CHAPTER 362: SUDDEN RISE IN POPULARITY

"H-Hey! Isn’t that...?"

"Yes! That’s her, right? What the hell is she doing here?!"

"Wait—don’t tell me... is she actually looking for Okumura-kun?!"

"T-T-That’s... honestly a real possibility! Remember? She posted on her Insta that she was searching for a partner for her modeling career. She even mentioned she wanted someone willing to work with her in acting too. D-Don’t you think she’s aiming for him?"

"I mean... think about it. With how Okumura-kun suddenly blew up on social media—trending everywhere—it’d be natural for her to come here. Right?"

All their whispers, gasps, and frantic voices had one name behind them—Tsuchiya Shion.

A girl who wasn’t just famous—she was practically untouchable. A social media star, a model with a dazzling aura, and someone who had already dipped her feet into the entertainment industry at a ridiculously young age. She started out acting in dramas and exploded into popularity so quickly, it didn’t even make sense for someone her age.

Actually, Misuzu herself had worked with her before. Both of them had been in the same drama. But while Misuzu only got a small side role, Tsuchiya Shion was the one standing at the very center—the main lead.

That alone said everything about her level. Just from that fact alone, you’d instantly understand how much more famous she was compared to everyone else. The wildest part? She was still only 19. With the pace she was going, her future was almost guaranteed—bigger, brighter, and celebrated beyond measure. People were even whispering about her debut in Hollywood.

Kouhei, however, couldn’t care less. Sure, he knew who Tsuchiya Shion was—how could he not? It wasn’t like he was living under a rock. He wasn’t internet illiterate. He also knew that Misuzu was cast alongside her in the upcoming drama film they were currently shooting, so naturally, it was impossible for him not to know about her.

But being interested in her? That was a completely different story. And naturally, he wasn’t.

So while the crowd of girls around him squealed, squeaked, and lost their minds, Kouhei didn’t even bother to listen. He tuned them out completely, like their voices were nothing more than buzzing background noise.

***

Tsuchiya Shion.

She wasn’t just a model. She wasn’t just an influencer. She was a phenomenon.

The face of multiple brands, a model plastered across advertisements, the "it girl" of social media. Her following alone spoke volumes with her having a half a million loyal fans spread across every platform.

And that kind of number? For a 19-year-old? It was insane.

Whenever she went out in public, people practically threw themselves at her for pictures. Crowds screamed her name, hands holding up phones like she was a living goddess. And because of that, she walked around with constant security—an entourage around her day and night, like she was actual royalty.

And honestly... in a way, she was.

She was beautiful. She was adored. She was famous.

If she wasn’t treated like a priority twenty-four seven, then she might as well be a regular commoner. And she despised that thought. She couldn’t stand the idea of being treated like "just another person."

Since she’d stepped into the spotlight at seven years old, Shion had grown stubborn, confident, even a little spoiled by the world’s attention. She believed she was important. And truthfully? She was.

Because her talent backed it up.

She wasn’t just a pretty face. She was a real actress—an exceptional one. The kind who could twist the emotions of a scene and make it real. And her face? It was magnetic. No matter how much you tried to look away, your eyes would always drift back to her.

Cameras loved her. They couldn’t resist her. Like moths drawn helplessly to a flame, they gravitated toward her every move.

So her level of fame? It was only natural.

But with her latest series skyrocketing in popularity, her career climbing to new heights, there was still a problem gnawing at her. Every acting partner she had been paired with recently felt... bland. Mediocre at best. Sure, they were attractive, skilled even—but none of them could ignite anything inside her.

None of them had that spark.

And without that spark, her roles felt hollow. Without that spark, she couldn’t pull out raw emotion. And mediocre acting? For Shion, that was worse than failure. It was something she absolutely detested.

Then one day, as she was scrolling through social media, she saw him.

A stranger who had suddenly gone viral. His picture, snapped without him even realizing, was spreading like wildfire.

The post had racked up thousands upon thousands of likes. More likes than her highest post had ever achieved. And this wasn’t even a professional photoshoot—just a candid shot.

The comments were insane. Sure, there were the bitter, hateful ones, claiming his looks were "fake" or "too good to be real." But the overwhelming flood was positive. Girls were screaming, squealing, losing their minds over how handsome he was. Those negative voices? Nothing but the desperate cries of jealous men.

And when Shion looked at him, something inside her stirred too.

Something sharp. Something dangerous.

A spark.

A spark in her heart.

That was it. That was what she had been searching for all this time. That spark she needed.

"I found him..." she whispered, a sly smirk curving on her lips.

***

And now—back to the present.

The second she decided, she wasted no time. She pulled every string she could, tapped into every connection, dug through every possible lead. Who was he? Where was he? What was he doing? She wanted every answer.

And once she finally got her lead, she didn’t hesitate for even a moment.

She went straight there.

Because if she wanted a perfect outcome—absolute success, one hundred percent—then she needed to act fast. She needed to secure him before anyone else could.

And that was exactly what Tsuchiya Shion intended to do.

"They said he was kind of hard to get, but I’m sure once he sees my beauty, he’ll absolutely be blown away."

She was so confident in herself, convinced that getting Kouhei would be as simple as snapping her fingers. To her, it was just that easy.

Her beauty had always been enough to get her whatever she wanted. With just one snap, she believed she could have him wrapped around her finger.

"Now then... how about I try my hand here..."

She walked straight over to where Kouhei was and, without hesitation, told him to join her in the industry.

"As expected of the person I chose," she said with a satisfied smile. "There’s no way a beauty like yours could be artificial. It’s genuine. That’s exactly why I came here—to ask you, Okumura Kouhei-kun, to join me and become my pair."

She gazed at him with confidence, her smile unwavering. But Kouhei didn’t even bother looking at her.

"I have to apologize, but that’s a no from me."

It was quick. Too quick. She was rejected instantly—just like that. Kouhei didn’t even look her in the eyes as he said it.

"D-Did I hear that right? Did you just reject me...?"

Her smile twitched, breaking apart as if it had been slapped away.

It was hard to believe. No one had ever rejected her like that before. And yet here he was, brushing her off as if it was nothing. The shock hit her hard, to the point where she almost couldn’t breathe.

Kouhei finally looked at her.

"Well, I don’t want to get your hopes up, um... Tsuchiya-san, right? So I’m sorry, but I can’t accept your request. I’m not even good at modeling or acting, and honestly, I’m not interested in those things at all. I really think someone out there would be better than me and more willing to take it on."

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"This is the first time I’ve ever been rejected... How dare you..." she muttered, gritting her teeth.

But even as she clenched her jaw, her heart was pounding like crazy.

’Heh~~ He’s so handsome. Ahhh... he’s looking at me...~ He’s seriously so handsome!’

Her thoughts spiraled in a weird, almost dangerous direction. She bit down hard, forcing her teeth to grind together, because if she didn’t, she knew her lips would curl into a smile she couldn’t control.

’Ahhh... I have to stay composed. No way am I losing it here. But damn it, why the hell is he this handsome?!’

She lowered her head, fists balled so tight that her nails dug into her palm. Her face was burning bright red, and she couldn’t even bring herself to look up.

"I’ll come back, Okumura Kouhei-kun! Mark my words! The day will come when you’ll stand by my side, and you’ll be the one helping me rise to the top!" she declared, pointing straight at him.

With that, she spun around, still blushing furiously, and stormed off.

Kouhei just stood there, completely lost, wondering what the hell that was all about.