Chapter 1:
Chapter 1 : the poster that changed everything
Everyday you, Shining you
The smell of burnt coffee filled the tiny apartment before the alarm even rang.
“Again?” Ayase muttered, waving the smoke away with a tired sigh. Her youngest brother, Souta, snored on the sofa, a math textbook open across his chest. The middle one, Haru, sat cross-legged on the floor, already in his school uniform, scrolling through his phone.
“You’re up early,” she said, tying her hair into a messy bun.
“Group chat,” he replied. “Apparently the class rep saw Ren Ichinose’s car near the station last night.”
Ayase froze mid-step. “Ren Ichinose ? The actor?”
How could they tell it was his car?
“The one from Glass Wings.” Haru grinned. “They say he’s shooting a new movie here in Shibuya. Big budget stuff. Guess the rumors were true.”
Ayase frowned, pouring instant coffee into a chipped mug. She didn’t have time to think about movie stars. Her boss had already threatened to cut her bonus if she didn’t finish the latest campaign proposal today.
“Right,” she said. “ I have a deadline.”
“Yeah, because the universe clearly revolves around your deadlines,” Haru teased.
She flicked his forehead. “Eat breakfast.”
By 8:30 a.m., Ayase was wedged between salarymen in the train, her sketchbook clutched like a shield. The city outside the window was a blur of neon signs and gray buildings.
She worked as a junior designer at Namilab, a mid-tier agency that made glossy posters for everything from ramen shops to car commercials. Not glamorous — but it paid the bills and kept her brothers in school.
When she arrived at the office, her supervisor, Mr. Sudo, was already pacing with his tablet.
“Fujimoto!” he barked. “The client wants new mock-ups for the Ren Ichinose Project. Now. They rejected the drafts.”
Ayase blinked.
“Yes. The actor. Try not to faint. His team is visiting this afternoon.”
“I—I wasn’t even assigned to that account.”
“You are now.” He tossed a file on her desk. “Welcome to the big leagues.”
Ren Ichinose. Even Ayase, who rarely watched TV, knew the name. He was everywhere — billboards, talk shows, magazine covers. Beautiful, confident, and apparently impossible to work with.
Her colleague Kana, leaned over the divider. “Lucky! You’ll get to meet the Ren Ichinose. He’s like… the living definition of perfection.”
Ayase groaned. “He’s just another celebrity.”
Kana gasped. “Blasphemy.”
“I don’t care. I just want to survive until payday.”
Hours later, Ayase sat in the conference room surrounded by design samples. The posters displayed Ren’s sharp gaze and tousled hair. He was promoting a new eco-friendly perfume called “Eclipse.”
She adjusted the color palette on her laptop. “Too cold. Needs warmth,” she murmured. “He’s human, not marble.”
The door opened. Conversations died.
Ren Ichinose entered, followed by two assistants and a man in a dark coat — Takeshi Arima, her childhood friend and now Ichinose manager.
Ayase’s pen froze mid-air.
Takeshi?
He gave her a subtle nod before focusing on Ren, who was already scanning the posters with an unreadable expression.
“They look… ordinary,” Ren said flatly.
Ayase straightened. “Excuse me?”
He turned to her. “I’ve seen a thousand ads like this. You could replace me with any model and no one would notice.”
“Well,” she replied, trying to sound calm, “that’s because you look like a model.”
A few gasps. Someone coughed nervously.
Ren’s eyes flicked toward her. For a second, she thought he might laugh — but he didn’t. Instead, he leaned closer, lowering his voice.
“If you’re trying to flatter me, you’re terrible at it.”
“I wasn’t.”
Takeshi intervened quickly. “Alright, everyone. Let’s focus on collaboration, not confrontation.”
Ayase exhaled, cheeks burning. Perfect. Day one, and she’d already argued with Japan’s most popular actor.
That evening, she stayed late at her desk, reworking the visuals. Everyone else had gone home except Kana, who lingered for gossip.
“So… what was it like?” Kana whispered. “His eyes, his skin—”
“He’s rude.”
Kana gasped. “You’re hopeless.”
Ayase ignored her and clicked “Save.” The new poster showed Ren in softer light, surrounded by faint golden tones. She wanted him to look less like an idol and more like a real person — someone who still had warmth behind the fame.
When she finally left the office, the night air was cool and quiet.
Her phone buzzed. A message from Mr Sudo.
|You shouldn’t take his words personally. He’s likethat with everyone. You did fine today.|
Ayase smiled faintly. Fine was good enough.
She didn’t notice the black car parked across the street — or the man inside, glancing at her through the tinted window.
Ren Ichinose watched as she walked away, her bag slipping off her shoulder.
That same girl who had talked back to him without flinching.
He wasn’t used to that.
End of chapter 1
“Again?” Ayase muttered, waving the smoke away with a tired sigh. Her youngest brother, Souta, snored on the sofa, a math textbook open across his chest. The middle one, Haru, sat cross-legged on the floor, already in his school uniform, scrolling through his phone.
“You’re up early,” she said, tying her hair into a messy bun.
“Group chat,” he replied. “Apparently the class rep saw Ren Ichinose’s car near the station last night.”
Ayase froze mid-step. “Ren Ichinose ? The actor?”
How could they tell it was his car?
“The one from Glass Wings.” Haru grinned. “They say he’s shooting a new movie here in Shibuya. Big budget stuff. Guess the rumors were true.”
Ayase frowned, pouring instant coffee into a chipped mug. She didn’t have time to think about movie stars. Her boss had already threatened to cut her bonus if she didn’t finish the latest campaign proposal today.
“Right,” she said. “ I have a deadline.”
“Yeah, because the universe clearly revolves around your deadlines,” Haru teased.
She flicked his forehead. “Eat breakfast.”
By 8:30 a.m., Ayase was wedged between salarymen in the train, her sketchbook clutched like a shield. The city outside the window was a blur of neon signs and gray buildings.
She worked as a junior designer at Namilab, a mid-tier agency that made glossy posters for everything from ramen shops to car commercials. Not glamorous — but it paid the bills and kept her brothers in school.
When she arrived at the office, her supervisor, Mr. Sudo, was already pacing with his tablet.
“Fujimoto!” he barked. “The client wants new mock-ups for the Ren Ichinose Project. Now. They rejected the drafts.”
Ayase blinked.
“Yes. The actor. Try not to faint. His team is visiting this afternoon.”
“I—I wasn’t even assigned to that account.”
“You are now.” He tossed a file on her desk. “Welcome to the big leagues.”
Ren Ichinose. Even Ayase, who rarely watched TV, knew the name. He was everywhere — billboards, talk shows, magazine covers. Beautiful, confident, and apparently impossible to work with.
Her colleague Kana, leaned over the divider. “Lucky! You’ll get to meet the Ren Ichinose. He’s like… the living definition of perfection.”
Ayase groaned. “He’s just another celebrity.”
Kana gasped. “Blasphemy.”
“I don’t care. I just want to survive until payday.”
Hours later, Ayase sat in the conference room surrounded by design samples. The posters displayed Ren’s sharp gaze and tousled hair. He was promoting a new eco-friendly perfume called “Eclipse.”
She adjusted the color palette on her laptop. “Too cold. Needs warmth,” she murmured. “He’s human, not marble.”
The door opened. Conversations died.
Ren Ichinose entered, followed by two assistants and a man in a dark coat — Takeshi Arima, her childhood friend and now Ichinose manager.
Ayase’s pen froze mid-air.
Takeshi?
He gave her a subtle nod before focusing on Ren, who was already scanning the posters with an unreadable expression.
“They look… ordinary,” Ren said flatly.
Ayase straightened. “Excuse me?”
He turned to her. “I’ve seen a thousand ads like this. You could replace me with any model and no one would notice.”
“Well,” she replied, trying to sound calm, “that’s because you look like a model.”
A few gasps. Someone coughed nervously.
Ren’s eyes flicked toward her. For a second, she thought he might laugh — but he didn’t. Instead, he leaned closer, lowering his voice.
“If you’re trying to flatter me, you’re terrible at it.”
“I wasn’t.”
Takeshi intervened quickly. “Alright, everyone. Let’s focus on collaboration, not confrontation.”
Ayase exhaled, cheeks burning. Perfect. Day one, and she’d already argued with Japan’s most popular actor.
That evening, she stayed late at her desk, reworking the visuals. Everyone else had gone home except Kana, who lingered for gossip.
“So… what was it like?” Kana whispered. “His eyes, his skin—”
“He’s rude.”
Kana gasped. “You’re hopeless.”
Ayase ignored her and clicked “Save.” The new poster showed Ren in softer light, surrounded by faint golden tones. She wanted him to look less like an idol and more like a real person — someone who still had warmth behind the fame.
When she finally left the office, the night air was cool and quiet.
Her phone buzzed. A message from Mr Sudo.
|You shouldn’t take his words personally. He’s likethat with everyone. You did fine today.|
Ayase smiled faintly. Fine was good enough.
She didn’t notice the black car parked across the street — or the man inside, glancing at her through the tinted window.
Ren Ichinose watched as she walked away, her bag slipping off her shoulder.
That same girl who had talked back to him without flinching.
He wasn’t used to that.
End of chapter 1
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