123 – Audition Preliminaries (12)
The Marui conglomerate’s headquarters.
The family of four was having dinner without Tomoe.
After she left her house, no sound came from her table.
The eldest son of the Marui family and Tomoe’s older brother—Kotaro was not particularly uncomfortable.
No, it was actually refreshing.
Because the way she always compared herself to her younger sister caught my eye.
Four members of the family lightly wiped their mouths with napkins after finishing their meal.
Now we all got up and headed to our rooms.
“Chairman, I apologize during the meal.”
The chief secretary intervened.
“No, it’s okay because I ate everything, but what happened?”
The chief secretary took a quick look at Kotaro, then placed his mouth next to his father’s ear and whispered.
Soon his father’s face distorted.
Kotaro cautiously opened his mouth.
“What’s going on, father?”
“Tomoe filed a lawsuit against producer Lim Boo-gil.”
What an idiot.
In order not to show my father the corners of my mouth that were about to turn up, I cleared my throat and covered my mouth with my hand.
It seemed like he was deceived by a strange lawyer and was trying to take out his anger on producer Lim Boo-gil.
“I guess Tomoe still hasn’t come to her senses.”
Her mother sighed deeply at Kotaro’s words.
“How did the child end up like that?” . He was a really good kid…….”
And she gulped down the water to see if her throat was burning.
It is enough to briefly mention that this lawsuit is Tomoe’s arbitrary decision.
Koutarou secretly laughed at Tomoe, who chose a handshake that further narrowed his position.
“What lawsuit did your sister file?”
Her youngest daughter asked, looking alternately at the faces of her father, mother, and brother.
She looks like she is just a high school student.
Of course, it is clear that he is complaining about being unfairly rejected from the audition preliminaries.
Kotaro answered, turning her head towards her youngest brother.
“You’re not interfering with what adults are saying.”
“How can adults freeze to death…” .”
My father said, “What kind of habit do you have to say to your brother?” He got angry.
The youngest brother, pouting his lips, soon got up and went back to his room.
Kotaro smiled and said to her father.
“It’s probably because it’s puberty. “I didn’t cause an accident like Tomoe did, so please be lenient, father.”
“… “You are right.”
My father hates people who are rude.
It is no exception, even if it is a child.
If you are a high school student, you are still at an age where you can discern between interests and interests to a certain degree, but my youngest brother has never shown his father a good side until now.
Kotaro thought that it would be okay to marry off a poor girl to a media company when she was at least one year old.
“Chairman and Master, I still have something left to convey.”
The chief secretary took one look at her father, then glared at Kotaro and said.
He was a person who insisted that Tomoe be the group’s successor ever since Kotaro was young.
The thought of giving an opinion on something like that, even though it was just a secretary topic, made Kotaro’s voice boil up to his throat since he was a child, but he held it back.
He said he had known his father since he was in middle school, so he couldn’t treat him carelessly.
“What?”
“Producer Lim Boo-gil immediately issued a statement regarding Miss Tomoe’s lawsuit.”
“What did you say?”
“They said they had no choice because there was pressure from the Marui conglomerate through NP TV.”
“No, what is that…” .”
Kotaro’s eyes widened at the secretary’s words.
Neither he nor his father ever said a word, let alone pressured producer Gil.
It is common for chaebol families to put pressure on those in charge to pass the exam for their children to succeed.
But so that your daughter Tomoe failed in the Audition preliminaries, did you put pressure on producer Lim Boo-gil to eliminate her?
Kotaro said, staring at the chief secretary.
“Publish a rebuttal report immediately. “My family was never involved in the audition.”
“Master, it’s already too late.”
“What do you mean, it’s late?”
The Chief Secretary explained the current situation in detail.
The name of an acquaintance with a stake in ‘NP TV’ who said that the chairman was taking good care of her daughter Tomoe has already been in the media.
The public is already aware that the Marui conglomerate influenced the Audition in some way.
Even if you strongly deny it, the suspicion only deepens.
“But you can’t just ignore it. “She didn’t fraudulently pass the audition in the first place, so what’s the controversy about letting her get eliminated?”
“It’s more controversial because it’s not common sense, young master.”
Kotaro is bothered by the way his chief secretary speaks, calling him ‘young master’ and ‘young master’ every time.
He thought that if he took over the family, he would definitely be kicked out.
His father sighed and asked the secretary.
“What do you think should be done?”
“I think it would be best to invite Tomoe to withdraw her complaint, reach a reasonable agreement with Producer Lim Bu-gil, and announce that there was a misunderstanding on both sides.”
She’s bringing back Tomoe, whom she kicked out of her house?
This had to be prevented at all costs.
Kotaro tightened his neck and said, “I think differently.”
“Why did Tomoe file a lawsuit against producer Lim Boo-gil in the first place? She says Tomoe wants to come back here, but she doesn’t want to admit her mistakes, so she comes out as a red herring. “Father, once you start accepting live animals, there is no end to it.”
“Master, I was suspicious from the beginning. Did Miss Tomoe really verbally abuse Producer Lim Boo-gil?”
“Are you doubting me now…?” ?”
The Chief Secretary and Kotaro glared at each other.
When the mother saw the two people on the verge of fighting, she shed tears.
“This happened because I was trying to get Tomoe to pretend to be her person for no reason…” ….”
My father patted my mother’s shoulder and reassured her, “It’s not your fault.”
And then, as if he had made up his mind, he closed his eyes tightly.
“As our chief of staff said, let’s bring in Tomoe. However, from now on, never let it go outside. “Anyway, I gave her the best chance and Tomoe kicked me out.”
Her mother nodded her head slowly, without saying a word.
Kotaro couldn’t go against his father’s decision now, and it was best for him.
However, the Chief Secretary seemed to be dissatisfied and said, “I am embarrassed, but…” .” He said.
“Are you really planning to let a talented person like Miss Tomoe rot in her room?”
My father frowned at the secretary’s aggressive tone.
No matter how close you are as friends, a secretary is still a secretary.
My father immediately throws away anyone who crosses the line.
“I know Tomoe is capable, but she doesn’t have the will. “Whether you are the head of a conglomerate or anything else, things don’t happen with will alone, but without will, nothing happens.”
“That is a wise statement. But don’t you plan on instilling will in Lady Tomoe?”
“Kotaro has already decided to take over the family business, and I don’t want to see the siblings fighting over the position of successor.”
“Is that so?”
The chief secretary took out a white envelope from the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
And then he politely handed it to the chairman with both hands.
“What is this…?” ?”
“This is a letter of resignation.”
“Why so suddenly… ….”
“You may think I am being disloyal, but I don’t want to be on a sinking ship.”
When his father hesitated to accept the resignation letter, the chief secretary held his father’s hand and semi-forced it.
Kotaro was puzzled when he saw that.
What kind of person is the chief secretary to my father, why does he look so shocked?
“You are speaking too harshly, Chief Secretary.”
“Yes, I will not show my face again in the future, Master.”
The secretary turned around and tried to go out of the kitchen,
“Now, wait a minute!”
His father caught him.
“Look, why are you doing this? “I’m not sure what the problem is, so please tell me clearly.”
“Master Kotaro is the problem.”
“Kotaro…” ? “Did our Kotaro do something rude to you?”
“I don’t really want to explain it too long. However, if I were to give you advice, Lady Tomoe would be a suitable successor.”
Kotaro walked quickly towards the chief secretary.
Then he grabbed the chief of staff by the collar.
“Who are you to say this or that to someone else’s house situation?!”
Anyway, talking about a successor has crossed the line.
However,
Puck—.
The father put his fist into Kotaro’s face.
“Ah, father… ?”
Kotaro fell backwards and looked up at his father with a devastated expression.
For the first time in my life, I was hit by someone else.
He couldn’t possibly understand his father.
“This friend is the person who worked behind the scenes to help me succeed to the Marui family, so to speak! Thanks to this friend, you too were able to be born, but you are so ungrateful… !!”
“Father, the past is the past and now is the present. “The nonsense about choosing Tomoe as the successor—.”
“My eyes were knotholes! How did all the children end up like this? “I will seriously think again about becoming a successor.”
My father grabbed the secretary’s wrist and walked out of the kitchen.
Kotaro was left in a lump on the kitchen floor.
Only his mother came to him and asked, “Are you okay…?” ?” And comforted me.
I will definitely repay Tomoe and the Chief Secretary for this humiliation.
Kotaro clenched his fists.
***
The first idol in charge of producer Hikari Ishinami—Tomoe Kojo.
Due to the controversy deliberately created by CEO Lim Boo-gil, the repechage match in Japan was postponed for one week.
I had to produce Tomoe during this week.
“Tell me everything~♪ I want to keep everything about you~♪”
Hikari Ishinami also saw the three songs Tomoe performed during the Preliminaries.
I was able to understand why CEO Lim Boo-gil was eliminated.
Will is also will, but even if it does not have its own color, it is useless.
If he had been an ordinary producer rather than CEO Gil, he would have passed the test.
However, his style is to accommodate the existing framework while providing many variations.
Even if his singing ability was a bit lacking, he valued individuality more than imitating singing.
“… How is it?”
“I could see the task right away.”
“What kind of task…?” ?”
“It’s about creating your own color.”
Producer Hikari Ishinami said with a grin.
But Tomoe’s expression was dark.
“I’ve never done it before.”
“How did you get first place in the contest?”
“If you just follow someone who is good at it….”
Of course, in competitions, technical skills are often considered more important than individuality.
It is very difficult to grade personality.
Rather than being loosely individualistic, it is more stable to thoroughly follow established artists.
But that’s about the competition.
If you follow an established artist and send it to the market, it will be nothing more than a counterfeit.
It didn’t have to be original, but it had to be at a level where you could tell it was Tomoe’s singing voice just by covering her face and hearing the vocals.
“Shall we decide on a favorite first?”
“Yes? “Are you my favorite?”
“I want to become an idol like this person. “Just decide on that person.”
“…… “I will try.”
I will definitely raise Tomoe to a level that CEO Lim Boo-gil is satisfied with.
Producer Hikari Ishinami made up his mind.