"You've really got guts, don't you…"
Iori looked at Kamishiro like he was a cockroach.
Because the director had shouted too loudly, Iori and the others already knew about Kamishiro's adult film aspirations.
Recalling the "teachers" in his own study materials, Iori couldn't help but entertain the thought.
Maybe I could do it too!
I could even launch a "virgin" series!
Of course, that's just a passing idea. His family is pretty traditional.
If little Shiori found out…
{{(°△°; "}}!
Forget it, better just find a proper girlfriend.
"You're such a perv—there's no saving you!"
Aina spat in disgust and immediately picked up her phone to text her bestie.
He already has Kiyoko, and now he's thinking of doing porn?
Unforgivable!
"Why would you give up being an idol to go into adult films… What are you thinking…"
Chisa just couldn't understand. If you just want to experience that kind of thing between men and women, there's no need to join the AV industry. Kamishiro's already scummy enough.
And if that's not the reason, then what benefit does the AV industry have?
Aren't there way more pretty girls in showbiz?
Faced with everyone's lack of understanding, Kamishiro put his hands behind his back, striking a sage-like pose.
"Me? I'm not driven by vulgar desires. I simply pity those young boys and girls who've never known intimacy. I want to teach them some new positions!
So they can apply what they learn in their future lives!"
He saw himself as a 'teacher' passing down sacred knowledge!
"..."
Everyone went completely speechless. This guy seriously had no shame.
Ptooey!
What kind of teacher is that!!!
…
Unfortunately,
In the end, the manager didn't recommend Kamishiro and instead gave him a detailed explanation as to why male actors in the AV industry generally aren't good-looking.
However—
Kamishiro believed this was all because the IP company was too timid!
After all, sometimes girls in Japan buy those videos for educational purposes, right?
To provide a better viewing experience for female audiences, he felt his participation was absolutely necessary!
He even thought he could play the role of a little brother being "forced" by a mature woman—he was very good at that!
The manager gave a thoughtful nod at Kamishiro's suggestion.
He had to admit, he was briefly persuaded by Kamishiro's enthusiasm…
Then—
After cursing, "You goddamn idiot," he swaggered off!
Ridiculous!
Sure, it made sense, but what did any of this have to do with him, a TV station executive?
Their station had no intention of working with adult film actors.
More importantly—
If word got out that he had recommended a promising young man with top-tier potential to go into adult films…
He'd be crucified in the industry!
So even though he had the IP company's contact info, there was no way he'd ever make that call!
As for whether Kamishiro would contact them on his own in the future—
That was none of his business. He'd just pretend he'd never seen the guy!
With that in mind, the manager looked at Ikegoshi with a noticeably softer gaze.
Now this was the kind of artist you could trust.
Unfortunately, no matter how reliable Ikegoshi might be, it didn't change the fact that he couldn't appear on camera anymore.
The TV station manager continued from where he had left off earlier, saying,
"From now on, Ikegoshi won't appear on screen anymore."
"What?!"
Ikegoshi, who had just relaxed upon hearing Kamishiro wouldn't be entering the idol industry, was stunned.
He immediately pleaded with the manager, "Please make an exception. This small injury isn't a big deal."
"The wound itself isn't the issue—it's on your face…"
"We'll leave the rest to Aoi."
Of course, the manager knew it was only a minor injury, but—
Ikegoshi was an idol. The face was what the audience came for.
Now that his face was injured, the filming schedule couldn't afford any delays, so naturally, they had to cut Ikegoshi from the next segments.
"This really won't do, I'm begging you!"
Ikegoshi argued passionately—he wasn't willing to just let this opportunity slip away!
This shoot was incredibly important to him!
Watching this, the others couldn't help but feel a bit moved.
"He's so passionate."
"I heard this is the first show with his name on it."
"Then yeah, he should fight for it."
"Too bad. I tried earlier, but that old guy's heartless."
"…"
Chisa glanced at Kamishiro, a muscle twitching at the corner of her eye.
In a way, you should thank that old guy.
Stopping you from going into adult films is an act of justice!
To prevent Kamishiro from doing anything else insane on impulse,
She had already messaged Aunt Keiko. Before she left, Aunt Keiko had specifically asked her to keep an eye on him!
Yep. Going into adult films is a serious matter!
Meanwhile, Kamishiro was still unaware he had been "righteously backstabbed" and was brainstorming solutions with Iori and the others.
"Using the heavy makeup from cakey might work."
"That would be a broadcast disaster, okay?"
"Might as well just put a helmet on. Either way, the audience won't recognize Ikegoshi. The helmet would actually look cooler."
"My makeup skills have improved, okay?!"
Aina argued angrily—Kiyoko and the others had said her style was unique!
At that moment—
Ikegoshi, who had failed to convince the manager and was on the verge of giving up, glanced over at the group…
And just from that one glance—he couldn't look away!
His eyes locked tightly on the blond figure.
Then he suddenly rushed forward, grabbed Kohei's shoulders, and shouted,
"Bro!"
The outburst shocked Kamishiro and the others, not to mention Kohei, who already had social anxiety.
He instantly hid behind Iori, warily watching the sudden celebrity in front of him.
Trembling.jpg
"Why are you suddenly talking to me…"
"…"
That's so you, Kohei.
Kamishiro was always baffled by Kohei's character design—
Here was someone who could strip naked anytime, anywhere… yet he had social anxiety?
Shouldn't it be others who were afraid of him?
Just doesn't make sense~
"Sorry, he's got some social anxiety," someone explained casually. By now, everyone was used to it.
That explanation was more for the confused Ikegoshi.
Ikegoshi quickly waved his hands, saying, "No, no, I should be the one apologizing for being so loud just now."
Clearly, this idol had no airs at all—much better than those who act superior just because they're idols.
"So what did you want from him?"
Everyone was a little confused. Did he like Kohei's suggestion about the helmet?
"Well, I was thinking, maybe…"
Ikegoshi hesitated as he rummaged through his bag and pulled out a bottle of hair wax.
"Sorry, give me a moment."
He rubbed a bit of the wax into Kohei's hair and casually styled it.
Instantly!
A Kohei with the exact same hairstyle as Ikegoshi appeared!
At that moment, everyone finally understood what Ikegoshi was getting at.
Earlier, the hairstyle had thrown them off, but now that the hair matched—
Kohei and Ikegoshi looked 95% identical!
Only their eyes were slightly different, but even that was astonishing!
Σ(っ °Д °;)っ
"Holy crap, a doppelgänger!"
Kamishiro was so shocked he even swore.
I mean—
He'd seen lookalikes before, but those were twins!
But Ikegoshi and Kohei…
They're not even the same age!
Aina and the others were stunned as well.
"Kohei, do you have a long-lost older brother or something?"
"No, I'm an only child."
Kohei looked in a mirror. It was really similar!
But he really was an only child. There was no dramatic style backstory.
"Probably just a coincidence. I'm an only child too,"
Ikegoshi quickly added—he didn't want this to spiral into some 'sibling reveal' drama.
After all, he was pretty certain he didn't have a secret younger brother.
Ikegoshi placed a pair of sunglasses on Kohei's face and looked at the near-perfect replica.
He smiled and turned to the director.
"Director, how about this?!"
"Hmm…"
The manager kept glancing between them, astonished.
Were these two really born from different moms?
They looked way too alike!
The only noticeable difference now was the hair color.
"If we dyed the hair black…"
"It would totally work, right?!"
Ikegoshi was thrilled—this meant that "he" could still appear in the upcoming scenes!
"Wait… Ikegoshi, are you saying you want Kohei to be your stand-in?"
Kamishiro finally snapped out of his shock.
Setting aside whether Kohei would even agree… this idea was just—nuts!
The kind you'd definitely regret later!
Ikegoshi answered Kamishiro's question with his actions.
He gave Kohei a deep bow and said:
"Please, I'm begging you! Ever since I debuted, people have said my persona is too bland. It's been 7 years… and now, finally, an opportunity has come my way!
I want to become a breakout star as a diving idol!!"
"Uh…"
Stunned by Ikegoshi's passion, Kamishiro and the others could only blink in silence.
"Diving idol…"
"Plenty of idols have done diving content before…"
"Isn't that… kind of a boring persona?"
"I think it'll sell!"
Among the group, only Chisa liked the idea.
But her opinion didn't really count—this girl loved everything related to the ocean.
Kamishiro was sure there weren't many people in all of Japan with a personality like hers.
Even if the diving movements aren't perfectly standard...
Many diving professionals who are passionate about the sport would criticize this kind of public persona.
After all, if you're building a persona, it should at least be a little more professional than an amateur standing nearby.
So… the persona Ikegoshi has chosen carries a pretty high risk.
It might be better to just dive in directly!
But in the end, everything depended on Kohei's own willingness.
"Kohei, what do you say?"
Iori looked toward Kohei, who was hiding by the shop entrance.
"Absolutely NO!"
Kohei's body trembled. He was already socially anxious to begin with—how could he possibly face a camera like a normal person?!
Let alone the fact that he'd apparently be paired with a complete stranger as a model!
"Please! Help me just this once!"
Ikegoshi bowed deeply again, refusing to give up. He really didn't want to miss out on this opportunity!
Seeing how insistent the celebrity was, Iori whispered a suggestion, "If you want to persuade that guy, you'll need something like a signed voice actor autograph."
"A voice actor's autograph..."
Ikegoshi thought for a moment. "I do have a signed autograph from Yurika Muranaka…"
He looked hesitant—unsure if he should say the rest.
But he was overthinking it.
As soon as Kohei heard that it was a signed autograph from Yurika Muranaka, a top-tier voice actress, he teleported in front of everyone, dyeing his hair black while saying, "If this fails, don't blame me!"
"What does everyone think?"
Seeing that Kohei agreed, Aina turned to ask the store manager and the others who were watching, since technically, they were still on the job.
If Kohei went to be a stand-in, a lot of his work would be left undone.
"No problem."
The manager was still indifferent. As long as today's tasks got done eventually, it didn't matter.
The shift leader also had no objection—recording the show was technically part of the job too. It just meant one fewer person doing odd jobs, which was no big deal.
"Then it's settled!"
Seeing everyone agree, Ikegoshi was thrilled—everything was falling into place!
His chance to reinvent himself was safe!
"Uh…"
"What we said is true."
"But we really think you should reconsider."
"I feel the same way."
Shiro and the other three still wanted to dissuade this poor celebrity who had gone seven years without developing a proper public image.
"Why?"
Ikegoshi didn't quite understand. Sure, he knew amateurs lacked experience and got nervous in front of the camera.
But this time, the script was simple—it didn't require any particular skills. At worst, they'd just have to do more takes.
In response to the celebrity's question, Kamishiro and Iori spoke in unison, "Because that guy's a total weirdo!"
That's right!
Their assessment of Kohei was: a total weirdo!
And not just Kohei—they felt the same way about everyone in the PAB club except themselves.
It had practically become the club's universal label.
"Then that's actually…"
Seeing Ikegoshi pondering, Kamishiro and the others sighed in relief. They thought he was finally going to give up. But then they heard—
"That's actually exactly what I was hoping for!"
"What kind of logic is that?!"
Everyone stared in horror at Ikegoshi. Did he bump his head on some coral or something?!
"Relax, being a little odd is better—after all, I'm going for a unique persona."
"..."
Everyone fell silent. How were they supposed to explain to this eager celebrity that...
Their idea of a weirdo was probably way beyond what he could ever imagine.
It was the kind of persona no one would ever want.
"Well, since you're this insistent, we really can't say anything else…"
They understood now—Ikegoshi wouldn't give up until he saw it for himself.
In that case...
"Anyway…"
"There's just one last thing we want to say to you!"
"Same here!"
"We did try to warn you, okay?" ×4
Seeing the serious expressions on all four of them, Ikegoshi couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
Surely... nothing too crazy would happen, right?
Under everyone's watchful eyes, the TV station's yacht once again set off toward the sea.
Two minutes later…
The yacht came back.
As the yacht approached, Kamishiro and the others weren't surprised at all.
They knew this would happen!
"Please just take him away already!"
The coordinator was on the verge of a breakdown as he shoved Kohei back. At this point, it would've been better to just cut Ikegoshi's scene altogether.
"Well, that was fast."
"Impressive speed!"
No one was surprised that Kohei got sent back—they had at least some confidence in his ability to cause chaos.
It's just…
They didn't expect it to happen this fast!
Barely two minutes, and he was already sent packing.
Judging by the look in the coordinator's eyes… he must've witnessed something terrifying.
"Wait a minute! His behavior on the boat was a little... off! But still…"
Ikegoshi was desperately defending Kohei—he really didn't want to lose this gig!
"What the hell did you do?"
Kamishiro and the others looked at Kohei with confusion. What on earth could make a seasoned veteran react like that?
"They said they wanted a shot of me unzipping the wetsuit a bit."
Kohei looked innocent—he was just doing what they asked. Why was everyone staring at him like he was some monster?
"..."
Right. Everyone instantly understood what had happened.
Picture this: out at sea, on a cramped yacht.
A man staring blankly as he slowly strips—without wearing underwear beneath his wetsuit.
That's enough to make anyone break down.
The coordinator had never imagined someone would be completely naked underneath. Any normal person would understand what he meant, right?!
This was supposed to be a serious show!
Going full nude was not on the menu!
"They meant unzipping down to your chest—you must've unzipped the whole thing…"
"Since you accepted the job, no more stripping! Got it?"
Aina lectured Kohei from the side. Now that he'd agreed to help, he should at least try to do a decent job.
Besides, this was promoting their new shop, too.
"It's a bit tough, but I'll do my best."
Kohei nodded. He'd try to restrain those urges.
Honestly, he felt the coordinator's phrasing was partly to blame—it had stirred something deep within him!
"He already said he'd try! Even if he only appears in the food review segment later, that's fine!"
Ikegoshi was super excited. Just give this young man—and himself—a chance!
"I think I heard him say not stripping will be difficult…"
The coordinator really didn't want to, but since Ikegoshi had pleaded so much, he had no choice but to continue.
Maki chimed in, "Ikegoshi, you should go to the hospital now."
They had only done a rough treatment of his injury earlier.
Since the wound was on his face, he should get proper medical attention.
After all, without a solid persona, Ikegoshi was currently relying entirely on his looks to survive~
"Alright, I'll go right now."
Ikegoshi knew he couldn't delay anymore. But before leaving…
"Bro!"
He grabbed Kohei's hand, trembling.
"I'm counting on you completely!"
At this point, he had no other choice but to trust this guy who looked exactly like him.
With a face like that, as long as he didn't randomly take his clothes off, surely nothing too outrageous would happen… right?
"Leave it to me."
Kouhei nodded—for Yurika Muranakas autograph.
And so, Kamishiro Shiro and the others watched Mr. Ikegoshi leave.
Perhaps due to this immature decision, his character might end up taking a perverted path.