I’ll Take On The Modern World—And Dominate It—Relying On No One But Myself.

The Actress and Her Manager.

“This feels suspicious… Is this some sort of secret organization?”

Kagetaka, led by Hiiragi, arrived at a building named Graceville.

The building itself had no distinguishing features, and aside from the name, there was little information to go on.

With the main entrance closed off, they entered the building through the underground parking garage.

On the first floor, there was a conference room where their contact for the day was waiting.

“My name is Isurugi. Pleased to meet you.”

Isurugi offered his business card.

Since Kagetaka didn’t have a card for his own company, Shoudou, he handed over one from his current employer, Delta Five.

As he faced the two women before him, Kagetaka was left speechless.

The younger woman, likely his junior, had a blend of delicate charm and youthful innocence. Her glossy, well-kept hair flowed to her shoulders, giving her a refined, intellectual air.

Her eyes, shining like polished obsidian, met his with a gaze so deep and intense, it felt as though he might be drawn in like a black hole.

The other woman appeared slightly older than Kagetaka. She was elegant, composed, and carried a graceful intelligence in her demeanor. Her long, silky black hair cascaded beautifully, and her sharp, symmetrical features radiated a quiet brilliance.

The slim-framed glasses she wore only further highlighted her refined and intellectual presence.

The business card he received read:
“Kirishima Productions – Kashiro Ririka.”

Even someone like Kagetaka, who rarely watched television, recognized Kirishima Productions as a major talent agency.

“Oh? You’re in the entertainment industry, Kashiro-san?”

He spoke with genuine curiosity, only to quickly realize his remark may have come off as somewhat forward. But her reaction was far from what he expected.

“Pfft—”

“Fufuu~…”

The two women before him couldn’t help but stifle their laughter.

“?”

“It’s Kumashiro, actually. Isurugi’s the second person to mispronounce it. The first was me. She’s actually a nationally beloved actress.”

Shouta explained.

“Whaaat?! Since when is Hiiragi acquainted with someone that famous?!”

Kagetaka had heard that Hiiragi was involved with a talent training center, so he had considered the possibility of meeting someone from the industry. But he hadn’t remotely prepared himself to meet a celebrity in person.

Judging by her looks alone, Kumashiro certainly seemed to fit the profile of a top-tier actress, just as Hiiragi had said.

“Hehe, Isurugi-san, you really are just like Hiiragi-san. Your reaction when you saw me was exactly the same as his.”

Kumashiro was still struggling to hold back her laughter.

The other woman introduced herself as Tachibana—Kumashiro’s manager.

(Maybe she used to be an entertainer too…)

Kagetaka found himself speculating on her background.

(Still, both of them are exactly my type… Damn that Hiiragi, we really do have the same taste…)

Kagetaka burned with a quiet, irrational jealousy toward his friend.

“I happened to work with her on a project for Axis Staff—”

According to Hiiragi, their connection began when he coached Kumashiro during the filming of a commercial for Axis Staff.

It turned out that Tamura, a colleague of Hiiragi’s, was a former classmate of Kumashiro and was originally supposed to handle that job. When Tamura couldn’t make it, Hiiragi stepped in as a substitute.

Later, Tamura reintroduced Hiiragi and Kumashiro, which led to their current friendship.

“Come on, you can’t just become friends with a famous actress that easily!”

Kagetaka couldn’t help but interject.

Meanwhile, Kumashiro murmured softly—“Um… well…”—glancing at Hiiragi with a gaze full of emotion.

(Oh no. One more push, and I’ll be the bad guy here…)

Kagetaka wisely decided not to press further into their relationship.

“So while I was getting bullied by Astral, the other me was out living this kind of life, huh…”

Isurugi commented, as if reflecting on the final page of a novel.

Given that Hiiragi had revealed his true identity to these two, it was clear he placed a great deal of trust in them.

From previous conversations, Kagetaka had learned that Hiiragi wasn’t the type to take unnecessary risks.

Whether this caution stemmed from age or a past experience, Kagetaka couldn’t say.

But the fact that Hiiragi had chosen to share such high-risk information with them said everything.