As Shizuka's visit to Japan was decided, Fantagio announced her activities in Japan through an official statement. The Japanese media reacted enthusiastically, and news about Shizuka graced the front pages of newspapers, the internet, and daily news broadcasts.
Since Fantagio kept Geon's visit a secret, the Japanese media's news about Shizuka alone was broadcasted worldwide. However, unlike Kay, Shizuka's visit alone did not captivate the global audience, as international broadcasts simply announced that Shizuka was returning to her homeland, Japan, for a brief activity period. Of course, Shizuka's already established fan base was widely spread around the world, but it did not have the explosive impact of Geon's presence.
On Fantagio's private jet heading to Japan.
Shizuka looked out the airplane window at the Japanese archipelago with a nervous expression, while Anna was sitting with Anthony, looking at a book detailing Japan's famous sights and delicacies, underlining parts of it.
"Anthony, are we going to Tokyo?"
"Yeah, that's the capital of Japan."
"Hmm... so it might be hard to see the castle in Osaka then. Let's cross that off... Akihabara? What is this place about? From the pictures, it looks like they sell figures and games?"
"Yeah, I have a friend who's a Japanese animation maniac. He says it's a holy site. Goes there at least once a year."
"Really? Hmm... let's put a check mark on this! None of us are into animations or games, but we might as well visit if we have time."
"Uh, but I need to go there. My friend asked me to buy something."
"What is it?"
"Just a sec."
Anthony rummaged through his carry-on bag for a notebook and said,
"Crows? Seems to be a manga, and he wants me to buy figures of the characters from it. Must be expensive. He sent me the money in advance, and it was a thousand dollars."
"What? A thousand dollars? For toys?"
"It's... uh, the names are hard in Japanese, wait a sec... Um... Bouya Harumichi? Something like that. And... what's this written here, it's in Kanji... Shizuka! What does this say?"
Shizuka looked at the notebook Anthony handed her and said with a slight smile,
"It says 'Armed Front'."
After Anthony put the notebook down, he told Anna,
"Yeah, 'Armed Front'. It's... apparently the name of a biker gang. There's a set of figures that come out randomly."
"Random? You mean I'm buying something without knowing what I'll get?"
"Yeah, one of them will come out, but there's also a chance that you won't get the one you want. The Japanese call that 'Gacha'."
"What a funny system. But... if it's something I really like, I guess I'd want to have it even if it means going through that. Smart marketing."
"Yeah, anyway, each small box is about 10 dollars, and he asked me to buy 30 of them. He hasn't gotten two of them yet. He said it's his chance to complete his collection and seemed really happy about it."
"That friend of yours must be a real fanatic."
"Well, I have to go there anyway."
Anna folded the page marked Akihabara and circled it with a pen.
"Okay, if we don't have time, let's just the two of us go."
As Anna saw Byungjun, who was checking the schedule in the front seat, stand up and come towards them, she quickly hid the book. It seemed awkward to appear as though they were planning a leisure trip. However, Byungjun, who had already heard their loud conversation, chuckled and grabbed the headrest of Anna's seat, saying,
"Feel free to do whatever during your free time. You two aren't our celebrities, after all. Just avoid doing anything that could damage Shizuka and Kay's images."
Anthony tentatively raised his hand and asked,
"Um... is it okay to buy figures?"
"Why not?"
"I was wondering... about the otaku image."
"Ha, what's wrong with having a personal preference? Besides, Japan respects individual tastes. Just avoid buying anything overly erotic or perverse."
Anna's eyes widened in surprise,
"Toys can be erotic? There are such things?"
Seeing Shizuka blush and lower her head in embarrassment, Byungjun smiled and said,
"Ha, go and see for yourself. There are figures that cater to all sorts of preferences. Anyway, it's
fine, go and shop. You two just have to do the music broadcast. I'll let you know as soon as the schedule is confirmed."
The two, now officially permitted to travel, joyfully took out the book and continued their discussion. Byungjun sat next to Shizuka. She, embarrassed by the figure conversation, had her face blushed and head lowered, then cautiously asked,
"Manager... when is Kay coming?"
Byungjun, without looking at Shizuka, unfolded a document prepared by Fantagio employees detailing the main content of the Japanese media news and said,
"He's already there."
Shizuka looked at Byungjun's profile in surprise,
"What? He went ahead?"
Byungjun flipped through the document and said,
"Yeah, that guy is a travel maniac. He went ahead the day before yesterday to tour Japan. He'll join us locally. Since it's a secret that he's traveling with us, he couldn't move on the same plane. That's why I'm checking the news to see if he hasn't gotten into any trouble... Hmm... seems like nothing special. Doesn't look like he's caused any trouble. Just your news."
Shizuka, surprised, turned her head and looked down at the landscape of Japan through the window.
**
Two days earlier. Tokyo Narita Airport.
Geon, carrying his luggage, hailed a taxi. The taxi driver, startled by Geon's appearance covered with a hat, sunglasses, and scarf, cautiously asked in English,
"Welcome to Japan, sir."
Geon smiled and responded fluently in Japanese,
"Thank you. Please take me to Osaki Daiwa Roynet Hotel."
The taxi driver, delighted to hear Geon speak Japanese, looked at him through the rearview mirror and said,
"Ah! You're Japanese? I thought you were a foreigner, my apologies."
"No, I'm Korean. Haha."
"Oh! Really? Your Japanese is fluent. Well then, let's set off, please fasten your seatbelt."
As Geon buckled up in the back seat, the taxi started off much more smoothly than the taxis in the United States and merged onto the highway. The taxi driver, who seemed to enjoy conversing with his passengers, asked Geon various questions and shared stories about life. Suddenly, he asked, "Is this your first time in Japan?"
"No, I've been here a few times," Geon replied.
"I see. There's not much in the way of tourist attractions in Osaki. Are you here on business?"
"Ah, something like that. Haha."
"I hope you establish a good business relationship with Japan, haha."
"Yes, I'll do that."
"Still, Osaki has a subway line, so it should be easy to get around."
"Yes, I'm aware. Thank you."
After a while, the taxi pulled up in front of the hotel. The driver quickly got out and retrieved Geon's suitcase from the trunk, bowing politely.
"Enjoy your time in Japan."
"Thank you, sir."
A bellboy immediately took Geon's luggage and headed towards the lobby. The hotel seemed upscale, but the lobby wasn't very large, a trait common in space-efficient Japan. Two staff members greeted Geon as he handed over the printed hotel reservation confirmation and his passport. After a brief wait, a male staff member checking the PC monitor opened his eyes wide in surprise upon seeing Geon's passport. A female staff member also came over, and both looked at Geon with astonished eyes.
Geon put his index finger to his lips, slightly lowered his sunglasses, and winked, saying, "Shh, my being here is a secret, okay?"
Hearing his fluent Japanese, both staff members nodded repeatedly. The male staff member quickly entered the passport information and handed it back, saying, "Thank you for choosing our hotel. I will personally show you to your room."
The female staff member, glaring at her colleague, snatched the luggage from the bellboy who was heading towards the elevator and said, "I, I'll take this luggage, so please rest."
The bellboy looked dumbfounded but pretended not to notice as she pressed the elevator button. As Geon and the male staff member approached, she entered the elevator first and waited for them. Once inside, the male staff member, puzzled, asked, "Miyoko, what about the lobby?"
"It's just for a moment, what about it?" Miyoko pressed the button for the 20th floor.
The male staff member chuckled and accompanied Geon to the 20th floor. After showing him the room and politely offering to leave, Geon, having placed his suitcase in a corner, said, "Ah, would you like me to take a photo? On the condition that you keep my visit a secret."
The two staff members turned around eagerly. Miyoko, already holding her phone, smiled brightly and took a photo with Geon. The male staff member waited for his turn and asked, "Mr. Kay, how long should we keep this a secret? I'd love to boast on SNS."
"After about three days, please keep it a secret," Geon said with a smile.
As the male staff member tried to leave with Miyoko, she quickly turned back and asked, "How long will you be staying in Japan?"
Geon, sitting on the bed, replied with a smile, "About a week, I guess?"
The male staff member pushed Miyoko towards the door, saying, "What are you doing, Miyoko! I'm sorry, Kay. Please, have a comfortable stay."
Miyoko, being pushed out, thought to herself, 'A week? But asking to keep it a secret for just three days means he plans to reveal his presence to the Japanese media, doesn't it? Could it be! Is he in Japan with Shizuka Miyawaki? Ah! Then it'll be on TV!'
After the two left, Geon checked his vibrating phone and quickly answered, "Director Lin?"
"Yes, Mr. Geon. Have you arrived safely?"
"Yes, I've just arrived at the hotel. How about Kiska?"
"She's just arrived at Disneyland. She's so engrossed in the amusement park."
"That's good. She's not crying."
"She doesn't know you're not there. She thinks she's there with Gregory, so it's fine."
"I feel sorry for Gregory."
"It's his daughter. He seems happy to be at the amusement park with her after a long time. Don't worry and focus on your activities in Japan. Have you read the script?"
"Yes, but... Shizuka is the protagonist, but it feels more like I'm the protagonist, which is a bit odd."
"Haha, that's your stature, Mr. Geon. It's time you realized that."
"Okay, Director. I'll keep that in mind."
"It's fine to go sightseeing early, but remember, your presence in Japan must
remain a secret until the first broadcast, okay?"
"Yes, I'll make sure of it. I plan to just go shopping and visit historic sites, so don't worry."
"Please do. Take care of Kiska for me, Director."
"Don't worry. Haha. Goodbye."
After finishing a brief call, Geon Kim left the hotel. He had asked the hotel staff to call a taxi in advance, and the place he arrived at was Akihabara. After getting off in front of the huge building of Yodobashi Akiba, Geon walked past a cell phone store and headed up to a figure store. Astonished by the tremendous prices of the Gundam figures, Geon nodded his head as he looked at the posters of Korean idol stars scattered throughout the store.
"It seems Korean stars are also popular in Japan. Especially the girl groups."
Geon briefly admired the posters of recently debuted Korean girl groups, which were decorated in sparkling pink colors, before moving on. Since he wasn't interested in girl groups, he didn't even know who they were. After touring the back alleys of Akihabara, Shinjuku, Ginza, and Roppongi, Geon finally visited Shibuya and even saw the statue of the dog from the movie Hachi before returning to his hotel late at night to sleep.
Having spent two uneventful days touring quietly, Geon received a call from Byungjun and headed to Japan's TBS. As soon as he got out of the taxi, Byungjun rushed over and immediately asked as he opened the car door.
"Did you cause any trouble?"
Geon chuckled and replied.
"No, I just toured around."
"Your identity? You know you shouldn't be found out, right?"
"Yes, sir. I've been careful. I didn't get caught except for when I had to show my passport at the hotel."
"Good, we have to enter through the back door. Let's go."
"Yes, brother."
As Geon and Byungjun sneakily entered through the back door, Shizuka was making an appearance on a Japanese variety show that had just started. The show, which consisted of two male hosts and five panelists, invited Shizuka as a guest and asked her various questions, including some cheeky ones. One of the comedians, Tadayoshi, announced the opening.
"Hello, viewers! Today, our program has an amazing guest!"
The bald man next to him chimed in.
"That's right, Tadayoshi. Who might that be?"
Tadayoshi looked the bald man up and down and asked.
"Why ask, Taichi? You're a host just like me!"
As the panelists laughed, Taichi pointed at them and said.
"First, let's introduce our panelists. Here are three idol group members: Kokomi, Kanna, and Miu."
The three teenage girls stood up simultaneously and greeted.
"Hello! We are B1!"
Tadayoshi exaggeratedly exclaimed.
"Wow, they're really cute. It's good to see B1 being so active. Next, we have the music critic, Yuma."
A slightly skinny, middle-aged man with glasses bowed slightly.
"Hello, I'm Yuma."
"We look forward to your sharp criticism today."
Taichi pointed at the last woman and said.
"And, the actress who's dominating Japanese dramas! Lena!"
As the cameras all turned to her, the elegant and beautiful woman smiled gently and said.
"Hello, I'm Lena."
Taichi approached Lena with exaggerated gestures as if examining her closely.
"Wow, you really chose the right career, Lena. To see you this close! Haak!"
Tadayoshi stepped in pretending to restrain Taichi.
"Haak? Haak? This is a regular broadcast, come on, let's move on."
"Let go! Let go! It's Lena! You want to do this too, don't you?"
"Hey, hey. Someone stop this guy!"
As the uniquely Japanese variety show atmosphere continued, Tadayoshi asked excitedly.
"Hey Taichi. Who's the hottest person in Japan right now?"
Taichi pretended to think deeply before answering.
"Suzumura Airi?"
Tadayoshi hit Taichi on the head with a cue sheet and said.
"Get that dirty thought out of your head and answer properly!"
"Ouch!! I know, I know! It's Shizuka Miyawaki!"
"If you know, then why make such a lame joke!"
As Tadayoshi continued to hit Taichi on the head, causing laughter among the panelists, they all eagerly looked towards the round entrance hidden by a curtain at the back of the host's seat. As the atmosphere was set, Tadayoshi clapped his hands and said.
"Let me introduce her! The second angel of Fantagio, Shizuka Miyawaki!!"
Applause erupted as the panelists stood up from their seats and clapped. As Shizuka's debut song 'Moonlight Butterfly' began to play and the curtain fell from top to bottom, Shizuka, dressed in a white dress and black shoes, shyly smiled and stepped forward, receiving even louder applause. The three girls from the idol group screamed excited
ly.
"Mom, she's really pretty!"
"She looks even prettier and more innocent than in the music video!"
"Right, right! She's way prettier and cuter!"
As Taichi looked at Shizuka with a dreamy expression, he said.
"I'm going to throw away all my AV CDs when I get home.. My goddess from now on is Shizuka Miyawaki.."
Tadayoshi hit Taichi on the head with the cue sheet again.
"Don't make such comparisons! Sorry about him, Shizuka. Please, take a seat here."
Shizuka took a seat apart from the panelists, between the hosts and the panelists, and as she grabbed the microphone, Tadayoshi said.
"Could you please greet the viewers, Shizuka?"
Shizuka, appearing shy, slightly twisted her body and said.
"Ah.. Hello.. I'm Shizuka Miyawaki."
"Kyaa so cute!!"
"Seriously so cute!"
Loving the sight of a cute woman being shy, which is something the Japanese audience particularly adores, the staff and panelists went wild. After waiting for the commotion to subside, Tadayoshi said.
"Now, let's ask some questions. First, how did you meet Kay? I apologize for starting with a question about someone else, but I'm sure it's what the viewers are most curious about. Please, answer."
As the story shifted to Geon, the panelists' eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"Uh... Kay is a student from the same school. We first met when he was assigned as our band's guitarist for a band score mission. At that time, I was struggling because my piano skills weren't improving, and he helped me out. That's how we met."
One of the B1 members, a girl with long hair, eagerly raised her hand, and Tadayoshi gave her the floor.
"Yes, Kanna. Do you have a question? Go ahead."
Kanna took the microphone and asked.
"What kind of person is Kay?"
Taichi leaned on the host's desk and waved his hand.
"Hey, today's guest is Shizuka, you know. Why keep talking about Kay?"
Kanna laughed and waved her hand dismissively.
"Ah, I know. But I'm just so curious about Kay. Ho ho."
Shizuka smiled softly and took the microphone.
"Hmm, he's a bit different from the average person, you could say. He has deep thoughts and can't just pass by someone in distress or in a tight spot without helping. And above all, he's incredibly handsome, haha."
The female panelists, as well as the female staff, all nodded their heads in agreement, prompting Taichi to express his confusion.
"Hey, the staff aren't even on camera, why are you nodding?"
Laughter broke out again among the panelists, and then Miwoo from B1 raised her hand.
"Um... are you close with Kay?"
"Yes, of course. We're close."
"Kyaa! Do you also talk on the phone and stuff?"
"Haha, well, we're friends."
The three girls of B1 hugged each other, making a big fuss.
"Kyaa!! They even talk on the phone!"
"Ahh, I'm so jealous!"
"I want to see Kay too!! Kyaa!"
Tadayoshi smiled at the trio before turning to Lena, who was watching quietly.
"You're quite calm, Ms. Lena, aren't you?"
Lena smiled beautifully and took the microphone.
"I'm also a fan of Kay. Oh, and I apologize, I'm also a fan of Shizuka."
"The grace of an actress never fades, does it? It might be a bit less fun without the fuss, though."
"Haha, is that so?"
"Hmm... How about we try to 'break' Ms. Lena?"
"Excuse me? How so?"
Tadayoshi stepped forward next to Shizuka.
"Ms. Shizuka, would it be possible to call Kay?"
The members of B1 went wild.
"Kyaa!! Really, really?"
"Aaah!!! A video call would be great!"
Shizuka laughed and pulled out her phone.
"Well... it's possible."
"Kyaaaah!!!!!!!! It's a good thing I came here!"
"Aaah!!! Hurry and call!"
While the panelists were making a fuss, Tadayoshi glanced at Lena, who was calmly holding back her excitement, and smiled.
"Then, may I ask for this favor? If it's not too much trouble."
Shizuka nodded, turned on the phone's screen, and connected a microphone handed to her by a staff member before calling Kay. The studio quieted down as the dial tone began, and everyone leaned in to hear Kay's voice. After a brief wait, the call connected.
"Hello? Shizuka?"
"Kyaaaah!!!!!!! It's Kay's voice!!"
"It's real! It's really Kay!"
"Kyaa, I can die happy now!! Mom!!"
The studio erupted into noise from the panelists and staff, and Shizuka, covering one ear, shouted.
"Kay? Sorry, we're in the middle of a broadcast."
"Oh, really? What show is it?"
"It's a Japanese variety show."
"I see. こんにちは 皆さん.Kay です. (Hello everyone, I'm Kay.)"
The studio was in an uproar once again. Tadayoshi, impressed by Kay's fluent Japanese, stepped in.
"Hello, Mr. Kay. I'm Tadayoshi, the host of the program. You speak Japanese very well?"
"Haha, I can just about manage to speak and listen, Mr. Tadayoshi. Nice to meet you."
"Wow! You could be mistaken for a Japanese person! That's amazing!"
"Haha, thank you."
"Thank you for taking the time to talk to us. Now, I'll hand you back to Shizuka."
Tadayoshi gestured for Shizuka to speak, and she hesitantly asked.
"Um... Kay, what are you doing right now?"
"Hm? Just waiting for something."
"Oh.. I see. Are you outside?"
"Yeah, I'm outside."
"Um... ah..."
Shizuka, at a loss for what more to say, noticed Byungjun approaching the main camera towards the PD. Byungjun hurried into the studio to whisper something to the PD, who nodded and began speaking with a bright expression. Realizing it was her cue, Shizuka smiled slightly and asked.
"So, where are you now?"
"I'm in Tokyo."
A moment of silence fell over the studio, followed by a scream of excitement.
"Kyaa!! Kay is in Tokyo!"
"Really? Where can we see him?"
"What's happening in Japan? Is it a trip? You're not appearing on any shows, are you!!?"
The PD, with his arms crossed, waved to the staff behind the stage, and loud music started playing in the studio. Startled by the sudden blast of music, Lena muttered quietly.
"This... it's Kay's song, isn't it?"