Arc-3 Ep-37

“Igarashi-san, is something wrong?”

“N-no, it’s nothing…”

I had no memory of any girl named Igarashi being addressed by the female staff member. That could only mean she was a trainee. Judging by her appearance, making her debut in Sistema Solare would be an uphill battle. She was about on par with the countless girls already in Shus Solare, and unless she possessed some exceptional quality, even if she did debut, climbing into the upper ranks of the popularity polls would probably be out of reach.

She kept stealing furtive glances in my direction while talking to the staff member. But when I traced her slightly unfocused gaze, I realized she wasn't looking at me. She was staring at the rabbit plushies in my arms.

“…Is there something special about these?”

“W-well…”

She obviously had something she wanted to say, but the way she hesitated made it clear she found it difficult to speak openly in front of me, someone who was steadily becoming an important idol within Fortissimo. If she'd been a boy, I might've felt a little annoyed, but she was a cute girl, so I simply smiled at her and gently encouraged her to continue.

“T-they're… valuable items…”

“Valuable? Are they from some famous plushie workshop or something?”

“Y-yes…”

As I found myself wondering whether someone this timid was really suited to becoming an aspiring idol, another woman who'd been sorting merchandise nearby joined the conversation. She looked older than me, and her level of beauty was about the same as Igarashi's. Considering her age, making her debut in Shus Solare seemed even less likely.

“I’m sorry, Kayanuma-san. Those plushies are apparently handmade by a renowned plushie workshop overseas.”

“Really?”

“Yumika-chan here is a huge fan of the rabbit plushies that workshop makes. Isn't that right, Yumika-chan?”

“Y-yes! Those rabbit plushies are handcrafted by veteran artisans at the workshop. A matching pair costs around fifty thousand yen.”

“Fifty thousand!? That's way more expensive than I expected!”

Since I'd been a guy in my previous life, plushies had never really interested me. Not that I disliked them. I still had a few my family had given me for past birthdays displayed in my room.

“The ones made by younger craftsmen, newcomers, or apprentices are much more affordable.”

“I see. So the craftsmanship really makes that much of a difference?”

“Yes. Even I can tell the difference. Some dedicated collectors can even identify which artisan made a particular plushie.”

“Huh, that's impressive.”

That was already beyond me. They definitely looked meticulously made, but I still couldn't wrap my head around them costing that much. Maybe that was just because I'd been a guy in my previous life.

“…The reason they're so expensive is because each one is handmade, making every plushie one of a kind.”

As though she'd read my mind, the plushie enthusiast began explaining why they were priced so highly.

“…Even if two plushies look alike, each one has its own unique characteristics.”

“Exactly. …By the way, if it's a plushie made by the workshop's head artisan or one of their master craftsmen, even a small one can easily cost well into six figures.”

“I-I see. People who get into this hobby really have it rough.”

Maybe because she was talking about something she genuinely loved, her timid demeanor had completely disappeared. Before I knew it, I'd slipped back into my usual conversational tone as well.

“Hey, Yumika-chan. You're getting a little too carried away.”

“Ah… S-sorry.”

“No, thank you. I actually learned a lot about these plushies. …In that case, I'd like to keep them.”

It wasn't that I'd been completely won over by her enthusiastic explanation, but knowing a fan had gone to such lengths to give me something so expensive, I decided to accept them.

Unlike luxury brand goods, a couple of cute rabbit plushies weren't going to damage my image as an idol.

“Understood. Is there anything else?”

“Anything else…? No, that's all. I'll leave the rest to the office.”

“Very well. We expect more gifts to arrive over the next few days, so please stop by again sometime next week.”

“Sure. Just let me know whenever I'm here.”

“Alright. I'll inform your manager as well. Ah, these will be handed over to you once the inspection has been completed.”

The female staff member finished her explanation, gesturing toward the two rabbit plushies I'd placed back on the cargo dolly.

Now that everything had been confirmed, there was no reason for me to linger any longer.

“Thank you. …Yumika-chan, thank you too. That was really helpful.”

“Not at all. Sorry for talking so much. …But I was really happy today.”

“Really? …Well then, I'll be going.”

“Yes. Please take good care of them.”

“Thank you for confirming everything.”

“Good luck with the sorting, everyone♪”

I directed my farewell not just to the two of them, but to everyone in the room. We all belonged to the same agency, and maintaining a good impression was simply part of the job.

“Thank you very much. We've finished sorting the Sistema Solare gifts, but we still have Dwarf Planet and the others left to go through. We'll do our best.”

“Ah, there's still quite a lot left.”

“Yes. Although the gifts for Sistema Solare account for more than half of everything, so we've at least made it past the halfway point.”

“That sounds exhausting. I'll get out of your way so I don't hold everyone up.”

“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Thank you very much.”

I stepped out of the large conference room, still thick with the sweet scent of chocolate, and into the hallway.

With that much chocolate in the air, the room would probably keep smelling like it for quite a while, even during meetings. I couldn't help wondering if anyone minded.

The plushies would probably end up smelling like chocolate too.

Well, it wasn't exactly a problem.