I live my life in Tokyo

"Because I don't want to give up on anyone and make them sad, that's all." Sakakibara Kaede said lightly. He was very thick-skinned, but in this situation, he still felt a little embarrassed to make a harem declaration in front of Mai's mother.

"I can't live without Mai in my life, and the same goes for them, so I don't want to disappoint anyone."

"From what you said, those girls who like you have confessed to each other?"

Sakurajima Mai brought the prepared salad to the table and snorted, "Mom, this is a matter for young people. You don't have to worry so much. We have already made a plan."

"You are my daughter."

Mrs. Sakurajima frowned and said, "How can I feel at ease when you are like this?"

"I have Feng Sang. He can take care of me. You should rest assured."

Seeing Mai Sakurajima and Mrs. Sakurajima continue to challenge each other, Kaede Sakakibara coughed lightly. Mrs. Sakurajima saw Mai Sakurajima's determined eyes, and that look reminded her of her past self.

It’s a pity that she met the wrong person at that time. She didn’t have the right vision for men. What about Mai Sakurajima?

She looked at Sakakibara Kaede, who was looking at Sakakijima Mai at the moment. Her daughter was making faces at him and stepping on him quietly. Did she really think she couldn't see or know? Was the affection and doting in his eyes fake?

The interrogation came to a temporary end. Sakakibara Kaede stood up and walked into the kitchen with Sakurajima Mai to prepare the next few side dishes. Mrs. Sakurajima opened a can of beer and drank it silently by herself. She looked towards the kitchen with a little nostalgia. Once upon a time, she also smiled happily like this.

It's just that she met the wrong person. From then on, she learned from her mistakes and devoted herself to raising her daughter and honing her vision. At the same time, she also provided protection for Mai Sakurajima, who debuted as a child star.

Swimsuit photos were endorsement advertisements for famous brands, and at that time, it was a great opportunity for any young and rising actress to climb up the career ladder.

But Mrs. Sakurajima forgot to ask Mai Sakurajima about her feelings, and a rift appeared between the two of them.

Was the interrogation just now real or fake? With her eyes, could she really not see Sakakibara Kaede's feelings for Sakurajima Mai?

But this guy still looks like he deserves a beating. Why should his daughter be taken into the harem with other girls of the same age?

Mrs. Sakurajima was in a complicated mood. She was a little tipsy after drinking two cans of beer. She forced herself to read the report she would give tomorrow. Then Mai Sakurajima brought the dishes.

"Go to bed early." Sakurajima Mai said with a frown.

"Ah."

The three of them sat at the small table, holding their chopsticks, and said at the same time: "I'm starting."

Seeing that Mrs. Sakakibara's eyes were a little dazed, Kaede Sakakibara picked up some dishes for her. Mai Sakakijima's chopsticks intercepted the dish and took away some of it. Kaede Sakakibara looked at Mai Sakurajima who seemed a little jealous, and smiled helplessly.

You're jealous of your own mother too, right?

After dinner, Kaede Sakakibara washed the dishes as usual. Mrs. Sakakijima went into the bathing center early to wash up. Mai Sakakijima took her clothes and stopped in front of the bathing center.

"Mai-san, come in, it would be good to rub your mother-in-law's back."

"You have such a sweet mouth that your mother-in-law called you directly?"

"Aunt is fine...but one day you have to call her mother-in-law, right?"

Mai Sakurajima spat inwardly. She just saw her mother staring at Kaede Sakakibara. She even suspected that her mother had not experienced love for too long and was attracted by Kaede Sakakibara's good looks and humorous conversation at the dinner table. She went into the bathroom for two reasons: one was to wipe her mother's back and the other was to ask her indirectly about her attitude towards Kaede Sakakibara.

Chapter 21 A Familiar Combination

Naturally, the realistic fighting scenes in the second episode completely hooked many viewers who were originally on the sidelines. Not to mention the looks of the male and female protagonists, even the black fans who were nitpicking about the fighting scenes couldn't say a word against it.

Although the fighting scene is short, only a few minutes, the impact of the visual effects and physical contact in these few minutes is difficult to describe in novels, comics and other media.

Not to mention the special effects and CGI jointly produced by Toei and RECT, this is no longer a TV series with one episode per week, but more like a carefully produced animated film.

After Sword Art Online, TV dramas need to be redefined.

There are many fans who boast about Sakakibara Kaede's exquisite swordsmanship. Every sword strike in the fight with the boss looks so real, either embarrassing or desperate, as if the sword will die if it is not swung with force. Naturally, the fans and audiences are full of praise.

They didn't know that if Sakakibara Kaede didn't use his full strength to swing the sword, he would really die.

Of course, Sakakibara Kaede plays a character named Kaede Kiritani in the TV series. His game ID is Kaede. There was originally a player named Kaede in Sword Art Online. He was an average player who didn't play much. After watching the TV series, he found that the ID of the male protagonist in the TV series was exactly the same as his own ID. He became so excited that he started to work hard on the game and even started a live broadcast on a video website, which attracted a lot of traffic.

Kaede Sakakibara was just glad that when Koichiro Yuki was setting the character, he did not give the protagonist's ID Harekaze - the Blood Knights will definitely appear in the TV series in the next few episodes. It is not known how big of an impact this will have on the players in the game. If the IDs are the same, then they will really be exposed.

"Cheers to our Moonlit Black Cats!"

The prop set is well-decorated, and the scene looks like a tavern in a western fantasy world, with several young people with bright smiles standing around the table.

Their faces were much more mature than that of Sakakibara Kaede, who was sitting in his seat holding a wine glass and wearing a black swordsman's uniform. They looked to be around 26 or 27 years old, but at their age, it would not be wrong to say that they looked like college students.

Higuchi Yuanxiang was a little shy, and seemed to be a little afraid of strangers. She said in a soft voice: "I was very scared at that time. When you came to save us, I was really happy."

After she finished speaking, a tear actually seeped out of the corner of her eye, and she quickly raised her hand to wipe it away.

Sakakibara's eyes widened. His script did not provide any information on what type of heroine Sachika, played by Higuchi Madoka, would be. Perhaps it was a prank by director Kiyoshi Takenaka. When Sakakibara saw that Higuchi Madoka looked like a cute junior and shy little girl, he almost stared with his eyes wide open.

This person, the one who was smiling with tears in her eyes and thanking so sincerely, was actually Higuchi Madoka?

Well, of course, Sakakibara knew that this was all acting, so he quickly coughed lightly and chatted with another actor who came forward to talk to him.

Higuchi Madoka was patted on the head by the guild president, and said some half-complaining and coquettish words. After Sakakibara Kaede expressed her intention to join the guild, the joy in her eyes made Sakakibara Kaede feel both moved and impressed.

Her acting skills are becoming more and more proficient.

"CUT, let me see..." Takenaka Kiyoshi called "Cut" with the microphone, and the actor who had just touched Higuchi Madoka's hair hastily apologized, saying that he felt that such an action could show the intimacy between guild members. Higuchi Madoka just nodded calmly, although a little disgusting, but her current mode is an actor, not an idol who can only be admired from a distance, so physical contact is inevitable.

While Takenaka Kiyoshi was checking the video, everyone got a five to ten minute break. Sakakibara Kaede and Higuchi Madoka got up and walked out of the tavern, sat on a bench not far away, and thanked the staff for handing them water.

"Yuuka, now can you tell me what kind of character Sachi is?"

Sakakibara Feng still couldn't suppress his inner curiosity and asked. In fact, he could see something from Higuchi Madoka's performance just now. It was the shyness of a young girl, the reservedness of a junior, and the insecurity of a girl, like a cute little animal. Such a girl can arouse people's desire to protect her.

Is something going to happen between him and Xing?

"Who knows?"

"Yuanxiang is so dishonest. The answer was revealed in the next few days."

"You really sound like Asakura when you talk."

Seeing Sakakibara Kaede smiling softly at her, Higuchi Madoka's heart trembled. She forced herself to look at the actors and staff who were chatting in the distance. She pursed her lips and said coldly: "You will know when the time comes."

"Yuanxiang, you always manage to arouse my curiosity."

"What's wrong, are you dissatisfied?"

"How is that possible? I like it the most."

Higuchi Madoka's face turned red again and she spat inwardly. Ever since the young man next to her had openly started a harem, the aggressiveness in his daily words had gradually increased, making it impossible for her to maintain the cold-faced attack that she often used in the past. No, maybe it was because he was too thick-skinned.

If Sakakibara Kaede wasn't thick-skinned, she might have been knocked down by Higuchi Madoka in the first or second round, and the two might not have become friends.

"So you really won't tell me?"

"I really don't want to tell you."

Sakakibara Kaede was helpless. The staff came forward and whispered that Takenaka Kiyoshi wanted the two of them to continue filming. They immediately put down the water in their hands and walked towards the crew.

"You two will be filming your scenes together on the bed in the hotel." Takenaka Kiyoshi continued, "According to the script, the character Xing likes Feng. Maybe it's because of her looks, or because of the sense of security Feng's strength brings, or maybe Xing wants to find someone to rely on in the death game of Sword Art Online."

"As for the script, Higuchi-san, you have five minutes to talk about the plot, and then we'll start filming." Takenaka Kiyoshi looked at Sakakibara Kaede and said, "It's okay even if you only have a vague understanding of the plot. What I want is the most realistic reaction."

Sakakibara Kaede nodded and looked at Higuchi Madoka, whose face was blushing. The latter was biting her lower lip, as if she wanted to swallow him in one bite.

Sakakibara Kaede laughed dryly twice: "Um, Yuanxiang, what is the plot of the hotel like? Can you explain it in detail?"

"Xing is afraid of the death game, so she is afraid to sleep alone at night, so she comes to share her bed with Feng." Higuchi Yuanxiang curled her lips in disdain, looking nonchalant, "Don't think too much, Xing likes Feng, the powerful one-handed swordsman in the game, not Feng in the real world."

"But Yuanxiang in the real world likes me."

"you..."

Higuchi Madoka looked at the smiling Sakakibara Kaede and suddenly had a desire to seal his mouth tightly. This guy has been with Asakura Toru for a long time. It seems that he inherited Higuchi Madoka's coping manual from her?

The girl snorted and said, "Just wait for me until the filming is over."

The two entered the dressing room and began to change their clothes. They took off the plate armor or leather armor made by the prop team and put on pajamas that looked like they were made of coarse linen. In fact, they were soft and would not leave marks on the skin.

Sakakibara Kaede looked at Higuchi Madoka who was hugging a pillow, and suddenly had a sense of déjà vu. He seemed to have often taken care of Higuchi Madoka until she fell asleep, and she would call his name every time she fell asleep. It was true that he dreamed of them being together every time.

Higuchi Madoka's glare gradually softened in his eyes. It was just a way to cover up her shyness!

"Um... Feng, can I sleep with you tonight?"

In the dim room, Higuchi Madoka stood barefoot in front of the door, covering her mouth with a pillow, but the blush on her cheeks could still be seen in the dim yellow light - according to the setting, Xing likes Feng, or from the moment Feng saved the Moonlit Black Cats, Xing had a feeling of being safe next to him.

In this game where death in this game is equivalent to death in the real world, there seems to be nothing wrong with relying on the strong.

Higuchi Yuanka bit her lip. What did she say? She had clearly never slept with Feng before. She didn't expect that her first time would be sleeping in the same bed with him as a character in a TV series. She suddenly felt a little unwilling.

Seeing that Kaede Sakakibara felt a little shy, her mood improved a little.

The girl came to the bed holding a pillow and squeezed next to Sakakibara Kaede. Her face was still rosy, but it didn't look as bright as before. Now she didn't dare to look at Sakakibara Kaede.

She reached out her hand tentatively to the other person, and Higuchi Madoka only felt a warmth on her touch. The back of her hand was gently wrapped around it, and she could tell from the touch that it was Sakakibara Kaede's hand.

"Cut, pause. Higuchi-kun, you should act more like a little girl. You should know that you are not just a character who likes to admire Feng. You also have a kind of fragile temperament that belongs to a girl, which makes people want to protect you. The action of reaching out after getting on the bed was too obvious. A character like this would only test step by step even if he has a crush on someone, and would not suddenly attack like a self-detonating truck."

Higuchi Yuanka got up from the bed and nodded: "I understand."

She thought of the confession. When she thought of Sakakibara Kaede pulling her along for a confession that was like a suicide truck explosion, Higuchi Madoka barely suppressed the smile that appeared on the corner of her mouth. She wanted to sleep in the same bed with Kaede openly, but her vision was not prepared in advance, and she was surpassed by Asakura Toru in every aspect.

Asakura Toru is a mentor and friend to Higuchi Madoka, and they also have the purest childhood sweetheart relationship. When Higuchi Madoka asked Asakura Toru about the fact that she hugged and kissed Sakakibara Kaede on the lips for ten minutes that night, and that she pretended to be asleep during the previous interactions between her and Kaede, Higuchi Madoka just wanted Asakura Toru to forget all the moments that made her feel ashamed, by physically forgetting them.

The character Xing is lucky because she met Feng in the game, the person she likes. Even though this world is fake and a game, the feelings in her heart are real.

The character of Xing is also unfortunate. Her timid personality prevents her from picking up weapons and giving her enough courage to face the lifelike monster. It is not possible to fight with such a mentality, so why does she continue to fight?

Higuchi Madoka was also a little confused when interpreting the role... Maybe it's better to go out and fight than to stay in the initial town and wait for death to come?

“I’m so afraid of dying.”

This is Xing's line. She is afraid of death, but she follows familiar predecessors to create the Moonlight Black Cat Group. She is afraid of death, but she still holds on and does not let herself show the slightest fear.

Until a young man broke into her world.

Higuchi Yuanxiang held Sakakibara Kaede's hand tightly on the bed, and the latter smiled at her gently, "Don't be afraid, I'm here, and I will never let you die."

"...ah."

Higuchi Madoka's eyes became moist again and she blinked. This ordinary sentence was like a young man's proposal, and it gave her an unparalleled sense of security.

"Um..."

After a day of filming, Takenaka Kiyoshi looked at the screen and stroked his chin in surprise. He looked at the screen for a while, then looked at Sakakibara Kaede who was standing aside waiting for comments. The latter wondered, "Director Takenaka, why do you keep looking at me? Is there anything I need to change in the previous shot?"

“Hehe, no no no, I just think Xing and Feng are so sweet. It reminds me of the TV series where Sakakibara-kun and Higuchi-kun played opposite each other. Hehe, cough cough, I just feel a sense of déjà vu.”

Sakakibara Kaede nodded doubtfully, but since there was nothing that needed to be changed, he nodded to Higuchi Madoka who was on standby, and the two of them entered the dressing room one after the other, and today's work was officially over.

"What are your plans for tonight?"

Sakakibara was a little surprised by Higuchi Madoka's question, but after seeing her cold gaze, Sakakibara didn't think too much about it. "Not really. I'm going home to eat and take care of some work, and play some games. Does Madoka want to ask me out to play?"

"Ha, who wants to ask you out? I just bought a little too much food at the supermarket this afternoon, and Asakura and I can't eat it tonight."

"Yuan Xiang is inviting me to have dinner with you?"

"Tsk."

Higuchi Madoka made a bad-tempered sound. Although her face showed it, after changing her clothes, she chose to stand in front of the door and browse her phone, waiting for the young man who was putting on his coat.

The two of them put on masks, and Sakakibara Kaede breathed a sigh of relief. Although he didn't swing the sword today, he was indeed tired from tossing and turning in bed. The key was that every time he touched the bed, he wanted to sleep, but he fell asleep and couldn't fall asleep again and again, which made him feel a little uncomfortable. Now he just wanted to have a good sleep.

"There are some things I don't understand about the homework assigned by Professor Kimura."

"I see. It'll be the same as usual tonight, right?" Sakakibara Kaede yawned and came back to the daily routine of tutoring his childhood sweetheart.

Higuchi Madoka frowned when she saw Sakakibara Kaede looking listless. "You look so tired. You'll fall asleep on the subway on your way home after your make-up classes."

"How about you sleep at my place today?"

"Sleeping on the sofa?"

"What else, Feng-san, do you still want to sleep with me? You're such a pervert."

Higuchi Madoka snorted mercilessly.

Chapter 22 I Want to Hug You

If I had made that choice, would he have regretted it?

If I had done that, would she have forgiven me?

Life is made up of infinite regrets and remorse.

Higuchi Madoka looked at the young man beside her with calm eyes, and she somehow thought of her own role, the young girl who fell in love with Kaede in the death game.