Japanese Entertainment: A Comeback Beginning from Bankrupt President

Chapter 165 Yes, I like him.

The next day.

The editorial department of the well-known magazine "Josei Jishin" called Noriko Soma's agency, sending them the photos they had compiled overnight, along with a buyout fee of 2 million yen.

The magazine's sincerity lies in paying 2 million to buy out the deal and ensuring that not a single photo or message is released afterward.

Otherwise, Noriko Soma's current persona isn't very compatible with dating news, which would have a certain impact on her fan base and would also make production teams consider her more carefully when casting roles.

You've only been in the industry for a few years and you're already dating and kissing in the street? Don't you have any ambition at all?

Look, if the role were given to someone else, the loss would be more than 20 million.

This is the norm, so most agencies will ask newcomers to wait a while before dating, at least until they have made a name for themselves in the entertainment industry, and they must also keep it a secret.

If you can do that, then you can date a really scumbag guy (or girl) without any problem, because you can hide it yourself.

If you can't hide it, you'll have to compensate for the losses.

And one thing to remember is not to cheat on your partner, as this has a particularly big impact on female celebrities.

The magazine judged that Noriko Soma's agency would likely haggle and then obediently pay, ultimately settling on a hush money payment of over ten million yen.

They were fine with it, but what they didn't know was that the agency's president was practically bursting with excitement when he saw the photo.

He first asked the magazine to hold off on it for the time being, and then quickly called Watanabe Sōta to tell him this wonderful news.

"As expected, Noriko Soma has infiltrated the company. Last night, the magazine published a photo of Kazuya Sawashiro and Noriko Soma kissing in the street, and asked me to buy it out for 2 million yen."

"?"

Watanabe Souta's first reaction was doubt, and his second reaction was to ask the editor-in-chief to send him the photo so that he could confirm that it was not a photoshopped image from the magazine.

That shouldn't be the case.

In Watanabe Souta's memory, Sawashiro Kazuya wasn't the kind of fool who would fall for a honey trap, especially not such a simple one.

While it's true that Noriko Soma is beautiful and evokes that first-love feeling, anyone who would actively approach her at this moment would definitely consider her intentions; there's no reason to unconditionally trust someone.

However, the magazine photos are very realistic; from the angle of the shot, they really look like a couple parting ways on the street.

Maybe she really is in a relationship?

That's incredibly fast; in just two months, they've already secured the most crucial person.

If only it could be that ideal.

Watanabe Souta wasn't being paranoid; he just couldn't believe that Sawashiro Kazuya, who had been causing him so much trouble, would fall for Soma Noriko, and that they would be photographed kissing passionately in the street. He suspected it was a trap set for him.

When faced with a trap, one naturally wants to find someone to step on it first, and Watanabe Sōta thought of Sōma Kōko.

Anyway, she's already in the trap, so the worst outcome is that she'll end up in a relationship.

Before that, he needed to find out what happened from Soma Noriko. So, when Soma Noriko was on break, Watanabe Sōta called her manager and asked her directly.

"Was that also part of your plan? To snatch Sawashiro Kazuya from Amano Aki?"

"It wasn't a plan, I really like him. He's a very charming man. He even cooked me a delicious dinner last night. We had a very pleasant time together, so we couldn't help but—"

Soma Noriko thought about it all night and decided to continue the charade.

It wasn't because Kazuya Sawashiro kissed her, nor because she ate the food Kazuya Sawashiro cooked, but simply because the last thing Kazuya Sawashiro said to her was absolutely right.

If you want to be a bad person, you first have to get close to him to understand him better.

So from now on, she needs to tell everyone that she likes Kazuya Sawashiro, so that she can approach him openly and legitimately.

He made him realize that getting involved with a woman like her would be the worst decision he had ever made.

But before that, Watanabe Souta realized he was wrong.

It seems he sent a love-struck person to Kazuya Sawashiro, and this person just happened to be captivated by Kazuya Sawashiro, by that inexplicable dinner.

Well, this was the first time Watanabe Souta had ever heard of this either. He had always thought that the cooking project was a hoax.

"So are you serious? The magazine has your photos from last night, ready to publish them at any time." Watanabe Souta wanted to know what she was thinking.

The most important thing is to confirm whether she can continue to do her own thing.

It's one thing to have doubts yourself, but it's quite another to hear Noriko Soma admit it to you. Sometimes it's best to let the person involved clarify things.

On the other end of the phone, Noriko Soma showed no surprise. She calmly answered Sōta Watanabe's question: "I don't have that much money to pay hush money, so can you help me?"

"What happens after it's sealed?"

"From what you're saying, of course we'll continue our relationship, just in a more secretive underground setting."

'

It seems it wasn't a trap; it was just this person's romantic fantasies kicking in.

Watanabe Souta hates dealing with this kind of person the most, so he just hopes that Soma Noriko's love-struck mind won't affect him.

This also served as a reminder to Watanabe Souta that while young girls like this may not attract much attention, they are easily influenced, or rather, prone to developing a "love-struck" mentality.

Simply put, Kazuya Sawashiro is indeed very attractive. If he were to apply for a job at a host club, he would definitely become a top host with an annual income of over 100 million yen.

So why doesn't he go to a male escort club?

Well, he couldn't interfere in other people's affairs; he was already overwhelmed with his own problems, so Soma Noriko really let her have her way.

Whether it's genuine affection or feigned affection, her credibility collapsed the moment she started lying.

Now, let her fend for herself.

Watanabe Sōta was too lazy to give any instructions. It was better to avoid doing things that could easily leave loose ends. Anyway, Soma Noriko was just a minor character now, and even if he didn't need to give any instructions, the sponsors would still give her some face.

As for hush money, he has no need to pay that kind of money.

Sōta Watanabe refused the hush money, but is Noriko Soma's agency still willing to pay it?

That's impossible, of course.

The magazine's appetite is too big. The agency hasn't even made that much money from Noriko Soma yet, and they want to pay for it first? That's impossible.

It's just a free-choice relationship. The other person isn't a bad person. Go ahead and report it if you want.

When this attitude was conveyed, "Josei Jishin" (Josei's Self-Government) also knew what it should do.

They organized the photos from last night, then wrote a brilliant article based on them, gave it a catchy title, and posted it on their own account to generate buzz.