> Decision

>

> >1 - Ask about this EmikoDesu55 with a smile on your face. Is it a fan?

> >2 - Something is clearly going on, but it can wait. Go with the “Network Monitor” plan.

> >3 - Write-in

>

> Winner

> >3 - Write-in (hard to summarize here, dozen of suggestions)

> I'll try and do my best to combine the suggestions above.

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You sigh, “Kaiba, look,” you begin, then opt to retrieve the chair standing at the other side of the room to sit down.

“An idol company is, at all times, in a love/hate relationship with the media,” you say, adjusting your jacket as you sit.

Kaiba-san cocks her head slightly, not sure where you’re going with this, but seemingly relieved you’re not mentioning the chat.

“Matsuno Inc. can’t exist as a business without companies that are willing to hire idols to star in their shows, commercials, game shows, and such,” you continue, “Those companies hire idols because the fans like those idols and want to keep an eye on them, thereby allowing themselves to be exposed to the products the idols endorse.”

You’re stringing words together as you go, trying to find a way to a way to tell Kaiba-san how badly she messed up without performing the equivalent of a mental suplex on her fragile mind.

“The fans love keeping track of their idols, supporting them, seeing what they’re up to,” you say.

“I’m aware,” replies Kaiba, somewhat confused, “The entire live vlog is just that, no?”

You pull your lips into a thin line.

”Well, yes,” you reply, then go quiet as you try to think of what to say next.

Kaiba-san is blissfully unaware that what she’s been doing are grounds for direct termination.

Most of the idols in this generation are new and don’t have many fans yet, but then again it doesn’t take many fans.

Actually, one of the new idols, Watase Yoko, is quite famous.

Knowledge of her location might cause a few fans to show up.

Or just one.

One fan with a car with too much time on their hands and the knowledge that SOMEWHERE around Mt. Fuji there’s a rented bus carrying his favourite idol to a hot spring that he can take a picture of.

Luckily the email didn’t contain information on the exact location or what you’d be doing.

Point is that if Kaiba keeps leaking this kind of information, then she would endanger the other idols and there’s zero-tolerance on that.

It’s a good thing people don’t know yet that Matsuno Inc. signed a bunch of new idols.

You clap your hands together softly, then continue, “You took a different path than most and, honestly, the media hasn’t quite adjusted,” you say, “Usually the only way for a fan to learn about an idol is through interviews and gossip websites run by paparazzi, but your fans see you every day and can even talk to you!”

“Nagata-san,” replies Kaiba, looking uncomfortable, “I don’t understand where you’re going with this…What’s going on?”

Where are you going with this?

Your own mental state is hanging on by a thread.

However, a good manager is the barrier between their employees and outside concerns.

So that the idols can focus on the job.

You clasp your hands together to stop them from shaking.

There’s all these what-ifs raging through your mind.

What if EmikoDesu55 sells all this information to the highest bidder?

What if she’s actually paparazzi herself and this whole thing has been nothing but a way to milk gossip from the agency?

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

What if she tries to show-up in person at the resort?

Is Kaiba-san’s career going to end just because she wanted a friend?

The chat logs should be purged after this chat, even if it is illegal to remove evidence of something that could harm the company.

As long as EmikoDesu55 doesn’t do anything with the information – it’ll be fine.

Kitabayashi will probably be willing to help you cover any fallout. Maybe.

Everything will be fine.

[https://assets.legendkeeper.com/6fc2e8d3-1a1f-402b-bbd3-482171f77f8e.jpg]

All these concerns, they weigh on you.

Your eyes slowly growing vacant as you retreat further into your own mind.

Yesterday’s words of Kitabayashi’s bounce around in your empty mind: You’re a big softie

Maybe she’s right and you don’t have what it takes to make it as a manager.

It’s cold in this room, you’re not sure how Kaiba manages it.

How would Yukimori Kyoden handle this?

He seems like the kind of person that would simply do what was needed.

The thick skin required to be a manager is something you’ll have to develop with time.

You take a breath and try to focus your thoughts, locking eyes with Kaiba.

Kaiba’s face is a picture of concern, with her hands defensively hovering before her.

It seems like she has caught on and knows why you’re he--

“Are you okay, Nagata-san?” says Kaiba instead, “Y-you kinda looked like you were about to cry.”

“Eh?” you reply, “I’m fine. I was just …thinking.”

Allowing your worries to stew while watching cat videos for two hours probably wasn’t the greatest idea.

Everyone procrastinates sometimes, right? Besides, Kaiba-san was in a meeting.

What were you doing?

The trip is tomorrow and you’re talking to Kaiba-san at the moment.

Oh, right. You have to lie to Kaiba-san to breach the subject of the chat.

“I was,” you begin, then try again, “…The people from IT, they monitor network traffic for safety reasons and to avoid leaking stuff to the press, they told me you send images to somebody. Images about the trip.”

“Eeeeeh,” shouts Kaiba, blushing, “…People know? Did other people, like, read everything?”

What’s one more lie? This bothers Kaiba-san. You can shoulder it.

”I don’t think so,” you say, “But they forwarded an image to me which had information on the trip on it. Like that it's a trip for idols and managers and that we’re leaving by bus from the office.”

”Can you explain why?” you ask, “You’re sharing company information, it’s dangerous.”

Kaiba-san looks embarrassed, she’s squirming in her seat, “I was just chatting with a f-friend, I didn’t mean to create trouble,” she says, “I had to cancel plans with her and she wanted to know what I was doing instead…”

”Emiko-chan wouldn’t do anything bad with it,” she adds.

Finally. Emiko-chan by name. Check that off the list, that’s safe information now.

You now have cause to discuss it. Though you still don’t have reason to suspect this Emiko of anything bad.

“I’m sure this Emiko-chan is a good girl,” you say, the biggest lie you’ve said today, “But if she tells a friend, who then gossips it to somebody else, and so on, then it might get to somebody bad eventually.”

It feels foul to keep digging up this memory.

”What if somebody like the man from the handshaking event found out,” you say, “And followed the bus that leaves from Matsuno HQ in his car? That much was in the email.”

Kaiba pales, it seems like things are finally registering with her.

You point at the monitor standing on the desk beside the both of you, “This Emiko-chan you mentioned is EmikoDesu55? The person you shared the image with?”

Kaiba nods severely, “Y-yes,” she says, her mind elsewhere.

She needed to be made aware of the possible consequences of her actions.

You already know what’s in there, but if you get a look with her next to you then you’ll at least no longer have to lie about not knowing and begin discussing the contents of the chat with her without five layers of pretence.

“Can I have a look?” you ask, then quickly invent a reason, “I need to know how much you shared, we might have to hire additionally security.”

Kaiba is hiding her face and curling into a small ball on her chair, “But, I…” says a small voice, “…It’s a sort of private chat...I.. ah…”

This could be a moment where you remind Kaiba about how she shouldn’t have any sort of relationships.

And if she says that she knows then you can counter with the fact that this should be a harmless fan interaction then.

It would be very easy to manipulate her into willingly giving up her privacy.

Sure, that’s just an illusion since you already know, but that illusion is all she has left.

Just break down that final wall and you can start solving problems.

In fact, why be subtle about it?

You can just threaten her livelihood by saying she could lose her job over this.

Remind her that your own job is at stake, too, since you’re her manager and ultimately responsible.

Add guilt to the pile. That’ll surely cause her to cave and consent!

If you want to make it as a manager, you’ll have to be stern sometimes.

Kitabayashi said she didn’t want this job to change you, but it’s unavoidable, isn’t it?

One final push and you’ll make it through the web of lies – victorious.