I live my life in Tokyo

"The MV shooting location is in the studio, and the song to be recorded is Be the light." Miss Nanakusa read the agency's requirements after the three of them arrived. "This MV is not the first time, nor will it be the last. The agency manages your account on the video website and will publish the MV you recorded there. This is also a marketing method."

"By the way, let's talk about the concert we mentioned before." Miss Nanakusa said seriously.

Yuuma Miura suddenly became excited, "Where is the concert?"

Ms. Nanakusa smiled and glanced at Miura Yuma. "The agency has found a lot of resources for you. Your first concert has finally been decided to be held at the Yokohama Arena, and it is expected to last for five days. The concert is expected to open in three months, which is also three months after the release of the new album, this June."

"Your next task is very complicated. First, you need to choose the songs you want to sing from the two albums. After you get the song list, we will further practice with the staff and arrange the instruments and venue."

The young man was slightly stunned. He didn't expect that this day would come so soon. He glanced at Miura Yuma who was listening attentively, grinned, and kept Miss Nanakusa's words in mind.

The news will be released in the week of the second album's release.

But the news would eventually leak out, but it was not leaked to the Internet. Apart from the staff of the agency, only a few people knew about it. The one who leaked the news this time was not a paparazzi, nor a staff member who let the secret slip, but several members of the band. Yuuma Miura excitedly told his family and senior Taki in Kyoto about the news that night, and promised to get a standing ticket for his sister Yumiko to go to the front row to watch the beauty of Kaede Sakakibara up close.

Nishikino Maki's mother knew, and so did the members of Muse—all their families knew.

"I'm so tired."

"You are mentally exhausted, but physically I think you are enjoying yourself."

Sakurajima Mai handed Sakakibara Kaede a glass of water and said with some disdain, "I heard that you have a school girl you know living with you?"

When he got home, there was no one at home. With nothing to do, Sakakibara Kaede went upstairs to visit some acquaintances.

Sakakibara Kaede, who was sitting on the sofa in Mai Sakurajima's one-bedroom tower rental, nodded and added, "Her brother, a senior I knew, also lives with me."

"When your senior moves out, I'll move in." Sakurajima Mai asked with a frown.

"what's going on?"

“It saves money.”

Mai Sakurajima stared at the young man with innocent eyes, and the young man felt that it made sense. It was indeed a small loss for Mai Sakurajima to live in a one-bedroom apartment without anyone to share the rent with her.

"Concert." Sakurajima Mai leaned on the other end of the sofa, her fingers idly reaching into her black stockings and pulling them, "Yokohama Arena, I have to take five days off."

"You only need to go for one day. The songs you sing in five days are actually almost the same."

"In addition to buying the latest tickets, I'm also going to buy the Blu-ray BD."

"I'm also going to buy one as a souvenir."

Sakakibara Kaede leaned back on the sofa and sighed, "I feel like even though there is no work in the entertainment industry during this period, the concert... isn't this work coming?"

Mai Sakurajima remained silent. After a moment, she looked up and found that the young man had fallen asleep on the sofa. For a moment, she did not know whether to laugh or cry. Was the air conditioner turned up too high?

She took a blanket and covered the young man with it. Standing there, Mai Sakurajima silently stared at the young man's sleeping face.

After a moment, she licked her lips and slowly leaned over.

Moving closer to him, Sakurajima Mai sighed. She didn't want her first kiss with the young man to disappear in such an unclear way.

She sat gently on the sofa and rested Sakakibara Kaede's head on her thighs. After providing the priceless lap pillow service, the girl hummed happily and closed her eyes.

Sakurajima Mai, you are very despicable now.

Chapter 7: The Lowly Maiden Cup

I smelled a very familiar and soothing scent.

The young man hummed, and felt warm all over, as someone was constantly stroking the short hair on the side of his face.

"are you awake?"

Kaede Sakakibara opened his eyes, and at this moment he felt as if he was at the bottom of a well, looking up.

"You fell asleep while we were chatting. Have you been staying up late recently?" Sakurajima Mai said softly, playing with the young man's hair with her hands.

Sakakibara Feng sighed. He only now felt the back of his head was soft and covered with a blanket. Noticing his intention to get up, Sakurajima Mai placed her hands behind his shoulders and supported him to sit up.

He was indeed staying up late. The school had just entered the second semester and he was faced with a huge amount of papers and projects. In addition to doing his homework at night, he also had to distract himself by playing games.

He plays Sword Art Online not for any other reason, but as a member of the project team, he must experience the latest content with his own account, so that he can encounter bugs and report them to the group.

"You really stayed up late." Sakurajima Mai was massaging her thighs. Seeing that the young man was not looking at her, she quietly put her hand in front of her nose and took a breath.

"Ahh, force majeure."

Sakakibara Kaede turned sideways and saw that it was getting dark outside the window. "I'm sorry, I slept for so long. Although the knee pillow is a bit unnecessary, I really appreciate it."

With his hands clasped together, he finally experienced the treatment of a male protagonist in a two-dimensional anime today, with his knees resting on his head.

"Really? Sakakibara-senpai has been sleeping for almost two hours and my legs are numb." Sakakijima Mai said angrily, "During that time, I even drew a few turtles on Sakakibara-senpai's face."

"No way?"

Seeing Sakakibara Kaede taking out her phone and turning on the selfie mode to look up and down her face, Sakurajima Mai chuckled.

At first she thought that Sakakibara-senpai would not share a house with her because of the gender difference. But now that she heard that Sakakibara-senpai lived with a junior schoolmate, she was no longer worried.

All she had to do was wait for the boy she shared the room with to move out. She had plenty of patience for this matter.

"By the way, what did you say to my mother when you saw her that day?"

"Aunt..."

Sakakibara Kaede paused and observed Sakurajima Mai's expression, who raised her eyebrows at him.

To be honest, Sakakibara Kaede didn't know whether the relationship between Sakurajima Mai and her mother had improved or they were still in a cold war.

It was at the request of the other party that he came up with the idea of ​​living in the same building with Sakurajima Mai so that they could take care of each other.

Although I agreed to it at that time because of Aunt Sakurajima's unexpressible love, but now it seems that to what extent this decision was made by me?

His life is now on the bright path because of the help of others.

Perhaps in the eyes of others this is a natural thing between friends, but in Sakakibara Kaede's heart he always feels that he owes the other person something.

"My aunt asked me to take good care of you."

"Really? Is there anything else besides this?" Sakurajima Mai sat at the bar, supporting her face with her arms, looking like she didn't care much about her mother's statement.

"Gone."

"Yeah, I knew it."

Sakakibara Kaede played with the glass in her hand. "I don't want to use such an old-fashioned tone to persuade you and tell you that your mother loves you very much, because I think that is moral kidnapping. The damage you received in junior high school is irreparable, and even time cannot cover up the cracks. Your mother cares about you, but she used the wrong method."

Or maybe the other party is too stubborn to express it in words.

In some ways, mother and daughter are indeed alike.

Sakurajima Mai moved her lips, and finally a faint, intoxicating smile appeared on her face, "Sometimes, I really like your indifference."

"Sometimes he is indifferent, sometimes he is warm-hearted, but he maintains an elusive distance." Sakurajima Mai stepped forward and grabbed the corner of his clothes. The neon lights outside the window made the room, which was not yet lit, flicker.

"How many friends do you need to be satisfied?"

"Friends must always have a sense of fate and distance. Sometimes, being too close is not a good thing."

The young man smiled. In the past, didn't maintaining friendships with work friends or old classmates mean sending holiday greetings to each other and liking and commenting on each other's social circles? Although people living in cities are close to each other and can reach the other end by taking a taxi, the distance between people is far.

In the past, confessions were usually made in the form of love letters, or perhaps by waiting downstairs after school to confess one’s feelings, but nowadays, it is usually done with a mobile phone.

Kaede Sakakibara believes that there is no sense of ritual.

Thinking of this will remind me of the online love that Mitte was shouting about yesterday. Online love is to find a spiritual partner for yourself on the Internet. It is a good thing not to be able to meet in person. The vague sense of distance can make everything full of unknowns, making people curious and fond of it.

"When you are acting, does Sakakibara-senpai fall in love with the actress who plays the opposite role?" Sakakijima Mai took a step closer. At this distance, she could smell the faint green and earthy scent of an ancient forest on the young man. Unlike young people of his age who are flamboyant and actors who like to show off themselves, his scent is more restrained and steady, a woody scent full of depth. The slightly spicy scent balances the overall aroma, making people feel warm and attractive.

"I was moved at the time. In order to get into the play, I had to put myself into the role and experience the ups and downs of the protagonist's life. When I put the heroine into the role, I was naturally moved." Sakakibara Kaede also noticed the distance between the two people that would look unpleasant to outsiders. He coughed lightly and took a step back without any expression. "But after the play was over, I naturally didn't feel that way. After all, it was just work."

"So, have you ever been attracted to Yuan Xiang-chan? When you were filming the will-o'-the-wisp in midsummer, you were a close couple."

"Ah."

"So... have you ever been attracted to me?"

Mai Sakurajima's eyes were fixed on the blue in Kaede Sakakibara's eyes.

Sakakibara Kaede didn't hesitate or think, "I was indeed moved. When filming our daily lives as high school students, I often wondered why this character was so lucky to be favored by such a girl. I think anyone with a discerning eye can see or feel the love between a man and a woman."

"I've been moved in the drama, but what about in real life? If you have a childhood sweetheart like Nishida Orange by your side, would you be moved?"

Sakurajima Mai took another step forward. She did not give Sakakibara Kaede a chance to escape and almost got into his arms.

"Yes." Sakakibara Kaede smiled, his eyes looking out the window, "I'm just a young boy who has just started out, and among actors, I'm just a new actor who has just debuted. I'm just an ordinary person."

"A plot like this is only possible in online novels or two-dimensional comics and anime."

"Well...if something like this really happens, I will feel like I am dreaming, as if all these things are not real, are false, and do not exist."

The young man smiled slightly and patted Mai Sakurajima's shoulder gently. "Thank you, Sakurajima-san."

Mai Sakurajima said, "Sakakibara-senpai standing here... is real."

"Well, thanks to you and my friends."

Sakakibara Kaede chuckled, shook Sakurajima Mai's hand, slowly walked to the door, and put on his coat.

"I heard the temperature will drop tonight, so don't open the window when you sleep."

"Oh, I see."

Mai Sakurajima turned on the light in the living room and gave the young man a bright smile.

After Sakakibara Kaede left, Sakurajima Mai held her own hands and covered them in front of her chest. It was a close call. She almost confessed her feelings just now... But she felt that it was still a little lacking in that environment.

Just as Sakakibara Kaede said, Mai Sakurajima could indeed feel Sakakibara Kaede's alienation from Tokyo - for example, he didn't treat money as money. If you want to live a good life after work, then saving money is a behavior that everyone agrees on, but the young man doesn't care about these at all, and lives as he pleases... This means that he doesn't care much about his current life, or he has no real sense of reality at all.

Mai Sakurajima chuckled. She heard the answer she wanted from Senior Sakakibara.

It turns out that he is different from what he looks like, and he can really make your heart flutter... She originally thought he was a robot or an elementary school student who didn't understand emotions, so she felt relieved if that was the case.

"Welcome back, Sakakibara-senpai, dinner is almost ready~"

"Heh, why are you home so late, junior? Where did you go? Asuna, don't get too close to a man like that. You should learn from me as your brother."

"Oh, I can't hear you. I can't hear you."

After taking the elevator down one floor, Sakakibara Kaede opened the door and heard the brother and sister's crosstalk at the entrance. She walked forward and saw Yuuki Koichiro in a suit and tie, calling the shots at the dining table, and Yuuki Asuna in an apron, serving tea and water.

"Why are you wearing this attire, Yuuki-senpai?"

"I have to go back to the company and check on the marketing of RECT's hardware department. I'll probably sleep there today." Yuuki Koichiro yawned. "I have to go on a business trip to the company's branch next week. Oh, it's true. After graduation, all the work has been put on my shoulders."

"This is a sign that dad values ​​my brother," Yuuki Asuna said sensibly, "My brother will take over this responsibility from dad one day in the future, so it's normal for him to be busy now."

"Alas." Yuki Koichiro sighed, "My mother is already arranging a blind date for me."

Sakakibara Kaede curled his lips and said, "Just be Versailles here. The children of a big family can inherit a company and have arranged blind dates. This is like something out of an online novel."

"You two, keep the noise down tonight!" The science-savvy guy snorted coldly. He pointed his glasses at Sakakibara Kaede, and the flashing white light from the lenses could blind the young man's eyes. "Especially you, Sakakibara-san! If Asuna complains to me tonight, I will rush back from the company and stage a full-scale fight!"

"elder brother!"

Sakakibara Kaede smiled helplessly and nodded in agreement.

He feels very lucky to be surrounded by so many lovely people.

After playing the game with Yuuki Asuna and enduring Mitte's nagging all night, Sakakibara Kaede lay on the bed. He couldn't help but think of what Sakurajima Mai said to him today.

If there is a childhood sweetheart like Nishida Cheng who stays by his side and never leaves him in real life, then he will definitely like her. This is not a question, but a positive answer.

Love? To be honest, Sakakibara Kaede herself doesn't understand.

"It's impossible not to be interested." The young man felt that his sexual orientation was normal. He had played so many galgames and promoted so many anime heroines, so naturally he had some understanding of this topic.

If it means “like”, then he “likes” the friends around him and “likes” the teachers and elders who are close to him in school. He can say “like” them all.

Isn’t that special? The love that Sakakibara Kaede often experiences in TV dramas is different.

He has never put himself in his own shoes and thought that his peaceful daily life will remain unchanged. This is what Sakakibara Kaede thinks, and he has not thought enough about his future.

Kyoko Yuki is considering a blind date for her son. If things go well, it is very likely that he will attend the wedding of his senior Yusuke Yuki in a few years.

Professor Kimura will retire in a few more years of teaching. His partner told him that if he could not continue as an actor, he could become a professor at the University of Tokyo and take his place.

While the people around her are moving forward, Sakakibara Kaede seems to be trapped in time and space and doesn't want to change.

For him, his daily life used to be stable, with classes in the morning or acting and meeting with friends and partners in the agency, working at the Starlight Cafe in the afternoon, and tutoring at night.

When he stopped and looked forward, he always saw an unknown nothingness.