Chapter 361: Yui Aragaki

The Haidong New District is the financial and trade hub of Donghai City, and one of the most bustling areas of this international metropolis.

Adjacent to the Huangbu River, skyscrapers tower all around. There stands the second tallest building in the world, the Ocean Center Building, and the fifth tallest, the Global Financial Center, home to the world's highest restaurant certified by the Guinness World Records.

In this district, the fifth tallest building is the Jianghai Tower, standing at 327 meters. It’s currently the priciest residential building, with apartments priced over five million yuan per square meter and each unit selling for over ten million. Buyers must undergo identity checks and interviews; wealthy, powerful, and famous buyers are prioritized, while those with only money, like coal bosses, often get rejected.

Link owns two apartments in the Jianghai Tower, each over 500 square meters, and it’s his residence when staying in Ocean City.

However, at the moment, it wasn’t him living there, but his two Japanese language teachers, Yui Aragaki and Nozomi Sasaki.

"Mom, I’m doing well here in China. My dorm is in a high-rise apartment, even taller than those in Ginza, Tokyo, and the surroundings are very bustling."

Wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, Yui knelt on a leather sofa, calling her mother, Eriko, back in Okinawa, explaining that her trip to China was for work. She was here to teach an important person Japanese and would return in about two weeks.

She also asked about her father’s situation—had he been released?

Her mother replied that her father had left the investigation bureau and would be able to return to work at the prefectural office after resting for a week.

Yui let out a sigh of relief and said, "Yokatta" (meaning "thank goodness").

Eriko, still worried, reminded her to avoid going out too much, as Chinese people didn’t like the Japanese. She also asked about the important person she was teaching—would they treat her well?

Yui explained that her student was an American, a proper gentleman with good manners who had not crossed any boundaries.

Hearing this, her mother relaxed and told Yui to focus on teaching properly and to avoid showing any girlish temper.

Yui assured her mother that she wouldn’t and promised to bring back gifts.

After hanging up, Yui slumped onto the sofa, tucking her knees in and stretching her feet outward, brushing her bangs aside.

She then thought for a moment and decided to call her boyfriend, Ryo Nishikido. Well, he wasn’t officially her boyfriend, but they had recently developed feelings for each other and had just begun dating.

Both were signed under the Johnny & Associates talent agency, and after six months of getting to know each other, they agreed to become a couple. However, the agency prohibited its talents from dating during contract periods. At work, they could only exchange glances and whisper "ganbatte" ("hang in there").

When they missed each other, they would secretly call or text, but even after dating for over two months, they had only held hands twice.

Ryo didn’t agree with her coming to China for this job—teaching the world’s most famous playboy Japanese. He had even protested to the agency’s upper management.

Initially, the agency had tried to protect Yui, given her rising popularity in Japan over the past two years. They had tried to cancel this assignment for her.

But for reasons unknown, the agency changed its mind. They suspended all her public activities and insisted that she accept the job.

Yui was heartbroken and considered going on a hunger strike in protest. Ryo supported her, urging her to hold out, believing the agency would eventually back down.

But just then, her father, a clerk in the Okinawa prefectural government's Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Department, was accused of embezzlement and bribery, with conclusive evidence. If prosecuted, he wouldn’t just lose his job and reputation but also face a prison sentence of more than five years.

At the time, Yui was protesting in her Tokyo apartment. Hearing the news, she felt as though her world was collapsing.

Her father, Shinya, was 47 years old. While only a regular government employee, his position in the local office was somewhat prestigious. Being a civil servant in Japan is highly respected, offering stability, good benefits, and the respect of those around you. Even family members of civil servants enjoy a sense of pride.

Her father had always been the pillar of the family—a great man in Yui’s eyes. Now, however, he was facing jail time for corruption. Regardless of whether her father was guilty or not, in Yui’s heart, he remained the best father in the world.

In an effort to help him, Yui reached out to her contacts, offering her savings to pay any fines. She hoped that, during the trial, the investigation bureau might reduce his sentence and allow him to return home sooner.

But her connections were all within the entertainment industry and held no sway in political circles. Despite her efforts, no one could help.

Feeling powerless, Yui realized that despite being a star, she was still just a small, insignificant figure.

As she was losing hope, someone from the agency introduced her to a man named Tadanari Yasue.

He told her that her father’s case could be resolved. He could avoid prosecution and might even be able to keep his government job.

But the condition was that Yui had to sign a confidentiality agreement and teach the playboy for an undisclosed period.

Without thinking, Yui agreed.

After all, it was just teaching someone Japanese—not being his servant. As long as she maintained her boundaries, it wouldn’t be difficult.

Once Yasue left, Yui felt defeated. Despite protesting for days, she had to go to China and teach that playboy. She felt like a failure.

Then, a sudden thought occurred to her—perhaps her father’s case had been orchestrated by Yasue and the agency all along, their way of forcing her to accept this job.

How despicable!

Realizing this made Yui even more tense. She had known about Link Baker for a long time. Originally a boxer, he had an undefeated streak, even defeating the famous champion Tyson in a few rounds. Later, he entered the music industry, becoming a global pop icon with just three albums, each topping the charts in Japan. His singles like "Unstoppable," "See You Again," and "Legends Never Die" had been huge hits.

His photobooks, even more popular than his albums, had sold millions in Japan alone.

Yui had once owned a copy but never imagined that she would have any personal connection to him.

After being forced to become his Japanese tutor, her impression of Link dropped by 5%.

Still, Link was not just a pop star; he was also an actor and owned a successful record label, with a net worth of over 150 billion yen.

Despite his success, Yui couldn’t understand why her agency had gone to such lengths, even involving the government, to push her into becoming his tutor.

The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became.

Under the confidentiality agreement, Yui didn’t mention anything about Yasue’s help in solving her father’s case to Ryo. She simply said she had agreed to tutor Link.

Ryo was furious, accusing her of giving in too easily and warning her that Link would likely seduce her.

Yui promised she wouldn’t let that happen and reassured him that her body was his alone. If Link tried anything inappropriate, she vowed to resist with all her might.

Ryo reluctantly forgave her, calling frequently to check in, asking if Link had made any moves.

Yui reassured him, saying that Link was focused on filming, coming to the apartment only for two-hour lessons. He was always polite, greeting her both when he arrived and when he left, without showing any inappropriate behavior.

Ryo cautioned her not to let her guard down, suggesting that Link was simply waiting for her to relax before making a move.

Yui found this unlikely.

From her experience with him, Link was even more handsome in person than in his photobooks. His black, finely groomed hair, crystal-blue eyes, high nose, and chiseled facial features made him seem like a Greek sculpture.

He was tall, with an athletic build, and despite being fully clothed, his muscular frame was evident.

But what stood out most to Yui was his gentlemanly demeanor. He didn’t exhibit the domineering attitude of Japanese men, nor did he show any disrespect toward women. Even when treated coldly, he never got upset. Instead, his kindness left her feeling guilty for her initial rudeness.

Link was also incredibly knowledgeable, having read books by authors like Hemingway, Dalí, and even Japanese writers such as Haruki Murakami and Yukio Mishima.

In every conversation, Yui was acutely aware of her lack of knowledge, feeling ashamed for having previously judged him based on his playboy reputation.

Now, whenever Ryo expressed his distrust of Link, Yui couldn’t help but think that Ryo was reacting the same way she had before—misjudging Link based on media portrayals.

Yui didn’t defend Link but reassured Ryo that she would stay vigilant and reminded him that she still loved him.

Ryo, reluctantly, said he would wait for her return.

After hanging up, Yui found herself lost in thought.

Initially, she had wanted to think about Ryo to remind herself of her feelings for him.

Here’s the translation of the provided text:

---

For some reason, whenever she thought about men, the first image that came to mind was Link. His deep, bright eyes, clean and sunny smile, and the way he moved all exuded male charm, making it hard not to develop feelings for him.

“Ah! Why am I thinking about him again?”

Yui-chan patted her forehead, opened her photo gallery, and pulled up a picture of Nishikido Ryo, intending to use her boyfriend’s photo to push away thoughts of Link.

However, her boyfriend’s appearance was rather ordinary. His long hair was wild, and he wore a nose ring. In the past, she thought it was pretty cool, but compared to Link, the difference was too vast.

One was like a luxury item displayed in a Chanel flagship store, while the other was like a half-price item at a discount store.

Yui-chan shook her head, feeling ashamed for thinking this way. She kept reminding herself that she liked her boyfriend for his inner beauty, not his looks, and that inner beauty was a hundred times more important than outward appearance.

Ring ring!

As she wrestled with these thoughts, her phone suddenly rang, startling her so much that she almost dropped it. She quickly picked it up from the couch and saw the caller ID: ‘Tahara Yasue.’

In fact, she had only met Tahara Yasue twice — once when she signed the confidentiality agreement, and the second time when he introduced her to Link. After that, he disappeared like a missing person.

She had inquired about Tahara Yasue’s identity from senior colleagues at the agency, and they told her that Tahara Yasue was a big figure in the entertainment industry, someone who handled matters for powerful people. If she could get on his good side and gain his recognition, she would never lack resources in the industry.

Yui-chan carefully answered the phone and politely greeted Mr. Tahara.

Mr. Tahara responded kindly and asked about Mr. Baker’s progress in learning Japanese.

Yui-chan told him that Mr. Baker was very diligent in learning Japanese and had made significant progress. He could now understand some Japanese conversations, recognize over a hundred Japanese characters, and had made good progress with pronunciation, being able to speak over fifty everyday phrases.

Mr. Tahara said that was good and then asked if Mr. Baker had done anything to her, such as kissing, touching, or going to bed with her.

Yui-chan blushed and quickly said, “No, no.” She explained that Mr. Baker was very polite and hadn’t even touched her or Sasaki Nozomi’s hand. He was a very upright person.

There was silence on the other end of the line.

“Mr. Tahara? Are you still there?”

Yui-chan asked softly.

Mr. Tahara replied that he was still there and then mentioned that he had an important task for her.

If she could complete it, her father’s position at the prefectural government office would be promoted by two or three ranks, making him a department head or team leader.

Yui-chan was surprised by what she heard.

In Japan, being a civil servant is a very respectable job with a high salary and good benefits. This also makes competition for such positions fierce, and promotions are difficult.

Although her father was highly capable, his lack of political tact and absence of influential sponsors had left him working in the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries for over ten years without a promotion.

If he could be promoted by two or three ranks, he would become an official in the prefectural government, and his annual income could rise from 5.6 million yen to over 8 million yen. In addition, the Niihara family would become a prominent family in Okinawa Prefecture.

This kind of prestige would be even more glorious and respected than having a famous daughter in the family.

Mr. Tahara went on to say that he could also help her brother, who was working as an auxiliary police officer, become a full-time police officer.

Yui-chan covered her mouth in surprise, her dark eyes trembling slightly.

Becoming a full-time police officer was her brother’s dream. However, police positions were also highly competitive, and her brother had been an auxiliary officer for five years without securing a full-time position. If he could finally become a full officer, it would be wonderful.

But Yui-chan also understood that every gift comes with a price.

Given the generous conditions Mr. Tahara was offering, the task must be equally difficult, perhaps even requiring her to risk her life.

In a soft voice, Yui-chan asked what the task was.

Mr. Tahara said he hoped she could attract Mr. Baker, become his lover, and possibly bear his child.

Whether it was a boy or girl, her father would be promoted by three ranks, and if she wished to continue her acting career, she would receive S-tier resources.

Yui-chan opened her mouth in shock, speechless for a while. She had imagined that Mr. Tahara would ask her to do many things.

For example, taking nude photos of Link, stealing Link’s drafts for new songs, spying on Link’s business secrets, slipping laxatives into Link’s drink before his boxing match, or even being used as an assassin to kill Link.

But she had never expected that the task would be to become Link’s lover and bear his child.

Yui-chan curiously asked why. She was a popular actress in the Japanese entertainment industry, with influence not only domestically but also across Asia. Why was she being asked to be Link’s lover, a surrogate mother?

She couldn’t understand the purpose of this arrangement by Mr. Tahara and the government.

Mr. Tahara explained that Japanese women were currently held in high regard internationally and had a very positive image, more so than women from other Asian countries. This progress was achieved through the sacrifices of countless Japanese women, including Yoko Ono, Marcia Aoki, and Riko Shibata.

Yui-chan pointed out that these women were the wives, not the lovers, of celebrities, and their relationships were born from genuine love, not arranged.

Mr. Tahara said that was just the surface. He then asked for her opinion of Link.

Yui-chan thought for a moment and said that he was a very handsome and strong man.

Mr. Tahara informed her that Link was considered one of the most outstanding and powerful men in the world. His strength, speed, and talent all proved that he was among the best of the human race.

If his genes could be introduced into the Japanese gene pool, it would greatly enhance the overall quality of the Japanese people.

Mr. Tahara continued by saying that this wasn’t an isolated case. The success of the many mixed-race individuals active in various fields in Japan today already proved the feasibility of this plan.

Yui-chan gradually understood what Mr. Tahara meant. She felt both embarrassed and angry. How could such a eugenics-based mindset still exist in modern times? Japanese genes weren’t inherently inferior, so why would they need to borrow from others?

And now, she—a famous actress—was being reduced to nothing more than a pathetic surrogate tool.

Finally, Mr. Tahara emphasized that this task wasn’t for his personal gain or for any specific company’s benefit but for the good of Japan and future generations.

Whether Japan could continue to stand among the world’s leading nations and become a global leader depended on her performance. He urged her to carefully consider the matter.

Yui-chan was fuming. Earlier, Mr. Tahara had used the lure of her father’s promotion and her brother’s full-time job, but now he had elevated the task to a national and ethnic level, making it seem as if rejecting it would make her a traitor to the country.

She had wanted to reject him outright, but when she thought about her father’s promotion, she hesitated and said she needed to think about it seriously.

Mr. Tahara said that was fine and added that Sasaki Nozomi-san had already accepted the task. If Yui-chan chose not to accept, she could exit at any time. The task was entirely voluntary, and they would not force her. He also reminded her to keep the matter confidential.

Click.

The phone call ended, leaving Yui-chan hearing only the dial tone. Her mind was in a state of chaos.

Should she accept this strange task?

Had Sasaki Nozomi-san really accepted it?

Yui-chan couldn’t figure it out. She tossed her phone aside and lay sprawled on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling.

(End of the chapter)