Chapter 94: Hiroto's Side Story (The Star's Dilemma)

Hiroto's POV.

"You are a disgrace!"

My agent, Tanaka-san, is yelling at me. He does that a lot.

I am in my agency president's office. It smells like expensive leather and failure.

"You instigated a royal scandal! You fainted on live television! You called the Crown Prince's actions a bad script! Our sponsors are furious!"

I am not listening. I am looking at my phone.

My show. The one they said was failing. My sweet little drama about a baker who falls in love with a ghost.

The ratings are... in.

They are not just good. They are the highest in the history of the network.

I clear my throat.

"Tanaka-san," I interrupt. "Are you aware that #FujiAoi is trending number one in the world?"

"That is part of the problem!"

"And that my social media engagement is up by four-thousand percent? And that my drama's ratings have beaten the national soccer finals?"

Tanaka-san stops yelling. He looks at the president. The president is looking at his computer.

"He is not wrong, Tanaka-san," the president mutters. "The sales for his merchandise... have quadrupled. Apparently, everyone wants the keychain where he fainted."

I smile. My best, A-list actor smile.

"It's simple," I say, standing up and walking to the window. I am channeling my inner Fuji-kun.

"I am not a disgrace. I am a sensation. I am not just Hiroto Suzume, actor. I am Hiroto Suzume, the King of Romance. The Ultimate Wingman. The Narrator of the Nation's Greatest Love Story."

I turn around. Dramatically.

"And my fans... are waiting for the next episode."

Tanaka-sana looks confused. "What next episode?"

"The makeover! The redemption arc! The final battle!"

"He is delirious," Tanaka-san whispers.

"I am a genius," I correct him. "And I need a favor. I need a wardrobe. The best you can get. Haute couture. And I need it now. For a friend."

"A friend?"

"My Angel," I say. "My dark, angry little angel. She's going to a party. And she needs to look like a Queen."

The president looks at the sales numbers. He looks at me.

"Get him the wardrobe," he grunts. "And Tanaka... call our PR team. I want a new press release. Hiroto Suzume: The Ultimate Wingman. I like that. It is marketable."

I smirk. I put my sunglasses on.

This is how you win in this town. You do not just get caught in a scandal.

You become the scandal's producer.

Now... about this peach dress... it needs work.