Tokyo Sick Girlfriend

Chapter 161 Accident
"Hmm...Does Saori really have to take it off?"

Before entering the dressing room, upon learning that she would have to change out of her wedding dress, Saori Hasegawa puffed out her cheeks and turned to look pitifully at Seiya Shiratori.

Seeing her pitiful look, with pleading eyes like a puppy, Shiratori smiled helplessly:
"Wouldn't it be too conspicuous not to take them off? Besides, Saori, you rarely wear high heels, so it will probably be awkward for you to walk in them. It would be even more troublesome if you twisted your ankle."

Just as Hojo Shione wouldn't wear armor on stage, Hasegawa Saori wouldn't wear high heels to fight with swords during a competition. So compared to Shione, Saori walks quite awkwardly in high heels. Her eight-centimeter crystal high heels make her look like a clown on stilts in a circus.

Moreover, even if Saori could wear high heels as skillfully as Shione, or even walk on stilts with ease, Shiratori Seiya still didn't like the feeling of her walking beside him in a wedding dress. Just thinking about the 100% head-turning rate made him feel especially awkward; it was too high-profile.

Compared to glamorous celebrities, he preferred to stand secretly behind Saori, in the shadows where no one could see him.

It sounds a bit childish, but that probably makes him seem more like a behind-the-scenes boss in control of everything.

In this way, they can avoid making enemies and make a fortune quietly behind the scenes.

With this in mind, Shiratori Seiya has always been reluctant to appear on screen, both in his past role as "Friend A" and his current role as "Suspect X".

However, besides the reasons he prefers to keep a low profile, he has another concern.

This wasn't some unknown shop tucked away in an alley; it was a fairly well-known, internationally-oriented department store in Tokyo. Saori Hasegawa looked like an angel in her wedding dress, and the contrast between her and Saori standing next to her in casual clothes was quite odd. Someone took a picture of them and posted it online...

Whether Shion or Mio saw it, it would be difficult to explain, and it would give her another headache...

'Keiya, I've already given you everything, wasn't I the one who took the first wedding photos with Kiyoya?'

"Taking wedding photos with her behind your girlfriend's back, isn't that cheating? That's going too far."

Shiratori Seiya felt a headache coming on just thinking about Shione and Mio saying those things, not to mention that Rin was moving in soon...

Of course, he only regarded Lingyin as a younger sister, at most a gentle, obedient, and affectionate sister-in-law. But after learning that she had a lot of affection for him, he felt particularly awkward.

After all, she is Xiyin's younger sister, and her temper is much more explosive than Xiyin's. Who knows what impulsive things she might do when she finds out about this?

Therefore, keeping it a secret from everyone is the best option...

"But Saori just wants to wear it... ideally, so the whole world knows that Saori is Kiyoya's bride..."

As Shiratori Seiya was pondering, he suddenly heard Saori mutter something. He snapped out of his thoughts, not having heard clearly, and turned to look at the girl beside him with her flawless, angelic face, asking:
"what?"

"No."

Saori Hasegawa shook her head, then winked at him, looking innocent like an angel mischievously smiling after playing a prank.

As she spoke, Saori raised her arm, her fingers spread wide, a look of anticipation appearing in her clear eyes, and said dreamily:

"Saori is saying that next time she wears a wedding dress, I guess Kiyoya will put a ring on her finger, right?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Shiratori Seiya was taken aback, opened his mouth, hesitated for a second, and then nodded:
"Ah."

"Saori's going now~"

"..."

I bought Saori a wedding dress, although it wasn't very practical, so I ended up buying her two more outfits later. But it really made Shiratori Seiya feel a lot better.

It's a feeling of treating everyone fairly.

He had a relationship with Shion, bought a wedding dress for Saori and took photos of her. He fulfilled both of their desires, and there was no general favoritism towards either of them.

When I faced Saori in the morning, the guilt I felt immediately lessened.

To be honest, this was something that was bought with money. Spending over seven million yen to get peace of mind for Shiratori Seiya doesn't seem like a bad deal.

However, this approach made him realize the importance of making money even more.

After shopping in the afternoon and dropping Saori off at home, he drove straight to the AE company where he had made an appointment.

AE Company, short for Angel Engine.

Seiya Shiratori had done his research beforehand; this tech company primarily researched 2D dynamic rendering technology, with its core product being Live2D technology. (Live2D technology simulates 3D effects by deforming 2D images, and was previously used primarily in games, anime, and other fields.)
However, as soon as he got off the bus at his destination, Shiratori Seiya's cell phone rang in his pocket. He took out the phone and frowned instinctively.

He hesitated for two seconds on the name "Fujikawa Shunpei" before answering the phone.

"Hello? Producer Fujikawa, what's up?"

Upon hearing his polite opening remarks, Fujikawa Shunpei fell silent on the other end of the phone.

He didn't quite understand why Shiratori Seiya was pretending to be stupid.

Why would I call you now? Did you just ignore everything I said to you last time we met?

Fujikawa Shunpei lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and smiled as he said:
"Ah, Shiratori-kun, so, what about what I told you last time? What have you thought about?"

"..."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line, a full ten seconds. Fujikawa Shunpei even thought he had hung up. He picked up his phone, saw the busy signal, and the smile vanished. Just as he was about to say something, Shiratori Seiya spoke:
"Let me think... Is Producer Fujikawa talking about starting a company?"

Shiratori Seiya deliberately spoke with uncertainty, subtly implying that he didn't have such thoughts.

However, Fujikawa Shunpei seemed to ignore him and continued to ask:

"Yes, Shiratori-kun, what's your decision?"

"Hmm... Producer Fujikawa, I don't have any plans in that area for now. Starting a company is still too far-fetched for a student like me."

"Shiratori-kun, I told you before, right? Although you're still young, don't underestimate yourself. Your talent is the best I've ever seen, so you should take advantage of your youth and make a name for yourself. There's an old Chinese saying, 'Opportunity knocks but once'..."

After a pause, seeing that Shiratori Seiya remained silent, Fujikawa Shunpei assumed he was hesitating, and then continued:
"Is Shiratori-kun having financial problems? If so, I can lend you the money first, and you can pay me back when you make money..."

Hearing Fujikawa Shunpei's eager words, Shiratori Seiya smiled and asked directly:

"How much money can Producer Fujikawa lend me?"

"How much money do you have right now? I'm willing to lend you double that amount."

"Ten times... Producer Fujikawa is really generous. But how much money is your company planning to invest? Or rather, what percentage of the shares will I own?"

"The initial investment is about 100 million, but you, Shiratori-kun, need to be the legal representative. As for the shares, they will be allocated according to the financing agreement, and you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shiratori Seiya interrupted:

"Hmm, one hundred million, the same amount that Fujikawa Producer is willing to lend me. In that case, I'll have 100% of the company's share, right?"

Hearing his words, Fujikawa Shunpei was taken aback. At first, he didn't understand what he meant, but after realizing what he meant, his face turned ugly.

Shiratori Seiya didn't want to make things too ugly, so he deliberately sighed and said:

"Sigh... Producer Fujikawa, I really have no intention of starting a company. I don't have your kind of ambition. I'd be happy just writing screenplays. Besides, with your connections and abilities, Producer Fujikawa, wouldn't it be more suitable to find some talented screenwriters than to hire someone like me who's a complete novice and knows nothing?"

"..."

There was a moment of silence on the phone, then Fujikawa Shunpei's cold voice came through:
"Shiratori-kun, are you sure you don't want to reconsider? You might regret it later and won't have such a good opportunity anymore."

"Thank you for your kindness, Producer Fujikawa."

'beep……'

As Shiratori Seiya finished speaking, a busy tone sounded on the phone.

Looking at the disconnected phone screen, Shiratori Seiya chuckled to himself.

Still acting as a legal representative?

Who knows what kind of trouble might be thrown at me?

Shiratori Seiya wasn't worried about Fujikawa Shunpei replacing Takahashi Mio directly. He had added a clause to the contract he signed with her: "Once the lead actress is confirmed, she cannot be replaced arbitrarily unless there are force majeure events."

Mio Takahashi has already signed the contract, which she reviewed herself, so there are no problems. She just doesn't want things to get too tense.

Shiratori Seiya reviewed the details again, and after confirming that nothing had been overlooked, he prepared to put his phone away. However, a message suddenly popped up on the screen:
"Kiyoya, did the wedding photos arrive at your house? Saori didn't receive them..."

……
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(End of this chapter)