Takashi told Shirogane Kei to explore the place a bit while he took Sagiri straight to Ogitsu Yoshiko's office.
"You actually remembered where the company is?" Ogitsu said, surprised to see him as she reviewed product placement quotes.
After all, he had only shown up once—on the day he signed the contract—and hadn't stepped foot in the office since.
"Hey now, that's a bit harsh."
After sitting across from her, Ogitsu got straight to the point. "So? What do you want today?"
"I'll say this upfront—if you're trying to smuggle someone into the company, forget it."
Takashi waved his hand. "I'm not here to smuggle anyone in. I want your help setting up a personal studio. Or a company. Either works."
Ogitsu took a sip of tea, eyes narrowing, her expression growing frosty.
"Are you trying to go independent?"
If Takashi dared say yes, she'd throw that hot tea in his face.
She'd been cleaning up his messes ever since he signed, and hadn't even made a return on him yet. And now he was planning to bail?
"Boss, do I look that bold?" Takashi looked at her with the most innocent face he could muster.
He wasn't about to dig his own grave.
He knew full well that Japanese talent agencies were nothing like their Chinese counterparts.
In China, even internet celebrities look to break off and go solo the moment they get popular.
The most infamous example was "Sister Hui."
A few years ago, she tried to break her contract without penalty and fly solo.
She falsely accused her boss with one sentence—"What kind of girl would joke about her purity?"—and not only silenced all female voices in the industry but also single-handedly tanked Wu You Media, which was booming at the time.
That case had opened Takashi's eyes.
Of course, that kind of thing only happens in China.
In the Japanese entertainment world, it's impossible.
Because agencies there operate like monopolies. They truly have the power to cover the sky with one hand.
Not even idol stars have the leverage to negotiate.
Even top-tier veterans trying to go solo would have to pay a heavy price, because these agencies are deeply tied to the underworld, politics, and TV network execs.
Networks fear their power and won't touch artists who try to break away.
No matter how big a star you are, if the agency wants to crush you, you're done.
That's no exaggeration.
Take Nounen Rena. She started modeling at 13, debuted through a short film five years later, and by 2013 had shot to fame with Amachan, winning the 78th Television Drama Academy Award for Best Actress.
But due to a serious conflict with her agency, she was basically frozen out.
In the two years following, she only appeared in two movies and one short drama.
In 2015, rumors surfaced she was founding a new studio with Takizawa Mitsuko—and that completely halted her career.
No new work, rarely seen on screen.
In Japan, if you want freedom, joining an agency is your only path.
"I just want to sign her, not go solo," Takashi said, pointing at Sagiri.
Ogitsu finally relaxed.
If it had been any other artist asking to go independent, she wouldn't be worried—maybe even eager to show them the power of capital.
But Takashi was different.
His girlfriend, Hitomi, was an elite-capitalist. If he really wanted to go solo, he wouldn't lack resources.
He had backing from both the underworld and the establishment.
In the underworld, his close relationship with the Ryuju Group's heiress made him untouchable.
In the establishment, the Five Regent Families and the Fujiwara Family protected him.
Johnny's Entertainment didn't dare approach him—because they'd been warned.
In other words, if Takashi wanted to fly solo, he had the ability to do it. And she couldn't stop him.
Hearing that he just wanted to sign a "small potato" like Sagiri, Ogitsu relaxed and slouched casually in her chair.
"I get it. But why her?"
Ogitsu honestly couldn't see any potential in Sagiri.
As a professional agent, her judgment was sharp.
She admitted that Sagiri did have the potential to become an idol—the girl was indeed cute and adorable—but from the moment she walked in and hid behind Takashi, not daring to meet her eyes, she concluded that Sagiri was most likely socially anxious and unfit to be an idol.
"She's a doujin artist. I think you've heard of her—Eromanga."
In an instant, the laziness in Ogitsu Yoshiko's eyes disappeared, replaced by a sharp gaze that pierced straight into Sagiri, startling her into crouching down and holding her head in fear.
"I looked into Eromanga's identity—she's a divorced woman." As she spoke, Ogitsu Yoshiko opened a drawer, pulled out a file from a stack, and handed it over.
Takashi took it and looked through it, only to find a woman with the exact same face as Sagiri, sporting a dangerously styled haircut.
He turned slightly and flicked the forehead of the little girl hiding behind his chair, placing the file in front of her.
"This is your mom?"
Rubbing her forehead where she was flicked, Sagiri glanced at the document, then nodded nervously.
She didn't expect that in less than two days, they would dig up her mother's records.
If she had waited a few more days to apologize, they might've already started filing a lawsuit.
And she wasn't wrong.
Ogitsu Yoshiko had already begun the lawsuit process.
"She's using her mother's account?" Ogitsu Yoshiko instantly understood everything.
"Yes."
"Great, now we can add another charge—keep her mom in jail a bit longer," she said threateningly.
"No!"
Sagiri suddenly raised her voice, but as soon as Takashi and Ogitsu Yoshiko looked at her, she wilted again.
She didn't know Ogitsu Yoshiko well and was intimidated by the stern older woman.
Tugging on Takashi's sleeve, she said, "You promised me… you wouldn't sue my mom."
"Relax, I won't sue your mom," Takashi replied, easing her nerves—until his next words almost made her cry.
"But my company will sue. What can I do about that?"
Seeing Takashi's helpless shrug, Sagiri felt he was being a total scoundrel.
Yet she had no way to deal with a guy like Takashi.
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