"Money…?"
"That's right! Most humans are ignorant creatures who blindly worship the rich!"
As the saying goes: if you've got money, even nonsense sounds like truth; if you don't, even the truth sounds like nonsense.
A lot of the time, the reason someone attracts a crowd isn't because what they're saying makes sense. It's because in a society where everyone only sees their own struggles, someone with massive material wealth—no matter what noise they make—will always gather followers who chase after them and treat them like an object of belief.
"Of course, for you, Benika-san, the key point is this: once you have money, judging people becomes really easy, because most people will greet you with smiles—and basically, they're all after your money!"
Watching from inside, Onee-san Benika felt torn between laughter and exasperation. If you can't tell what's in people's hearts, does that mean you just simplify them all into a single motive—"greed"?
That was completely backwards.
"I see…"
And yet, Socially-Anxious Benika accepted this "crooked logic" without much resistance.
Because most people don't really care about understanding reasons. They just want something practical.
Just like those who chased trends in the stock market—they didn't care why a stock was rising. They'd simply say, "Tell me what you're buying, and I'll buy it too." It was a kind of laziness and avoidance that skipped the thinking process.
Socially-Anxious Benika asked, "What should I do?" and Kuroba Akira answered, "Become rich."
It was an answer so clear it couldn't get clearer.
Following this logic, Tashiro Benika naturally began to want to become rich.
And that meant she'd stepped directly into the mental trap Akira had set.
Just like last time when he'd guided Shiroi Shiori into becoming his ghostwriter, Akira now revealed his true intention at last.
He earnestly lowered his head and invited her again.
"So, to become rich, please become Shion's manager! With her leading us, we'll definitely make plenty of money!"
From the start, Akira's goal hadn't been to counsel her.
He wasn't a therapist. How could he cure someone's social anxiety just by talking?
He only wanted Socially-Anxious Benika to give up on suicide, quit her job, and become Shiginomiya Shion's manager. Even if it meant persuading her with crooked logic, so be it.
"Shion's really pretty, her voice is amazing, and she works hard… I believe she can definitely become a famous seiyuu."
But after hearing all that, Tashiro Benika lowered her head. Her gaze drifted away; she didn't dare meet Akira's eyes. Her shoulders curled inward slightly—as if trying to diminish her own presence.
"But… if I'm going to be a manager, I'll have to interact with lots of people, right…? I'm not confident I can do that… If I mess up and harm Shion's career, I'd never forgive myself…"
Akira immediately raised a hand, stopping her from spiraling into inferiority again.
"No, you're overthinking it, Benika-san. You don't need to do things you can't. If you don't want to deal with people, then don't."
"T-then how can I be a manager?!"
"Same as now—everyone does their own job. Leave dealing with people and judging their trustworthiness to the other, more mature Benika-san."
"But then…!"
Benika's expression tightened, anxious and flustered. She tried to say something, but Akira cut her off.
"I know what you're thinking. You feel guilty and apologetic because you're dumping work on your other self, right?"
"Y-yes…"
"To me, that still means you're treating her like an outsider. Why feel guilty about handing trouble off to another version of yourself?"
"I…!"
"Of course, it's not just you. Accepting help without repayment makes people uneasy and guilty. Especially someone like you, Benika-san—someone who already struggles to trust others."
Then Akira spoke to the Onee-san Benika within.
"You can hear me too, right? The other, more mature Benika-san. I know you're doing this for her sake, but let me say: you're not a system. You can't just give out benefits endlessly. Even a system requires quests before giving rewards—who hands things out like you do?"
"A system…?"
Socially-Anxious Benika didn't get it, but Onee-san Benika had listened to webnovels as audiobooks in her previous life. She understood immediately.
And after witnessing her other self go to such extremes, she was deeply shaken.
Because Onee-san Benika couldn't forcibly seize control of the body. Back then, no matter what she'd said, the other self had shut her heart completely, leaving her helpless and frantic.
If Akira hadn't arrived in time, it could've become something irreversible.
Now, she began reflecting too—maybe their previous method of "coexisting" was the real issue.
Two personalities supporting each other… as a solution for the individual called Tashiro Benika, it seemed flawed.
"You have your own independent will, so don't spoil her unconditionally. She feels she can't repay you—so the only thing left she can offer is control of the whole body."
Akira continued.
"So I suggest from now on, you start charging her. For example: you help her work for two days, and in return, you demand one weekend day for yourself—a perfectly justified, transparent exchange."
Truthfully, Akira himself used the same approach in everything he did.
It was how he managed his relationships with all the girls around him.
A transactional model that left no emotional burdens.
Take what you need, nobody owes anyone anything. No ties, no worries—simple and easy.
Socially-Anxious Benika's eyes lit up.
"I think that might work…! That's great! I won't treat the other me unfairly!"
"You two can figure out the details yourselves."
"But—um, another question… If I push all the work onto my other self and then also give her the weekends as a reward… won't I have no free time left at all if I become a manager?"
"It won't be that bad. There are things only the younger Benika-san can do, too."
"Things I can do… My current job is exhausting, but at least I can use my skills… After all, the other me went blind and hasn't done makeup for people in ages, so only I can do it… But if I become a manager, I really can't think of anything I could do…"
I see. So this was the real reason she couldn't quit, no matter how difficult and painful her job was.
Not because she feared losing income—but because she feared that if she quit her current job, she'd lose even her last bit of value.
She was terrified that if she switched jobs and became a manager, nobody would need her anymore. That was why she'd been avoiding Akira, eventually spiraling to something so extreme.
This meant the next step was clear: as long as he helped her rediscover her value, she'd agree.