Living in the bubble economy of Tokyo, I became a literary giant through lotteries.

He placed the shrimp on the plate in front of Sachiko Kamachi, quickly withdrew his hand, and continued peeling off another shrimp.

"Guan Gu-kun, you should eat too."

Unaware of what was happening, Sachiko Kamachi looked up, a grain of rice still stuck to the corner of her mouth.

"It's okay, I'll peel the shrimp and then we'll eat." Guan Gufeng left an unpeeled shrimp, went to the kitchen sink to wash his hands, and when he came back, he brought a pair of knives and forks.

Under Sachiko Kamachi's curious gaze, Kaze Sekiya straightened his back, holding the shrimp in place with a fork in his left hand, and precisely slicing open the shrimp's back with a knife in his right.

With a flick of the knife and a gentle pry with the fork, the whole set of movements flowed smoothly, and a whole shrimp was elegantly shelled off under the knife and fork.

Sachiko Kamachi's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed sincerely, "Sekiya-kun, you're amazing!"

"Hmph."

Guan Gu Feng smiled smugly. It was worth it for him to have specially learned how to peel shrimp with a knife and fork, all for this moment of showing off in front of others.

He enjoys life and likes to cook, but he is actually a rather lazy person.

When we eat shrimp, we either buy pre-peeled shrimp or eat them with the shell on, which is a good way to get calcium.

After finishing the cozy dinner, Sachiko Kamachi saw that Kaze Sekiya was about to clear the dishes, so she immediately stood up and resolutely pushed him out of the kitchen.

"You cooked the food, so I have to wash the dishes! Don't try to take them from me!"

Guan Gu Feng couldn't refuse her, so he had to smile and back out, but he didn't stay idle and went to the refrigerator.

He took out the frozen, semi-baked cheesecake, along with ice cubes, soda water, and lemon slices.

I then casually plucked a few mint leaves from the mint on the bar counter and made two simple drinks.

He wanted to make a mojito, but he didn't expect Sachiko Kamachi to come today, and since he doesn't usually drink, he gave up on the idea.

Place ice cubes in a glass, pour in soda water, squeeze in a few drops of lemon juice, add lemon slices, and then crush a few mint leaves and toss them in.

Two simple yet refreshing iced drinks are ready.

Just as he set out the cake and drinks on the coffee table, Sachiko Kamachi finished washing the dishes.

She wiped her hands as she came out, and her eyes lit up when she saw the cheesecake.

The two sat side by side on the sofa, scooping cake with small spoons.

Behind them, Little Flower and Little White were eating their canned cat treats.

After finishing her second piece of cake, Sachiko Kamachi licked her lips with a hint of lingering satisfaction, but still restrained herself from putting down her spoon.

"You can't eat anymore. The agency said you need to control your weight."

Guan Gu Feng nodded understandingly, got up and put the rest of the cake back into the refrigerator.

He sat down again, refilled her soda water, and then slowly began to speak.

"Sachiko."

"Hmm?" Sachiko Kamachi turned her head and met his eyes, which had suddenly become serious.

"Do you remember why you came to see me today?"

Sachiko Kamachi blinked, paused for a moment, then suddenly slapped her forehead and stuck out her tongue.

"Ah! I almost forgot! I'll get the contract right now!"

She left the agency this afternoon because the agency had finally given her a contract to record a single.

While she was happy, she was also a little apprehensive. She thought that Guan Gufeng had signed so many complicated contracts, so he must know more than she did. Therefore, she wanted to ask him for help.

As soon as I entered the door, I was so captivated by the two cats that I devoured a meal and forgot all about my business.

Guan Gufeng took the contract, leaned back slightly, and scanned the clauses line by line with sharp eyes. With the help of business terms, he easily found the problems inside.

A few minutes later, he closed the contract and relaxed.

"There are no major problems, and the contract is fairly standard." He pointed to a few clauses, "but there's a minor issue that you'll have to discuss with them."

"You need to take the initiative regarding the itinerary. The contract states that you should 'unconditionally cooperate with reasonable itineraries arranged by the agency,' but the definition of 'reasonable' is too vague."

"It must be changed so that all itineraries are determined through mutual consultation. Otherwise, they can easily take advantage of the situation and schedule an itinerary where you only get three hours of sleep a day, which will have a huge impact on your life."

He paused, his tone softening slightly: "However, other places are fine. They didn't restrict your musical style, nor did they force you to sing only certain songs."

"It even specifically states here that it encourages you to engage in personal creation, giving you considerable creative freedom."

Sachiko Kamachi listened attentively, but her expression was somewhat gloomy. She pursed her lips and said, "Actually... I did some research before I came."

"My contract is one of the lowest tiers in the firm. Newcomers with better looks and better training get higher-tier contracts and more resources promised than mine."

"Actually..." Guan Gufeng thought of Nakamori Akina, whom he had met that day. He paused for a moment, carefully choosing his words, before speaking again.

"Everything comes at a price, Sachiko. A higher contract level isn't always better."

He recalled the scene he witnessed that day in the corridor of Asahi TV station.

Those who stand at the top of the idol industry pyramid cannot even protect their own feelings and dignity.

"Many agencies, especially those large agencies with abundant resources, use exorbitant contracts and rigid terms to lock their artists in tightly."

"They'll package you into the kind of image the market wants, and make you sing only those mass-produced idol songs."

"Your favorite pop or rock music, what you want to express, none of it matters. They'll tell you that this is the price of fame."

He looked into Sachiko Kamachi's eyes and said earnestly, "Like the devil in Western stories, he gives up his soul in exchange for money and fame."

Sachiko Kamachi listened quietly, a thoughtful glint in her eyes.

After a long while, he nodded slightly and smiled.

"I understand. Don't worry, I'll talk to them properly."

After finishing their business, the two played with the cat for a while, and the hands of the clock on the wall quietly pointed to ten o'clock.

Sachiko Kamachi glanced at the deep night outside the window, stood up reluctantly, and straightened her skirt: "It's getting late, so I'll take my leave."

"It's not safe for you to go home alone so late at night." Guan Gufeng picked up the phone next to the sofa. "I'll have Uncle Kitamura take you."

While Kitamura was going upstairs, Sekiya Kaze picked up a stack of manuscript paper from his desk, walked over, and handed it to Kamachi Sachiko.

"Didn't you want to read a shoujo manga related to music? This is what I mentioned last time, K-On!"

Sachiko Kamachi looked down at the manuscript. On the cover, four exquisitely drawn girls were smiling brightly at her.

She only said it casually, but she never expected him to actually draw it.

"I will read it carefully! I won't miss a single word!" She held the manuscript in her arms, her tone solemn.

Don't stay up late.

"Um."