Chapter 96

Seeing the familiar smile of Kō Arai, Hoshino Mii and Shinoda Mariko simultaneously felt a pang of sympathy for Nishioka Yui and Hoshino Mii in their hearts.

"Rest in peace, brave warriors! Indeed, Kō Arai's next words made Nishioka Yui and Hoshino Mii want to die."

"Uncle... we were wrong!" The two girls said in unison.

"Ah... it's all my fault... Alright, no more fooling around... Now, let's get to the serious stuff... I'm going to set a rule for you. First, I don't want to hear any scandalous news about you. Second, you are not allowed to associate with comedians... Got it?" Kō Arai said seriously.

The girls looked at each other in confusion. In their minds, comedians were highly respected artists, and they had never heard of any past conflicts between Kō Arai and comedians. But since Kō Arai didn't explain, they didn't dare to ask.

"We understand." The girls said in unison.

"Can you say anything else?" Kō Arai was speechless. The four girls exchanged smiles, thinking, "You're bullying us."

...

The next day, almost all of Kō Arai's artists returned to the office. But at that moment, an unexpected event erupted! The main character was none other than AKB48!

The cause of the incident was AKB48's second single, "Ponytail to Shushu," specifically the outfits of the seven members selected for the single, especially the short skirts, which revealed things that should not have been seen when people watched the PV. Under the guidance of some people with ulterior motives, public dissatisfaction with AKB48 and its parent company, AKS, erupted like a volcano!

Surprisingly, the first media outlet to report on this was not the "Weekly Bunshun," which had a grudge against Akimoto Yasushi, but the relatively mild "Entertainment Weekly" magazine. This magazine was known for its objective stance and evaluations of various events in the entertainment industry and was considered a relatively authoritative source in the public's mind. However, once "Entertainment Weekly" attacked, the public began to view AKB48 with a critical eye. The once crowded Akihabara Theater began to thin out, and some parents of AKB48 members began to waver, with some parents even advising their daughters to leave AKB48!

Even more detrimental to AKB48 was that Sony Music, which was about to sign a contract, halted negotiations with AKS. Although AKB48 was popular in Akihabara, the nickname "otaku paradise" was not due to AKB48 alone but also because of other idol photographers, singers, and the like who were eyeing AKB48 with predatory intent. The news about AKB48 not only disrupted Akimoto Yasushi's plans but also gave other agencies and artists the opportunity to crush AKB48.

Due to the dance moves in the second single "Ponytail to Shushu," a large number of self-proclaimed cultural purists began to criticize the girls, who were already struggling under the pressure.

In Akihabara, in Akimoto Yasushi's office, both Akimoto Yasushi and Togasaki Tomonobu looked uncomfortable. They had not expected that some dance moves would plunge AKB48 into such a massive public relations crisis.

"Akimoto, do you think it might be the work of that person?" Togasaki Tomonobu hinted.

Akimoto Yasushi shook his head, "It definitely wasn't him. He's not as short-sighted as those people... Besides, his business is in a high-growth phase. How could he have the time to deal with us... Moreover, even 'Weekly Bunshun' didn't make a big deal out of it, clearly out of respect for him."

"What do we do now?" Togasaki Tomonobu asked.

"This is a great opportunity to train these kids! I believe in them!" Akimoto Yasushi's eyes flashed with determination.

"I understand, Mr. Akimoto." Togasaki Tomonobu said, understanding that Akimoto Yasushi meant to ignore the criticism and continue with the planned strategy.

"Also... comfort the kids... They are the future of AKB48."

"I understand, Mr. Akimoto!"

...

At the same time, Kō Arai was discussing the agency's affairs with Yamada Takayuki. Horiuchi Maki and Nishioka Yui were constantly comforting a worried Arimura Kasumi.

"Mr. Yamada, as I said before... I still hold my opinion about large agencies. In large agencies, we are likely to get involved in factional struggles, which I hate the most... Also, small agencies don't have many resources, so I prefer medium-sized agencies... However, the decision is ultimately yours, and I will follow your lead..."

Yamada Takayuki pondered for a moment before looking up at Kō Arai.

"I think we should decide between Oguri Production and Horipro! But I think we should wait until we meet their representatives to make a final decision."

Kō Arai nodded lightly. He knew that Yamada Takayuki still leaned towards signing with a large agency, given his background in a large agency and his discomfort with smaller ones. Kō Arai respected Yamada Takayuki's choice. If it were Nishioka Yui or Arimura Kasumi, he would have made the decision for them without hesitation, but Yamada Takayuki was different. He was much more mature and had a better understanding of the entertainment industry's rules than the girls, and even more than Kō Arai himself.

In the end, Yamada Takayuki decided to contact Oguri Production and Horipro, declining the other agencies.

Meanwhile, the highly anticipated NBA Finals finally concluded. The Miami Heat, after losing the first two games, won four consecutive games to become the ultimate winners, with Wade becoming the Finals MVP! This meant that his agreement with the two people was officially in effect. As soon as the game ended, Kō Arai sent congratulatory messages to both. Now, he was waiting for the arrival of these two superstars in July!

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