I Just Want A Single Ending!

During dinner with Soyo Nagasaki that evening, Kamigawa brought up the topic.

"I've got a lead on Sakiko Togawa. I'm confident I'll be able to find her soon," he said, though he meant once he sorted out each of their issues.

"Huh? Oh, I see. Take your time, there's no rush."

Soyo paused, taken aback, then nodded in understanding. She had almost forgotten she'd even asked him to do this for her, considering how eventful her life had been recently.

These days, she was having breakfast with Kamigawa in the mornings, and even if he had places to scout out at night, he still came to her afterward to practice bass.

Golden Week was packed with band practices and study sessions with everyone. Immersed in this lifestyle, Soyo found herself forgetting all about Sakiko Togawa and CRYCHIC.

Compared to the yet-to-be-found Sakiko Togawa, it seemed more relevant to think about what breakfast she'd prepare for him tomorrow.

This afternoon, she had picked up plenty of fresh vegetables.

Oh, and the sunflower he gave her needed watering.

She also needed to brush up on her bass playing.

Kamigawa was learning bass fast, and she had to prepare to keep up.

Once midterms wrapped up, band activities would be back in full swing.

She was so busy!

"Mm."

Kamigawa responded softly.

---

Morning arrived before he knew it.

After sharing breakfast with Soyo, Kamigawa made a stop at the bank before heading to their meeting at Hazawa Coffee.

Not to deposit money, but to withdraw some.

He placed the cash in an envelope, tucked it into his bag, and set off.

At 9:50, Kamigawa stepped into the coffee shop they'd arranged.

Scanning the place, he spotted Sakiko Togawa seated by the window.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

As he reached her, Kamigawa took his seat across from her and greeted her out of habit.

"No worries, I was early."

Sakiko glanced at the time, smiling.

After ordering a coffee, Kamigawa got straight to the point. "Since you're here, Togawa-san, I assume you've thought this through?"

"Yes," she replied, pulling out the contract he'd given her earlier from her bag. "But there are a few details we need to discuss."

"Is there something in the contract you're unhappy with?"

He studied her expression, trying to guess. The terms were generous; he hadn't expected any complaints.

Or maybe she thought the pay wasn't enough?

"No, I'm actually satisfied with the contract." Sakiko shook her head.

Kamigawa looked puzzled. "Then what's the issue?"

"It's about future account management. While I was mulling things over, I did some research on online beauty product reviews. Unsurprisingly, most of these reviewers appear on camera." Sakiko shared what she'd learned.

"Well, it's typical for beauty reviews to be on camera."

After all, it'd be strange for a beauty review to have no one in the frame, wouldn't it?

"So, if I agree to help you with the beauty reviews, does that mean I'll have to be on camera too?" Sakiko asked, revealing her biggest concern.

"That's entirely up to you. Personally, I'd prefer you not to, but if you really want to appear, it's fine." Kamigawa assured her, respecting her choice.

"I'm… wait, what?"

Sakiko had been about to say she wasn't too keen on being on camera, but she froze as she realized he had no plans for her to appear.

Wait, this wasn't what she'd expected.

Shouldn't he be pushing for her to be on camera, given how important this was?

She'd even prepared herself to negotiate, even lowering the pay if it meant he'd agree to let her stay behind the scenes.

But it seemed her preparations were all for nothing.

Noticing her hesitation, Kamigawa asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just wanted to ask… were you never planning for me to be on camera?"

"Of course."

He answered without a second's delay.

"Why? All the other beauty reviews have the reviewer on camera."

Sakiko was baffled by his reasoning.

If he'd been persuaded by her to drop the idea of having her on screen, she would have understood.

But he had intended this from the start—it was just strange.

Almost as if he had designed it specifically for her.

"It's about branding," Kamigawa explained matter-of-factly. "Don't forget, your 'character' is that of a noble young lady. That sort of image needs a level of mystery for fans."

"A thousand people have a thousand versions of what a 'young lady' should be. If your appearance doesn't match their idea of that, your credibility will take a big hit."

"But, if you stay mysterious and your reviews are solid, fans will fill in the blanks with their ideal version of you."

"And they'll think you're every bit the refined lady they imagine."

"If possible… could you not call me a 'young lady'?"

Sakiko felt a little awkward hearing him refer to her that way directly.

"Sorry, the term is just for the character," Kamigawa apologized swiftly, then asked, "What do you think of not appearing on camera?"

"No problem at all. I wasn't interested in being on camera anyway."

Getting her ideal answer without even needing to negotiate, Sakiko felt extremely satisfied.

"Alright."

Kamigawa had prepared two sets of justifications for her decision.

No matter her preference, he'd had a convincing excuse ready to go.

After all, he needed her to manage his Instagram account.

"So if I'm not on camera, how will we handle the beauty reviews? Will it be like your previous snack reviews, just using pictures of the products?"

If that were the case, Sakiko felt skeptical and a bit pessimistic about the approach.

For snack reviews and restaurant visits, you could take photos that made the food look so appealing it made fans' mouths water. Pair that with a professional write-up, and there was no need for someone to appear on screen.

But with beauty products, that approach wouldn't work.

The most crucial aspect of beauty reviews was showing fans the "before and after" impact of using the product.

And to achieve that, someone needed to be on camera.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be any credibility.

So, they'd either need to switch up the format, or… would Kamigawa appear on screen instead?

---

Oh, hey there, Trave-

Move aside, Venti—this bard's had enough of the spotlight! It's my turn now.

The poll to decide the next stories is live! Yes, even you, free members, can cast your votes alongside the paid supporters. Aren't I generous? 💛

Head over to [patreon.com/WiseTL] and make your voice heard. Let's see which treasures get to shine next.

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