Chapter 77: The Weight of Expectation

Hosokawa Kazuko was dragged away, screaming.

Okada Yukiko watched, the corner of her mouth twitching.

She wanted to plead for Hosokawa Kazuko. “This is my fault. I didn’t want to work, so I came here to slack off. I’ve caused you trouble…”

Seiko waved her hand. “What does this have to do with you? It was her who saw me and pretended not to, showing no respect at all.”

‘She’s not disrespecting you; she’s respecting you too much…’

Okada Yukiko really wanted to retort.

The previous kidnapping experience had left Hosokawa Kazuko with a great fear of the Yamagami-gumi, which was why she, as a manager, had never accompanied Okada Yukiko to the set of Mother before.

After slipping away from Hosokawa Kazuko once by chance, Okada Yukiko suddenly experienced a long-lost sense of freedom and ease.

Thus, whenever she felt depressed or exhausted afterward, Okada Yukiko would find a way to come to the Mother set, seeking a little breathing space.

As expected, Hosokawa Kazuko didn’t dare to follow her, and could only scold her afterward.

Gradually, Okada Yukiko became somewhat addicted to this feeling, coming to the set every few days to relax, even if it was just to take a short nap.

Doing this too often naturally affected her main job.

This time, Hosokawa Kazuko’s “adventurous” trip to the set was really because Okada Yukiko had skipped work again and again.

Originally, Hosokawa Kazuko just wanted to make it quick, take Okada Yukiko away, and be done with it.

The result, however, was obvious…

‘You don’t respect me. You’re not even willing to call me Godfather. You don’t have the slightest respect for me.’

Hosokawa Kazuko had clearly never seen The Godfather.

Seiko carefully examined the fine bloodshot veins in Okada Yukiko’s eyes and asked, “How long did you sleep last night?”

“Last night?” Okada Yukiko shook her head and couldn’t help but yawn. “I went to Hokkaido to record a show last night and flew back overnight. I only slept for a little while on the plane.”

“The recording went late into the night?”

“Around two in the morning.”

“You had to come back to Tokyo after recording until two in the morning? Why not stay in Hokkaido?”

“I have a stage performance this morning. If I had stayed overnight in Hokkaido, I wouldn’t have made it back in time.”

“Isn’t your workload a bit heavy?” Seiko couldn’t help but comment.

“Aren’t all idols like this? Seiko Matsuda and Akina Nakamori have even heavier workloads than I do,” Okada Yukiko hesitated for a moment, then explained, “The company arranging more activities is also for my own good. An idol’s career is not long. If I don’t do more activities while I’m popular, my popularity and… income might not be as high in the future. Besides, the company has spent so many resources and money on me, I don’t want to disappoint everyone.”

‘The neighbor’s kid is better and works harder than you…’

‘I’m doing XXX for your own good…’

‘I’ve invested XXX to raise you…’

Don’t these phrases sound familiar?

That’s right, these are the kinds of things many Asian parents often say to their children.

As a veteran idol manager, Aizawa Hideyoshi and his Sun Music’s most common tactic was “familial emotional blackmail.”

He required his company’s staff and artists to get along like family.

He himself practiced what he preached, taking young, pre-debut artists into his home and having his wife take care of them.

It’s hard to simply judge this practice as good or bad.

Compared to companies that treat their artists like slaves, Aizawa Hideyoshi’s treatment of his artists was naturally excellent, with Noriko Sakai being the most typical example.

After becoming a famous idol, Noriko Sakai had a string of major scandals: a love affair, drug abuse, imprisonment, disappearance, and online begging…

Time and again, Aizawa Hideyoshi and his son, Aizawa Masahisa, bailed her out. They personally visited her in prison, actively encouraged her to get back on her feet after her release, and when her career was almost completely ruined, they even suggested she study nursing to reintegrate into society.

It was clear that the Aizawa family truly treated Noriko Sakai as a family member, not just an employee. When Aizawa Hideyoshi passed away, Noriko Sakai cried bitterly, always referring to him as “sensei.”

However, sometimes, it is precisely this so-called “familial bond” that pushes people to their breaking point.

There are rumors that Okada Yukiko committed suicide because of a failed romance.

However, after spending some time with her, Seiko felt that this was not the case.

She was more inclined to another explanation—like many teenage girls, Okada Yukiko was actually driven to her death by “expectations.”

Her parents hoped she would achieve better results, and she herself hoped to do better.

However, things didn’t go as planned, and she couldn’t do better.

Under the pressure and blows, she ultimately chose suicide—this is not an uncommon situation among adolescents.

Okada Yukiko was also an adolescent.

Although she was an idol, her situation was very similar to that of other teenagers.

On one hand, the management company had emotionally blackmailed her with their “family” status, expecting her to become the next Seiko Matsuda.

On the other hand, Okada Yukiko herself had gone against her parents’ wishes and stubbornly walked the path of an idol, so she had expectations for herself as well, hoping to achieve something to prove herself to her parents.

However, the path of an idol is not easy.

The workload is staggering, the pressure is immense, and her senior, Seiko Matsuda, was still so dazzlingly ahead that she felt inadequate, losing more confidence the more she chased…

And so, at the age of eighteen, Okada Yukiko chose to commit suicide.

In comparison, Okada Yukiko’s inconclusive romance with the older man, Minegishi Toru, seems more like a small act of rebellion from a good girl who had given up on herself.

Even if it could be listed as one of the reasons for her suicide, it was merely the last straw, not the root cause.

“I say, if you can’t make it in the industry, just jump ship to our Bubble Witch. Our Bubble Witch also has an artist management business. I guarantee you’ll only need to work twelve hours a day and get two days off a month.” Seiko held up two fingers, beckoning her.

Okada Yukiko only thought Seiko was joking and smiled. “I’m doing fine at Sun Music, why would I want to switch? Besides, I’m an idol, and Bubble Witch is a film company. Your management department signs… actors.”

Okada Yukiko actually wanted to say AV actors, but worried that Seiko would accuse her of discriminating against them again, so she stopped herself in time.

It was clear that Okada Yukiko was only feeling tired at the moment, not yet at the point of complete despair and suicidal thoughts.

She wasn’t particularly moved by Seiko’s poaching attempt.

So, Seiko didn’t press the issue, simply nodding and saying, “Think about this invitation. Whenever you want to switch, you can always come to Bubble Witch.”

Although Okada Yukiko was not as top-tier as Seiko Matsuda and Akina Nakamori, she was still a very popular idol at the moment.

Her market value was higher than the entire Bubble Witch combined. If she were willing to switch, Bubble Witch would take off instantly.

“Alright,” Okada Yukiko could only obediently take note.

“Oh, and one more thing.”

“What is it?”

Seiko gestured with her chin in Aiko’s direction. “The drama’s ratings are good right now. Aiko might have to participate in some promotional TV shows. You have more experience, so you can help guide her then.”

“No problem,” Okada Yukiko already had a good impression of Aiko—smart and well-behaved. She naturally agreed to such a small favor without a second thought. But after saying that, Okada Yukiko steeled herself and proposed a condition, trying to save her manager. “Then… Miss Hosokawa, she…”

Seiko turned her head and shouted, “Where’s our guest? Bring our guest back!”

A moment later, two yakuza dragged Hosokawa Kazuko back.

As they let go, Hosokawa Kazuko collapsed limply on the ground.

Her upper body was drenched, her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were red. She looked extremely miserable.

“Kazuko-san, are you alright…” Okada Yukiko quickly rushed over to support her manager.

“Cough, cough, cough…”

Hosokawa Kazuko coughed while shaking her head. She had been held down by two yakuza in a mop sink and had tap water poured over her for more than ten minutes.

She almost thought she was going to suffocate, but fortunately, they were tormenting her, not killing her.

The yakuza were professionals in this regard.

Hosokawa Kazuko indeed only looked miserable; she was not in any life-threatening danger.

“You should be able to see me now, right?” Seiko asked.

Hosokawa Kazuko nodded repeatedly in terror.

“Then why don’t you say thank you?”

“Th-thank you, cough, cough, thank you…”