He was competing against himself.

The same model.

The same clothing.

The same beach.

The same campaign.

Only the pose would change.

He laughed quietly.

This was perhaps the safest rivalry in the kingdom.

No opponent could complain.

No friendship could be damaged.

No diplomatic incident could occur.

Usinomics walked toward the edge of the artificial beach.

The futuristic skyline reflected in the water.

Behind him, the production team continued preparing both versions.

One silent.

One musical.

He looked toward the horizon and placed one hand in his pocket.

The model pose returned naturally.

To his surprise, it felt enjoyable.

For once, he was not building.

Not gathering timber.

Not feeding a guest.

Not operating a company.

Not trying to understand an unfamiliar message.

He was simply standing beneath the light.

The sea moved gently across the shore.

Aircraft crossed the sky.

Somewhere far away, Moo66 remained attached to its road, looking like a warehouse from the front and an office from the back.

The dolphin was probably still exploring the marine district.

The visitor might still be opening and closing the doors.

King MIINAN MATTMA might still be playing Chinese music.

The headquarters still needed toilets.

Usinomics smiled.

Tomorrow, there would be more work.

Today, however, the future had placed him on the cover.

And for a few quiet minutes on the artificial beach of IMABURAI KINGDOM, Usinomics allowed himself to enjoy being a model.

The first version of the campaign was released without music.

No introduction.

No voice-over.

No dramatic announcement.

The screen simply faded from black.

Then Usinomics appeared.

He stood on the artificial beach of IMABURAI KINGDOM, dressed in the red Moo66 collaboration shirt, gray pants, white socks, and sandals. The dark tote bag hung beside him while the futuristic towers rose beyond the shoreline.

The wind moved gently through his hair.

Small aircraft crossed the sky.

The sea reflected the golden afternoon light.

There was no sound.

Only the image.

The silence made every movement feel deliberate.

The slight turn of his head.

The relaxed position of his shoulders.

The way he looked past the camera toward the distant city.

Without music to guide the audience’s emotions, viewers had to decide for themselves what the image meant.

Confidence.

Loneliness.

Ambition.

Calmness.

Perhaps all four.

The final frame showed the emblem on his shirt.

MOO66

The screen faded to black.

A simple message appeared.

IMABURAI KINGDOM × Moo66

Fashion. Future. Freedom.

Then the video ended.

Usinomics watched the result from inside the production room.

He folded his arms.

One of the editors nodded.

“That is the concept.”

The editor looked at him.

“That is also part of the concept.”

Usinomics nodded slowly.

He was not entirely convinced.

Still, he understood the purpose.

Silence created distance.

It made the clothing appear more serious.

More expensive.

More mysterious.

It also prevented copyright issues.

That alone gave the silent version a powerful advantage.

The second version began several minutes later.

This time, music entered immediately.

A bright instrumental rhythm rose beneath the first image.

There were no lyrics.

No singer.

Only percussion, strings, electronic tones, and a sweeping cinematic melody.

The same artificial beach appeared.

The same skyline.

The same clothing.

The same Usinomics.

Yet the atmosphere had changed completely.

The gentler version made him look like a confident business owner with a clear vision for the future city.

The musical version made him look like someone arriving to take control of it.

Each camera cut matched the rhythm.

His walk along the beach appeared faster.

The red shirt looked brighter.

The Moo66 emblem seemed to carry greater energy.

When Usinomics turned toward the skyline, the music rose with him.

When the camera moved toward the tote bag, the rhythm softened.

When the final full-body shot appeared, the instrumental arrangement expanded as though an entire city had opened behind him.

Usinomics watched himself on the screen.

He barely recognized the man in the video.

On the day of filming, he had been thinking about toilets, timber, land expansion, and restaurant chairs.

The completed campaign made it appear as though he had been contemplating the economic future of an international kingdom.

He walked over to the editor.

The edited photographs were already displayed on the monitor.

“Did you change my expression?”

“Are you certain?”

Usinomics looked back at the screen.

The man in the video appeared remarkably determined.

Perhaps worrying about construction expenses naturally produced an executive expression.

The musical version ended with the same words.

IMABURAI KINGDOM × Moo66

Fashion. Future. Freedom.

This time, the logo arrived with a final orchestral note.

The screen went dark.

The production room remained silent for several seconds.

Then one of the assistants applauded.

Another joined.

Soon the entire team was clapping.

Usinomics looked around.

He was unsure whether he should applaud himself.

Eventually, he offered a modest bow instead.

The evaluation system activated immediately.

Two separate counters appeared on the main display.

Silent Version

Music Version

Views began to increase.

Then reactions.

Then completion rates.

Then repeat views.

The numbers moved faster than Usinomics expected.

The music version took an early lead.

The silent version remained close behind.

One of the analysts enlarged the data.

“Interesting.”

Usinomics looked over.

“The music version attracts attention faster.”

“But the silent version is being watched longer.”

Usinomics stared at the screen.

“People may be examining the visual details more carefully.”

“Or checking whether their phones are broken.”

The analyst laughed.

The silent version received fewer immediate reactions, but its completion rate remained high. Viewers appeared to stay until the final frame.

The musical version produced more rapid engagement.

People replayed the opening.

Some reacted to the rhythm.

Others focused on the clothing.

The experiment had not produced a simple winner.

Instead, it revealed two different audiences.

One wanted atmosphere.

The other wanted clarity.

One preferred emotion.

The other preferred observation.

Usinomics studied the results.

Perhaps IMABURAI had been correct to release both.

Not every presentation needed to compete.

Sometimes, two versions served two different purposes.

The music version could attract attention.

The silent version could support business use.

One belonged to entertainment.

The other belonged to commerce.

Usinomics smiled faintly.

It reminded him of his own projects.

Moo66 could be playful.

IMABURAI had to remain professional.

The two identities were connected, but they could not behave exactly the same way.

A staff member approached with a tablet.

“The first magazine cover has also been published.”

The finished cover appeared on the screen.

Usinomics stood against the futuristic waterfront beneath the large title:

IMABURAI KINGDOM

On the opposite side, a full-body photograph showed him walking beside the artificial sea.

The styling was clean.

The logo remained visible.

The red shirt dominated the composition without overwhelming the background.

Small text appeared along the side.

FASHION.

FUTURE.

FREEDOM.

Below that:

WHERE INNOVATION MEETS TRADITION.

Usinomics read every line carefully.

The campaign described a man looking toward the future.

A symbol of movement.

A citizen of several worlds.

A representative of Moo66.

It did not mention that he lived in a building that still resembled a warehouse.

It did not mention the double doors.

It did not mention the visitor who had spent several minutes opening and closing them.

It did not mention the seafood bowl.

That was probably wise.

A magazine required a controlled image.

Real life was rarely controlled.

Another notification arrived.

This one came from Moo66.

Visitor Activity Detected

Usinomics immediately looked toward the warp gate.

The friend might still be there.

He thanked the production team, returned the clothing to the stylist, and prepared to leave.

The stylist stopped him.

“The collaboration outfit belongs to you.”

Usinomics looked down at the red shirt.

“It is part of the campaign agreement.”

He checked the emblem again.

The design represented Moo66, yet the quality and presentation unmistakably belonged to IMABURAI.

It was business and play in a single garment.

A difficult balance.

Usinomics nodded.

The tote bag was also included.

So were the pants.

So was the cap.

The sandals, however, belonged to the styling department.

Usinomics returned them.

He changed into his usual shoes, placed the collaboration items inside the tote bag, and stepped toward the warp gate.

The beach disappeared in blue light.

Usinomics returned to Moo66. The staff had already gone home.

The headquarters was quiet.

Usinomics looked once more at the magazine cover.

The man in the photograph stared toward the future with absolute confidence.

Usinomics quietly laughed.

Then he turned off the light.

Beyond the windows, the artificial stars of IMABURAI KINGDOM seemed to glow across the distant horizon.

And somewhere beneath the sea, a dolphin circled the white columns of a mansion it could not enter, waiting patiently for the next morning.

To be continued — Part 4