I live my life in Tokyo

"Ah, it's already this late. I have to go back to Chiba." Sakurajima Mai looked at her watch and stood up and said, "I have tutoring at school this afternoon. It's a rare opportunity today, and I don't want to be late."

"it is good."

"See you later, Yuanxiang-chan." Sakurajima Mai winked at her mischievously, put away her smile, put on a mask, and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Use a topic to whet people's appetite and then leave... Higuchi Madoka looked at the ripples of hot cocoa in the coffee cup and sighed softly.

Does she... like Sakakibara-san?

She was just used to having Sakakibara-san around her. Whether as a colleague, a teacher, or a friend, she had gotten used to his presence.

On the other hand, she couldn't get used to life without him.

Higuchi Madoka stared at the drink blankly, her purple eyes blinking.

Is this what you call love?

It turns out that I like him.

Chapter 29: The Game Is Set

"I wonder if you are curious about the guest we invited today? I'm sure you are curious, right?"

“How do you talk to the audience?”

Takeuchi Megumi and Ueda Ya, the veteran 007 partners tonight, sat at the table. Ueda Ya gave a mysterious smile to the audience.

Having been partners for many years, Takeuchi Megumi naturally knows how to take over for her partner now.

Ueda also heard the audience's expected applause and couldn't help but grin, "It seems that the audience's appetite has been whetted."

"I didn't expect that we could have the main actor of Kamen Rider as our guest this time. It's such a great honor!"

"Mr. Ueda is still as exaggerated as ever, so we still need to greet him properly. Let's welcome the actor Sakakibara Kaede with the warmest applause!"

The boy behind the scenes breathed a sigh of relief, looked at his clothes, adjusted his collar, then walked out of the curtain where the lights were concentrated, and waved to the audience with a smile.

The audience was surprised and delighted. At this moment, they all stood up and applauded to welcome him. The prettiest young ladies sitting in the front row, who were used to maintain the ratings of the program, were almost crying with excitement. They stretched out their hands and tried to touch the young man who was waving and smiling.

"Ah, it turns out that actress Sakakibara Kaede is still very popular." Ueda also said with a smile at the table, "I remember what my Chinese teacher in high school said, 'When a man has not been seen for three days, he should be treated with new eyes.' This year has passed, and Sakakibara Kaede has improved like a rocket. I am shocked and envious at the same time."

Takeuchi Kei asked curiously, "What does Ueda-san envy?"

"Is there any need to ask? I must be envious of the figure of actress Sakakibara Kaede." Ueda laughed at his size. He stood up and let the audience see his slightly fat belly. He sighed and said, "Menopause is really the enemy of middle-aged men. We must be on guard against it."

His funny words made the audience laugh again.

Sakakibara Kaede couldn't help but laugh. It has been almost a year since he appeared on the 007 Tonight show. A year ago, he was just a newcomer in the industry, but now he has the honor of becoming the leading actor of Kamen Rider.

Along the way, he worked hard to improve himself, and at the same time he was grateful for the kind friends and elders he met along the way.

"Long time no see, actor Sakakibara Kaede."

"Long time no see, Takeuchi-san, Ueda-san."

There was only one sofa for the guests today, so he would not sit next to Mai Sakurajima like last time and be attacked by fans afterwards. He greeted the two familiar hosts and sat down with a natural and warm smile on his face.

Ueda also coughed lightly, "Ah, a year has passed unknowingly. Actor Sakakibara Kaede has been very busy this year and has not even had time to appear on variety shows."

The boy quickly said something modest, "Ueda-san, please call me Sakakibara-san as before, otherwise it will sound strange."

After a pause, he said, "This year's schedule is indeed very full. As Ueda-san and Takeuchi-san know, our daily high school life just ended this spring. Not long after I entered college, I was fortunate to participate in the Ghost Fire Project in midsummer. This fall, I had a rare break, but my agent called me to shoot the Dream Apartment reality show. In winter... As you all know, the shooting schedule of Kamen Rider is quite tight. I rarely had a break these two days, so I came to the 007 Live Tonight, didn't I?"

Takeuchi Megumi coughed lightly, "Sakakibara-san, have you forgotten about the band you formed? It was the week before Christmas, and a month had passed since the release of your first album, Sheen, and your band's songs were still at the top of the charts."

"So amazing?" Ueda also said with raised eyes.

Accompanied by a dramatic music, the originally beautiful night view of Tokyo behind the three people changed, and a music chart appeared on the screen.

"Oh!"

Sakakibara Kaede repeatedly said that he was not worthy of the title, and the audience applauded and some even whistled.

"Mr. Sakakibara has been filming Kamen Rider for the past three months. The audience has been very enthusiastic about this Kamen Rider with the nostalgic feelings and flavor of the past. They think that both the plot and the casting are top-notch. What do you think?"

It's back to the old saying that if you want to survive in this society, you won't suffer if you have a sweet mouth. Moreover, Sakakibara Kaede has learned a lot in this crew. The directors have taught him a lot of acting techniques, and he has learned a lot of new ways to slack off from the seniors in the crew.

Well, well, let me say a few words from my heart.

"I was fascinated by the script of Kamen Rider Kuuga. The chief screenwriter, Mr. Arakawa, gave me many pointers on the key points of Godai Yusuke's character on the set. It was because of Mr. Arakawa's help that I was able to grasp the key points of the character so quickly."

A perfect, flawless answer might have required Mai Sakurajima to assist in the past, but now times have changed and he has become more mature and experienced.

"As for the casting..." Sakakibara Kaede thought about it. All the actors signed a confidentiality agreement before filming Kamen Rider. Things related to the plot, characters, and the future direction of the script must be kept confidential. In addition, there are also itinerary and styling.

He had consulted Mr. Ishida before the show, so he naturally knew what to say and what not to say.

“The audition competition is fierce.”

"Oh? Why is it so intense? Unfold the rope."

"There were more than ten large agencies that came to audition, and more than fifty medium-sized agencies like STARS."

"That's too exaggerated, there must be thousands of people, right?" Ueda also took a breath of cold air. Sakakibara Kaede, who was sitting next to him, suddenly felt that the temperature around him dropped by several degrees, but his exaggeration was understandable.

The audience was equally surprised, but compared to Ueda who put a dramatic expression on his face, their expression management was relatively mature.

"It's just like a job search." Sakakibara interrupted, "For example, there is only one position, but there are hundreds of employees applying for it."

"Indeed, it makes sense to think this way. Can you tell me the audition process? How did Sakakibara-san get the leading role? I can't sleep every night because of this question."

His exaggerated acting made Takeuchi Megumi feel uncomfortable trying to hold back her laughter.

Sakakibara knew that the audition process was indeed something that could be described. Facing the curious eyes of the audience, he told the story, "Imagine that after you open and close your eyes, you appear in a strange world. The ground around you is cracked, the buildings are destroyed, and you hear people crying and monsters roaring. What would Ueda-san usually do in this situation?"

Ueda also thought seriously for a while, raised his eyebrows and said: "I will moisten it directly."

Hearing that some viewers were amused, Ueda felt quite accomplished. He coughed and continued, "I think normal people would just run away. It's ok to be surrounded by unfamiliar surroundings, but to go forward to explore after hearing the monster's cry... You don't even know how you pooped."

"Did Sakakibara-san just turn around and run away during the audition?" Takeuchi Megumi asked, trying not to laugh.

Sakakibara shook her head. "According to the setting, I am a member of the search team who saves the people. If I act according to what Ueda-san thinks, I might not be able to come to the show today."

There was another round of harmonious laughter. Ueda raised an eyebrow at his partner, coughed, and calmly changed the subject.

"Sakakibara-san is here for the second time at Tonight 007 today, and it's different from the first time..."

He stretched out his tone, and Sakakibara Kaede had no idea what he was up to. "What's going on?"

"When Sakakibara-san came here for the first time, he was not alone. I remember that he came with the actors of our daily life as a high school student. They are not only Sakakibara-san's friends, but now they are also his colleagues who are filming Kamen Rider together."

Takeuchi Megumi smiled and said, "I remember asking this question a year ago, but I want to ask it again this time, which actor pairs best with Sakakibara-san?"

"Well, whether it's acting opposite each other or having a romantic relationship, or playing a colleague, partner, or family member in the drama, who do you think you get along with the most, Sakakibara-san?"

This is like roasting him on the fire. He has experienced three-choice questions like this before. Is it going to happen again this time?

"Is it a multiple choice question?" asked Sakakibara Kaede.

"Oh? Mr. Sakakibara, do you think it's better to act with multiple actors? Or can you work well with many famous actors?" Ueda raised his eyebrows and asked.

Sakakibara Kaede found the blank space where Ueda asked the question, and he seemed to have found the solution. Hearing this, he chuckled.

"Every actor needs a certain period of adaptation, whether it is in terms of substituting for the role or when playing opposite other actors. In Kamen Rider, I do have a lot of scenes opposite Sakurajima-san, but this is not a big problem for the two of us. Everything goes smoothly because we have worked together many times and can clearly recognize each other's mistakes."

"Even if there are some mistakes in the lines, we will try our best to make it right, which is what we call rounding things up."

Sakakibara Kaede paused, allowing the stunned audience to digest the meaning of his words before speaking again.

"For example, I met Katsurayama Nobuto once before when I was filming a campus youth drama. This time, acting opposite each other is a big challenge for both of us."

Ueda was also a little depressed. He and Takeuchi Megumi looked at each other. The latter smiled, knowing that her partner's question was cleverly avoided by Sakakibara Kaede. You know, if Sakakibara Kaede revealed which actress he preferred to play opposite, the subsequent questions might evolve into asking about any intersections in the other party's life, where they met besides the agency, and other gossip that would interest all the audience.

During his year in the entertainment industry, Sakakibara Kaede has always maintained the self-cultivation of an actor. He is polite and always smiles before speaking. He is extremely tolerant when facing fans and even paparazzi photographing. Except for a few times when he was photographed eating and drinking in public restaurants and became a joke, there has been no negative news about him.

What does a person like this think of his colleagues? Not only the audience is curious, but even... those colleagues are also curious.

In front of the TV, Sakurajima Mai was lying on the sofa with her cheek in her hand, looking gloomy and somewhat ungraceful. Opposite her was Toyohama Kazuka, who was staring at the TV intently. After that meal, Toyohama Kazuka became a little fan of Sakakibara Kaede. These days, Sakurajima Mai rarely went home after filming the drama, and her sister pestered her to ask about Sakakibara Kaede's every move in the crew.

Fengbin Hexiang's relationship with her stepmother is neither good nor bad, but at least she is back home now, and her stepmother seems to have tacitly agreed to let her come to her sister's house to play or live, but the prerequisite is that she has to call to report that she is safe.

Mai Sakurajima knows that Kazuka Toyohama has a morbid desire to pursue her, but this does not mean that Kazuka Toyohama likes girls. She just envies Mai Sakurajima's abilities and wants to become a younger sister who surpasses her sister one day.

She watched the boy on TV talking and found that his hairstyle seemed to have been trimmed by a hairdresser, with a middle-parted style that looked more mature. The light sprinkled down like starlight, falling on his smooth black hair like fragments of light particles, and his sea-blue eyes looked even deeper.

Sometimes he really makes others forget his age, as if Sakakibara Kaede is a mature student who has graduated from college, but the reality is that he is just about to become a sophomore.

Self-confidence can indeed change a person's aura. If you want to change yourself, you might as well take some time to sit down and read and write, buy yourself a new dress, and go to the barber shop to get a new hairstyle. In the modern fast-paced life, it is rare to calm down and do something, but it is not as difficult as you think to change yourself.

It is like the author diligently typing, thinking about the content of the story in his spare time, gaining inspiration, persistence is motivation, and relying on the imagination and creativity in his mind to bring a faint scent of ink to his life.

Christmas is coming.

She looked at the calendar on her phone. The crew gave everyone a day off on Christmas Day so that they could spend time with their friends and family.

Mai Sakurajima has a bad relationship with her mother and has always been in a cold war with her. Although she went back home once last Christmas, the dinner table was particularly deserted.

How should we celebrate Christmas this year?

Invite Sakakibara-senpai to hang out alone? Is that a bit too greedy?

Sakakibara Kaede is not just hers, he is also a close friend of many people. What's more, she learned from Higuchi Madoka that she has become accustomed to Sakakibara Kaede appearing in her life.

Of course, she wanted to claim Sakakibara as her own and claim her sovereignty. But watching Sakakibara on TV, who was so methodical despite Ueda's continuous questions with hints, Mai Sakurajima sighed. She herself didn't know if she mustered up the courage to take that step and stepped into the safe distance of Sakakibara, would the other party politely step back?

Are you having a Christmas party?

Mai Sakurajima took a deep breath. She was not good at being an organizer, but after she threw a word in the group, someone would naturally help organize it.

Black Rabbit: "Is there a party this Christmas?"

Golden-haired handsome guy: “!”

Chapter 30 Overheard

"Yuanxiang, someone is knocking on the door, go see who it is."

"Hi--"

Higuchi Madoka drew out her voice and reluctantly stood up from in front of the TV. She put her cell phone in her pocket and twisted her white toes to put on her furry slippers.

Even though the heating was on at home, she still wore a warm top and long pants. It was almost Christmas and no one wanted to get sick at this time.

She walked quickly to the door, stared at the peephole for a moment, and then opened the door.

"Yuan Xiang-chan, good afternoon. I hope I didn't disturb you."

"No, you're here at the right time, Sakurajima-san." Higuchi Yuanka made way and motioned for Sakurajima Mai to come in quickly.

The latter was wearing a thick windbreaker and a scarf, with earmuffs for warmth. She exhaled a puff of mist and quickly entered the room. After Higuchi Madoka closed the door, she breathed a sigh of relief, and her face suddenly turned rosy as the warm wind blew.

"Who's here?" Mrs. Higuchi came down from upstairs in a sweater. When she saw Sakurajima Mai, a warm and bright smile appeared on her face. "Oh, is it Sakurajima-chan? Yuan Xiangke has said a lot about you. When she talked about her filming experience, she mentioned many times that there was a senior who took care of her."

Mai Sakurajima bowed gracefully. Her polite smile gave people a good impression at the first sight.

Mrs. Higuchi had a very good impression of Sakurajima Mai. When they met for the first time, Sakurajima Mai came to visit and brought cookies as a gift. While they were chatting and laughing, Sakurajima Mai sat down in front of the sofa.

Mrs. Higuchi, who was working upstairs, paused her work and went to the kitchen to prepare tea.

Higuchi Madoka returned to her sofa, sank into the soft pillows, and said sullenly, "Sakurajima-san, you don't have to come pick me up today."

"I was just thinking, didn't we plan to go out and buy Christmas gifts together today? We discussed it yesterday~"

"Ugh."

Higuchi Madoka sighed blatantly, but Sakurajima Mai was not surprised and still smiled. She began to focus on the TV program that Higuchi Madoka followed. The production team invited two well-known directors in the industry to make a final summary of the year. Topics such as the most successful script, the most popular actor, and the most impressive plot emerged one after another.

The two talked very professionally, and after a while it was hard to understand and it was a bit drowsy, but Mai Sakurajima still heard them discussing the most outstanding screenwriters and actors of the year.

When talking about the most outstanding actors, Sakurajima Mai perked up a little, and Higuchi Madoka also looked up from her phone.

The two of them naturally knew that they would not be mentioned by these two older directors. What they were currently exposed to was just a corner of the Japanese entertainment industry. They might have surpassed some actors after filming a few TV series, but they could not compare with those who stood at the top of the pyramid.

However, neither Sakurajima Mai nor Higuchi Madoka had any intention of competing with her. The two film directors' praise for the actors' exaggerated acting skills and use of explosives could be used as after-dinner conversation.

After a while, Mrs. Higuchi came over with a fruit plate and tea. Sakurajima Mai quickly stood up, took the plate, and placed the snacks on the low table with her.

"Yuanxiang, when are you planning to go out?"

Mrs. Higuchi turned around and asked before going upstairs.