“That sounds all noble,” I admitted.

“…But?” Akari prompted, clearly aware there was more.

There was a general perception that my generation was peopled entirely with malcontents, brainless social media zombies and jaded miscreants feigning studied disinterest to maximize some sort of ‘coolness’ factor. I had no idea if any of that was true, however the notion seemed to be an overly broad categorization to my mind. I did not consider myself any of those things. I tried to be a realist where I could, an optimist if the situation was conducive to it and a pessimist if I had to be. At the moment, I felt realist suited the issues I found with this situation best.

While, in theory, saving these girls from the meat grinder outlined by Mari and Yukiko and tacitly witnessed during my time with Kunoichi since moving to Tokyo was certainly worthwhile, there were realities that needed to be addressed, I felt. Realities that I found problematic.

“But…well, I’m gay, for one,” I figured it was best to get the most glaring out of the way first. They all stared at me as if I’d spontaneously begun singing in ancient Babylonian.

“I’m sorry, sweety,” Akari blinked at me. “I know you’re gay. We are as well. I’m not seeing the issue.”

“Do you not read the news?” I was aghast at the lack of reaction. “Or at least have assistants that read the news? Something?”

“Yeah, you lost me,” Rei shrugged vacantly. The fuck was wrong with these people? I sighed.

“Ok. I’ll keep it simple. If people find out I’m gay how long do you think it’ll be before they start talking about ‘grooming’ and that sort of thing?” I said matter of factly. There was no sense sugar-coating it. Not a day went by without some accusation from some country about it.

“That’s outrageous! You would never do that! Neither would any of us!” Sachi raged. “People of privilege and in positions of power have been doing horrible things to people ‘lower’ on the social scale as they are since the dawn of time. They are singling homosexuals out to demonize us! There is zero evidence! Zero fucking evidence to support any of that bullshit. In fact, I would go so far as to say the people accusing gay people of grooming are simply projecting to deflect blame away from themselves! We are no more apt to do anything like that! In fact, I’d say we are less apt since so many of us have to go through so much crap when we’re kids! Why would we want to take away someone else’s childhood since our sucked? That is some unmitigated horseshit, and you know it, Kasumi!”

“Our childhood was pretty good, nee chan,” Koemi pointed out.

“Shut your hole, Koemi,” Sachi snapped. “You know I was talking in generalities.”

“Then say so!” Koemi growled.

“I’m not saying it’s going to happen!” I shot back. “Not everything is a goddamn outrage! I’m just saying that it’s all over the news from all sorts of countries!” Sachi was, plainly, in the mood to get her indignation on.

“Now, now,” Akari soothed, bringing the temperature of the conversation down almost immediately. “We all know that would never happen. However, I could see how the wrong person might think of it as a legitimate concern.”

“Thank you,” I sighed in exasperation. Sachi was a wonderful person, but she jumped feet first into any perceived slight feet first and fists flying.

“We have made certain to do due diligence,” Akari assured me. “We have run a comprehensive background check on you and have an entire law firm to address any concerns externally or internally. We’ve been in this business a long time, sweety.”

“Huh?” I stared at her. “Background check? You’ve known me since I was 16!” Now it was my turn to get my indignation on as I felt a flush of heat paint my cheeks. They had done a background check on me? Without my permission? What the hell was even going on here?

“We have,” Akari nodded. “We also have Nanami. But you have had quite a few…dalliances, since you started in college, and we had to make certain there was nothing untoward.”

“What I do on my own time is my own business!” I snarled, ignoring Sachi’s smirk. “All of my ‘dalliances’ were with consenting adults! How could you run something like that without at least telling me first? I haven’t even agreed to this crap and you’re already overstepping your bounds! Aren’t there rules and laws and shit against just that sort of thing?”

“Trust me,” Sachi chimed in, her smirk deepening, “we followed all applicable laws.”

“We’ve taken that sort of thing into account, sweety,” Akari touched my shoulder reassuringly. “I’m glad you are thinking of these things. It shows the level of maturity we need in the position. Besides, you haven’t had that many dalliances.”

“C-Can we stop talking about my sex life?” I stammered before sighing irritably. I had, of course, been drawn directly into that trap. I should have known they’d think of most things. There were, however, still things that needed to be addressed, I felt.

“Of course,” Akari agreed, ignoring Sachi’s groan of displeasure at having to find something else to smirk about.

“Besides the grooming thing, have you considered the fact I know nothing about the industry? I don’t know how to dance or sing or any of that crap,” I plowed ahead, determined to have them answer my questions.

“You’re not there to teach anyone how to dance or sing,” Rae explained. “You’re also not there to coordinate lives or anything like that. We’re not starting out at the bottom, Kas.”

“Then what the hell would I do?” I stared at them. This sure sounded like a useless nepo position to me.

“You would coordinate the instructors and engineers and agents and business departments and talent and get everyone moving in the same direction. You are there to be a good person and make sure no one is taking advantage of anyone. You’re there to make sure the girls are being treated fairly. This is a strict business, but it doesn’t have to be a dangerous or exploitive one,” Akari trailed off, lost somewhere in her thoughts for a moment.

“You’ll help with the selection process,” Mari added. “You’ll make some girls’ dreams come true while breaking the hearts of those you reject. Not an easy task at all and certainly not one any of us want. But you know a bit about breaking hearts, eh, Kasumi?”

“Wow, thanks,” I deadpanned, ignoring her playful wink. “Fucking rude much?”

“Once the girls are selected, you’ll make sure public relations are ahead of any potential scandals while acting as a big sister for the girls,” Yukiko added. “You will be tasked with being a part-time taskmaster, part time therapist, part time parental figure, part time relationship counselor and full-time voice of reason in a whirlpool of hormones.”

“All while making sure all of our partners and our own financial investments are protected,” Sachi concluded. Fuck me, I thought, not so much a nepo position after all.

“And what in the hell would ever make any of you think I’m even remotely qualified to do any of that?” I shook my head in wonder.

“What makes you think you aren’t, Kas?” Koemi asked.

“Huh?” I gaped at her. “Seriously? You all did the ‘deep dive’ into my past! Unless you deep dove into the wrong pool there is not a single thing that would ever make someone think ‘Kasumi is a master administrator’. I’ve never done anything even remotely close to this!”

“You had business administration classes in uni,” Nanami pointed out proudly. “You did well!”

“I also had a swimming class when I was five, ‘Nami,” I sighed, “It doesn’t make me qualified to be a fish.”

“Oooh!” Rei breathed excitedly, scribbling in a notebook in front of her. “I’ll have to write that one down!”

“That was a pretty good one,” Yukiko admitted, writing it down as well.

“Can we focus, ladies?” Sachi scowled.

“The job is, basically, in the title. You’re the managing director. You’ll have a couple of very talented assistants to help you stay organized, as well as experienced directors of the disparate departments. Your job will be to herd the cats and keep them all moving in some semblance of the same direction,” Mari interjected.

“I really don’t think I’m the girl for the job,” I shook my head. The position had morphed into some sort of nightmare of meetings and conference calls and ‘synergy’ all while dealing with the overactive hormones of teenage girls. Having recently been a teenage girl that last part seemed the hardest part of the whole thing.

“I don’t understand the problem,” Sachi scowled.

“This is your world,” I rubbed my forehead to try to push away the headache building. “I never wanted to be part of it. I’ve seen you all go through paparazzi following you into the store and restaurants and even the bathroom. Hell, I’ve experienced it to a lesser extent myself. You were always so careful to keep me sheltered from the whole circus. I just don’t get why, suddenly, you want to throw me right in the middle of things.”

“Besides the fact we’re worried about you?” Nanami cocked her head quizzically to the side.

“How does throwing me into the middle of the tabloid shitstorm drag me out of whatever perceived issues you feel I’m repressing?” I shook my head. “That makes no sense.”

“There are a lot of reasons,” Sachi shrugged. “You’ll be doing good things for other people and that’ll help you deal with your own problems better.”

“Perceived problems,” I corrected her. “And your logic makes no sense.”

“It’s simple, Kas,” Koemi leaned forward in her chair and brushed her hair back absently. “When I was in high school, I had this…friend, I guess. We were more acquaintances, but whatever, named…” she trailed off, trying to remember something before shrugging. “…I don’t remember his name, now. Anyway, that’s not important. What is important is that he was the most miserable human being on the planet. I mean, if there was a bad thing that was happening you could guarantee he got the worst of it.”

“Ryosuke,” Sachi supplied.

“That’s it! That’s him! Ryosuke!” Koemi jabbed her finger excitedly at Sachi before shaking her head sadly. “That poor fucker. Anyway… I loved listening to him go on and on about how shit his life was. I’m talking like K-drama shit. I’d give him advice and sometimes it even worked out and I’d help in other ways where I could. But it always made me feel better to help him. It made my own problems feel smaller and more manageable. So, while I was helping him, I was making myself feel better.”

“So, by helping people with worse problems than myself I’m overcoming my own,” I shook my head in wonder. “That is the crassest thing I’ve ever heard. Wait! You didn’t bring me in as some sort of emotional support problem child to make you all feel better about yourselves, did you?”

“Whaaat?” Koemi gaped at me. “Of course not! We love you! We brought you in because of that and nothing more!” I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

“We have faith you can do this, and we don’t trust anyone else to do it properly. We also think that by doing this you’ll find your purpose and maybe get closure on some things in your own life or, if not closure, at least the ability to overcome it,” Akari took my hand in hers gently. “Those girls need you. We need you.”

“Not to mention the job pays 30 million yen a year and a decent stake in the company,” Koemi interjected. I gaped at her.

“Say what now?”