Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 28: [Former Family Side] Inconvenient Truths [Reina] [Mika]
“What do you mean by this!? Ichika has been dropped from the project!? And from none other than Director Yoshiaki Yabu’s film!?”
“Yes. After Ichika left the set, she disappeared and went completely off the radar. She never returned to the set, and after several days had passed, we received word from the director’s side that she was officially dropped from the project.”
In the president’s office of the Amagasaki Agency, Reina was receiving a report from her secretary, Yuki, regarding the incident.
“If it was something that serious, you should have told me immediately! Why didn’t you contact me right away!?”
“That’s because you were traveling overseas and made it impossible to reach you! You turned off your phone, didn’t you? We tried contacting your hotel several times!”
“Well… I just wanted to enjoy my vacation freely. You know how much I hate being tied down.”
Reina said it casually, without the slightest sign of guilt, as if her actions were perfectly justified.
(What kind of agency president deliberately makes herself unreachable? And with everything that happened with Musuki, the agency is already in a tough spot—we need to secure every bit of profit we can, and she goes off on a vacation on the company’s dime? What is she thinking!?)
Yuki struggled to hold back her urge to shout.
“Isn’t the director dropping her from the film a breach of contract? Are we going to be compensated for this?”
Reina’s eyes sparkled with the thought of receiving money—but she was gravely mistaken.
“What are you talking about? The issue lies with Ichika herself, who walked off the set and never returned. While it was the director who informed us of her dismissal, we are the ones being sued for breach of contract. On top of that, we’re being asked to pay damages…”
“What!? We have to pay again!? That girl, what has she done now!?”
Reina screeched, realizing things weren’t going her way.
(Ugh… Always money, money, money… Can’t she spare a thought for Ichika’s mental state after what happened on set!?)
“So, how much are the damages this time?”
Amanatsu asked, her voice laced with fear.
“Well, to begin with, walking away from a shoot like that is a major contract violation. Films are massive undertakings involving careful scheduling of actors, studio bookings, and staff. If a replacement is found quickly, the damage might be limited. But if production is halted entirely, we might be liable for almost the entire cost of the film. In the worst-case scenario, considering Director Yabu’s scale, we’re looking at no less than 200 million yen.”
“T-Two hundred million yen!? Are you kidding me!? That’s enough to buy that royal pink diamond necklace!!”
Hearing the amount, Reina screamed again, her face flushed red, veins visibly bulging in her forehead.
“And it’s not just about the money. If we fall out of favor with Director Yabu, we’ll be blacklisted from the Japanese film industry. So any hopes for Ichika’s return are…”
“I don’t care about that girl anymore!! I’m done with that money leech!!”
Reina had no mercy for anything that didn’t benefit her—even if it was her own daughter.
“Why are all these terrible things happening one after another? Things were going so smoothly until now.”
“Isn’t it because Go-kun left?”
“…Why are you bringing that man up now? He has nothing to do with this!”
Not liking what she heard, Reina glared at Yuki and raised her voice.
“It’s the only major change I can think of recently! We need to bring Go-kun back!”
“Absolutely not. That is impossible—completely out of the question. Failure is part of growth on the road to greater success. This is just a phase. Suggesting that all our problems started just because one man left? That’s absurd!”
Reina slammed her desk, flatly rejecting Yuki’s suggestion.
And so, the conversation ended in a deadlock.
○ ●
“Ichika-sama may look graceful like a Yamato Nadeshiko, but she actually has quite a childish side to her.”
“Really?”
At a fashion magazine photoshoot location, Mika had just finished shooting and was having her legs massaged by her manager, Rima Harima.
“Yes. She hates being told what to do. If things don’t go her way, she throws tantrums like a child. I thought she’d grown out of it, but apparently not.”
“That may be true. Ichika-san told me I didn’t need to accompany her to the set—that if she did things as usual, everything would be fine. So I went with one of the other sisters. I only heard about it later, but apparently she shouted like a child and ran off the set.”
Rima relayed what she had heard from the staff who were present at the time.
“Oh my, that reminds me of when Ichika-sama ran away from home years ago. Back then, she did come back eventually… Wait—ow, ow, ow! That hurts! Can’t you even give a proper massage?”
“I-I’m so sorry…!”
“My legs are my tools of the trade! I wanted to relax after the shoot, but never mind. Go make me some tea instead, will you?”
“R-Right away!”
After telling Rima to stop the massage and make her some tea, Mika pulled something out of her bag.
“Ahh, that buttery aroma… I just can’t get enough. The financiers from that British hotel are just on another level compared to all those other mediocre offerings. Why is it that delicious things make the heart dance so?”
Mika was immersed in bliss, wearing an enraptured expression as she admired the delicious-looking pastry in front of her.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Here’s your tea.”
“…What is this?”
“Um… tea…?”
Rima was confused by the question.
“Do you really think I would drink tea made from a teabag? And is this lemon tea? With the rich, buttery flavor of a financier, it should obviously be paired with a bright Darjeeling, shouldn’t it? And to hand it to me straight after brewing—how could you? Please wait until it’s cooled to the ideal drinking temperature before serving it.”
“I-I’m sorry… I’m not very knowledgeable about these things…”
“That’s fine. But make sure you’ve studied by the next time we meet.”
“Y-Yes, of course… Um, if I may—this might be presumptuous, but… perhaps you should refrain from eating so many sweets. Lately, I’ve noticed you’re constantly snacking…”
“How noisy you are. Are you going to start nagging me too? I happen to have a body type that doesn’t gain weight, thank you very much.”
“I… see…”
Mika firmly believed that she simply wasn’t the type to gain weight—and hadn’t realized she had been steadily putting on weight day by day.
Rima sensed something was off but chose not to say any more, unwilling to challenge Mika’s domineering attitude.
What Mika didn’t know…
The reason she had managed to maintain her figure until now was because Go had been managing her meals meticulously—despite being scolded by her often.
He had always prepared dishes low in calories but refined enough to satisfy even Mika’s picky taste, carefully calculating every gram to ensure she wouldn’t gain weight even if she indulged in sweets.
The moment when Mika would be forced to face that truth…
Was just around the corner.