Inside the representative office of FoxPhone. By now, Inari could walk in without even being stopped—but even so, sitting on the fluffy sofa in that wide, luxurious room, she was holding her head in her hands.
The cause was obvious: Piles upon piles of project proposals, and rows upon rows of prototypes spread out before her.
“How do you like it? Both the outside submissions and our internal proposals show incredible passion,” Akai said proudly.
Inari struggled to find a way to respond.
Well, the passion was clear—painfully clear. She had no idea how the prototypes were already completed, but she could tell their quality was high.
However—however.
"Why, pray tell, are there small statues of me? And more than one, by the look of it…?"
"Yes. These over here are acrylic stands, and these are figures. There are a few other similar projects proposed, but these two were made overnight by manufacturing-type Awakeners."
Indeed. Sitting atop the desk were double-sided acrylic stands and tiny, finely-crafted figures.
Judging by the smiles captured on them—likely based on official website photos—they radiated dazzling cheerfulness.
"I know not why, but… there are truly those who would desire these ‘akusta’ and ‘figya’ things?"
"Absolutely. In the past, merchandise of popular Awakeners has sold extremely well. We plan to finalize the designs after getting your approval and oversight, of course, but for now, we’re preparing for preorders. Aside from those, we’re aiming for a full lineup of standard goods too. Specifically—"
Akai launched into an increasingly detailed explanation. Meanwhile, Inari's mind was rapidly reaching its limits, to the point where she could only manage a halfhearted "Mm…" in response.
Eventually, she had to raise her hand and cut in.
"Wait, wait! Please hold a moment!"
"Would you like to take a break?"
"Nay, I simply… truly, I have not the slightest understanding of these matters! For example, even this so-called ‘clear file’—I know not what it is! I shall strive to comprehend, but as I am now, I cannot grasp who would want what or for what reason! I believe it better that thou handlest it, Akai, rather than have me hear all this in vain."
"…I see. In that case, I shall make selections and present them for your final confirmation, Miss Kogami. Would that be acceptable?"
"Mm, aye, that shall do. My apologies for the trouble."
"Not at all. Now then…"
Saying that, Akai began sorting the documents and prototypes at a speed that made his hands blur. Seeing that, Inari remembered: "Ah yes, Akai is an Awakener too…"
From the massive collection, he narrowed things down to:
Two types of acrylic stands (realistic and chibi versions)
Two types of figures (again, realistic and chibi)
Clear files
Keychains
Fox-ear headbands
And… a theme song.
"How about this selection?"
"I shall not sing."
"Eh!? I thought with all the foreign terms flying around, I could slip it through—why not!?"
"Even I know that ‘song’ means singing! What sense would there be in thrusting my wretched voice upon the world?"
"I swear it would be a smash hit! We’d crush the sales rankings!"
Akai, undeterred, quickly pulled out a music player and pressed play.
—Kon-kon! Cute little fox, adorable and sweet—
Bang!
Inari slapped the stop button.
"Ahh, why’d you stop it!?"
"What in blazes is this kon-kon!? And thou mean’st to have me sing about how ‘cute’ I am myself!?"
"It’s fine, isn’t it!? I’d love to hear you sing it!"
"I said nay!!"
"But Miss Kogami, your song could save lives!"
"And what, pray tell, wouldst it save?"
"The livelihoods of everyone involved in the sure-to-be-a-hit song’s production?"
"Nuuh… Thou strikest at an uncomfortably honest point…!"
Still, no meant no.
Why on earth would she have to sing kon-kon? If someone had asked her to sing traditional enka ballads instead, she might've seriously considered it.
Not that she could say that aloud—who knew what styles of music were actually popular nowadays?
"Well, very well. We’ll reconsider the lyrics and the musical style, then propose it again."
"Giving up is not an option, is it?"
"Nope! But honestly, these projects turn out best when tailored to the person’s style anyway. By the way, have you heard the Black Witch’s ‘From the Depths of the Abyss’?"
"Nay…"
"You should listen to it sometime. It’s basically the musical embodiment of narcissism. Sticks in your head like nothing else."
"I think I'd rather not…"
Honestly, Inari barely even knew who the Black Witch was.
She was apparently famous among Awakeners, but Inari didn’t care much about other Awakeners to begin with.
"Oh, and even Servant Uniform Workshop—you know, the famous ones in Akihabara?
They’ve released a bunch of songs too. Their latest, Go Go Maid Squad!, is selling pretty well."
"So Awakeners are… idols now?"
"They’re practically idols. Super idols protecting world peace and spreading smiles!"
"…Mm. Such a perspective is not unappealing."
Strong individuals—Awakeners—promoting themselves as cool, cute heroes.
Inari could appreciate that approach as a modern societal strategy.
"And so! Let’s aim for your first live concert, Miss Kogami!"
"Put away that frilly costume design immediately…!"
Well. Whether Inari herself would ever actually do any of that was… a separate matter entirely.