Chapter 9: Agency Situation

"Damn, looks like they're having fun."

Minoru couldn't help but grin as he spied on his kids from the building he bought across the street from their kindergarten.

His binoculars zeroed in on Aqua, and he couldn't help but be impressed by his son.

"Holy shit, is that kid seriously engrossed in a mystery novel? At his age?" Minoru mused, a mixture of suspicion and awe washing over him. "Well, maybe," he squinted, scratching his jawline, "he was just plain bored?"

Aqua was seated under a tree, his back leaning against its trunk. Minoru noticed his son's teacher giving Aqua a wide-eyed look as if the boy had just dropped a bombshell.

"Yeah! That's my boy! Already leaving chicks in awe!"

Minoru exclaimed, pumping his fist in excitement.

But, oh boy, did he completely misread the situation.

The teacher's shock wasn't admiration for Aqua's literary choices. Rather, they were more taken aback by Aqua's, well, eccentricities.

Shifting his focus, Minoru directed his attention to his adorable daughter.

"Huh, looks like she's having a blast with her lil' pal."

He couldn't help but get territorial at the thought of any boy getting close to his precious girl. But then, he appreciated Ruby's no-nonsense attitude, it was pretty rad that she preferred hanging with Aqua, though.

"Good job, daughter. Just remember, steer clear of the weird 'incest' path and stay on the straight path, okay? Don't worry, I won't exchange you for some absurd gemstone."

In a nutshell, as a dad, Minoru was bursting with pride, and no one could throw shade on that.

"Oh, would you look at that, school's out?"

His eyes followed the children as they raced to grab their bags. Minoru couldn't help but notice the parents waiting around, probably to pick up their offspring. But his binoculars locked onto a familiar face.

"I swear, I told Ai not to bother picking up the kids today, so why is the manager there?"

Minoru's said as he pieced together that Ai, probably forgot to pass on his message to Miyako, the manager. Maybe Ai was way too caught up in her dance practice. A deep sigh escaped him; he'd owe Miyako an apology.

---

Miyako leaned against the vending machine, eagerly waiting for Aqua and Ruby to emerge from the kindergarten doors. It had become her daily routine over the past month ever since the twins had enrolled. She let out a deep sigh, rubbing her forehead in frustration.

"Seriously, all I want is to work with hot ikemen..." Her thoughts wandered back to the life she had envisioned.

"Ugh! Why is everything going so wrong?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she crouched down, shielding her face with her arms.

"Miyako-san," a commanding voice interrupted her thoughts, causing her to shiver. She was startled when she recognized the voice.

Tilt her head slowly.

She gazed at Minoru, adorned in an impeccably tailored suit.

"Y-Ye-Yeah? Yanagi-san? Uh... what are you doing here?"

Miyako hastily stood up, straightening out her clothes in a nervous attempt to compose herself. She decided it was best not to dwell on her emotional breakdown.

Minoru refrained from laughing at her vulnerable moment, understanding that everyone had their struggles. He had noticed Miyako's 'frustration' but kept quiet about it. Glancing at the vending machine, he walked over and eyed a warm coffee without sugar.

"Coffee?" he asked casually.

Miyako flinched before shaking her head. "Um, green tea actually..."

With a swift swipe of his card and a press of a button, the sound of something falling echoed from the machine. Minoru bent down slightly to retrieve the bottle.

"Green tea it is."

Miyako reached for the bottle, her fingers brushing against his gloved hand, making her blush intensify. "Thank you," she mumbled, her embarrassment evident.

"No, no," Minoru shook his head as he purchased his coffee. "I should be thanking you for taking care of Aqua and Ruby." He flashed a warm smile, causing Miyako's face to flush even more.

"Oh, it was no big deal!" Miyako waved her hands frantically. "And, you know, it's close to Ichigo's office."

Sharing only a partial truth, Miyako kept quiet about not enjoying babysitting the twins.

"Ah, her agency," Minoru nodded in understanding.

"Anyway, let's find a seat. It looks like they've got some things to take care of." He wondered why his kids hadn't come out yet.

Seated on a nearby bench, Minoru initiated the conversation.

"I had mentioned to her that I'd be picking up the kids, but I guess she forgot to let you know." He chuckled, retrieving his phone. "How about we exchange numbers?"

Sure, he asked for her number smoothly, not with flirtatious intentions though, but rather to facilitate better communication.

"Sure thing! Haha, she does tend to forget her schedule and stuff," Miyako replied, her excitement evident as she fished out her phone.

'Wow, he smells amazing and so reliable,' Miyako thought, sneaking a glance at Minoru, who was tapping away on his phone and sipping his coffee. 'Ugh, unlike someone else.' Reality hit her as she thought about her husband.

"Miyako-san, how's her group doing?" Minoru asked indirectly, referring to Strawberry Productions.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Miyako shook her head.

"Overall, our agency is stable," she explained with a helpless smile. "But because of that incident, we had to pause our schedule temporarily while she recovers. We're getting everything ready for her comeback though."

Minoru's mind drifted to Ai.

She was currently on a week break and might take additional paid leave. But he knew she wasn't slacking off—there was a gym in the penthouse, and she claimed it was even better than her regular practice spot.

"I see. Are there any plans or big projects in the works? Maybe I could help out with something."

He was considering ways to repay his debt, and although dance wasn't his forte, he felt he might be able to contribute in some way.

"We've been discussing the Tokyo Dome a lot, but it hasn't progressed beyond that," Miyako sighed, her dreams momentarily overshadowed by reality. "Bringing our idol group there has always been a dream. We were close to starting the planning, but then our reputation needed some mending. And then things got worse after the incident."

Frustration tightened her grip on the bottle as she pondered her dreams. Doubts crept in, especially considering Ai's stalker incident. Miyako was afraid that Ai might retire from being an idol, which could spell the end for the entire agency.

"Hmm, the situation is rather complex," Minoru mused, his thoughts swirling.

'In my previous life, I wasn't exactly a fan of idol group music. Nevertheless, due to the algorithm persistently bombarding my feed, some iconic tracks managed to penetrate my consciousness.'

In this life, however, his auditory realm was dominated solely by the grandeur of classical compositions.

The modern music industry of this world didn't quite align with his discerning taste as his standard was too high. Minoru found himself perplexed by the entertainment industry here. The titans he once knew from his past life were absent.

Also, There was no Harry Potter to be found, no comparable cultural phenomena.

He speculated.

'Could it be that the abundance of beauty in this world has completely fucked up the scales of achievement?'

It was his biased thought that this world was satisfied with the current standard, or were they content enough to just drool over pretty chicks instead of giving a shit about the quality of music.

Upon his rebirth, he was taken aback by the seemingly steroid-infused aesthetics of the populace. He thinks that what was considered average-looking here could be called attractive back in his previous life.

Yet, he never bothered to compare this shit since he was busy trying to save his pitiful ass.

But he's going to use his knowledge because he's aware that his kids are big fans of their mommy.

"Miyako-san, can we talk about this tomorrow? You're still planning on visiting Ai, right?"

"Of course, I have to. Because I am her manager."

Miyako needed to stay close to Ai and the twins.

Minoru couldn't trust just anyone, but he could trust Miyako to handle certain issues.

'Can I just tell him that I want to stay there forever?' Miyako sighed internally, feeling torn.

As Miyako wrestled with her thoughts, Minoru's attention shifted to his left.

His new skill; Dad's senses, seemed to be tingling.

"Oh, Yanagin...? Why are you here?" It was Ruby who spoke.

She wasn't alone, Aqua and her friend accompanied her.

"Ruby, we shouldn't talk to adults like that," Aqua said, engrossed in his mystery novel.

"You don't like it? I'm here to pick you two up. How about some pizza?"

"Huh? But Miyae— I mean, our mama is picking us up. But, pizza sounds great though! Hehe~"

Ruby almost slipped up, but she managed to correct herself.

Miyako smiled, touched by their interaction.

"Look at them. Isn't it sweet?"

"Yeah, young couples like them are rare."

"I'm envious. I wish I had a handsome husband like hers."

A group of housewives gossiped nearby.

Miyako blinked repeatedly as her mind raced as they assumed the two were a young married couple. Her mind wandered back to a flashback—talking to twin babies who claimed to be messengers of the entertainment god.

Meanwhile, in his world, Minoru chuckled.

"Ahaha, of course. I wanted to see Ruby and Aqua..."

Minoru spoke, a tinge of annoyance at the situation. He wished the twins could be officially his, but circumstances prevented it. The fact that they were keeping Ai's identity as their mother a secret made things complicated. Minoru also deemed it risky to change their surname to his own. After all, he was one of the most dangerous men on earth.

His pride smarted, but being rich couldn't solve this particular issue. He wasn't a character with a world-altering cheat system, nor he was a young master from some rich fam.

Back again, in this kind of situation, he was playing the role of Miyako's distant relative.

"Anyway, Ruby, can you introduce your friend to me?"

Minoru looked at the little girl.

"Ahem~! This is my friend, Anya Forger."

"Oh...!? Hello there. I'm Aqua and Ruby's uncle, but please, don't call me 'uncle.'"

Minoru squatted down, offering a warm smile.

Anya stared at Minoru with wide eyes, as if he were a rare animal.

[She seems a bit dumb, but she's adorable. Besides, I shouldn't compare Aqua and Ruby to her either. It's frustrating that I can't tell her I'm their father. Tch, tch... my f***** job as a hitman keeps me from flexing it.]

"HU-HUH!?" Anya was agape, wide-eyed, having picked up on his thoughts.

'Hitman...! Is this uncle the enemy boss from Anya's favorite anime?' Her excitement grew, as she discovered a new toy.

"Oh, there you are, Anya..."

"Ah! Chichi~~!" Anya rushed towards the voice, her excitement at its peak.

Everyone turned to the source—a man who Anya referred to as 'dad.'

He approached the group with a warm smile.