No Love Zone - 22

Joe, who is currently reading a fashion magazine in the waiting room of the agency where he works, frowned in surprise when he saw a photo of a male model clad in glamorous clothes from a well-known brand.

Seeing the arrogant facial expression displayed by the male model, made Joe feel quite annoyed. Because the male model managed to shift his name from number one to number two as the male model most women want to date this year.

Joe glanced his eyes at the top of the page of the fashion magazine and clearly saw the name of the male model who became his rival. Kenosuke Hyodo. A man who entered the world of modeling before him.

But what Joe knows, since the beginning of his debut, the male model has not been as well-known as this year. Even to the point of being able to shift his position from first place as a famous male model in Japan which has always lasted for the past four years.

Yes, even though Joe had heard the news that the man was quite famous in the bamboo curtain country.

"Joe-kun."

Joe, who felt his name being called, turned his head and saw the figure of Hori who had just entered the waiting room.

"Yes, Hori-san?"

Hori held out a document to Joe who accepted it with a look of astonishment mixed with curiosity.

"Ken-sama gave me a new cooperation document for you."

Joe shot Hori a surprised look. Hori who realized it also explained further to the model.

"Ken-sama gave us an additional work contract for next week's photo shoot together with Kenosuke Hyodo from B.I agency."

Joe's eyes widened in surprise at what Hori had just said. "W-wait. What? I must have heard wrong. Who was going to be my newest photo shoot partner next week?"

Hori who saw Joe's expression of disbelief, took a deep breath. "Next week, you will be doing a photo shoot together with Kenosuke Hyodo."

Spontaneously, Joe threw the document he was holding onto the table.

"What?? You must be wrong Hori-san! I can't possibly do a photoshoot with that guy!"

Hori exhaled a long sigh again. "I knew you would react like this."

Joe was annoyed. "What is Uncle Ken thinking? Why did he make me have to do a photo shoot with him?? You know not Hori-san, if I really don't like that guy for succeeding in removing my name from the first position!"

Hori nodded his head slowly. "I know Joe-kun very well. But what should we do? Ken-sama has already agreed to the clothing brand's request that you do a photo shoot with Kenosuke. He said to increase their marketing level."

Joe took a deep breath and leaned back against the chair. "If uncle Yusuke was still around. He would have discussed this with me first."

"It can't be helped. The cooperation contract has been signed. Now all you have to do is do a photo shoot with that guy."

Hori stretched out one hand to pick up the cooperation document that Joe had thrown on the table and put it in his bag.

"Besides, I heard from Ken-sama, that when Kenosuke was in college he was in the same university as you, Ren and Azami."

Joe turned his head quickly towards Hori with an astonished expression clearly etched on his face.

"That guy is at the same university as the three of us? Seriously. I've never seen a student with such an arrogant face."

Hori cleared his throat for a moment. "Maybe he's in a different year than you guys. Could he be your senior, then?"

Joe shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "I do not care."

"Yeah, it's up to you. The most important thing is that next week when we do the photoshoot, you can get rid of your dislike for Kenosuke a bit." Hori said and only responded with a wave of the hand by Joe.

"Should I tell Ren and Azami about this huh?" Joe mumbled to himself as he fiddled with the phone in his hand.

"Ah, that doesn't seem necessary. They definitely won't be interested in this either." Joe continued muttering to himself but Hori could still hear him who was now having a small smile on his face.

***

Azami, who was inside the minimarket to accompany Masaki to shop for evening snacks, stepped into the magazine rack near the entrance of the minimarket.

Azami is interested in opening a fashion magazine that was just released this week. He got information from Renji, if in the fashion magazine there is a photo of Joe's latest photo shoot with one of the male models who are currently on the rise.

Azami stopped his hand to change the page of a fashion magazine when he found a page where there was a photo of Joe with the up-and-coming male model.

"Hmm, not bad either." Azami muttered commenting on how the pose was done by Joe.

Now Azami's eyes turned to the male model who became Joe's partner.

"This man isn't bad either. Even though he looks very haughty." Azami mumbled and went back to looking at the photo shoots of Joe and his male model couple.

Even Masaki, who had finished putting several types of evening snacks into the shopping cart, turned his head to every corner of the minimarket to look for Azami's whereabouts.

Masaki's gaze stopped when he found Azami's figure standing in front of a shelf containing a collection of magazines and he immediately stepped foot to approach Azami.

"Oi, Azami. What are you looking at?" Masaki asked when he was right beside Azami who was looking at a magazine.

"Ah, Masaki. I was just looking through a fashion magazine." Azami replied while showing the front cover of the magazine he was looking at.

"Hmm, fashion magazine." Masaki muttered to which Azami nodded his head.

"Oh yeah, if I remember correctly. Tenma-san said, the photo shoot of a friend from his school days who became a model, this week has been officially released in fashion magazines."

Azami was amazed to hear Masaki's words. "Really? Do you know that friend from Tenma-san?"

Masaki was silent for a moment, before he stretched out one hand to take the same fashion magazine Azami was reading, then slowly flipped through each page.

"If I'm not mistaken, his name is Keno, Kenoku, hmmm a minute, I'll look for it in this magazine first."

Azami had a small smile on his face, looking at Masaki who was seriously looking at every page of a fashion magazine.

"I also heard from Tenma-san, that his friend has now succeeded in shifting the position of a model named Joe from first place to number two." Masaki said while keeping his focus on browsing the contents of fashion magazines.

Meanwhile, Azami who heard Masaki's words widened his eyes in surprise. Because this is the first time he's heard if there is another model who has succeeded in shifting Joe's position of survival at number one for the past four years.

"Wow, really? I didn't expect that Tenma-san, had a model friend."

Masaki who heard Azami's words immediately nodded his head. "You're right. Me and the others didn't believe it at first, but after Tenma-san gave us a photo proof. We just started to believe it."

Azami chuckled softly. "Ah, I see."

"Nah! Azami, it's the guy! He's Tenma-san's friend who is a model."

Azami now turned his head to follow where Masaki's index finger was pointing.

A frown appeared on Azami's forehead, as he looked back at Joe's photo shoot with his male model partner.

"His name is Kenosuke Hyodo. Tenma-san said, since his debut six years ago, this friend is not very famous in Japan. However, this Kenosuke is very famous in China. Therefore, Tenma-san is not surprised, if his friend can shifts Joe's position in first place." Masaki said explaining to Azami.

"Em, but. Tenma-san said, this friend had a strange obsession after entering college and before debuting as a famous model in China."

Azami's eyebrow raised upwards, hearing Masaki's continued words. "It means?"

"Tenma-san said, this Kenosuke has an obsession with his junior level at university. And what Tenma-san knows, this friend has never shown his obsession openly to his junior level."

Azami looked at Masaki in surprise. "If this friend never shows his obsession openly, then how will Tenma-san know if this friend is obsessed with his younger brother?"

Masaki turned his head left and right, to make sure no one would overhear the conversation between him and Azami.

"Tenma-san said, he once caught red-handed if his friend kept a lot of photos of his junior and pasted them on the wall of the room." Masaki whispered in the lowest possible voice, so that no one could hear his words.

Azami who heard Masaki's words, grimaced in horror. He never expected if anyone had an obsession like that.

"It would definitely destroy his career, if the media knew about this dark thing."

Masaki nodded his head, agreeing with Azami's words. "Therefore, Tenma-san said that this story should not be known by the media."

Azami nodded his head. "Okay, I'll take good care of our conversation."

Masaki extended his thumb to Azami. "Good! Then I'll pay for all these snacks at the cashier. You wait here."

Azami again nodded his head and Masaki walked towards the cashier to pay for all the snacks he had bought.

Meanwhile, in a room in an apartment that was lit by dim lights, a tall, athletic man was seen with a smirk on his face while facing a fairly large photo stuck to the wall of the room.

"I've kept you waiting for a long time. From now on, I won't let you go again, Furuichi-kun."