"I'm in Tokyo, and this is some kind of movie star comeback system?!"

Chapter 103 Tea Talk

The corridor of the photography studio was still noisy in the evening, and the incandescent lights made the narrow passageway look white.

Some of the stagehands who had just finished work carried light stands and tidied up cables, their footsteps, conversations, and the clanging of equipment all mixed together.

The doors to the cubicles on both sides opened and closed constantly, and staff members came and went in a hurry, creating a bustling atmosphere unique to Showa-era film sets.

Sakamoto Yu and Ono Hitomi walked through the corridor.

"We need to get to the set of 'Mom is an Idol' before seven o'clock..."

'

Hitomi Ono was still holding her notebook, following behind Yu Sakamoto, muttering to herself.

"The car is already waiting outside. Oh, right, what would you like to eat for dinner, Sakamoto-san?" Ono Hitomi suddenly remembered something and asked.

"I could just go to the film set and mooch a meal from them... Oh, right, the film set's lunch break at 7 pm is just past."

Sakamoto Yu let out a regretful "Ah," even though the food on set wasn't good, it didn't stop him from getting a free lunch.

"You can decide. Order whatever you want to eat, I'm fine with anything."

"Then let's choose the beef dinner set meal. Watanabe-san said you should work out." Ono Hitomi nodded and wrote it down in her notebook.

Sakamoto Yu responded casually. Just then, he suddenly heard someone calling his name. He turned around and saw Nakamori Meina chasing after him in her pajamas.

Ono Hitomi noticed that her boss had stopped and turned around to look as well.

Upon seeing that the person who came was the famous top-tier singer, her eyes lit up, but then she realized what had happened, and her face instantly fell.

He's only been in the production team for a short time, and Nakamori-san is already so proactive in chasing after him?

She glanced at Sakamoto Yu with a helpless look.

"Sakamoto-san, didn't Watanabe-san tell you? You can't mess with that person..." Ono Hitomi gently nudged him to remind him.

"Who did I offend? Maybe they really have something to do," Sakamoto Yu retorted softly.

"Tch~" Ono Hitomi snorted disdainfully, rolled her eyes, and said with a look of disgust, "Then you should know your limits. I'll wait for you in the car."

Sakamoto Yu nodded and casually agreed.

At this moment, Akina Nakamori had already arrived in front of Sakamoto Yu.

As expected of a top-tier singer, she immediately attracted everyone's attention the moment she appeared.

She was still wearing the same makeup and costume from the scene.

Her hair was tied up, and she was wearing a flesh-colored loungewear set with a white inner layer. Both pieces of clothing were quite form-fitting, outlining her figure perfectly.

As it jogged along, its chest rose and fell slightly, and the little white rabbit hopped along, looking exceptionally lively and agile.

"Sakamoto-san, wait a minute!" Nakamori Akina ran up to Sakamoto Yu, slightly out of breath.

Hitomi Ono hadn't left yet; she deliberately lightened her footsteps, her gossip spirit instantly ignited.

Akina Nakamori also realized that there were many people around, but she kept her expression unchanged and casually made up an excuse.

"Director Sang is looking for you. Come with me."

She deliberately raised her voice and said it, then leaned close to Sakamoto Yu and quickly added in a low voice, "Come with me, I have something to ask you."

He then turned around and led him through the noisy corridor to an unused cubicle filled with prop boxes and miscellaneous items.

The cubicle wasn't big; it was a temporary partition in the photography studio. The walls were made of simple plywood, and prop boxes were piled up haphazardly.

Old backdrops and tangled wires.

There was only a dim yellow light bulb overhead, making the light dim.

The air was stuffy, filled with a mixture of dust, old fabric, and film set hairspray.

The muffled sounds of people coming from the hallway outside drifted in through the walls, making the area seem even quieter.

Sakamoto Yu and Nakamori Akina hid inside.

The surrounding space was rapidly compressed, and the two bodies moved slightly closer together.

Sakamoto Yu subconsciously moved to the side, but his shoulder still lightly touched hers.

Her chest was still heaving, seemingly even more so than when she was running.

Sakamoto Yu didn't speak, just quietly looked at her.

Nakamori looked serious and concerned.

Since the rumors of her affair with Kondo began, many people around her have tried to persuade her to let go, and some have even said that Kondo is a bad person. But she ignored them all and firmly believed that he would change his mind.

But those ambiguous words from Sakamoto Yu that day struck a chord deep within her.

Perhaps it was the chance encounter when she offered him a cigarette in the stairwell last time, or perhaps it was him catching her smoking in the hallway this time. For some reason, this man always seems to appear when she's at her most vulnerable.

That's why Sakamoto Yu's words always made her feel like the other person understood her exceptionally well.

Akina Nakamori stared at Yu Sakamoto's face for a long while before asking hesitantly, "Why did you say those things back then?"

Sakamoto Yu feigned a blank expression.

Nakamori stared intently at his face, lowering his voice to ask in a low voice, "Do you know what I'm talking about!"

Sakamoto Yu looked like he was reminiscing, and after a few seconds, he suddenly said, "Oh, you mean earlier, you were hiding in the stairwell smoking—"

Nakamori glared at him fiercely, clearly unhappy that he had deliberately changed the subject.

After being glared at like that, Sakamoto Yu stopped pretending to be stupid and casually made up an excuse: "I saw that you weren't in a good state at the time, so I thought I'd just say something to help you distract yourself."

17

"Just say something, anything?!"

Nakamori was stunned for a moment, then his tone suddenly rose, staring at Sakamoto Yu with disbelief in his eyes, and his voice trailed off with a hint of anger.

Sakamoto Yu was startled by her sudden reaction.

At this moment, Akina Nakamori was like a kitten with its quills raised and its breath on people.

Sakamoto Yu did it on purpose. People are more easily influenced when they are experiencing extreme emotional fluctuations, just like not making important decisions when you're feeling emo at night.

This is a common and reproducible human weakness.

"You, what right do you have..." She was so angry with Sakamoto that she couldn't speak.

The two fell into a brief silence.

Akina Nakamori stared at Yu Sakamoto for a long while before finally giving up.

She nodded slightly, as if resigned to her fate, repeating what Sakamoto Yu had just said: "It was just a casual remark, right?"

Seeing that he had successfully stirred up her emotions, Sakamoto Yu stopped provoking her and gave a reason that even Nakamori couldn't refute: "After all, we're all in the same production team, so it's only right that we take care of each other."

Sakamoto Yu maintained his calm tone, "If I said anything wrong, I apologize."

"But why do I get the feeling that you care a lot?"

Then, Sakamoto Yu added, "Kondo-san might just be busy. It's normal for rumors to circulate when they're collaborating. I didn't mean anything by it. After all, what we in this industry need most is emotional stimulation."

Upon hearing this, Akina Nakamori's eyes flashed with a hint of struggle. She remained silent for a few seconds before saying in a muffled voice, "But they all say—Kondo isn't sincere."

Sakamoto Yu didn't respond, remaining silent for a few seconds.

Then he said softly, "Actually—I don't know Kondo-san very well. I'm not qualified to comment on anything."

Akina Nakamori looked at him.

He paused, his tone softening as if he were talking to himself: "I just felt that if someone really cared about another person, they wouldn't let her hear these things from someone else."

"Of course, maybe I'm overthinking it."

He added, "Don't take it to heart."

"If you ever want to hide away and smoke again, don't do it alone. Just call me, and I'll keep watch for you. I guarantee no one will see you."

"We've been friends before, so I'll cover for you in this little thing."

Akina Nakamori glared at him, her ears burning slightly, and said, "Who said we're friends? Don't talk nonsense."

Sakamoto Yu put on an innocent look again and shrugged.

"Alright, I have to go now."

Sakamoto Yu left Nakamori Akina, whose mind was in turmoil, and turned away from the cramped space.