Back at the company, it was exactly 1:00 PM.
Right on time, Tetsu Fuyukawa headed straight to the first-floor audition hall to continue interviewing actresses.
The afternoon was much like before: about 60% of the candidates were amateurs with little to no acting skills, while the rest were minor, barely-known actresses.
The results weren't great, but things were different now. As time passed and the casting call stayed up longer, more actresses showed up to audition.
It made sense. For small-time actresses, any role was better than none. Once they or their agents realized no big projects were coming their way, they were more than willing to try out for Surrounded by Beauties.
With a larger pool, the chances of finding a gem increased. But the person most thrilled—or rather, most relieved—about this wasn't Tetsu. It was Michiko Kawashita, who'd already secured the role of "Zhong Zhen."
Her appearance and vibe fit the character perfectly, but truthfully, she wasn't exactly a standout among the candidates. She'd landed the role mainly because the initial audition turnout was so low.
Still, it wasn't uncommon for actors to be dropped by the client even after signing. Michiko, a single mom, was understandably anxious. So, between the competitive pressure and Tetsu's good looks, she sent him an invitation for dinner, complete with a suggestive photo of herself in a sheer nightgown sipping red wine in front of a hotel window, with some "tools of the trade" casually strewn across the bed in the background.
Honestly, it was tempting. But Tetsu didn't respond.
It wasn't about playing the saint. If he hadn't met Sayoko, he might've been game to show this woman a thing or two. But Sayoko—her looks, figure, gentle and accommodating personality, and the time they'd spent together—captivated him far more. Plus, these kinds of situations could easily go south.
You never really know someone's true intentions. If this was a setup, things could get messy, and Tetsu didn't yet have the power to bury a scandal.
Time flew by when he was focused on work, and soon it was nearly the end of the workday.
"Next."
After sending off another disappointed candidate, Tetsu took a sip of Sayoko's special ginseng-goji berry tea. Chewing the goji seeds was oddly satisfying, but when he saw who walked in next, he nearly spat out his tea.
"Why are you here?"
Staring at Asuka Tsukitake on the audition stage, Tetsu's face was a picture of confusion.
To be fair, Asuka, dressed up for the audition, was stunning.
Her sharp, silver ear-length hair was dyed back to black, styled in a sleek, icy princess cut that gave her an commanding presence. She wore a fitted black mid-length dress, her long legs wrapped in delicate black stockings, accentuated by high heels.
The dress hugged her figure perfectly, not unlike the sultry outfits some women flaunt on social media—except those women often rely on filters to elongate legs or slim faces. Asuka, though? She needed no such tricks.
With some Caucasian ancestry, her features were more defined than the average Japanese woman's. Standing at 176 cm, her golden-ratio legs, wrapped in black, could drive any leg enthusiast wild. Her bust? A proud 36D, by his estimate.
A total knockout.
But having dealt with her twice before, Tetsu wasn't entirely dazzled—just bewildered.
Wasn't she auditioning to be a voice actress? Why was she here?
With the growing number of candidates, plus the localization of Surrounded by Beauties, script tweaks, and work on Fate, Tetsu was swamped. He'd delegated tasks like scheduling auditions to Aunt Nogi, leaving him to focus solely on the interviews.
Before he could turn to Nogi, she handed him a resume. "Ms. Tsukitake's appearance and credentials are impressive. She mentioned she was nearby, so I had her come in first."
"I see."
Tetsu flipped through the resume, and his jaw dropped again.
[Name: Asuka Tsukitake]
[Age: 26]
[Height: 176 cm]
[Weight: 58 kg]
[Basic Info: German-Japanese, born in Japan. Parents divorced at age 3, raised by grandmother.]
[2014: Graduated from Kyoto University. Joined Konoha Kendo Academy as team captain, won Tokyo Kendo Championship.]
[2016: Signed with Tokyo Catshow Company as a model, placed third at Tokyo Girls Collection (TGC) fashion show.]
[2017: Moved to the UK, entered motorsport industry, achieved…]
[2018: Returned to Hokkaido, opened a flower shop.]
[2019: Traveled to China, studied cuisine, earned…]
"What's her deal?"
Tetsu, a Tokyo University grad who'd worked at NTsoft for five years, had seen plenty of impressive resumes. But this? This was on another level.
Not only did she rack up awards, but she'd dabbled in every industry—and made a name for herself in each one!
He'd only ever thought of her as a quirky music teacher who liked playing with "toys."
After a moment's hesitation, Tetsu focused on her forehead, and a pale blue panel popped up.
[Name: Asuka Tsukitake]
[Age: 26]
[Measurements: 92-64-93]
[Skills: Kendo - Niten Ichi-ryu, Master Level 9 (currently non-transferable), Rally Racing, Master Level 7 (currently non-transferable), Modeling, Master Level 7 (currently non-transferable)] (Additional skills available on click) (Only top three skills displayed)
[Relationship: Neutral]
[Recent Activity 1: Realizing that capturing others' emotions through music is more interesting than creating it herself, she decided to try something new.]
[Recent Activity 2: She's eager to explore the "fun" of more "toys" and is curious about how it feels to be the one controlled, but she currently lacks a partner.]
[Recent Activity 3: The versatility of voice acting intrigued her, but she seems to have found something even more exciting to pursue.]
"Key words: fun, versatility, exploration…"
"So, she's basically a thrill-seeker?"
Tetsu frowned, a bit taken aback. He'd met plenty of curious, adrenaline-junkie types—he'd even tried wingsuit flying in his younger days in his past life. But a woman with this level of curiosity? That was a first.
Catching the surprise on his face, a flicker of amusement and satisfaction danced in Asuka's cool, moonlit eyes. She gracefully placed her hands on her toned midriff, bowed, and said, "Good afternoon, Team Leader Fuyukawa, esteemed panel. I'm Asuka Tsukitake."