The reality of the situation was not that complicated.
At the time, Mai's mother's considerations were mostly for the benefit of her career.
A swimsuit photoshoot would allow Mai's popularity to reach a new level, expand her fanbase, and open up more options for commercial collaborations.
That was all.
As for Mai's own refusal to do the swimsuit shoot, in her mother's eyes, her daughter was making a fuss over nothing.
After all, in the entertainment industry, swimsuit photoshoots were considered a normal part of business collaborations, even if the subject was a middle school student.
Therefore, Mai's mother did not think it was a big issue at the time.
She was thinking of Mai's career; she was doing it for her own good.
Even for a long time after her daughter had a falling out with her, stopped her entertainment activities, and moved out to live alone, she still felt this way.
However, by the time she realized her mistake, the relationship between mother and daughter had already hit rock bottom.
It was difficult for Mai's mother to even see Mai, let alone have a calm conversation.
Furthermore, Mai's mother had the personality of a workaholic.
Although she valued her daughter, it was impossible for her to give up her own career for her.
Thus, after a few unsuccessful attempts at communication, she let the situation be.
How to put it... She's really something else.
In Mori Shinra's opinion, if Mai's mother had only been Mai's agent, the decision to make her do a swimsuit shoot would be somewhat understandable.
But her identity was not just that of an agent; she was also Mai's mother.
To still make such a decision when Mai had clearly expressed her refusal was, frankly, somewhat baffling.
It was no wonder Mai showed such resistance, and even disgust, towards her mother.
This time, it was definitely Mai's mother's fault.
There was no way to spin it.
Judging from this incident alone, one could say Mai's mother was a competent agent, but definitely not a competent mother.
Now it all depended on Mai's answer.
If she decided to go to another agency, Mori Shinra could also abandon this acquisition plan and simply acquire a different, similar agency instead.
After all, for both Mori Shinra and Sakurajima Mai, Mai's mother's company was never their only option.
From the very beginning, the only reason Mori Shinra chose Mai's mother's agency was simply because it was her mother's company.
If that relationship were disregarded, Mori Shinra had a myriad of choices.
In any industry, the one with money and resources is always king.
"Unbelievable..."
Tears welled up in Mai's eyes at some point.
Her mother watched her in silence.
The emotion labeled 'sorrow' radiating from both of them almost completely filled Mori Shinra's field of vision, forcing him to temporarily disable the visualization feature of his Emotion Perception.
"I'm sorry." Mai's mother lowered her head and apologized to her daughter once more.
She did not intend to make excuses for herself, even though she knew that if she fabricated some non-existent hardship, she could likely gain her daughter's forgiveness.
But wrong was wrong.
Mai's mother was a very serious and stubborn person; she would not find excuses for herself.
In this, Mai had inherited this trait from her mother.
After calming her emotions slightly, Mai made her decision.
"Even when I make my comeback, I will not let you be my agent again."
"That is understandable."
Mai's mother's expression fell slightly, but she still chose to accept it.
"In that case..." Mai's mother was about to say that their conversation for the day was over.
In her view, Mai choosing another agent meant abandoning her company.
Naturally, the investment from Hayashi International would no longer land on her company's head.
Since that was the case, rather than waiting for them to tell her to leave, it was better to be tactful...
"The price for Mori Shinra's share acquisition needs to be lowered further. Additionally, by signing with your company, I also require a reasonable allotment of shares to purchase. I can pay for this portion."
"...You're not going to another company?"
"Signing with another company would serve no purpose other than to anger you, right? It would also cause trouble for Shinra. So, what is your answer?" Mai said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"I can grant you shares, and you won't have to pay for that portion. I can also concede a bit more on the share price. However, Shinra-kun will need to persuade the other shareholders himself." Mai's mother made a concession.
The shares given to Mai were essentially a direct transfer from her mother.
As for Mori Shinra, besides Mai's mother, he also needed to acquire shares from other shareholders.
He would have to negotiate these himself; Mai's mother could not make decisions for them.
This was not something Mori Shinra needed to worry about at all.
The people at Hayashi Investments were far more professional than him at figuring out how to acquire those shares.
Mori Shinra only needed to decide whether to acquire the shares.
The investment specialists had to consider much more.
It was worth noting that this portion of shares would temporarily be held under Hayashi International.
Only after Mori Shinra had paid a sufficient 'price' would they be transferred to his personal name.
However, in reality, having the shares held by Hayashi International was more useful than having them in Mori Shinra's personal name.
After all, Mori Shinra was unknown.
Hayashi International, while not a household name among the general public, was a top-tier international company in the business world of Chiba, and indeed all of Japan.
The Hayashi Group behind it was a world-renowned conglomerate.
As the saying goes, it's cool in the shade of a big tree.
Relying on a large company like Hayashi International, she would certainly not be short on endorsement deals in the future.
An endorsement is an endorsement, regardless of who it's for.
By endorsing one of their own, a portion of the money spent could be recouped.
Perfect.
After the discussion reached a conclusion, Mori Shinra excused himself to use the restroom, planning to pay the bill on his way.
Thus, only the mother and daughter remained in the private room.
"You might be like me, with poor judgment in men. A man like him will definitely be unfaithful in the future," Mai's mother stated in a convinced tone.
It wasn't that she was prejudiced against Mori Shinra.
As someone with experience, she knew very well that her daughter alone could not hold onto a man as outstanding as Mori Shinra.
As for why she said Mai had the same poor judgment as her, it was because Mai's father had been unfaithful while she was pregnant with Mai.
This was the exact reason Mai's mother had decisively divorced him.
"That is not your concern," Mai said indifferently.
She had already realized this that day at the supermarket entrance when she ran into the Yukinoshita sisters.
"With your personality, once you start working, you'll probably neglect him. The possibility of him being unfaithful will be even greater. What do you plan to do then?"
Mai's mother knew Mai well, so her question hit right at the heart of the matter.
"Nothing." Mai kept her eyes lowered.
"In that, you are nothing like me."
"For me, that is a good thing."
"Is that so. I hope you can still say that when the time comes."
"You're nagging."