America: My Time

Chapter 531 Success and Warning

Chapter 531 Success and Warning
"I know what I'm doing, and I understand what will happen. I don't regret it!" As she spoke, Kikuchi Momoko stood up resolutely, took off her coat, and revealed only a sexy set of underwear underneath. The fact that she could do this showed Kikuchi Momoko's determination; it seemed she had no intention of backing down.

It's fair to say that Kikuchi Momoko has abandoned all dignity to make such a move. Perhaps there was external pressure, or perhaps she was forced by her current situation; in any case, she has let go of everything. If she doesn't do it herself, if she doesn't give all this, someone else will. Nakayama Miho, whom she encountered before, was just one of them. She was well aware of how alluring this man was to idols like them. If she left, it would mean giving up and losing the opportunity.

Kikuchi Momoko didn't know what the consequences of leaving would be, but she understood one thing: she would still be forced to accept the dark rules of this industry and face the humiliation from those people. This was something she couldn't resist. When her popularity plummeted, that would be the time when she would be forced to accept everything, because her beauty had attracted the attention of others.

A beautiful woman with no power to resist will suffer a terrible fate in this circle. She will have to be with countless people, and even that doesn't guarantee she'll regain her popularity. More often than not, she'll silently fall into obscurity, with no chance of ever making a comeback. Once you've done it once, it will happen countless times, because there are no secrets in this circle. Secrets are only kept from the outside, not from within.

Without a powerful backer, you have to accept these dark rules, or you'll be eliminated. And being eliminated doesn't necessarily lead to a good ending. Beautiful women can bring disaster upon themselves, and everyone in the industry understands this, including those who become idols. This is why idols want to join big companies, because it guarantees their safety.

A beautiful woman can only escape these dark rules when her looks fade, when she grows old and loses her beauty, and when no one looks at her anymore. But even that may not be the end, because there are too many lunatics and terrifying people in this circle. There are all kinds of people who are capable of doing the most insane things.

Although Kikuchi Momoko said that, John did not immediately accept this wonderful 'gift'. Instead, he gently shook his head and said, "You may not think this way now, but you might not think it in the future. You should think it through carefully so that you don't regret what you have done today and go down a path of no return!"

In Japan, a country with an alarmingly high suicide rate, those with weak wills can easily take that path of no return. Yukiko Okada was one such example. As for whether there were other issues behind it, John didn't know, and perhaps even Yukiko Okada's family didn't know. Only her agency and she herself knew. However, this situation has brought a considerable shock to the entire country of Japan and has also caused concern among idols in the industry.

To alleviate the pressure on the agency and prevent any potential disasters, the agency had to reduce the workload of these idols during that period to avoid any unforeseen circumstances, a fact that Momoko Kikuchi was aware of. However, for many of them, what they didn't need was rest, but rather more opportunities and more resources.

It can only be said that John still doesn't understand the cruelty of this industry, or at least he doesn't understand the thoughts of these female idols. Although she was moved, Kikuchi Momoko also realized that the big boss didn't really understand the idol industry, or at least he didn't understand their thoughts.

Some people fear poverty and want to change their own lives and their families' lives; others are driven by fame and cannot accept the consequences of declining popularity, nor the dangers and troubles that come with it. The beautiful idols in public don't know the enormous price they pay, the immense effort and sacrifices they make behind the scenes—that's the cruelty of this industry. Some, like Akina Nakamori, achieved instant fame by choosing the right agency from the start—Ken-On, which was only recently established. Most others, however, make the wrong choices.

Better agencies prioritize money, squeezing idols' personal space. But those more extreme agencies are capable of anything; this is the reality behind the "burning" idol phenomenon—such deals exist. Of course, the most glaring example is the Onyanko Club scandal, each shocking revelation laid bare for the general public. It was precisely the Onyanko Club's madness that plunged the idol scene into a period of stagnation, causing Momoko Kikuchi to feel uneasy.

While he admires beautiful women—it's a man's nature, and any normal man would feel that way—it doesn't mean John is willing to bear the brunt of bloodshed, especially in a crazy country like Japan. No one knows what these idols might do under pressure. John doesn't want his reputation damaged, much less a bad name.

The phrase "a road of no return" reminded Kikuchi Momoko of Okada Yukiko, but she quickly shook her head, erasing the thought from her mind. The pressure Okada Yukiko faced didn't exist in the elite agency; at least, idols like them had it easier than idols in other agencies. Kikuchi Momoko didn't answer, but instead walked towards John, demonstrating her resolve through action by throwing herself into his arms. A series of hurried sounds echoed in the relatively empty office.

This is just the beginning. Kikuchi Momoko is just a new beginning. She wants to lure those guys into the game and deceive the enemy. This is just the beginning. Besides, no man is inherently bad or lustful. In the past, she was still struggling for money, but now she has reached the pinnacle. As long as this plan succeeds, everything will no longer be a problem.

Yes, this was just the beginning. When Kikuchi Momoko left, Nakayama Miho's expression changed. So much time had passed; it was clear that this senior had successfully risen to the top. With a sigh, Nakayama Miho carefully turned and left, afraid that her actions would be discovered by this senior.

Since this senior colleague could succeed, she was sure she could too. This was Nakayama Miho secretly encouraging herself. She didn't believe she was inferior to this senior colleague and was confident in her own beauty. However, that wasn't possible today; even beauty fades. The boss's abilities were truly impressive; a whole morning had already passed. Perhaps Kikuchi Momoko, the senior colleague, was a little shy; otherwise, they could have easily had lunch together.

Of course, such things can't be kept secret. Once it's done, the agency will find out; it's just a matter of time. From now on, this senior's status is different! I wonder how Naoko-senpai will react when she finds out. Perhaps she won't react at all, since this senior has such a good personality.

Everyone in the agency knew what was going on with Hitomi Kuroki and Akina Nakamori's appearance. Now that Naoko and Akina Nakamori were living together, many people thought that Naoko's personality was too good, and so was Akina's. In comparison, many people still had a somewhat fearful impression of Hitomi Kuroki!
"How did it go? Did it work?" The manager asked with an expectant look the moment he saw Momoko Kikuchi, as if he was even more anxious than Momoko herself, his enthusiasm was too urgent.

Kikuchi Momoko nodded and said, "It's settled, but don't even think about the band, there's absolutely no chance." As she said this, Kikuchi Momoko's expression suddenly hardened. She thought of the appearance of Nakayama Miho that she had seen and wondered whether she should tell her manager, since it was a very private matter.

Seeing the change in Kikuchi Momoko's expression, the manager clearly sensed something was wrong and quickly asked, "Momoko, has something unexpected happened? The band thing wasn't the main point anyway; it was just an excuse. It doesn't really matter whether it's there or not. As long as we can successfully get ahead, that's all that matters. Don't worry about it too much!"

However, Momoko Kikuchi felt it was best to discuss this matter with her manager and let her know, so she said, "There was a slight accident. When I went up, I saw my junior, Miho Nakayama, and it seems she had the same idea!"

Upon hearing this, the manager breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought something terrible had happened, but it turned out he had simply encountered Miho Nakayama. With his intelligence, the manager naturally understood how dangerous Miho Nakayama's current situation was. If she couldn't advance further and rise to the top, disaster might befall her. Just like Momoko Kikuchi's previous predicament, Miho Nakayama's career seemed to be fine, but in the fiercely competitive Japanese idol industry, stagnation meant regression, and failure always had dire consequences and came at a great cost.

"It's nothing. As I said before, many people in the agency share this idea; Miho Nakayama is just one of them. There's also a rumor that the lead singer of ZARD is quite popular with the big boss; otherwise, she wouldn't have become the band's lead singer. Her stage presence is far inferior to Miwa Yoshida's! You should be careful when you encounter this lead singer in the future, lest you act impulsively and create problems for yourself. Many people in the agency are cautious about this beautiful lead singer these days; after all, no one knows what the big boss is thinking. However, this beautiful lead singer has a good relationship with Naoko, and I heard she's even a fan of Naoko! It's best not to offend her if possible. Her personality is similar to Naoko's—very easygoing—so she's relatively easy to get along with. Having more friends means having more help; you should learn from Naoko!"

(End of this chapter)