"So you want to see Rinko?"
"Yes. Do you know where she might be? She told me to come here but didn't mention where I could find her."
Kanzaki sighed and pouted, thinking that Rinko had left her without explaining things properly.
Shido nodded and said, "Alright. I actually need to see her too, so I can take you with me."
"Really? That's great." Kanzaki felt grateful toward Shido since he had helped her when she was lost. Earlier, she hadn't managed to find the lobby receptionist, so she could only wander around inside the building until she encountered Shido.
As for Rinko, Kanzaki knew she was busy since she wasn't able to answer her calls, but it still made her pout that Rinko had forgotten about her.
After talking for a bit, Shido and Kanzaki had already familiarized themselves with each other and began calling each other by their first names. Kanzaki didn't like formalities, so she directly called Shido by his first name and asked him to do the same for her. Shido didn't see anything wrong with it, so he simply nodded in agreement.
Still, looking at this handsome man who seemed much younger than her despite his tall figure, Kanzaki felt that it was actually nice being around Shido and talking with him, since he wasn't boring and was handsome enough to be her type.
However, even when they introduced themselves, they only exchanged names and not their real identities or occupations. Neither Shido nor Kanzaki pried too much into each other's personal information, since even though they had started calling each other by their first names, they had only just met.
Kanzaki also wasn't presumptuous enough to assume that everyone in Japan would recognize her just because she was a famous singer, so Shido's calm expression didn't surprise her.
However, it was different for Shido. Not only did he already know Kanzaki's real identity because of his memories, but her agency was also affiliated with his company. If she knew the truth, Shido wondered what kind of expression she would make. She might be surprised, but considering her personality, she would probably only be a little startled and slightly annoyed.
Even so, Shido couldn't help but glance at the cute girl who was only a little taller than Yoshino. 'Even though she was this small, her behavior and actions didn't suit her figure, but she still looked really cute.'
Kanzaki didn't know what Shido was thinking, but she noticed him staring at her. She smiled and asked, "What's up? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing. I just thought you look beautiful from this angle," Shido replied without changing his expression. His words momentarily stunned Kanzaki, as she hadn't expected him to be so direct in praising her at that moment.
A blush suddenly spread across her cheeks as she had been caught off guard by Shido's words. But she didn't hate it. Instead, Kanzaki felt a quiet sense of pride that Shido saw her as a charming girl. Usually, even though she had many fans, they mostly viewed her as cute, a kind of mascot with a great voice. But Shido seemed to be attracted to her in a different way than her fans were.
This caused a stir of emotion in Kanzaki's heart. Shido was different from the men she knew, like Goushi, her manager. Even though Kanzaki was bi, she felt a strong attraction coming from Shido, one that made it difficult for her to deny his charm and momentarily forget that she was also attracted to the same gender.
"Geez, is this how you usually sweet-talk girls?" From Kanzaki's point of view, Shido must be extremely popular with girls just based on his handsome looks and sweet words alone.
Hearing her complaint, accompanied by a pout, Shido simply shook his head and said, "You're wrong, Elsa. I'm just stating the truth."
Shido's words made Kanzaki's lips curl into a smile.
"Is that so? Then thank you for saying that."
Kanzaki's smile was so sweet that Shido couldn't help but admire it.
As the two of them chatted with laughter and enjoyment, Shido lead Kanzaki into the elevator. Inside, Kanzaki suddenly recalled something she had forgotten to ask.
"Shido, what are you doing here, by the way? You don't look like you work here since you seem so young. Are you perhaps a relative of Rinko-san?" Kanzaki stared at Shido with curious eyes, wondering about his relationship with Rinko. After all, Shido had mentioned earlier that Rinko had also asked him to come to the main headquarters of the Flugel Conglomerate.
What Kanzaki didn't realize was that Shido could very well be the owner of the very company she was now affiliated with.
Hearing her question, Shido realized that Kanzaki had misunderstood and thought he was a cousin or relative of Rinko. He found it amusing and decided to let her misunderstand for a little while longer, to see her reaction when she finally realized that the person she had been casually talking to was actually her boss.
Still, Shido responded, "Well… something like that. Anyway, we've arrived. Let's see Rinko first."
Kanzaki felt that Shido's reply was a bit ambiguous, but she didn't ask anything further as they had already arrived at the floor where Rinko was located. Looking outside, Kanzaki could see everything on the ground far below, now appearing so tiny.
But that was only natural, since Shido and Kanzaki were currently on the 47th floor of the building. The Flugel Conglomerate headquarters was an impressive structure, reaching about 60 floors high, which was considered quite tall in Japan.
Turning a corner, Shido walked toward Rinko's office, which the receptionist had directed him to. Kanzaki followed behind, looking around curiously like a little girl.
Using his observation haki, Shido also confirmed Rinko's presence, and just as the receptionist had said, she was in the last office at the end of the hallway, sitting at her desk.
Walking toward the door with Kanzaki slightly behind him, Shido knocked and said, "Rinko, we're here."
Rinko, who had been sitting in her office and sipping tea after clearing the pile of documents on her desk, felt a surge of happiness when she heard Shido's voice. However, she found his choice of words a bit odd, he had said "we" instead of "I." Still, her excitement to see him overcame her confusion, and she hurried to the door to open it.
Click
"Shido, you're finally here!"
Rinko's face lit up with a smile at the sight of Shido, whom she hadn't seen in a while. Yet her smile froze when she noticed he wasn't alone, he was with someone she had forgoten to call.
"Yo, Rinko."