I live my life in Tokyo

The three of them stood on a wooden bridge with takoyaki in their hands, watching people in casual clothes and yukata coming and going, and listening to the water flowing under the bridge.

The boy smiles.

"I didn't expect... I actually have fans too." Uehara Yo put the takoyaki in his mouth and swallowed it together with the meatballs. He looked at the two people traveling with him and laughed with a trembling voice, "Sakakibara, Takeda, I have fans too."

"Look at you, you are such a loser."

Takeda Hiroshi laughed, "Don't you have more than 6,000 followers on Twitter? That high school student is just one of them."

"That's right, you already have fans." The boy chewed and spoke, "You guys, when you go out in the future, you should learn from me and carry a signature marker with you. It would be embarrassing if you run into a fan and don't have a pen."

"Haha, indeed."

Uehara Yo looked up to the sky.

"This feeling, the feeling of being supported and liked by others is really good."

"Sakakibara, although I won't have the chance to act opposite you in the summer season, I will make up for my previous debt in the fall season, so just wait for me!"

"Of course I will wait for you."

Takeda Hiroshi clenched his fists and looked toward the upper reaches of the river. Hearing the two people's passionate conversation, he was stunned for a moment before joining in, "Me too."

The boy sighed, and a few petals fell, which made him think of the Three Heroes of Peach Garden.

Three people with the same dreams and similar goals swore brotherhood under a peach tree. They did not ask to be born on the same day of the same month of the same year, but only to die on the same day of the same month of the same year.

How similar are the three of them now?

"I've decided." Uehara Yo's eyes were focused on the sunset glow. He turned his head and smiled at the two of them, "I'm going to work hard this summer to improve my qualifications. While learning different acting skills, I'm also going to delve into understanding the role."

"I am determined to get the dragon and the tiger!"

Sakakibara Kaede and Takeda Hiroshi clapped their hands and praised at the same time: "Good! Very energetic!"

Chapter 9: Lonely and Brilliant (9/)

Eat more than thirty days.

Takoyaki, salt-grilled fish, taiyaki.

The salt-grilled fish is fresh river fish caught from the river. It tastes delicious. The fish meat doesn’t melt in the mouth, but it has a slightly gamey chewiness, which is truly a cool wave in the summer.

Taiyaki is made by the grandmother in the confectionery shop. The sweet taste after the greasy meat is a kind of relaxation for the taste buds.

High-end food sometimes only requires simple ingredients.

The feeling of country game is a bit like visiting an elder’s home for a meal; it is delicious and comes in large portions.

"Is this... a shrine maiden? Komachi also has shrine traditions."

A few people followed the crowd to the front of the shrine, and Uehara Yao sighed.

The boy looked towards the shrine and saw three high school-age girls wearing shrine maiden costumes, dancing to the slow rhythm of the chanting.

There were many townspeople and tourists gathered around, and the three of them walked into the crowd and found a seat near the front.

There was little conversation among the crowd. Everyone looked at the leaping girls with solemn, appreciative, or peaceful eyes.

It was obvious at first glance that the three high school girls who were performing were full-time shrine maidens, who were usually the daughters and close relatives of the priests, or women who had a connection with the shrine. The boy took this opportunity to glance at his phone, and with the weak signal the webpage was finally loaded, and he was able to learn the difference between the shrine maidens.

With a long sigh, the witch took back the folding fan in her hand, and the bell on her waist made a crisp sound, echoing for a long time in the gradually deepening night.

The boy applauded along with the villagers and tourists.

Amidst the applause, the three of them simultaneously took out a small rice ball, stuffed it into their mouths, and began chewing.

"What are you doing?" Takeda Hiroshi held his chin up, thought for a moment and nodded in understanding, "Oh... So you're hungry."

"You, aren't two-dimensional at all." The boy frowned and looked at his companion.

Uehara Yao snorted, "Chew the rice and place it in a wooden cabinet to ferment. After a few days, it will become sour and sweet chewing wine. You haven't watched enough of the second dimension, so you are surprised by this."

The two of them criticized Takeda Hiroshi for falling behind. The three female high school students finished chewing the rice, covered their faces with their large shrine maidens' robes, and spit what was in their mouths into a porcelain bottle.

Just wait a few days after fermentation and the chewing wine will be freshly brewed.

"Yeah, it's really traditional."

"Sakakibara, didn't you perform in the Edo period's Taiga drama? How did it feel?" Uehara Yo remembered something, and when he mentioned ancient times, he thought of the boy's recent experience as an extra.

The boy spread his hands and said, "In that drama, I was just a tragic extra, but to be honest, I was quite satisfied with it. Every time I died, it was meaningful."

"Oh? Can you tell me more about it?" Takeda Hiroshi asked.

The boy recalled Supervisor Ohashi's face with a twisted smile, and the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily.

"For love, I will die calmly."

"Oh my god, so deep?" Uehara Yao was surprised.

The boy curled his lips in disdain and raised his hands forward. At this moment, he was Yuta Sakakibara, "I am the God of Pure Love!"

But it is really sad to think that Sunnybreeze Village has become another Thunder Bluff over the years.

"I also want to go eat some barbecue, what do you think?" In order to maintain his athlete's figure, Takeda Hiroshi exercises a lot every day, and his daily calorie intake must also meet the target.

The calories they had eaten along the way were probably accumulated, but they were all snacks and could not fill his stomach at all.

"Then I'll go and take a look around the lawn where I'll go to watch the fireworks." The boy clapped his hands. "There will be a lot of people at the fireworks show, so I'll go scout the terrain first and find the best corner to watch."

"Good!" Uehara Yao patted the boy's shoulder vigorously. "You look very energetic. I'll go eat a bowl of noodles and come back soon."

The golden triangle split into three groups for the time being. The boy checked the time on his phone and walked towards the lawn where the fireworks were being launched.

After crossing several connected wooden bridges and passing by the busy shops, the boy did not continue to follow the crowd. Instead, he followed the guidance of the old lady in the fruit shop and walked up the stone steps.

As the boy walked, his vision gradually widened, the voices gradually disappeared, and what appeared before his eyes were open lawns, rivers, forests and starry skies.

Looking down, it is a warm orange-yellow light.

The boy returned the same way and decided to buy a souvenir to take back since he was there.

Coming to a stall selling handmade masks, the boy spent a long time choosing between fox and wolf masks. Finally, he chose a white fox mask and put it on his forehead.

Then, he spotted Higuchi Madoka sitting in the alley.

She did not notice the boy's arrival, but just rubbed her ankles and calves with her hands over and over again. She was not wearing socks now, but barefoot, with wooden clogs placed crookedly beside her.

"Higuchi-san."

The girl paused and raised her purple eyes to look at the boy whose frame was outlined in warm orange.

"Did you sprain your ankle?"

"No, I'm just not used to wearing clogs."

Higuchi Madoka reached out her hand to cover her twisting and stretching toes, and put her feet back into the clogs.

"what about your friends?"

“That’s my problem, too.”

Higuchi Madoka didn't continue looking at the boy, "Asakura went to buy snacks, Koito and Hina went to the craft store."

"Uehara eats noodles, Takeda eats meat."

How similar their situations are.

"He really looks like Mizuno Hayabusa." Feeling the boy sitting down not far from her, Higuchi Madoka said softly, but this time there was no negative emotion in her words.

"I find anger and rage to be a very tiring emotion."

The boy sat cross-legged, resting his head on his hands and looking up. In his eyes was the same starry sky as the first day he played Kitahara Hirotoki. "After getting angry, all that's left is a heart full of darkness. It takes time to get rid of the emotions."

"You are such a mature person. If I say I want to be alone now, will you leave?"

The boy looked at Higuchi Madoka and nodded, "Of course."

The latter did not reply, but gently rubbed his calf.

"As for the real and fake things." The boy recalled the topic they had discussed before, which was a bit of literary philosophy. "For example, when I first met Higuchi-san, I thought he was a beautiful idol who was aloof and would handle everything calmly and watch from the sidelines."

Higuchi Yuanxiang glanced coldly at the boy who was talking, and the latter smiled and said, "This is a fake."

"You can only know the truth after you get to know someone deeply. I know Higuchi-san is a very gentle person. He would talk to the idol actors who were close to him and failed after the audition. He helped Nakano-san, who was still a newcomer, many times during the filming of the graduation commercial. Higuchi-san is a serious hard worker. He sings alone in the practice room when he doesn't have classes."

“These are real things.”

The boy leaned against the wooden column, breathing in the damp scent of grass and soil. "People always have a first impression. The first impression can determine many things, such as whether the person is a fool. Many people stop at the first impression because they know whether they want to continue to have a close relationship with this person."

“No one can tell whether the first impression is a person’s true face or a false face.”

Higuchi Madoka said: "I hate what you said before. It was obvious that you wanted to open up my inner world."

The boy replied: "I really think so. I don't want to engage in psychological warfare with Higuchi-san. Praise is praise. If Higuchi-san thinks I'm full of lies, he can ask Sakurajima-san, Kashima-san and the others. I believe they all think so."

Higuchi Madoka straightened up and glared at the young man who was looking up at the starry sky.

Under the clear moonlight, there were stars in the boy's eyes, and the breeze slowly blew up his bangs. His face showed no joy or sadness, but the corners of his mouth were always raised. This was the boy's habitual action, smiling before speaking.

Looking at the full moon, he seemed to be reminiscing, seemed to be sighing, and also seemed to be just looking at the moon.

She had seen him like this before. On the day of the school festival, she had seen a boy like this outside the classroom.

It was a lonely figure.

On Christmas Eve, when the boy gave his blessings to the four people, there was envy in his voice.

Higuchi Madoka now seemed to understand a little bit about what kind of feelings were in the heart of that young man who was loved by everyone, flowers bloomed for him, always had a smile on his face, and spoke dirty words all the time.

Maybe this is his real thing.

Cherish friendship so as not to be alone.

Live passionately to make yourself forget that you are alone.

With a smile on his face and envy in his eyes, he looked at everything.

Higuchi Yuanxiang seemed to see the boy's true appearance in just a glance.

"A cunning man."

Higuchi Madoka whispered softly.

The boy smiled and said nothing.

The wings called idol and actor on her back have already spread out, and can fly anywhere, as long as she wants, she can fly far away.

But in the dream, the bird was still resting on the iron railing, waiting for the person she wanted to wait for.

I dreamed that the bird stopped and looked at the three girls who smiled and held out their hands to her from a distance. It was not an emotion of like or dislike, because being together was a matter of course.

The most popular period for idols is when they are in high school or college. After graduating from high school or college, where will the three of them fly to in their dreams?

Toru seems to have decided on a direction, but the bird in his dream remains in the same place, confused about the present and the future.

"let's go."

The boy stood up and extended his hand to Higuchi Madoka in an invitation.

"Where to go?"

"Fireworks." He looked back at the main street, where the crowd was moving towards the fireworks display venue in an orderly manner with laughter.

Higuchi Madoka put on her wooden clogs, tightened her yukata, and walked towards the light.

She walked slowly and seemed still not used to wearing clogs, but she didn't say anything.

The boy walked beside her, very slowly, without holding her hand because she didn't speak.

"At this rate, we won't even be there after the fireworks display, let alone the fireworks display," Higuchi Madoka said self-deprecatingly.

"Don't worry, it's not a big deal if you can't see the fireworks."

The boy felt the girl's gaze and said, "If I can hear the sound of fireworks here, then in my mind the fireworks are blooming. Although it's a pity this time, I can still come back to watch the fireworks next summer."

"Don't you think it's a bit like a TV show?" the boy said. "Nothing is perfect. Leaving some regrets is exactly what romance is."

"Mr. Gentleman, I mean you don't have to worry about me." Higuchi Yuanxiang said sharply, "Don't you want to watch the fireworks?"

"think."

"Then why!"