Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093093152263860/episodes/16818792436242540943
After setting up the account, we visited Kagurazaka’s room. Our purpose, of course, was to tell them what Toka was planning to do.
“So, about that… is it okay if I post photos with Kaede-san on SNS?”
“…Well, we’d be grateful for that. But, just to be safe, I should check with the new agency first—”
Kagurazaka’s father’s voice held considerable hesitation.
Toka’s phone lay on the table in the room’s center. We ended up sitting around it.
“Nee chan, you shouldn’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s no benefit for you. If anything, people might just say bad things about you again.”
Kaede’s voice, bright just moments ago, suddenly turned serious. She bit her lip tightly, looking frustrated.
“You retired, right? Then this has nothing to do with you.”
It was the first time Kaede had ever spoken to Toka in such a dismissive way.
…Stupid. We know better than to take those words at face value. We know exactly what kind of person Kagurazaka Kaede is after this trip.
“Then maybe I’ll just give it away on my own.”
Toka smiled mischievously and reached for her phone. The gesture seemed playful, yet a hint of seriousness seeped through.
“Nee chan!”
Kaede leaned forward in panic.
“Are you really going to do this? I absolutely don’t want to see you get hurt again!”
Her cry made the air in the room instantly tense. Kaede’s desperation was painfully clear. I knew she was trying to protect Tohka too.
“It’s okay. I won’t break as easily as before. Because—”
Toka squeezed my hand tightly and smiled.
“Because Ryo-kun is here beside me now.”
Hearing my name out of the blue startled me a little.
“And you know what, Kaede-san? I hate seeing people say bad things about you and just staying silent.”
“Eh…”
“So I want to tell the world that I accept you, Kaede-san. I want to tell them it’s not some forced push. Because this is how I truly feel.”
At those words, Kaede’s eyes fluttered wildly. It seemed to hold both the desire to protect her and the relief of being saved… both mixed together.
“We can’t stop Asahina-san from doing what she wants.”
Kagurazaka’s father muttered those words.
“I’m sorry, I’m such a sneaky adult…”
“It’s fine. I understand. I know very well how hard it is for adults.”
Toka responded to those words with a smile. It wasn’t quite the same smile as her SSR one, but it was a genuinely wonderful smile, free of any pretense.
…Watching everyone interact like that, I couldn’t stand still anymore.
“I’ve made up my mind.”
—Toka had told me something before.
“Ryo-kun is the manager of my life,” she said. At the time, I thought it was an exaggeration…
“I’ll be Asahina Toka’s new manager! So I’ll give you my full support. I’ll manage your SNS usage thoroughly too.”
Kagurazaka Kaede’s manager is her father.
Then I should be able to be Toka’s manager too!
Not like that former manager I met before. A manager who can be more attuned to Toka’s feelings…
I’m going to be the manager of the celebrity, Asahina Toka!
“So please don’t worry. As Toka’s partner and as her manager, I’ll give her my absolute full support. This isn’t like back when she was called a ‘failed project’. Asahina Toka isn’t alone anymore!”
The moment I declared that, the room fell completely silent for an instant. Then, Kaede’s eyes glistened slightly, and she murmured softly.
“…That’s unfair. If you say it like that, I can’t oppose it anymore.”
Saying that, Kaede looked away from us. Beside her, her father also relaxed the tension that had weighed heavily on his shoulders.
“…Even at the previous agency, some people kept saying it. That it was our responsibility for Asahina Toka being labeled a ‘failed project’.”
Kagurazaka’s father continued, as if confessing to everything that had happened.
“But all we could do was cheer on our beloved daughter as she succeeded… We don’t want anyone calling our precious Kaede a ‘failed training’… Because Kaede is the daughter we cherished and raised with all our hearts…”
Kagurazaka’s father’s words pricked something deep within her chest. Surely, Asahina Toka’s “failed development” wasn’t just about her and her family; it must have involved the complex feelings of many people.
“I also don’t want anyone to call Kaede-san that, so please rest assured.”
“…I’m sorry. I felt guilty towards Asahina-san, which is why I suggested this trip…”
“It’s enough. I’m having a wonderful time.”
Toka’s voice was direct, without a flicker of wavering.
Kaede gasped softly at that strength—and suddenly, the corners of her eyes reddened.
“I think I might cry…”
She hurriedly wiped away a tear that had fallen with the back of her hand. But the corners of her mouth were slightly turned up in a smile.
“Ah, but if we fail, maybe we can use a special move together?”
“Special move?”
“Special move: cell phone destruction. If no one knows about it, it never happened in our world.”
“Whaaaaaaat!?”
Wait, Toka-san… the way you say that, you’ve done this before, right…?
Alright! But at least we’ve got the basic outline of the story figured out!
As my first job as manager, I have to properly support Toka!
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