I live my life in Tokyo

"What about illustrations? What do they count as?" the girl asked.

The boy hesitated for a moment and said, "It must be a decoration on the ship."

The girl was smiling widely. It was obvious that Sakakibara Kaede's words touched her heart. She took the initiative to bring up the topic that she had not yet finished talking about, "What do you like about this Love Metronome?"

"I've said before that the key is the writing style... The writing style of this novel has a hint of sour literary youth, which made me unconsciously immerse myself in the work and feel the same entanglement as the protagonist." The boy continued to comment, "The author doesn't look like a newcomer. He skillfully controls the relationship between the male protagonist and the female lead, making them not too close, sometimes sweet, sometimes distant. The rhythm is well controlled... As for the second female lead, I guess she will appear in the second volume, and I don't know what the situation is."

"This is not a popular romance novel that is popular in the market." Sakakibara Kaede commented sharply and made the final decision, "This book has its own audience, although the audience is definitely not large."

“But I wrote what I wanted to write.”

The girl blinked her red eyes and smiled. It must be said that she had a unique charm when she smiled.

"Volume 2? I'm also wondering what the author will write." The girl smiled and finished the coffee on the table. She stood up and said sideways, "I like your comments very much. Thank you."

Sakakibara Kaede watched her leave with her bag and then looked away.

He missed and longed for the feeling of talking to strangers he met by chance. The two of them didn't even exchange their names or leave any contact information. It was just that one person talked and the other listened to the complaints about light novels, and then one of them picked up the bag and left.

Kaede Sakakibara yawned. After reading Love Metronome for the third time, he picked up another light novel describing the daily life of youth and read it in the sunshine.

He didn't know what would happen for dinner today, so he contacted Mrs. Higuchi before and tactfully told her about the arrangements for the next three months. Mrs. Higuchi encouraged him with a smile and said that she didn't care about dinner and that he only needed to have lunch at the Higuchi family from now on.

As for the make-up class time, it will probably have to be moved to the afternoon.

The lunch box was naturally handed over by Higuchi Yuanka.

Chapter 13 Six People at the Crossroads

Facing the sunset, the boy left the coffee shop and walked towards the apartment carrying his suitcase.

The taste of coffee is bitter with a hint of sweetness, just like the feelings in light novels, slowly approaching in the silence of wanting to speak but not being able to, in the silent gaze with the head lowered.

Sakakibara Kaede likes this kind of text very much, or to be more precise, this kind of plot with a bitter taste. Reality is not like novels, which is always so flawless.

The boy saw people of flesh and blood in the novel.

“Excuse me…”

The boy took out the key from the mailbox and opened the door first.

There are many fixed cameras in the room, but there are no filming crews. This is understandable. There are only six people living in this apartment, and it is impossible for the filming crews to follow them from morning to night.

After putting his shoes into the shoe cabinet and changing into slippers, the boy handled the suitcase with care and poured himself a glass of water.

He knew that the filming had already begun when he stepped into the apartment.

Oshima Hide appeared in a blind spot, holding a conspicuous sign in his hand, which indicated to Sakakibara Kaede to look at the letter on the table and read it out.

Kaede Sakakibara found six unopened letters on the table, and he walked up and opened the one that belonged to him.

"Good evening... Sakakibara-san, welcome to the apartment where dreams are intertwined. If nothing unexpected happens, you should be the first to arrive. Why don't you introduce yourself to the camera?"

The basic operation of letting newcomers introduce themselves in front of the camera is an essential part of the reality show.

However, the boy thought that they would hold this session until all six people were present. It seemed that he was notified to enter the apartment so early for no reason. . . In the production team, the first person that Oshima Hide wanted to speak in front of the camera was Sakakibara Kaede, so he was deliberately allowed to arrive earlier than the others.

"Hello everyone, my name is Sakakibara Kaede." Sakakibara Kaede sat in front of the sofa, facing the camera, and introduced herself in a very confident manner, "I am currently a student at the University of Tokyo, and I am also an actor. I have filmed a TV series and a movie, and participated in many group performances."

"Let's talk about life as an actor." Oshima Hide changed the sign.

Sakakibara pondered for a moment and smiled, "As an actor, the work is very busy. It is a daily routine to run around the set all day, so I have to seize the few rest times among the many tasks to relax. I think the key is to arrange time properly."

"Well, I feel like being an actor is too tiring, so I came here to participate in a reality show this season. It can be considered a small vacation for myself."

Oshima Hide nodded. He was really impressed by his ability to answer questions based on what he had learned. He was indeed suitable for variety shows. It was not because of his good looks, but because of his ability to speak well and connect closely with other people.

Someone opened the door with a key. She was not surprised to see someone inside and nodded politely to the people taking pictures and Sakakibara Kaede.

"Well, we might as well move in first. Sakakibara-san, please show us around this apartment."

Seeing Oshima Hide's instructions, Sakakibara Kaede stood up, pulled the suitcase beside her, walked up the stairs, followed by a cameraman.

His room was on the east side of the second floor, where there was a small balcony with excellent lighting. Kaede Sakakibara pushed the door open and waited.

"Wow..."

Sakakibara Kaede sighed.

This is of course an exaggeration - after all, he has stayed in five-star hotels, and this exclamation is just for the effect of the show.

Do you understand the value of this well-intentioned effort?

Although the room is small, it has everything. On his desk, Kaede Sakakibara saw the latest desktop configuration that he had previously applied to the program team to buy.

“Wow.”

This interjection naturally means sincerity.

"Look at this configuration, and there is water cooling... Hiss, the production crew spent a lot of money." Sakakibara Kaede complained silently in his heart. He had already decided what to take away after the filming was over.

After putting his luggage away, the boy changed into loose home clothes - the filming crew naturally left the room, not giving any chance to the female fans who were greedy for his body.

After receiving instructions from Oshima Hide to take a break for a while, Sakakibara Kaede leaned back in his office chair, turned on his computer, and installed the software he was familiar with. It was unlikely that he could work today, but he still had to download the tools and software needed for work.

Soon, voices and footsteps were heard downstairs, but Sakakibara Kaede didn't pay attention because according to the requirements of the program team, he couldn't go downstairs at this time. The door was closed, so he couldn't hear any words.

It seems that the sound insulation is good.

While there was still some time, Sakakibara Kaede sent a message to Higuchi Madoka at this time.

"?"

"Here are the study materials for tonight. I'll send you the summary I wrote first. As for the revisions to the exercises, please send them to me later. I'll correct them for you when I have time tonight."

"..."

Higuchi Enka sent a string of ellipsis.

"Aren't you going to film a show today? Reality shows are very tiring, and they are also very important to your career."

"Your results are just as important as Asakura-san's."

After typing this sentence, Sakakibara Kaede sent his dog-scratched notes without hesitation. Although the handwriting was ugly, it was still vaguely recognizable.

Higuchi Yuanka was silent for a while, and then sent another message, "I'll send you the exercises that Asakura and I did tomorrow, Mr. Good Man."

"If you collapse from exhaustion, I don't want to take care of you again."

Sakakibara Kaede put down his phone, leaned back in his office chair and shook his head.

Ten minutes later, the boy who received the message walked down the stairs. At this time, the first floor was noisy and it sounded like everyone had arrived.

The moment he pushed open the door, he was stunned.

The five people sitting on the sofa were also slightly stunned. One of them stood up in surprise and shouted, "Sakakibara-senpai?"

Sakakibara Kaede maintained a calm and gentle face, smiled and nodded to the girl, "So Ichinose-san is here too. I can't help but sigh that this world is really a small place."

Similar to Chizuru Ichinose's surprise and a little joy, the reactions of the other one man and three women were similar. Two of them stood up, while two remained sitting on the sofa, seemingly unaware of who the Sakakibara in front of them was.

"Well, why don't we talk while eating?" Sakakibara Kaede suggested.

Today's dinner was takeaway food provided by the program crew. It looked really good when served on the plates. The other people also knew that they were currently filming, and they nodded at the same time.

Sakakibara Feng sat down next to another blond boy with dark circles under his eyes. He looked around and saw that some of the people present were reserved. He gently suggested: "Before we eat, why don't we introduce ourselves."

He already knew the purpose of Oshima Hideo pulling him into this reality show, which, in layman's terms, was to clean up his mess.

After all, most of the contestants in this reality show are ordinary people who have never been exposed to the entertainment industry, or amateurs. Facing the camera, they may not know what to say, or perhaps they don’t know how to smooth things over.

At this time, it would be relatively easier if there was someone who had experience in filming and was also active in the entertainment industry.

Sakakibara Kaede spoke with a smile, and what he said was similar to his self-introduction in front of the camera just now.

Everyone's eyes immediately turned to Chizuru Ichinose who was sitting opposite the boy. The girl blushed slightly and said, "My name is Chizuru Ichinose. I'm a freshman in college and I'm currently taking classes at a new actor training class. My dream is to become an actor as great as Sakakibara-senpai."

Oh... After the exclamation, there was soon applause of goodwill.

"My name is Shirogane Yuxing. I'm currently in my third year of high school. Because my house caught fire and I had nowhere to live, I moved into Dream Apartment after asking a friend for help. My dream is to work part-time to earn money to support my family."

The simple words made everyone nod their heads, and Oshima Hide's mouth twitched wildly in the studio nearby.

He had an impression of this Shirogane Miyuki, who was forced upon him by his superior. He also said that this was a person recommended by the Fujiwara family, but the matter should not be told to the person concerned. This made Oshima Hide sigh about the connections.

After Shirogane Miyuki's introduction, the burgundy girl introduced herself. She glanced at Sakakibara Kaede and raised the corners of her mouth. "My name is Kasumigaoka Utaha. I'm a senior high school student and a writer. My dream is to write words that warm and touching people's hearts. I moved into the Dream Apartment because I want to find materials and inspiration here."

Oshima Hide nodded. This was similar to the reason the girl wrote in her application. In fact, light novel writers are still somewhat related to the entertainment industry. Especially in today's age of idolization, it is not surprising that writers rely on their looks to get roles.

The next person to introduce herself was a female voice with long blue hair. She was also one of the people who stood up and recognized Sakakibara Kaede just now.

"My name is Fumino Furuhashi. I'm a senior in high school this year. I was approached by the production crew on my way home... My dream is to study the stars and work in an astronomy-related field."

Oshima Hide took a look at the information and nodded. This girl was indeed someone the program crew met on the road when they casually asked her. From the brief questioning, the program crew learned that the girl did not have a good relationship with her family, so they extended an invitation.

The last person to introduce herself was a brown-haired girl with a ponytail. "My name is Nanami Aoyama. I'm a sophomore in high school. My dream is to become a voice actor. I'm currently attending a private training class. My future university aspiration is to study drama."

This girl Oshima Hide has an impression that voice actors are inseparable from the entertainment industry. For example, the videos used to promote TV series and movies require the presence of voice actors. Sometimes when making live-action anime, actors need to learn from voice actors, and it is normal to ask the voice actors about the mood of the characters they play at the time.

He quickly made some marks on the notebook and decided the focus of the shooting. Although everyone will appear in the camera and have their own scenes and processes, there will always be someone who has a little more than others.

This concludes my self-introduction.

The six people picked up their chopsticks, whispered "I'm ready to eat", and then started picking up food and eating.

For a moment, the dinner table was silent and no one spoke - this was normal, as they were all strangers meeting for the first time, so what topics could they expect to talk about?

In this atmosphere, Sakakibara Kaede asked, "How did Ichinose-san get in touch with Dream Apartment?"

"Well, my agent recommended me to participate, saying that I could learn the essence of an actor from reality shows." Chizuru Ichinose answered the question honestly.

Iida-san... How could you deceive an innocent female college student?

The main focus of reality shows is authenticity. Although everyone knows that there is a hidden script, actions and reactions are the most important.

"Sakakibara-san, Ichinose-san, do you two know each other?" Shirogane Miyuki interrupted to smooth things over.

"Well, Ichinose-san is attending a training class at the firm where I currently work, so we can be considered as seniors and juniors." Sakakibara Kaede said with a smile.

Kasumigaoka Utaha blinked her wine-red eyes, "Seniors and juniors? That's great."

"Did you find some inspiration for your novel?" the boy asked jokingly.

"That's not enough." The skilled question and answer between Kasumigaoka Utaha and Sakakibara Kaede put a lot of pressure on Chizuru Ichinose. How could this high school writer talk to Sakakibara so casually? This was in front of the camera.

She was feeling a bit worried and rarely spoke at dinner parties, always thinking twice before she acted.

Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at the young man who was communicating with Shirogane Miyuki, and her lips curled up slightly, as if she had found some good material. . . In fact, she was not going to tell anyone about what they had seen before. She felt that there was no need, and it would be better to put those precious conversations deep in her memory.

"Oh? Shirogane-san wants to study abroad?"

"Well... it's just an idea."

Shirogane Miyuki nodded in acknowledgment somewhat embarrassedly, and Fumino Furuhashi joined in the conversation between the two at some point.

"If Mr. Furuhashi wants to consider a science university, the only well-known ones in Tokyo are Hitotsubashi University and the University of Tokyo." Sakakibara Kaede said thoughtfully.

Furuno Fumino hummed. In a short time, she felt that the other five people living in Dream Apartment were easy to talk to, and soon threw away her original restraint. "What do you think of the University of Tokyo, Sakakibara-senpai?"

Here, three top students were discussing the pros and cons of universities, and the aura they exuded made Chizuru Ichinose a little overwhelmed.

Her heart unconsciously became close to that of Nanami Aoyama. The two looked at each other and saw something in each other's eyes.

However, compared to the sharp comments on schools and majors among the three academic masters, the conversation between Chizuru Ichinose and Nanami Aoyama was obviously much more restrained. They just talked about their recent lives and did not go into depth about actors and voice actors.

Kasumigaoka Utaha also joined their conversation. She always had a mature and confident smile on her face, which made Aoyama Nanami envious.

After dinner, Sakakibara Kaede took the dishes to the kitchen. There was a table on the wall here, which clearly marked the housework that each person should do every day. Today was the first day, and it was Sakakibara Kaede's turn to wash the dishes.

If he knew that this was specially arranged by Oshima Hide, Sakakibara Kaede didn't know how to thank him.

Chapter 20: years old, a student

Getting up from the unfamiliar bed.

The sunlight faintly shines into the room through the window screens, and the central air-conditioning breathes in and out a slightly cool breeze.

Kaede Sakakibara got up from the bed and rubbed his neck. He felt that the pillow he used last night was not to his liking and now he felt his neck a little sore.

After glancing at the clock on his cell phone, Sakakibara Kaede lay back on the bed and closed his eyes. Only then did he remember that he was not at home or in a hotel.