Girl idols are meant to be exploited!

Hiroi asked softly, "Am I really worth all this trouble?"

Xingchuan looked at her, his brows suddenly softened: "I told you, I like you."

"That's why I can't stand your self-indulgent, life-or-die attitude. I hope you can take your life seriously."

"Do you also want me to be your girlfriend after I 'quit drinking'?"

Hiroi raised her head cautiously. She asked in a low voice, but her eyes were full of anticipation.

"of course."

Hoshikawa Taku said without hesitation, "Otherwise, why would I spend so much time on you? Do I have nothing to do?"

"If I really wanted to save fallen girls, I could always go to Okubo Park and look for the right person, but I won't do that. Other people's lives have nothing to do with me - the only one I want to save is you."

The air was quiet for a moment, with only the second hand of the clock moving silently.

Hiroi lowered his head and gently twisted his fingers together, as if he was holding back some emotion.

"...You are so cunning."

Hiroi spoke softly, as if he was muttering, or talking to himself.

But in the corner where Taku Hoshikawa couldn't see, a soft smile finally appeared on the corner of her mouth.

Chapter 232: Adults’ “Word Games”

That night, Hiroi Kikuri did not give a clear answer. When Hoshikawa Taku asked her to rest in the guest room, she hesitated for a while and then refused cruelly.

She seemed to have something important to do and left the apartment in a hurry.

Watching her leave, Hoshikawa Taku was not too worried. She would definitely not refuse Hiroi Kikuri. As she said, she had only one way, which was to join the agency.

Compared to Hiroi Kikuri, Ijichi Hoshika is in a more difficult situation now.

He had finally developed a relationship with the other party to the point where they were more than friends but less than lovers, but because of Hiroi's words, he suddenly fell into a "trust crisis".

Of course, Taku Hoshikawa did not blame Hiroi, because this thing was bound to happen sooner or later.

It just happened at the most inopportune time.

If it had happened earlier, when both parties were just ordinary friends, they could have treated it as a business dispute and discussed the pros and cons rationally.

If it was later, when he and Xingge had truly confirmed their relationship, they could use the trust between lovers to resolve the misunderstanding.

But it is precisely at this awkward moment that Hoshikawa Taku is a little unsure of what attitude he should use to face her.

Simply talking about business would hurt feelings, but talking about feelings would make her suspect that I have ulterior motives.

Hoshikawa Taku was having a headache about how to explain this to Ijichi Seika. He could only make various contingency plans in advance and then take things one step at a time.

The next day, he arrived at the agreed location, a cafe in Shimokitazawa, at three in the afternoon.

The seat near the window has good lighting, with sunlight pouring in obliquely and a faint smell of caramel latte floating in the air.

But the person sitting there was not Ichichi Hoshige, but her sister, Ichichi Hongxia.

"Hongxia?"

Hoshikawa Taku was stunned for a moment, then sat down opposite her, "Why is it you? Where's your sister?"

"My sister...she's not ready to face you yet, so she asked me to meet you first."

Hongxia was a little helpless. She didn't expect her sister to be so disappointing. She had clearly explained to her that everything was just her "scare herself" and that Xingchuan Taku had no intention of breaking up with her, but she was still too scared to come over.

There was no other way, Hongxia had to come to the meeting on her behalf.

Hong Xia didn't exchange pleasantries. Instead, she put on a serious expression, stared into Xingchuan Taku's eyes, and asked, "Mr. Xingchuan, is what you said on the phone yesterday true? Do you really like my sister?"

"of course it's true."

Hoshikawa Taku didn't dodge and said firmly, "I like her, and I hope she can be my girlfriend."

Hong Xia opened her eyes slightly, as if she didn't expect him to answer so straightforwardly.

"So what do you mean by 'girlfriend'?"

She continued to ask, "Is it the type that plays around for a few days and then dumps you when you get bored? Or is it the type that Li... wants to date seriously and maybe even consider getting married in the future?"

Hongxia blushed a little when she said these words, but she still said them for her sister.

A waitress happened to pass by and she looked at Hong Xia, a high school girl, in surprise when she saw her say such words, and her face was extremely interesting.

Hongxia noticed the other person's sudden change in expression, but she didn't care. She still looked at Hoshikawa Taku with a stern face, waiting for his reply.

On this question, Xingchuan Taku was silent for a long time, and then said: "Frankly speaking, I don't know. This question is not easy to answer."

Just when Hong Xia thought that Xingchuan Taku really wanted to "play around" and frowned, she heard him continue:

"Whether a relationship can last depends not on the current commitment, but on many practical issues in the future - whether the personalities are compatible, whether the values ​​can be reconciled, the acceptance of parents and friends, work and financial pressures... No one can predict these clearly."

"But I'm sure of one thing."

He looked into Hongxia's eyes, his tone serious and almost solemn.

"I never thought that I was just playing around with her. From the beginning, I hoped that we could be together for a long time."

Hongxia couldn't help feeling a little ashamed when she heard this. It turned out that Mr. Xingchuan had considered so much. No wonder it was difficult to answer.

Yes, only by considering so much can you be sure that you really want to interact with the other person.

People who casually say "for a lifetime" are actually unreliable.

Just like she wasn't sure how long the band could last after it ended.

This problem is considered to have been passed.

Hong Xia bit her lip and hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Mr. Xingchuan, I have another very important question... I hope you can answer me frankly."

"Aside from my sister...do you have anyone else to date?"

"I know my question is offensive, but my sister cares a lot. She's always felt that the gap between you and her is too big, and she feels that she's not worthy of you. So, she's worried about whether you have other intimate partners besides her..."

Hongxia kept staring into Hoshikawa Taku's eyes, trying to see if he had any intention of lying.

This question remains difficult to answer.

If this question was asked suddenly, Hoshikawa Taku might fall into a brief silence and Hongxia might notice something.

Fortunately, he had already anticipated today's conversation and prepared his answers last night.

He sighed lightly and said in a helpless tone:

"Hongxia, you know who I am. I'm a manager at an idol agency. The nature of my job means I frequently come into contact with many young female artists. I have meetings with them, chat with them, have meals with them, and sometimes even have one-on-one meetings with them...all of this falls within the scope of my job."

"The definition of 'intimate partner' you mentioned is very vague."

"If you mean female friends like you and Pochi who I have a good relationship with, I do have a lot of them. I can even say that I get along very well with them."

"But if you mean 'currently dating someone', then I can assure you and Xingge that I don't have a girlfriend right now."

Hongxia looked at Hoshikawa Taku intently, trying to catch even a hint of hesitation or lying in his expression.

But his eyes were clear, looking straight at her without any dodging or hesitation.

Could it be that... Mr. Hoshikawa is really "wholeheartedly" devoted to his sister?

Hongxia was completely fooled by Hoshikawa Taku.

Taku Hoshikawa's answer cleverly transformed the word "intimate partner" into the definition of "girlfriend".

He lied, and he didn't lie.

Even though he is a "Sea King" who maintains a good relationship with many girls at the same time, he does not have an open girlfriend - Ijichi Seika has not agreed yet, and Hiroi Kikuri has not started yet.

As for Lupa, Miaomeng and the others, there is still no sign of their future.

Moreover, even if Taku Hoshikawa had physical contact with them and maintained physical contact, no matter whether it was a "one-night stand" or "bed partner" relationship, it could not be considered a "girlfriend".

How could Hong Xia know that the hateful adults would actually play "word games". She really thought that Hoshikawa Taku was a loyal and affectionate man.

She thought she was an adult, but in front of real adults, she was still "too young".

Chapter 233: Ichichi Hoshige's proactive confession.

After clarifying the emotional issues, Hong Xia couldn't wait to stand up and say:

"Mr. Xingchuan, please wait a moment. I will convey your words to my sister exactly as they are. She will come to see you shortly."

"Xingge, do you still dare to come here? Or you can just take me to see her?"

Hoshikawa Taku joked.

Hong Xia shook her head and blinked with a smile.

"Let my sister come over. I think after hearing what you said, she'll be eager to see you. Besides...some things are better discussed between the two of you alone."

After saying that, she waved to the waiter to pay the bill, pushed open the glass door of the cafe with light steps, the bell jingled, and her back quickly disappeared in the crowd.

Takuya Hoshikawa ordered a cup of coffee and sat here waiting quietly, thinking about what to say when they met.

The aroma of coffee gradually fades and time passes by minute by minute.

He waited for about half an hour and was about to take out his cell phone to call and ask about the situation when the wind chimes at the door rang softly.

He looked back and saw Yidizhi Xingge walked in.

Xingge was wearing casual clothes, her hair was neatly combed, but her face was slightly flushed, and there was a hint of hesitation and shyness in her steps.

She sat down in the seat opposite Taku Hoshikawa, put her hands on the table, and her eyes drifted out the window, never looking directly at him.

Xingchuan Taku's lips curled up slightly, breaking the silence: "Xingge, Hongxia should have told you exactly what I said, right?"

Xingge nodded slightly, her eyes still dodging, and she didn't speak.

Hoshikawa Taku continued, "So what do you think? Is there anything you want to say to me?"

She lowered her eyes for a moment, then bit her lip and whispered, "Xingchuan, what you said... is it true? Do you really like me?"

Hoshikawa Taku responded not with words but with actions. He simply stretched out his hands across the table and gently held her hands.

Xingge's whole body shook violently, as if he was hit by an electric current. His shoulders trembled slightly, and he almost instinctively wanted to break free, but his fingers only moved slightly before he had no strength left.

She lowered her head, and the blush on her face quickly spread, even dyeing her ears red, and even her earlobes turned a faint pink.

The waiter in the store happened to pass by and couldn't help but glance over here, revealing an ambiguous and hilarious smile.

Xingge finally reacted, pulled her hand back abruptly, and turned her head away as if to cover up.

"Don't hold my hand yet..."

She tried to keep a straight face and said in a serious tone, "Do you still want to explain to me why you kept it a secret from me that Pochi is the guitar hero?"

She tried hard to maintain a serious appearance, but her slightly trembling voice and flushed cheeks still revealed her inner panic.

In fact, for Xingge, she doesn’t really care about the answer to this question.

What she really wanted to confirm was Hoshikawa Taku's attitude towards her - and Hongxia had already confirmed this for her.

In other words, as long as Taku Hoshikawa could come up with a reasonable excuse, she could take advantage of the situation and reconcile with Taku Hoshikawa.

However, what she never expected was that what Taku Hoshikawa said next made her stunned on the spot.

"About this matter... I'm really sorry."

Hoshikawa Taku said in a low voice, "But I hid it from you for a reason... I don't have time."

"……what?"

Xingge was stunned for a moment, then nervously reached out and held his hand, asking hurriedly, "You said you didn't have time... You, you're not suffering from a terminal illness, are you?!"

Hoshikawa Taku was stunned for a moment, then he couldn't help but chuckle and shook his head to deny it.

"It's not that dramatic. I'm in perfect health."

He restrained his smile and said slowly: "I hope you will keep what I am about to say a secret for me."

"Actually... before my parents passed away, their business failed and they owed a huge debt of one billion yen. If I can't pay it back within a year, our Hoshikawa office building will be repossessed by the bank, and the company will collapse."

"I was under a lot of pressure and had to earn this much money within a year. That's why I was desperately trying to sign artists, hoping that their performances would help me pay off my debts."

"I'm very optimistic about the members who are leaving the band. I think they have enough talent to become shining stars. But you're too cautious. You always want to wait until they are ready before discussing signing them."

Hoshikawa Taku paused, his tone slightly bitter.