"My talent is here."

"R—right this way," the man said afraid. He pointed to the couch not too far away. Haruka walked over and found Mei sprawled on the sofa, a group of men surrounding her. His gaze dimmed and the leader suddenly bellowed, "The h.e.l.l are you guys doing? Don't touch that one."

"B—but boss."

"Shut up, get away from her."

Haruka watched as the men scurried away, and he walked over to the girl. 'Doesn't seem like anything has happened,' he thought.

"Are you drunk?"

"Harukkun~!" Mei rushed to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, "You came to pick me up."

A deep sigh pa.s.sed his lips as he removed her hands away, and scooped her up in his arms, "The company still hasn't found a manager for you yet, so I'm still in charge of you. Quit doing these things that will ruin your image."

"Okay, boss."

Haruka turned to the people in the room, "None of this, leaves this room, got it?"

"Y---yes, sir."

He quickly walked away with Mei in his arms and left the room.

How annoying, he was in the middle of getting intimate with his girl. Why on earth does he have to take care of drunken newbie stars who try to sleep around to get to the top? He knows Mei is different than all those other girls he dealt with in the past. But she isn't making a favorable impression on him. She's too naive to be in the entertainment industry, how many times has she gotten tricked?

...

-Room-

It's almost past midnight, why hasn't Rosalia done anything yet? Could it be that he made a mistake regarding her plan? It can't be, he confirmed it with her guards unless she asked them to mislead him.

"Boss I'm done showering, but these clothes," Mei stepped out of the bathroom. The girl's hair was still wet, and she clearly didn't dry up properly since water trickled down her skin.

"Just wear them, I sent Myou to find your bag."

"Okay."

He wasn't in an excellent mood, so Haruka turned back to looking outside. Is Lila alright? He genuinely worried for her. Lately, the girl's condition has been awful, and yet she still does such reckless things. Haruka thought if he held himself back from touching her, Lila would get better. But it turns out that isn't the case here.

"Boss, I feel very dizzy."

Haruka nodded, he put off the cigarette and picked Mei who had been leaning on the wall. The girl was very light, but not like Lila, where he could still feel her curves when he touched her.

"Have you been dieting?"

Mei's eyes brightened at his words, "That's right, I've lost so much weight," Mei said proudly.

Haruka stared at her in disbelief, is she an idiot? What use is there losing so much weight when she can't even stand properly? He sighed, well guess he can lecture her about it another time. He placed her down on the bed.

"Sleep."

When she's finally asleep, he can return to Lila's side.

"What? I told you to sleep."

"We can't talk? I haven't seen you in a few days."

"What do you want to talk about?" he doesn't have the time for this. But he can't be rude.

"What have you been up to?"

"Hmmm," he thought for a moment, "Aside from work. Flirting with Lila, making her scream..."

At that comment, Mei averted her eyes, "You're always with her on your days off?"

"Hm? Yeah," or rather they hardly spend any time away from each other. He knows how uneasy the girl gets when he is not by her side. That's why Haruka makes sure they aren't apart from each other long. He's even making strange exceptions and changing his schedule. While that was a recent thing, he still finds it unusual.

"Teras.h.i.+ma Lila is Ari-sama, why didn't you tell me before?"

A deep sigh pa.s.sed his lips, "Honestly, I thought you'd be able to tell since you're her fan."

Most of those things posted on the web about Lila's ident.i.ty was by fans after all. The remaining percent were just media speculations- but even then those were media who had been following Lila for a long time. If people like those reports could tell, people who don't like Lila. Then how come Mei can't? Maybe Mei isn't Lila's fan after all, and yet he could tell from her singing style and even the way the girl dressed.

"If that's the case," Mei said, "Then, doesn't she like Austin Kiryu-sama?"

"What are you getting at?"

"I apologize but, I keep seeing the two hanging out lately."

'Hanging out?' Does she mean those brief times Lila speaks with Austin Kiryu after asking him for permission?

"And?"

"Uh, you're okay with it? Your girlfriend is hanging around with someone at night."

"Huh?" His eyes widened at the girl's words, "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"Since the first day I got here, I see Lilsan and Austin-sama hanging out at a park near my apartment."

The first day Mei got here, Haruka frowned. That wasn't too long ago, and yet this news didn't sit well with him. "Are you sure?" he raised his voice slightly, "Think before you speak. If I find out you made a mistake..."

Mei quickly interjected, "I think I took a video, I like filming the landscape at night, so I might have captured it," the girl pulled out her phone and pa.s.sed it to him.

Haruka looked at her suspiciously but took it from the girl. He clicked one of the recent videos from a few days back. Haruka quickly paused it, and sure enough there he saw his girlfriend with Austin Kiryu.

"Say Kiryu..."

"Hmm?"

"Why, um, are you not respecting my personal s.p.a.ce?"

In the video, he could see Austin Kiryu casually getting closer and closer.

"Personal s.p.a.ce?"

Lila turned red, "Y—yes personal s.p.a.ce, don't get near me."

"Why are you turning red?"

"Because you're getting too close."

"You're embarra.s.sed?"

"Wahhh," Lila covered her face with her hands.

Haruka had to drop the video there; he didn't want to watch this. It's not like he caught her kissing him or anything. But this is equally a blow to him. While he understood that Lila hadn't gotten over Austin Kiryu yet, he didn't actually want to see those signs in person. It would be better for him if he just continued a.s.suming things. It's better if he doesn't see it with his own two eyes. But now that he has, Haruka clenched his fist. Even now, even now he stands no chance against Austin Kiryu. Why? Why? No matter how many times Haruka repeated that question, he never received any answers.

His thoughts broke off when he felt Mei's hand on his, the girl had sat up, "Are you okay?"

"She isn't cheating," he muttered. Cheating would be, well he should know what that ent.i.tles.

Mei paused, "But, it's making you worry and making you feel bad."

That's true, but if he's going to get worked up over something this small then how about her? He's done so many ridiculous things since he started dating her. But Lila has been patient with him; she believes in him. He would be stupid to get worked up over this. Haruka moved Mei's hand away, but Mei used that chance to sit on his lap. With his baggy s.h.i.+rt on her, that barely covered the girl's legs; it was quite a proactive scene. Her hands reached down for his trousers.

"Are you hard?"

Haruka immediately understood.

The oldest trick in the book, there's probably a camera somewhere — that stupid woman.

"Mei, don't do something you'll regret, okay? I'm only your superior, I'm not your lover," Haruka told her. He moved her hand away.

"But, we're already like this."

Haruka shoves her away, "Don't test my patience, while you're still my talent there are certain things you need to remember. Not flirting with your boss is one of them," he scolded her.

Or rather, he didn't think she had it in her to do something like this. Could it be? Was he wrong about her? Maybe she's exactly like those other women, if so then he's fallen into Rosalia's trap.

Mei suddenly started crying, yes she started bawling like a little child. "Wahhhh, wah, wahh, why are you getting angry at me? Even though I only came here because you wanted to see me. I even almost got molested by those men because you came late. I risked myself entertaining them since they are your guests."

What is she talking about? His guests? He doesn't know those men at all; he's never seen them in his whole life. Haruka reached over and wiped her tears, "Okay, okay, I misunderstood. Quit crying."

"You're not angry?"

"I'm not," he is. But not at her, or maybe he is mad at her. Is this woman so stupid and naive? She falls for the easiest trick in the books. Then again, she's probably doing all this because she 'likes him,.' He sighed; he doesn't have time to deal with women who aren't Lila. If only there were somebody he could push Mei onto?

Maybe Mikado? That guy is too dangerous, does he know anybody else who needs a girlfriend?

His thoughts broke off when Mei leaned over and kissed him.

"Oi, I told you not to do this anymore," Haruka snapped.

"But don't friends do this? Please Haruka, you have to help me. My body feels so hot."

Tsk. Before Mei could lean forward, somebody knocked the girl from the back. When Haruka saw who it was, a deep sigh pa.s.sed his lips. It was his bodyguard, Myou. "What happened to the men in that room?"

"Dealt with."

"Myou, watch over Mei. I'll return to Lila."

"Understood."

He thought it was something urgent, that's why he rushed here. But once again it's Rosalia's stupid schemes. How many times has he fallen for this? Is he really that much of an idiot? Not even Haruka understood it very well. What is he doing here in such a place, when his Lila is out fighting? A deep sigh pa.s.sed his lips as he quickly left the room. It was quiet; not a single soul was to be found on this floor. The little noise he hears came from downstairs. To think these people are partying away without a single care in the world.