SCIAW: Chapter 140/141

Chapter 140: I Can Sponsor You
For Yoko, cooking was a way to relieve mental stress.

It was a peaceful and soothing activity for her.

But once the cooking was done, eating alone always felt a little empty, a little lonely.

Now, with another person at the table, that emptiness and loneliness from the past seemed to fade away.

The feeling was different.

It was like when she used to eat with her parents.

"Hehe~"

As she thought about it, Yoko couldn't help but laugh softly.

Looking up, she met Ren's puzzled gaze from across the table. Instead of continuing to eat, she simply smiled at him with a gentle expression.

"I was just remembering the times I used to eat with my parents."

"But now, because of work, I don't get to see them as often."

"Besides… I don't want my work to bring them unnecessary trouble."

A hint of helplessness crossed Yoko's face as she spoke.

"Fanatical fans?"

Yoko nodded with a troubled expression.

"My parents actually had to move once because of issues caused by my work."

"Back then, I had just started gaining fame and had some money saved up. So, I helped them buy a better house in an upscale neighborhood in another city."

"After they moved, those obsessive fans finally stopped sending stacks of love letters, sometimes as many as 900 at a time to my parents."

"But because of that, I have to be extra cautious every time I visit them."

"The community they live in has security, so I'm not too worried about break-ins. But I really don't want anyone camping outside their building."

Even though Yoko understood that this kind of fan behavior was a sign of how much they liked her, she would rather deal with it herself than have her parents go through it.

"Fanatical fans really are a hassle."

Ren sighed.

But he had seen even crazier cases.

Sometimes, devoted fans ended up getting their own idols arrested because of their extreme behavior.

To put it simply, some fans were truly insane.

"Sometimes… yeah."

Even though Yoko didn't want to condemn her fans' devotion, she couldn't argue against that point.

She could endure the attention of fanatical fans.

But her parents couldn't.

Letting out a small sigh, Yoko shook her head and pushed those thoughts aside.

At least now her parents were living in another city, safe from the harassment of her more extreme fans.

"So, how was your trip this weekend?"

"It was fine, the island was relatively quiet."

"But honestly, skipping that island might've been the right call for you."

Yoko, who had been in a good mood, suddenly froze.

"That island… Something happened?"

"Something big."

"A large number of drug dealers were discovered there. The Metropolitan Police Department had been keeping an eye on the island for a while."

"It just so happened that I walked right into it."

"No way!"

Yoko was so shocked that she covered her mouth.

The island where she had planned to vacation for the weekend—was actually a place the police had been investigating for a long time?

"Did the police take action this weekend?"

Ren nodded slightly.

"This… is way too unlucky."

Yoko sighed. She realized that if the Metropolitan Police had been operating there, then Ren Amamiya probably couldn't enjoy the sights of Tsukikage Island properly.

"Yeah, pretty much."

"The hot spring hotel I stayed at was on lockdown as soon as I checked in. They said it was to prevent drug dealers from escaping."

That meant Ren had barely left the hot spring hotel during his entire stay on Tsukikage Island.

That was definitely unfortunate.

"But in the end, it worked out pretty well for me."

Although the situation on Tsukikage Island had disrupted his weekend plans, Ren had already anticipated that there might be casualties during his trip.

But instead of a murder case, it turned out to be a major drug bust.

The process was different from what he had expected, but the outcome wasn't bad at all.

Ultimately, he had gained a new "sefirot."

It was just that the incident on Tsukikage Island had been so massive that it caused a major ripple effect—especially among those who held the diary.

And thanks to that, he had reaped the maximum benefits.

Even Ren himself was somewhat surprised by the result.

He had been expecting to obtain a Sequence 8 potion.

But instead, he had gotten something even beyond a Sequence.

That was a major leap.

"What kind of work were you doing over there?"

Yoko subconsciously touched her neck. The bruises were nearly gone now, and her long vacation was coming to an end.

"I still have to continue working."

"But I need to be more careful about the agency moving forward."

The whole ordeal with her agency had been a serious wake-up call.

It made her realize that the company that had helped her rise to fame was, at the end of the day, still a business.

And businesses existed to make money.

"Are you thinking of buying out your contract?"

"Yeah."

For any female artist, their contract was essentially an indenture agreement. Buying out their contract without fulfilling its terms required an enormous sum of money.

Every female artist had probably considered breaking free from their agency at some point.

Even if it meant losing some resources or declining in popularity, at least they would be free.

They would also have more control over their work and schedule.

But buying herself out of the contract was proving to be a headache for Yoko.

"Even if I do buy myself out, without the right connections, even a popular artist will fade into obscurity quickly."

"Plus, if a female artist has a messy split with her agency, it can cause a lot of public backlash."

"That would be another big problem."

"That's why, usually, even if a female artist wants to leave, they try to end things amicably with their old agency."

"Buying out a contract rarely happens. Most female artists just wait until their contract expires and then negotiate with their former agency."

Ren could more or less understand the situation.

Female artists were groomed by their agencies step by step. If they left, there would inevitably be a lot of complications.

After all, female artists in this country still had a relatively weak position in the industry. They didn't have much power in these situations.

"What if a female artist became a shareholder in the agency?"

"...If that were possible, the cost would be even higher than just buying out my contract."

"Besides, my agency is doing pretty well right now. If I wanted to buy enough shares to have a say in management, I'd need at least 200 to 300 million yen."

"No matter how hard I work, it'd take me at least seven or eight years to save up that kind of money."

"That's two or three times the cost of my contract buyout."

"It's just not worth it."

Yoko felt that if she had that much money, she wouldn't spend it on buying shares just to become a stakeholder in her own agency.

That would just be like hiring herself as an artist with her own money.

After hearing her response, Ren nodded slightly.

Then, he casually took out a bank card from his pocket.

"I can sponsor you."

"300 million yen—enough to buy shares in your agency and make you a major shareholder."

Chapter 141: Occasional Meddling

"???"

Yoko was completely stunned by his sudden offer.

"Wait, where did you get that kind of money?"

"Don't tell me you earned it from working!"

"I wouldn't be able to make 300 million yen even in ten years!"

From what Yoko knew, even top-tier celebrities had annual salaries ranging between 10 million and 20 million yen.

That was the typical salary range for popular entertainers.

To be honest, she herself wasn't even qualified to make 10 million yen a year yet.

Even if her career continued to go well, it would still take at least another year or two before she reached that level.

While being an entertainer wasn't considered a high-status profession, it was still a well-paying one.

But for this boy in front of her, the only one she had truly acknowledged to suddenly pull out such a large sum of money, Yoko couldn't help but worry about its origin.

"Don't overthink it. It's clean money."

"How can I not overthink it?! A sum this huge, if it came from an illegal source, you'd be arrested!"

"I know."

"If you know, then why—"

"That's why I'm telling you—it's clean."

That response left Yoko momentarily speechless.

But after a brief pause, she slowly calmed down.

If it were some shady, off-the-books money, then yes, it would be a real problem. But if the money was already in the bank, then it had likely gone through verification.

It wasn't easy to deposit dirty money in a bank without raising red flags.

"...Are you being kept by some rich woman?"

Ren let out a sigh, clearly exasperated.

"Is it really so unbelievable that I have money?"

"Yes."

Yoko nodded without hesitation.

"Logically speaking, a high school student with no family support shouldn't have access to that kind of money."

"Plus, you're renting a place where a murder happened, and you're taking advantage of free utilities. You don't look wealthy at all."

"And most importantly, you live alone. Given all that, do you really think it's normal for a high schooler in your situation to have that much money?"

Ren shook his head.

"Absolutely not normal."

A high school student with no background, no inheritance, and no major windfall had no logical way of accumulating such a massive amount of money.

"See? Even you think so."

Yoko gave him a knowing look.

"A high schooler, living alone, suddenly having access to a fortune—"

"And considering that you're good-looking, I think the most reasonable explanation is that you're being kept."

Her words carried some implications.

At least from Ren's perspective, he certainly didn't have the qualifications to be some rich woman's plaything.

Besides, being a kept man wasn't as simple as just looking good.

If someone was truly kept by a wealthy patron, they had to have enough charm, talent, or connections to make it worth the investment. Otherwise, they were just disposable entertainment.

"So, tell me—which rich woman would hand out hundreds of millions to someone she's keeping?"

"…"

Yoko was momentarily at a loss for words.

He had a point.

A few hundred million yen wasn't a small amount.

Not just any rich woman would be willing to throw that kind of money around so casually.

So the kept man theory quickly fell apart.

"Fine, I won't ask where the money comes from."

"But regardless of its source, be careful."

Something inside Yoko told her that the money wasn't problematic.

And she trusted that instinct.

As for the details, she decided not to pry any further.

Some things were best left unasked.

After all, this could be tied to one of Ren's hidden secrets.

"That said, don't waste it on buying agency stocks."

"You could do so much more with that money than investing in some worthless shares."

After some thought, Yoko firmly rejected his suggestion.

In reality, she didn't think her agency was worth investing in at all.

She wanted to leave, why would she buy into the very system she wanted out of?

Ren had a different perspective.

"An agency's only real value comes from its industry connections and resources."

"If you don't think it's worth investing in, then why not just start your own studio?"

"Start my own entertainment company?"

Yoko was instantly intrigued but also felt a bit uneasy.

"But I don't know anything about running a studio."

"Well, neither do I."

"Then why are you even suggesting it?!"

She widened her eyes in disbelief. How could someone who admittedly knew nothing about it still recommend starting a company?

"This is just my personal suggestion."

"Once you establish a studio, you'll be free from the agency's control."

"It might be tough in the beginning, but you already know other female artists in the industry, don't you?"

"That's true."

Yoko had a few close friends in the entertainment business, colleagues she had worked with before.

"But how would a brand-new studio even find work?"

"That's up to you."

Ren wasn't familiar with the business side of the industry, so he didn't have much advice to give.

Ultimately, whether or not she could land work depended on Yoko Okino's ability.

"I'll sponsor you with 300 million yen as startup capital in exchange for a stake in the company."

"One of my classmates' mothers is a well-known lawyer. I can help connect you with her, but you'll have to handle everything else yourself."

"Go back to the law firm that originally handled your agency contract and negotiate your release."

Ren paused, considering Yoko's lack of connections.

Since she had no real backing, she might need some help to make sure she wasn't taken advantage of.

"Actually, it might be difficult for you to handle this alone. I'll talk to my classmate and see if she can help you."

"If she gets involved, it should make things a lot easier for you."

Hearing all this, Yoko just stared at Ren.

"...I thought you didn't like meddling in other people's affairs?"

Ren hesitated for a moment.

That was true—he didn't like getting involved in other people's business.

Nor did he enjoy asking others for favors.

"Only occasionally."

"I occasionally get involved."

"Anyway, I just have one question, do you want to do this or not?"

Yoko fell silent for a moment.

Then, the hesitation in her expression vanished, replaced by a bright, confident smile.

"Yes!"

She still hadn't repaid him for saving her life.

And now, she owed him another favor.

It seemed like this debt wouldn't be so easily repaid.

She could only return the favor little by little, one step at a time.