Chapter 73

Chapter 73: The Wildcat Group Falls Apart

“Naoki-san, something happened to the Wildcat Group!”

A few days later, Yoshimura Daitomo called with bad news.

Nagayama Naoki had been relaxing at home watching a Monday 9 p.m. drama when the call caught him completely off guard. He hurried to the studio immediately.

“Daitomo-san, what exactly happened?” Naoki asked before even sitting down.

Yoshimura Daitomo was lowering his head while reading a copy of “Weekly Bunshun.” Hearing the question, he handed the magazine over.

“Take a look first, Naoki-san. We’ll talk afterward.”

On the second page was a photograph taken outside a hotel: the group’s sexy representative, Akiyama Hisa, being slapped by a man. The shocking headline read:

“Sleeping for Deals? Wildcat Group PR Failure? Sexy Member Akiyama Hisa Slapped in Public!”

Seeing the headline and photo, Naoki was startled.

Weekly Bunshun was being unusually aggressive this time. Even BURNING Agency hadn’t managed to suppress it?

In Japan, public relations activities involving female entertainers were practically an unspoken industry rule. Struggling or fading idols aside, even popular performers could be required to attend drinking engagements.

Normally, agencies were informed before such exposés were published and would pay to keep them buried.

Especially an article like “unknown idol forced into sleeping-for-work arrangements” did not have enough explosive value for Weekly Bunshun to insist on publishing. That meant the real focus was likely the man who delivered the slap.

“Looks like internal power struggles,” Naoki said while looking at Yoshimura Daitomo. “Daitomo-san, this Kikuchi Etsuro mentioned in the article should be the one who acquired the girl group back then, right?”

“Yes. Kikuchi Etsuro, Head of Public Relations at BURNING Agency. Arai Masato handled the negotiations at the time, but Kikuchi was the one orchestrating the acquisition behind the scenes.”

“If a scandal like this gets exposed, it probably means he offended someone powerful… and his position isn’t stable anymore.”

“I’d already heard rumors in the industry that he had serious conflicts with the Planning Department head. Several idol launches also failed.”

“Then this must be the final offensive.”

Ito Shuichi pushed open the door and walked in.

“Naoki-san, looks like the Wildcat Group members are going to be replaced.”

“Probably more than replaced,” Naoki replied. “Even without meeting him, I’ve heard about BURNING’s Planning Director’s ruthless reputation.”

Yoshimura Daitomo nodded.

“Yes. Oda Masato, nicknamed the ‘BURNING Hyena.’ Once he finds an opportunity, he bites without letting go. Anyone he targets gets completely devoured.”

He added, “He’s an old-school manager and a loyal supporter of orthodox idol styles. What remains of the Wildcat Group will probably be dismantled entirely.”

Naoki turned toward Yoshimura Daitomo.

“Daitomo-san, it looks like the Wildcat Group won’t survive this.”

“…Yes.”

The middle-aged man sighed deeply. He had invested enormous effort into them.

“But this might also be an opportunity.”

“An opportunity?” Ito Shuichi and Yoshimura Daitomo were both stunned.

If BURNING Agency wanted to prevent the scandal from continuing to spread or exposing internal conflicts, besides forcing Public Relations Head Kikuchi Etsuro to hold a press conference and apologize, there was another solution:

Make the trigger of the scandal disappear.

Of course, no one was going to sink anyone into Tokyo Bay. It hadn’t reached that level.

But forcing Akiyama Hisa into retirement was almost certain, and the other Wildcat Group members could also be implicated.

“Daitomo-san, you should inquire about how they plan to handle the Wildcat Group. As their former producer, showing concern would be perfectly natural,” Naoki said. “If they terminate the contracts, sign them back under Girl’sGroup.”

Ito Shuichi looked puzzled.

“Wouldn’t re-signing artists released by another agency offend BURNING Agency?”

Naoki laughed lightly.

“They’re Daitomo-san’s hard work after all. If we can help them, this level of risk doesn’t matter. A large agency like BURNING won’t care about artists already stained by scandal.”

From the moment Yoshimura Daitomo called him immediately after hearing the news, Naoki understood that the older man still cared deeply about the Wildcat Group.

Yoshimura Daitomo seemed to release a breath he had been holding.

“They debuted through us… seeing them end like this really doesn’t feel good.”

They had not yet reached the stage where artists were treated purely as commercial products like in large agencies.

At that moment, inside BURNING Agency, Suho Ikuo looked calmly at Kikuchi Etsuro, who stood bowing before him.

“Kikuchi-kun, concede gracefully.”

He was fully aware of the power struggle between the Public Relations and Planning departments—and had even allowed it to happen.

The scandal itself was not serious and would not damage BURNING Agency’s reputation or business.

It was merely a signal.

A signal that the Public Relations Head had lost.

Kikuchi Etsuro clenched his fists, unwilling to accept it.

“President…”

“Kikuchi-kun!” Suho Ikuo’s tone hardened. “Hold a press conference.”

Bitterness filled Kikuchi Etsuro’s heart, but he understood the meaning behind the order. He silently left the office.

His position would likely remain unchanged for now, but he would gradually fade from the center of power, eventually transferred to an administrative department for retirement.

At best, he might be spun off to establish an independent agency.

But a general sent out to conquer new territory and a defeated soldier kicked out the door were never the same.

“Damn it!”

Thinking about more than a decade of struggle and imagining Oda Masato’s triumphant smile, Kikuchi Etsuro did not dare direct his anger at Suho Ikuo. Instead, he vented it toward someone weaker.

Returning to his department, he summoned his trusted subordinate.

“Arai-kun, contact the media. I’m going to hold a press conference.”

“…Understood?!” Arai Masato clearly knew what such a conference meant: surrender, raising the white flag.

Seeing his superior’s expression, he replied immediately:

“Yes, understood!”

Just as he turned to leave, he heard Kikuchi Etsuro murmur softly:

“Disband the Wildcat Group as well.”

“Huh?”

Arai Masato knew his superior’s methods well. Disbanding did not mean letting members continue solo careers.

It meant full retirement—erasing the Wildcat Group name from the entertainment world entirely.

After all, the agency had invested significant money and resources when acquiring them.

He wanted to say something, but seeing Kikuchi Etsuro’s dark, oppressive expression, he quickly responded:

“Yes!”

Even in defeat, Kikuchi Etsuro was still the Head of Public Relations—and, more importantly, would remain Arai Masato’s direct superior for at least another year or two.

For the current Public Relations Head of BURNING Agency, forcing one of their own groups into retirement

Should be completely possible… right?