My dear wife, I still love you more.

“No, no, Hasegawa, he’s actually the same age as me. If we’re just talking about birth dates, I’m a month older,” Yui Yuigahama quickly explained.

"Huh? You mean the person who teaches you to sing is the same age as you? And his singing skills are even better than yours?" Ken Akimoto couldn't help but be surprised.

"Yes, Hasegawa is incredibly talented; he's a genius." Yui Yuigahama nodded emphatically, a look of admiration and affection on her face.

Looking at Yui Yuigahama's appearance, Ken Akimoto, as someone with experience, immediately understood what kind of attitude Yui Yuigahama had towards Hasegawa. Yui Yuigahama probably liked that man named Hasegawa, or rather, a boy.

This made Kenji Akimoto frown. Entertainers, no, idols, shouldn't have private lives, let alone relationships. Furthermore, because of Yui Yuigahama's feelings for Hasegawa, Kenji couldn't help but wonder if Hasegawa was really that amazing. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder; the person you love is the most amazing person in the world.

"Yuigahama, could you tell me about Hasegawa? I'm a little curious about him," Kenji Akimoto asked Yui Yuigahama, suppressing his dissatisfaction.

“Hasegawa? I’m sorry, I can’t say too much about him without his permission, as it would be disrespectful.” Yui Yuigahama shook her head and refused.

Seeing Yui Yuigahama's expression, Kenji Akimoto paused for a moment: "Then, could you tell me some basic, simple information? It won't involve any privacy issues."

"Well, okay." Yui Yuigahama was still a little hesitant, but after thinking about it, she finally nodded.

"Hasegawa, is that boy you're talking about the same age as you?"

"kindness!"

"If that's the case, is he really that good? Is his singing better than yours? After all, he's so young."

"Because Hasegawa is a genius, a true genius. Hasegawa isn't just good at music, he's good at so many other things too. He's exceptionally good at his studies, ranking first in the entire grade. He specifically learned to sing after hearing about 'I Want to Be a Star,' and in just six months, he's already incredibly talented. And—"

"Wait, you said, half a year? Is this half a year the time you and Hasegawa spent learning music?" Ken Akimoto couldn't help but interrupt Yui Yuigahama.

"Well, because half a year ago, Hasegawa said that my grades were very bad, and even if I continued to study, it would be useless. I wouldn't be able to get into university. Even if I became a housewife, I wouldn't be good at cooking. So he thought I should take advantage of my youth to learn something I like. At that time, I chose music, but because my family was not well-off, we couldn't afford to find a teacher. So Hasegawa specifically searched for knowledge about music online and then came back to teach me." Yui Yuigahama said this, and a sweet and happy smile couldn't help but appear on her face.

When Akimoto Ken heard this, he was immediately shocked. His eyes widened, his face filled with horror. He already found it incredible that Yui Yuigahama could develop her singing skills to the level she had in just six months. But Yui Yuigahama and Hasegawa... neither of them had a professional teacher? They had only learned from the internet. This was simply too shocking.

Unbelievable, inconceivable. It's unbelievable. Unless, of course, Hasegawa is truly a peerless genius. And Yui Yuigahama, who possesses such singing skills without any formal teacher's guidance.

Ken Akimoto realized that he had underestimated Yui Yuigahama's talent. At this moment, he felt even more strongly that it was a huge waste for Yui Yuigahama to debut as a girl group member. Perhaps Yui Yuigahama would become a superstar in the future, a superstar for the whole nation, instead of the kind of superstar that is hyped up but not recognized by the public.

At this moment, Kenjiro Akimoto's gaze towards Yui Yuigahama became increasingly intense.

Although Ken Akimoto entered the entertainment industry after dropping out of school and gradually rose to where he is today, he is considered a big shot in the industry. He has cultivated several very famous girl groups, but he has never cultivated a singer like Yui Yuigahama. Looking at Yui Yuigahama, he felt that perhaps a diva would emerge under his tutelage.

Chapter Twelve Ai-chan and the Zoo

"Yuigahama, are you sure that Hasegawa, whom you're talking about, is really that amazing?" Ken Akimoto looked at Yui Yuigahama seriously.

"Yes, it's really, really, really amazing." Yui Yuigahama nodded seriously, repeating "really" three times in a row.

"Is he really that good?" Ken Akimoto's eyes flickered. He suddenly felt that perhaps he could train other musicians outside of girl groups. If Hasegawa was really as good as Yui Yuigahama said, no, even if he only had the same singing skills as Yui Yuigahama, Ken Akimoto was confident that he could train Hasegawa.

The achievement of nurturing a queen of pop and then a king of pop might be more fulfilling than nurturing the most outstanding girl group.

"So, is Hasegawa, the one you mentioned, interested in becoming a star?" Kenji Akimoto asked Yui Yuigahama directly after making up his mind.

"Huh? Hasegawa? Became a star?" Yui Yuigahama was stunned.

“That’s right. If Hasegawa is really as amazing as you say, he could easily become a very famous star. Is he interested in that?” Kenji Akimoto asked with a smile.

"Um, I don't know either. But Hasegawa didn't seem to want to enter the entertainment industry before. Besides, he said the entertainment industry seems very chaotic, and he doesn't have a good impression of it," Yui Yuigahama said hesitantly.

"Not a very good impression of the entertainment industry?" Kenji Akimoto frowned. He did know that the entertainment industry wasn't exactly a clean place, but at least in Japan, the entertainment industry still followed some rules and wasn't too outrageous. Compared to the Korean entertainment industry, it was like heaven and earth. But even so, it was undeniable that for some people, the entertainment industry wasn't a good place.

If someone doesn't have a natural affinity for the entertainment industry, then recruiting Hasegawa into the company doesn't seem so easy.

“Yuigahama, I’d like to meet with Hasegawa, the man you mentioned,” Ken Akimoto said to Yui Yuigahama.

Whether Hasegawa should enter the entertainment industry, whether he is really as talented as Yui Yuigahama claims, or what his own qualities are—these are all important factors. Before meeting him, everything is just talk, so let's meet first and then discuss other things.

"Meet Hasegawa?" Yui Yuigahama was both surprised and hesitant. She had been away from home for a while and missed Hasegawa quite a bit. Although they occasionally spoke on the phone, they hadn't actually met in person. Meeting Hasegawa through this opportunity would be a fantastic choice for Yui. But would Hasegawa be willing to meet with Ken Akimoto?

“Yes, I want to talk to him.” Kenji Akimoto nodded.

"Well, I'll give it a try."

"Then I'll leave it to Yuihama."

……

The keyboard clattered rapidly as Hasegawa's hands flew across the keys, lines of text appearing one after another without a single pause.

Hasegawa was writing a novel. Because he had a complete, even detailed, outline, he wrote very smoothly, without any pauses. Furthermore, writing had become a skill he'd developed, and at a fairly high level. Therefore, under ideal conditions, Hasegawa could write 10,000 words or more per hour, and that was assuming sufficient quality. If quality wasn't a concern, Hasegawa could even write over 20,000 words per hour.

The creation of a traditional novel, which was originally expected to take a summer to complete, now seems that Hasegawa could finish it in just a few days if he wanted to.

Meanwhile, Hasegawa has finalized the title of his traditional novel, *A Long Yet Short Life*. (This is a terrible title search term. If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment.)

Just then, Hasegawa's phone, which was lying to the side, suddenly rang, startling him from his writing state.

He frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing across his face. He shook his head, stood up, and picked up his phone. However, when he saw that the caller ID was Yui Yuigahama, Hasegawa was slightly surprised, but a hint of joy also appeared on his face as he answered the call.

"Is it Yuigahama?"

"Yes, it's me, Hasegawa. I'm sorry to call you at this time, I don't know if I'm bothering you, Hasegawa." Yui Yuigahama's voice reached Hasegawa's ears.

Hearing the familiar voice, Hasegawa smiled and said, "No, you didn't bother me. But is there something you need when you call me at this time?"

"Um, our president would like to meet with you."

"Your company president? Ken Akimoto? He wants to meet with me? Is there something he wants to discuss? Is it about you, Yuihama?" Hasegawa asked, a little worried.

"No, no, it's just that the president wants to meet with you. So, Hasegawa, do you have time?" Yui Yuigahama asked cautiously.

"As for the time, well, I have time. But could you tell me what it is about beforehand?" Hasegawa didn't refuse. After all, Ken Akimoto was Yui Yuigahama's president, and who knew if his refusal would affect Yui Yuigahama? Besides, Hasegawa was also concerned about Yui Yuigahama's situation, so meeting up and having a proper talk was a good idea.

"That's great! As for what it is, it's hard to explain over the phone. Let's talk about it when we meet."

"I see, then okay."

After ending his call with Yui Yuigahama, Hasegawa was still a little puzzled, but he didn't think much of it. It was just a meeting, after all, it shouldn't be a big deal. Besides, Hasegawa figured Mrs. Yuigahama would probably really want to meet Yui Yuigahama too. He could invite Mrs. Yuigahama along.

After dinner, Hasegawa and Mrs. Yuihama sat on the sofa watching "Brave Ai-chan" on TV.

Ai-chan has now fully recovered, and there is no trace of the serious injury she suffered. Ultimately, she and Mr. Uemura were not able to be together.

The current plot has progressed to the point where Mr. Uemura is about to leave the country, and after that, the connection between Mr. Uemura and Ai-chan will be severed. So Ai-chan is currently rushing to the airport; she wants to find Mr. Uemura before he flies away and persuade him to stay.

Ai-chan, anxious and impatient, even urged the taxi driver to hurry. When the driver learned that Ai-chan wanted to get to the airport quickly so her loved one could stay, his expression changed: "Love is truly amazing! In that case, even if I run a red light and get a ticket, I'll accept it. Ai-chan, get ready, I'm going to speed up!" The driver grinned, revealing a set of almost gleaming white teeth, and gave Ai-chan a thumbs-up. Well, for this taxi driver's image, you could take a look at Might Guy from Naruto.

After saying that, Might Guy—no, I mean the driver—slammed his foot on the gas pedal, and amidst Ai-chan's感动 (moved/touched), the car sped off.

bump!

The taxi driver collided with an oncoming car.

A car accident struck Ai-chan once again.

However, even a car accident couldn't stop Ai-chan. She struggled to climb out of the car while she was unconscious. She wanted to continue to the airport. She wanted to find Mr. Uemura and tell him in person that she liked him and wanted him to stay.

"Ai-chan! Keep going, don't give up."

Ai-chan turned around when she heard the sound and saw Might Guy, no, the driver, with his head covered in blood. He looked up from the steering wheel, grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth, and gave Ai-chan a thumbs up in encouragement.

"Thank you, driver. I will never give up." Ai-chan nodded heavily, wiped the blood off her face, and started running.

"Ai-chan is truly amazing. Even though her leg was fractured and had a metal plate in it, preventing her from running so fast, she still gritted her teeth and kept running in order to win back Mr. Uemura." Mrs. Yuihama said with deep emotion.

“…Yes, yes.” Hasegawa’s lips twitched.

In the TV series, Ai-chan was running wildly when suddenly a gust of wind blew, blowing her skirt, and then something white was smeared on her face.

Mrs. Yuihama couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, then breathed a sigh of relief, because it was just a white plastic bag. She casually ripped the plastic bag off her face and Ai-chan continued running wildly.

Whoosh, something else was blown over, and a fish slapped right into Ai-chan's face. Luckily, the fish wasn't very big, only about a pound or two.

Ai-chan continued running wildly.

The gale continued, and a chicken was blown by the wind and landed on Ai-chan's face.

Despite having a lot of chicken feathers stuck to her head, Ai-chan didn't give up and kept running.

call--

A cat landed on Ai-chan's face, leaving several scratches. But Ai-chan remained brave and didn't give up.

The strong winds continued.

A dog weighing at least 100 pounds crashed down on Ai-chan.

But whether it was because her leg hit a steel plate, making her center of gravity stable, or because love truly gave Ai-chan great strength, Ai-chan, while running wildly, was not hit by the big dog. Instead, she stood firmly on the ground and managed to catch the dog.

After putting the dog on the ground, Ai-chan continued running wildly.

With a whoosh, a pig weighing two or three hundred pounds came crashing down on Ai-chan.

"Drink! I absolutely will not give up." Ai-chan, in the midst of her frantic run, stretched out her arms and caught the pig, though the pig's momentum caused her to pause for two seconds. Then she continued running.

Then, it was time for a display of various animals. Horses, dolphins, tigers, and lions came crashing down on Ai-chan one after another.

But Ai-chan is like a brave Saint Seiya of love, and these things cannot stop her at all.

Finally, an elephant fell from the sky—

Chapter Thirteen: The Temptations of the Entertainment Industry

Finally, the drama "Brave Ai-chan" ended, and Hasegawa let out a long sigh of relief. Looking at Mrs. Yuihama, who was still immersed in the emotion, Hasegawa couldn't help but shake his head. He just didn't understand why Mrs. Yuihama would like to watch this kind of drama.

“Mrs. Yuihama, Yuihama called me earlier,” Hasegawa said to Mrs. Yuihama.

"Huh? Yui called you? Well, well, well, Hasegawa-kun, you don't need to tell me about this. Your conversation is your own secret, you don't need to tell me." Mrs. Yuihama paused for a moment, then said with a smile, even with a hint of ambiguity in her smile.

"Um, Mrs. Yuihama, actually, Yuihama called me to tell me that the president of her entertainment company wants to see me. I don't know why, but Yuihama will probably be there too, so I wanted to ask if you would like to come with me."

"President? Did something happen to Yui there?" Mrs. Yuihama asked nervously.

"No, no, if Yuihama were in trouble, she would call you, not me," Hasegawa quickly reassured her.

"Oh, I see. That puts my mind at ease." Mrs. Yuihama patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, is Mrs. Yuihama going?" Hasegawa asked.

"Of course I'm going. It's been so long since I've seen Yui. I miss her terribly," Mrs. Yuihama said, her eyes welling up with tears again.

The next day, Mrs. Yuigahama took half a day off to meet Yui Yuigahama and Ken Akimoto with Hasegawa.

Akimoto Ken looked at Hasegawa sitting opposite him and his eyes lit up. Although Hasegawa's face was completely bare, even without makeup, Akimoto Ken thought Hasegawa's face was super handsome. Even though he was in the entertainment industry and had seen many handsome men and beautiful women, it was still very rare to see a face like Hasegawa's with such a high score even without makeup.

Putting everything else aside, Hasegawa's face alone gives him the potential to become a popular idol.