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

Tokyo, Minato Ward.

The upscale hotel lobby coffee shop is located on the 27th floor.

The elevator doors opened with a "ding," and Sakamoto Yu stepped out.

He twitched his nose slightly and sniffed carefully.

Two smells lingered in the air.

One smells of coffee, the other of money.

The coffee is a dark roast, continuously extracted from the silver-gray coffee machine behind the bar.

The taste of money is indescribable.

Perhaps it's a high-end fragrance specially made by the hotel.

Or perhaps it's the combination of thick carpets and genuine leather sofas, creating an expensive feel that's been meticulously maintained.

In the corner sat a woman, about fifty years old, wearing a long black dress, playing George Winston's "Canon Variations".

A waiter approached and asked if we needed a seat.

Sakamoto Yu gave the name of the person who made the reservation, and the waiter bowed slightly and stepped aside to lead the way.

He walked at a moderate pace, just enough time for him to see the scenery along the way.

A woman sat by the window not far away, dressed in a mint green suit skirt. She slowly stirred her coffee with a coffee spoon between her fingers, her gaze casually falling on the open "Weekly Toyo Keizai" magazine beside her.

In the booth next to them sat a group of men in their late twenties, each dressed in a sharp, tailored suit, their fine quartz watches gleaming under the lights.

They whispered to each other.

"The president said that we don't need to look at the price of that piece of land in Ginza; we should just acquire it."

"Last month, we offered 40% more than the asking price for that building in Marunouchi, but we still couldn't get it."

"If they don't act soon in the Roppongi area, prices will rise by another 30% next month."

"Forget about the rate of return, just buy it now, and you can double your money when you resell it."

An invisible heat permeated the air, and everyone's face bore that kind of almost certain excitement unique to this era.

Walking deeper in, we soon arrived at the private room area.

Upon opening the door, Sakamoto Yu glanced around casually. The private room wasn't large, seating a maximum of six people.

There was a thick wool carpet underfoot, and in the middle was a heavy solid wood table covered with a starched linen tablecloth.

The bone china cups and saucers on the table were smooth and shiny, and the cutlery was made of silver and polished to a gleaming shine.

This café isn't just for afternoon tea; for business tycoons busy negotiating deals, ordering food here is more time-saving and presentable.

There's no need to follow the usual restaurant procedures; whether it's kaiseki cuisine or French Western food, it can be delivered directly to your private room.

Two slender figures sat at the other end of the wooden table.

It was Yasuko Sawaguchi, and a female assistant who was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

Upon seeing Sakamoto Yu, Yasuko Sawaguchi's face remained expressionless.

Her gaze met his briefly before falling on the coffee cup in front of her. She then gently stirred the coffee with the spoon between her fingers, before taking a sip.

"Sakamoto-san, please have a seat."

The female assistant who spoke was standing to the side, and the spot she indicated was right across from Yasuko Sawaguchi.

"This is Section Chief Yamazaki's file."

The assistant pushed the documents over.

"Mitsubishi Estate specializes in real estate in the Tokyo metropolitan area."

From commercial land in Tokyo to the bay area of ​​Koto and Edogawa, and the residential new town in Tama, all are under his jurisdiction.

The assistant spoke clearly and calmly, without any ripples in his tone, displaying a completely businesslike attitude.

Sakamoto Yu glanced at the two people in front of him and sensed that the atmosphere was somewhat subtle.

After a few seconds of silence, he raised an eyebrow, reached for the documents, and began to look through them.

The waiter stood quietly to the side and asked softly, "Would you like a drink, sir?"

"No need..." Before he could finish speaking, the female assistant raised her hand, signaling the waiter to leave.

His voice faded into the air, only the click of the door latch as it closed answered him.

Sakamoto Yu's lips twitched slightly. He glanced at his assistant indifferently, then looked back at the documents.

The room fell silent again.

"Smack."

Sakamoto Yu closed the document, waved it towards Sawaguchi, and said, "Thank you, you've been a great help."

He then unzipped his briefcase, put the documents inside, and zipped it up, his movements unhurried and deliberate.

Then he leaned back on the sofa.

He began to scrutinize people, not just glancing at them casually, but staring intently at the female assistant, his gaze unwavering.

The assistant didn't notice at first. She was organizing the notebook in front of her when she noticed the direct gaze and looked up to meet Sakamoto Yu's eyes.

At first, she managed to maintain her composure, but after being stared at for a while, her expression gradually became somewhat unnatural.

After a long stalemate, Sakamoto Yu still didn't look away.

She bit her lip and couldn't help but glare at him, but only dared to look at him for half a second before hurriedly looking away.

After waiting a while longer, the female assistant finally couldn't help but speak.

But just a second before his assistant could speak, Sakamoto Yu suddenly turned his head and looked at the unsuspecting Sawaguchi Yasuko.

Sakamoto Yu spoke softly:

"Sawaguchi-san, last time you said 'just pretend this never happened,' what exactly did you mean by telling me to forget about?"

I can't quite remember.

Is it the one in front or the one in the back?

Yasuko Sawaguchi is drinking coffee.

When Sakamoto Yu finished speaking, her hand trembled.

The liquid in the coffee cup sloshed and almost spilled.

She hurriedly placed the cup onto the saucer, but in her haste, the bottom of the cup hit the bone china saucer with a crisp "clink".

The sound was particularly jarring in the quiet private room.

The assistant was stunned for a moment, and after she came to her senses, she quickly looked at Ze Gu and leaned closer to check her clothes and makeup.

Yasuko Sawaguchi's hand was still on the cup. She didn't look up, but Yu Sakamoto could see her ears—a thin layer of red was spreading rapidly from her earlobe to the tip of her ear.

The assistant checked himself over and, confirming that nothing was wrong, turned to stare at Sakamoto Yu, his cheeks slightly puffed out, clearly showing his anger.

"You can go out first. I have something to discuss with Sakamoto-san."

Sawaguchi's voice remained calm, but his speaking speed increased.

The assistant frowned and shook his head, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, glancing quickly at Sakamoto Yu:

"Sawaguchi-san, the president doesn't know we're out yet."

Sawaguchi shook his head and patted his female assistant's hand. "It's okay, I'll be done here soon."

"But..."

The female assistant wanted to say something, but swallowed it back. She glanced back quietly and met Sakamoto Yu's gaze. She looked away awkwardly.

Despite Zekou's insistence, she reluctantly stood up, opened the door, and went out.

After the assistant left the room, Sawaguchi looked at Sakamoto Yu, his brows furrowed with helplessness and reproach, and said softly, "Don't scare her."

"She knows about me and you, and feels that you and I are not a good match at all, so she is quite resistant to you."

Sakamoto Yu spread his hands, looking completely innocent, indicating that he hadn't done anything.

His gaze fell on the coffee stains on the back of Sawaguchi's hand, and he casually took out a tissue from his bag and handed it to him.

His gaze fell on the coffee that Sawaguchi hadn't finished on the table, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

"I'm actually a bit thirsty."

Sawaguchi glared at him irritably and was about to reach out and press the call button.

Sakamoto waved his hand to stop her and took her coffee.

I took out a tissue, carefully wiped the rim of the cup, then slowly lifted it and took a sip.

When Zeguchi saw Sakamoto Yu's appearance, he felt a sudden tightness in his chest, which heaved up and down.

The words that were on the tip of his tongue were forcibly swallowed back down.

She suddenly remembered the provocation that Sakamoto Yu had used earlier, and a subtle smile appeared on her lips.

"Why didn't you complain about me last time?" she said softly.

Sakamoto Yu continued his work, taking a slow and deliberate sip before gently setting the bottle down.

Instead of answering Sawaguchi's question, he posed another one:

"If it's just to send documents, you can simply mail them over."

"Is there anything else you wanted to see me about?"

Sakamoto leaned back in his chair, calmly looking into Sawaguchi's eyes.

Yasuko Sawaguchi met Sakamoto Yu's gaze and looked at him. Seeing that he was not provoked by her words, she felt a little depressed.

He gave a soft hum, took a script out of his assistant's bag, and gently pushed it in front of him.

Sakamoto Yu looked slightly taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. Could it be another script?

"My next project is 'The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,' and there's a role that would be perfect for you. You could give it a try."

When Yasuko Sawaguchi saw him frown, a hint of inquiry appeared in her eyes.

Sakamoto Yu didn't take it immediately. He lightly touched the script cover with his fingertips, shook his head with a hint of regret, and still asked:

When will filming for this movie begin?