"You're trying to use the casting couch on me!?"
Rin Ito leaned back defensively and sucked in a breath of cold air.
The casting couch.
Rin Ito had not only heard of it but had also experienced it firsthand. Back then, Megumi Kato had hoped to jump the queue, asking Rin Ito to draw a character based on her into his manga earlier.
While it was called the casting couch, it was really just a bit of playful roleplay.
But now... Akane Kosaka seemed to be genuinely trying to use the casting couch on him!?
[As long as you break up with your boyfriend (girlfriend), you can fill in whatever amount you want on this blank check!]
Rin Ito had only ever heard similar lines in novels or short dramas before. He never expected to hear something like it in reality today.
For a moment, Rin Ito didn't know what expression to make... She had said something similar when he brought Rita to her company before, but Rin Ito had only treated it as a joke at the time.
He didn't expect her to be completely serious!?
Looking at Rin Ito's shocked expression mixed with complex emotions, Akane Kosaka straightforwardly admitted that she indeed had intentions of using the casting couch.
"That's right. As long as you break up with your girlfriend and spend one night with me, that's it. Very simple, right?"
"Mmh... It's extremely simple indeed." Rin Ito paused. "I'm very curious, Miss Kosaka, why would you do this? Why ask me to break up but only want me to spend one night with you?"
If the genders were reversed, Rin Ito had seen it before. Ichika had previously encountered such a situation, though it was resolved by Rin Ito and Karen.
But with the genders reversed, lines like [You wouldn't want your husband to lose his job, would you?] were things Rin Ito had only seen in doujinshi.
And just as Rin Ito said, he was very curious why Akane Kosaka would do this... If it's the casting couch, then just enjoy the usage rights. Why bother with all these extra conditions?
The reason Akane Kosaka was doing this was, of course, because of her agreement with Mashiro. Mashiro asked Akane Kosaka to help her steal Rin Ito away from Kaede; if she succeeded, Mashiro would join her company.
Actually, ever since Akane Kosaka learned Mashiro's true identity, she no longer harbored many thoughts about recruiting her... A genius like Mashiro wouldn't accept being directed; Mashiro would only draw what she wanted.
Even if Mashiro joined, she would at most serve as a promotional figurehead without much practical use.
And the reason she went through so much trouble just to 'cast' Rin Ito was also very simple... Pride.
If you asked Akane Kosaka's partners to evaluate her, you would get only one answer.
Proud.
Just like when Rin Ito first met her, she arrogantly believed Mashiro would definitely join, arrogantly believing that only at her company could Mashiro truly unleash her talents.
Confident and proud.
Before she even met Mashiro in person, Mashiro's rejection had already stung her pride.
After meeting Mashiro, although she could understand her, being rejected again stung her pride once more.
Mashiro sending Rita to replace her had thoroughly wounded her pride... Of course, the Rita situation was purely a misunderstanding on Akane Kosaka's part.
Akane Kosaka unilaterally believed that Mashiro thought Akane's charm wasn't enough to snatch Rin Ito away from Kaede, which was why Mashiro sent Rita to complete the task of stealing him.
And she sent a teenage girl in the prime of her youth, no less!
Women are always very sensitive about their age.
Akane Kosaka, who achieved fame at a young age, actually wasn't that much older than Rin Ito. Even in the context of dating or marriage, their age gap fell within a completely normal range. But she also knew that, setting aside her company, her achievements, and all her halos, if viewed purely from a male perspective, she definitely couldn't compare to a youthful teenage girl.
She had to admit this to herself as well.
Moreover, Rita wasn't just some ordinary girl. While Rita might not compare to Mashiro, she was also a genius. Furthermore, her grandfather ran an art studio that gathered oil painting prodigies from around the world; her family background was definitely excellent.
This stung her pride even more... She had to win!
She had to beat Rita, she had to prove to Mashiro that she could do it!
But Akane Kosaka had neither the patience nor the time to slowly play games with Rin Ito.
A young girl's youthful body was an advantage, Akane Kosaka admitted that. But a mature woman possessed mature charm and mature methods!
Charm and methods deployed simultaneously.
Akane Kosaka didn't believe Rin Ito could refuse!
A hand as delicate as a young girl's grasped the back of Rin Ito's hand, while a knee wrapped in sheer black pantyhose gently rubbed against Rin Ito's thigh.
"As long as you can break up with her, not just that proposal, even this Porsche can be yours~ I'm not a loose woman, you know. I'm still a virgin right now... How about it? Are you tempted?"
The distance between them gradually closed, the atmosphere becoming increasingly ambiguous. Her lips drew near Rin Ito's ear, her warm breath hitting his earlobe, the brushing of her hair creating a tingling sensation.
She was seducing him using methods she learned from Rin Ito's own doujinshi.
Before meeting Rin Ito, Akane Kosaka was a workaholic. It was only after Rin Ito's persuasion and her hospitalization that she slowly let go of some work to enjoy life.
She was significantly older than Rita, but when it came to matters between men and women, her experience was about the same as Rita's... both sourced from shoujo manga and doujinshi.
Rin Ito had no idea about the agreement between Mashiro and Akane Kosaka. If Akane Kosaka was using this as an exchange for Rin Ito's help with something, he would have agreed.
But living off a woman? Hehe.
Rin Ito had interacted with plenty of wealthy young ladies. Mashiro, Karen, Chika, Moeha, Kaguya, Sakiko, Mutsumi... Rin Ito couldn't even count them all on one hand!
If Rin Ito wanted to live off a woman, he could even be picky about it.
"Sorry, but I won't break up with Kaede."
Rin Ito didn't outright reject everything; he only vetoed the condition of breaking up with Kaede. If Akane Kosaka wanted purely physical interaction, Rin Ito would agree without hesitation.
The previously ambiguous atmosphere in the car instantly turned icy.
She was somewhat angry... I've gone to such lengths, and he STILL refuses?
In a daze, she felt as if she had turned into the villainess from a shoujo manga forcing the male and female leads to break up. After a brief internal struggle, Akane Kosaka gave up.
Leaning her somewhat drained body against the seat, Akane Kosaka, who had quit drinking after being discharged from the hospital, suddenly felt a strong urge for a drink.
"Did none of the conditions I offered make you hesitate for even a moment?" Akane Kosaka's voice was filled with helplessness and confusion. According to her investigation, Rin Ito was just an ordinary adult manga artist.
How could he not be tempted by such generous terms?
Not only am I offering myself to him, but I'm also throwing in a multimedia adaptation project that manga artists dream of, and even a sports car that men love the most!
To not be tempted by such conditions... just how solid is his relationship with Kaede?
"That's it?"
"...?"
"Tch, tch, tch... You're trying to test my resolve with just this?"
"I-Is this not enough?" Akane Kosaka's eyes widened. She had considered the possibility of a solid relationship. After all, according to Mashiro, it seemed the younger sister, Suzu, also had a thing going with him. It was perfectly normal that he wouldn't want to part with them.
But Akane Kosaka never imagined that the conditions she offered simply weren't enough!
"Just kidding. Even if you offered more, I still wouldn't break up with Kaede... But those conditions of yours are indeed not enough to turn my head."
Rin Ito's words made Akane Kosaka increasingly curious about him.
"Exactly what kind of conditions WOULD tempt you?"
"I don't know what conditions would tempt me. However, the eldest daughter of the Enjouji family has been trying to poach me from Kaede for a long time now."
"..."
For a moment, Akane Kosaka didn't know what to say. She had seen Karen at Baumkuchen's celebration party, but at the time, Akane Kosaka only thought Karen was just a friend. She never expected this.
"It seems I underestimated you." Akane Kosaka turned her face to carefully inspect Rin Ito from head to toe. Not only had he captivated a genius painter like Mashiro, but he had also made the eldest daughter of the Enjouji family fall for him.
Besides those wealthy heiresses, the girls in his club were probably also drawn to him... Exactly what kind of charm does he possess?
"Forget it." Akane Kosaka handed the proposal to Rin Ito. "The proposal is already made, and the favors have already been called in. Take it."
"I appreciate the gesture. While it would be a shame to waste it if I don't take it, just consider it as looking out for a man's pride."
Rin Ito waved his hand, rejecting Akane Kosaka's goodwill.
"Hmph... If you reject it, I won't be polite. Are you sure you don't want it? This is your last chance."
"I'm sure. While it's certainly tempting, if I wanted it, Karen would have already helped me get an anime adaptation." Rin Ito smiled, then abruptly changed his tone. "I don't need the proposal, and I won't break up with Kaede... But if you want to spend a night of passion with me, I have no problem with that."
"???"