America: My Time

Chapter 364 A kind reminder

Chapter 364 A Kind Reminder
In contrast, Naoko and Akina's reactions were rather ordinary. As true idols, they weren't quick to react to many things, and in this case, they were much slower than expected, causing Riko, who was close to Naoko, to sigh inwardly.

"Naoko, Akina, Akiko, you should spend more time with Riko and learn more about her. You still have a lot to learn, so don't waste all your energy on trivial matters."

“Mr. John, you flatter me. I am not worthy of such recognition!” Riko said modestly at this moment. Although this was John’s approval of her, Riko could not accept it so easily.

John smiled calmly and said, "Don't worry, I didn't mean anything by it. I just want Naoko, Akina, and Akiko to learn more about how to handle things. They don't have this kind of experience!"

John's ability to say such things in front of everyone not only reflects his approval of Riko, but also his concern for Naoko, Akina, and Hitomi. If John didn't care about Naoko, Akina, and Hitomi, he wouldn't have said such things. Among these people, few truly understand this; Riko is one of them, as are Mao Daichi and Hideki Saijo. This is no simple statement; it carries a great deal of influence!

Seeing everything unfolding before them, and after carefully considering these words, Matsuda Seiko, Kashiwabara Yoshie, and Koizumi Kyoko were all shocked. Beyond their shock, they envied Naoko, Akina, and Kuroki Hitomi's opportunities. Although Naoko and the others were sent to the side of a powerful figure like John as beautiful hostesses, such opportunities were rare. Perhaps Naoko, Akina, and Kuroki Hitomi experienced some fright during this process, but the outcome was wonderful, which made them extremely envious—opportunities they could never have.

A beautiful idol like Seiko Matsuda, even after marriage, refused to retire from the entertainment industry, refusing to give up despite immense pressure. This alone demonstrates her immense ambition. While she might not have anything to say about Naoko, the situation with Akina and Hitomi Kuroki made her envious. Unfortunately, she didn't possess the same level of fame as Naoko, Akina, or Kuroki. The reason is simple: Seiko Matsuda had a lover, which is why she couldn't catch the eye of those powerful figures.

Although they were just lovers, everyone could understand how much John valued Naoko, Akina, and Hitomi Kuroki. Moreover, being a lover of a big shot is a completely different matter from being a lover of an ordinary person. Such situations are common in Japan. Which big shot doesn't have several lovers like this? Not to mention big shots, even the director of a TV station has such lovers.

Riko is Akio Morita's lover, but who dares to underestimate her or provoke her? Capable people wouldn't offend Akio Morita over trivial matters, and those without ability simply wouldn't dare to do so. The same applies to Naoko, Akina, and Hitomi Kuroki. Previous events are a good example. Anyone who brings up Naoko will suffer the consequences; countless artists have been severely damaged. Hitomi Kuroki's situation is similar; even Johnny's Entertainment has to pay such a heavy price. In the eyes of the bigwigs, Johnny's is just an ant, something that can be sacrificed at any time if needed.

John believed that everything before him was being watched by those Japanese guys, and that they would hear what he had just said. Although he had his own little schemes and calculations involved, John genuinely valued the three beautiful women beside him, caring deeply for Naoko, Akina, and Hitomi Kuroki.

"Thank you for your recognition, Mr. John. I will do my best!" Riko immediately expressed her gratitude. Being recognized by such a big shot as John would be of great benefit to her future development and life.

The minor incident passed just like that, but it revealed the difference in status. Even a big shot in the entertainment industry like Mary Kitagawa had to be careful when dealing with Riko. Naoko, Akina, and Hitomi Kuroki were in no worse situations than Riko.

Mao Daichi had been worried about Hitomi Kuroki's situation, but now she finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had initially only heard Hitomi's explanation, but now that she had witnessed everything firsthand, she could finally feel at ease. Because of Hitomi's departure, Mao Daichi also left Takarazuka this summer.

Because of her relationship with Hitomi Kuroki, Mao Daichi's career was not affected even after leaving Takarazuka. Moreover, because of Hitomi Kuroki, TV Tokyo still provided considerable assistance. After all, Hitomi Kuroki is currently nominally affiliated with TV Tokyo. Although she doesn't have much power, with such a relationship, TV Tokyo will still provide Mao Daichi with some help within its capabilities. This is well reflected in Hideki Saijo's case.

Not long after, Akio Morita appeared before John, ignoring Riko and the others, and said, "John, everyone's here. Let's go upstairs to discuss business!" John wasn't surprised at all by Akio Morita's appearance, nor did he find anything wrong with the other party's excuse. This was the world of capitalism. Even if he knew that everything before was a scheme by some people, he wouldn't show any dissatisfaction. They had their schemes, and John had his own plans.

With John's departure, Seiko Matsuda, Kyoko Koizumi, and Yoshie Kashiwabara also had to get up and leave. It was their turn to perform, and as guest performers, they weren't as relaxed as Naoko and Akina. However, Mao Daichi was an exception; she wasn't a guest performer, but rather an escort hired by Miwa specifically to contact Hitomi Kuroki!

With the idols gone, only Naoko, Hitomi Kuroki, Akina, Mao Daichi, and Riko remained in the corner, making it much quieter and less of a topic of conversation.

"Naoko, I'm not trying to criticize you, but you need to learn to get used to this kind of thing, to adapt. Don't focus on the record; it's not important to you! And Akina and Akiko, you two should do the same. Akiko is doing better; at least she understands what's important. You two should learn from her." With only familiar faces left, Riko spoke up to persuade Naoko and the others. For Riko, Naoko was the most important person; after all, they had a very good relationship, and Riko's character made her feel at ease—she was a kind-hearted person who wouldn't scheme against her friends.

Riko knew a little about Akina and Hitomi Kuroki's situation, but she wasn't very familiar with them. She only knew of their existence and had met them a few times.

"Riko-nee, I'll try my best to adapt!" Naoko said softly. Although it wasn't the first time she had encountered something like this, Naoko still hadn't adapted.

"You, I really don't know what to say to you. You're just lucky to have met someone like Mr. John, otherwise you would have been devoured long ago. Naoko, Akina, as someone who's been there, I still have to advise you not to put all your energy into your singing career. That's not your focus. Even if you don't want to give up your singing career, you can't invest too much energy in it. Give yourselves more time to learn more about the interactions in high society. That will benefit you."

In comparison, Riko has a higher opinion of Hitomi Kuroki's ability to handle things, which is much stronger than Naoko and Akina's. At least Hitomi can understand in a very short time what is most advantageous to her. But so far, Naoko and Akina have not reacted, or more accurately, they have not adapted.

Fortunately, Hitomi Kuroki didn't consider Naoko and Akina as rivals; otherwise, they would have been at a disadvantage, even a disadvantageous position, in the competition with Kuroki. Of course, this was only Riko's own opinion. John didn't share this view. He was fully aware of Naoko and Akina's situation. Although Kuroki's decision earned John's respect, he didn't think there was anything wrong with Naoko and Akina's choice.

Hitomi Kuroki and Mao Daichi could both sense how close Riko and Naoko were. They could feel Riko's concern for Naoko, which wasn't entirely based on self-interest, but rather on the care of an older sister for her younger sister. Perhaps this was related to Riko's own situation, as Naoko's situation was much better than Riko's. However, Naoko herself hadn't realized it or adapted to her own changes, even though Riko had advised her more than once. Naoko hadn't changed much and was still the same kind-hearted person.

This is Naoko's true nature. As the saying goes, it's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature. It's not an easy thing to change Naoko's kind-hearted personality. Even though Naoko has been following John for two years, her personality remains the same. The more she is like this, the more Riko is willing to sincerely help this 'little sister'.

Both Mao Daichi and Hitomi Kuroki understood and accepted the friendship between Naoko and Riko. Even though Hitomi Kuroki was relatively new to John's company, she was intelligent enough to see the depth of John's feelings for Naoko. She wouldn't be foolish enough to cause trouble for John or do anything foolish. Furthermore, she knew her real rivals weren't Naoko, or even Akina, but rather the two beauties from Hong Kong. Especially the seemingly calm and unambitious Cherie Chung, who put considerable pressure on Hitomi Kuroki, as Chung's behavior was highly regarded by John's grandmother!

(End of this chapter)