I live my life in Tokyo

No taste?

When he went on a business trip to Chengdu in the past, his taste buds had been fully trained. Although he had to go to the toilet after eating every day, the spicy food was really delicious. It can be said that he was in pain and happy at the same time.

Similar to this chili powder, it has absolutely no effect.

"Humph, you ignorant young man, do you want to challenge your limits?"

The old man who was sitting next to Sakakibara Kaede, staring silently at the bowl of noodles in front of him without picking up his chopsticks for a long time, said coldly.

"This chili powder is not spicy enough."

Sakakibara Kaede sneered, "This little bit of spiciness is as gentle as the spring breeze, plain as water, and tasteless."

"Oh?" The old man raised his eyelashes slightly, curled the corners of his mouth with disdain, and took out a bottle of chili sauce from his arms, which was known as the god of death in the Japanese market.

"Young man, there is hell ahead."

"ridiculous."

Sakakibara Feng took the bottle calmly and poured a little into his own bowl. The old man followed closely behind, stirring the thick sauce with chopsticks, making the red color more vivid, and choosing who to eat.

When Koichiro Yuki smelled the pungent spicy smell, he couldn't help sneezing. He moved his seat and left the battlefield to the two of them.

Accompanied by a cough, the alarm bell rang, and both of them inserted their chopsticks into the noodles at the same time, stirring the batter. After letting it cool slightly in the air for a moment, they put it into their mouths.

The next moment, sweat appeared on the foreheads of both men. The old man's face quickly turned red. He hurriedly took the yogurt that had been prepared long ago and took a sip. Details determine success or failure. He was invincible from the beginning.

Sakakibara Kaede remained expressionless, with a hint of indifference and sarcasm in the corner of his mouth. He stirred the sauce evenly and put it back into his mouth.

It has color, fragrance and spiciness. The mushrooms are tender and smooth, while the cabbage is crisp and delicious.

Red symbolizes fighting spirit, vitality, and courage. It is like Matisse's arrogant and uninhibited painting style, red, red harmony.

The Impressionist painter Renoir once said that life is like a cork floating down a stream.

The stream can be rugged, it can rush forward, and sometimes it can spray.

Kaede Sakakibara's face turned pale as she was meditating on the toilet, gaining an understanding of human nature.

"Young man, if you don't listen to the old man, you will suffer the consequences."

An old and powerful voice came from the compartment.

"Although fireworks have a short life, they have blossomed with brilliant light and proved themselves. I think life is the same." Sakakibara Feng supported his knees with his hands, dragged his chin with his fingers and said calmly, "Food is the first necessity of the people. The four tastes of sweet, sour, bitter and spicy are just like life. I just want to experience a life full of struggle."

"...You are sitting with Koichiro, are you from the literature department?"

"No, Dean Kimura, my name is Sakakibara Kaede, and I'm a senior in high school. I want to take the entrance exams for the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Economics at the University of Tokyo next March."

The old man hummed loudly, and then there was a hint of relief in his voice.

"Yes, Sakakibara-kun, you have my approval. But in this fight, you are the loser."

"Yes, I will ask Dean Kimura for advice tomorrow. Today, although I want to say that it was not my fault, I did lose."

"Concession."

Chapter 14 Acting is like diving

"Are you okay, Sakakibara-san?"

"hiss..."

Sakakibara Kaede twitched his pelvic floor muscles a few times and took a breath of cold air, "Dean Kimura is a true warrior."

"Dean Kimura eats this every week, claiming that spicy food is good for health. I can't stand ordinary chili powder." Yuki Koichiro was full of emotion. "This is the first time I see Dean Kimura take out the Death Pepper. Junior Sakakibara, you have aroused his competitive spirit."

"I'll buy yogurt next time, too."

The deep blue sky sucked away the last bit of warmth in the air. The street lamps glowed orange. Sakakibara Kaede and Yuuki Koichiro hopped to a vending machine. Yuuki Koichiro asked with a sideways look, "What would you like to drink, junior?"

"black coffee."

After a moment, Yuki Koichiro handed the drink to Sakakibara Kaede, who thanked him and took it.

The bitter taste diluted the spicy and numbing taste that still remained in his mouth. Sakakibara Feng let out a long sigh and gradually calmed down.

Yuuki Koichiro, who was also sipping black coffee, smiled and asked in a friendly voice, "How did you gain today, Sakakibara-san?"

"As expected of Tokyo University," commented Sakakibara Kaede, looking up at the night sky. "Every student seems to have a clear goal and knows the path to the future. They are confident and easy-going in their every move, and there is light in their eyes."

To be honest, I'm a little envious.

“Haha, that’s too exaggerated.”

Yuuki Koichiro smiled and shook his head. He took out his phone and said, "Sakakibara-san, add me on Line. Contact me if you have anything."

Kaede Sakakibara hesitated for a moment, but couldn't resist the enthusiasm of her senior, and operated Line half-heartedly, and she and Koichiro Yuki logged in as friends.

The two walked out of the campus one after the other. Yuki Koichiro usually went home on Saturday night and spent Sunday at home. His home was in Setagaya District, and he and Sakakibara Kaede were on the same route.

At the intersection where cars were passing, Yuki Koichiro turned around and extended his hand to Sakakibara Kaede, "Sakakibara-san, good luck in the unified college entrance examination and the school examination. See you in April."

"Thank you, Yuuki-senpai."

Sakakibara Kaede still had some good feelings towards this senior who did not act like a senior. Apart from anything else, he helped him sit with Dean Kimura and sit in the cubicle when using the toilet, which allowed him to learn a lot of information about the University of Tokyo.

Koichiro Yuki waved his hand and his figure gradually disappeared in the crowd.

Kaede Sakakibara exhaled a breath of misty wet air. He wrapped his clothes tightly around himself. His figure was shrouded in the neon light, and his shadow was stretched out very long.

The cold city of Tokyo, in the eyes of outsiders, vividly displays the fickleness of human nature and the fickleness of the world.

"It's time to buy winter clothes... I can't wear winter school uniforms every day."

Complaining quietly, Sakakibara Kaede stepped on the shadows of others and squeezed into the JR line station.

Saturday was a very fulfilling day. The next day, Sunday, Sakakibara Kaede went to the nearby restaurant where he often worked part-time and worked for a whole day, and again had three meals a day plus a box lunch.

Playing unfinished chords on the tatami, although tomorrow is a weekday, he doesn't have to go to school at all. With the golden medal of immunity bestowed by Sakai Yuichi, he has nothing to fear, and even skipping classes feels a bit refreshing.

He already knew the scope of the exam and the tricky traps. Although this information tasted a bit spicy and shitty, useful information was good information.

Outside organizations sold these materials at high prices, but little did they know that Sakakibara Kaede solved everything with only 400 yen, and these 400 yen were not spent by him, but by senior Yuki.

In a nutshell, it's free.

Turning off the lights and leaning on the bed to admire the moonlight outside the window, Sakakibara Kaede calmed his inner excitement and closed his eyes that reflected the sea of ​​stars.

. . .

The JR line was still crowded in the early morning and he still had dark circles under his eyes, but it was not because he had trouble sleeping last night.

In order to film the movie and pursue the authenticity of the character in the play, Sakakibara Kaede is prepared to play herself.

He bought a salmon rice ball at a convenience store and swallowed the rice with vegetable juice. After spending half a day in a familiar computer store, Sakakibara's pace became much more relaxed. After learning that the University of Tokyo was selling computers wholesale to students, he wanted to live in the programming department and shine.

After walking around, Kaede Sakakibara arrived at the entrance of STARS again on time, but found that almost everyone had arrived.

Everyone had manuscripts in their hands, except Sakakibara Kaede, who had a rice ball in one hand and vegetable juice in the other.

Seeing this, Sakakibara Kaede frowned, this group of curlers.

"Sakakibara-san, you... look fearless, don't you?"

Mai Sakurajima came to his side with a stern face, holding a thick manuscript tightly in her right hand, and looked like she had not slept well.

Sakakibara Kaede calmly swallowed the last bite of rice ball, "Sakurajima-senpai, Kitahara Hiroshi doesn't have many lines to begin with, and he relies on emotional performance. The audience discovers Kitahara Hiroshi's habits and personality from his every move, rather than experiencing his humanity from his lines."

"But the script clearly states that you take notes during class, sleep during recess, and disappear to study in the library after school."

"Sakurajima-senpai doesn't understand this." Sakakibara Kaede said, "This kind of life is the most difficult to imitate."

"Sakurajima-senpai, have you ever had a classmate like this?"

Sakurajima Mai hesitated for a while, her indigo eyes blinking uncertainly, "It seems so, but I can't remember the name."

"Bingo." Sakakibara snapped his fingers. He noticed Mai Sakurajima's gaze and continued, "Sakurajima-senpai, you have forgotten the existence of such a 'little transparent' character. Then you must have no idea about the trajectory and purpose of such a character's actions."

"If you want to play such a role, you have to work hard in this aspect. When an actor plays a role, it is like diving. The deeper you dive, the closer you are to the role. Now I sink into the cold sea water and try to grab the shells on the bottom of the sea. It is difficult to find such immersion."

Sakurajima Mai nodded thoughtfully. She seemed to be convinced and her expression was much more relaxed. After all, she was not the only one who needed to play a relatively difficult role now, and it felt more comfortable to have someone to take the blame for her.

Assistant Director Nakagawa and several agents including Iida waited in the distance for a while, and a bus with the STARS artist agency logo on the body gradually stopped in front of the door. The originally light-transmitting windows were covered with sunshades, creating a certain degree of privacy.

The agent talked on the phone for a while, then nodded to Assistant Director Nakagawa to confirm the number of people.

"Actors, get in the car."

Everyone was laughing as Sakakibara Kaede and Sakurajima Mai walked onto the bus one after the other and sat at the back. She was still reciting her lines, turning the script over from time to time to repeat them.

Her work attitude blinded Sakakibara Kaede.

The sunlight was strong and everything was visible. Sakakibara Kaede didn't have many lines, but he didn't want to make any low-level mistakes on the first day, so he coughed lightly.

"Sakakibara-san, is your throat uncomfortable?"

"No, Sakurajima-senpai, let's go over our lines."

"Off the script?"

"Of course it's off-script. If it wasn't off-script, it would be meaningless." Sakakibara Feng snorted, "Why, are you scared?"

Sakurajima Mai, who was successfully provoked, smiled slightly and closed the manuscript. "Want to make a bet? Whoever recites the lines wrong loses."

"So, what's the stakes?"

She gently shook her long black crystal hair, and after thinking for a moment, she suggested, "Whoever loses will treat the other to dinner tonight."

"Oh, that's ridiculous. Do you think you can beat me?"

Kaede Sakakihara chuckled, "Come on!"

Chapter 15 This is not a crime of war

"Hong-chan, let's go home together. I don't have any club activities today."

"No."

"Don't say that, Hong-chan. We are neighbors. It would be nice to go to school together~"

"If your friends see this, they will misunderstand you."

"But Hong-chan is my childhood sweetheart. I don't mind at all, and my classmates won't say anything either."

"..."

Sakurajima Mai quickly pressed the pause button and made a cross with her arms, "Not fair."

Sakakibara Kaede seemed to be smiling. His smile now was like a hunter playing with his prey, quietly observing the prey walking step by step into the trap he had set long ago.

"Why is it unfair?"

"Your lines are too few. Our starting points are completely different. How can we be fair?"

"Haha, Sakurajima-senpai, knowing yourself and your enemy will ensure victory in every battle. Thank you for letting me win."

Sakakibara Kaede cupped her hands, Sakurajima Mai bit her teeth lightly, and there was a look of unwillingness in her indigo eyes.

This was the first lesson that Dean Kimura gave to Sakakibara Kaede. There was no fair competition from the beginning. Whoever had more chips had a greater chance of winning.

Higuchi Madoka, who was sitting in front of the two people, heard her senior's unwilling humming and Sakakibara Kaede's weird laughter like a villain.

She didn't hesitate for long, leaning out of her seat, "Mai-senpai, you can ask Sakakibara-san to bring in some movements and tone when performing."

"Sakakibara-san has very few lines, but every word carries Kitahara Hiroshi's emotions." Higuchi Madoka's smile when facing Sakakijima Mai quickly disappeared when she turned to Sakakibara Kaede, "Sakakibara-san doesn't have any objections, right?"

Sakakibara Kaede glanced at Sakurajima Mai, and seeing that she was interested, she nodded and said, "I never say no to a challenge, let alone a challenge that I am sure to win."

"Come on, Sakurajima-senpai."

"That's what you said."

Sakurajima Mai twirled her black hair with her fingers, exchanged an excited look with Higuchi Madoka, then coughed a few times and turned to Sakakibara Kaede again.

"The war has begun."

. . .

At 8:50, the bus stopped in front of the private Toyonosaki Gakuen in Tokyo on time. The door of the bus gradually opened, and the actors from STARS quickly got off the bus and turned their eyes to the filming location for the next three months.