My dear wife, I still love you more.

At this moment, Kenji Akimoto was particularly curious about Hasegawa's singing skills and musical foundation. He felt that Hasegawa, as long as his singing skills were not too bad, had the potential to become a top idol.

Moreover, according to Yui Yuigahama, Hasegawa himself is an excellent singer, even better than Yui Yuigahama, and has great talent. He was able to teach Yui Yuigahama through self-study.

Hasegawa's musical talent, combined with his handsome face, made him a star. Kenji Akimoto believed that with a little effort, he could definitely make Hasegawa a celebrity.

So when Ken Akimoto looked at Hasegawa sitting opposite him, he found him more and more pleasing to the eye and liked him more and more.

"Hello, Hasegawa-kun. I'm Kenji Akimoto." Kenji Akimoto said to Hasegawa with a big smile.

"Hello, President Akimoto."

"Hasegawa-kun, I wonder if you'd ever be interested in entering the entertainment industry?"

"Entering the entertainment industry? Sorry, I have no such plans." Hasegawa shook his head.

"Hasegawa-kun, don't refuse so quickly. How about you hear my opinion first?"

"Please speak."

"Hasegawa-kun, I think you're incredibly talented, with the potential to enter the entertainment industry. Just based on your looks alone, you're a once-in-a-century, no, even once-in-a-millennium beauty. Especially your aura, which is quite different from the other handsome men in the entertainment industry. You could say that if you entered the entertainment industry, a handsome man like you would be absolutely unique and irreplaceable. With just a little effort, you could become a top idol. In fact, within a year or two, you could become the most popular idol. With a little effort, earning tens of millions a year wouldn't be a problem. If you're lucky, you might even be able to break into the international market, and at that time, you might be earning over a hundred million a year." Akimoto Ken said in a tempting tone.

Of course, when he said tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions, the unit was Japanese yen. That's right, it's Japanese yen. Because in Japan, although the status of entertainers isn't as low as in South Korea, it's not exactly high either. It's nothing like actors in China, who can easily earn tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yuan for a single film.

Even so, an annual income of tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of yen is considered an exceptionally high salary in Japan. After all, the average white-collar worker in Japan only earns two to three million yen a year, and those earning more than that are only middle-level managers or above.

Therefore, for the average person, the income that Kenji Akimoto mentioned is extremely high, and would make many Japanese people envious.

"I'm sorry, President Akimoto, I'm not interested in this." Hasegawa smiled and shook his head in refusal.

"Why? Don't you think this salary is extremely high? You know, even if you get into the University of Tokyo, graduate with excellent grades, and then get a job at a company based on your outstanding performance during your studies, you'll only be able to earn a maximum of three million yen a year at the beginning. To earn over ten million yen a year, it would take at least ten years or even longer. But with your qualifications, you can easily achieve this in the entertainment industry. I apologize for saying this, but Hasegawa-kun comes from the countryside, right? Your family must not be wealthy. Don't you want to earn money sooner?" Ken Akimoto earnestly persuaded him again.

Although Hasegawa is only a high school student and doesn't yet face significant family pressure, high school students should already be aware of the importance of money. An annual income of tens of millions or even hundreds of millions should be enough to make teenagers at this stage envious.

"Actually, I've already started making money."

"Huh? A part-time job? 1,000 yen per hour?" Kenji Akimoto gave a barely perceptible smirk.

"No, actually, I'm quite talented at writing. I started writing light novels this year and have achieved some success. So far, my royalties have exceeded ten million yen." Hasegawa smiled calmly.

"Writing light novels? Over ten million yen in royalties?" Kenji Akimoto was stunned. He hadn't expected Hasegawa to be a light novel author, and moreover, it seemed like only half a year had passed since the beginning of the year. Earning over ten million yen in just six months? This was something no ordinary light novel author could achieve. Akimoto's gaze towards Hasegawa became somewhat strange.

Moreover, having made so much money writing light novels, it seems that making money as an idol doesn't really hold much appeal for Hasegawa anymore.

"Well, I didn't expect Hasegawa-kun to be such a talented light novel author," Ken Akimoto couldn't help but exclaim.

"You flatter me. I wouldn't call myself very good; I'm just good at writing novels." Hasegawa smiled, maintaining his humble attitude.

Looking at Hasegawa like this, Akimoto Ken felt even more that Hasegawa was absolutely perfect for entering the entertainment industry as an idol. With such a handsome face, wouldn't it be a waste not to be an idol? Since money wasn't an option, then they would try other methods.

"What are Hasegawa-kun's ideals?" Kenji Akimoto asked again.

"Ideals? Hmm, maybe I'm a bit unambitious. I don't really have any ideals. Right now, I'm just going to study hard and get into Tokyo University."

"Don't you have any other hobbies? Yuihama told me you're incredibly talented in music. You taught Yuihama on your own, and she has such amazing singing skills. You must be very interested in music. Don't you ever plan to develop in this area? To become an idol who makes countless girls scream, or a very talented singer. To spread your voice to more people, to let more people hear it?" Akimoto Ken intentionally guided him.

"Music is just a hobby. Although I may have some talent, I only learned it because of interest. It doesn't mean I have to develop in this direction." Hasegawa shook his head.

"But don't you think this is a waste? With such great talent, don't you feel it's a shame not to find a stage to showcase it?"

"No, not really. It might sound like I'm bragging, but besides music, I also have some talent in other areas, such as writing, comics, and kendo. Oh, right, because of my interests, I recently participated in the Jade Dragon Flag competition and luckily won a championship."

"Music? Writing? Comics? And kendo? And you won the Jade Dragon Flag Championship?" Ken Akimoto stared at Hasegawa in astonishment.

"I learned it because I was interested, but that doesn't mean I'm going to actually pursue a career in this field. Apart from writing, I'm somewhat interested in other areas, but I probably won't pursue them."

"..." Ken Akimoto felt that Hasegawa was like a tortoise, there was no way to get a grip on him, it seemed impossible to pull Hasegawa out.

After all, money—Hasegawa earns far more from writing than the average celebrity. Ideally, Hasegawa is good at so many things; music, in particular, doesn't seem to be that important.

"Hasegawa-kun, perhaps you're not interested in those things because you've never shown yourself on stage. I think you could give it a try, try standing on stage, with countless people cheering and screaming for you. And they're all beautiful young girls." Akimoto Ken then approached the issue from this angle.

"When I participated in Jade Dragon Flag before, after winning the championship, I did hear countless people screaming, and even—so I don't really like that kind of situation." Hasegawa's face darkened as he thought about how he was taken advantage of by countless girls when he escaped from Jade Dragon Flag.

Chapter Fourteen: Tacit Understanding

After Hasegawa and Akimoto Ken finished their conversation, Yui Yuigahama, who had been whispering to Mrs. Yuigahama, returned.

Yui Yuigahama happily sat to Hasegawa's left, while Mrs. Yuigahama naturally sat to Hasegawa's right, the two of them squeezing Hasegawa in the middle from the left and right.

"President!" Yui Yuigahama greeted Ken Akimoto happily.

"Hmm." Kenji Akimoto nodded, watching Hasegawa sandwiched between a mother and daughter, both of whom were smiling happily. He couldn't help but sigh, "Sure enough, any woman would probably be happy just to see Hasegawa's face."

"Hasegawa, how's your novel coming along? Is it finished?" Yui Yuigahama asked Hasegawa happily.

"Novel? Not yet. I've been gathering material everywhere, and writing the outline took a long time. I only just finished the outline not long ago," Hasegawa said with a smile.

"Is that so? But I've read Hasegawa's *Tokyo Ghoul*, I even read the latest volume. It's really amazing, even more amazing than before. There are also revised volumes one and two, which are quite different from the originals. It's just... just incredibly impressive." Yui Yuigahama wasn't particularly interested in anime and manga. Although she occasionally read some youth novels, they were mostly female-oriented. In fact, *Tokyo Ghoul* by Hasegawa was the first light novel she had ever read.

"I'm doing alright. How about you, Yuihama? This is the first time you've been away from home for so long. How are you doing? Are you settling in?"

"Everything is fine."

……

Kenjiro Akimoto watched Hasegawa and Yui Yuigahama chatting happily, with Mrs. Yuigahama occasionally chiming in. He felt as if he were watching a family of three interacting, and he felt like an outsider.

This feeling made Kenji Akimoto a little awkward, and he couldn't help but scratch his head, but then his eyes lit up: "Hasegawa-kun."

"Is there anything else, President Akimoto?" Hasegawa asked, still smiling, but looking at Ken Akimoto with a calm expression.

"Hasegawa-kun doesn't seem to have a very good impression of the entertainment industry, does he?" Akimoto Ken asked with a smile.

"Well, it's alright." Hasegawa couldn't directly talk about the entertainment industry in front of Akimoto Ken.

"Actually, the entertainment industry is indeed a bit tough. But Yui has already chosen to enter the entertainment industry, so is Hasegawa-kun really comfortable letting a girl like Yui venture out into the entertainment industry alone? What if she suffers or something?" Akimoto Ken said meaningfully.

"Hmm?" Hasegawa frowned slightly.

"So, I think if Hasegawa-kun also enters the entertainment industry, he can take care of Yui-hama. With Hasegawa-kun's potential, as long as he enters the entertainment industry, he can definitely become the hottest idol in the shortest amount of time. At that time, you can help Yui-hama, both in terms of resources and connections. This will benefit Yui-hama in the best way," Akimoto Ken explained.

Hasegawa looked at Akimoto Ken somewhat speechless. He hadn't expected Akimoto Ken to be so eloquent, and to approach the topic from this angle.

"President. I can do it myself. I want to succeed through my own efforts because, because that's what I've always wanted to do—so I want to work hard."

Before Hasegawa could speak, Yui Yuigahama couldn't help but speak up, looking at Ken Akimoto with a serious expression.

Kenjiro Akimoto was taken aback by Yui Yuigahama's sudden remark. He had initially thought she might be happy, since he could tell she liked Hasegawa. If Hasegawa also entered the entertainment industry, they would be in the same circle and would likely have something in common.

Although celebrities like Yui Yuigahama and Hasegawa are positioned as teen idols after entering the entertainment industry, they are not allowed to date.

Therefore, Kenji Akimoto really didn't expect that Yui Yuigahama would refuse before Hasegawa could even say so.

"Hasegawa, don't worry, I will work hard and climb up step by step until I have the same position as you, and then—" Yui Yuigahama didn't finish her sentence, but her cheeks were slightly red, and her expression completely conveyed what she wanted to say.

Hasegawa felt a bit of a headache upon hearing this. He turned to look at Mrs. Yui, and sure enough, she was beaming with excitement and happiness, even clenching her little fists to cheer on Yui.

Hasegawa had a headache, and Akimoto Ken was disappointed.

As they parted, Kenji Akimoto said to Hasegawa, "Hasegawa-kun, although you've refused now, it's okay. My door is always open for you if you're willing. You're really very suitable for the entertainment industry, really, I can guarantee that."

"Thank you. If I were to consider this option, I would first think of President Akimoto," Hasegawa said politely to Kenji Akimoto.

Kenjiro Akimoto could see through Hasegawa's perfunctory attitude, and in the end, he could only shake his head and sigh. He really felt it was a pity that Hasegawa didn't enter the entertainment industry.

……

"I never imagined that President Akimoto actually wanted you, Hasegawa-kun, to enter the entertainment industry. But he has a good eye. Hasegawa is not only good-looking, but also very talented. He is indeed an excellent candidate for entering the entertainment industry." Mrs. Yuihama looked at Hasegawa's handsome profile and couldn't help but sigh.

Mrs. Yuihama found it a bit strange. When she first met Hasegawa, she thought he looked quite ordinary, but without realizing it, she found him to be incredibly handsome. If she didn't see Hasegawa every day, she would have even suspected that he had undergone plastic surgery.

"Entering the entertainment industry is out of the question; I'm not really interested in it," Hasegawa said with a shake of his head and a smile.

"But I kind of hope to see Hasegawa-kun on TV. Hasegawa-kun is so handsome, if he could play the brave Ai-chan, he would definitely replace Mr. Uemura as the male lead," Mrs. Yuigahama said whimsically.

Hearing Mrs. Yuigahama's words, Hasegawa's expression changed, becoming somewhat strange. Him to play the brave Ai-chan, to portray that bizarre, even strange, love story between them? Forget about it. Just thinking about it is terrifying. Constantly repeating car accidents or other incidents, and those bizarre tables and chairs, even a zoo.

The thought of appearing in that phenomenal drama made Hasegawa shudder, and it also strengthened his resolve to never enter the entertainment industry.

Hasegawa already considered the dramas starring those young, handsome actors in China to be bizarre, almost on par with anti-Japanese war dramas. However, there's always someone better, and the brave Ai-chan is definitely above that level. He'd rather die than touch that kind of drama.

"Hasegawa-kun, thank you for today. I have to go to work now. See you tonight."

See you tonight.

After saying goodbye to Mrs. Yuigahama and watching her go to work, Hasegawa turned around and went straight home to write his novel. Even if Hasegawa didn't want to write, he didn't have anywhere else to go, so going home was the best option.

After returning home, Hasegawa resumed focusing his energy on writing his novel.

Thanks to Hasegawa's efforts, the novel is almost finished. After he finishes writing it and makes two more detailed revisions, it will be ready to be submitted for publication and sold.

Hasegawa, engrossed in his writing, was suddenly awakened by the ringing alarm clock. Glancing at the clock beside him, he removed his hands from the keyboard and turned it off.

"It's already this time." He stood up and shifted his body slightly. Hasegawa turned and walked downstairs.

Just as Hasegawa entered the kitchen, the door opened, and Mrs. Hihama's voice came from the doorway.

"I am back!"

Upon hearing Mrs. Yuihama's voice, Hasegawa smiled.

Hasegawa had set the time for this, and when he came down to cook, Mrs. Yuihama had just returned home.

"Thank you for your hard work, Mrs. Yuihama!"

“It’s not hard work. Hasegawa-kun, are you done cooking? Then let’s cook dinner together.” Mrs. Yuihama put down her bag and walked towards the kitchen with a smile on her face. She was pretty much used to this situation by now.

“Okay, let’s go together then,” Hasegawa said with a smile.

Hasegawa and Mrs. Yuihama stayed together in the kitchen. The kitchen wasn't very big, but it was big enough for the two of them. Although it was a little cramped because of the two of them, it didn't really bother each other.

To be honest, Hasegawa feels incredibly happy at this time every day. Even sitting in front of the TV watching TV every day doesn't seem to make Hasegawa feel as happy as this moment.

The two of them worked together seamlessly, one chopping vegetables while the other washed them, one cooking while the other stir-fried. They coordinated remarkably well, and even in the rather cramped kitchen, they didn't bother each other; in fact, they seemed to have a sense that one plus one equals more than two.

The two of them worked together to prepare a delicious dinner, which they then served at the table. Sitting face to face, watching the fusion dinner of Chinese and Japanese cuisine that they had created together, Mrs. Yuihama and Hasegawa both wore satisfied smiles.

"I'm going to start eating." ×2

After dinner, it was Mrs. Yuihama's job to clean up the dishes. Hasegawa could help Mrs. Yuihama with cooking, but Mrs. Yuihama absolutely forbade Hasegawa to interfere with washing the dishes.

According to Mrs. Yuigahama, the kitchen is a job for housewives like them, and Hasegawa shouldn't even be cooking, except that his culinary skills are just too good. But if Hasegawa were to do the washing up, it would be disrespectful to her as a housewife.

Chapter Fifteen Comic Con