Chapter 45: Not Skimping on the Grandeur
Immediately following was a second email. The secret photographer had set a meeting with Hikaru Hoshino for the next morning in the mountains. He explicitly noted that Hikaru must come alone; otherwise, he would make a move on Ai.
*Knowing for so long that someone was hiding in the shadows, watching me—why didn't I prepare earlier?*
Hikaru reflected deeply on this.
Back when he appeared on the variety show, there was a netizen with a very problematic nickname—likely an insider who knew the details of Ai's situation. Hikaru still remembered the question he asked:
"Is the amnesia real? Do you really not remember anything from your time as Hikaru Kamiki?"
The tone was practically that of an old acquaintance of Kamiki's.
After returning home that night, Hikaru had begun investigating this bug hiding in the dark, but unfortunately, he couldn't find a single trace of communication records on either his phone or computer. Hikaru had encountered the same situation when searching for Ryosuke's information shortly after arriving in this world.
Kamiki's phone was far too clean, containing only normal social interactions. Despite having done so many unspeakable things, he managed to appear as pure as driven snow; even a policeman would have praised him as a model citizen.
One had to admit, to do bad deeds every day and still remain active as the Final Boss until Aqua turned sixteen—the man truly had some skill.
This hidden hand that had emerged certainly knew Hikaru Kamiki, though whether as an enemy or a partner was hard to say. Kamiki's past was complicated; it could be an old enemy coming for revenge, or perhaps a former accomplice who had turned bitter upon finding out Kamiki had amnesia.
Hikaru leaned toward the second possibility, as Kamiki didn't seem like the type to leave enemies alive to tell the tale.
Even though this person hadn't acted yet, Hikaru felt a twinge of anxiety. To him, anyone who knew the truth about Ai was a time bomb. Once the details were leaked to the media, both Ai's career and his own reputation would collapse instantly.
In the worst-case scenario, this person held evidence of him instigating Ryosuke. If they went to the police to turn themselves in, he might end up behind bars.
Hikaru Hoshino hadn't traveled to this world just to serve time for Kamiki!
He had decided to live a good life, and everything was moving in the right direction. How could he fall here!
A black flame flickered in Hikaru's eyes, as if he had evolved into the protagonist of a shonen manga, ready to unleash a powerful move to crush his opponent in the next second.
But he didn't actually have superpowers. At most, he had "money-powers."
*Wait.*
In modern society, isn't that the ultimate "cheat" ability?
Hikaru had a sudden epiphany. He immediately knew how to deal with this mastermind.
"Hello?" He dialed Takashi Kadomori's number.
Since their offline meeting at the cafe, the two had conducted several online negotiations, finally finalizing the contract for Hikaru to join Xini Entertainment as an employee. He was now effectively a singer under Xini Entertainment while remaining a free composer—the two roles did not conflict.
And a star—especially one backed by a giant entertainment company—naturally deserved their own entourage.
Hikaru sat back in his chair, crossing his legs. "Send a team of bodyguards over. I feel that Miyazaki Prefecture is a bit dangerous."
Takashi Kadomori: "?"
He chose his words patiently: "Mr. Hikari, I don't believe your current status warrants such an extensive security detail."
The implication was: *Look in the mirror and see if you're worth the cost.*
Hikaru immediately threw down several heavy bargaining chips. First, he invited Kadomori to watch the completed MV for "Dry Flower," then let him preview the score for the song he intended to perform at the Summer Festival. Kadomori agreed to help promote the former and promised to begin the arrangement for the latter immediately.
He had successfully demonstrated his value. Consequently, that very night, bodyguards boarded a chartered flight and rushed toward Miyazaki Prefecture.
At dawn the next day, while Hikaru was still fast asleep, a loud "thump-thump" at the door forced him to get up.
"Who is it?" he asked, yawning and still in his pajamas.
At this hour, Ai and Ruby should be asleep. Aqua might be awake, but he certainly wouldn't come knocking on his door.
"Bodyguard Rin Futamichi, reporting for duty."
A tall woman in a suit and sunglasses stood there with her hands behind her back. She was about the same height as Hikaru, not overly muscular, but her rigid posture gave off a very reliable impression.
—The female gender was a specific request from Hikaru. He felt that he didn't really need a bodyguard, but Ai needed close protection.
"Come in." Hikaru nodded coldly and sat back in his chair while the female bodyguard stood before him.
"Introduce yourself." Hikaru tapped his knuckles on the table.
"Rin Futamichi. Assigned from Xini Security Co., Ltd. Retired from the Ground Self-Defense Force. Excellent hand-to-hand combat skills, excellent marksmanship, excellent rescue capabilities. Equipped with: Taser, compact baton, tear gas spray."
Hikaru asked curiously, "Dragon King?"
Rin Futamichi frowned. "What is that?"
Hikaru pressed on, "Soldier King?"
"No." The woman was quite honest. "I was just an ordinary soldier. I never participated in any battles after enlisting. The GSDF is pretty laid back; the US Forces in Japan handle almost everything."
"Fair enough." Hikaru nodded. "If you were a 'Soldier King,' I wouldn't dare hire you."
Having asked what he needed to, he stood up and looked out the window with his hands behind his back. "You know the bodyguard's code, right? Don't look at what you shouldn't see, don't listen to what you shouldn't hear. Swallow all secrets."
The bodyguard felt her employer might be a bit of a drama queen, but her professional ethics prompted an immediate response: "Yes, sir!"
"Good, I understand your resolve." Hikaru didn't turn around, maintaining his "big boss" persona. "Now, please step out so I can change my clothes."
Rin Futamichi felt like she was about to break character.
She awkwardly agreed and prepared to leave to give the boss some private space, only to run right into Ai, who had just finished getting ready and was about to head out.
Ai stared blankly at Rin Futamichi, then peeked past her to see Hikaru in his pajamas inside the room. She froze on the spot.
The frame remained frozen until Aqua spoke up airily from behind: "So Uncle Hikaru likes this type of girl."
Hearing Aqua's voice, Hikaru turned around stiffly, locking eyes with Ai's flickering, uncertain gaze.
"No! Let me explain!"
...
After a long period of explaining...
"Oh, so she's a bodyguard. That gave me a shock." Ai felt a strange sense of relief. "As a star, I suppose bodyguards really are necessary."
"Director Gotanda is waiting for us downstairs. Let's go together, Biyoo."
But Hikaru declined Ai's invitation.
To him, there was something far more urgent to handle than filming. He had to deal with that secret photographer—that ticking time bomb.
If a villain sets a meeting with you alone, the silliest thing you can do is obediently go by yourself.
Rin Futamichi had brought a briefcase containing protective gear, including a riot helmet and a bulletproof vest.
Once fully dressed and having ensured the bodyguard was also heavily armed, Hikaru finally stepped onto the stone stairs leading up the mountain.