"If you keep looking at me with such suspicious eyes, I'll confiscate the funds on the card!" Ai, feeling their strange gazes, sternly reprimanded them. "Why are all your thoughts like that?!"
"Ai, I was just joking around, don't get angry~" Watanabe sensed the atmosphere was off and quickly tried to change the subject. "Regarding the stage outfits, have you all decided what kind you want?"
"As the saying goes, 'misfortune comes from the mouth,' so it's better for everyone to be cautious with their words," Ai loudly told Arisa. On the surface, she was lecturing Arisa, but in reality, she was using this to subtly warn Watanabe.
If it weren't for Hiko's meticulous planning to make me the leader, aiming for harmonious relationships among the group members…
Watanabe's passive-aggressive behavior definitely wouldn't be tolerated.
"Understood…" Arisa, hearing Ai speak to her, could only respond loudly.
Watanabe, Niino, and Takamine didn't pay much attention to what Ai said.
Ai saw their indifferent reactions, thought for a moment, and then threatened, "The same goes for all of you. Don't think I'm only talking to Ari. Even if it's just to maintain your idol image, you shouldn't casually discuss others behind their backs. If the fans ever dig it up later, you'll be flamed and then forced to graduate."
Ai exaggerated the danger. "You don't want your idol career to end because of a few words, do you?"
Takamine mentally disagreed with Ai's statement, but she didn't speak out, only watching the others.
"Will it really be that serious?" Niino asked curiously.
Arisa was also curious about Ai's statement, but since Niino had already asked, she decided not to speak up again.
"Of course!" Ai confidently told the lie. "There are many idols who have had to graduate and leave the entertainment industry due to various reasons."
While listening to Ai's words, Takamine judged from the phrase 'various reasons' that Ai was bluffing.
The other three didn't notice the trap in Ai's words the way Takamine did.
Their understanding of idols was still shallow, so they mostly believed Ai's claims.
Everyone nodded at what she said.
"I'll go find the president and have him take us to the place where we'll get our stage outfits custom-made," Ai said, seeing the good effect and striking while the iron was hot.
"Okay~" Niino was the first to respond to Hoshino Ai.
"Hurry back," Arisa said, crossing her arms in front of her.
Watanabe and Takamine simply nodded.
Ai, having received the group's approval, stood up and walked toward the president's office.
Knock knock.
Ai knocked on the office door.
"Come in," Ichigo's response came from inside the office.
Ai opened the door, entered, and then casually closed it behind her.
She saw Ichigo reading documents he held in his hand.
But as far as she knew, Ichigo-Pro's network was average, just a plain, unremarkable small agency in Tokyo.
"What is it?" Ichigo asked, seemingly carefully reading the clauses on the documents.
"President, I'm sorry to bother you at this time, but yesterday Hiko-kun mentioned the stage outfits…" Ai watched Ichigo's reaction.
Last night, after Hiko returned home, he had called Ichigo, woken him up in the middle of the night, and told him all the arrangements.
This made Ichigo a little critical, but Hiko had directly explained the plan and also sent over the corresponding documents.
Therefore, Ichigo already knew about this matter.
"Oh, it's about that? Alright, I'll drive you all over there now," he nodded and replied. "By the way, why isn't Hiko here today?"
15:38
Hiko opened his red, sore eyes, picked up his phone, and checked his messages.
"Ha~ah~" Hiko let out a long yawn to perk himself up.
He had stayed up all night until past seven in the morning, barely managing to finish yesterday's workload.
After finishing, he had immediately fallen asleep and only just woken up.
At this point, B-Komachi's stage outfits should already have been ordered, and he should have them prepare promotional photos for the concert.
Hiko finished washing up, ate some bread for breakfast to fill his stomach, and then called Ichigo.
"Where are you all now?" Hiko asked directly.
"I'm at the agency now. Ai and the others are doing free practice," Ichigo said, thinking Hiko was asking specifically about Ai's whereabouts.
"Have them prepare…" Hiko had originally wanted Ichigo to relay the message, but he remembered that the other members of B-Komachi didn't have the habit of leaving their clothes at the agency. He stopped mid-sentence and instead said, "B-Komachi's promotional photos and such should be prepared."
"Sigh…" Ichigo sighed, recalling that morning. He had originally planned to settle B-Komachi's costume fees himself, but Ai had preemptively paid with a swipe. "If you had given me that money to manage B-Komachi, it would be much better than the current situation. Spending recklessly is not good behavior."
"I didn't spend recklessly, and the current B-Komachi's starting point is much better than if you had them start as underground idols," Hiko retorted. At the same time, he confirmed that all members of B Komachi were at the agency, so he decided to hang up and take the train there.
"While the starting point is indeed much higher, maximizing profit means they should learn enough songs for an album. When the concert starts, they can sell the album, and merchandise also needs to be custom-ordered and communicated with manufacturers in advance. If you rush them onto the stage like this, too much profit will be lost," Ichigo sighed again and shared his thoughts.
Hiko had already considered such things, but he wasn't very interested in making money. After all, he had the system.
"You don't have to worry about that. I feel that making money is very easy," Hiko interrupted Ichigo's sighs and reflections. "However, next time we can arrange all these things."
"You brat! Don't treat money like it's nothing! Investment requires caution. If your funds are ever frozen in the future, you'll regret this period of lavish spending," Ichigo earnestly told Hiko.
"That won't happen," Hiko shook his head and replied.
He chatted with Ichigo as he arrived at the station and boarded the train to the agency.
Since it was around 4 PM, there weren't many people on the train.
After he arrived at the agency, he quietly searched for the five members of B-Komachi.
He finally found them in the dance practice room. The five of them were practicing the moves he had taught yesterday, and he also saw their lips moving, clearly chatting about something.