I live my life in Tokyo

In a short period of time, the number of reposts exceeded one thousand.

Higuchi Yuanka put down her phone, pursed her lips, and buried her head in her mother's arms, who gently stroked her short hair.

"Yuanxiang, don't imitate Ningning from the Will-O-Wild in Midsummer."

“…Hmm—”

Chapter 47 A Hug

The young man looked at Mai Sakurajima who was holding a shopping bag beside him with great interest. He opened his mouth, but gave up talking after a moment and followed the girl faithfully as a bag carrier.

At this distance, he could smell the refreshing scent of Sakurajima Mai shampoo.

It is sweet but not greasy, like a breeze in spring with a light floral scent.

Kaede Sakakibara agreed to Mai Sakurajima's request for dinner, and she said that she would cook dinner for him today as a thank you gift. Although Kaede Sakakibara felt that it was a bit inappropriate as she had an exam tomorrow, she couldn't convince Mai Sakurajima.

"I remember that Senior Feng likes Chinese food, right?" Sakurajima Mai asked calmly, leaning over to take a box of tofu from the shelf, tapping her chin with her finger, "Not to mention staring at Shiki-san's cheongsam for so long."

The young man almost spat out a mouthful of blood, "This is slander, little girl, don't spit blood at me."

"Hey, really, Senior Feng, do you dare to say that you didn't see it?"

"Okay, I just took a look. After all, it's a real cheongsam." Sakakibara Feng said innocently, "I appreciate this marketing method. In fact, Starlight Cafe ranks second in sales, beating many restaurants and stalls that claim to be century-old shops."

Mai Sakurajima obviously didn't believe it, she lightly stepped on Kaede Sakakibara's foot to show her doubt.

Walking to the door with the shopping bag, the girl counted the food in the bag while muttering, "Tofu soup or mapo tofu... Well, if it's curry, it must be Chinese curry..."

Sakakibara Kaede followed and scanned the ingredients in the shopping bag on the automatic checkout machine one by one, "Junior sister Mai, you don't need to make too complicated dishes. Keep it simple. I'm not that picky."

"What kind of dishes does Aunt Higuchi usually cook for you?"

"Mostly Japanese." Sakakibara recalled the cooking skills of Mrs. Higuchi and Higuchi Enka, and nodded after a while to confirm his point of view, "Warm Japanese home cooking."

Sakurajima Mai hummed a few times. She packed the ingredients into the purchased cloth bags in batches, leaving the heavier one for the young man. She took a few steps with the light bag, turned around and waited for Sakakibara Kaede.

She has never thought about being better than others in areas she is not good at, she is just herself. Although she is an actress and plays all kinds of strange characters, in her daily life, Mai Sakurajima is Mai Sakurajima.

She wouldn't want to surpass Higuchi Madoka just because she sang well, and the same goes for cooking.

"By the way, I remember your sister is living with you now, will she be disturbed today?"

"Ah, she's attending an idol training camp in Tokyo these days. Her food, clothing, housing and transportation are all taken care of by the agency, so you don't have to worry. Kazuka is very sensible. During this time, I was filming and preparing for exams, and she was practicing quietly at home and didn't bother me to play." Sakurajima Mai praised her sister, even though she was a half-sister.

Her family relationships are indeed a bit messy. She has a bad relationship with her biological mother and stepmother, but she has some interactions with her stepmother's daughter.

"What does Mai-san think of her stepsister?"

"Well...if we can get along, we'll try to maintain the relationship. If not, we'll keep it as it is." Sakurajima Mai noticed the young man's implication, "Why are you interested in this?"

"I remember telling you that my father stopped giving me living expenses after I went to college, and I thought he thought I was an adult and would no longer have any contact with me.

Unexpectedly, he sent me a letter before Christmas, saying that he had found a stepmother for me, and that the family also had a pair of sisters. "

"It's difficult, isn't it?" Sakakibara Kaede sighed. "To be honest, I don't know what expression to use to face that family. Maybe I won't have any more interactions with them after showing my face."

He took the shaky elevator to the floor where Mai Sakurajima lived. It was the first time he entered Mai Sakurajima's home. It was called a home, but it was actually a rental house that he asked the agency to find for him, and it was similar to the one that Chizuru Ichinose wanted to find.

Standing in front of Mai Sakurajima's house, Mai Sakurajima opened the door and made a gesture to invite her in. Kaede Sakakibara didn't hesitate for long and walked in with the food bag.

Seeing this scene, Sakurajima Mai's mouth curled up.

"Digging lotus roots, I didn't expect that Mai-scholar's rental house is... quite ordinary."

"What kind of home do you imagine Senior Feng to be like?" Mai Sakurajima put her hands on her hips in dissatisfaction when she heard this.

Sakakibara Kaede complained: "For example, there is a pure gold statue of Mai Sakurajima right at the entrance, and around the corner is a luxurious bar, with hundreds of famous wines on the wine cabinet behind the bar."

"..What kind of stereotype is this? And I'm not even an adult yet."

Sakurajima Mai snorted, took off her shoes and socks at the entrance, twisted her toes in the air, and put on her slippers. She bent down and searched in the shoe cabinet for a long time, and finally found a pair of slippers for guests.

"The last time I found this pair of slippers was three years ago when my mother came to visit me. Kazuka brought these slippers herself, which saves me the trouble of buying new daily necessities." Sakurajima Mai handed the slippers to Sakakibara Kaede. After taking off her coat, she stretched lazily, showing off her well-proportioned curves, and turned on the TV.

The laughter in the commercial eased the awkwardness between them. Sakakibara Kaede changed into slippers and walked into the living room carrying the bag.

This place is similar to the bachelor apartment he rented in the past, but the lighting here is better. The sunset outside the French window dyes the whole room a gorgeous orange-red. In the middle is a more Chinese-style living room, with the sofa and dining table placed in two parts, unlike some rental houses where the living room and dining room are integrated and can only eat on the tatami.

Sakurajima Mai changed into a looser home outfit from her room, walked into the open kitchen and skillfully tied an apron on, "What do you want to eat tonight? Senior Feng, please read the menu."

"That's too much. I like to eat everything. I'm not picky about taste."

The young man washed his hands in front of the sink and stood next to Sakurajima Mai. "Let me help you."

"Like you were helping out Kasumigaoka Utaha-san, Ichinose Chizuru-san, Furuhashi Fumino-san, and Aoyama Nanami-san on the show?"

"Hiss... Junior sister Mai, you have a really good memory. You can remember all these names clearly."

Mai Sakurajima rolled her eyes. She waited in front of the TV in every episode to watch up close Kaede Sakakibara accept the tasks from her host and "forced smiles" with the female guests.

Handing the knife and tofu to Sakakibara Kaede, the young man pointed at himself and said, "Okay, okay, wait for me, Mai-san. You won't be able to see a complete piece of tofu in a while."

"What are you talking about, Senior Feng? Senior Feng's cooking skills are comparable to those of the students at Totsuki Academy."

"If you blow it a little longer I'll believe it."

The young man snorted. He couldn't bear to be looked down upon by his schoolmate. Besides, it wasn't like he learned nothing from participating in the reality show.

“Can I cut it into this size?”

"Yeah, ok, thanks for your help."

Sakurajima Mai rolled up her sleeves and washed the vegetables in the strainer, pressing them down hard while making a strong "whoosh" sound. "Usually when I don't have work, I will prepare my own lunch box to eat at school."

"When I'm with the crew, I eat the meals they prepare. I've tried both sumptuous and simple meals, but I personally feel that the food I make tastes better."

"Does Mai-san like to cook?"

"Like it, after all, I've lived alone for so long, I have to like it even if I don't like it."

Mai Sakurajima took the tofu cut by Kaede Sakakibara, added a little water and put it into the pot, "I personally feel that it is an attitude towards life."

"Well... for example, even if you go downstairs to take out the trash, you have to dress up and wear something nice. One explanation is that you don't want acquaintances to see you looking sloppy. I think this is correct. It is a passionate attitude towards life."

The young man nodded. "Your words reminded me of the saying that going to work is work, and getting off work is life. Even if you are tired and hard at work, you have to go crazy after get off work. This is the attitude towards your life."

At work, he is a clerk who is submissive in front of his superiors, taciturn among colleagues, and fawning in front of clients. After get off work, he puts on trendy ripped clothes, wears earrings and a guitar, and vents with a hoarse throat in the bar, spending his life.

This is a choice of one's attitude towards life. People can live easily or live tiredly. Why would some people spend two to three hours preparing a delicious dinner?

Some people may say that this is a waste of time. You can just order takeout, save time and not have to wash dishes.

For those people, the time spent cooking is an investment. When they sit at the table with their mobile phone and look at the sumptuous meal on the table, they feel touched and satisfied. That is enough.

Kaede Sakakibara is not qualified to speak for herself because everyone has a different lifestyle and there is no standard answer.

Of course, the young man himself thought that if it weren't for the help from Mrs. Higuchi and Higuchi Madoka, he might have spent the entire last year eating buffets and ordering takeout at the office.

Dinner was placed on the table. Looking at the delicious traditional Chinese cuisine, Sakakibara Kaede sighed with emotion. It had been a long time since he had tasted this flavor.

The two of them put their hands together, whispered "I'm ready to eat", and then started eating with their chopsticks.

The young man picked up a piece of sweet and sour spareribs and swallowed it with rice, eating with his mouth wide open.

"I think Senior Feng can go get in touch with my stepmother's family." Mai Sakurajima supported her cheeks and watched Sakakibara Feng eating. A sense of satisfaction flowed through the depths of her eyes. "Senior Feng is so gentle."

"Gentleness can't change people's minds. Aren't there always quarrels over trivial family matters between stepfathers and stepmothers in TV dramas?"

"I already said it's a TV show, it's exaggerated."

"By the way, have you found a house for Mai-scholar?"

"Yes, the agency contacted me before, and the location and position are clear. I will go through the formalities and pay a deposit when I go to Tokyo next time, and I can move in. Why did Senior Feng ask that?"

Sakakibara swallowed the mapo tofu in his mouth. He opened his mouth but didn't say the word Mrs. Sakakijima in the end. "I'm also planning to move. How about moving downstairs from your house? They're all towers anyway, so there should be a lot of empty rooms, right?"

Sakurajima Mai's eyes lit up, she leaned her face on her arms, her long black crystal-like hair hanging down from her head, "It's really rare to hear such words from Senior Feng, why don't you just live with me, and we can share the rent."

Let’s not talk about whether the two of them will be kicked out of their house because they can’t pay the rent given their current net worth.

"This is not good for Mai's reputation." Sakakibara Kaede waved his hand without thinking. Seeing Mai Sakurajima's unhappy look, he waved his hand as if he was dealing with a young and ignorant sister. "Do you think this is a TV series or the second dimension? A love drama comic about a shared house, right?"

"cut."

Mai Sakurajima clicked her tongue and began to finish the food in her bowl.

Sakakibara Kaede sighed and smiled. After Sakurajima Mai became familiar with him, she no longer had the airs of a national actress outside, and even the smiling face she had in the agency was gone. In private, her expressions became richer, and she would even put on a bad face in front of him. This was proof that their relationship had become closer.

For example, that completely impolite click of the tongue just now.

The dishes and chopsticks were rinsed in the sink. Sakurajima Mai was sent away to review by him, and he was responsible for washing the dishes and chopsticks. In order to ensure that Sakurajima Mai had a quiet learning environment, he turned off the TV that was turned on during dinner, and put wireless headphones into her ears. Even the amount of water added was not large, so that the water could flow smoothly over the surface of the dishes and chopsticks instead of rushing through them.

Sakakibara Feng put the washed dishes aside to dry. He was slightly stunned. It seemed that when he was approaching the college entrance examination in the past, his parents did the same thing. They didn't make any noise, ate in small bites, and spoke in whispers, just to not disturb his studies.

My role now is really like an old father who cares about his daughter.

With a nostalgic smile, Kaede Sakakibara shook his hands dry, leaned back on the sofa and watched boring short videos - this habit made him look like those fathers who have nothing to do at home.

Sakurajima Mai's face suddenly appeared above her. Sakakibara Kaede stood up with her eyes wide open. "Did I disturb you? No, I should be leaving now. The dishes have been washed."

"You don't have to leave." Sakurajima Mai gestured outside the window, but unfortunately, there was no typhoon or heavy rain outside the window as she imagined, so she could only find another excuse, "...Look, it's so dark in Tendou, why don't you stay here tonight, Senior Feng."

Sakakibara Feng put on his coat and waved to her at the entrance. "Thank you for your hospitality today, Mai-san. I'm going home now. We'll meet again after the college entrance examination."

The girl gritted her teeth and took steps forward.

The next moment, Sakakibara Feng felt his chest tighten, and a feeling of suffocation came over him suddenly, and at the same time he could smell the elegant fragrance of the flowers.

Nephrite is in my arms.

"This hug is my thanks." Sakurajima Mai leaned on the young man's chest, listening to the strong heartbeat of Sakakibara Kaede, and said softly, "Senior Feng, thank you for waiting for me at the school gate today."

Her starry eyes narrowed slightly, but her ears were already burning.

It's a sheep. My fellow book friends, please take care of yourself. I feel dizzy and can't speak.

Chapter 48: Family Again

"To the stranger—

No. 0, who escaped death, started a new journey. In the past, I would give up everything to fight with all my strength to protect my smile! When I found that I was not strong enough, I resolutely chose to strengthen myself. I had to become stronger and protect at the risk of losing myself. Maybe this is the purest warrior. If strangers are interested in the above character description, you may as well search for Kamen Rider Kuuga.

The winter in Cuba does not feel cold. Although it is winter, it is already the end of February and the Japanese holidays are approaching, but there is no chill here at all. It is a good summer resort.

Occasionally I would go out for a stroll, watching the tides rise and fall on the beach, the soft sand between my toes flowing along with the sea water, and seagulls in the distance bobbing up and down on the sea. It was a beautiful sight, even though it was only for two short days.

I hope I’ll have the chance to embark on an unknown journey next time, but right now I just want to go home.

Just a human being, an actor."

The young man looked at the sunset in the distance, stuffed a piece of paper into a glass bottle, put a cork in the bottle mouth, and threw it towards the distant sea with all his strength.

Cuba is not cold in winter. Although it is winter, there are still many foreign tourists and children playing on the beach. December and January are the peak seasons here.

Seeing the thrown bottle being washed towards the depths of the ocean by the waves, Sakakibara Kaede smiled and walked towards the awning not far away.

"Mr. Ishida, Director Takenaka, how were the results of the three takes just now? Do we need to do it again?"

"No, the sunlight wasn't very good the first time. Now it seems that we can just choose from the second and third versions." The stonemason nodded to Sakakibara Kaede, "Thank you for your hard work, actor Sakakibara. This last scene has ended wonderfully."

When the staff heard this, they all applauded and celebrated. Takenaka Kiyoshi laughed foolishly. It was over. The filming that lasted for more than four months finally came to an end today.

Only Mr. Ishida remained expressionless and repeatedly checked the content of the filming. Kaede Sakakibara moved closer to him and leaned over to watch.

"It's a surprise, the last scene was actually filmed in Cuba."

"It was indeed unexpected. I didn't know before that I would be going abroad for filming." Sakakibara Kaede scratched his head. He was stunned when he heard these words coming out of Mr. Ishida's mouth. He packed his luggage overnight and took the filming crew's bus to the airport at the speed of light the next day. Even Kei Iida didn't have time to react before they had already taken off.

Running around on location was actually not a big deal. The real difficulty was last week's filming. It was raining and snowing, and he and the weirdo were fighting each other in the rain. He was choked by the rain several times while speaking his lines and almost coughed out his lungs.

In the final words of the previous scene, all the actors thought that Yusuke Godai, played by Kaede Sakakibara, had died, and the sentimental actors burst into tears on the spot.

Higuchi Yuanka was standing there at the time, her bangs blocking her eyes, and she felt a familiar, heart-wrenching pain in her heart again.

She was very familiar with this feeling, but it was not the first time she had tasted the sour feeling that would bring her lifelong regret.

When everyone thought that Yusuke Godai had died and Kaede Sakakibara was dead and sleeping at home, no one would have thought that he was now in Cuba, enjoying the sea breeze and chatting and laughing with several foreign girls who came over to chat with him.

"Let's book the flight for tonight. We have already finished filming everything that needs to be filmed." The stonemason said to the person on the other end of the phone.