Megumi froze, eyes wide in panic.
"Don't be afraid, Megumi."
Seiji leaned in close, his tone low and unnervingly persuasive.
"Imagine this... just one touch, and your whole body reacts exactly the way it did just now. Wouldn't that be amazing?"
The invasive suggestion jolted her back to her senses. Horror overcame hesitation.
"N-No!" She turned her head sharply, voice trembling but resolute. "Fujiwara-sensei, please stop!"
Seiji's expression didn't change; his eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Really? Your body doesn't seem to agree."
Before he could continue, a sharp vibration cut through the tense air... his phone buzzed on the nightstand. The ringtone shattered the silence.
Seiji paused, annoyance flashing across his face. He glanced at the caller ID... Nijika.
"Tch. Great timing." He sighed, releasing her and stepping away to take the call.
That brief distraction was all Megumi needed.
Acting purely on instinct, she scrambled free, threw on her torn dress, and bolted out of the room without looking back.
Seiji could only shake his head as she fled. "Guess it'll have to wait," he muttered, answering the phone.
On the other end came Nijika Ijichi's bright but worried voice.
"Good evening, Seiji… We just saw the news. It said your new project... Legal High... might be in trouble?"
"Oh? Really?" Seiji sounded lazy, almost amused. "Didn't know that."
He truly hadn't noticed... or simply didn't care.
At the live house, Nijika and the others fell silent at his casual tone.
"I told you! He's probably off with some woman again," Seika Ijichi's voice snapped through the phone.
"Can't even keep track of his own company," chimed in Eliza Shimizu.
Seiji chuckled. "Thanks for worrying, Nijika. Don't stress... it's nothing serious. I'll handle it once I'm back. And when I return to Tokyo, I'll make sure to properly 'reward' my favorite little angel."
The teasing emphasis in his voice made Nijika's face flush bright red.
"I-I see! Then we'll stop bothering you!" she stammered and quickly hung up.
Behind her, Seika and Eliza exchanged stiff looks.
They both knew too well what Seiji's "rewards" could mean. Just the word "payback" from him was enough to make them pale.
Ryo Yamada and the others burst out laughing at their reactions.
Meanwhile, Seiji's phone rang again... this time from the head of Genesis Company's Production Division.
"How convenient," he murmured, answering.
"President Fujiwara! I'm terribly sorry to disturb you so late!" The man's voice trembled.
"I heard the project ran into trouble?" Fujiwara's tone was calm.
Relief flickered in the manager's voice as he reported everything... actors breaching contracts, platforms blacklisting them, investors pulling out. He braced himself for the inevitable outburst.
But all he heard was a quiet chuckle.
"So that's all? Relax," Seiji said evenly. "This isn't your fault. It's the system's fault. You did what you could."
The manager was stunned. No anger? No blame? No threats?
He almost thought he'd misheard.
"B-But, President, the project's completely frozen... "
"I'll take over personally."
"W-What?!"
Excitement burst through his exhaustion. Seiji himself was stepping in... the man known for turning disasters into triumphs.
"Then please allow me to assist you as your temporary secretary!" the manager blurted.
Seiji laughed softly. "Sure. I'll be at the office tomorrow."
"Yes, sir!" The man stood and bowed deeply to the empty room, overwhelmed with gratitude.
When he stepped out, his team was waiting anxiously.
"Relax," he told them with a smile. "The president knows everything... and he won't blame anyone."
A beat of silence... then the room erupted into cheers and tears of relief.
"And one more thing," the manager raised his voice, "the president will take over personally. He's coming tomorrow!"
The announcement set off a roar across the floor.
"If the president's handling it, we're saved!"
"There's nothing he can't fix!"
The morale skyrocketed. Even as he cautioned them to reflect and work harder, their eyes burned with loyalty and determination.
"Tonight, we stay and prep every document for the president's visit. Dinner's on me!"
"Yes, sir!"
Their voices thundered through the office.
Later that night, Seiji received a detailed report from Aegis Security.
It confirmed his suspicions: old-guard studios like Toho and Shochiku were behind the sabotage, using their influence to choke the project. The actors and investors were merely pawns.
He read the file calmly. None of it surprised him.
Actors? If veterans wouldn't risk it, he'd recruit hungry newcomers desperate for a break.
Platforms? If TV networks refused, he'd turn fully to online streaming... Japan was just slow to catch up.
Funding? That was the easiest. His Shinto Medical Group printed money daily; he could bankroll it himself and even slip in product placements for his own company.
Seiji stretched, smirking.
"So much for taking it easy. Looks like I'll have to step in again."
He opened his laptop, typing a name he still remembered from his previous life.
Moments later, a photo of a young actor appeared... Arima Takuya. A talented unknown struggling in small theater groups, his face bore a striking resemblance to the "Masato-san" Seiji once admired.
A perfect fit.
"Arima Takuya… this is your shot," Seiji murmured. "No one else can play this role."
The next morning, 9 a.m.
Seiji arrived at Genesis HQ. The production manager was already waiting.
"Good morning, President! The materials are ready, and the entire team's assembled!"
"No rush," Seiji said lightly. "We have something else to do first. Prepare a lead-actor contract. We're going out."
The manager blinked. "We're… scouting?"
Seiji smiled. "Exactly."
Half an hour later, a black Rolls-Royce stopped in front of a shabby little theater in downtown Tokyo.
Inside, under dim lights, Arima Takuya rehearsed alone. His voice filled the empty seats, raw and passionate.
"Arima! Someone's here for you!" his director called.
"For me?" he asked, puzzled.
When he stepped outside and saw who was waiting, his mind went blank.
"Y-You're… Fujiwara-sensei?!"
The legendary figure from magazines and myths stood right before him.
"Arima Takuya, right?" Seiji asked casually.
"Yes... yes, that's me!"
"Got time for coffee?" Seiji smiled. "Let's talk."
A few minutes later, in a nearby café's private room, Seiji set down his drink.
"I watched some of your past performances. Genesis is preparing a new series. I want you to play the male lead."
"Th-The lead…?" Arima's mind went white. It sounded impossible.
Seiji simply slid a script across the table.
"Here's a monologue from the first episode. Take ten minutes, then show me."
The words Legal High were printed across the cover.
Arima's hands trembled as he took it. He forced himself to focus... reading, breathing, becoming the role.
Ten minutes later, he stood and bowed. "Fujiwara-sensei, I'm ready."
Seiji gestured. "Go ahead."
Arima raised his head. His demeanor transformed... sharp, sardonic, brilliant.
In that moment, the new Komikado Kensuke of this world was born.