Confinement King

Chapter 185: Press Conference to Establish New Company, Part One

「M-mother~! P-P-Please r-relax~, I, I, I’m following y-y-y-you~!」

「Yes~, Mother will do her best~」

Currently, we were in the waiting room at the back of the press conference.

Even though she wasn’t standing in front of the camera, a stiff Yui-chan was raising her voice.

In contrast to her, Aoi Umidori, Yui-chan’s mama, smiled softly and she bit into a monaka, a Japanese sweet bean snack without any sense of tension.

（They are extreme mother and daughter…）

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Yui-chan’s mama is just going to say a simple hello today. So, there’s nothing to worry about.

The Fujiwara Group’s media team, prepared by my stepfather, will take care of the details.

No matter how many mistakes she makes, no matter how many jokes she misses, he said, just leave it to them.

Today, I’m accompanying Yui-chan’s mama as my stepfather’s substitute. And, Yui-chan accompanied me, for a change.

Since the supplementary classes ended yesterday, I wanted to have a lot of fun in Tokyo since I came to Tokyo.

Fu~min doesn’t play with me at all, so I’m going to stay here for the night, and tomorrow I’m going to have fun with Yui-chan at a theme park.

Then, when I get back to home, I’m going to attack Fu~min’s house with souvenirs.

Anyway, as for today’s press conference, I don’t know much about it.

It seems that my stepfather has bought up a popular entertainment agency, and Yui-chan’s mama is going to return to the entertainment industry as Aoi Umidori.

Or maybe it’s the other way around. It may be that my stepfather bought the agency because Yui-chan’s mama was going to return to the entertainment industry.

For the sake of Aoi Umidori, my stepfather would do such a thing, quite easily.

「Miss, it’s about to start, please move to the guests’ seats」

「Okay」

After prompted by Tamine-san, the head of security who was acting as my bodyguard, Yui-chan and I left the waiting room, leaving Yui-chan’s mama behind.

It seems that today’s top person is going to be me. That’s why today’s I am in the mode of a young lady with black hair and a neat dress.

Just as I left the waiting room, the chief producer was having a meeting with some staff members in the corridor.

I heard the name “Kijima” as I passed by, and thought, “Fu~min is here?!” but then I realized that Kijima is a common last name.

Maybe I’m being a little too sensitive about Fu~min.

When I moved to the press conference venue, I found that it was quite an exaggerated venue for a press conference of an entertainment agency.

On the stage, in front of a banner with the name of the new company written on it, there was a long desk covered with a white cloth and a number of microphones on it.

The hall was about the size of my school’s gymnasium, with pipe chairs lined up in the middle as press seats, and about 90% of them were already filled with people who looked like journalists.

There were also a lot of cameramen and TV cameras surrounding them.

As it was a takeover of an entertainment agency, which was the center of the much-talked-about ” Follow-up・ Mysterious Disappearance Case”, it must have attracted a lot of attention from the public. The event was broadcast live by three commercial broadcasters, which is not half bad.

On the right side of the stage, where there were some very luxurious chairs, seemed to be the guests’ seats. As soon as I stepped out to go there, I heard–

「M-Miss, please excuse me. I’m a little unclean…」

Yui-chan complained, with a pale face.

「Haha… don’t worry about it」

「Yes, yes…」

When I nodded, Yui-chan stood on her tiptoes and ran towards the back of the room.

I wondered how many times Yui-chan had run to the bathroom before. I could hear her stomach grumbling all the time….

◇ ◇ ◇

「Wow, it’s really a big deal!」

Masaki-chan let out an impressed voice.

The press conference was being shown on a monitor temporarily set up in “The Confinement King’s bedroom”.

Two unfamiliar figures have just taken their seats on the stage.

「Well, it’s at the center of the ” Follow-up・Mysterious Disappearance” case that’s currently the talk of the world. The First Beauty Office」

I’m sitting on the sofa with Masaki-chan on my left and Tashiro-san on my right, playing with their breasts.

Kurosawa-san is standing behind me on the sofa with her chin on my head and her hands around my neck. The touch of her breasts feels good on the back of my head.

What a luxurious surround breast.

On the other side of Masaki-chan are the sisters Ryoko and Kyoko. Opposite them, Kei-chan was sleeping peacefully on Shima-san’s lap.

「By the way, where’s Shiratori-san?」

「I’ve asked her, but… She’s not interested in the press」

I asked, to which Shima-san replied with a wry smile.

Lili didn’t give me any details, but she said that it was Shiratori-san who found the investors and arranged the whole thing.

It seems to be typical of Shiratori-san that she is not interested in this project, even though she is the one who has done the most for it.

「So this entertainment agency will become yours, Master…」

Ryoko let out a moist voice, as if she was moved by the news.

It’s mine, indeed. Although it’s ostensibly a subsidiary of the Fujiwara Group, I’ve been told that it’s actually at my disposal.

And today, Lili had brought Ponpoko-san with her to the site, in order to put an end to any regrets.

「What? Is that Mai over there?」

Kurosawa-san suddenly pointed at the monitor.

I followed her pointing finger with my eyes, and saw Fujiwara-san’s figure in the guest seat, in the mode of a young lady.

She was probably there as a proxy for her powerful father or something.

（Ah, I’m so glad I didn’t go there…）

I was asked if I was going to be there, but if I had been, I would have had a hard time finding an excuse.

Sometime later, a woman who seemed to be the announcer announced the start of the event, and the guys on stage began to explain how the Fujiwara Group had come to acquire the entertainment company.

It’s all pretty standard stuff. Saving innocent talent and their fans. Part of their social contribution. Out of righteous indignation, they say.

That’s the impression I get.

It’s not a very interesting story.

『We are prepared for the public’s criticism, of course, since we are the parent company of the firm where this incident took place. Since we, Fujiwara Group, will be taking over the management of the company, we will first improve its corporate structure. We have started by dismissing all directors, resigning the entire management team, and removing the bad corporate culture of the former First Beauty Agency by the roots』

Perhaps this man is a professional press conference speaker. He speaks softly and his low voice is pleasant to the ear.

『And the head of this company will never allow an incident like the one that happened to President Kurashima to happen. I thought it would be better to have someone who can convince all of you of that』

There was a pause of about two breaths. He dared to create a pause that would fill the place with tension.

『It is someone who knows pain, someone who has been a victim of human trafficking』

Immediately, the room was abuzz.

『It takes a lot of courage for a victim to appear in front of the media because of an incident like that. However, in order to prevent the victims from happening again. I persuaded her to accept the invitation for the sake of future generations of celebrities. Please welcome her with a round of applause』

Then all the men stood up at once and shouted to the back of the stage.

『President Chihiro Kaneko! This way, please!』

Amidst the confused and sparse applause, a woman in a stylish black evening dress walked in slowly.

It is indeed Kaneko-san. As expected of a former model, her figure is very beautiful.

When she was handed the microphone, she opened her mouth with an archaic smile.

『Although I am no longer Kaneko, it is natural for you to wonder if a young person like me can fulfill the heavy responsibility of President. However, I am determined to do my best, and I ask for your warm support as I do so』

Well, actually, it’s probably not impossible.

Kaneko-san is said to have dropped out of the business administration major of a famous private university, so it’s not that she doesn’t have any qualifications, but I’ve heard that the Fujiwara Group will provide full support for the actual management.

『As some of you may know, I was also tricked by President Kurashima and forced to appear in an AV film. The pain, the suffering, the humiliation. I won’t let our company’s talents go through that again. I hereby promise you that we will be reborn as the cleanest agency in the industry』

This is a very deceptive way of doing things. No one can criticize the victim if the victim says such a thing.

The criticism would probably be limited to such things as management skills and the ornamental President.

『Now then, let us move on to the question and answer session with the President』

When the moderator opened the session, the reporters raised their hands in unison. The person in charge selected one reporter and handed him the microphone.

『I’m Sato from the Tokyo Jitsugetsu Shinpo. What do you mean when you said earlier that you are no longer Kaneko?』

Kaneko-san then turned to the camera with an embarrassed smile.

『To tell you the truth… there was someone who was willing to accept me even if I was like this, and he fervently wanted it to be mine, so I made up my mind to live with him, and I signed it the day before yesterday』

「What!?」

I almost slipped off the sofa without thinking.

（What is she talking about? The way she said it, it sounded like…）

『That’s why my surname is no longer Kaneko, but “Ki-ji-ma”』

「Haaaaaaah!?」

（Oh, no! I underestimated her!）

It’s probably not that her family register has actually changed. However, that’s just too much….

I try to stand up, but Masaki-chan and Tashiro-san grab my hands, and Kurosawa-san holds my shoulders.

「Fumio-kun… this… what the hell does this mean?」

「You’ll have to explain, Confinement King」

「So, Fumi-kun likes that old lady more than us?」

I looked to my right and to my left, and saw a pair of eyes with no light in their irises looking at me.

「A-ahaha…Kaneko-san is joking, I think. Yes, it’s true that she signed the slave contract, and I told her to be mine, but I haven’t even held her yet… haha… ha…」

「She’s just saying what she wants, isn’t she?」

「Hmm, so… she’s not your favorite princess either?」

I nodded my head in response to Tashiro-san and Kurosawa-san’s questions.

The next moment, I heard the sound of an engine!! I turned my head in the direction of the sound.

There, with a roaring chainsaw in her hand, was Masaki-chan with a gloomy smile on her face.

「I can’t forgive her for giving Fumio-kun so much trouble…」

「Wait!? Wait a minute! Where’d you get that? That chainsaw!」

If I look closely, there’s a cute quilt cover on the handle of the chainsaw.

（What’s that? Does she like the chainsaw that much? No, wait! Seriously, wait! Even if she put a cute cover on it, it’s not cute at all!）

Then, Kurosawa-san grabbed my chin and made me look up at her, and with a completely cold look in her eyes, she pushed her face at me so that our noses were touching.

「Well, Fumi-kun… can you get the door to Tokyo for me?」

「Wait, stop it! Tashiro-san, help me! It’s just a joke by Kaneko-san」

I asked for help from Tashiro-san, who seemed to be the most understanding person in this situation, and she folded her arms and nodded.

「Well, it was a joke, a joke. But I think we should at least discuss it… as long as the upper half of her body is still intact, we can at least discuss it」

「Can she!」

（What is she saying that’s so scary? Is my harem turning into yandere in general?）

Then Ryoko interrupts.

「Please wait! Dear favored princesses. Master is in trouble」

As expected of Ryoko. After all, it’s a grown woman who can be trusted.

「I’m Master’s property. If Master wants me to stop, then it’s only natural that I stop immediately」

（Whoo-hoo! She’s Ryoko after all! I’ll give her a reward later!）

I thought so, but…

「I can lend my gun anytime, so if dear favored princesses want to get rid of her, please don’t bother Master」

「A cop shouldn’t lend out the gun so casuallyyy!」

I wonder if this girl left her nerve endings intact when Torture found out about her.