Chapter 327: The Meeting
“Did I keep you waiting?”
Led by Jushiro-san, we arrived at a filming studio located in the same building. It was about the size of two school classrooms, with high ceilings and an array of lighting and equipment that gave off the impression of a studio straight out of a television show. As expected from one of the world’s top five telecommunications companies, having their own building with a studio is quite impressive.
“President! It’s been a while!”
A woman sitting at a table set in the corner stood up and approached us. The man sitting at the same table also stood and bowed slightly in greeting.
“It’s been a long time. I look forward to working with you again. This time, we’ll be collaborating with Shuu-kun and his friends.”
As Jushiro-san introduced us, we began our self-introductions. Nil, now the size of a small dog, let out a bark, and El, though speaking in broken phrases, managed to say her name fluently.
“Wow! So you’re the famous Phonia-chan! You really do have ears and a tail!”
A woman with chestnut hair that fell to her shoulders squatted down to meet Phonia’s gaze, her excitement palpable. She appeared to be in her twenties, but in the entertainment industry, age can be deceiving. However, startled by the sudden approach, Phonia hid behind Ivan’s legs.
“Oh dear… I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you.”
The woman wore a disappointed expression, but the man behind her didn’t introduce himself, leaving us in the dark about who they were.
“Who is that big sister…?”
Phonia, her ears drooping, peeked out from behind Ivan and asked.
“Ahaha, I guess little ones wouldn’t know, huh?”
Though she seemed a bit shocked, she composed herself and stood up.
“I’m Ayaka Unose. I’m an actress, nice to meet you!”
After introducing herself, she turned and beckoned to the other man.
“Come on, kitty, introduce yourself too.”
“Please stop calling me that.”
The man approaching us, apparently nicknamed “Kitty,” frowned as he came closer.
“Ugh… You don’t know who I am either, do you…?”
He shrugged and stood before us, his expression tightening as he introduced himself with a hint of uncertainty.
“I’m Nekokichi Himekawa. Have you heard of the idol group Tempest?”
I had thought “Kitty” was just a nickname, but it turned out to be part of his real name. An idol group, huh… Given that they were chosen for a commercial by one of the world’s top five telecommunications companies, he must be quite well-known. I exchanged glances with Rio, but of course, we had no idea who he was. Seeing our blank expressions, he visibly slumped.
“Seriously? Well, I guess it can’t be helped… Anyway, nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too!”
We returned the greeting, and Nekokichi-san seemed to regain his composure. However, he fixed his gaze on Ivan, frowning.
“But really… It’s not like you needed to wear fake ears just for this.”
It seemed he thought Ivan’s ears were fake. Perhaps he was refraining from pointing out Phonia’s cuteness. Ivan, clearly annoyed by the comment, twitched his ears in a show of authenticity.
“They’re real ears, you know.”
Upon hearing this, Phonia began to perk up her previously drooping ears. I couldn’t help but smile at the widening eyes of Himekawa-san and Unose-san as they took in the scene.
“Wait, are they really…?”
“No way!”
“The tail is real too! Nil has three tails, after all.”
I lifted Nil, placing my hands under his front legs to showcase his tails. Excited by the attention, Nil began to wag his three tails enthusiastically.
“Really…?”
The two approached with a mix of skepticism and curiosity, but Unose-san gently reached out to Nil. As she stroked his tail, her expression transformed into one of astonishment.
“No way.”
Himekawa-san seemed to have realized the truth just by getting closer. She didn’t even need to touch it to understand. Phonia had five tails, but they were hidden beneath her dress, so there was no need to show off her backside.
“W-wait, this isn’t cosplay?!”
“Hahaha. Now that we’ve introduced ourselves, shall we move on to the discussion?”
Ignoring the astonished duo, Jushiro-san took a seat. It seemed there were chairs prepared for everyone, and once everyone but Nil settled down, he continued speaking.
“I’d like to dive right into the CM discussion. We’re thinking of setting Phonia-chan as a princess who has come from the Magic Kingdom.”
“Huh…?”
“Umm, uh, yes…”
The reactions from the two were similar, both focusing their gazes on the beast-attribute duo. Meanwhile, Phonia, the subject of the discussion, perked up her ears and tail, looking intrigued. Could it be that the playful conversation I had with Mr. Jinpei earlier had actually been adopted?
“…Is that really the setting?”
Unose-san looked skeptical, but I reassured her.
“The princess part is just a setting.”
I said it casually, but my expression remained unchanged. It seemed I hadn’t managed to ease her worries, though I wondered why.
“Haha, so you’re not denying that you came from the Magic Kingdom.”
Just then, Himekawa-san chimed in with a knowing tone. I see, so that was what she was concerned about. However, since it could also mean “from a country where magic exists,” I decided not to deny it outright. I simply returned a mysterious smile to both of them.