CH 26

Arc-2 Chapter-8: What is the Emergency Conference?

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The president's expression on the TV showed "Nothing". Normally, he would be doing one of the following: happy, angry, sad, or joyful, and it would be easily recognizable.

"Is it common for the president to hold press conferences?"

"No, I don't think so. As far as I know, this is the first time."

Yukiho leaned forward and watched as if she were being mesmerized.

[This press conference is about "Fearful Life on a Deserted Island," which was aired earlier, so if you haven't watched that, please forgive me for any confusion.]

Maybe it was because of the unfamiliar way he spoke, or maybe it was because of nervousness. The president's tone was more awkward than usual.

With that, the president turned his face to the side. He called out to the staff who would be outside the camera, "Please."

The staff sets up a large TV next to the president.

On the top of the screen, a message appeared saying that the program scheduled for 23:00 had been moved to a different time.

[As you can see in the special episode, there was a typhoon during the recording. As you know, it forced Yoshikawa Daikichi and Banjo Yui to spend some time in a cave, but a serious problem occurred that we could not overlook.]

I thought, "No way."

Yukiho stared at me with an anxious look.

"What happened?" Her voice is cold.

"It's....."

"Did you cheat on me with Yui-san, by any chance?"

"No, way! Of course not!"

"If that's th-"

[Please look at this footage.]

As if to interrupt Yukiho's words, the President spoke. An image appeared on the large television. Our eyes were glued to it.

"This is.....!"

I immediately recognized it. This was a shot of the back of the cave. It was too dark to see, but apparently there was a camera on the ceiling. The image was taken in night vision mode, and I could see the rocky surface of the ground clearly.

[This is a footage of the cave used by Yoshikawa Daikichi and Banjo Yui. To ensure the safety of the island, surveillance cameras have been installed not only in the cave, but throughout the island. This is the one that we used.]

The president took out a surveillance camera from his pocket. It was about the size of a pea.

[As you can see, the surveillance cameras have become so small that it is nearly impossible to find them with the naked eye. Also, for the sake of reality, the presence of the camera was kept from the performers. Both Yoshikawa and Banjo are unaware of the fact that they are being filmed. Please keep this in mind when watching.] The president explained.

"It's Daikichi-kun and Yui-san."

As Yukiho said, it was me and Yui on the screen. And in the following scene, Yui was approaching me.

"Eh, this is....."

Yukiho covered her mouth with both hands. Her eyes were filled with tears.

I could only watch with my mouth agape. My mind was blank and I couldn't think of anything.

[I promise you, they won't know we're here. Even the cameras won't be able to pick up the sound of us because of the noise from the rain.]

I can hear the Devil's voice. The surveillance cameras seemed to be of high performance, picking up clear audio.

The exchange between me and Yui will be disclosed without concealment.

However-

[It's not just XXXXX-san. There's also XXXXXX-san who's in XXXXXX, and XXXXXX-san who won the Best Actor award last year, and others-]

-The part leading to the identification had been mosaicked.

".........."

Yukiho is looking at it quietly. She has a very different expression.

[But still, it's just...!!!]

I, on TV, yell at her. Yukiho's expression falters for a moment.

[I'll do whatever it takes to make Takamine Yukiho happy, that's what I'm determined to do!]

The exchange continued.

[And I know you don't like me anymore, but don't show that kind of behavior when you're working. You're not an amateur anymore. I'll behave the same as I always have.]

That was the line from Yui.

After this, the screen faded out slowly and went black.

The president signaled to the staff to lower the TV.

[As you can see, the words and actions of Banjo Yui are out of the ordinary and cannot be tolerated at all. As a matter of course, she has violated the contract between us, and we hereby declare that we are terminating the contract with her at this time.]

The news media was buzzing with excitement. In the midst of this, the president continued to speak.

[I have asked SS TV to broadcast the scene of Banjo Yui in the special episode without cutting it, because I think it is necessary to show the fact clearly because of its content. I know that some of you may have felt uncomfortable, but I would like to ask for your forgiveness. I would also like to express my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused to the clients who have contracted with Banjo Yui. We would also like to inform you that we are already in the process of filing a claim for compensation against Banjo Yui.]

The president stood up and bowed deeply. [To all parties involved and viewers, we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.]

From there, it was time for a question-and-answer session, where unimportant questions and answers unfolded.

"So that's it."

Yukiho turned off the TV and looked at me.

"Sorry, Yukiho, for not telling you....."

I couldn't look directly at Yukiho's face. Nor did I know what kind of face to make. I closed my eyes tightly and kept my head down.

"Daikichi-kun, look into my eyes."

When she said that, I looked up and saw Yukiho.

She was smiling with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you, Daikichi-kun."

"T-thank...you...?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Why? I didn't say anything, why?"

"That's fine."

".....What do you mean?"

The smile disappears from Yukiho's face. With a serious expression, she said.

"I'm a professional, so the right thing to do is to keep quiet. If you tell me, of course I will be sad and angry at Yui-san. But I and Daikichi-kun don't have any evidence in our hands. That's to prove Yui's wrongdoings. Then what would happen is that we would just get on edge. It would interfere with my work. If that happens, the weeklies might sniff it out and make a big deal out of it. So, if you're a professional, the right thing to do is to keep quiet here. At least that's what I think."

"I didn't really think that far ahead....."

"I know, I know. But you did it as a result. You're just not aware of it, but you're a professional entertainer."

Yukiho smiled, "And you know what?"

"You repelled Yui's temptation! You didn't give in until the end! That pheromone filled Yui-san was coming on to you, and you didn't even freak out! You even said something really cool to me! You said that you would make Takamine Yukiho happy no matter what! I was once again moved to tears!"

Yukiho hugged me.

"Daikichi-kun, you were so manly. I'm proud of  being your lover. Thank you so much, Daikichi-kun. Please continue to be by my side as lovers."

"Of course. Yukiho is my destiny. Please don't abandon me in the future, either."

"Haha, if I leave Daikichi-kun, I'll be punished."

I put my arm around Yukiho's back and pulled her close to me. The thread of tension that had been holding me back suddenly came loose.

Yukiho whispered in my ear.

"That's what I'm prepared to do!"

"Hey, don't be silly."

"That was a good line, I'll get a copy for the boss later!"

"No, no, no, no, no!"

For a while, I was teased by Yukiho.

❄

The president's emergency press conference made the front page of all the newspapers the next day. Headlines such as "The hidden face of Banjo Yui" lined the front page.

On the internet, Yui was on fire. It was a huge blaze. She was being slammed to an unbearable level.

Some people estimated the amount of compensation, although the authenticity is unknown. According to them, it would be several hundred million yen.

Many of them also tried to find out the names of the people that Yui had mentioned. Even if she was expelled from the entertainment industry, the other men would remain celebrities.

The weekly magazines are also in the mood. They are willing to pay for useful information, and they were asking for it in a big way.

When I saw that, I thought. The Internet is scary. The fire that broke out was nothing short of a lynching. I thought " Poor Yui" before I thought "Awful".

The president had definitely foreseen this would happen. He knew what would happen to Yui after that press conference. Knowing that, he held that press conference. In order to get more in return by sacrificing Banjo Yui.

The quid pro quo is me.

Since that press conference, I've been worshipped on the Internet. Because I refused the temptation of the devil, which 999,999 out of a million men would agree to.

A man among men. A true man. A manly man. His feelings for Yukiho are amazing. He's so cool. -I was praised in such a way.

When the Internet and viewers appreciate me, the TV stations respond. I used to be a bonus for Yukiho, but now I'm getting a lot more work on my own.

Yui, on the other hand, is miserable. About two months after the emergency press conference, a weekly magazine reported on her later life. According to the report, she became a prostitute working at a high-class service center.

Apparently, she is selling her body in order to pay the compensation.