[The result of the Suzuki Zaibatsu's 60th anniversary celebration this time was very different from what was originally expected.]
[Originally, in this banquet of the Suzuki Zaibatsu, Phantom Thief Kid 1412 would have successfully taken away the Black Star. After all, aunt would never give the real Black Star to anyone else.]
[Of course, this time was no different. The Black Star I had transformed regained some of its original spirituality. In addition, after being nurtured by aunt and uncle for so many years, it now has the ability to bring a bit of good luck.]
[Aunt will never give the Black Star to anyone else.]
[On the contrary, I was a little surprised by Miss Shijo's reaction. She has a personality completely opposite to Kaguya's, yet she made the same choice as Kaguya.]
[Then there was Shijo Mikado, who turned out to be an even more doting brother than I expected. After getting off the cruise ship, I noticed he personally arranged for someone to take Miss Shijo back home, presumably to check whether there was any hallucinogenic drug in her system.]
[Well, to sum up, Nightmare's ability is quite useful.]
[It can force a target to fall asleep, obtain relevant information in their dream, and create a reassuring scene so they can relax more. After leaving, it can also make them unable to remember what happened in the dream.]
[For ordinary people, the effect is really good.]
[However, it was not a good idea to target Miss Shijo this time. I'll need to make up for that in the future.]
[Then there was another surprise at this banquet.]
[Miss Katsura became a believer.]
[Of course, I also know that the reason Miss Katsura jumped in was probably because of Sanzenin and Saginomiya. In her view, so-called secrets carry certain risks.]
[But after getting involved, what will Miss Katsura think?]
[It is likely she will take the initiative to find Sanzenin to explore the secret she has been pursuing. Well, considering privacy issues, I did not tell her. Whether she finds out depends on Sanzenin's own wishes.]
Whether Sanzenin chooses to tell Miss Katsura her secret is entirely up to her. Ren is used to not interfering in other people's choices.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
There was a knock on the door.
After putting down his pen, Ren stood up to open it, only for the person outside to suddenly pounce on him, making him quickly catch her in his arms.
"Ren!"
The longing, affectionate call instantly brightened Ren's mood.
"Are you in a good mood today?"
"Mm!"
Lying in Ren's arms, Yoko didn't want to get up.
Although she was the older one, what happened today made her want to act like a child.
"Starting a business with friends is something I could never have imagined."
"The identity of an idol has always been tied to the management company. I've known this since high school. Back when we were in group training, I saw it bit by bit."
"Artists who lose their value are eventually put on ice. Well-known artists are supported on the surface, but behind the scenes they still have to obey the company's arrangements."
"That's why I worked harder to become the idol everyone loves. I want to stand on the stage I like, show my value, and become the most dazzling star in the hearts of fans, instead of being the one who gets frozen."
While speaking about her ambitions, Yoko cautiously looked up.
"Am I too greedy?"
"No."
Ren gently embraced her as she confessed her greed.
"Who isn't greedy? There are plenty of people in this world who want everything, and I'm one of them."
"The problem is that the mountain of management companies is still too oppressive for artists. It's like you think you're valuable and won't be placed on the table, but in reality, you've always been on the table."
"Until you find a chance to step down from the table and become the one sitting at the table."
"Only then will you have more autonomy."
This is the fundamental contradiction between artists and companies, and between workers and capital. Unless you become capital yourself, this contradiction cannot be changed.
So it was normal for Yoko to have such thoughts.
Who doesn't want to be the master of their own fate?
This wasn't greed, but an instinctive human drive.
"Then I'll have to become part of the capital."
After a while, Yoko finally came out of Ren's arms.
"Well, I'll have to work hard from now on. But now that I'm becoming a boss, I'll have more things to deal with in the future."
She thought that the studio she planned to set up would essentially be another agency, except the boss would also be one of the artists.
Since they were all artists and had a solid foundation, the studio's situation would be better than traditional agencies.
"But this is just the first step. I feel like there's still a lot more to learn."
Thinking about the learning ahead, Yoko felt a slight headache.
Ever since she started pursuing the path of an idol in high school, she had never been strong in academic studies. It felt like starting to study again as an adult.
"You can ask your friends for help first. Your own ability may be limited, but your friends might have connections."
"Mm, maybe."
Hearing Ren's suggestion eased her nerves a little.
"Then there's the matter of your friends. When you start a business with them, once the business reaches a certain size and conflicts of interest arise, it's easy for differences in opinion to appear. You'll have to manage that yourself."
"If there's a conflict of interest, you need to be generous enough to handle it."
"But with Ms. Ayako involved, your friends probably won't leave you easily. Still, aside from business, there's also the matter of personal relationships. If you don't want those friendships to end up being only about profit, you'll need to watch out for that."
Like an old mother, Ren kept sharing his understanding of business.
He had no entrepreneurial experience, but he had seen plenty of similar movies.
He believed those things had to happen in real life too, so it should be fine to use them as lessons.
Yoko didn't show the slightest impatience. She just listened quietly, remembering every bit of advice.
After Ren finished speaking, she asked,
"Can I stay here today?"
After speaking, she noticed his surprised look.
(To be continued.)
***
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