"Sir, your girlfriend is so beautiful. All the clothes seem to suit her perfectly," the store clerk complimented politely, a smile on her face as she arranged some hangers.
Akira Fujimiya nodded slightly. "Well, I'll take all the clothes she tried on just now."
Hayama Riko's face immediately lit up. A warm blush spread across her cheeks, and she felt a small flutter in her heart.
Akira didn't deny the statement or downplay it.
He simply nodded, accepting it naturally, which made Riko feel an unusual sweetness. She squeezed his hand lightly as if to express her gratitude silently.
After finishing their shopping at the mall, Hayama Riko suggested, almost shyly, "Why don't we go watch a movie? I've been wanting to for a long time."
Akira smiled faintly. "Of course, I don't mind."
The two headed to a nearby movie theater.
Riko purchased tickets, popcorn, and a large Coke while Akira watched her.
Once they were seated, Riko glanced at the surrounding audience, a soft expression in her eyes.
"I've wanted to come to the cinema for a long time, but I either didn't have the time, or there was no one to accompany me. Now, with you, Young Master Akira, it feels like I'm back in my student days," she said quietly.
"You look very young," Akira remarked sincerely, reaching out to hold her hand gently. His thumb brushed over her knuckles as he looked at her.
Riko's face warmed further. "Young Master Akira, you are truly kind. If only we had met earlier…" She held his hand a little tighter, her voice laced with wistfulness.
Akira's eyes narrowed slightly, and a teasing smile appeared. "Then we wouldn't have sat together in high school."
Riko paused, blinked, and then smiled softly. Yes… if we had been students back then, she would never have had a chance to meet him.
The thought left a gentle ache in her chest,
The movie began, and both watched attentively.
The story was that of a quiet, gentle girl harboring a secret crush on a boy notorious for being troublesome. He often got into fights, but beneath his rough exterior lay a tender side that few could see.
One rainy afternoon, the heroine witnessed the boy feeding stray cats and discovered he had been abandoned by his parents as a child. She resolved to change him, leaving anonymous letters and secretly preparing lunchboxes for him, thinking he would never know.
In reality, he saw her leaving the lunchbox, but pretended otherwise.
Slowly, through her persistent kindness, he transformed into a better student. Their paths gradually aligned, and in the end, they were admitted to the same university. After graduation, taking photos together, they walked home in comfortable silence until the boy stopped, expressed his heartfelt gratitude, and confessed his love.
The heroine was moved beyond words, accepting him as he was.
The final scene showed them walking into the university together, side by side, their future bright and hopeful.
After the credits rolled, Riko walked Akira to the station.
When he got out of the car, he noticed the lingering hesitation and reluctance in her eyes. Without a word, he leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead.
Riko's face flushed red, and she lowered her head in embarrassment.
She is the adult here!
Akira then walked to the station, taking the train, and after more than ten minutes, returned to Sakurasou.
.....
Sakurasou—
Saori Tsurumi and Rieko Kawasaki were chatting in the common area when they saw him return.
Both paused mid-conversation, surprise flickering across their faces.
"Akira-sama, why are you back so soon?" Rieko Kawasaki asked, her voice a mixture of curiosity and concern.
"I had some matters to attend to, so I returned first. In a few days, I'll head to the island again," Akira explained softly, calm as always.
"So that's the reason. Akira-sama really works hard," Rieko Kawasaki remarked, recalling from her conversation with Saori Tsurumi about how much responsibility he carried for his own projects.
Akira smiled faintly, adjusted his motorcycle helmet, and left again on his bike.
Rieko Kawasaki watched his figure disappear and thought about Saki Kawasaki.
She wondered what kind of relationship Saki and Akira had, though it seemed unclear even to her.
.....
Later, Akira arrived at Yukinoshita Construction Company. It was still early, and the lobby was quiet.
He parked his motorcycle and walked directly inside.
As he pressed the elevator button, several employees recognized him.
Greetings and polite nods followed, acknowledging his presence.
Akira stepped off on the executive floor and moved straight toward Yukinoshita Haruno's office.
Without hesitation, he pushed the door open.
"Harun—" he began, but stopped mid-word when he saw Mrs. Yukinoshita and her secretary inside.
The secretary, startled by his sudden entry, quickly stood and stepped away from Mrs. Yukinoshita's side.
Mrs. Yukinoshita frowned slightly, her eyes narrowing at Akira.
"Akira Fujimiya, don't you know how to knock?" she asked, her tone both stern and teasing.
"Apologies. I didn't think it was necessary," Akira replied, offering a polite smile.
He then looked at the secretary, whose cheeks were slightly flushed from embarrassment.
"Go and make some black tea," Mrs. Yukinoshita instructed her.
"Yes, ma'am," the secretary replied, blushing even more, and quickly left the office.
Akira observed her departure and then moved to sit on the sofa. Mrs. Yukinoshita stepped from behind her desk to stand opposite him, her hands clasped lightly.
"What just happened…" she began.
"I didn't see anything," Akira interrupted lightly, a faint smirk on his face.
"Video websites are easy," Mrs. Yukinoshita started seriously, talking about Bussiness as if nothing happened, "and virtual idols are an even smaller challenge. Yet you allow competitors to enter this market. If it were me, I wouldn't allow this at all."
Akira shook his head calmly. "I think the virtual idol industry needs more participants to grow stronger. At the very least, it gives people options and makes the industry appear more substantial."
Mrs. Yukinoshita's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "So, you want to make it look like there are multiple players in the field to attract investment?"
"No, that's not my intention," Akira said firmly. "I just want the industry itself to improve. I don't need external investment."
Mrs. Yukinoshita gave him a long, contemplative look. "If you were to do as I suggested, make the market bigger and divide it among others, your return could increase dozens of times."
"I trust your perspective," Akira replied slowly, "but I won't destroy the dreams of others. That isn't the right approach."
He could see clearly the consequences of such actions.
The sheer volume of virtual idols—especially poorly designed or grotesque ones—would dilute the novelty, turning virtual idols into just another type of content creator. Fans would lose interest, investors would withdraw, and the industry could collapse.
Even top-tier idols would vanish from public attention, mid-tier idols would struggle to survive, and eventually, many would have no choice but to announce their graduation.
"Dreams? Ridiculous," Mrs. Yukinoshita scoffed, her tone sharp.
Akira looked at her, silent, understanding her worldview.
In her eye's, dreams were luxury—ordinary people didn't require them.
After a brief pause, Mrs. Yukinoshita continued. "I've seen the website, but one thing puzzles me. You remove some content but refuse to add ads, even though advertisers are offering high prices. Why?"
"Advertising must be introduced gradually," Akira explained calmly. "The current price is too low, and it's premature. When there are more users, we can consider it."
"That might cause losses," Mrs. Yukinoshita warned.
"Acceptable losses," Akira said. "When the time comes, we can explain them to our users, then bring in advertisers."
Mrs. Yukinoshita studied him intently. She could see the depth of his planning.
Users would adapt, trust the platform, and then small adjustments like ads would be accepted naturally.
If they had started with a website full of ads, it would have been rejected, like any ordinary platform.
....
Later, Yukinoshita Haruno arrived in the office.
She noticed Akira and Mrs. Yukinoshita drinking tea together and walked over, sitting beside him without hesitation.
She picked up a teacup and sipped the black tea, unfazed by protocol.
"Akira-sama, what were you discussing with my mother?" she asked softly.
"Mrs. Yukinoshita wanted me to earn more money, but I told her I was doing it for others' dreams," he said simply.
Haruno nodded thoughtfully. "Dreams are important, and the ones Akira-sama outlined are very fitting for them."
Akira squeezed her hand gently. "Did you hear that? Your daughter agrees with me, Mrs. Yukinoshita."
Mrs. Yukinoshita shot Akira a glance, stood up, and prepared to leave.
"Mother," Haruno said with a small smile, "I'd like to take Akira-sama to the hotel for dinner tonight."
"I understand," Mrs. Yukinoshita replied, her tone not changing.
Akira watched her leave before turning to Haruno.
"My mother came because she wanted to help. She asked me to have dinner with her tonight. If Yukino were here, she would have allowed me to bring her along. After your summer vacation, we can take Yukino to visit her," Haruno explained gently.
"I understand," Akira replied, his eyes calm and unreadable.
It was not surprising that Mrs. Yukinoshita would take the initiative to find Haruno.
She always had a subtle way of looking out for her daughters, especially now when it involved Akira.
...
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Word Count — 1,595