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

Sakamoto Yu sat in the back row, holding the script for "Mom is an Idol" in his hand, occasionally taking a sip of miso soup.

Hitomi Ono held a notebook, occasionally scribbling down calculations of travel time.

The two were speechless for a moment.

The sound insulation of the car windows is quite good, and the noise of traffic outside is suppressed. Occasionally, a truck passing by will produce a low-frequency vibration of "boom."

After about an hour's drive, upon arriving at the studio, Hitomi Ono nimbly opened the car door and got out, followed closely by Yu Sakamoto.

Upon entering the film set, a strong smell of prop foam, the sour smell of wood glue, and the burnt smell of heat from the lights hitting the camera wires hit the audience.

Ono Hitomi went in, greeted the production manager, handed over the itinerary confirmation, and then took Sakamoto to the dressing room.

The makeup artist was already waiting, and when she saw Sakamoto come in, she paused for a moment:

"Is your makeup still on?"

"This was filmed this morning, and I haven't removed my makeup yet," Hitomi Ono said. "I'll just touch it up; the look is different in the show."

Sakamoto Yu glanced at Ono Hitomi, raised an eyebrow at her quick movements, and thought, "This little one is adapting quite well."

Sakamoto sat down, and the makeup artist began her work.

After quickly fixing his hair and touching up his makeup, Sakamoto Yu got up to change into his costume.

Today's scene was changed at the last minute. Nakayama and Goto's schedules didn't match up, so Sakamoto Yu will have to come back this afternoon to reshoot.

For now, we can only film the parts featuring Sakamoto Yu and his "eldest son," Nagase Masatoshi.

There are two scenes in total that involve a shift in emotions.

One required him to go from calm to anger, while the other required him to go from anger to helplessness.

Sakamoto Yu entered the film set during filming.

Director Endo stared intently at the monitor with a serious expression.

"Cut!" Endo called out, standing up and waving at the other person with displeasure.

Masatoshi Nagase walked over with an uneasy expression.

"Nagase-san, I can't see any emotion on your face." Endo took a deep breath; this conversation had been repeated many times before.

"Zhongshan is your idol and also your new mother. You need to keep your feelings for her to yourself, not let them show or smile at her photos like an idiot."

As they were talking, Endo caught a glimpse of Sakamoto Yu walking towards them from a distance. The man was already made up and was greeting him.

Endo stopped lecturing him, smiled at him, and nodded in response.

"Alright, go down and get ready. We'll start filming Sakamoto-san's scenes."

Endo uttered a single sentence, then left Nagase Masatoshi behind and headed towards Sakamoto.

As Nagase Masatoshi watched the director's retreating figure and saw Endo smiling as he walked towards that man, he felt a pang of unease.

That's an incredibly fast change of expression.

Just moments ago, the director was all serious and unsmiling towards his group, but now he's turning around and trying to curry favor with the lead actor. His double standards are so obvious.

Endo briefly explained the scene and camera positions to Sakamoto, who nodded and went into the set.

Upon seeing Masatoshi Nagase, he gave him a slight smile and casually greeted him.

The other person twitched their lips and forced a smile as a response.

Endo sat back behind the monitor and raised the megaphone:

"Actors in position—Action!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Masatoshi Nagase's expression changed instantly, and he shouted out his lines in unison, matching his inner emotions:

"Dad, are you and Zhongshan really a good match!?"

His voice was a little weak and his expression was a bit stiff, but his eyes were very sharp, and he seemed to have a real temper.

Overall, it was sufficient, and Director Endo did not call a halt.

It's Sakamoto Yu's turn.

Upon hearing the lines, he froze for a moment, then a hint of distress flashed in his eyes, followed by exhaustion.

With just a few simple expressions, compared to Masatoshi Nagase's stiff and rigid manner, the difference in skill is immediately apparent.

He sighed, his shoulders relaxed, and his body remained straight, but his back view made him appear much more hunched.

Character portrayal remains one of his strengths.

These complex changes in expression and body movements made Masatoshi Nagase swallow hard.

The scene of him swallowing his saliva perfectly captured the emotions in the play.

The camera then zoomed in on the two of them, and Nagase Masatoshi's unconscious, subtle movements did not escape Endo's notice.

"Sakamoto-san is as excellent as ever. He really has his own way of getting actors into character." Endo stroked his chin, his eyes full of admiration.

The assistant director watched from the side, nodded in agreement, and said with anticipation, "With acting skills like that, Sakamoto-san only needs one leading role in a prime-time drama to probably become a top star."

"Well, that is, provided that our show is popular enough."

This scene was filmed in one take.

After the director yelled "Cut," the entire set fell silent.

The camera was rolling, and no one dared to make a sound.

After a second of silence, Endo said, "Reset, prepare for the next match."

Sakamoto Yu relaxed his expression, nodded to Nagase Masatoshi, and then walked off the stage toward Ono Hitomi.

Nagase Masatoshi was left alone, watching his retreating figure with a complex expression.

He didn't dislike Sakamoto Yu, but he didn't particularly like him either.

When he learned that Sakamoto Yu was younger than him and would be playing his father, thus putting him in a superior position, Nagase Masatoshi felt very awkward.

Watching him and Miho Nakayama being affectionate from the set to offstage, he felt a little jealous.

That's Miho Nakayama, a top female idol.

He had fantasized about sparks flying on set and having a passionate romance with Miho Nakayama.

But reality is ultimately too harsh. In terms of looks and temperament alone, Sakamoto Yu and Nakayama Miho are an impeccable match.

What bothered him even more was that he once witnessed Miho Nakayama taking Yu Sakamoto into her dressing room, and the two of them didn't come out until half an hour later.

At that time, Miho Nakayama's face was flushed, and her eyes and brows were filled with shyness and happiness that she could not hide. Even a fool could see that the two of them had already gotten together.

Just looking at it made him feel suffocated.

After witnessing firsthand Sakamoto Yu's popularity and exceptional talent on set, he could only suppress his unrealistic hopes.

He pursed his lips and walked towards the rest area. He was all alone, and no one offered him water or a chair.

The staff quickly reset the equipment, and the second session began immediately afterward.

This time it's Sakamoto Yu's scenes with his youngest son.

Even without any bumps or knocks, you can still get it in one take.

The third scene was slightly polished—the director wanted to add a bit more of a sense of "loss" to the shot of Sakamoto looking back.

Sakamoto filmed it three times, and the director was satisfied with the third take.

When we finished filming, it was exactly 12:20.

It was twenty minutes later than expected.

After exchanging polite greetings with Director Endo, Sakamoto Yu turned and left.

Not far away, Masatoshi Nagase quietly watched his departing figure, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He has no endorsements, no external work, and only this one drama series, in which he plays an insignificant supporting role.

In contrast, Sakamoto Yu was constantly receiving endorsement and drama offers, with resources pouring in. Compared to him, he felt a sudden surge of indescribable melancholy and disappointment.

Hitomi Ono was already waiting at the exit, holding Sakamoto's coat and a thin blanket.

Sakamoto came out of the film set, unbuttoning his costume as he walked.

Hitomi Ono followed behind, took the shirt he had taken off, and casually draped the blanket over him.

"I'll eat lunch in the car," Hitomi Ono said. "It's an eel rice bento, which I bought on the way."

When Sakamoto Yu opened it, he found a whole grilled eel, and quite a lot of it.

"Will we be able to finish eating in this time?"

"Eat faster," Hitomi Ono teased softly, her lips pursed.

Sakamoto glanced at her and twitched his lips.

The car drove out of the airport and onto the highway.

Sakamoto leaned back in his seat, holding an open eel rice bento box. The eel was grilled until glistening with oil, laid on top of the rice, the sauce seeping into the grains.

He took a bite and closed his eyes contentedly.

"tasty."

Hitomi Ono laughed from the passenger seat: "Of course it's delicious. I went to three different stores to buy it."

Sakamoto didn't say anything and continued to eat his rice with his head down.

Hitomi Ono looked at him in the rearview mirror.

This person has been filming since 5 a.m., shooting scenes, rehearsing lines in the car, eating rice balls, and now eating a bento box. They've barely stopped.

But he didn't complain.

He didn't even show any "I'm so tired" expression.

He sat there, eating eel rice, occasionally glancing out the window.

The minivan drove smoothly on the highway.

Sakamoto closed the bento box and placed it beside him. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.

The car became quiet, with only the engine and wind noise remaining.

Ono Hitomi thought he was asleep. She was about to ask the driver to turn down the heater when she heard Sakamoto whisper:

"What's the next activity?"

Ono Hitomi glanced at the notebook, "Sharp."