Kaguya Minamoto

Tomoko Minamoto, Tomoki's younger sister, had the photos that Misty had sent her.

They were on the screen of his high-end tablet, looking at dozens of sharp photos of a girl with pink hair and a tall, suspicious-looking man.

She was frustrated, but also intrigued. As she stared at one of the photos, where the man's face was barely visible under a cap, she felt a sense of déjà vu. He looked familiar, but the shadow hid him enough that she couldn't identify him.

Before she could analyze it further, her bedroom door burst open. " Tomoko! What on earth are you-? " Tomoko, panicking, threw the tablet under her pillow. " N-nothing, Mom! Knock before you come in! "

It was her mother, Kaguya Minamoto. She was a woman of striking beauty: black hair so long it reached her waist, fair skin, and piercing blue eyes. She wore fashionable clothes, and a discreet but enormous diamond ring sparkled on her left finger.

Unlike the oppressive atmosphere of the Shinomiya household, Kaguya Minamoto was not intimidating. On the contrary, she was a very kind woman.

She smiled, with a hint of amusement. " Nothing? Are you sure? You've been acting very mysterious lately. What are you up to, my little tomo? "

" N-nothing, Mom! I was just... playing spies with my friends. " Tomoko lied, blushing. Her mother simply said, in a gentle tone. " As long as you don't get into trouble, everything is fine, my dear. "

Tomoko stood up and suddenly hugged her mother. " Mom... I miss my brother. " Kaguya's face softened, causing her to hug her daughter tightly. " I miss him too, sweetheart. "

In the eyes of the business world, Tomoki Minamoto had stolen millions of yen from the company before disappearing. But in the eyes of his mother, the truth was very different... and much more complicated.

As she hugged her daughter, Kaguya saw the edge of the tablet peeking out from under the pillow. With a quick, playful movement, she pulled it out. " So let's see... what's this spy secret...? " Tomoko tried to grab it back, but Kaguya was already looking at the screen. Her smile faded, replaced by a slight concern. " Tomoko? Are you... harassing this poor girl? "

Kaguya thought that her daughter, probably entering a rebellious phase, had become obsessed with someone. But then, she stopped looking at the photos as a concerned mother and started looking at them as the President of Minamoto Tech, an important figure in the beauty industry.

His gaze sharpened as he analyzed the photos. He ignored the suspicious man. He focused on the girl. The pink hair. The unique eyes. The way the camera captured her, even in a paparazzi photo, with a mixture of vulnerability and beauty.

" Honey... " said Kaguya, her voice shifting from Mother to CEO. " Can I borrow this? " Tomoko, thinking she had gotten herself into the biggest trouble of her life, could only nod fearfully and guiltily.

Kaguya took the tablet to her own office, a bright, modern room filled with modern art, the opposite of Ryōma Shinomiya's dark mausoleum. Kaguya sat down and stared at the photo of Mio.

" Interesting. " she murmured as she looked at all the photos.

Picking up his phone, he dialed a number. " Assistant Tanaka? "

" Yes, Madam President? " answered a female voice on the other end of the phone.

" I want you to find out everything you can about this girl. " he said, sending Mio's photo to his assistant's screen. " This girl with pink hair find her and get in touch with our New Talent division in Shibuya. Tell them I've found a project that might interest them."

Kaguya hung up and leaned back in her chair, looking at Mio's photo.

"The Shinomiyas and Takashimas believe they will win with their absurd commitment" she thought, with a feline smile. " But the public is no longer interested in momentary perfection. They want something real. They want something... unforgettable. "

Kaguya Minamoto had just found her new strategy. And, without knowing it, she had just placed Mio Sakurai on a chessboard where she had no business being.