I live my life in Tokyo

"Which female character are you going to promote?"

Sakakibara scratched his cheek and said with some seriousness, "I always play galgames in single-line battles, that is, I only push the plot of one character. I do have some ideas in my mind now, but I haven't decided which heroine to push in the end."

It is indeed difficult to choose. The protagonist, who is tired of life in the big city, goes to a small town in the north where it is cold all year round. The protagonist, who originally had a somewhat self-destructive mentality, gradually changes his heart after meeting those bright and beautiful female characters.

Faced with this question from Higuchi Enka, he did find it difficult to answer.

"Which female character did Yuanxiang recommend me to play?"

Higuchi Madoka snorted and looked away. The train arrived at the station and the two got off. Seeing this, Sakakibara Kaede shrugged. This was a relatively simple way to end the topic and he directly threw the question back to her.

After walking two blocks, the two entered the residential building with their suitcases and got into the elevator.

"Which squad leader role do I recommend?"

"Oh why?"

Sakakibara Kaede pondered for a moment, "The class monitor has never been kind to the male protagonist. He is usually cold and sarcastic. We rarely interact with each other in daily life. Even if we meet outside the school, he just treats us as ordinary passers-by."

"This kind of character is actually interesting." Higuchi Madoka said word by word, "Many viewers like to see the plot of removing the tough mask of a female character and exploring her soft heart. The same is true for this game."

"So, do you think the role of the squad leader is just to cover up himself, or maybe it's because of his personality, so he repeatedly says things that are not what he really means to the male protagonist?"

Higuchi Madoka lowered her head, and her face began to burn again.

Sakakibara Kaede also thought that such a role was very interesting. He used the key to open the door, and a refreshing cool breeze blew on his face. Sakakibara Kaede walked towards the house with Higuchi Madoka. He found that Chizuru Ichinose seemed to have returned home after shopping. There were fruits on the table for her to entertain. When she saw Higuchi Madoka, she walked quickly forward with a warm smile on her face.

Sakakibara Feng listened to the familiar conversation between the two. He pulled the box to Asakura Toru's door. Considering that he was still resting, Sakakibara Feng did not knock on the door.

After washing up, Kaede Sakakibara leaned back in the comfortable office chair for a while, trying to get as much rest as possible before going out, as he had to be alert for work in the evening.

Setting a twenty-minute nap time for himself, Sakakibara Kaede leaned on the pillow, with the faint scent of Asakura Toru's nose wafting, and the young man closed his eyes.

He had another dream similar to that day. This time he went to Higuchi Madoka's house for dinner, but Mrs. Higuchi was not there, and the girl cooked for him. In the large living room, there was only the sound of two people using chopsticks. Higuchi Madoka did not keep the same cold face in the dream as in real life, but she continued to silently pick up food for him.

Then, she brought him into her bedroom. The sky outside the window changed color unconsciously, and she took the initiative to lock the door.

The content of dreams is the opposite of real life. Sakakibara Feng understood this. He woke up when the alarm rang, took a sip of the coffee that had already cooled down on the table, breathed a sigh of relief and began to change his clothes.

"Senior Feng, it's time to set off."

"understood."

After knocking on the door, Chizuru Ichinose pushed it open a crack and saw Kaede Sakakibara stretching out in front of the bed with her hair slightly curled up. She couldn't help but smile, "Senior Kaede, let me help you comb your hair."

Yuuki Asuna had also done something like this for him, but Sakakibara Kaede was not stupid enough to say another girl's name in front of her.

"Feng-san's hair is very smooth."

"I do think it's a bit hard. It can't compare to Chizuru-san's hair."

Chizuru Ichinose lifted a strand of her long hair and let it fall beside Kaede Sakakibara's cheek, making the latter feel itchy. He stretched out his fingers and stroked Chizuru Ichinose's long hair, and nodded in agreement with the point he had made before.

"The smoothness of your hair is also related to the shampoo you use when taking a shower." Ichinose Chizuru said softly, "Kaede-san can try the shampoo I use."

"That's so embarrassing."

"Try it, try it."

Ichinose Chizuru hummed softly, "Senior Kaede needs to take good care of himself. Unlike the famous Senior Kaede, I am the unimportant one."

"That's a very lonely thing to say."

Sakakibara Kaede smiled at the girl in the mirror, and the latter unconsciously stopped what she was doing and stared blankly at him in the mirror.

"The relationship between us is not just that of seniors and juniors in the firm. If it were just that, it would be too lonely."

"Yes...yes, I made a mistake."

Chizuru Ichinose slapped her cheeks hard, and her cheeks immediately turned pink. She continued to help Kaede Sakakibara fix his hair, her movements gentle, for fear of hurting him.

After their hair was done, when Sakakibara Kaede and Ichinose Chizuru left the bathing center, Asakura Toru and Higuchi Madoka had already changed their clothes and were leaning on the sofa, maintaining an extremely ordinary conversation between childhood sweethearts.

Except for Sakakibara Kaede, the other three girls all put on makeup, but it was just light makeup that made them look like female characters who had walked out of a movie set. They put on makeup partly because they wanted to show the best of themselves, and partly out of respect for their work.

Of course, there are also ideas for performing more brilliantly in front of male companions.

"Ms. Sato, thank you for your help."

We would like to express our gratitude to Ms. Sato, Higuchi Madoka's agent. In order to handle Higuchi Madoka's work, she has been working in the Kyoto branch of the office during this period, and in addition to her work, she also has the job of picking her up and dropping her off.

Unlike the lazy bum Kei Iida, Ms. Sato is very dedicated and conscientious.

Since the program crew invited many guests, it was naturally impossible for them to pick up the guests in a stretched Lincoln like they did when they participated in a variety show in Tokyo. If it weren't for Miss Sato, the four of them would probably have to call a taxi.

They had some free time before the filming began. Like other variety shows, there were many audiences at the show. Sakakibara ate some snacks backstage to fill his stomach. His arrival startled the other young men and women present, and then they stepped forward and began to introduce themselves.

Most of the people present were actor idols, some from Kyoto, and more from Osaka. Although they were all from Kansai, they spoke fluent Japanese without an accent. This was understandable. After all, if people from Kansai wanted to become actors active on the big screen, they had to first practice ordinary Japanese.

Sakakibara Kaede naturally handled it with ease.

As the guests sat on their sofas one by one after being welcomed by the host, Sakakibara Kaede found that these sofas were very long, large enough for four or five people to sit on. Most of those sitting together were members of the same agency or idols of a group.

This time he will sit at the very edge, and there will definitely be no way he will be flanked by women. Besides, this is a variety show, and the audience is watching. As a public figure, he still has to have some dignity.

"The next group we are going to welcome is, oh, the World Shining Band. I wonder if anyone has ever been to their concert?"

The host Nishikawa took the initiative and asked questions to the audience, which was met with mixed cheers. He smiled mysteriously, "Hey, I also want to go to Yokohama to listen to the World Shining concert, but I can't go due to work reasons, which is a pity... But I pre-ordered the Blu-ray CD, which is a token of my love for the band."

"Xichuan, why did you suddenly mention the shining world? Ah, could it be that..."

In the guest seats, several comedians lined up in a row. Among them, a fat woman covered her mouth dramatically, "No, it's impossible. I remember that the World Glittering event was in Tokyo. How could they come to Kyoto?"

“Hahahahaha, you never thought of that.” Nishikawa laughed heartily amid the audience’s incredulous eyes. “Let’s all stand up and applaud, and let Sakakibara Kaede, Higuchi Madoka, Asakura Toru and Ichinose Chizuru from STARS agency feel the passion that we at Kyoya are bringing you!”

The lights came on, and Kaede Sakakibara walked in first. He greeted the host and guests with a smile. As his gaze turned to the audience, the audience burst into cheers.

She aimed at the sofa, stepped forward and sat down. Sakakibara Kaede sat at the very edge, and next to him sat Chizuru Ichinose. She breathed a long sigh of relief, finally getting a seat. For the next few hours, she could finally start her secret sticking plan.

Asakura Toru pouted, and Higuchi Madoka snorted in a good mood when she saw her childhood sweetheart being humiliated.

The seat didn't matter, her only hope was to see Kaede Sakakibara start pushing the monitor line tonight.

Chapter 8 Too many choices? Take them all!

"Well, let's turn our attention to the four-member group of STARS. Hmm... among the four members invited today, only Sakakibara-kun is a boy."

“Eh…yeah.”

The young man gave a polite smile and nodded. Although he was sitting on the sofa, he still maintained an upright posture, which made people feel that he was very energetic at first glance.

Higuchi Yuanxiang curled her lips secretly. All she wanted now was to sit next to Sakakibara Kaede and use her hands to pinch the soft flesh on his waist until he broke down.

"I'm sure everyone has heard of the several TV dramas that Sakakibara-kun has participated in before." The host Nishikawa spoke with a faint Kansai accent, which made people feel like they were listening to a rural TV channel.

"Eh - especially the Kamen Rider who is the most popular among young people." The fat woman's smile was like a chrysanthemum. "Coincidentally, among the actors from STARS Agency who were invited, two of them had acted with Sakakibara-kun before."

Sakakibara Kaede seemed to already know what topic the comedian would talk about next. He had experienced this many times before. As the saying goes, once, twice, three times will not happen. He had been ambushed by the host many times. Now, after hearing the comedian's preparations, he instantly understood what the other party wanted to ask him.

The young man looked at the three girls sitting next to him with a faint smile, or more precisely, made the audience think that his eyes were fixed on Chizuru Ichinose and Madoka Higuchi.

"It is a pleasure to work with two actors from the agency. There is not much time for adjustment. Sometimes I know how to act as soon as I get the script."

"I've also heard Director Takenaka praise the acting between Madoka-san and Mai-san many times in front of me. Well... he said it was very touching!"

Higuchi Yuanka rolled her eyes at Sakakibara Kaede, her heart as cold as iron. God knows how much energy she put into acting out this rivalry with Mai-san.

“Hey hey hey uh——”

Nishikawa interrupted Sakakibara Kaede in a slightly exaggerated voice. He blinked and said, "I always feel that you actors are very familiar with each other. You know, we fans only know the updates you post on Twitter, but we know nothing about your private lives."

Sakakibara Kaede nodded, understanding that the host was asking him indirectly about calling several people by their names.

"Hey, it feels like we've known each other for quite a while."

Sakakibara Kaede gently threw the topic to Ichinose Chizuru and Higuchi Madoka.

Higuchi Madoka nodded slightly, "If you count the time when we first met, it has been about two years."

"I have known Senior Feng for more than a year. Senior Feng has been very caring towards me in the agency and often gives me guidance when I am acting."

Chizuru Ichinose's answer made many guests like sharks smelling blood. They all showed curious looks and tried to find out from her how Kaede Sakakibara, the young man who fans love so much, lives his daily life.

When Sakakibara Kaede saw the inexperienced Chizuru Ichinose being led away, he was a little amused. But when he saw the girl looking reminiscent and starting to recall her daily life in the office, he felt relieved.

It would be nice to let Chizuru Ichinose show her face more often.

Although Higuchi Madoka is not older than Chizuru Ichinose, she is Chizuru Ichinose's senior in the entertainment industry. The two of them address each other as peers in their daily interactions.

Higuchi Madoka added a few words while Chizuru Ichinose was answering the questions. Although her tone was a little indifferent, the stories she described brought smiles to the faces of the invited guests and the audience.

Never mind, it's no secret that Mao's buffet is the place to eat in the office, and the area in front of Kei Iida's office has been listed as a cursed area by the female members of the office.

As long as you pass through that area, you will most likely hear the devilish laughter of manager Kaede Sakakibara, and the pantyhose of the girls passing by will most likely be damaged.

The corridor in front of Iida Kei's door leads directly to the practice room and the lounge. This is a must-pass route, so many female members who want to escape the curse have to form groups to pass through it.

This has become one of the seven incredible events of STARS agency.

"Hey, I heard that Noctchill is going to hold a concert in Kyoto soon. Why did Asakura, the captain, choose Kyoto?"

The topic gradually shifted from Sakakibara Kaede to the idol group. The young man successfully avoided the question that the fat woman was about to ask by calling her by her name, "I wonder which actress Sakakibara-kun likes to act with the most?" It can be said that he had thought of everything.

Listen to other actors or idols in the entertainment industry introduce themselves, and at the same time, under the guidance of comedians, start telling each other about the trivial things that happen in their daily lives.

The show lasted for two hours and then ended. During the show, the comedian repeatedly directed the topic to Sakakibara Kaede, wanting to learn from him about his daily life with several girls. The young man talked about several funny things that happened in school and the office, which invisibly eased the burning fire of gossip.

"Ah... I feel so tired, even more tired than filming a movie."

Chizuru Ichinose sighed in the private car on the way back. She leaned against the hard car window. She was exhausted from concentrating for two hours to deal with anything that might happen or any questions.

"Hey."

Asakura Toru sat in the middle and turned Chizuru Ichinose's head over and let her rest it on his shoulder. The girl's face blushed slightly and she felt a little embarrassed to do this to someone younger than her.

Higuchi Madoka glanced coldly at Asakura Toru, who looked like a gigolo. The latter was completely unaware of her and after looking at her steadily, he grinned and shook his empty shoulders.

"Higuchi is available too... there's one spot left."

"what?"

"Don't rely on it?"

"Who needs to rely on it, really."

Higuchi Madoka closed her eyes and looked out the window, feeling bothered.

Miss Sato watched through the rearview mirror as Toru Asakura smiled and hugged Higuchi Enka and rested her head on his shoulders. The latter did not resist, but her eyes became even colder.

"I'm sorry to bother you these days, Sakakibara-san." Miss Sato said sincerely to Sakakibara Kaede who was sitting next to her. Among the four entertainment industry members sitting in the car, the other three were children who still needed care in Miss Sato's eyes, while Sakakibara Kaede was an adult who could be relied upon.

This is the value of mature youth.

"Ms. Sato, you've worked hard, too," Sakakibara Kaede said politely. "I wish you a smooth month of work in Kyoto."

"It would be best if you told this to Higuchi-san in person."

Miss Sato smiled. She looked through the rearview mirror again and found that the three people in the back seat had closed their eyes and fell into a light sleep.

Feeling a little sorry for the three tired people, Sakakibara Kaede still woke them up mercilessly and left under the gaze of Miss Sato.

After waving to Miss Sato, Sakakibara Kaede walked into the elevator. Asakura Toru and Higuchi Madoka seemed more alert. The former had taken a nap in the afternoon, and the latter had had enough rest on the Shinkansen on the way here. Only Chizuru Ichinose was yawning.

The four of them quickly decided on the order of taking a bath. Sakakibara Kaede watched Chizuru Ichinose enter the bathroom and start washing up, then opened the food delivery app on her phone that she had downloaded for a long time but never had the chance to use.

"If you want to eat something, don't say anything."

"Hmm... How about omelette rice, the kind from a maid shop?"

"Omurice, sure, but it's unlikely that a maid would draw a heart on omurice." Sakakibara looked at Higuchi Madoka, who was sitting on the sofa and tapping on her phone, "Is it okay for Madoka to have omurice for dinner?"

"can."

Although she no longer lives in a tower block in Tokyo's Chuo Ward, but an ordinary apartment in Kyoto, Sakakibara Kaede always has a sense of security as if she's back home.

Perhaps it was the sense of distance between people that brought him here, and the place he returned to was not the single apartment with damp walls and cramped space two years ago. It was a rental house, a refuge, but definitely not a home.

It is said that the whole world is your home, but home is only where there are people. Sakakibara Kaede silently repeated these words in his heart.

The recently popular Taiga drama began to play on TV. Looking at the samurai with pigtails drawing their swords with great momentum, Sakakibara Kaede turned her eyes to Twitter.

As expected, the news that he appeared on a variety show in Kyoto today was quickly forwarded by fans. Most fans rushed to Sakakibara Kaede's previous post and left messages asking him what he was doing in Kyoto and whether he was shooting some secret project.

This was his secret for going to the second dimension, so he naturally couldn't tell it to anyone. Sakakibara Kaede had a sneer on his face and remained unmoved in the face of fans' questions.

Naturally, he would not reveal the content of his work without the studio's order.