Uneasy daily life

In other words, someone plotted against me!

Unfortunately, there are few clues. Things that are hard to understand are truly difficult to comprehend, such as various extraordinary events...

The white figure was heading to the shop where Sakuta Azusagawa worked when she suddenly felt a strong gaze on her right and immediately turned her head to look.

Across the road, Mai Sakurajima carried a bag of dinner ingredients, her gaze fixed straight ahead.

I run!

Chapter Forty-Eight: You ambushed me!

"Thank you for your patronage."

The cashier counts the money, gives change and prints a receipt, quickly stuffs the goods into a bag, and then sends the customer away with a standard smile and a crisp, efficient greeting.

Ugh……

The cashier sighed, her friendly smile fading as she rubbed her arms, which were a little sore from carrying the merchandise.

Mai Sakurajima placed the groceries she had selected on the counter, glanced at the latest news on her phone, and waited for the cashier to process her payment.

Most of the recent news is about his retirement from the entertainment industry...

In the case of Mai Sakurajima's retirement from the entertainment industry, we contacted her manager and mother, hoping to obtain details of the reasons. During the phone call, Sakurajima's manager refused to be interviewed, stating that she had already resigned from her managerial duties and regrettably could not reach an agreement or obtain further investigation results.

It's normal media behavior, so it's normal for me to be angry... Should I call my mother to say hello?

No, I need to wait until I've adjusted my emotions and mindset, otherwise it will only worry my mother and cause her to revert to her old ways of doing things.

Why did Mai Sakurajima announce her retirement from the entertainment industry? Many people, like myself, are curious, so let's take a look. Mai Sakurajima recently announced that she will retire from the entertainment industry after completing filming for "Them"...

Skip small media news that wastes your life and intelligence.

Mai Sakurajima put down her phone for a moment and looked at the cashier behind the counter.

The cashier was doing waist exercises by turning around and around.

"Ahem." Mai Sakurajima coughed. "Check, please."

"Okay, sir..."

The cashier naturally withdrew her movement, replacing it with a gentle, friendly smile that revealed a hint of her white teeth. She quickly and efficiently processed the payment, packed the items, and handed them to Sakurajima Mai with both hands, saying with a smile, "Thank you for your patronage... Eh? You're Sakura—"

The cashier's eyes widened in surprise.

"Shh." Mai Sakurajima quickly put her index finger to her lips. "I'm not a celebrity anymore."

"Huh? You're not acting anymore?" The cashier's eyes widened in surprise.

Mai Sakurajima coughed slightly, a little awkwardly: "Um... I'm not acting anymore, and there's no need for honorifics."

"What a pity, I've watched all the TV dramas you've acted in." The cashier said with some regret. She looked up to see that there were no customers who needed to pay, took out a notebook and a pen, and asked expectantly, "Could you please sign my autograph?"

"……no problem."

Mai Sakurajima, carrying her things in one hand, bowed her head to sign her name, and stepped away to leave.

Something feels off...

“Thank you for your patronage!”

The sound of farewells from behind echoed again, exceptionally full and energetic.

Mai Sakurajima glanced back and saw the cashier taking pictures of the laptop with her phone. Perhaps she wanted to show it off to her friends, or perhaps she wanted to flaunt it on social media. She had a slight, pleasant smile on her face.

Life is not about laughing; laughter is about living.

Was my previous job similar to theirs? If I can bring some smiles to others, then my career as an actor isn't too regrettable.

Mai Sakurajima left the supermarket and walked down the street on her way home. Dusk gradually descended from the clouds, and a strange, indescribable feeling welled up in her heart. She suppressed her emotions and aimlessly observed the people coming and going on the street.

Her gaze suddenly stopped, fixed on the other side of the road, and she stopped walking as well.

Hater?!

Why did I run into him here? Doesn't he live in the Chiba prefecture area? This guy who caused all sorts of trouble and then ran away!

Sakurajima Mai's lips curled up slightly as she decided to take her anger out on him properly—taking anger out on someone is indeed an improper behavior, but the thought of taking it out on the hater-kun not only didn't make her feel guilty, but actually made her feel very happy!

Of course, it's also possible that I really want to find someone I know to chat with... There are a lot of cars, I'll wait for the pedestrian light to turn green...

As Mai Sakurajima was pondering her plan, her gaze suddenly met a wary stare that turned towards her.

Was discovered.

Mai Sakurajima was taken aback and was about to raise her hand to call out.

The white figure took off like a gust of wind. By the time Mai Sakurajima came to her senses, the other person had already disappeared into the crowd of people on the opposite side of the street in the blink of an eye.

Are you equipped with a danger sensor? Are you thinking about the things you've done and worried about being punished later? Are you about to bump into your creditors on the street?

Sakurajima Mai was a little confused. She raised her hand to her brow, trying to clear her tangled thoughts... A certain thought involuntarily popped into her head: she wasn't a celebrity, and Bai Ying wasn't a hater. So what was their relationship after all? Friends? Acquaintances? Creditors? Victim and murderer?

It doesn't matter what kind of relationship it is. Bai Ying seemed to want to avoid any connection, so let's not get involved.

Sakurajima Mai suppressed her somewhat irritable emotions and continued on her way home.

After retiring from the entertainment industry, it seems that he has only recently reintegrated into the world. He feels that he is nothing special. As long as he doesn't run into people from within or outside the industry, no one will recognize him on the street. No matter how much the media hypes him up, there are still far more people who don't know him or only know his name.

Footsteps come and go on the street, and I am just one of them.

……

……

As a master of escape, how could I possibly touch a bomb? I'll just light a fire and then strategically retreat. In fact, retreating is a perfect combination of setting off a bomb and running away! It will definitely give even the bravest person a heavy psychological blow!

Avoidance can also be a form of offense, but unfortunately, you can't see the other person's expression face-to-face, otherwise you'll definitely become a target.

Who would be so foolish as to go up there and get roasted?

The white-clad figure walked happily back to someone else's house, hands in her pockets.

The Hero Plus is currently in a period of confusion after being battered by life, but it's only a matter of time before he emerges from this period. After all, he is an upgraded version of the Hero who has taken the initiative to separate himself from his mother in terms of work and life, and who has achieved independence through his actions, rather than just dwelling on his inner thoughts.

As a result, there are fewer interesting parts, but it's not like there aren't loopholes to exploit...

With...the mother's voice, a small surprise and a bit of unease...and then...hehehehe! Huh? What's going on?!

As Bai Ying took out her phone and started pressing buttons, she suddenly stared straight ahead.

The pedestrians on the other side looked at it strangely and carefully took a step to the side to avoid the white figure.

The fragmented, exoskeleton-like Stand enveloped his body, casting a faint pinkish-purple hue over his vision. A powerful urge surged within him, making him want to first chop off a hand he liked on the street, then find an auspicious time, play the suona horn, scatter paper money, and place the hero in a coffin, performing his signature act with great ceremony... What a load of rubbish!

Even the most beautiful hands will age and smell bad when taken off.

It's okay, I'm single-minded, as long as the hands are pretty—don't you think the Hero Plus's hands are pretty good too? At least they're passable. Go back right now, and the Hero Plus will be within reach. Then call the Hero to lure her out, and she'll be yours in no time. Finally, live a peaceful and happy life in the city, guided by luck, encountering those charming hands and enjoying the life of serendipitous encounters…

I get it! "Hot as a feather" means putting your hands on a grill, sprinkling them with cumin and salt, and grilling them until crispy—delicious and full of calories. "Ruthless" means that when cooking with your hands, you must have the spirit to push your limits—extra spicy, extra spicy, not spicy enough! "Unscrupulous" means that when eating, you must cut your hands into pieces, each with its own flavor, without being picky about any part.

Isn't it good too?

Holy crap! There's a pervert! Well, then I can only be even more of a pervert than you!

"A glimpse of the leopard through a tube reveals only a part of its hue. When judging a person, one cannot focus on just one aspect; one must look at the whole picture, examine it specifically, and consider it logically and with evidence—an excellent chef knows how to turn every part of the pig into a dish. Therefore, from my professional perspective, the 'Brave Plus' has many merits. As the saying goes, meat without oil is not fragrant, and women have a higher body fat percentage than men, making them naturally excellent ingredients for cooking..."

【Served as a dish?! You're not thinking I did something weird, are you?!】

Sakurajima Mai's embarrassed and annoyed voice burst from the phone.

Ok? !

Bai Ying frowned, realizing something was wrong, and exclaimed in shock, "When did you call me?!"

Didn't you call me?!

On the other end, Mai Sakurajima was somewhat exasperated. When she answered the call, for some reason, she only heard faint breathing sounds on the other end, as if the guy was preparing to say something serious. Just as she was about to listen carefully, she was suddenly interrupted by a "harassment"!

This hater!

What did you mean by that? Are you suggesting I run away first before you start harassing me with phone calls?!

After a few words, Mai Sakurajima calmed down a bit and added a sentence after her questioning.

【While I don't mind you having such wild thoughts, being younger than me, I also don't mind sending you to jail, you harassing hater.】

Bai Ying was a little distracted as he tried to recall and think. It seemed that he might have typed it himself? How could I have unintentionally overlooked something so obvious? He then explained, "I did have inappropriate thoughts about you, in terms of cooking."

【ha? 】

"Didn't I just say that meat without oil is bland and meat without juice is dry? From an ingredient perspective, scientific research shows that women have a higher body fat percentage than men, which is their advantage. Brave Plus has a very well-proportioned figure, and the pork belly on his body must be a perfect balance of fat and lean. From slender calves to plump thighs, the whole leg is suitable for grilling. The high temperature will render out the fat, giving it a special aroma..."

[...Shall I say something to express my gratitude for the compliment?]

"You're welcome. I'm just objectively stating that you have many advantages, more than one," Bai Ying said. "By the way, due to differences in body fat percentage and muscle ratio, men theoretically have better internal organs than women, but we have to exclude individuals who smoke, drink, or stay up late."

His talk about the food value for humans drew frequent glances from passersby.

Sakurajima Mai was probably speechless, and didn't reply for a few seconds. Bai Ying pondered for a moment, then asked again to confirm, "Was it me who called you just now?"

If you feel this is a matter of self-esteem, I'm not unwilling to consider your feelings.

The white figure suddenly realized.

My memory is blurring; what have I forgotten? It turns out I've forgotten you!

"Oh! You tricked me!"

【? 】

Chapter 49 Hurry up and embrace life!

Who plotted against you?

Sakurajima Mai was puzzled and asked in confusion, "What strange crime are you making up for me? Besides, if you really wanted to plot against the hater, that wouldn't be a crime."

[Where are you, Brave Plus?]

On the phone, Bai Ying's voice was very calm.

Mai Sakurajima stopped, looked around, turned and walked back the way she came, feigning ignorance, and asked, "Hello, who are you? Do I know you?"

[It's me! It's me! Brave Plus, have you forgotten? We're comrades-in-arms!]

What kind of scam is this?

Sakurajima Mai thought to herself, then said coldly, "I'm sorry, there's no one here named 'Brave Plus.' You've dialed the wrong number."

"Have you forgotten?" Bai Ying's voice turned sorrowful. "Have you forgotten the time we fought side by side, the spirited times we shared in criticizing idol culture! You sent me to infiltrate the anti-fan group, and I worked diligently, day and night, striving to undermine the arrogance of celebrities. I remember every single detail, as if it were my own treasure..."

Mai Sakurajima stated calmly and condescendingly, "Oh."

Having returned to the traffic light, Mai Sakurajima looked around and walked directly behind the bus stop sign, thinking about how to casually reveal her location.

On the phone, Bai Ying's voice suddenly turned cold: [Three days, three days and then another three days! How many three-day periods can a person's memory hold? Brave Plus, I went to great lengths to free you from the shackles of your idol status and help you become independent from your mother, and now you say I mistook you for someone else? You're using me and then discarding me! Like discarding a bow after the birds are gone! Yuan Shikai's ascension to the throne—full of inconsistencies! How much inspiration have I wasted on you? Give me back my inspiration!]

Mai Sakurajima's eye twitched, and her laughter turned chilling: "Help? You mean tricking Kazuka and Auntie into coming to the film crew, or posting crazy things in the group chat, or giving pointers under the guise of teaching acting?"

Especially that post praising his own appearance! It's easy to deduce in hindsight that this guy knew his alternate account and deliberately provoked others in the group, pretending not to know it, using all sorts of tricks…

Thinking back on it like this, I get a buzzing noise in my head.

[You haven't made up with your sister? You haven't confronted your mom? Your acting skills haven't improved?]

"Does this have anything to do with those infuriating things you did?" Mai Sakurajima realized she had gotten so engrossed in the conversation that she almost forgot about the important matter. She quickly changed the subject. "Alright! Let's call it even and not bring it up again—just come over if you need me. I'm at the traffic light."

I've found you.

"I have found you."

? !

Mai Sakurajima was startled and turned around to see a white figure putting her phone into her pocket.

I don't know how long he stood at the other end of the bus stop. Dusk piled up behind him and at his feet. The noise of pedestrians and cars swept across the road, as if spotlights were flashing frequently. He stepped onto the stage amidst cheers, walking on a carpet woven by dusk.

I can always subtly realize that this guy is actually quite good-looking.

Sakurajima Mai thought to herself, momentarily at a loss for words.