Under the sparkling chandelier, 23-year-old Misaki poured luxurious champagne into a glass. She was in the VIP seat of the glamorous host club "Platinum Star," with the club's most popular host, Sho, sitting beside her.
"Misaki-chan, thank you for coming today. I feel so lonely without you," Sho said sweetly, gently grasping her hand. Misaki blushed and took out a wad of cash from her wallet.
"Sho-kun, I want to talk more. Shall we order another bottle?" she suggested. In her bag, she had salary envelopes from her part-time jobs at a convenience store during the day and a pub at night. Most of the money she earned by sacrificing her sleep was spent at this club.
A few hours later, as the commotion in the club began to calm down, Sho spoke again. "Misaki-chan, it's about time for you to go home. Will you come again tomorrow?"
For once, Misaki responded with a calm expression. "I'm sorry, Sho-kun. I can't come tomorrow."
Suddenly, Misaki stood up and shouted loudly to the entire club. "Everyone, thank you for your hard work! The filming is now over!"
After a moment of silence, the club became bustling with activity. Men in suits appeared with cameras and lighting equipment, and the hosts relaxed their shoulders. Sho looked at Misaki with a confused expression.
"What is going on...?" he asked.
Misaki replied with a confident smile. "I'm a journalist for a weekly magazine. I've been conducting an undercover investigation into this host club for the past three months." As she spoke, she took out a press card from her high-end brand bag.
"But your money..." Sho stammered.
"All of it was provided by the magazine. I'm sorry, Sho-kun. I've recorded all your sweet words," Misaki said.
Sho's face turned pale. The manager hurried over in a panic. "W-wait a minute! This isn't illegal... is it?"
Misaki responded calmly. "Don't worry. This investigation was conducted with police cooperation. All the illegal activities in this club have been documented."
At that moment, police officers entered the club, causing the employees to panic. Misaki, satisfied, winked at her colleague, the cameraman.
"Now, the title of the feature article will be 'Behind the Scenes of a Glamorous Fraud - My Three Months Undercover,'" she said as she left the club confidently. In her mind, she was already thinking of her next scoop.