After responding to all messages, Reiji held the elegant business card he had received from Ayaka Nakamura.

He added her number to his cell phone and sent a message introducing himself, asking if he could call her at that moment.

Shortly after, he received a call from Ayaka.

"Hello, Nakamura-san?" Reiji answered.

"Correct," she replied, her voice blending softness with a certain distance. "Am I speaking with Reiji Matsuoka?"

Although surprised by her distant tone, Reiji confirmed, "Yes, it's me."

He thought he heard a faint cold sigh from the other side of the line.

After a brief pause, Ayaka spoke again: "So, I assume you are interested in discussing my proposal, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," Reiji confirmed.

"Are you available now to meet and talk in person?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

"Sure, no problem," said Reiji. "There's a coffee shop near where we met last time; can we meet there? It's called Coffee Angel. Do you know it?"

"I do. I'm nearby," she said, her tone now a bit softer. "How long will it take you to get there?"

"About 20 minutes?" Reiji estimated, not entirely sure.

At that moment, Reiji perceived a faint sigh from the other side of the line.

"Alright... I'll see you there," she agreed, before ending the call.

After the call ended, Reiji was reflective about the interaction, noting a significant change in Ayaka's behavior compared to their in-person meeting.

'Could she be upset because I only contacted her now?' He pondered, concluding that this was the most logical explanation.

Without delay, he prepared and set off for the agreed location.

At the Coffee Angel, Ayaka was already waiting, drinking a coffee as time passed.

She alternated her gaze between the entrance of the establishment and her wristwatch, thinking to herself: 'He is late...'

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Then, the sound of the doorbell announced someone's arrival. As Ayaka looked up, she saw an attractive young man enter, who, though not Reiji, seemed vaguely familiar to her.

'He reminds me of someone...' she reflected, but soon her cellphone, which began to vibrate, captured her attention.

[I'm here.] A brief message appeared on the screen.

'He's already here? Is this some kind of joke?' Ayaka felt a wave of irritation, considering she had been waiting for over 20 minutes, and during that time, only two people had entered: a woman and the attractive young man from earlier.

Just as she was preparing to respond to the message, the young man approached to sit at her table, directly in front of her.

"Sorry, but this table is occupied. I'm waiting for someone..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes locked onto the face of the young man, and she abruptly stood up, slamming her hands on the table in recognition: "You... You are Reiji?!"

Her exclamation was loud enough to attract curious looks from everyone in the venue. The force with which she struck the table nearly caused a disaster with her drink, if not for Reiji's quick intervention.

"Yes, it's me... Please, try to calm down," Reiji attempted, trying to soothe the atmosphere.

Realizing how embarrassing her reaction had been, Ayaka felt a deep embarrassment, a new sensation for someone always so composed in her professional career. The transformation of Reiji before her was so surprising that she momentarily lost her composure. However, she quickly regained her composure and, bowing towards the café manager and the other customers, she apologized: "I deeply regret having caused this embarrassing scene."

After apologizing, Ayaka sat down again with her head lowered, visibly agitated, fanning her face with her hands in an attempt to calm herself.

Perhaps as a reflection of the prior situation, Ayaka adopted a softer tone to ask, "What happened to you? Why have you changed so much in such a short time?"

"About that..." Reiji patiently began to explain the transformation he had undergone.

He did not miss the opportunity to mention this as the reason for not having contacted her earlier.

His justification, along with the reason for only resuming contact after her attempt to recruit him – including giving him a VIP business card, a gesture reserved for very few – made Ayaka more receptive. Her expression softened, adopting a gentler demeanor.

"Ah, now I understand..." she murmured, assimilating the information.

As she pondered, he took the opportunity to order a coffee.

As soon as his coffee was served, they began a more in-depth conversation.

"Have you made your decision?" she inquired.

"It's more or less like that..." Reiji shared his intention to work as a model for her company, but on a freelance basis.

He explained that this choice was due to him being in his final year of high school, in addition to working at the coffee shop and soon needing to dedicate time to studying for entrance exams to a prestigious university.

Of course, much of this explanation was an exaggeration; given his current academic level and the constant improvement of his [Academic] stats, he would not have difficulty passing the entrance exams for a good university.

"I understand, you are about to turn 18 and are in your third year..." She reflected for a moment before continuing: "Alright, we can arrange that, but I want you to sign an exclusive freelancer contract with our company."

Previously, Ayaka might have easily conceded to his request without many demands. However, realizing how much Reiji's appearance had improved since their first meeting, she did not want to risk losing him to another agency.

"I'm not opposed to the idea, but it all depends on the terms," Reiji countered, maintaining an enigmatic smile.

Faced with his reaction, Ayaka recognized that perhaps he was not so easy to persuade. Although she had no intention of deceiving him... well, in truth, she was trying to bind him with an exclusive contract, seeing the potential in him. But beyond that, she had no intention of subjecting him to any disadvantageous agreement.

"I assure you that the terms will be as favorable as a newcomer could expect!" she asserted confidently.

"Alright, but..." Reiji paused: "I am still a minor and cannot sign this type of contract. However, next month is my birthday. If you could wait until then..."

"Yes, we can delay until next month," she agreed promptly, before asking about his parents' situation.

Reiji decided to be transparent and shared his family situation with Ayaka.

She felt empathy for him upon hearing his story.

In the end, Ayaka proposed: "I understand... Okay, let's keep in touch. You can even come to the agency to do some test photos. And, when you turn 18 – fortunately, the legal age has changed from 20 to 18 years – you can sign the contract with us."

"Yes, and I think I didn't mention, but my birthday is on Greenery Day (Midori no Hi), and right after comes Children's Day. These holidays fall on a Saturday and Sunday, so I believe that on Monday, May 6th, I will be available to carefully review the contract you propose, and then decide whether to sign it or not. Is that okay?" Reiji asked, maintaining his composure.

"Perfect, let's plan it that way," she responded without hesitation and suggested: "However, on April 30th, May 1st, and May 2nd, it would be important for you to visit our agency to get a better sense of the environment. Who knows, if we do a photo session and you stand out, your market value to our company might even increase, understand?" She winked.

With a slight smile, Reiji agreed: "Right, I'll organize my schedule for that. Can I keep in touch with you to finalize the details?"

"Exactly, that's what I hope you'll do," she confirmed, showing herself receptive to the idea.