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

Sakamoto Yu stood quietly to the side, silently observing the atmosphere on set and the actors' condition.

This has become his habit.

Jiro Ikuno's directing style created a more relaxed and easygoing atmosphere on set, which was very conducive to new actors giving their all.

Akina Nakamori and Satomi Kobayashi are both in great shape right now. Through getting to know each other better as they work out their roles, they've developed a comfortable and tacit understanding that comes from living together day and night.

At this moment, Jiro Ikuno walked up to the two of them and reviewed the scenes they had just filmed.

Satomi Kobayashi is a seasoned actress; the director only needed to give her a few simple pointers.

After explaining a few details to her, Jiro Ikuno turned to Akina Nakamori.

He nodded to Akina Nakamori first, his tone appreciative: "That scene was good, the emotions were well connected, the emotional layers in your scenes with Miura-san were all there, and the pacing was perfect."

Upon hearing the praise, Nakamori's face lit up with joy, and he quickly bowed to express his gratitude.

Jiro Ikuno waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to thank him in a hurry, and then he said:

"However, the chemistry between the characters is still a bit lacking."

You're just rehearsing and acting out emotions right now, lacking that natural tension and subtle intimacy; it's missing something.

Perhaps you can imagine yourself liking someone and act it out.

Upon hearing this, Sakamoto Yu subconsciously looked at Nakamori Akina.

As expected, Akina Nakamori's smile froze instantly.

Ikuno Jiro didn't notice Nakamori Akina's unusual behavior. After speaking, he raised his hand and waved to Sakamoto Yu.

Sakamoto Yu nodded in acknowledgment and stepped over.

He bowed slightly to the group and greeted them, then listened quietly to the director's instructions.

After explaining the positioning, Ikuno Jiro asked him, "Any other questions?"

Sakamoto Yu replied softly, "No, I'm ready to start filming anytime."

Jiro Ikuno nodded and was about to walk back behind the monitor when he glanced up casually and noticed that Akina Nakamori seemed to be lost in thought.

Satomi Kobayashi noticed it too, so she reached out and gently touched her.

Akina Nakamori immediately snapped out of her daze and quickly replied, "I'm ready."

Jiro Ikuno gave her a casual nod and then walked behind the monitor.

Satomi Kobayashi had no scenes in this film, so she left the set.

Sakamoto Yu and Nakamori Akina moved together to the adjacent bank office set area.

After the assistant director confirmed that everything was in place, he clearly shouted, "One, two, three, Action!"

This scene shows Akina Nakamori being subtly put down by her female boss, then returning to her workstation and sitting down, where Yu Sakamoto goes to comfort her.

Opposite her was the actress playing her female boss—a senior woman in her forties, with her hair neatly styled, wearing thin-rimmed glasses, and dark red lipstick.

The female boss lectured Nakamori in a stern tone. Nakamori pursed her lips, looking aggrieved but not daring to speak. She lowered her head, admitted her mistake, and then returned to her workstation.

Then it was Sakamoto Yu's turn to appear.

Following the pre-arranged movements, he approached Nakamori, pretended to take a document, and leaned down to offer words of comfort.

"Got a lecture again, didn't you?" he said in a low, gentle voice.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but Sakamoto Yu was still waiting for Nakamori Akina's lines.

Half a minute passed, and Jiro Ikuno could only yell "Cut!"

Upon hearing the "click," Akina Nakamori seemed to wake from a dream and looked up.

Their gazes met those of Sakamoto Yu.

Sakamoto Yu could clearly see the desolation that Nakamori Akina couldn't hide.

Jiro Ikuno looked at the film set. He didn't say much, just assuming that the two of them still needed some time to get to know each other.

"Nakamori-san, are you alright?"

Akina Nakamori looked up and replied, "I'm fine, I'm sorry."

Jiro Ikuno waved his hand to indicate that it was alright.

Sakamoto Yu turned around and went back to reset.

Akina Nakamori also got up and walked to the spot she had just been in.

The assistant director surveyed the set, confirming that the actors, cinematographers, lighting technicians, sound engineers, and other departments were all ready, and then shouted again, "Everyone, get ready!"

Akina Nakamori took a deep breath, trying to concentrate.

The script supervisor, holding the clapperboard, came to the center of the camera and announced the script.

The assistant director received the signal and clearly shouted, "Action!"

Akina Nakamori was scolded, lowered her head, and walked back to her workstation.

Sakamoto Yu appeared, came to her side, bent down to deliver his speech, and everything went very smoothly.

"Got a lecture again, huh?"

After finishing her lines, it was Nakamori Akina's turn. Her expression was somewhat sluggish, and her movements and expressions seemed forced.

Jiro Ikuno, sitting behind the monitor, could clearly sense the abnormality in Nakamori's performance.

The agility from just now vanished instantly.

Jiro Ikuno frowned, puzzled. What was going on? How could things change so drastically in the short time it took to change scenes?

"Cut." Jiro Ikuno called for a stop without hesitation.

This performance was simply unacceptable; it was far inferior to what we had just seen.

Jiro Ikuno looked at Yu Sakamoto. Could it be his fault?

That's not right either, Sakamoto Yu didn't even act in it.

After thinking for a while, Ikuno Jiro couldn't figure out the reason either, so he had to ask the assistant director to rearrange the reassignment.

One minute later, filming was stopped again.

Jiro Ikuno stroked his chin, staring intently at the screen. Nakamori's performance was getting worse and worse, and even his eyesight was showing signs of problems.

He sighed and gestured for the assistant director.

"Let's shoot the other scenes first, and have Miura-san and Kobayashi-san come over."

After giving his instructions, he said to Nakamori Akina and Sakamoto Yu:

"You guys take a break and adjust your state."

Akina Nakamori knew it was her fault, and her face clearly showed her distress. She nodded, lowered her head, and walked out of the film set.

Sakamoto Yu couldn't do anything about it either, as he basically had no scenes with the other actors, and if Nakamori couldn't film, his schedule would be affected.

As Sakamoto Yu walked out of the film set, he was greeted by Satomi Kobayashi and Yoichi Miura.

He greeted her politely as usual, and Kobayashi Satomi responded with a smile, while Miura Yoichi nodded indifferently as always.

Sakamoto Yu had a feeling about Miura Yoichi's attitude on the day of the reading, but he didn't want to investigate it further. As long as there was no conflict, he couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

He left the film set and headed to his lounge. As someone brought in by the production company, he also enjoyed some small perks, such as a lounge where he could lie down.

The lounge isn't big; it has a sofa, a water heater to boil water, and a small table—that's about it, but it's better than nothing.

He walked toward the staircase on the side of the studio. The staircase was made of iron, welded to the wall, and painted with gray anti-rust paint.

It makes a "thump-thump" sound when you step on it.

As soon as he stepped onto the second-floor platform, he suddenly stopped and his nose furrowed slightly.

It smells like smoke.

It wasn't the lingering smell of secondhand smoke in the corridor, but the smell of freshly burned smoke.

He doesn't smoke unless he's under a lot of pressure, and when he does smoke, he doesn't inhale deeply; even seasoned smokers would scold him for being wasteful.

He himself doesn't care, but he really dislikes other people smoking nearby, which is a huge double standard.

Upon smelling the smoke, he instinctively frowned and followed the scent.

He walked to the corner of the stairwell, where there was a small platform halfway down the stairs with a fire extinguisher on it.

A sign on the wall reads "No Entry for Non-Related Personnel," and the corners of it are already curled up.

In that corner, a small, soft figure huddled up.

It's Akina Nakamori.

She was still wearing her bank uniform, her long hair casually draped over her shoulders, a cigarette between her fingers, and her head tilted slightly back.

His gaze was fixed on the distance, but there was no focal point.

Even Sakamoto Yu stood there for a long time without noticing.

Looking at the top female idol in Japan looking so sad and dejected, a thought suddenly popped into Sakamoto Yu's mind.

He seems to have found a way to complete that seemingly impossible system task.

Wasn't that green tea male best friend from my past life quite popular?

There's no need to go to great lengths to create conflict or actually undermine someone's position. Just quietly "add fuel to the fire" or "stir things up" from the sidelines, and you can achieve your goal.

After a moment's thought, Sakamoto Yu felt that this route was a good solution.

In 87, there was no concept of a "green tea" male best friend. This kind of thing is practically a game-changer now, and you wouldn't even be caught.

He also has a passive buff that can reduce most of Kitagawa's attention, so the risk of being noticed by Johnny's should be minimized, since he doesn't seem to be planning anything anyway.

Take it easy, probe indirectly, and there shouldn't be any problems.

Having made up his mind, he looked at the petite Akina Nakamori and slowly began to speak.