America: My Time

Chapter 527 Beauty Scheming
Chapter 527 Beauty's Schemes

"Momoko, do you think Kawai Naoko would have her current status if she hadn't met Mr. John? Although she might not have an official position, do you think anyone in Japan would disrespect her? And Kuroki Hitomi, who was able to get a direct job on TV Tokyo, did it after making such a sacrifice? Not to mention Nakamori Akina, you know that too. If you can't accept this, then I have nothing to say. I'm just fulfilling my responsibility as an agent. Ultimately, the decision is yours. If you don't take the initiative, this opportunity will definitely be taken by someone else. There are quite a few people in the company who think the same way, and our boss is also a sentimental person." At this moment, Kikuchi Momoko's agent continued to persuade her, saying that Kikuchi Momoko should make the decision herself, but this guy kept putting pressure on Kikuchi Momoko, forcing her little by little, all under the guise of thinking about Kikuchi Momoko's best interests.

Faced with this relentless pressure, Kikuchi Momoko's resolve wavered, and a change appeared in her eyes. Although Kikuchi Momoko had been in the industry for many years, she was only 19 years old. Faced with such a problem, she couldn't help but feel a little afraid. Moreover, after this persuasion, she was indeed tempted. Why bother working hard when you can win without effort? In this industry, without a powerful backer, no one can escape the fate of being controlled by others.

Seeing Kikuchi Momoko waver, this guy spoke up again: "Opportunity knocks but once. If you take the initiative, no man can refuse you. And if you don't do it, someone else will. Moritaka Chisato from the agency is your competitor. A year has passed, so many resources have been used up, but not a ripple has been made. Even Koko hasn't achieved it. What do you think her manager will do?"

At this point, this insidious guy brought up Chisato Moritaka to increase the pressure. It has to be said that his methods were successful. As a beautiful woman, she naturally did not want to be outdone by others, and she was even less willing to see someone inferior to her surpass her. Momoko Kikuchi was the same way. Moreover, having been in this industry for so long, she naturally had ambitions.

Kikuchi Momoko was also a smart person. After some persuasion from her manager, she finally agreed. If she didn't take the initiative, she naturally wouldn't get everything she wanted. Moreover, it was better to entrust herself to a young man than to be ruined by those old guys. How many idols in this industry have become playthings of those old guys and big shots in order to become famous?

Reality is cruel and ruthless. If you can't adapt to all of this, it's best not to be in this industry. It's an extremely cruel and dangerous industry, and idols don't earn as much as you might imagine. Only the top idols make real money; most idols don't earn as much as the average person.

After seeing that Kikuchi Momoko had agreed, the agent breathed a sigh of relief, finally completing his plan. Now it was up to Kikuchi Momoko to act. Having done all this, a hint of joy appeared in his eyes, because he could earn an extra sum of money; his boss would give him a considerable amount of money.

Actually, in this industry, these are all minor matters. It's perfectly normal for managers to scheme against the idols they manage. Those idols who haven't yet achieved fame pay an even higher price. While this doesn't exist in elite agencies—since they don't require such sacrifices for resources—it's a perfectly normal transaction in the Japanese idol market. You reap what you sow; without effort, there's no reward. For those idols who haven't yet achieved fame, obtaining top-tier resources requires immense effort.

In the eyes of the idols and agents at the elite agency, John is now a powerful figure, someone everyone wants to curry favor with, someone who can have everything Naoko desires, whether it's resources or wealth. These idols all know the immense value of Naoko's residence and the astonishing nature of her life—far beyond what an idol could ever achieve. Only those who truly understand this are truly tempted.

"Naoko, what are your thoughts on the future? After you retire, have you considered joining the Phoenix Group and having a name on it? That would be beneficial for your future plans." After John left, Hitomi Kuroki asked, while Akina Nakamori also wanted to know Naoko's choice, since she herself would also be retiring in the future.

“I will go to the United States to live for a while and take care of Yukari’s studies. As for the matter of being a guest author, I refused. I don’t have the ability like you, Akiko-nee, and I don’t want to live that kind of life!” Returning to the family is Naoko’s idea. As for participating in the management of the company, she has no such ambition.

Upon hearing Naoko's words, Hitomi Kuroki's expression changed. In that moment, she learned something from Naoko that she had never noticed before: why was Naoko so favored by John? There was a reason. Naoko possessed the virtues of a Yamato Nadeshiko (ideal Japanese woman). Japanese women prioritize family, while she herself had made a mistake. Initially, she made this decision out of fear of being abandoned when she grew old and faded. But as time passed, Hitomi Kuroki gradually realized that her worries were unnecessary. Although her man was passionate, he wasn't heartless; past events alone were enough to prove it. She had always thought Naoko and Akina Nakamori were foolish. Actually, she wasn't that smart either; otherwise, she wouldn't have failed to realize this, failing to see that her 'shrewdness' was also a sign of foolishness. What man would refuse a gentle and considerate beauty by his side? Yet, she had never considered this.

As a big shot like John, it's impossible for him not to be surrounded by beautiful women, and he won't only have these women around him. More beautiful women will appear in the future. His choice seems good, but in fact, it's the most foolish. John's approval is the foundation of everything. Everything he has comes from this man's generosity.

It's not too late for me to realize this now. If I had left Japan and stayed by John's side, there wouldn't have been so much danger, and the previous crisis wouldn't have occurred. So I made the wrong choice.

"That's right. Returning to our families is our priority. Actually, I've also considered giving up all of this. However, there's something I need to remind you all: he won't only have us women around him; there will be more and more. You all need to be prepared and not react inappropriately. A man like that, a man who has reached the top, will inevitably have countless beautiful women around him. We need to learn to adapt. Trust me, Naoko, you understand. For men at the top of the food chain, money may be tempting, but what men crave even more is beautiful women. A man with money naturally hopes to have more women."

Hitomi Kuroki is absolutely right. There are very few men who don't like beautiful women, especially those who are at the top of the food chain. Their demands on women are even more insane. This is true in Japan, and it is true for big shots all over the world.

Would they regret choosing to follow such a man? No, neither Naoko, Akina Nakamori, nor Hitomi Kuroki would. Although they initially had no choice, none of them regretted it; in fact, they were all happy about their good fortune. Japanese women admire strength, and for them, choosing a strong man as their man is the best decision. As for how many women this man has, that's not something they need to consider. Japanese women understand very well that the stronger a man is, the more women he has around him. This is an imprint etched in their hearts, so smart Japanese women will not cause trouble over women's affairs; such a situation will never happen to them.

The idea of ​​mistresses being beaten is almost unheard of in Japan because Japanese women don't care about such things. They may compete for favor among themselves, but they would never bring their conflicts to the public eye. Doing so would not only make them lose face but also their men. Japanese men are very hypocritical and value their reputation highly. Almost no woman would make such a fool of herself and lose face.

Naoko and Akina Nakamori were naturally aligned because they were both idols and initially had a good relationship, making them natural allies. While Hitomi Kuroki had also integrated into this small circle, she understood that there was still a gap between her and Naoko and Akina. To solidify her position in John's heart, Hitomi Kuroki needed help, and she felt she should find someone before giving up her position at TV Tokyo.

John brought up the elite agency today, which piqued Kuroki Hitomi's interest. Perhaps this was her chance. This is quite normal in Japan, especially among the women around the men at the top of the food chain. Few of them act alone because they all know that their beauty will eventually fade with time—a rule of nature that cannot be changed. Therefore, they actively seek out women for their men, ignoring any beautiful women who appear around them. Now, Kuroki Hitomi has such an idea.

In Japan, women have a low social status, and beautiful public relations women like Hitomi Kuroki, Akina Nakamori, and Naoko Naoko have an even lower status. When they are favored, everything is fine, but time will eventually take away their beauty, and no matter how beautiful a woman is, she cannot change this.

(End of this chapter)