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

Before we knew it, we had arrived at the "Teacher's Departure" period in December.

As the year draws to a close, the social atmosphere gradually shifts towards year-end celebrations and New Year preparations.

The wind carried the chill of deep winter.

The shop windows in Ginza are dazzlingly bright, and people are ignorantly consuming tomorrow, reveling with a sense of self-righteousness.

Little did they know that this magnificent spectacle, like oil being poured on a raging fire, was merely a final, fleeting moment before the collapse.

In mid-December, the production team was still rushing to finish the final production.

All filming must be completed before "Oshin-bi" (the last day of the month), which is the 31st.

Allow time for final editing and sound effects mixing.

This drama will begin airing in early January.

However, despite the hectic pace, the production team still managed to hold a "year-end party" during a break in order to demonstrate their understated humanistic care.

Simply put, it was a simple meal held in the canteen of the filming location.

No holidays, no interruption to filming.

Participants included lead actors, core actors, producers, cinematographers, lighting technicians, and staff from all positions.

Anyone can participate as long as there is no filming assignment.

Producer Shiraishi was also present and, as a representative of NHK, thanked everyone for their hard work.

Then the lead actors gave their speeches.

This was followed by a free exchange of ideas.

The actors and crew chatted about interesting things that happened on set.

The atmosphere was harmonious.

in the corner.

Sakamoto Yu held a bowl of soba noodles and ate them with relish.

The heat descended down his throat, and his stiff limbs gradually warmed up.

He sipped a mouthful of chicken noodle soup and exhaled a thick cloud of white steam.

Thanks to the producer's personal instruction to correct his mistakes, he became familiar with most of the actors in the crew.

His dedication and professionalism were widely recognized within the production crew.

Her approachable, respectful, and polite junior persona has earned the recognition and appreciation of several senior colleagues.

"If only we could try a little harder."

Just a few days ago, Watanabe contacted him and the revelation came out.

However, just as Sakamoto Yu had predicted.

No one paid attention to this scandal.

The hype surrounding "Dangerous Detective" has largely dissipated.

The inside story of Okamoto was only published in two magazines, and both were just short articles inside the magazine.

There were very few reposts or follow-ups.

The hype is simply not enough.

Sakamoto looked around and saw Okamoto staring at him from a corner, his expression not very good.

He seemed frustrated that his revelations hadn't made a splash.

Sakamoto Yu shook his head and cursed under his breath for being so unhelpful.

He looked away and ignored it.

Just then, a soft female voice came from beside him.

Sakamoto Yu paused in his soup-drinking motion and turned to look.

Before he knew it, Yasuko Sawaguchi was standing next to him, holding a bowl of soba noodles.

Is anyone here?

Yasuko Sawaguchi asked politely.

With a mouthful of chicken soup in his mouth, Sakamoto Yu couldn't speak, so he shook his head, indicating that he should sit wherever he pleased.

Sawaguchi sat down opposite him and placed his plate down.

The steam from the buckwheat noodles rose in front of her, blurring her features.

"The director wants me to rehearse a scene with you."

Upon hearing this, Sakamoto Yu paused slightly in his soup-drinking motion.

He then nodded in agreement.

During filming, whenever the director was not satisfied with an actor's performance, he would have the actor come to him.

In this era of strict hierarchy, it's not appropriate for a junior like him to directly instruct senior actors.

Therefore, the director has to take the lead and have the actors come to him to rehearse their lines.

This way, the senior's dignity is preserved, and suspicion of overstepping one's bounds is avoided.

At times like these, Sakamoto Yu always maintains a low profile.

Instead of pointing out the problems directly, they simply read the lines repeatedly and demonstrated, letting the actors experience it for themselves.

To be honest, it's very tiring.

So far, there have been no negative reviews.

Sakamoto Yu looked at Sawaguchi Yasuko.

She wore a cream-colored knit sweater, the neckline loosely bunched up, revealing a section of her slender white neck.

The sleeves were rolled up to the forearms, and there were no decorations on the wrists.

Her hair was loose and unstyled, with only a black hair clip to gather the stray hairs on her forehead to one side.

The cafeteria lights shone down from the side, casting a small shadow on one side of her nose.

If I were to have a romantic relationship with her, would that be considered a major scandal?

The thought made my heart skip a beat.

Yasuko Sawaguchi.

Any news related to her makes the cover.

Even if it's not "dirt" but "scandal," gossip magazines will still follow it.

It can even make more people aware of the name "Sakamoto-ya".

Sakamoto Yu shook his head slightly.

Her billing is still too high; the agency won't just sit idly by—it's too risky.

Just when he was about to give up.

"bite--"

The familiar ringtone exploded in my mind.

[You had a long-term guest appearance in "Women of the Forensic Research Institute," which is how you met this stunning beauty of the Showa era screen. You hit it off and had mutual feelings for each other, but because of your own inferiority complex, you ultimately couldn't muster the courage to confess your feelings.]

[Task: Make Yasuko Sawaguchi feel your feelings]

[Reward: Mastery of Samurai Swordsmanship]

"?"

Sakamoto Yu was stunned on the spot.

Another new mission?!

Does this system read minds? Why does it give out tasks at this particular time of year?

Sakamoto Yu stared at the panel that only he could see.

Slight hesitation.

He is now far more eager to improve than ever before.

However, the risks involved are still very high, and we need to be prepared.

He took a deep breath and looked up at Zekou.

"Which section does Sawaguchi-san need to work on?"

Sakamoto Yu put down his chopsticks, his voice steady, his expression polite, showing no sign of anything amiss.

Yasuko Sawaguchi looked up at Yu Sakamoto.

Chapter 46.

Sawaguchi handed over the script.

Sakamoto Yu took it and quickly glanced at it.

This is the scene where Hachihime tells her mother that she is going to visit the Grand Master and ask him to forgive Matsudaira Tadateru.

Sakamoto Yu pondered for a moment, tapping his fingers on the table.

"No problem, let's start after you finish eating."

"Okay." Upon hearing this, Zekou sat down in front of him and ate his noodles in small bites.

Sakamoto Yu was looking at the script with a serious expression.

In reality, she was thinking about how to confess her feelings.

Saying it directly is definitely not an option, and doing so would certainly ruin the persona he established in the drama.

There needs to be a reason.

Sakamoto Yu was flipping through the script when his eyes suddenly narrowed.

He saw a scene between Matsudaira Tadaki and Hachihime.

Zhonghui, facing war, did not want Baji to die with him and wanted to divorce her. Baji insisted on staying, and the two confessed their feelings for each other.

This passage is excellent; it would be perfect for a confession of love.

After making up his mind, Sakamoto Yu began to think about how to persuade the other party.

Just then, he noticed a gaze falling on him.

Looking up, I met Yasuko Sawaguchi's gaze, which was fixed on me with a hint of curiosity.

She held the noodles between her fingers, her cheeks slightly puffed out, and her big eyes sparkling.

Their eyes met, but she didn't look away, her expression poised and graceful.

"Sakamoto-san, can I ask you a question?"

She covered her mouth with her small hand, swallowed the noodles, and asked softly.

Sakamoto Yu paused slightly, then nodded gently: "Is there a scene you'd like to demonstrate?"

He looked at it with a puzzled expression.

Sawaguchi gently shook his head, looking at him with great interest:

"Sakamoto-san, you must be around my age, right?"

"Um."

"So how did you develop your acting skills? Was there any special method?"

Upon hearing this, Sakamoto Yu immediately knew how to broach the subject and quickly devised a plan.

"I have indeed gained some insights."

A hint of embarrassment flashed across his face, and he feigned hesitation. "Sawaguchi-san, do you want to know?"