Tokyo Sick Girlfriend

Chapter 136 Patience (Two chapters combined, please vote with monthly tickets~)
Shiratori Seiya didn't expect Hojo Shione to bring her sister today. Normally, if someone bothers him about work, even if he doesn't say anything on the surface, he will silently start to deduct points from the other person's score in his heart.

However, the cold dampened his spirits, and the fact that Hojo Suzune seemed to have only come to say hello made him feel a little better.

There was no time to dwell on the ulterior motives among the people; Shiratori Seiya took this audition, or rather, the role rehearsal, very seriously.

There are many theories about whether a TV series is successful. Some people think the script is the core, some think the actors are the soul of the script, and others think the director and screenwriter are the most important.

Shiratori Seiya didn't care about the question of who the soul was; what he knew was that only by doing everything right could he put his mind at ease.

Being at ease doesn't mean I'm certain this show will be a huge hit, but rather that I've done my best and there's no room for improvement based on my own abilities.

The saying "do your best and leave the rest to fate" is exactly what Shiratori Seizaki believes it should be.

When he auditioned for the first time as a screenwriter, he didn't show any fear in the face of such a small scene, but when it came to deciding whether an actor was a good fit for the role in the play, he still couldn't make a judgment based on his own experience and knowledge.

It is especially easy to get caught up in a dilemma when two actors have similar temperaments, appearances, and abilities.

In fact, it wasn't just him; even director Tsukasa Sakaida, who has several years of filming experience and has directed more than a dozen dramas, would have trouble with it.

Sakaida Tsukasa touched his forehead, which was covered with wrinkles, with his thick index finger and stared at the application form for the second male lead, lost in thought.

After a while, Sakai finally raised his head. His gaze first fell on Fujikawa Shunpei, who was sending a message. He opened his mouth but did not interrupt. Then he looked at Shiratori Seiya beside him, thinking that he would ask him first to get Fujikawa Shunpei involved in the discussion.

"Teacher X, what are your thoughts on the character Akio Tsukumo?"

As he spoke, he moved the list in his hand to Shiratori's side, his slightly cloudy eyes staring at the boy in front of him.

As a veteran director, he naturally couldn't swallow his pride and actually tell a new screenwriter like Shiratori Seiya that he was struggling with these two people and ask for his opinion.

He just felt that Shiratori Seiya was a bit strange.

Everything is eerie.

The first thing is the speed at which the script is written.

Screenwriters typically struggle to write scripts, often feeling constipated. If the deadline is the afternoon of the 25th, it's absolutely impossible to submit the manuscript in the morning. Staying up to the deadline is practically an occupational hazard.

But Shiratori Seiya was completely different. He wrote the entire novel for the play right away, and then finished the remaining half of the script in two weeks.

When Sakaida Tsukasa first received the second half of the script, he thought it was just a shoddy job, so he glanced at it casually with a critical attitude and prepared to have Shiratori Seiya take it back and rewrite it.

Actually, having Shiratori Seiya go back to rewrite it was only part of the plan.

He's too young, only nineteen years old, although producer Fujikawa said he used to be a lyricist and composer in the music industry.

The recent accident at Hojo Shione's concert caused quite a stir, and he knew a little about it. But as the saying goes, every profession is different, and after all, he was just a young boy still in school. Without the support of successful experience in a new field, Sakaida Tsukasa felt that he would definitely show his incompetence.

Then I'll be confident I can revise the script he has.

However, after receiving the script, Sakaida Tsukasa's plan died in its infancy.

Professional and complete, there is no trace of shoddy workmanship or rushed production, and it is impossible to tell that this is a script written by a novice screenwriter who has just entered the industry.

This led Sakai Tsukasa to suspect that he had already written the script, or to think more radically, he even suspected that the script was written by Shiratori Seiya.

But such suspicion is meaningless. Even if the script wasn't written by Shiratori Seiya, he is the registered copyright holder.

I can only convince myself that Shiratori Seiya might truly be exceptionally talented.

But thinking about it this way is even more frightening. Sakai Tsukasa went back and did some research before, and found that he had only been gone from the music scene for half a year.

To be able to write such a mature script in just six months...

Based on my many years of experience in the industry, this script and novel would at least win a second prize if submitted to a competition.

What he meant here was that there was a high probability he would win the first prize.

If he really wrote this, then he can't just be called a genius, he's a monster.

Sakaida Tsukasa felt increasingly that the boy sitting next to him was a bit strange, so he simply put away his arrogance and did not stop Shiratori Seiya from recommending the female lead.

Of course, Mio Takahashi is indeed outstanding. She has an outstanding appearance and stands out among the actresses who auditioned. More importantly, her expressions, movements, and delivery of lines are all excellent.

I also examined her understanding of the character and the entire drama. This was actually somewhat unnecessary, but judging from her answers, she had definitely studied the script beforehand.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that his portrayal of the character was incredibly vivid.

My previous worries about the female lead have been completely put to rest.

Perhaps that's why Sakaida Tsukasa, after struggling with casting, especially wanted to hear Shiratori Seiya's opinion and also wanted to find out his background.

Sakai Tsukasa didn't say which two people he was agonizing over, but the photos of Shinno Yuya and Muto Kashiwa were marked with red circles in red pen.

However, Shiratori Seiya understood his thoughts at a glance.

Having watched from the sidelines for so long, he naturally noticed that Sakaida Tsukasa had hesitated for a long time regarding this role.

Although he is the second male lead, he plays a significant role in the plot. In the drama, Akio Tsukumo is the father of a kidnapping victim who has been suffering from the pain of losing his son for twenty years. He can be said to be a key figure in driving the investigation of the entire case, and there is also a plot twist involving him at the end.

It's not hard to guess what director Tsukasa Sakai was struggling with.

The two auditioning actors, Yuya Shinno and Yuya, have been working in this industry for many years. Although he doesn't have any famous representative works, he has accumulated a lot of fans. If they choose him to participate, it will definitely attract some traffic. In this era where traffic is king, choosing someone with popularity is definitely not a bad choice. Even if the performance is bad, people will still watch.

The second candidate, Muto Kashiwa, has an interesting resume. He is 35 years old, was laid off from his company a year ago, and previously worked in radio logistics. He also had experience as an extra...

Shiratori Seiya glanced at the list first, then pushed it back in front of Sakaida Tsukasa, cleared his throat, and said:
"Sakai-senpai, please don't test me with this. Everyone can see that Muto Kashiwa is clearly more suitable to play Tsukumo Akio. After all, the most suitable is the best..."

Shiratori Seiya was halfway through his sentence when he looked up and called out to Fujikawa Shunpei, who was smiling and looking down at the message:

"Right? Producer Fujikawa?"

Upon hearing this, Fujikawa Shunpei raised his head. Although he had been sending messages, he knew more or less what the two were talking about. He reached out and grabbed the cast list, glanced at it, and then looked at Sakaida Tsukasa.

Unlike Shiratori Seiya, he didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point:

"Sakai-san, what are you struggling with?"

Sakaida Tsukasa adjusted his glasses and explained with a smile:
"Actually, I think their acting skills are about the same, but as screenwriter Shiratori just said, Muto seems more suitable, but Shinno's fan base is quite stable..."

"Oh."

Fujikawa Shunpei nodded thoughtfully, hesitated for two seconds, then narrowed his eyes at Shiratori Seiya and said directly:

"Let's go with Muto. As for viewership, Utsunomiya Kozo's popularity is enough. This is a drama that tests the actor's skills, so it's better to focus on quality."

Kozo Utsunomiya was the male lead recruited by Shunpei Fujikawa.

Upon hearing this, Shiratori Seiya frowned subconsciously. He had prepared how to begin his explanation, but he hadn't expected Fujikawa Shunpei to be on his side like this.

He didn't make the judgment casually; he specifically bought a script/role compatibility assessment card from the system.

Unlike the lover cultivation assessment card, the system's script character compatibility assessment card is a purchase option that is only unlocked after exchanging for the corresponding script, and each card costs 50,000 yen.

Mutou's character compatibility is 76%, while Shinno's is 61%, a difference of 15%. The choice is obvious. Seemingly noticing the doubt in Shiratori Seiya's eyes, Fujikawa Shunpei stated directly:

"Teacher X, you wrote the script yourself, so you should have a clearer understanding of what kind of characters you're creating, right?"

"Moreover, I trust your judgment."

This was clearly a direct endorsement of his side. Shiratori Seiya looked at him, and their eyes met in the air.

"No problem, I agree with Sakai-senpai."

He smiled, giving Sakai a way out, but something felt off.

Showing courtesy for nothing is either cheating or stealing.

Besides, given Fujikawa Shunpei's status, what could possibly happen if he showed goodwill towards me?
Shiratori Seiya kept something in mind, but didn't say much, and continued to follow the casting process.

After having lunch, he didn't rest for long. In the afternoon, Fujikawa Shunpei simply stopped coming and found Ono Producer to take his place. Nobody knows where he went.

He was busy until 6 p.m. when Fujikawa Shunpei finally appeared. He knocked on the door and said with a smile:
"Everyone's worked hard, shall we go grab a bite together?"

A cheer erupted in the room. Shiratori Seiya glanced at the message that Hasegawa Saori had sent him on his phone.

She said she had just returned to school and had just asked me if I should pick her up today, and whether I should provide her with a meal. She also added a panda rubbing its belly and sighing emoji.

Looking at the message she posted, Shiratori Seiya couldn't help but feel like he had a pet.

Normally, he would have to consider whether or not to go to the party.

Generally speaking, this is the perfect opportunity to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the party crew, but today there's no need to hesitate at all.

After the last few left the room, Shiratori Seiya found Fujikawa Shunpei and coughed twice.
"Producer Fujikawa, I've caught a cold these past couple of days and I'm really not feeling well."

"Well, it's okay."

Fujikawa Shunpei nodded, took out a cigarette from his pocket, put it in his mouth, but didn't light it immediately. He then affectionately put his arm around Shiratori Seiya's shoulder and said:
"Take good care of yourself and get plenty of rest. Once you're better, I have a collaboration I'd like to discuss with you..."

"?"

Upon hearing this, Shiratori Seiya subconsciously narrowed his eyes and glanced at him.

"Haha, don't be so nervous, it's like I'm trying to harm you."

Seeing his wary expression, Fujikawa Shunpei took off his cigarette and laughed heartily before returning to normal, speaking seriously:

"It's a profitable business, a legitimate business. We'll talk about it properly later."

After saying this, he gave Shiratori Seiya a deep look, then turned and left.
-
In the coffee shop, Hojo Suzune sat by the window, her slender arm supporting her chin as she gazed longingly out the window.

The waiter had glanced in her direction several times already.

Hojo Suzune naturally noticed this and was probably wondering how long it would take her to leave and if she could avoid having to deal with so many more tragic situations.

Come to think of it, she seems to be no different now than when she was in Kyoto, staring blankly out the window, wondering when she will be able to see Shiratori Seiya.

However, compared to now, the distance between him and me has become much closer.

The location on my phone shows that we are only a few hundred meters apart, unlike in Kyoto where we were thousands of kilometers apart. Just thinking about it makes me feel miserable...

However, although she feels better now, the pain in her heart seems to have been transferred to her.

I've had three cups of coffee since 1 p.m., and while I'm not exactly sleepy, my buttocks, back, and shoulders all feel a bit sore.

I had been traveling for half a day yesterday, hadn't rested well last night, and then sat here all afternoon. It would be a lie to say I wasn't tired.

But the thought of Shiratori Seiya looking sick and haggard still made her feel sorry for him.

I learned he was sick yesterday. Although I was a little sad, I hadn't seen him yet. When I finally saw him, I felt like my heart was torn into eight pieces.

I barely managed to hold back my tears...

'Buzz.'

Just then, the phone on the table suddenly vibrated, and Hojo Suzune immediately realized what was happening, her eyes showing a look of joy.

The location software was set to automatically vibrate and alert her when two people were within 110 meters of each other.

She shrugged off the chair, grabbed her handbag, and ran outside.

"Qing Zai!"

She ran to the boy, a joyful smile on her face, and a charming blush appearing between her brows.

Shiratori Seiya vaguely heard someone calling him, and subconsciously stopped and turned around to look behind him.

Under the warm yellow streetlights, Hojo Suzune, like a deer, skipped and hopped towards him, her hands behind her back.
"Ringtone?"

Looking at the girl in front of him, Shiratori Seiya was taken aback and couldn't help but ask:
"Lingyin, what brings you here? Where's your sister?"

"Well……"

Hojo Suzune opened her mouth, then took out a bottle of heat-clearing and detoxifying syrup from her handbag and looked at Shiratori Seiya, saying:
"Kiyoshi, I know you're sick today..."

Watching her pull out several packets of medicine from her pocket like Doraemon, Shiratori Seiya pursed his lips and asked:

"Where's Xiyin? Isn't she with you?"

Hojo Suzune shook her head:

“I told her I wanted to see you, and then…”

Upon hearing this, Shiratori Seiya unconsciously frowned and asked:

"Didn't she say she was coming to pick you up tonight?"

"She...said..."

Hojo Suzune paused for a moment, then blinked her watery eyes and stared at Shiratori Seiya's face with a smile, saying:
"But, Kiyoya, could you take me back?"

"..."

"Ugh……"

The girl's voice gradually faded into the air, but Shiratori Seiya's sigh was enough to say everything.

This is no different from a rejection.

Her smile froze for a moment, then she forced a smile and whispered:

"I was lying to you, Kiyoya. Actually, my sister is nearby. I'll have her come pick me up."

……
-
(End of this chapter)