The handsome man stood up and shook Akira's hand gently but with enthusiasm.

"Akira, it is so good to see you." He said.

Akira nodded. "I was in the city, so I decided to drop by."

The man smiled a little more. "It is a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you? Or did you come just to greet me?"

Akira sat down. The man sat down opposite her.

This person's name was Manaka Morie, but he was known in the entertainment industry as Double M. He debuted in the entertainment industry as a teenager and rose to fame as a beloved musician.

Unlike regular idols, he did not rely on his handsome face primarily. He was a gifted singer, and he had a strong foundation in music. In the beginning, he struggled a little with gaining momentum because boy groups were more popular, and he was a solo act.

He experienced a turn in luck after an encounter with Akira.

He was a little arrogant because he was older than her when they met. But after she gave him a few pointers, he was able to manage his weaknesses, allowing him to rise. Furthermore, she composed a few songs for him.

Therefore, he felt greatly indebted to her. She was like bright moonlight reaching to him.

After gaining some success in the entertainment industry, he took over Black Avenue Entertainment. Akira only found out later that making it into the music scene was a test that Morie's parents had set up for him before entrusting their entertainment company to him.

As soon as he proved his mettle, they dumped the company on him and decided to enjoy an early retirement.

Regardless of the outcome, Morie knew that his success was partly because of Akira.

"I have spotted some talents, and if they have the opportunity to join the entertainment industry, I would like you to take care of them," Akira explained her reason for dropping by the company.

Morie was surprised. He knew that Akira was quite critical of most things. She was tough on others, but she was also harsh with herself. Therefore, she would never praise anyone if they were not genuinely talented.

"Oh, I didn't expect someone to catch your eye. I thought I was special." He teased.

"You are barely passable." Akira snorted.

Morie did not know the reason that Akira helped him out at the time. Perhaps, if he knew, he would be completely heartbroken. As Akira said he was barely passable to her ears when she first heard him singing.

She met Morie almost at the same time she met Hina. She got along with both of them for the sake of some missions assigned by the Immortal Sword Brigade.

When she turned thirteen, the Chief declared she was qualified enough to handle some real but minor cases. The cases were still sensitive, so she needed to be careful. If the incidents so simple, the culprits would have been handled by an adult.

At that time, she needed to disguise herself as a regular but gifted young girl and investigate the cases. She needed to blend in and look natural, so it was inevitable for her to form friendships to avoid suspicions.

In Hina's case, they were in a tutoring class for advanced children. It was designed to allow kids to accelerate their learning and take their college entrance exams as soon as possible. Unfortunately, highly motivated kids under a lot of pressure often made them targets for immoral adults.

At the time, a pervert had somehow managed to gain employment in the tutoring program and taken advantage of his position to harass the students. One girl even committed suicide because of it. The police tried to investigate, but there was no actionable information, only rumours.

Moreover, the kids were unwilling to share information because they were afraid of affecting their future, especially their chance to enter university early. The police were helpless because they had no way of infiltrating the school.

The Immortal Sword Brigade were called in by the hidden bosses of law enforcement, and Akira was the most suitable candidate for the case. In this way, she met Hina and even saved her from a dangerous situation.

As for Morie's case, the culprit was a talent competition producer who was drugging contestants if she thought they were too dull. Akira received the assignment soon after dealing with that pervert. It seemed appropriate to keep using the same identity since she was in the area.

She was already well-versed in playing instruments, so it was not difficult for her to get a spot. Since she was not interested in winning, she thought that she should help someone else rise. Morie was the one she found least annoying.

She taught him a little about performance, making him a frontrunner in the competition. In the end, the show was not aired because she found out that almost the entire crew was aware of the dangerous drugging incidents.

After the cases, she intended to shake off both Hina and Morie and pretend she had never met them. But the Chief warned her against it. If she did such a thing, she would look suspicious and would be unable to use the same identity again. As a secret agent, she needed to weave a believable story.

Furthermore, according to the Chief, it did not hurt to have a few more contacts in case of an emergency.

So, she told them that her family was moving to another place, and she would not be around anymore. They agreed to remain in contact. She thought it was just a perfunctory goodbye, and they would forget after a while.

Who knew that they meant it?

"So, who are these special talents?" Morie said with some jealousy.

"They are still minors, so I cannot say much. They will probably enter the music industry afterwards. I am just paving the way for them. Do not worry too much about their debut because I am composing a few songs for them. I will be troubling you with production in the future." She said.

The subjects of the conversation were the Nanami twins. Otherwise, she would not have made the trip personally. If she sent a message or made a call, Morie might not take it seriously enough. She wanted to ensure that they had the best chance.

The girls expressed their interest to join the music industry over the picnic during the flower-viewing party. Nanase said they could only think about joining the entertainment industry if they passed the college entrance exam.

Akira thought it was just a childish whim initially. However, after hearing them perform, she felt inspired enough and even composed a few tunes for them.

"You seem to value them a lot." Morie sighed.

"They are perfect. You will see when you meet them." She promised. "I will send you sheet music a little later, probably over the weekend. If you have some ideas, you can share them."

She was not a producer, so she did not know about the technical issues of actually recording music. She could only depend on Morie, who was talented in the area.

"Do not worry. I will take care of these mysterious creatures." Morie agreed before smiling strangely. "Let's talk about another matter. I heard from your editor that you have not completed the new instalment of Yuki the Sword Princess."

Akira froze. She had forgotten about it.

"Well, about that…" She said.

Then, she stood up and left.

Morie was left speechless in his office.