Chapter 30: High EQ
"Just how big is this place?"
Yoko asked, curious.
Her own apartment was only 120 square meters, and it had still cost her 200,000,000 yen.
That had wiped out her entire savings, and she'd even taken on an 80,000,000 yen bank mortgage on top of it.
Being a celebrity looked glamorous, and the income seemed high, but the day-to-day expenses were enormous too.
Not to mention, the agency skimmed off her income at every level, so what actually ended up in her hands wasn't much at all.
"Five bedrooms, two living rooms, seven bathrooms, 800 square meters in total—that comes out to just over a billion, give or take."
"About 1.3 billion and change!"
Makoto said unhurriedly, reading off the System's description.
This Check-In reward really was just so-so—nowhere near comparable to Teitan High School or the Hilton, let alone Tropical Land.
"O-one point three billion?"
Yoko swallowed hard.
A place worth over a billion, and he could still say "just."
So this was the world of the rich?
"Higashino-san, i-is this place... really your home?"
Yuko craned her neck back, looking all around.
She was a TV star who appeared on screen regularly, and yet right now she looked like a country girl seeing the big city for the very first time, gawking at everything in sight.
"Home?"
"This isn't my home!"
Makoto shook his head.
Not his home?
In that instant, both Okino Yoko and Ikezawa Yuko's eyes dimmed, clearly disappointed.
Of course—how could a mere eighteen-year-old high schooler actually own a mansion like this?
"My home is in Tianhai, in China."
"This is just an ordinary place I have in Japan."
"As for places like this, I've got a few more..."
"Uh, actually, I'm not even sure how many."
Makoto frowned, unable to say for sure whether he'd check in another mansion like this down the line.
Silence!
A silence dead as the grave.
Okino Yoko and Ikezawa Yuko both froze on the spot, mouths hanging slightly open, unable to say a word for a long moment.
Just an ordinary place?
An ordinary house?
More places like this?
Doesn't even know how many?
Every single word Makoto said, they understood perfectly—and yet somehow couldn't wrap their heads around at all.
All roads lead to Rome, and yet some people are born already ruling it!
"Higashino-san, what did you want to tell us by bringing us here?"
Yoko calmed her racing heart and steered the conversation back on track.
"Yoko-san, Yuko-san, what I want to say is actually very simple."
"I'm a man who loves peace. I don't like seeing people fight each other, and that includes the two of you."
"So, I'd like to play peacemaker!"
Makoto sat on the sofa, legs crossed, pouring himself a glass of red wine.
"Peacemaker?"
"You want me to make peace with her?"
Ikezawa Yuko looked across at Okino Yoko, the corner of her mouth twitching, still not the least bit satisfied.
She was the one who'd joined the agency first, the one who'd debuted first.
And yet now, all anyone ever saw was Yoko.
Concerts, TV dramas, variety shows—all of it went to Okino Yoko, never to Ikezawa Yuko.
Every time she caught sight of Yoko on a TV screen or a billboard, it was like living through a nightmare all over again—completely unbearable.
"If that's what Higashino-san wants, then Yoko will do her very best."
Yoko clenched her small fist in a little gesture of determination, utterly adorable.
Except in Yuko's eyes, it just looked coy and calculating—the very picture of a green tea.
"Of course, in return—"
"I can pretend I never found out what you two did."
"And I can let you both stay in this place for free, as long as you like."
"On top of that..."
Makoto held up a finger, wagging it slowly. "There's a three-year endorsement deal with Tropical Land."
"Gulp!"
In an instant, both Okino Yoko and Ikezawa Yuko's eyes lit up, and neither could stop themselves from swallowing hard.
An endorsement deal?
And not just any deal—a three-year contract with the famous Tropical Land, no less!
For stars like them, an endorsement of this caliber wasn't just about the money—it would bump their entire market value up a whole tier.
Take clothing brand endorsements, for instance—a Uniqlo spokesperson and a Chanel spokesperson weren't even on the same level in the entertainment world.
"Higashino-san, it's so hot in here!"
"Is the AC set too high, maybe?"
Yuko fanned herself, then casually slipped off her jacket.
As if by pure accident, she settled herself down right next to Makoto.
"Higashino-san, letting me stay here for a while really means so much to me."
"It's just… a place this big, if I lived here alone, it'd be a little scary."
"It'd be so nice if both Higashino-san and Yuko-san could stay and keep me company!"
Yoko put on her most pitiful look as she said something that sounded perfectly innocent but was, in truth, wildly forward.
Even Makoto couldn't help but be impressed—now that was emotional intelligence!
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Higashino Makoto — Protagonist. Transmigrated.
Ikezawa Yuko — Idol. Series: Detective Conan.
Okino Yoko — Idol. Series: Detective Conan.
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Translated by CheapBiscuit.
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