honestly felt a little scary.
"Mashiro-san told me about it yesterday." Sakurai Saki didn't hold any expectations for this so-called female co-star they were talking about.
No matter how pretty she was, just how pretty could she be?
After changing clothes and folding up his school uniform, Sakurai Saki stepped out of the dressing room.
Back in the makeup room, Sakurai Saki saw Minamoto Mashiro waving at him.
She was standing behind a female model.
'This must be my co-star for tonight?'
Sakurai Saki walked over.
Then, looking into the mirror, he froze.
(｡· v ·｡) ?
Nakano Itsuki? Or Yotsuba?
Miku was probably impossible.
"Ichika?" he blurted out.
And right after, he saw the girl in front of him tremble slightly.
Ichika: Σ(°△°ꪱꪱꪱ)
Minamoto Mashiro sensed that something unusual was going on between the two and leaned toward Sakurai Saki, whispering, "Saki-kun, you know her?"
"Same school, but not same class," Sakurai Saki answered.
Minamoto Mashiro's gaze darted between the two.
Oh, how interesting — do she get to watch this unfold for free? Looks like she've got some melon (gossip) to snack on!
(｡✪ω✪｡)
But it didn't seem to be anything romantic; Minamoto Mashiro observed Sakurai Saki and didn't see the slightest emotional ripple on his face.
Nakano Ichika sat in the chair, watching Sakurai Saki through the mirror, momentarily unsure of what to do.
It was her first time working as a photo model, and she just had to run into someone she knew — and not just anyone, but the tutor she'd argued with just a few days ago.
Tokyo really was too small!
If her acting career had been going smoothly, she wouldn't even be doing part-time modeling work.
It wasn't like she didn't have better opportunities.
She just didn't want them.
At the Oda Entertainment she belonged to, just among the people Ichika personally knew, there were already quite a few who relied on their bodies to climb up the ranks. While Ichika felt a bit envious, she didn't agree with that approach — using her body to gain more resources was something she couldn't accept.
Her manager wasn't bad, but not exactly great either; recently, they'd been asking if she wanted to take on more suggestive roles. After all, Ichika had a very pretty face and figure.
[On the road to chasing your dreams, you always have to give something up.] — that's what her manager had just told her.
Put simply, it was telling her to let go of her pride and accept jobs she originally didn't want, like swimsuit modeling.
Nakano Ichika valued her body deeply, so even though she had secretly been a female talent for over half a year, she had never considered selling herself short.
'Maybe… I should give it a try?... No, I'll just push myself a bit harder.'
Even though she knew that if she kept hesitating like this, she'd only fall further behind while her peers were riding the elevator straight up… she still just couldn't bring herself to do those kinds of things!
Once her makeup was finished, Nakano Ichika glanced back and finally decided to acknowledge the familiar face.
"Sakurai-san, what a coincidence~ I didn't expect to see you here."
Today, Sakurai Saki couldn't beat around the bush, "You're hiding this job from your family, aren't you?"
Her academic performance in the first half of last year had actually been quite decent, but it was in the latter half that she'd started hovering near the failing line.
Looked like this job had eaten up too much of her time, making it impossible to balance schoolwork.
So, she'd been doing this for about half a year?
"I…" Nakano Ichika had wanted to explain, but in the end, she only gave a soft response.
(｡Ó﹏Ò｡)
"Not telling your sisters — are you really okay with that?" Sakurai Saki had more or less figured out why she fell asleep the moment she got home last time.
Probably the same reason as him — because her daily work was just too overwhelming.
"I'll tell them once I make it big," Ichika replied.
At that moment, Ueno Yoko also walked over.
She just happened to catch those innocent words.
"Wanting to become famous as an actress isn't that easy — you make it sound so light," Ueno Yoko sneered.
"What do you plan to rely on? Your face, or your body?"
Nakano Ichika lifted her head, looking straight at her, her voice calm: "I've never done that kind of thing! And I have no intention to. I will become famous through a proper, legitimate path!"
Ueno Yoko saw a girl who was both innocent and adorable.
Only someone new to the industry could be this confident.
Thinking that, she glanced at Sakurai Saki and saw a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
It wasn't a smile of satisfaction with the girl's answer — he simply found her words too naive. Ueno Yoko could read that clearly.
Only Minamoto Mashiro didn't see the dark thoughts in his heart. She always believed he was a bright, sunshine-like younger brother.
Sakurai in Mashiro eyes: <(˶ᵔᵕᵔ˶)>
"Well, having ambition is good. I hope you'll succeed."
"Oh right, Nakano-san, I'll be the one in charge of your job today. Your manager already told me." Ueno Yoko spoke as she moved closer to Ichika's ear.
She lowered her voice, whispering like a devil: "Also, Nakano-san. Your manager spoke privately with me about you. He said you're not listening, so lately, they're considering… harsher measures."
"Maybe, if you keep clinging to certain limits, they'll choose to freeze your activities. Haah, luckily your contract isn't long, and the breach fee isn't high."
At this point, Ueno Yoko smiled: "Just a three-year freeze, and you can switch companies — your agency is honestly too merciful. If it were me, I would've made you sign a slave contract already."
Right after, she pulled back from the young girl's ear and softly said, "No company likes a product that's both worthless and disobedient, Nakano-san. This is my sincere advice."
"..."
Hearing that, Nakano Ichika suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
(.Ó﹏Ò.)
Her eyes darted around, searching for something familiar to give her even a little sense of reassurance.
But among the people present, only Sakurai Saki was someone she knew.
"Yoko, you're scaring the poor girl!" Minamoto Mashiro, seeing Ichika's expression, immediately knew what Yoko had just said.
(｡•̀ ⤙ •́ ｡ꐦ) !!!
It must've been the dark side of the industry again.
"Hm? Really? But I didn't lie to her, you know," Ueno Yoko showed no concern for what she had just done.
¯\_(- > -)_/¯
Nakano Ichika's manager hadn't spelled it out too clearly earlier, but the implications had been enough.
Yoko had just "added a little extra flavor" on top.
Sakurai Saki glanced at the top of Ueno Yoko's head.
[TRUE]
"All right! It's your turn now, you two." Ueno Yoko said as she grabbed Nakano Ichika's hand, ready to lead the girl out of the makeup room.
Watching the two of them leave, Sakurai Saki quietly followed behind.
"Yoko seems pretty interested in that Nakano girl, huh," Minamoto Mashiro, walking beside him, smiled and said, "She only talks about the dark side of the industry to female rookies she wants to pull in. Then she waits for them to come seeking her out."
"The whole hero-saves-damsel thing — girls are pretty easily swayed by tricks like that. So she's actually quite popular, you know."
Sakurai Saki said nothing.
He had no desire to understand that filthy adult world.
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