They all pushed me!

He really didn't think that Kurokawa Akane had the same feelings for him as Ruby. Kitagawa Ryo even felt that Kurokawa Akane was just like the heroine Sachiko in "Pest". They both just wanted to find someone reflexively when their family encountered changes, and mistook the wrong feelings projected on them as love.

The suspension bridge effect, the Electra complex, the sensitivity and fear of loss unique to adolescent girls... There are so many things that can explain the other party's psychology and behavior, but the bystanders can only see more clearly than those involved.

It turns out that when mental fatigue reaches a certain level, coffee has little effect.

Just like that, Beichuan Liang fell into a drowsy sleep.

-------------------------------------

"Eh——Is Gotanda going to use this kind of publicity method now?"

The next day at noon, Kitagawa Ai, who was eating something that she wasn't sure whether it was breakfast or lunch, was spreading jam on the toast in her hand while scrolling through the hot news on her phone with some surprise.

"With Ryo, Akane, and Kana as the main actors, the popularity of Pests will definitely not be low, right?"

"Maybe it's to give the audience some psychological expectations in advance. After all, this is a sensitive topic like teacher-student love. It's like screening a group of audiences before the show starts?"

Seeing that his wife accepted the mainstream opinion on the Internet so naturally, Beichuan Liang simply continued with her topic.

"Yes, and I remember that the age difference between Ryo and Akane in the drama is bigger than in reality, right?"

"Well, Akane and I are eleven years apart, but in the script, the age difference between Ogata Satoshi, played by me, and Sachiko, played by her, is eighteen years. After all, my daughter is the same age as her in the play."

Beichuan Liang took a bite of the toast in his hand and added vaguely:

"A whole lifetime."

"Although Gotanda always says that teacher-student relationships are only legitimate when there is a generation gap between them, and that teacher-student relationships where university professors and university students fall in love are heresy, I don't feel that at all."

Beichuan Ai nodded and was about to answer the call when she heard one of the two phones placed side by side on the table vibrate. The name of the caller was displayed on the lit screen:

【Ruby】

"Ruby? Calling you so early? No, it's not that early anymore..."

Kitagawa Ai picked up the phone with some confusion, spoke a few words to the person on the other end, and then ended the call.

Without waiting for Beichuan Liang to ask, she casually waved her hand and explained:

"Nothing, it's just that ACE's Tokyo Dome performance is going to start in less than two months, and Ruby asked me to ask about it in a couple of days, after all, our B Komachi has performed there before."

As she spoke, Beichuan Ai also held her cheek with a smile on her face, and said in a cheerful tone:

"Come to think of it, I haven't talked to Ruby alone for a long time since she moved out. This time-"

"It's convenient for me to have a good chat with her."

Chapter 38: It seems like we should fast-forward to the chapter on sisterly love

On the first day of the official shooting of "Pest", Akane Kurokawa was one of the first actors to arrive on the set. She politely greeted the staff who were debugging equipment, arranging the venue, and building a temporary resting place. After saying good morning to each other, she found a corner and stood quietly by herself. She took out the script, which had some wrinkled corners, from her bag and began to read it carefully.

This was also a habit she inherited from the last filming of "Tomorrow, Dad and Mom Are Not Here", but this time she was unable to find Kitagawa Ryo who was always waiting there in a corner of the set during the not-so-long time before the filming started.

Just when Kurokawa Akane was feeling a little anxious and worried that even the words in front of her eyes began to blur, she suddenly felt someone patting her left shoulder from behind. When she turned around with a little inexplicable expectation, she only saw Arima Kana with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Are you a little disappointed?"

Sensitively catching the flash of emotion in Kurokawa Akane's eyes, Arima Kana's tone was also very teasing, and he lowered his voice and smiled and said:

"Disappointment is inevitable. After all, I'm not Chi Yin's ideal partner."

As he spoke, Arima Kana came closer to her, tiptoed slightly and whispered in her ear:

"…But you are really brave."

Kurokawa Akane frowned slightly, and just as he was about to distance himself from Arima Kana, he heard the other party add a sentence lightly:

"Don't forget, the two of us are now in the public eye as one who competes and improves together - best friends."

"Bad friends are more like that."

Hearing this, Kurokawa Akane sighed a little helplessly, but immediately returned to his usual calm and demure self, without any intention of quibbling. Instead, he raised his beautiful eyebrows and said in a calm tone:

"Does Kana have any opinion about what I said at that time?"

"Of course I have no objection."

Arima Kana just smiled and replied, but immediately hit back:

"But I don't know if anyone else has any opinions?"

"If nothing else, the good thing about Chi Yin is——"

She deliberately prolonged her tone, clasped her hands together in front of her chest with a sweet smile, and tilted her head maliciously:

"Does your good friend Ruby know?"

Being choked by Arima Kana's question, Kurokawa Akane said vaguely:

"I'll tell Ruby later when the time is right."

"Then we need to hurry up—"

Arima Kana smoothed the hair by her ears, her face showing a genuine concern for her friend, and she spoke sincerely to remind him:

"Otherwise, if Ruby tells Akane about her and Ryo first, then the nature of this matter will change. Hmm... friends become rivals? No, didn't Akane already know about Ruby and Ryo just like me? She is indeed a talented new generation actor who is known as my twin star!"

Kurokawa Akane was about to open her mouth to argue, but when she saw Kitagawa Ryo who had also arrived at the filming site and was walking towards them, she tactfully remained silent.

"Akaine, Kana, good morning. What are you talking about? You seem to be talking very excitedly. I can see you from far away."

Although he was a little puzzled as to why the two of them shut up as soon as he approached, Beichuan Ryo still greeted them good morning with a smile, and then asked curiously.

"Good morning, Senior Liang. Chi Yin and I were just chatting about some topics between girls. Does Senior Liang want to listen too?"

The first person to respond was Arimaka, who was wearing a white beret and had a teasing smile on her face.

"Forget it then."

Kitagawa Ryo also shook his head quite tactfully. What kind of exclusive topics could there be between girls? After enduring the double torture from Ai and Rumi, even if Arima Kana said it in front of him, he could remain absolutely calm.

It can be said that Kitagawa Ryobi remembers the safe period, dangerous period, and care tips for dysmenorrhea more clearly than his wife and sister, the two parties involved. Otherwise, he remembers the measurements, height, weight, and clothing size.

Thinking of this, Kitagawa Ryo subconsciously glanced at Arima Kana in front of him, who was seeing the barren area of ​​the future. Then he felt that it was a bit rude and looked away awkwardly.

"Good morning, Senior Liang. Do you want to discuss the script together?"

Compared to Arima Kana, Kurokawa Akane's figure... no, her attitude is much clearer. Holding today's script, she immediately put forward her suggestions straight to the point.

"Not today. It's getting late. We should be gathering for the shoot soon."

Upon hearing this, Beichuan Liang took out his cell phone, checked the time, shook his head and chose to refuse.

"after that……"

"Come to think of it, Akane probably doesn't have any opinions or suggestions about the script of Pest, right? After all, I heard from Gotanda that almost one-third of the plot and lines were designed by you personally. He praised you to the skies in front of me. There aren't many people in the industry who can be praised like that by Gotanda."

Before Kurokawa Akane could finish his next sentence, he heard Beichuan Ryo's sincere praise. In the end, he could only nod in response and said in a low voice:

"It's not that exaggerated, that's all."

They had just finished talking when they heard the staff asking the actors to go into the dressing room to get ready. Beichuan Liang waved his hand and said:

"See you at the shoot later, good luck."

"Ah."

"understood."

Arima Kana and Kurokawa Akane nodded at the same time. The dressing rooms and changing rooms for men and women were separate. Since they were the leading actors, they naturally had the highest priority. As soon as they walked in, three or four staff members in charge of costumes and makeup surrounded them and led them to the dressing mirror.

Kitagawa Ryo's progress was faster, because he played a 32-year-old widowed single father and teacher. The makeup on his face and his outfit were also mature and steady. The square black-framed glasses and the serious facial expression also showed an ascetic temperament.

By the time he had packed up and walked over to see Kana and Akane, their costume and makeup work had already come to an end. Soon, Sachiko and Natsuko jumped out of the script and appeared vividly in front of everyone, including Kitagawa Ryo.

Speaking of which, this was the first time that Kitagawa Ryo saw Kurokawa Akane wearing a junior high school uniform, so he looked at her for a few more seconds with some curiosity, and then turned his attention to Arima Kana, who was dressed more simply than Kurokawa Akane next to her, just a solid-colored home dress, and had a few scars on her forehead that had not yet healed.

The background story of "Pest" is very simple. The male protagonist Ogata Satoshi, played by him, was originally an elementary school teacher. He lived a happy and peaceful life with his wife and daughter. However, with the sudden death of his wife more than a year ago, his life has undergone earth-shaking changes.

First, the daughter, deeply traumatized by her mother's death, locked herself in her room and refused to go to school. Then, rumors of harassment of female students in her class spread inexplicably, causing a stir in the whole school. He had no choice but to quit his job and leave the city with his daughter. He moved his family to Tokyo and found a job as a teacher in a private junior high school.

Thinking that a change of environment might change her mood, he tried to arrange for his daughter, who was entering junior high school, to study at the school where he worked. However, she became withdrawn again after only one day of school because the rumors surrounding her father, Ogata Satoshi, also spread.

Although the school quickly found out that the matter was completely false and told Ogata Tomo to clear his name and not be disturbed by the outside world and to focus on the class, from the first day he started teaching, the eyes of the entire class and office colleagues were fixed on him, like a fishy odor that could not be shaken off and was engraved in his bones.

Everyone, including my daughter, kept their distance from him. However, the boys who had just entered puberty loved to talk about this kind of topic the most. The scattered rumors began to take shape in their mouths, and the plots became more and more full. Especially when students from other classes asked them curiously, they became even more proud and told more and more mysterious stories without any scruples.

In this wildly growing story, Ogata Satoshi seems to have instantly lost his human form and his identity as a teacher, and has suddenly grown eight dirty hands that touch the girls, sixteen pairs of squinting eyes that are always looking at everyone in the class lustfully, and of course, a genitals that could be exposed at any time.

But Ogata Satoshi still needs this job, or rather, he needs this salary.

-------------------------------------

The oil splashing out of the pot landed directly on the hand of the male protagonist Ogata Satoshi, played by Kitagawa Ryo. He was in a panic and subconsciously cried out in pain while hurriedly scooping up the meat dish that obviously didn't look very good.

Sucking the burned finger in his mouth, the man quickly glanced at the clock on the wall, and then hurriedly put on his suit jacket, tied his tie, and took his briefcase. He shouted to a room deep in the living room, "Xia Zi, Dad is going to work! The meal is on the table, it's your favorite hamburger meat!" Then he changed his shoes and hurried out the door.

After catching up with the subway with great difficulty, and being forcibly stuffed into the sardine-like carriage by the staff who were responsible for pushing people in, Ogata Tomo used his height advantage to look up and breathe in two less turbid air before relaxing. He took out his mobile phone during this long commute and sent several text messages to his daughter:

[Xia Zi, how are you these days? You should exercise more even if you stay at home. ]

[Today I made your favorite hamburger meat. Although it may not look very good, Dad has absorbed enough experience this time. I will definitely make it better next time. Of course, if Xia Zi can give some advice after eating a little, I will definitely improve faster. ]

[Xia Zi, you can go to school when you want to. I will talk to other teachers about it. You don't have to worry or force yourself.]

The man looked at it for a while, but did not see these messages change from unread to read. If he had not occasionally received a reply of one or two words, he would sometimes even suspect that his daughter had blacklisted him.

The situation throughout the day was no different from that of the past few months. As an outsider who was neither liked by students nor isolated by colleagues, Ogata Tomo finished his lunch alone in a dull manner, and began to organize his lesson plans as usual and began to prepare lessons seriously.

However, the malicious intent of the thirteen or fourteen-year-old students was obvious. It would be better to say that his identity as a teacher had become the best additional feature. They enjoyed the pleasure of arguing about the teacher and turned his name into a button: whoever mentioned it was equivalent to pressing it, and then they naturally created cheap happiness.

Although his colleagues in the office remained polite on the surface, no one invited or even informed him of any group activities, so they naturally isolated him.

Just like the broken windows effect, bullying a person who has been isolated and verbally framed in the workplace will only become more justified, because no one will think it is their fault. On the one hand, it is because of the sense of security of placing personal behavior in the context of group behavior, since everyone does it anyway; on the other hand, it is also because they can comfort themselves that it was not them who started it, the whole thing has nothing to do with them, and they are just joining in the fun and following the atmosphere.

After such a dull day, Ogata Satoshi mechanically walked out of the school again with his briefcase. He was not the instructor of any club and there was no need for him to stay.

The only difference from usual was that when he passed by a somewhat dark alley, he heard some strange noises. Two hooligans seemed to be harassing a girl in a school uniform.

Almost without hesitation, Ogata Tomo walked up subconsciously. Relying on the advantages of height and body shape, he was very imposing and scolded him in a cold voice with a stern face, which successfully made the other party look embarrassed and walk away angrily.

Just when Ogata Tomo regarded this incident as just a small episode in life and turned around to leave, he was suddenly called down by the girl behind him.

"Thank you so much. Um, may I ask, are you Natsuko's father, Mr. Ogata?"

The man turned his head. He was more than a head taller than the other person, so his line of sight naturally came from a downward angle. He looked at the other person's face, which he had not paid close attention to just now, with some doubt and surprise.

It had been a long time since he saw a child of this age smiling brightly at him with such a clear purpose.

"I'm Sachiko, Xia Zi's friend and a student you taught in elementary school."

Chapter 39: Social Death

The first scene of Kitagawa Ryo and Kurokawa Akane ended here. The rest of the morning was spent on reshooting the scenes of Natsuko played by Kana Arima, showing the family and the world as she knows it from the perspective of a daughter.

No matter how you judge it from the perspective of color, aroma and taste, it was a bad dish. A shirt that was burned by an iron was spread out on the messy sofa. A light bulb in the kitchen was broken. She silently took out a new bulb from the cupboard, replaced it by standing on a stool, then put the broken bulb into a thick cloth pocket and smashed it neatly with a hammer.

Kitagawa Ryo and Kurokawa Akane, who were resting next to Gotanda Yasushi, heard each other's instructions clearly. Compared with his usual decadent and careless performance, Gotanda Yasushi, who was in working state, had a very serious expression, and directed the entire crew in an orderly and clear manner.

"Enlarge the recording of ambient sound."

In fact, he had issued similar instructions when it came to Kitagawa Ryo's part. In the first half of the first episode, no one had any lines, and in this almost silent film-like atmosphere, he chose to deliberately highlight all the ambient sounds.

The sound of the subway, the clatter of footsteps, the sound of car horns, the laughter whose specific content could not be heard... As if he could already see the finished product after editing and post-processing in advance, Yasushi Gotanda carefully selected the sound effects worth listening to, and this crisp knocking and breaking sound was also within his strike zone.

After smashing the broken light bulb, Arimakana put the glass fragments, filament, metal part of the lamp holder, and everything else into their respective garbage bags one by one as required, so that they could be sorted and disposed of on garbage day.

"This is my favorite scene performance that I saw this morning, tied with another one."

Gotanda Yasushi nodded when he saw this, and shrugged at Kitagawa Ryo beside him:

“No matter how many times I work with Kana, I always find her demeanor and movements are so stunningly beautiful.”

After saying that, he immediately announced what his other favorite shot was without keeping anyone in suspense.

"The last one I was very satisfied with was Akane's smile. The camera angle at that time was also the same as yours, coming out slowly from top to bottom. The pupils were very beautiful, and the eyes were in place. It was a perfect appearance."

Yasushi Gotanda, who was still resentful towards the two because "Tomorrow, Dad and Mom Are Away" brutally killed the second season of "Homeless Children", which he was nominally directing, felt relieved at this moment, and had a sense of smugness that he had too many cards up his sleeve.

After this long shot of Kana Arima ended, Yasushi Gotanda glanced at the time and announced a halftime break. It was almost noon, and the crew's logistics staff also rushed over pushing a cart loaded with the bento sets that had been ordered in advance.

Although he also brought a prepared lunch box, Kitagawa Ryo found a place to sit down and had no intention of taking it out. After counting three, two, one in his mind, he saw Kurokawa Akane pulling the reluctant Arima Kana towards him.

"Senior Liang, do you want to eat together?"

As expected, Kurokawa Akane had already made sufficient preparations. He took out a folded tablecloth from his bag, unfolded it and spread it out. At the same time, he took out various bento boxes that he had asked his agent to heat up in advance and placed them neatly.

"Because I felt it was not good for Kana to eat takeout at home all the time, I thought it would be more convenient when the crew was filming - I originally planned to make only one extra portion for Kana, but I accidentally made too much."