Seeing Jinguu Akira spacing out, Taketatsu Ayana grew visibly nervous and hurriedly asked,"Wh... what's wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing..."
A realization struck Akira. He finally remembered where he had heard that name before. But noticing Ayana's slightly anxious expression, he smiled gently, masking the sudden shift in his thoughts.
Out of the corner of his eye, his sharp vision caught sight of the books scattered on the pavement—left there when Ayana fell. Some were novels, but mixed in were more serious volumes: voice acting guides, industry introductions, training manuals.
Something clicked.
Now he remembered who she was. But to avoid giving anything away, he kept his tone casual.
"Taketatsu-san, your voice... it's really nice. It caught me a little off guard—like something straight out of anime."
Seeing the books, Akira instinctively assumed she was an aspiring seiyuu. That explained the pitch-perfect voice. He wasn't exactly smooth with girls, but he knew this much—compliments mattered. If you could make her talk freely without realizing it, you'd already won half the battle.
Unfortunately, this time, he had misread the situation.
"I see..."
Rather than smiling, Ayana gave him a faint, polite grin.
"My friends say the same thing, too..."
Realizing that his compliment might've landed wrong, Akira quickly shifted gears.
"Uh—wait a sec, I'll grab the stuff you dropped earlier."
He stood and walked toward his car. As he crouched down to collect the scattered books, his mind raced.
When it came to the 2D world—anime, games, and comics—his memory was a perfectly curated archive. It didn't take long for the name Taketatsu Ayana to flash through his mental database.
"The birth year doesn't match?"
His memory said she was born in 1989. But this was 2011. That would make her 22. And yet, the girl in front of him... looked way too young. She barely seemed his age.
But he quickly let it go. This was a different timeline. If she happened to be born five or six years later in this world, so be it.
From the look of it, she hadn't debuted yet. Which meant—if he moved fast, he could make her debut under his own talent agency.
Akira wasn't aiming to be just a mangaka or a game dev. That was too narrow. His dream was far grander: to build an ACG empire—one that spanned every corner of the 2D industry.
And Taketatsu Ayana? Even if her name wasn't famous yet, anyone from his past life would recognize her roles:
Kousaka Kirino.Itsuka Kotori.Kirigaya Suguha.Nakano Azusa.
Each of them: iconic little sister characters. And younger sisters... had always been his ultimate weakness.
His heart pounded.
"If I can launch her career from the start... my agency's name will skyrocket. Voice acting, character CDs, anime tie-ins, figure lines, even events..."
He could already see the possibilities. If done right, everything from otaku goods to limited dakimakura editions would flow through a system built by him.
And then the idea struck:
"What if I created a voice actress idol group... that also did cosplay?"
The combination would destroy the market.
He recalled the scandals he'd read about in his old world. Talents exploited by men in power. The dark side of the anime industry. Harassment masked as opportunity. Whispered rumors of "services" exchanged for roles.
He wasn't naïve.
But instead of rejecting it outright, he rationalized it.
"At least I'm not some greasy old man in his 60s. I'm young. I get the industry. If anyone's going to reshape it... it should be me."
Akira wasn't looking for chaos. He wanted control. Order. And maybe—yes—dominance, but one wrapped in charisma and precision.
That was his Gentleman's Soul. Not about perversion—but about power, charm, and vision.
The line between producer and predator was razor thin. He knew that. But his goal wasn't to exploit—it was to build something. A new kind of empire. One where the 2D world bowed to his will.
And she—Taketatsu Ayana—was right there. A gem in the rough.
"I will succeed. No... success is the only option."
The fire in his eyes burned brighter than ever. His spirit had awakened. A dark ambition, veiled in elegance.
"She'll be the first. My first test. My first conquest. My first project."
All of that had passed through his mind in the few seconds it took to gather her books.
When he stood back up, his face once again wore that same gentle, trustworthy smile.
"Here you go, Taketatsu-san."
"Ah—thank you!"
She bowed politely, accepting the bag.
Akira crouched in front of her. Then, without warning, he reached out and gently touched her leg—still wrapped in knee-high socks.
"Don't move," he said, his voice low and calm. "Let me check your injury."
Frozen in place, Taketatsu Ayana couldn't respond. Her voice caught in her throat.
But his touch wasn't rough. His gaze wasn't lecherous.
At least—not for now.
Right now, he was calculating.
Because Akira wasn't just chasing fantasies anymore. He was setting his stage.
And she... was the opening act.