I was Thrown into an Unfamiliar Manga

While Tojo Karen, Kishimoto Rika, and Kim Yu-seong were fully immersed in their shopping spree at Tokyu Department Store in Shibuya…
At the large estate of the Toseikai located in Meguro Ward, Tokyo, the top executives of the organization were steadily gathering.
Inside the solemn atmosphere of the meeting hall.

Seated at the head of the long table was a middle-aged man—the 6th-generation chairman of the Toseikai, Tojo Naoto.
Commonly known as ‘Blood Sea’ Naoto.
He stroked the knife scar running across the bridge of his nose and scanned the faces of the executives with a serious expression before suddenly slamming the sashimi he’d been holding down onto the floor.

“It seems Karen has fallen for some guy.”
At that «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» moment, murmurs spread through the executives.
And it was only natural—because every man attending this meeting, more than just a Toseikai officer, had watched Tojo Karen grow up like their own niece.

Their shared trait: they all cherished Tojo Karen, a girl as dear to them as a daughter or granddaughter.
If it were for her sake, these were men who’d gladly give up a finger without hesitation.
An “internal strategy meeting” of the Toseikai’s upper echelon—

In name only. In truth, it was Tojo Karen’s personal fan club.
And the fan club’s president, its first and foremost member—her over-the-top doting father Tojo Naoto—wrinkled his scarred face in a grimace and growled.
“I don’t know what kind of back-alley punk this bastard is, but I sure as hell won’t let just anyone have my daughter. Sento!”

“Yes, sir!”
Sento Osamu, the organization’s elite accountant, adjusted his glasses with his middle finger and activated the projector, displaying footage on the white wall of the meeting room.
“Name: Sakamoto Ryuji. Born October 7. Family consists of archaeologist parents and a younger sister two years apart. Currently attending Ichijo Academy, with average grades and decent athletic ability. He’s been attending a karate dojo run by his childhood friend’s father since he was young. Recently hospitalized two thugs after a street scuffle, inflicting injuries requiring two weeks of treatment.”

“Hmph. Pretty-boy face, but he’s got guts, I’ll give him that.”
Tojo Naoto muttered while crossing his arms, and Sento nodded, advancing to the next slide in the presentation.
“According to intelligence from an informant embedded in Ichijo Academy, it appears the young lady first developed feelings for this Sakamoto Ryuji on Monday of this week. The two thugs I mentioned earlier had assaulted first-year members of the Kendo Club, which the young lady is a part of. Apparently, her sense of justice led her to confront him, and that’s when it happened.”
“Damn it! If it weren’t for those thug bastards…!”

“Next slide.”
Sento pressed a button on the remote, and up came photos of Tojo Karen’s recently visiting friends.
Naoto’s scowl deepened as he clenched his jaw—until he spotted someone in the photo.

“That young man in the back—he’s built like no ordinary high schooler.”
“Yes. He’s Kim Yu-seong, a student the young lady recently brought home and introduced as a friend. We initially suspected he might be an assassin planted by another organization, but our investigation shows he’s just an ordinary student who enjoys physical training. No prior offenses, and apparently he’s never failed to rank first in his grade.”
“Hmm. A promising young fellow. Got it. Next.”

“The blonde girl beside him is another friend of the young lady’s, Kishimoto Rika. Her father is the well-known mangaka Kishimoto Sojiro. Her mother, Kishimoto Maria, is currently working part-time as a French lecturer at Waseda University’s language institute. She’s a true elite, fluent in English, French, Japanese, and Korean. Rika-san used to work as a reader model for fashion magazines back in Shizuoka, and it seems she’s the one who taught the young lady how to do her makeup.”
Beep!
He clicked again, bringing up a before-and-after photo slideshow. The executives in the room gasped in awe.

“Ooooh! She was always cute, but with makeup she’s even cuter!”
“Of course she is! Our little miss has always had potential from a young age.”
“I figured she’d grow into a beauty, but I didn’t expect it’d be to this level.”

While each executive muttered his own impressions, the only one not smiling was her father, Naoto, whose expression remained sullen as he stared at the photo.
“Quiet. I’m not in the mood right now.”
The executives immediately shut their mouths at the sight of his displeased face.

As silence settled over the room again, Sento quickly advanced to the next slide.
This time, it was photos of various receipts.
“Yesterday, the young lady said for the first time she wanted to visit a hair salon, so I personally escorted her there. These are the receipts. And today, new charges appeared on her card—all from clothing stores inside Tokyu Department Store.”

Murmur murmur.
Only then did the executives seem to realize how serious the situation was and began quietly discussing among themselves.
The reason for Naoto’s foul mood wasn’t just that his daughter had gotten prettier.

The girl who had no interest in makeup suddenly asked to learn it.
The one who only used shampoo and conditioner went to a hair salon she’d never even stepped foot in.
The same girl who always insisted on either school uniforms or comfortable clothes had gone to buy women’s fashion?

There was only one conclusion to be drawn from all these clues.
“It’s highly likely the young lady will go on a date this weekend.”
“SAKAMOTOOOOOOOOO!!”

“Sir! We understand how you feel, but please calm down!”
The executives rushed to restrain Naoto before he ran off to stab Sakamoto Ryuji right then and there.
After some time passed and Naoto’s breathing finally slowed, he gritted his teeth and declared:

“Anyone free this weekend—report here! Got it?!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Our mission is to tail my daughter’s date and make sure that bastard Sakamoto doesn’t try anything funny!”

“Yes, sir!”
6th-generation Toseikai Chairman Tojo Naoto and eight senior executives.
Full mobilization confirmed!

***
“I’m beat~!”
After about two hours of non-stop shopping, Tojo Karen had finally picked out everything she needed for tomorrow’s date—clothes and accessories included.

We were now seated at a gourmet burger place in the department store’s food court, having a late dinner.
“I don’t even have the energy to chew anymore~”
Despite that, Kishimoto was happily munching on fries, cheeks puffed up like a squirrel.

Tojo Karen watched her for a moment, then finally spoke.
“Rika… seriously, thank you again.”
Rika waved it off like it was no big deal.

“C’mon~ what are friends for? Don’t worry about it so much. I had fun shopping too.”
“You’ve always been like that.”
Tojo chuckled softly at Kishimoto’s teasing tone, then turned to me with a slight tilt of her head.

“Kim Yu-seong, are you really okay with just one burger? With that build? It’s on me today, so eat as much as you want.”
I shrugged and replied,
“I had a big lunch, so I’m fine. Plus, I prefer rice over bread.”

“If you want more, just say so. Compared to what you’ve helped me with, this is nothing.”
At first, I thought she was just a typical delinquent type—but once we got to know each other, she turned out to be unexpectedly considerate.
People really are impossible to judge at a glance.

When I stared at her for a moment, Tojo asked, “What, is there something on my face?”
I told her it was ketchup.
She turned red and hurriedly wiped her face with a napkin.

Then Kishimoto, slurping her cola through a straw, suddenly asked,
“By the way, Karen—where are you meeting Sakamoto tomorrow?”
“At the Hachiko statue in front of Shibuya Station, 10 a.m.”

“Got your date course all planned out?”
Tojo nodded.
“We’ll go to a café for tea, then see a movie, then have lunch and call it a day. Isn’t that how dates go?”

Kishimoto, who’d been slouched in her seat, suddenly slammed the table and sprang to life.
“No way! That’s way too basic for a first date!”
“H-Huh?”

Tojo blinked in shock at the sudden outburst.
Unbothered, Kishimoto launched into a passionate rant.
“If you just follow what everyone else does, you won’t win the heart of the person you like! So instead of a movie, how about this?!”

She held up her phone to show an aquarium in Sunshine City, Ikebukuro.
True, aquariums were a classic romantic destination.
It was easy to get there by subway or bus, so they could meet in Shibuya and head to Sunshine City afterward.

It was also a big entertainment complex, with plenty to do and see—just like Shibuya.
Eventually convinced, Tojo added the aquarium to her date itinerary.
Once we finished dinner, we parted ways with Tojo in front of Shibuya Station. Exhausted, I boarded the subway with Kishimoto and slumped into the seat.

Then she turned to me and asked,
“What are you doing tomorrow, Ryuu-chan?”
“Probably just reading manga at home.”

“Then come tail Tojo with me!”
“…What?”
I thought she was just joking again—but the gleam in her eyes said she was serious.

“Hey, I have the right to… um… use my weekends however I want…”
“You didn’t forget it’s Golden Week, did you?”
Ghk…!

One line I couldn’t argue with.
And so I quietly gave up my Saturday.
You better sign something for me, seriously.

Kishimoto Rika & Kim Yu-seong Combo!
Joining the mission!