Tokyo: My Best Actor Gear List

Chapter 92 The Encounter of Two Girls

Chapter 92 The Encounter of Two Girls

The rest area of ​​Dongbao Studio.

Nanako Matsushima carefully placed two large boxes on the long table; they were donuts she had bought with the money she had saved from her part-time job that month.

"Thank you for your hard work, everyone! This is just a small token of my appreciation, please enjoy!"

She bowed deeply, her voice booming, revealing the naiveté and enthusiasm of a newcomer.

Normally, an amateur like her, who hasn't even officially signed a contract and isn't even considered an extra, would absolutely not be qualified to enter a film set of this caliber.

However, Nobuko Miyamoto really liked the girl's tenacity, and since Shin Kitahara had spoken to her, the production team tacitly accepted the existence of this "unofficial intern."

Nanako was not idle.

She was like a busy bee, helping the stagehands move chairs one minute and the lighting technicians collect cables the next.

During breaks in filming, she would huddle in a corner, holding a small notebook covered in labels, staring intently at Kitahara Shin who was acting.

"So, at this time, you should look slightly downwards —"

"Don't move your hands around, keep them on the seam of your pants —"

She muttered to herself as she quickly took notes.

Afternoon tea time.

Nanako had just finished handing out donuts to the staff when she turned around and saw a somewhat somber atmosphere around the marble round table.

Kitahara Nobumasa and Mikuni Rentaro sat facing each other, with two crossword puzzle newspapers between them.

No one dared to speak; everyone assumed it was just a rehearsal.

"Three minutes and twenty seconds."

Kitahara Shin put down his pencil and let out a long sigh.

Across from him, Rentaro Mikuni frowned, his pen hovering over the last square, hesitant to strike.

Two seconds later, the old man snorted and threw the pen on the table.

"I was two seconds too slow. The newspaper wasn't printed clearly, which delayed my reading of the questions."

That's clearly an excuse.

Kitahara Shin didn't expose him, but simply picked up the newspaper and folded it: "Next time I'll bring you a special collection of questions with a larger font."

"Hmph, whatever."

Although the veteran actor was stubborn, the distance between him and Kitahara Shin was noticeably less than before.

Nanako, watching from a distance, looked completely bewildered.

She solemnly wrote a line in her notebook:

[A must-have for top actors: mastering Sudoku. This might be the key to training your brain's reaction speed. I need to buy ten practice books!]

Work ends in the evening.

Because Nanako had done a lot of work today, the assistant directors and coordinators on the set said, "Since she's a newcomer brought by Kitahara-kun, let's go eat together. We need to discuss tomorrow's storyboards."

-

Kitahara Shin did not refuse, and Nanako was flattered.

The location was set at a kaiseki restaurant not far from the photography studio.

The environment here is quiet and the private rooms offer excellent privacy; it's a popular spot for people in the industry.

Halfway through the meal, Kitahara Shin got up to go to the restroom.

Seeing this, Nanako quickly put down her chopsticks and followed her out, saying she was going to touch up her makeup, but actually she was a little uncomfortable with the atmosphere in the private room, which was full of the smell of cigarettes and alcohol and dirty jokes, and wanted to get some fresh air.

The door to a large private room at the end of the corridor was half open.

A commotion erupted inside, accompanied by the sound of a plate shattering.

"Oops—what happened—it fell down—"

A sweet, even slightly silly female voice came out.

Kitahara Shin stopped in his tracks.

He turned his head and, through the half-open door, saw a scene that surprised him.

Several well-dressed middle-aged men were sitting in the private room, while a middle-aged woman dressed in flamboyant attire sat at the head of the table.

Next to the woman sat Rie Miyazawa.

At this moment, Rie had completely lost her usual charm.

She was wearing a pink dress that was even a bit childish, her hair was messy, and there was even a little drool on the corner of her mouth.

She was holding a lobster in her hand, waving it around in the air like a toy, splashing sauce everywhere, including on the Mediterranean man next to her.

"Rie! What are you doing?!"

The woman, Mitsuko, Rie's mother, looked ashen-faced and awkwardly tried to wipe her face with a napkin. "I'm so sorry, did this child take the wrong medicine today?"

"Hehe—the giant lobster, let's fly!"

Rie seemed completely unable to understand human speech, throwing the lobster onto the table and knocking over the miso soup in front of her.

The entire dinner party instantly turned into a disaster.

The men who had initially looked at her with a hint of ambiguity and greed now had expressions of disgust and sullenness on their faces as they looked at the mad and filthy Rie Miyazawa.

Who would be interested in a fool who seems to have intellectual disabilities?

Kitahara Shin raised an eyebrow.

He had previously taught this girl to play dumb and use her acting skills to protect herself.

But he didn't expect that this girl would be so efficient, going straight to the point of evolving from "pretending to be stupid" to "pretending to be crazy".

This is utter surrender.

Just then, Rie, who was about to throw the wet towel she was using to dry her hands across from her, inadvertently glanced at the doorway.

She saw Kitahara Shin standing in the shadows of the corridor.

In that instant, a glint of light flashed in her empty, lifeless eyes.

next second.

"Ugh! I'm not eating anymore! I need to go to the restroom!"

Rie shouted, pushed back her chair and stood up, completely ignoring her mother's attempts to stop her, and rushed out of the private room like a runaway train.

She rushed into the corridor, and her dazed expression vanished instantly.

She quickly wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, straightened her skirt, and then grabbed Kitahara Shin's wrist with surprising strength.

"Walk!"

Before Kitahara Shin could react, she pulled him toward the back door of the restaurant.

Nanako, who had just come out of the restroom, looked completely bewildered. She stared at her senior being dragged away by a woman covered in sauce for a moment, then quickly jogged after her.

Next to the vending machine in the back alley of the restaurant.

Rie Miyazawa leaned against the wall, panting heavily, her chest heaving violently.

"Phew—I'm alive again."

She took out a wet wipe from her bag and vigorously wiped the oil stains off her hands, her eyes revealing a sense of relief at surviving a disaster.

"What are you putting on a show for?"

Kitahara Shin leaned against the railing, looking at her disheveled appearance, "How come I didn't know there was a circus performance here?"

'

"What are you doing here, senior?"

Rie threw the dirty wet wipe into the trash can, looked up, and her delicate little face was full of cunning. "Why didn't you tell me beforehand? If I had known you were there, I would have been more discreet in my acting."

"Why should I tell you in advance? Tell you I'm coming to watch you throw lobsters like darts?"

Kitahara Shin said with some helplessness, "What I taught you was to learn to hide your shortcomings and to be tactful, not to pretend to be mentally ill. If you had acted like that just now, the news would have spread throughout the industry tomorrow that Miyazawa Rie has gone mad."

"If he's crazy, then he's crazy."

Rie shrugged nonchalantly, but a bitter smile lingered in her eyes. "I have to go crazy, my mom—"

She's completely obsessed lately; she wants to push me towards any rich man. If I hadn't pretended to be crazy today, I probably wouldn't be able to get home tonight.

She lowered her head and looked at her toes. "To be honest, if it weren't for meeting you, senior, and hearing what you said, I probably would have been sold somewhere long ago, or—I would have disappeared from the world somewhere."

"

Kitahara Shin remained silent.

He reached out and gently patted Rie's messy head.

"My hair is all messed up."

"Ugh————"

Rie shrank her neck slightly but didn't move away, only muttering, "Are you treating me like a child again? I'm eighteen years old."

"that----"

A weak voice broke in.

Nanako Matsushima stood two meters away, holding her handbag, looking at the two people with a blank expression.

"S--senpai? And who is this?"

Rie Miyazawa then noticed that there was a third person present.

She turned her head and her gaze fell on Nanako Matsushima.

The woman's radar activated instantly.

so high.

Rie herself is 1.67 meters tall, which is considered tall among female celebrities. But the girl in front of her is actually much taller than her, at least half a hand's width taller, and looks to be at least 1.72 meters.

Moreover, that unadorned, slightly chubby, innocent charm, coupled with those long, straight legs—

This is a natural threat.

"Who is this?"

Rie narrowed her eyes, and the temperature in her voice dropped a few degrees.

Nanako blinked, her animalistic instincts triggering a strange sense of hostility.

She quickly stood up straight and bowed respectfully: "Hello! I'm a newcomer learning from Kitahara-senpai. My name is Matsushima Nanako. Nice to meet you!"

"study?"

Rie caught the key words.

She turned to look at Kitahara Shin, her eyes filled with resentment and questioning, "Senior, why did you say you were too busy when I wanted to learn acting from you before? Now you suddenly have time to mentor newcomers?"

And she's such a beautiful newcomer.

Kitahara Shin: "?"

"Did that happen?" He really didn't remember.

"Yes! It was at that party last time!" Rie stomped her foot angrily.

"Rie!!"

A sharp, angry roar interrupted the chaotic scene.

The door to the back alley was suddenly pushed open.

Mitsuko Miyazawa rushed out in her high heels, her usually made-up face now contorted with rage, her features twisted in fury.

"You brat! Where are you going to run off to?!"

Mitsuko strode over, completely ignoring Kitahara Shin and Nanako beside her. "Do you know how angry those club presidents were? You've completely humiliated me! Now, right now, come back with me and apologize! Say you were drunk, not that you've lost your mind!"

This time, Rie didn't dodge.

She stood there, her body trembling slightly, but her feet felt rooted to the spot.

"I'm not going."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear: "Mom, I don't want to stay in this industry anymore, and I don't want to have dinner with those old men. If you keep pushing me—I'll really kill myself."

"You dare!"

Upon hearing the word "death," Mitsuko felt no fear; instead, she became even more enraged. In her eyes, this was a challenge to her authority, a rebellion by her cash cow.

She raised her hand and, with all her might, slapped Rie across the face.

Nanako Matsushima was so frightened that she covered her mouth.

Rie closed her eyes, waiting for that familiar pain.

"Smack."

The expected slap did not occur.

A long, strong hand steadily intercepted the photon's wrist in mid-air.

Kitahara Shin stood in front of Rie, holding Mitsuko's wrist with one hand. His face remained expressionless, but his voice was as cold as ice.

"Madam, it's not very dignified of you to hit someone in public."

"you----"

Photon struggled for a moment, only to find that the young man's hand was as still as an iron clamp.

Only then did she realize it was Kitahara Shin.

It's him again.

Her expression instantly became incredibly complex; she tried to force a fawning smile, but it appeared particularly distorted due to her earlier anger.

"Oh, it's Kitahara-san—this—this is my family matter. This child is disobedient, so I'm disciplining him."

But then she thought about the gap between her daughter and Kitahara Shin, and how her daughter had become increasingly rebellious lately—so her temper gradually became irritable as well.

She tried to pull her hand away, saying, "This is my own daughter. How I manage her is my business. Just because you're doing well, does that mean you can teach me how to be a mother? Don't go too far."

Kitahara Shin did not let go.

He glanced back.

Rie Miyazawa bit her lip tightly, tears welling in her eyes.

That extremely vulnerable appearance reminded him of Akina from before.

They are all being leeched off by those closest to them, struggling on the edge of a cliff.

He sighed inwardly.

[Equipment effect triggered: Blood of the Supreme Path (Passive)]

When you decide to intervene in an injustice, your aura will receive a "deterrence" bonus, with double the effect on those with malicious intentions.

Kitahara Shin's eyes changed.

The ferocity honed in films like "Violent Man" and "Yakuza Blood" was released in that instant.

He looked at Photon as if he were looking at an insect he could crush at any moment.

Photon felt a chill run down his spine, a coldness shooting straight to the top of his head, and the thought of throwing a tantrum was instantly scared away.

"So, what exactly do you want?"

Kitahara Shin's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable air of authority: "Want money? Or do you want her to become famous?"

Mitsuko was intimidated by his aura and subconsciously replied, "Of course it's for her own good! My daughter was born to be on television!"

"it is good."

Kitahara Shinichi loosened his grip, tossing her away like trash. "If you want her to become famous, then don't make her work as a hostess. That kind of thing will only ruin her reputation."

"I will help her find a suitable TV series, or even a movie, in exchange for that, we'll call it a day."

He stared into Mitsuko's eyes. "You'll have to clean up that mess from that dinner party yourself. Don't let me see you pressuring her again."

Photon was stunned.

"You—you're helping her find resources? Why should I trust you?"

Although she expressed her doubts, the greed in her eyes betrayed her.

Given Kitahara Shin's current position, if he were truly willing to mentor Rie, it would be far more worthwhile than spending time with a few bald company presidents.

"I have no reason to lie to you."

Kitahara Shin said coldly, "That's enough for today. Get out."

The last word, written lightly, was filled with murderous intent.

Mitsuko shuddered, glanced at her daughter hiding behind Kitahara Shin, and then looked at the man with the terrifying eyes.

She weighed the pros and cons, gritted her teeth, and straightened her clothes.

"Alright, Kitahara-san, I'll trust you this once. Rie, you don't need to go back tonight. Learn from your senior."

After saying that, she turned and left, hurrying back to the restaurant to clean up the mess.

The back alley was quiet again.

Rie Miyazawa watched her mother's departing figure, let out a long sigh, and felt as if all her strength had been drained away.

She turned her head to look at Kitahara Shin, and suddenly smiled, the beauty mark at the corner of her eye appearing exceptionally charming.

"Senior, there's no benefit to helping me like this."

Kitahara Shin glanced at her helplessly, and the murderous aura he had just felt instantly dissipated.

"If it were for personal gain, I wouldn't bother with such trivial matters."

He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. "Wipe your face. Remember, you owe me a huge favor. I'll make you pay it back with interest someday."

Rie took the handkerchief, but instead of wiping her face, she stuck out her tongue and leaned closer to him playfully: "Why are you back? Is it okay to use my people?"

Kitahara Shin rolled his eyes at her, too lazy to respond.

He turned to look at Nanako Matsushima, who had been standing there blankly.

"I'm sorry, Nanako."

He smiled helplessly at her, "Could you please go back and tell the assistant director and the others that I have some urgent business to attend to today and won't be going back for the time being?"

"Huh? — Oh! Okay!"

Nanako seemed to snap out of a daze and nodded blankly. Although she had a million questions in her mind, seeing what had just happened, she knew that now was not the time to ask.

She glanced at Rie, then at Kitahara Shin, and obediently turned and ran back to the restaurant.

After Nanako left.

"Let's go."

Kitahara Shin turned and walked towards the alley entrance.

"Where to?"

Rie jogged to catch up, the sauce still wet on her skirt, but she didn't care anymore. "Senpai, where are you planning to take me this time? You're not really going to make me sell myself to pay off my debts, are you?"

Kitahara Shin stopped and turned to look at her, giving her a mysterious smile: "I'm planning to take you to meet someone."

"Who?"

"Your senior."

"My senior?" Rie Miyazawa asked, looking puzzled.

In this circle, there are many people she can call seniors, but the one that Kitahara Shin would take to meet at this time is—

You'll know when you get there.