"Of course not, baby."
Still, Takashi played along with a panicked expression.
He quickly got off the bike, grabbed Hanabi's delicate shoulders, and said, "Baby, you have to believe me."
"My feelings for you are real."
"I didn't reply because my phone's been with my manager lately."
"I just signed with an agency and plan to debut. All my apps are being monitored by my manager now."
"If you don't believe me, I'll call her right now."
Hanabi watched him scrambling to prove himself and couldn't help but want to laugh.
Little Kitahara, you're way too easy to control.
She wished she could take a photo of him like this and send it to that little idol Hoshino Ai and the gyaru Watanabe Akari.
Look~
The guy you couldn't win over? Look how easy it is for me to toy with his feelings. Like walking a dog.
Feel free to be jealous.
"Hello, Takashi? What's wrong?"
Just as Hanabi was gloating inwardly, Takashi had already called Ogitsu Yoshiko—and even turned on speakerphone.
If you're going to act, you go all the way.
"Why did you read Hanabi's message without telling me?"
Takashi immediately began a fierce scolding as soon as the call connected.
It didn't sound like an act.
At least to Hanabi, there was no trace of performance in his voice.
It was all genuine emotion, no acting at all.
So he really cares that much about me? Hehe (#^.^#)
At first, Hanabi had been a little worried when she saw all those online pairings like Takashi x Yukino, Takashi x Umaru, Takashi x Hoshino Ai.
She had wondered if maybe he liked them instead.
Maybe, just like Akari said, she was just being delusional.
Compared to someone like Yukino or Umaru, Hanabi didn't have much confidence. She was just kind of pretty.
But Yukino and Umaru were on another level—top-tier beautiful.
In the world of fantasy martial arts novels, their beauty would be considered a "Beauty Power: Tier 9" at the very least.
Forget standing next to them—just imagining it made Hanabi feel inferior.
Honestly, Hanabi couldn't figure out what Takashi saw in her.
Maybe, just like the mainland girls say, the cold-hearted CEO can fall for a plain-looking girl like me?
If that's true, then it's not surprising he chose her.
After all, even at her worst, she was better than a pig.
"Wha—" Ogitsu Yoshiko was stunned by Takashi's furious tone, but she quickly realized what was happening.
He must be trying to impress a girl and needed her to play along.
Even though Takashi hadn't told her ahead of time, she recovered quickly and played her part flawlessly.
"Takashi, you're a public figure now. A lot of girls like you."
"For your own future, you should keep your distance from that little girl—or even cut her off."
"Once you've made it big, girls like her… there'll be as many as you want."
"I don't think I did anything wrong."
As she spoke, Ogitsu quickly flipped through her notebook, muttering in her head: Hanabi, Hanabi, Han... Ah! Found it.
[Name: Yasuraoka Hanabi, first-year student, a model student in the eyes of her teachers. Appearance: A+. Can cooperate with paparazzi.]
The day she signed the contract with Takashi, they had already gone over things.
Which girls could be exposed to the paparazzi, and which ones couldn't.
This was to avoid landmines.
After all, there were quite a few wealthy and influential girls who liked Takashi.
If he was on a date with someone like Maki and the paparazzi caught it, that would be a disaster.
As a qualified playboy—and as the strategist behind one—both of them had to be in sync.
Once Yasuraoka Hanabi was confirmed as someone who could be reported on, Ogitsu Yoshiko immediately sent a message to the paparazzi.
[No bigshots involved. Free to act!]
At that moment, the phones of major paparazzi buzzed with messages.
Each one let out a creepy little laugh—"kekeke"—as they leapt into action.
This is what it means to be professional!
Takashi heard the sound of Ogitsu Yoshiko flipping through pages on the other end. He knew right away that she understood the subtext of his words.
As expected, a qualified manager not only had to assist a celebrity with their career but also with their daily affairs.
Though honestly, he didn't need someone like Ouji Kiki.
He didn't need that kind of help.
Stupid girl, you think you can play me? Just be good and let me drain you dry.
Takashi glanced nonchalantly at Yasuraoka Hanabi. His face heated up and he roared, "What do you mean by 'a girl like her'?! Say it clearly!"
"And I don't care how good any other girl is—they're not Hanabi. I only want Hanabi!"
He said this with steel in his voice, like he was ready to take on the whole world.
Wait… you like me that much?
Even Yasuraoka Hanabi stared at him, stunned.
Ogitsu Yoshiko tried to persuade him patiently:
"Takashi, you're still young. You don't understand the importance of your career. It's your first crush, so you think she's one of a kind—I get that."
"But have you considered that Yasuraoka Hanabi may not be as perfect as you imagine?"
"She's just an ordinary girl. You think she's perfect because your love has added a filter, painted her in gold, given her a halo."
"Once you get to know more girls, you'll see that Yasuraoka Hanabi is actually very average."
"How about this—I'll introduce you to Mai-chan. Once you meet her—"
Before Ogitsu Yoshiko could finish, Takashi snapped, "Enough!"
"I don't care how pretty Sakurajima Mai is—I only want Yasuraoka Hanabi! Only her! Do you understand!?"
His face turned red and his neck thickened with rage.
Even the veins on his neck were pulsing—it was clear how emotional he was.
"Takashi, don't forget you signed a contract with me. You don't get to tell me what to do."
Ogitsu Yoshiko was angry too, frustrated by his stubbornness.
"If you keep disobeying, I'll freeze your career until you rot. You'll never make it in this industry."
With that threat, she hung up.
Right after ending the call, Ogitsu Yoshiko pulled up the recording of the conversation and reviewed it.
Confirming it needed no editing, she forwarded it directly to Sakurajima Mai and began her complaint.
[Mai, you have to hear this.]
[Takashi has lost his mind.]
[He actually got mad at me over some girl.]
[I'm doing this for his own good, and he's throwing his whole future away for a crush? What an idiot.]
After sending the messages, Ogitsu Yoshiko finally smiled a little.
Now she just had to wait for this fish named Sakurajima Mai to take the bait.
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Wtf lmao.
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