Girl idols are meant to be exploited!

"Yes."

He looked up at her and admitted frankly, "Su Shi did such a cruel thing to you, and you forgave her just by letting her be a maid for one day. That's too easy for her."

"Su Shi cares about Xiangzi very much. Letting Xiangzi see her ugly side is the best revenge for her."

"It's just as I thought..."

Aiyin gently held her forehead with her hand, a wry smile playing on the corner of her mouth.

"Mr. Xingchuan, I know you're doing this for my own good, but isn't that... a bit too much?"

"After this incident, Su Shi will leave a very bad impression on Xiangzi. Maybe they will never be able to be friends again..."

"Then why don't you just be Su Shi's friend?"

Hoshikawa Taku leaned back in his chair with a smile on his face, interlaced his fingers on his knees, and jokingly said, "Anyway, don't you really want to reconcile with her? This is a good opportunity to 'take advantage of her'."

"Mr. Hoshikawa!"

Aine's face flushed red, and she said in a panic, "What are you talking about taking advantage of someone's weakness? You make it sound like... I planned it all!"

Before she could finish her words, she was suddenly stunned.

"Wait a moment……"

Aine suddenly realized, "Mr. Hoshikawa, did you already know that I would forgive Su Shi and reconcile with her? Could it be that... was this your plan?"

Seeing that Aine had come to her senses, Hoshikawa Taku smiled and did not deny it.

"Yes, this is part of my plan. Besides helping you vent your anger, I actually want to help you two reconcile."

"Aine, there are conflicts between you and Suyo, but they're not irreconcilable. I can see that you still want to be friends with Suyo, but as the victim, it's impossible for you to lower your dignity and ask for peace. On Suyo's side, she only has eyes for Toyokawa Shoko."

"So... I forced her to apologize to you."

"Originally, even if she apologized, there's still a gap between you two, and it's difficult to truly restore your relationship."

"So, I deliberately asked Xiangzi to pass the message so that she could see this scene. At this moment, Su Shi exposed her most vulnerable side, and you happened to be by her side, offering her care. In this way... you two can reconcile."

Aine was stunned when she heard that.

She had already vaguely sensed that all this was not a coincidence, but she had not expected that Hoshikawa Taku had arranged everything so meticulously, even anticipating her reactions and thoughts one by one.

"Mr. Hoshikawa..."

After a moment of silence, Aine sighed softly and said with emotion, "You really put a lot of effort into reconciling us."

There was no blame in her eyes, but rather a hint of emotion.

This kind of calculation of "manipulating people's hearts" does sound a bit cold, but who doesn't use a little trick when making friends with others?

Aine also made friends with Takamatsu Deng by "taking advantage of the opportunity" and also had a purpose.

As long as it is not for the purpose of exploitation, but for the true good of the other person, aren't those "intentions" a kind of mature tenderness?

Aine blinked, then suddenly revealed a sly smile, pretending to be nonchalant and jokingly saying, "Mr. Hoshikawa, you've helped me so much, letting me be the lead singer and helping me repair our friendships. Could it be that... you like me?"

Aiyin originally thought that Hoshikawa Taku would just laugh it off, but she didn't expect him to actually nod.

"Of course I like you."

The office suddenly became quiet.

In the three seconds of silence, Aine’s eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed quickly at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Um, um... Mr. Hoshikawa, I'm still just a high school student, you know?"

She took a half step back in panic, her voice full of panic, but she didn't really resist.

Aine’s heartbeat was rapid, and the heat on her face was rising to her ears.

Aine is not without feelings towards Hoshikawa Taku.

Taku Hoshikawa is handsome, smart, decisive and responsible, and is the pillar of the firm.

Most importantly, he was ruthless in his manipulations, yet he also tenderly protected her and silently did so many things for her...

Which girl wouldn’t be moved and wouldn’t have fantasies?

Of course, Aine was just thinking about it in her mind. After all, there was a seven or eight year age difference between her and Hoshikawa Taku. Although it wasn't that big, she always thought that Hoshikawa Taku treated her as his younger sister.

When Hoshikawa Taku suddenly admitted it, she became extremely panicked.

Just when she was about to bury her head in the floor in shame, Hoshikawa Taku suddenly burst out laughing.

"You took it seriously."

There was a hint of teasing in his tone, "I said I like you, but I don't want you to be my girlfriend."

"Just like how you treat Su Shi and Meow Meng, it can also be love, right?"

Aine breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt like she was being tricked and puffed up her cheeks: “You really know how to scare people!”

Hoshikawa Taku didn't continue teasing her, but changed the subject and returned to the main topic.

"Aine, I've helped you so much, of course, for a purpose."

He looked at Aine, his eyes becoming serious, "I hope you can sign with an agency and become a real idol."

"Eh!?"

Aine cried out softly, not reacting for a moment.

"You have great potential. Your singing, acting, image, popularity... you're not lacking in any aspect."

He said firmly, "If you are willing to step into this world, I can lead you to the top."

Aine's mouth slightly opened for a few seconds before she lowered her head to think.

"Actually, I've also thought about becoming an idol..."

She bit her lower lip, her voice a little uncertain. "I like the feeling of being noticed by everyone, and I also like the stage."

"But I often get excited about things for a short time. I used to think about becoming a makeup artist, photographer, internet celebrity blogger... I like a lot of things, but I never thought I'd stick with them for the rest of my life. I'm not sure I can follow the path of an idol..."

"This is normal."

Hoshikawa Taku didn't mind and said with a smile, "You're still young, and having a wide range of interests is a plus. But being an idol isn't a label that ties you down; it's a platform that can accommodate all your interests."

"You can sing, dance, start a channel, teach makeup, and even do photography projects—as long as you want."

"It's just a suggestion, not an order."

Hoshikawa Taku paused and continued, "Even if you don't want to be an idol, you will still be the lead singer of the band [Extension Line], and I will still treat you as a member of our agency."

Aine raised her head, a different light gleaming in her eyes.

"...I'll think about it carefully."

She nodded slightly, looking more serious than ever.

Hoshikawa Taku didn't expect Aine to agree on the spot. After all, she came from a well-off family and had many options for the future.

Unlike Momoka, Nina, Satoshi and other high school dropouts, she has devoted her future to music.

As long as Aiyin Mirai has this idea, it is enough that she considers her own agency first.

Aine has some questions to ask Hoshikawa Taku about Suyo.

"By the way, Mr. Xingchuan, regarding Su Shi, I have already forgiven her. Will you let her join the firm?"

"Yes, this is what I agreed with her, so of course I have to fulfill it."

Hoshikawa Taku said with a smile.

Aine nodded and bit her lower lip, her expression a little complicated.

She whispered, "I actually know...Su Shi wants to join the firm, but her real purpose is to reconcile with Xiangzi, right?"

"But Xiangzi happened to see her working as my maid... How can she reconcile with Xiangzi?"

A hint of worry flashed in Aine’s eyes.

In response to this question, Xingchuan Taku just glanced down and shrugged his shoulders, saying indifferently:

"What does that have to do with me? I'm not her boyfriend, nor her boss. Do I have to worry about her interpersonal relationships?"

Aine was a little anxious, and hurried forward, saying coquettishly across the table with a flattering look:

"Mr. Xingchuan, I know this has nothing to do with you, but what if it's for me? Look, Su Shi is my friend, and Xiangzi is also my friend. It's really difficult for me to be caught in the middle..."

"Please..."

Aine blinked her eyes like a little fox trying to get candy.

"I really lost to you..."

Taku Hoshikawa smiled helplessly and told his original plan.

"You know that Thornless is short of a keyboardist and a bassist, right? I originally wanted to have them both join the same band so they could connect with each other through music—the conflicts in the band should be resolved within the band."

Hoshikawa Taku paused and said, "Of course, I'm just giving her a chance. As for whether she can catch it or not, it all depends on her."

Hearing this, Aine's heart calmed down and her brows slowly relaxed.

It turns out that Mr. Hoshikawa had already planned everything, so I didn't need to worry at all.

He always cleaned up the most troublesome situations without making a sound. On the surface, he did nothing, but in fact, he had already made plans before taking action.

"Mr. Xingchuan, I will go back and tell Su Shi the good news!"

Aiyin's voice rose a few notches with excitement, and just as she took a step, Hoshikawa Taku raised his hand to stop her.

"Wait, Aine."

Xingchuan Taku reminded, "The arrangements I just told you are only because I trust you, so don't tell Su Shi."

"If she knew that I was the one who planned this whole thing, she would mistakenly think that you were my accomplice, and then this reconciliation would be distorted."

"Of course I know."

Aiyin tilted her head and winked at him playfully, "I'm not a child. I know what I can and can't say!"

Even though Aiyin looks humble, she used to be the student council president and she knows some social skills.

You will naturally know what to say and what not to say.

Hoshikawa Taku couldn't help but chuckle as he watched her turn lightly and push the door open.

Then, he lowered his head and looked at the curled up blue figure under the desk.

"Okay, Xiangzi, come out. You don't have to hide anymore."

After a moment's silence, a slender, snow-white arm finally stretched out from under the table and gently supported itself on the edge of his chair.

Shoko Toyokawa carefully crawled out from under the table. Her movements were extremely slow, as if she was trying her best to hide her embarrassment.

Her cheeks were flushed, even her ears were burning red. She lowered her head and did not dare to look into Hoshikawa Taku's eyes.

"Xiangzi, you were able to hide under my desk and listen to this entire conversation without saying a word. You're really capable of that."

Hoshikawa Taku half leaned back in his chair, his tone joking, "I thought you would be discovered by them."

Although it was a tone of praise, it made Xiangzi's face turn even redder.

She pinched the hem of her skirt, pursed her lips tightly, and regret almost overflowed from her skin.

In fact, Xiangzi was the first to arrive at the office.

After she "passed the message", she realized that Hoshikawa Taku deliberately wanted her to see Su Shi in such an embarrassing state.

She was a little angry why Taku Hoshikawa didn't tell her in advance, so she went straight to the office and wanted to ask him why he did this.

However, before her question could be answered, there was a knock at the door from Lupa.

The sudden sound of footsteps made Xiangzi panic. She didn't want others to know her mood at the moment, nor did she want others to see that she cared so much about this matter.

Without thinking too much, she pushed away Taku Hoshikawa's chair like a frightened little rabbit and quickly crawled under his desk.

The space under the desk was very small. She huddled up with her back pressed against the cold desk, her knees drawn up to her chest, her hands hugging her legs - there was hardly any room to move.

If she leaned forward slightly, her upper body could touch Hoshikawa Taku's thigh.

In this almost closed and narrow space, a faint masculine scent mixed with the smell of wood from the office desk pierces the tip of the nose.

Xiangzi's eyes involuntarily fell on a certain part, and then he licked his lips unconsciously.

When she realized her reaction, her face immediately turned red to her ears.