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

Not long after Yasuko Sawaguchi left the room, Yu Sakamoto also came out.

Just before closing the door, he glanced at the lacquer box.

Shaking his head to stop thinking about it, he closed the door and walked towards the dressing room.

The scene we're filming today is Kojiro's death.

Ken Watanabe's character, Masamune, comes to confront him, but ultimately kills his own brother with his own hands.

Sakamoto Yu finished his makeup and styling in the dressing room, but when he arrived, the lead actor had not yet arrived.

Katsufumi Nakamura was giving instructions to Assistant Director Ishihara when he saw Nakamura arrive and waved to him.

"Director," Sakamoto Yu greeted politely.

"Yes, today is your last scene. Perform well."

After Nakamura finished speaking with the assistant director, Ishihara nodded to him before leaving, as a greeting. Sakamoto Yu also nodded politely in response.

"Sakamoto-kun, you've been a great help to the crew this time, and I'll remember that."

A smile appeared on Nakamura's face.

"I've met so many actors, but you are the most special and the most capable among them. I look forward to working with you again in the future."

The fact that Nakamura privately changed how he addressed him is a positive sign.

If a senior colleague starts calling you "kun," it usually means they consider you one of their own and is a sign that the relationship is warming up.

Sakamoto Yu was overjoyed.

He stood upright, his gaze steady as he met Nakamura's eyes.

"I really look forward to working with you again!"

At this time, Ken Watanabe and his group also arrived at the film set.

As soon as he saw Sakamoto Yu, he walked straight over.

"Sakamoto-san!" Ken Watanabe waved enthusiastically, "Congratulations in advance on wrapping up filming!"

He had already done his makeup and changed his look. With one eye closed and the other open, he had a very charismatic smile.

As he spoke, he leaned closer to Sakamoto Yu and lowered his voice:

"After watching my performance, Producer Shiraishi recommended me to Haruki Kadokawa, who is interested in casting me in 'Heaven and Earth'."

He couldn't hide his excitement when he talked about it.

The drama "Heaven and Earth" is hailed as a national policy project, with an investment of up to 5 billion yen, making it one of the top-tier productions of the moment.

However, Sakamoto Yu knew in his heart that Watanabe Ken ultimately did not get the role.

It is said that while filming on location in Canada, he suddenly fell ill and was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, forcing him to regretfully withdraw from the production.

But putting all that aside, Ken Watanabe did gain recognition from NHK executives because of that performance.

Ken Watanabe's gaze fell on Yu Sakamoto, and he nodded slightly as a way of expressing his gratitude.

"I hope we can work together again in the future."

Upon hearing this, Sakamoto Yu paused slightly, then smiled faintly and nodded, saying:

"Congratulations, Watanabe-san! I've been looking forward to this day too."

After that, I didn't say anything more, just a simple congratulation was enough.

"Alright, everything is ready, actors in position."

Nakamura interrupted the two at the right moment, waving his hand to signal them.

Ken Watanabe and Yu Sakamoto nodded, both composed themselves, and prepared to get into character.

Sakamoto Yu waited outside the film set to enter.

Kenji Watanabe sat cross-legged inside the room.

Sakamoto Yu was wearing a light blue patterned hakama.

A hand warmer was pasted inside.

At that time, hand warmers were not cheap, costing 300 yen each, which was two to three times the price of a fast food meal.

At first, I didn't feel cold, but once I stood quietly, a draft would blow through from time to time, and my body started to feel both hot and cold.

"Action!"

At the command, Sakamoto Yu's eyes brightened, but his face was blank, completely unaware of why his brother had summoned him.

The subordinate summoned him, and the second young master arrived.

The door was pulled open, and you first passed through a corridor before reaching the inner door.

Kojiro stepped into the house, and Masamune slightly raised his eyelids to glance at his younger brother.

"Greetings to my elder brother."

"Have you already retired for the night?" Masamune asked gently, his face showing no sign of killing intent.

Kojiro and Masamune sat facing each other.

"Yes." He looked at his brother with a friendly gaze, his face full of respect.

"Do you have any grievances against your elder brother? Are you afraid of him?"

Masamune continued to ask questions.

Kojiro looked puzzled, just like when his older brother suddenly asked him a question when they were young.

His eyes were clear and innocent, without a trace of guile.

Looking at his younger brother, Masamune was reminded of the sibling bond he shared in his childhood, and his tone became even gentler, but his heart was filled with indescribable complex emotions and sorrow.

"Ask yourself honestly, have you ever felt guilty?" A rare hint of emotion appeared on his face.

Kojiro looked a little surprised by the sudden question, but he obediently answered:

"Never has it."

Upon hearing this, Masamune looked pleased and nodded slightly.

He took a deep breath, his expression complex:

"In that case, let me ask you, if someone were to try to poison you, what would you do?"

Kojiro was taken aback and couldn't help but gasp softly.

Masamune continued, "Tonight, someone intends to poison my brother."

"The mastermind should be severely punished without exception. Do you think that's fair?"

A look of surprise flashed across Kojiro's eyes. His throat bobbed slightly, his lips trembled, and his voice rose for the first time:

"Could it be that my brother intends to kill our mother?!"

"My mother may be spared the death penalty, but as her son, how can I kill my mother?"

When Kojiro said those words, Masamune understood.

Seeing Kojiro's worried expression towards his mother only fueled Masamune's anger.

He lowered his voice, knowing the answer yet still asking, "How did you find out that your mother was the mastermind?"

Kojiro involuntarily looked away, unable to meet her gaze: "I..."

"Tell me the truth!" Masamune said with a pained expression. "You already know this by now."

Then, in order to eliminate the potential threat, Masamune took out a white fan, which symbolized death, from his clothes.

Kojiro's face froze, but then a relieved smile appeared on his face.

The smile vanished in an instant. Torn between his mother and brother, and caught in the vortex of politics, he was finally able to let go of everything.

"What are your last wishes?" Masamune asked softly, his voice trembling.

Kojiro's relief turned into worry about his mother's safety.

He bowed deeply, saying, "I am not afraid of death, I only ask to see my mother one last time."

He looked up, his eyes filled with the last vestiges of family affection.

Masamune did not meet this requirement.

He suddenly sprang to his feet, shouted loudly, and drew his sword to slash.

"Rest in peace." With that, he delivered another stab.

Kojiro cried out in anguish, his eyes filled with the image of his brother. He staggered toward Masamune and, with his last strength, embraced him.

She called out softly, like a wisp of smoke, "Brother."

Masamune's mouth gaped open, and two lines of clear tears streamed down his face. "Kojiro, please don't blame your older brother."

Outside the film set, Nakamura, who was staring at the monitor, nodded slightly.

His usually furrowed brows relaxed considerably during the filming of the Sakamoto Valley scene, and his eyes showed a hint of admiration.

The name "Sakamoto Yu" is now firmly associated with "excellent acting skills" in his mind.

This is a great actor who can bring a role to its fullest potential and make it stand out even when playing a supporting role.

Outside the film set, Yasuko Sawaguchi arrived at some unknown time.

He was standing quietly in the corner.

Her hands were gently clenched in front of her chest, her gaze fixed on Sakamoto Yu.

He was so engrossed in watching that his eyes lit up.

A moment later, Nakamura's "cut" was heard from the audience.

Sakamoto Yu and Watanabe Ken parted ways.

Ken Watanabe let out a long sigh of relief; he once again felt the powerful ability of Yu Sakamoto to get into character.

Looking at the young man dressed as Kojiro, she was still somewhat moved.

Congratulations on wrapping up filming!

"Congratulations!"

Watanabe Ken only came to his senses after Nakamura took the initiative to speak up.

He grinned and stepped forward, patting him on the shoulder.

Sakamoto Yu bowed deeply, walked out of the makeshift film set hut, and bowed to each of the surrounding staff members to express his gratitude.

For the crew, the most valuable actors are those who can get the scene right in one take, have few NGs, are good-tempered, down-to-earth, and don't cause trouble.

They were generous with their smiles and applause of approval.

Sakamoto Yu kept bowing, but the discomfort in his body had already spread.

All he wanted to do was go back to his room and get a good night's sleep.

However, maintaining his polite persona, he couldn't just leave like that.

After thanking everyone, Sakamoto Yu also expressed his sincere gratitude to Nakamura, Watanabe Ken, and others, and stated that he would work even harder in the future.

Only then did he leave the film set, remove his makeup, and return to his room.

After entering the room, his face was flushed and he began to feel weak all over again.

He lay down on the bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.