“Yurika-sama! A huge success! The debut performance was a huge success!”
In the office Aleister had specially prepared for Yurika, Nanahara Nadeshiko came charging in with several newspapers and magazines clutched in her hands.
Then, under Yurika’s gaze, which was rather like looking at a bitch that had failed obedience training, she happily slapped the whole pile down onto the coffee table in front of Yurika.
These were all the highest-circulation magazines in Academy City that she’d handpicked, and almost without exception every one of them had run a feature on Yurika’s performance at the ITEM concert the day before.
“Look, look, it’s all glowing praise!”
“It can’t be that dramatic…”
Yurika frowned.
She’d considered that, judging by her usual showing, she ought to be able to earn herself plenty of adoration from female fans.
But reporters were not a species that came in female form only, and there was no way Yurika would believe that every one of these magazines had nothing but glowing praise for her.
What’s more, while her own impact was considerable, ITEM was, after all, a band that had been active for quite a while, and on top of that the concert was their home turf.
There was no way she could have stolen the spotlight from them.
“Did you go out and dig up tabloids and little rags on purpose to show me…”
“No no no, these are the most influential magazines in all of Academy City.”
Nanahara Nadeshiko shook her head, seemingly troubled that Yurika didn’t believe her.
She reached out and grabbed a magazine off the table at random, then handed it to Yurika.
“If you don’t believe me, see for yourself!”
“Let me see… ‘Tenshouin Yurika’s Stunning Debut’?”
Yurika frowned as she looked at the magazine.
It really was, as Nanahara Nadeshiko had said, quite the hit within Academy City.
A lot of people at Tokiwadai Middle School had bought this magazine too, though she’d never imagined the day would come when she’d appear in it herself.
Turning past the masthead, she immediately saw a photo of the moment she’d made her entrance.
It had to be said that, even though these reporters could be unscrupulous at times, they had one good quality: the moment anything happened, they were faster than anyone to the scene.
If Yurika hadn’t known full well what the situation had actually been at the time, she’d have sworn the photographer had coordinated with her before taking the shot.
The angle, the lighting, it was professional to the absolute extreme.
“Whoever took this photo has some real skill… hard to imagine it was a candid snap.”
Yurika’s entrance had been entirely a spur-of-the-moment decision: using her Aero Hand ability to forcefully blow apart the dark clouds in the sky and let the sunlight pour down.
It not only dispersed the rainfall over the concert area but also produced a tremendously outstanding performance effect.
After all, the song Yurika sang next was originally one of ITEM’s own, a number about the sky clearing after rain, perfectly matching the scene at that moment.
You couldn’t help but be impressed.
“The report runs a full two pages… this wouldn’t happen to be Aleister’s doing too, would it.”
“No no no, this is all because Yurika-sama’s charm is simply too great.”
Nanahara Nadeshiko raised her right hand to cradle her cheek, her eyes shining with adoration and infatuation for Yurika.
This gal’s everyday behavior made her look nothing like a manager, every bit the lecherous fangirl.
If her caliber as a manager weren’t genuinely so high, Yurika would really love to fire this creature who might lose control and pounce on her at any moment.
“Oh right, also, the Chairman asked me to pass along to Yurika-sama that 3 TV dramas and 2 film productions have already sent you casting invitations. Would you like to take a look at the scripts?”
“…That fast?”
Yurika blinked, not expecting to get casting calls so soon.
Her gaze fell on the few thin little booklets cradled in Nanahara Nadeshiko’s arms.
It seemed these items, which she hadn’t tossed in with the magazines, were the scripts for those TV dramas and films.
She thought it over.
Acting in TV dramas and films probably paid a hefty fee, right?
So she nodded.
“Sure, let me take a look.”
“Okay~”
Nanahara Nadeshiko handed the 5 scripts in her hands to Yurika for her to leaf through, while also offering her advice as a manager.
“Oh, by the way, Yurika-sama, I recommend this script.”
Yurika directed her gaze to the script Nanahara Nadeshiko was pointing at.
Emblazoned on its cover was the film’s title: Genius Esper Girl.
She hesitated a moment, then opened it, and immediately saw on the second page a rough outline of the role.
The character Yurika was invited to play was a very cold, aloof queen type, which really did fit the persona Nanahara Nadeshiko had prepared for her.
But on this same page, during the course of Yurika’s performance, there was an obvious clothes-ripping fanservice scene, and that bit had even been circled by Nanahara Nadeshiko in red marker, her ulterior motives plain to see at a glance.
“PASS.”
Under Nanahara Nadeshiko’s helpless, bitter gaze, Yurika used Telekinesis to crumple the script directly into a tightly compressed wad of wastepaper and tossed it into the trash can in the corner of the room.
Only then did she look at the other scripts.
“Any of the other scripts you’d recommend?”
“There is…”
The script she’d most looked forward to had been so casually cast aside by Yurika, leaving Nanahara Nadeshiko visibly deflated.
But as a manager she still responsibly pointed out to Yurika the script she felt was the best fit.
“I recommend acting in this TV drama.”
“A Bite of Yuri?”
(TL note: the title parodies A Bite of China, a famous Chinese food documentary; the joke is that it sounds like a cooking show but is actually a yuri drama.)
Yurika glanced at the cover of that script.
Honestly, the name alone pretty much conveyed the whole drama’s premise.
She tilted her head, a little puzzled.
“Sounds like a yuri drama. Why would you want me to act in this?”
“First, the character in this drama is too similar to Yurika-sama’s traits. The persona template is practically carved from the same mold. If it were anyone else, they might not even be able to picture that scenario, but I think if it’s Yurika-sama… it should be a breeze, right?”
Nanahara Nadeshiko gave a cough and explained.
“And the role this production is inviting Yurika-sama to play is the female lead, which is very useful for boosting your popularity.”
“The female lead, huh…”
Yurika nodded in understanding, then flipped toward the back.
After seeing the cast shortlist at the end, she couldn’t help but knit her brows slightly.
The reason was simple: this shortlist contained far too many names she recognized.
“Shokuhou Misaki, Misaka Mikoto… why are there so many girls from Tokiwadai?”
“Because the story’s set at an ojou-sama school, so…”
Nanahara Nadeshiko gave a light cough.
“So? What does Yurika-sama think?”