In such a tense society, Sakatsuki wasn't going to gamble with his life.
Besides, everyone knew Takashi would soon make it to Major League Baseball in the U.S.
Guys like him could easily get green cards and move to America.
Meanwhile, someone like Sakatsuki could work his entire life and only go from deputy manager to manager.
Anything beyond that wasn't about hard work—it was about connections.
As someone who had clawed his way up the social ladder, reading the room and adjusting his behavior was essential.
And right now, Sakatsuki knew Takashi was not someone to offend.
"Hello, Director Sakatsuki," Takashi said casually, taking the business card and stuffing it in his pocket.
Hearing him drop the "Deputy" title made Sakatsuki beam with joy, though he still said, "Just deputy director for now."
"I believe you'll be removing the 'deputy' part very soon. Consider that an early congratulations."
"Thank you for your kind words. Actually, Kitahara-kun, I have a small request—would you be willing to take a photo or sign something for me?"
"Sure. But the beautiful ladies beside me can't be in the photo."
Takashi was more than happy to stall for time.
"I understand, I understand."
Sakatsuki waved over his colleagues excitedly. They gathered around Takashi, preparing for a group photo.
"Um, ladies—could one of you take the picture for us?"
Sayuri and Mrs. Yukinoshita gave off such a powerful, elegant aura that Sakatsuki didn't dare ask them.
So he turned to the high school girls like Yukino.
He could've asked the store owner too, but who could match the photo skills of a high school girl?
He wanted to look good in the photo, after all.
"I'll do it! I'll do it!"
Hoshino Ai eagerly raised her hand.
Even if she hadn't volunteered, it would've ended up being her job anyway.
None of the others were going to take the photo.
Yukino only took photos of cats and pandas.
Kotonoha wouldn't lift a finger for random strangers—but she was good at taking photos of Takashi, since her phone wallpaper was literally a photo she secretly took of him.
Arisu had bad legs, so asking her to find a good angle would've been cruel.
Honami might help, but only if asked directly.
"Thanks a lot."
Sakatsuki handed his phone to Hoshino Ai and quickly got into position.
"Okay, three, two—"
"Wait, you're going to shoot like that?"
Takashi interrupted her before she could finish the countdown.
"Yeah? What else?"
Hoshino Ai tilted her head.
Takashi rolled his eyes, snatched the phone from her, adjusted the settings, zoomed to 1.2–2.0x, locked the exposure by holding down the screen, and said:
"Remember: when taking a photo, position the subject below the top horizontal line. Keep the lens farther away. For full-body shots, frame the person in the middle-lower thirds…"
The more Hoshino Ai listened, the more her jaw dropped.
Wait… you know all this?
Who's the girl here?
Why does this guy know more about photography than I do?
Maybe you should be the girl instead?
"Didn't expect Kitahara-kun to have a knack for photography," Mrs. Yukinoshita whispered in Sayuri's ear.
"All he knows are these silly tricks to charm girls. That's how he became such a player," Sayuri muttered bitterly.
Still, putting aside his womanizing, she had to admit—Takashi was a pretty ideal son-in-law.
Handsome, not overly macho, gentle and sweet to girls, full of surprises, emotionally supportive, and good at photography.
If he weren't such a womanizer, he'd be perfect.
"Say, you seem to have a lot of opinions about Kitahara. And earlier I think I heard him call you 'Mom'? What's your relationship?"
Mrs. Yukinoshita was now very curious.
"You know how Eriri started dating someone recently, right?"
Sayuri thought about it and figured there was no point hiding it. Her best friend would find out anyway, and it'd be easier to talk later.
"I remember. His name was Watanabe Takashi. Didn't I meet him once at your house?"
Mrs. Yukinoshita nodded slightly.
"Watanabe Takashi is Kitahara Takashi."
Mrs. Yukinoshita was so stunned she actually gasped, mouth agape.
She looked at Takashi in disbelief, blinking rapidly as if to say: You're kidding, right?
The two had nothing in common except height and gender.
"It's true. That face was all makeup."
With Sayuri's confirmation, Mrs. Yukinoshita murmured, "That's unbelievable…"
Even she hadn't noticed it was a disguise.
That just proved how masterful Takashi's makeup skills were. It really was like changing your face entirely.
After a long pause, Mrs. Yukinoshita finally asked, "So… what are you going to do about it?"
"Honestly? I don't know."
Sayuri shook her head. That was her genuine answer.
She never expected to run into Takashi here—and now she had no idea what to do with him.
"You're not angry at him?"
Yukino's mother looked puzzled.
By all logic, if something like this happened to her own daughter, she figured she'd hate Takashi.
Before she was the matriarch of the Yukinoshita household, she was a mother first—a mother to Yukino.
Eriri's mother, Sayuri, let out a sigh. "Things between Eriri and Takashi are complicated. It's not what you think. I'll explain it to you later."
Hate Takashi?
Dislike, yes. But to say it had escalated to hatred? Not quite.
After all, the relationship between Takashi and Eriri was a mistake that both had entered willingly from the beginning.
Takashi was in it for money, while Eriri was drawn to his face—almost identical to Aki Tomoya's after makeup—and the persona he had crafted.
In other words, both had their own motives from the start.
But somewhere in the process of using each other, Eriri got too into the act.
Or rather, that fake emotion gave birth to real love.
But Takashi had always remained clear-headed.
When he realized Eriri was starting to fall, and when she wanted to quit this line of work, he ended the relationship on his own.
What was wrong with that?
In fact, Takashi had shown a surprising amount of decency—he didn't toy with her emotions, didn't touch her, and even gave them a heads-up before breaking up.
Truth be told, given Takashi's level of charm, if he really wanted to, he could've easily turned Eriri into a gravure idol or something worse.
The difference in level between them was simply massive—they weren't even in the same league.
Messing with her would have been as easy as breathing for him.
The fact that he stopped himself should count for something.
But to say she was grateful to Takashi? That was going too far.
He played with her daughter's feelings, scammed her for money and affection, and left her parents to clean up the mess.
And now she's supposed to be thankful?
What kind of nonsense is that?
Honestly, Sayuri had very complicated feelings about Takashi right now.
If…
She was just saying if—
If Takashi wasn't so flirtatious and was more honest and decent…
Then he and Eriri would've been a perfect match.
'What am I thinking?'
That thought stayed in her head for barely a second before she rejected it outright.
If Takashi were really honest and decent, then there's no way he could've caught Eriri's attention while she was still into Tomoya.
Most likely, she would've treated him as nothing more than a replacement.
And the reason is simple: a truly honest and decent person wouldn't do such a thing.
Because people raised with those values, with moral compasses and sound judgment, wouldn't go after someone who's already in love with another man.
Only someone like Takashi, who had no problem lowering his moral standards, could do something like that.
And let's be honest—would Eriri really fall for someone who didn't know how to flirt, who couldn't provide emotional support, who didn't understand a partner's needs?
Did Eriri fall for Takashi because he was decent?
Absolutely not.
On this, Sayuri felt she had the most authority to speak—as a woman.
If Takashi had been that kind of honest man, Eriri probably wouldn't have even looked at him.
In fact, it was precisely because Takashi was a flirt, that he managed to win her over.
Because he always knew exactly what Eriri needed—and could give her that emotional value.
"Sigh…"
Just thinking about it made Sayuri's feelings more complicated.
Great—honest men get rejected, and playboys reject you.
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Yeah, because most honest men rarely know about women. Unlike playboys
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