Girl idols are meant to be exploited!

Chapter 161: Good luck to you, Lord Tokyo.

As the night deepened, the atmosphere in the barbecue restaurant became more and more lively.

Amidst the clamor, Taku Hoshikawa looked at the two drunkards in front of him, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

He didn't expect that after three rounds of drinks, the two of them became more and more compatible as they talked, as if they regarded each other as best friends.

The two of them gathered together, sat in the corner and whispered in low voices.

Hoshikawa Taku didn't know what they were talking about, but they glanced at him from time to time, and then grinned evilly, as if they were discussing some evil plan against him.

This made Taku Hoshikawa a little nervous.

Taku Hoshikawa did not go to see the two people who were openly "cricketing" him for the time being. He handed the three free tickets he had prepared in advance and got from the director to Renai Ichinose.

"Here are the tickets for tomorrow's music festival. If you're free tomorrow, come over. A band from my agency will be performing on stage tomorrow, and I'll be there too."

"Eh!? Free?"

Jing Qinrencai's eyes suddenly lit up, and she immediately reached out to take the ticket, almost jumping out of her seat with joy.

"Mr. Xingchuan, you are so kind! Don't worry, we will definitely go to support you!"

There was undisguised excitement in her tone.

As a student living on a tight budget, festival tickets are not cheap, so being able to save some money was a pleasant surprise for her.

An Hemai, who was standing by, looked at her money-obsessed look and couldn't help but poke her cheek, teasing her helplessly: "Look at you, how short of money are you? I'm really worried that one day you'll meet a kind-hearted person who will take out a ten-thousand-yuan bill and kidnap you..."

Nina snorted and said sarcastically, "Of course you, the eldest daughter of a wealthy family, don't care about this little money. After all, you live in a big house. Of course, you don't care about the lives of ordinary people like us... Good luck to you, Lord Tokyo."

An Hesuba's forehead twitched, and veins appeared faintly on his forehead.

"You talk like I'm some detached young lady! My living expenses are limited too! I just have less for accommodation than you do!"

"Hey, a young lady from Tokyo is still complaining about being poor?"

Renai raised an eyebrow and teased, "Don't forget, every time we left the practice room, Momoka and I took the subway back home, but you always took a taxi home! Taxi fares are not cheap, right?"

"That's because I live far away! I don't live with you guys, and it's not safe to take the subway home alone!"

"You're feeling really good about yourself. You actually think you're going to be attacked?"

Rencai tapped her palms as if suddenly realizing something, and said with a wicked smile, "Oh, I remember now. Your grandmother is a big star. Of course, for safety, you, a second-generation star, have to take a taxi."

"You're not Yin-Yang to me!"

An He Subaru was so angry that he rushed over and strangled Renai's neck, "Are you drunk like Momoka?"

An He Subaru looks thin, but she is a drummer and her arm muscles are very developed. Renai's face turned red instantly and she kept slamming the table and begging for mercy.

“Wuwu… spare me, spare me!”

Only then did An Hemai let go of his hand and sat back angrily.

She looked up at Hoshikawa Taku, who was watching them with a playful smile, and explained awkwardly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Hoshikawa, I made a fool of myself. Nina's in a really bad mood. She must have been too excited today, so she started picking on people."

"Nothing, I feel like you two have a good relationship. If you weren't acquaintances, you wouldn't tease each other like this."

Xingchuan Taku smiled, then changed the subject and asked casually:

"Come to think of it, just now Rencai said your grandma was a big star... What's going on? You're not really a second-generation celebrity, are you? I always feel that you look a little familiar. Have you ever been in any commercials or TV dramas?"

When An He Subaru heard this, he was obviously stunned for a moment, and the smile on his face froze slightly.

She hesitated for a moment, but finally confessed her identity.

"Actually, my grandmother is An He Tiantong, the current star of 'The Case Files of the Detective Granny'. She has introduced me to several jobs, including filming commercials and playing small roles in TV dramas."

"I see, you really are a celebrity kid..."

Hoshikawa Taku revealed a look of realization and followed up by asking, "So, are you signed to an agency now?"

An He Subaru shook his head: "Not yet. I'm still in performing arts school. Besides, I'm not sure if I want to be an actor in the future."

"Is your dream actually to be a drummer?"

"At least that's the case for now."

An He Subaru held his chin, looked at Momoka and Nina beside him with soft eyes, and a smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“It’s fun to be with them, and I love the feeling of being on stage and playing.”

Hoshikawa Taku smiled and asked, "Do you hope to form a band with them for life?"

"lifetime?"

An He Subaru raised his eyebrows slightly, then laughed, "That's too exaggerated, but I hope it can last as long as possible."

She seemed to realize the purpose of Hoshikawa Taku's question, and her eyes became more serious.

"Mr. Xingchuan, you're asking this... are you trying to sign us?"

Hoshikawa Taku didn't directly state his intention, but simply said, "I heard you say your goal is to challenge Diamond Stardust, right?"

"They're a popular idol band right now, incredibly popular. Do you think a makeshift band like yours, without even a bass guitar, can beat them?"

"..."

An and Subaru were silent for a moment, but Jing Qinren came over and said with a firm look, "I know this goal is difficult, but we will work hard in this direction!"

"How do you work hard? By relying on your talent and practice?"

Taku Hoshikawa turned his gaze to Renai Isen and began to "torture" her.

"I may say something you don't want to hear, but these are the facts before you."

"I told you that your voice is very contagious and that you have a talent for singing. However, there is no technique in your voice. The songs you can sing are limited and you can only rely on your voice to sing."

"But, Hina Kondo, the lead singer of Diamond Stardust whom you look down upon, has professional teachers to guide her, songs tailored for her by her agent, and the resources of a company... What makes you think you can win?"

Jing Qinrencai was speechless for a moment.

After a long while, she took a deep breath and spoke slowly, her voice less energetic than before.

"...Mr. Hoshikawa, are you saying that without the agency, our band would be limited to this?"

Her voice was not loud, but the resentment in her words was particularly obvious.

"Yes."

Hoshikawa Taku's tone was calm, but unquestionable.

He raised his glass and swirled it, then spoke slowly but mercilessly, "Let me be blunt—if it weren't for my introduction, you wouldn't even have the chance to perform at this festival, let alone gain a following."

Jing Qinrencai's throat moved, as if she wanted to refute something, but in the end she didn't say anything.

She clenched the chopsticks in her hand, her knuckles turning white from the force.

Hoshikawa Taku looked at her and slowly put down his wine glass, his eyes calm but sharp.

"Maybe you can perform on a small stage and work hard to accumulate 30 to 50 fans per show, but what about Diamond Stardust? They can win the love of thousands of people every time they perform."

"Besides, they have an agency to run their business and a professional team to help them. Their songs will go viral online and attract tens of thousands of people's attention."

"Don't even think about challenging them. You don't even have the qualifications to stand in front of them. The gap will only get bigger and bigger."

Seeing that Jinna had been hit so hard by him that she couldn't even raise her head, Hoshikawa Takumi slowed down his tone. His voice was no longer as aggressive as before, but contained a hint of patience.

"I'm not urging you to sign. I'm just telling you a fact: you won't get far this way."

He slowly leaned back in his chair, his eyes falling on the remaining barbecue crumbs on the table, and added casually:

"I can see that each of you is talented and passionate, but I don't want to see you wasting your time and energy, so I'm reminding you."

"If you think this is unpleasant, just pretend I didn't say it."

The air seemed to be quiet for a moment, with only the grease from the grill pan dripping onto the charcoal fire, making a slight sizzling sound.

Jing Qinrencai still kept her head down, her lips pressed into a straight line.

Complex emotions surged in her heart, on the one hand, anxiety about reality, and on the other hand, obsession with dreams.

Hoshikawa Taku observed her reaction calmly.

He did not say this to the band's leader Momoka Kawahara, but specifically to Jinna Isen.

Jing Qinrencai is easily influenced, has little experience in dealing with the world, is easily anxious, and is easily deceived.

In comparison, Taoxiang is very capable. If she wanted to sign with an agency, she would have signed it long ago.

But she had a knot in her heart and was unwilling to let the firm dominate her future development.

Hoshikawa Taku couldn't convince her, but as long as Jingqin Renna could be persuaded by him, someone would naturally "correct" Momoka's personality.

Whether through "physics" or "mouth persuasion", Taku Hoshikawa believes that Jing Qinai has a way to deal with Momoka.

Chapter 162: My sister also wants to steal my man?

Maybe it had been a while since they met such a good drinking buddy, Ijichi Seika and Kawahara Momoka drank quite a lot.

When the last drinking party ended, the two of them were already drunk, their steps were unsteady, their arms around each other's shoulders, their laughter mixed with the smell of alcohol, and they were as intimate as best friends who had not seen each other for many years.

Jing Qin Renna sighed helplessly, reached out to hold Taoxiang's arm, and said goodbye to Xingchuan Taku.

"Mr. Xingchuan, I will take Momoka back. See you tomorrow."

The two of them lived not far from each other in Kawasaki, so it was only natural to send Momoka home.

Jing Qinren adjusted her posture so that Taoxiang's weight was evenly distributed on her shoulders, and then walked towards the subway station step by step.

In contrast, An and Subaru still took a taxi with tears in their eyes and left alone.

In other words, her family must be wealthy, otherwise she wouldn't be able to afford taking a taxi every day given the high fares in Tokyo.

On the other hand, Hoshikawa Taku half-supported and half-carried Ijichi Hoshika and took her to the back seat of a taxi.

Xingge leaned limply against him, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol, her eyes blurred, with a hint of drunken laziness.

The car slowly drove into the night, the light and shadow of the street lamps flashed through the car window and reflected on Xingge's slightly closed eyelashes.

She gently rubbed Xingchuan Taku's shoulder and muttered, "Xingchuan...where are we going?"

Her voice was slightly nasal and soft, as if she was acting coquettishly.

"send you home."

Hearing this, Yidizhi Xingge frowned slightly, as if thinking for a moment, then blushed and whispered: "...Not going anywhere else?"

Her words were vague and tentative, as if she had deliberately left a hint of ambiguity.

Hoshikawa Taku raised his eyebrows, a playful smile on his lips: "Where to? Ah... I understand."

He turned to look at the driver in the front row and said in a very natural tone: "Driver, please take us to the nearest hotel."

When Ijichi Hoshige heard this, her body, which was originally half-drooping on Hoshikawa Taku's shoulder, suddenly jumped up, and her face turned red instantly.

"Hey! I didn't say that! Driver, let's just keep going the same way!"

Her hands were waving wildly in the air, as if trying to save something, and she was even so nervous that she grabbed Taku Hoshikawa's collar.

"Look, if you don't want to go to the hotel, I can only send you home."

Hoshikawa Taku smiled and shrugged.

Ijichi Xingge's face turned even redder, she lowered her head, and her voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum.

"…Our relationship hasn't reached that stage yet."

Xingchuan Taku turned his head, gave her a meaningful look, chuckled and asked: "So what is our relationship now? Are we still just ordinary friends?"

Ijichi Xingge opened her mouth slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but didn't know how to answer.

Of course she knew that their relationship had already gone beyond the scope of "ordinary friends".

Otherwise, she wouldn't have snuggled into his arms defenselessly after getting completely drunk, and she wouldn't have felt so safe in his arms.

She remained silent, her eyes evading, not daring to look directly at Taku Hoshikawa.

Seeing her reaction, Xingchuan Taku was not anxious. He just smiled, raised his hand and rubbed her head, and said in a relaxed tone: "It's okay, take your time to think about it. You are drunk today. Give me an answer when we go out on a date next time."

His palm was warm and steady, sliding gently down her hair like he was soothing a fussy kitten.

Taku Hoshikawa could take advantage of Ijichi Hoshika's drunkenness and take her to the hotel half-heartedly.

But Hoshikawa Taku still wanted to give herself an answer when she was awake.