Kuroba Akira found himself staring at her face in a daze. The girl waved a finger in front of his eyes, bringing his drifting soul back to earth.
"Mesmerized?"
"…Yeah."
Snapping out of it, Akira looked a little embarrassed. With all his worldly experience, he'd actually zoned out just from looking at her face—nothing more, no skin, no seductive pose. It was ridiculous.
But that just spoke to the purity she radiated—something only a schoolgirl could possess. Like a blooming lily, untouched and untainted. A quality those gaudy, worn-out women of the adult world could never imitate.
No wonder men like them young. It's not just about beauty—it's about chasing after the youth they've already lost.
Still, Akira didn't try to dodge or deflect. He admitted it openly, with surprising candor.
"I really was mesmerized. Honestly, for a pretty girl like you, your smile is your deadliest weapon. Especially with your usual icy persona—that contrast, like snow melting in spring, leaves a deep impression. It was stunning. If I hadn't been so caught up in the moment, I probably would've snapped a pic for my wallpaper."
"U-uh… th-thanks?"
Her reaction was all kinds of awkward. The way he complimented her so directly left her flustered, even more so than the one doing the praising. She tripped over her words trying to say thank you.
Akira was genuinely surprised by her response.
"You must've gotten tons of compliments before, right? Why so shy now?"
She averted her gaze and replied in a quiet voice.
"I don't… really smile in front of others. And no one's ever said it to my face like that."
"I see…"
Come to think of it, it was rare to hear someone directly praise another person's looks. At most, they'd say something like "she's a beauty"—more of a social label than a true compliment.
People don't usually lay bare their desire to get close to a beautiful woman. They always wrap it in layers of subtlety.
For example, instead of saying, "You're gorgeous," they'd say, "That outfit looks great on you today."
Both mean the same thing: You're attractive, and I want to get closer. But the former is much more blatant, the kind of thing that gets you labeled a creep.
Akira figured she'd be hearing a lot more compliments in the future—and not all of them would be sincere.
"You'll need to get used to people praising you. But also learn to read between the lines. Not everyone who flatters you actually appreciates or respects you."
"I… I know that. I'll try."
"Good. Anyway, part of the reason I blanked out was because of what you said earlier. For a second there, I thought it was a confession."
Akira scratched his head, not because he was full of himself—he knew she wasn't in love with him. Still, her words had come off very suggestive.
The class rep had done something similar before—saying stuff that made it easy to misunderstand. Girls these days were too good at blurring the line.
The long-haired girl lowered her head without responding.
Even she didn't know if those words had been a confession.
But she did know they were sincere.
Things she'd never told anyone before—not even her own family.
And only now did she realize how outrageous her words had been.
"You can make me into whatever you want…"
"I'm yours…"
Ahhhhh—what did I just say?!
She screamed inwardly, but forced her expression to remain cold and unreadable. Her acting proficiency ticked up again.
Once she locked her face back into cool mode, she grumbled:
"You're one to talk. Didn't you say something that could be totally misunderstood?"
"Huh? Oh, you mean the 'half your life' thing?"
"…Yeah."
That sounded exactly like a proposal!
Anyone hearing it would definitely get the wrong idea!
"Half of your life" basically meant I want to spend the rest of it with you, didn't it?!
The girl ranted internally while keeping her expression perfectly composed. Her acting stat surged again.
Akira, meanwhile, gave a very serious explanation.
"It's not an exaggeration at all. The moment you handed your future over to me, I essentially became your producer. I'll be managing your career and laying out the path ahead—that's going to take up more than half your life."
"…Producer?"
"Exactly. So feel free to call me P-san from now on."
He tugged on the collar of his school uniform like it was a suit tie, mimicking the posture of a professional—though in truth, he'd never actually worn a real suit.
Back in his last life, he worked for a game company with no dress code. He'd even shown up to work in slippers and pajamas once—not as a statement, but out of bitter necessity.
They'd called him back to the office just after he'd changed for bed, and he'd greeted the rising sun in loungewear like a sleep-deprived ghost.
You ever seen the Bund at 4 a.m.? I have, Akira thought grimly.
The memory soured quickly. He vowed, once again, to never become a corporate drone in this life.
No way. He was going to raise this ultimate beauty into a top-tier seiyuu.
I'll be the real Idolmaster, dammit!
Sadly, the girl didn't go along with the nickname. Instead, she gave him a cold look that clearly said, Keep talking.
"So the other half of your life—that's your personal time. Hobbies, traveling, eating good food, raising pets—whatever you want to do. As long as you don't get caught by paparazzi, I won't interfere."
So that's what he meant by half a life…
She felt ashamed for misreading it—and resolved to never let this boy's words shake her again.
"Though if something happens that could damage your public image… then I will step in. So let me ask you something—are you a virgin?"
"…What?"
She frowned, visibly annoyed. Her just-settled heart started pounding again.
Why the hell is he asking that?!
Is he—does he have those kinds of thoughts about me?!
Akira quickly raised his hands in surrender.
"Relax. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. But listen—if anyone else ever asks you that, you should imply that you are. Ideally, you've also never been in a relationship. Got it?"
"…Why?"
"Because we're going with the pure, aloof goddess image."
"Pure… aloof goddess?"
"Yeah. Someone untouchable. Sacred. Your first impression has to scream clean. Even if you're just a voice actress, that image still matters—it'll affect how people hear your voice. It'll expand your fanbase."
Of course, there was another reason he didn't say out loud:
That kind of image only heightened people's fantasies and possessiveness.
The cleaner something looked, the more people wanted to dirty it.
An untainted goddess, admired from afar—untouched by anyone.
That fact would fuel the illusion that maybe, just maybe, I could be the lucky fan who gets close.
Idols were, after all, in the business of selling dreams.
"So, for the public, you're better off being a virgin forever. Keep it up until you retire."
"…Got it. I'm a virgin."
"Good! Just like that. But don't say it so bluntly. Try sounding a little embarrassed."
"I-I've… never had any experience like that before…"
"Yes! That's the tone!"
Akira nodded with satisfaction.
The girl, meanwhile, was barely holding it together. She kept her face blank by sheer willpower—but deep inside, she was dying of shame.
Why the hell do I have to say this to him over and over?!
And the worst part is…
I really am a virgin.