America: My Time

Chapter 640 Tired
Chapter 630 Mentally Exhausted
Back home, John breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, this kind of thing was the hardest to handle, because if you didn't handle it well, you'd be caught in the middle! Entrusting Akina to Chieko-san's care was the best choice. After all, they were mother and daughter, and they could talk about many things, while others couldn't.

After sitting down to rest, Kawai Naoko and Kamachi Sachiko quickly became sleepy and fell asleep leaning against the sofa. The pressure had been immense for them, and relaxing quickly made them drowsy. When they returned, John told them to rest, but unfortunately, the two were too stubborn and insisted they weren't sleepy!

Seeing this, John sighed softly, letting Naoko and Sachiko lean against him without waking them, allowing them to rest. Not long after John returned home and sat down, dinner was ready in the dining room. John simply waved them away and quietly spoke with Hitomi Kuroki and Sunny.

Although Akina's matter had been resolved, John was still deeply moved by what he had witnessed today. Seeing Kuroki Hitomi's slightly puzzled expression, John gently shook his head and said, "Are you a little surprised? This is the best outcome. No matter what, Akina is family, and we couldn't interfere. It's just that Naoko and Sachiko, those two fools, have suffered, bearing pressure they shouldn't have to. They didn't even consider their own feelings; they're still so naive. They weren't unaware of the immense pressure this matter was under, but they still participated without complaint."

As he spoke, John gently touched Naoko and Sachiko's faces. The two beauties were fast asleep, their heads resting on John's laps, giving off a rather unsettling feeling. At that moment, a faint hint of concern flashed across John's face, which surprised both Kuroki Hitomi and Sunny, something they had never seen in John before.

"When I met Naoko, it was around the same time as yours. I had just entered the business world and hadn't achieved what I have today. Naoko had also only recently become famous, and then she joined me. I remember we rarely saw each other back then. I was even busier than I am now, with academic pressure and only able to come to Tokyo during holidays or by taking time off to handle company matters. What impressed me most was when Naoko held a concert and, knowing I was in Tokyo, rushed back overnight, completely disregarding how exhausted she was. Actually, Naoko loves music and could have continued her entertainment career, but she gave it up for me. Although she used Yukari as an excuse, I knew she really gave it up for me. She always thinks of others but never of herself, and Akiko should know that."

Although Hitomi Kuroki knew that Naoko had been with John the longest and was the most favored, she hadn't expected her to be so favored. Furthermore, it was the first time Sunny had sensed a change in John's feelings; they could both feel the subtle affection he showed towards Naoko. This made them somewhat jealous.

"Sachiko and Naoko are similar, both a bit too obsessed with music and quite stubborn. Although she's only been with me for a short time, she's adorably silly. She clearly doesn't like wearing high heels, but she always wears them for me. She clearly doesn't like wearing makeup, but she does it anyway. She doesn't know that I know all of this, I just haven't said it to her. And Akiko, you're actually quite silly too, you just haven't realized it. Back then, you and Akina both resisted your identity and resisted being forced to do things you didn't want to do. And initially, you were always fearful and anxious, worried about being abandoned, and you kept forcing yourself to do things you didn't want to do, getting involved in things at TV Tokyo. My first impression of you was that you were amazing and unexpected. You gave me the feeling of being a very self-disciplined woman. Midori's situation is similar, but compared to the others, you're more Zen-like, you don't compete for anything, and you don't care too much about anything. You're also a silly girl."

At this point, John sighed softly and shook his head. Not all the girls around him were pragmatic; most of them were forced into their choices because reality left them with few options. Whether it was Japan, Hong Kong, or Taiwan, this industry was incredibly cruel.

Looking at Akina Nakamori, who reached this point under the pressure of her family, John is filled with mixed emotions. He originally thought his appearance would change her fate, but unexpectedly, it still came to this, and even sooner than expected! This incident has also given John a different perspective and made him more aware of these girls. There's a deeper reason why Akina ended up like this: the social environment in Japan. Girls like her face considerable pressure in such a patriarchal society. Even if they have worries, they're unwilling to tell others, and because of Japan's educational system, they don't want to trouble others, which leads to this outcome.

“Akiko, Suitsu, you don’t need to have so many concerns. Open your hearts. I’m not as strict as you think, and I won’t restrict you. Don’t think that Naoko’s sacrifice is something you should learn to do. And don’t be scared by Akina’s situation. Tomorrow, Akiko, please tell them to come over. They should know something about Akina’s situation and be prepared. Although most of the reason lies with Akina’s family, there is also a small part of the reason related to me. Someone wants to use Akina and those greedy guys to set up a scheme.”

While John was talking about Naoko and Sachiko, he didn't notice that the two beauties had already regained consciousness. They were just too tired to open their eyes and were still a little dizzy, but they had heard everything John said. They had no idea that John had seen and remembered everything about them.

Kuroki Hitomi nodded and said, "Okay, I'll inform them later. This is indeed no small matter. It's better for them to know something, lest they inadvertently fall into trouble. Things have been very unusual in Japan lately. Banks have approached them to act as intermediaries, and now many companies are trying to win them over. If they're not prepared, they could easily suffer losses!" Kuroki Hitomi, being in Japan, was very aware of all this and didn't think there was anything wrong with John's arrangement. Looking at Nakamori Akina's situation, who wouldn't be worried? Moreover, many people would be affected by such an incident. Kawazumi Naoko and Kamachi Sachiko had already suffered considerable pressure and unimaginable shocks—pressure that shouldn't have been theirs to bear. If others could be informed beforehand, perhaps a lot of unnecessary trouble could be avoided. This was also good for her, since Kuroki Hitomi was in Japan, and if something happened to her, she would inevitably be affected!

"Oh, you're awake. Wake up a bit before having dinner!" Suddenly, John felt a slight movement in his legs. Looking down, he saw that Naoko and Sachiko Kamachi were already awake. It seemed that even in their sleep, they weren't at ease, otherwise they wouldn't have woken up so quickly. Clearly, they were still worried about Akina. It would take considerable time for them to forget everything and gradually calm down, no longer affected by the situation. After all, they had been under unimaginable pressure during this short period.

"Alright, stop thinking about it so much. Akina's situation has been resolved. With Chieko-san taking care of her, there won't be any problems. You should both rest. If you want to see her, you should wait until you've rested before going!" John shook his head, seeing through the two beauties' thoughts. The two were still worried about Akina. Perhaps their relationship was very good, which led to this situation. John didn't pry into their secret.

Upon hearing John's words, Naoko and Sachiko sat up, trying to clear their heads. The past two days had been incredibly impactful for them, leaving them with a sense of unreality.

"Zhaozi, go and tell them to prepare dinner, and then bring a piece of paper and a pen!"

Upon hearing John's words, Hitomi Kuroki got up to arrange dinner, then quickly took out a pen and paper and handed them to John, a hint of doubt in her eyes, not understanding what John wanted to do. Everyone else present was also confused.

"Let's play a little game before dinner and see how lucky Sachiko and Suitsu are. What you win depends on your own luck!" As he spoke, John wrote a few words on a piece of paper and then crumpled it into small balls. Only then did Naoko and Kuroki Hitomi realize what this was about!
At this moment, Kuroki Hitomi's expression changed slightly; she seemed about to say something, but ultimately swallowed her words. However, no one noticed this, as she was thinking of others, such as Sawaguchi Yasuko, who stood beside her. John's choice signified his approval of Sunny and Kamachi Sachiko; others didn't receive such an advantage.

However, this was not something she could interfere with, so Hitomi Kuroki held back. If she spoke up at this time, it would only be detrimental to herself, since it was not her decision that mattered, but John's.

"Alright, you two each choose one and see how lucky you are. Don't look at Naoko and Akiko, they already have one. Now it's up to your luck. Naoko was lucky enough to get Château d'Yquem, and Akiko got Krug Champagne. Their annual profits are their own little coffers. Now it's up to your luck!"

(End of this chapter)