Chapter 47: Idol and Fan

“It’s really you, Yukiko-chan!”
Aiko bounced up and down with excitement.
“Yukiko-chan, why are you at my house? Yukiko-chan, are you going to be on All Hands on Deck at 8:30 this week? Oh, right, Yukiko-chan, do you eat snacks? I’ll go get you some…”
“Ah…”

Okada Yukiko didn’t even have a chance to respond before the little girl scampered off with a clatter.
Moments later, she returned, arms overflowing with a chaotic pile of snacks that she dumped onto the low table.
Potato chips, Pocky, chocolate, cola gummies, marshmallows, dried squid—a dizzying array of treats instantly covered the entire surface.

It looked like the little girl had emptied out her entire secret stash.

A small metal tin rolled across the table toward Okada Yukiko.
She quickly reached out to catch it and realized it was a can of lemon candies.
Seeing the tin, a suspicion formed in Okada Yukiko’s mind.

“Yukiko-chan, eat some, eat some!”
Aiko urged eagerly.

“You’re a fan of Seiko-senpai.”
Okada Yukiko held the lemon candy tin, probing cautiously.

This brand of lemon candy was Matsuda Seiko’s go-to, a staple she swore by for its throat-soothing effects.
Okada Yukiko had tried it herself once, but found it excessively tart.
The sour candies weren’t to everyone’s taste, yet thanks to Matsuda Seiko’s influence, their sales remained strong.
For this little girl to be so thrilled to meet her and have this specific candy in her collection—Aiko’s identity was becoming clear.

“Hehe…”
Aiko clasped her hands, giggling shyly and squirming.
After a moment, she leaned close to Okada Yukiko’s ear and whispered mysteriously, “I have a treasure! I’ll show you!”

Okada Yukiko found it amusing, almost forgetting she was still in the lion’s den.
She nodded with a smile. “Sure!”

Like a gust of wind, Aiko dashed back to her room and returned hugging a thick notebook.
She sat beside Okada Yukiko and carefully opened it to show her.

The notebook wasn’t for practicing calligraphy.
Instead, it was filled with photos of Matsuda Seiko, meticulously clipped from newspapers and magazines, pasted into a handmade scrapbook.
Though not particularly valuable, it was clear the little girl had poured her heart into it.
Some photos were adorned with childlike doodles—cartoonish drawings in clumsy strokes, likely meant to convey special meanings.
Calling it a “treasure” wasn’t an exaggeration.

Though the scrapbook wasn’t dedicated to her, Okada Yukiko felt a strange wave of emotion.
She suddenly wondered how wonderful it would be to have a little fan who supported her so earnestly.

But as she flipped further, she came across a particular photo.
It was a slightly crumpled wedding picture, with Matsuda Seiko as the radiant bride.
The groom’s face, however, was obscured by a doodle of a horned demon.

Snap!
Aiko’s small hands slammed the notebook shut, clearly not wanting Okada Yukiko to see that photo.

Okada Yukiko looked at Aiko’s flustered expression and smiled gently.
She could easily imagine Aiko crying as she drew that demon over Kanda Masaki’s face.
It seemed Matsuda Seiko’s sudden marriage had hit her fanbase hard.

A mischievous impulse struck Okada Yukiko.
Her eyes twinkled as she said, “So you’re part of the ‘Seiko faction,’ huh? Well, I’m good friends with Nakamori Akina.”

Aiko’s mouth dropped into a perfect O, staring at Okada Yukiko in disbelief.

“I’m not lying,” Okada Yukiko said with a laugh.
“Akina-chan and I both debuted on Star Tanjou! She was the champion, my senior, and she’s looked out for me.”

Okada Yukiko stretched the truth a bit.
Compared to Matsuda Seiko’s almost obsessive drive for success, Nakamori Akina was indeed more emotional and valued relationships.
She had many friends in the industry and didn’t hesitate to mentor juniors.
Okada Yukiko did know her and had received some guidance, and they got along well enough.
But calling them “good friends” was a slight exaggeration.

Still, that little fib was more than enough to spook a kid.

Aiko clutched her precious scrapbook and leaped back, holding it up to cover her face, her wide eyes peeking over the top.
She looked like a little rabbit that had accidentally hopped into a tiger’s jaws.

At that moment, Seiko returned.

Seeing her sister, Aiko darted behind her, grabbing the hem of Seiko’s skirt.
The little girl relaxed instantly, as if she’d found a safe harbor.

“Oh, Aiko…”
Seiko was startled by the sudden blur of movement.
Recognizing her sister, she reached out to ruffle Aiko’s sweat-dampened hair before turning to Okada Yukiko.
“Miss Okada, how much of the script have you read? What are your thoughts?”

Okada Yukiko snapped back to reality, remembering she was the one truly in the tiger’s den.
Her body tensed as she replied quickly, “I’ve gone through it once. It’s a very good script. I’d personally love to take a role, but it’s not entirely up to me…”
She paused, worried Seiko might think she was dodging.
“It’s not an excuse! My contract has a clause that all performance agreements need company approval.”

“I understand. Just leave me your contact details,” Seiko said with a nod.
“I’ll send a formal invitation to your company later.”

“Okay, okay!”

Okada Yukiko agreed eagerly, rattling off her company’s phone number, fax number, her manager’s business line, and even her personal phone number.

After she finished, Seiko promptly released Okada Yukiko and Hosokawa Kazuko, even returning their car.

Hosokawa Kazuko sat in the driver’s seat, her eyes vacant, making Okada Yukiko nervous.
She feared another accident might be looming.

Hosokawa Kazuko hadn’t been beaten or abused, but she’d been forced to drink endless cups of tea.
Yamagami Nobuo and another towering Yakuza had watched her, insisting she drink.
Too scared to refuse, she’d downed cup after cup, pot after pot, until her eyes rolled back.
Only then had Yamagami Nobuo let her go.

“Hosokawa…”
Okada Yukiko started to suggest pulling over to rest.

But Hosokawa Kazuko spoke first.
“What do you think?”

Okada Yukiko blinked. “You mean?”

“The TV drama,” Hosokawa clarified.

Okada Yukiko hesitated.
“I read the script. It’s a solid project. The second female lead is Otake Shinobu-sensei, and the main lead… she’s a good kid too.”

“So, it’s worth doing?” Hosokawa distilled her point.

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Okada Yukiko caught the undertone in Hosokawa’s voice and asked, “Hosokawa-san… you don’t object to me taking this role?”

“Why would I?” Hosokawa gave a bleak smile.
“Facing these ruthless Yakuza, whether we report them or try to avoid them, it’s like crossing them either way. It could hurt your acting career. If they just want you for a small guest role, then do it. It’s the least costly option.”

Ruthless?
Okada Yukiko thought of Aiko, who’d brought out a mountain of snacks to share.
She didn’t seem that ruthless.
But seeing Hosokawa’s pale face and hollow eyes, she didn’t dare say it aloud.

Then another thought struck her.
“Hosokawa-san…”

“What? You don’t want the role?”

“No, I was wondering… why are you driving? Where’s Nakano-san?”

“Nakano-san, he…”

Their conversation stopped dead.

“Nakano-san might still be in the trunk…” Okada Yukiko said slowly.
“Should we let him out to drive?”

“Wait!” Hosokawa’s voice trembled, sharp and thin.
“Nakano-san… is he… can he even drive?”

Is Nakano-san still alive?
Has he been chopped into pieces?

Okada Yukiko recalled her earlier grim imagination.

“Maybe we should check?” she suggested softly.

“No, no need.”
Hosokawa couldn’t face the potential horror.
“Let’s get back to the company. Let them open it.”

“But what if Nakano-san is still alive?”

“Alive? If he’s been in the trunk for hours, he probably won’t mind a few more…”

“Okay… I guess.”