Crossover anime, Hachiman's childhood friend's growth diary

"Yeah, I always feel like we should prepare early."

Nagasaki Motoyo offered an impeccable reason, and after thinking for a moment, Hachiman had no choice but to confess, "To be honest, I haven't considered it at all right now. I might go to the school next to my house."

"It's next to my house... Okay, I understand."

As if she had received the answer she wanted, Nagasaki Motoyo nodded happily.

For the rest of the time, with Nagasaki Motoyo by his side, Hikigaya finished his bowl of soba noodles with some difficulty. Perhaps because the noodles were too hard, he felt that he couldn't taste anything at all during lunch.

After finally swallowing the last mouthful of soba noodles, Hachiman hurriedly left the cafeteria.

He returned to the classroom and carefully observed the atmosphere around him.

Because everyone had been specifically told not to talk about what happened last night, the class was temporarily calm, and no gossipy idiots were seen talking about Anna Hanami behind her back.

Well, how should I put it? I hope that Yashiro Manabu can resolve this matter as soon as possible.

Friday, after school.

Because he was going to accompany Saito Ichigo to a banquet later, Hikigaya dropped Komachi off at home early and told her not to go out before her parents came home that night. Then he waited alone in the living room.

Around five o'clock, the doorbell rang, and Hachiman quickly went to the door. Through the peephole, he saw Ichigo Saito standing outside, waving at him.

Upon opening the door, I immediately heard Saito Ichigo's cheerful voice.

"Long time no see, Hachiman. How's it going? Are you all packed? We're ready to go."

"Ah."

Hikigaya slammed the door shut and followed Saito Ichigo into the car. This time, the other party had changed cars, switching from the original German car to a sports car with a very low seating position.

"Hachiman, just asking, you haven't eaten much lately, have you?"

With his hands gripping the leather steering wheel, Saito Ichigo cast a subtle glance at him.

"Ah, no."

He shook his head in response. After checking online, Hachiman discovered that banquets usually have many self-service food stations with high-end dishes that are not usually available. So Hachiman deliberately went out on an empty stomach.

"That's good."

Saito Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief, but seeing this, Hachiman immediately frowned: "Is there a problem?"

"No, it's nothing. I might drive a bit more aggressively later, since the banquet is in Tokyo and we need to hurry to the station to catch our train."

"Hey, wasn't it supposed to be in the surrounding area?"

Hikigaya instinctively grabbed the door handle, his eyes flashing dangerously at Ichigo Saito in the driver's seat.

"I'm sorry, due to some messy reasons, the venue for the banquet changed and I didn't have time to inform you. But in return, Hachiman, I'll help you get the autograph of your favorite actor at the banquet."

"Who wants that kind of autograph..."

Hachiman rolled his eyes. He wasn't interested in celebrities, unless a famous writer came.

Wait a minute, I remember that celebrity autographs are quite valuable. Couldn't he make a profit by listing them on a second-hand website?

Thinking about these things, Hachiman gradually calmed down, lowered the window slightly, and let the breeze outside carry away the summer heat.

"Sit tight."

The next second, with the engine roaring, the eight-cylinder car sped along the road at breakneck speed.

This is the first time Hachiman has experienced the adrenaline rush of turbo acceleration... Oh no, I feel a little nauseous!

Suppressing their nausea, the two finally arrived at the station before the ticket check-in time. Saito Ichigo had booked first class, so the carriage was very quiet during the journey, and Hachiman managed to recover.

"Speaking of which, aren't you planning to become an actor? Although those righteous roles aren't suitable for you, I think you have quite a bit of potential for playing villains or something like that."

On the way, to pass the time, Ichigo Saito struck up a conversation with Hikigaya with a smile.

"No, I have no interest in acting... Besides, are you indirectly insulting me, President?"

Hikigaya answered instantly.

Thinking about it carefully, his face should be quite popular for playing street thugs or hooligans, or perhaps as a cunning strategist next to a villain.

This is incredible! Could it be that I have a chance to develop a career in the entertainment industry?

Such a thought flashed through his mind. From various sources, Hachiman learned that the circle was a mixed bag and definitely not in line with his personality.

“How could this be an insult to you?” Saito Ichigo shook his head regretfully. “Hachiman, let me ask you a simple question: when you are watching a TV series, do you form a bad impression of an actor just because the villain is evil?”

"Uh, no, that's not the case."

"That's good. To be honest, the performance of a character has no direct connection with the actor himself, so don't project the character's actions onto the actor."

"Been taught a lesson."

Hikigaya had no interest in acting etiquette, so he just casually answered Saito Ichigo's questions on the train. About an hour and a half later, the two appeared in front of a high-end-looking private villa.

"Impressive, isn't it? This is an actor's private property; this one house alone is worth 400 million yen!"

"..."

Hikigaya's expression was indifferent. Seeing this, Saito Ichigo clicked his tongue in annoyance, preparing to reveal even more: "Besides, this whole neighborhood is actually their property. How about that? Surprised? Isn't that amazing!"

"...Uh, impressive."

Hikigaya gave a thumbs-up without any expression.

241 High-class banquet

Whether it's 400 million yen or 40 billion yen, it's not his property anyway, so Hachiman's mood won't fluctuate at all.

The only thing that bothered him was whether the Japanese entertainment industry was really that lucrative now.

It is said that the exploitative contracts of those talent agencies are comparable to the ancient slave system, with extremely high commission rates. Top-tier celebrities are okay, but ordinary actors only receive less than 20% of their performance fees.

Hikigaya has even heard of many established actors who, after announcing their retirement, were forced to work for companies again due to financial problems.

It just goes to show that there are differences even among celebrities.

Talented actors, after earning their performance fees, will invest their resources in other industries, gradually transforming themselves from wealthy workers into wealthy capitalists.

Even so, it's still a bit of an exaggeration to think that one could accumulate enough wealth to buy this entire neighborhood in just over a decade.

Well, farther away.

As a participant in the banquet, Hikigaya looked down at his white T-shirt, which cost less than 1,000 yen, and suddenly felt a strange sense of inferiority.

What should I do? I suddenly feel like going home...

"Hachiman, there are a few things I need to tell you before we go in. Tonight, you'll be considered a contracted employee of our company, so don't be afraid of anything. I'll protect you."

Saito Ichigo acted like a big brother, but honestly, could you please not have your hand shaking when you're saying nice things...?

"Well, thank you."

Hachiman nodded, giving him face.

Ultimately, the reason Strawberry Pro became famous overnight is 90% due to the love for this young idol, but compared with those stars who have achieved success early on, their status is still too low.

Hikigaya estimates that, as Ai's manager and boss, Saito Ichigo is probably just a peripheral figure at this banquet.

The two then walked together toward the entrance of the villa.

Before even entering, Hachiman could see through the cracks that the villa was filled with dazzling decorations. A faint fragrance wafted from the doorway, giving it an elegant and sophisticated feel rather than a chaotic one.

A waiter in a sharp suit stood at the door. Upon seeing the two approach, he immediately greeted them in a friendly manner. After confirming Saito Ichigo's identity, the waiter let them in.

"Hachiman, are you ready?"

"Ah, um."

Hey, is there any need to be so nervous? You're making him a little uneasy.

Hikigaya suspected that Ichigo Saito was deliberately putting pressure on him, so he secretly pursed his lips.

"Come in."

"Ugh?"

From the moment he stepped into the room, Hikigaya sensed a unique aura emanating from Saito Ichigo. The other man seemed much more confident, perhaps this was the kind of presence a company president should have.

"Haha, isn't this President Saito of Strawberry PRO? Welcome, welcome."

A middle-aged man with gray hair stepped forward, greeted Ichigo Saito with a smile, and after looking around, saw many familiar faces to Hikigaya.

Watching characters he only ever saw on TV walking around in front of him, Hachiman felt both a little unreal and a little disappointed.

Damn it, I should have asked Komachi if she had a favorite celebrity. If I could bring her an autograph, she would be so happy.

"Oh, it's a pity Miss Ai didn't come. Our boss was actually interested in her."

At that moment, Hachiman heard a short, middle-aged man sigh regretfully.

Saito Ichigo bowed politely and said, "I'm sorry, I will come to apologize in person with Ai."

At first, Saito Ichigo was quite at ease, but as he met more and more people, he bowed more and more deeply, and sometimes he would even punish himself by drinking three cups, completely losing his confident aura from before.

In no time, Saito Ichigo, who was originally conscious, was made drunk by being plied with various kinds of alcohol.

Witnessing the boss of a well-known talent agency being manipulated, Hachiman quietly retreated to the side, frantically stealing the offerings... oh no, the food at the banquet.

Perhaps sensing that there was still a lot to do, Ichigo Saito had arranged for Hikigaya to stay in a large room on the second floor beforehand.

Besides Hachiman, there are other people's children here.

Before leaving, Saito Ichigo earnestly gave him these instructions:

"Hachiman, if you want to get into this industry, today is your best chance. If you can win over one of the girls here, you'll be set!"

"President Saito, you're drunk."

Hikigaya stared at the other person speechlessly. What on earth was this idiot talking about?!

"Sigh, I'm not drunk. How can someone who's working get drunk? I'm just slightly tipsy," Saito Ichigo said with a smile. "It's a pity I'm too old, and I already have Kyoko, otherwise you wouldn't have this kind of good fortune!"

After saying this, Saito Ichigo roused himself, and his slightly tired figure swayed as he disappeared down the corridor.

Hachiman sighed, sniffed his clothes to make sure he didn't smell of alcohol, and then quietly sat down in a corner chair to wait for the banquet to end.

During this time, a couple looked over. They were probably around the same age as me, but perhaps they had inherited their parents' good genes, as they were both very good-looking.

but.

They seemed to have had a disagreement; the girl stood with her hands on her hips, looking out the window, while the boy tried desperately to explain.

Upon seeing Hachiman appear, the boy seemed to have spotted something interesting and pointed at him, saying, "Xiaomei, there's someone over there we don't recognize. They look like robots, just standing there motionless, lost in thought."

I don't want to hear what you're saying!

The girl pretended to be angry, but actually looked towards Hachiman.

"Look at his eyes, doesn't he look like a dead-fish-eyed monster that just crawled out of Tokyo Bay?"

"Pfft, that's really rude of you."

Despite this, the girl next to him was amused by his words and covered her mouth to giggle. The boy, seeing this, also had a proud expression on his face.

Ugh, it's happening again...

Hikigaya sneered. Although he didn't have high expectations for these upper-class kids, he felt that they were even more arrogant than ordinary elementary school students.

Just as he was staring blankly at the ceiling out of boredom, a figure suddenly approached quickly, and a faint aroma of milk filled the air.

"Good evening. This is the first time I've met you. May I ask your name?"

"Ugh?"

The soft, gentle tone of voice surprised Hachiman a little. He shifted his gaze slightly, and the first thing that caught his eye was a head of smooth, light green hair.

242 Tokyo Two Sisters

A strange girl suddenly approached, wearing a well-fitting light purple dress. Her amber eyes sparkled with curiosity as she stared intently at Hachiman.

"Was it because I spoke too softly that you didn't hear me?" Thinking that her voice was too soft, the girl repeated what she had said earlier in a louder voice, "Good evening!"

Before Hachiman could answer, the other children on the other side advised, "Mutsu, that guy is weird, you'd better not talk to him."

"wack?"

The girl called Xiaomu tilted her head, seemingly pondering the meaning of the word "weirdo".