sinovels Chapter 266 One must treat everyone equally
Chapter 266 One must treat everyone equally
Chapter 266 Treating Everyone Fairly
The week after receiving the script, Kitahara Shin arrived on time at the filming location for the second season special of Fuji TV's "Furuhata Ninzaburo".
When the black chauffeur-driven van pulled up outside the studio, the director, producer, and several key crew members immediately rushed over, behaving as respectfully as if they were welcoming a tycoon on an inspection tour.
"President Kitahara, welcome to our film crew! It's such an honor to have you make a cameo appearance!" The director rubbed his hands together, his face beaming with a warm smile.
Kitahara Shin got out of the car, smiled and waved his hand: "Director, you're too kind. I'm just a guest actor today. The crew should operate as usual, there's no need to give me any special treatment."
Although Kitahara Shin said that, the staff around him couldn't help but feel secretly alarmed when they saw his flawless face up close.
All things considered, Kitahara Shin is almost thirty years old this year. But with the abnormal "telomere locking" and "absolute physique" bonuses from the [Ring of Life], his skin condition, muscle definition, and the vibrant life force he exudes make him look even more dazzling than those young idols in their early twenties who have just debuted.
If they hadn't witnessed firsthand his terrifying achievements in the industry over the past few years, many of his peers would have suspected he'd exaggerated his age on his resume. After all, if he were truly younger than he appears, his historic accomplishments would make others feel like they'd wasted their lives.
After joining the production team, Kitahara Shin first went to the dressing room for a simple makeup test, and then met with the director to confirm the performance tone and details for this special episode.
In this script, Shin Kitahara plays a refined and highly respected top psychology professor and bestselling author. He uses sophisticated psychological suggestion and a perfectly executed locked-room mystery to eliminate a long-time blackmailer. This is a villain with extremely high intelligence, exceptional mental fortitude, and an elegant demeanor throughout.
After confirming the details, Kitahara Shin walked out of the director's room, preparing to greet the soul of the drama, Ichitamura Masakazu.
In a quiet corner of the film set, Kitahara Shin saw the legendary old-fashioned nobleman.
Masakazu Tamura, dressed in his signature black suit, sat alone in a folding chair without any assistants. His hands were crossed over his abdomen, his eyes were closed, and he seemed to be in deep meditation, oblivious to the noise from the surrounding film crew.
Kitahara Shin stepped forward and said softly, "Hello, Tamura-senpai. I am Kitahara Shin."
Tamura Masakazu slowly opened his eyes, his slightly melancholic and deep gaze sweeping over Kitahara Shin for two seconds.
He didn't get up, nor did he show any enthusiastic smile. He simply nodded slightly, then closed his eyes again and continued his meditation.
Kitahara Shin didn't feel slighted. Before coming, he had heard about the many quirks of this big shot: he never ate or drank on set, and even rarely went to the toilet in order to maintain the character's physique. He was like a Puritan living in the old era, maintaining the "mystery" of an actor in an almost harsh way.
Kitahara Shin found this senior colleague quite interesting. He looked around and then walked directly to the empty chair next to Tamura Masakazu and sat down.
"Tamura-senpai, may I sit here?"
Tamura Masakazu didn't even open his eyes, only nodding very slightly.
[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name: 10 ...
Kitahara Shin didn't try to start a conversation. He just sat quietly to the side, adjusting his breathing and clearing his mind before turning on the machine.
After a while, Tamura Masakazu's slow, gentle voice suddenly rang out from the side.
"Kitahara-kun, if you have some free time right now, you can try meditating with me."
Kitahara Shin turned his head, looking at him with some confusion: "Meditation? Is it like this, closing your eyes and resting?"
Masakazu Tamura opened his eyes, his gaze calmly fixed ahead: "Yes. I do this every time before filming begins. To completely shed my real-life identity and enter the body of the character. A true actor, when acting, should cut off all worldly desires, not eat, not drink, not excrete, locking all energy into that vessel called 'the character.'"
Upon hearing this hardcore acting theory, which could be described as "going mad," Kitahara Shin couldn't help but internally scream: "Does it have to be this self-torturing? Is this acting or cultivating immortality?"
However, he also knew that for old-school actors like Masakazu Tamura, this was their life's calling. Kitahara Shin didn't argue, but instead followed his instructions, closing his eyes and trying to regulate his breathing, achieving a deep sense of emptiness.
A few minutes later, when he opened his eyes again, he did feel that his mind had become exceptionally clear. Every line and every micro-expression of the high-IQ psychology professor in the script became incredibly vivid in his mind.
"All departments, prepare yourselves! Special episode, scene one: Action!"
As the clapperboard fell, filming officially began.
This is the first confrontation between Furuhata Ninzaburo (played by Masakazu Tamura) and the psychology professor (played by Shin Kitahara) at the crime scene.
During the filming, the cast and crew had long been accustomed to Masakazu Tamura's extremely unique "aura." Once he was in character, it was as if an invisible and intangible barrier had been erected around him. Within this barrier, he slowly and methodically controlled the rhythm of everything, and other actors often had to exert all their strength just to barely keep up with his pace and avoid being completely swallowed up by his aura.
But today, the moment Kitahara Shin walked into the camera's view, everyone present felt that this absolute balance had been broken.
Kitahara Shin was dressed in a well-tailored dark gray suit and wore gold-rimmed glasses. He stood there with a gentle and impeccable smile on his lips. An equally formidable aura emanated from him.
The moment their eyes met in front of the camera, a sharp glint suddenly flashed in Masakazu Tamura's eyes, which always held a hint of languor and all-knowing wisdom. He realized that he had encountered a true monster today.
What followed was a textbook example of a top-level game of strategy.
Masakazu Tamura, with his signature, slightly neurotic muttering and slow, relentless questioning, attempts to tear a crack in the professor's perfect facade; while Shin Kitahara perfectly embodies the composure, elegance, and inherent arrogance of a high-IQ criminal.
His subtle movements, such as adjusting his glasses, his perfectly timed pauses when answering questions, and even the frequency of his breathing, were all calculated with extreme precision, leaving no flaws for Gu Yan to detect.
What made the director and photographers on set even more uneasy was that while exuding this terrifying sense of oppression, Kitahara Shin still had the energy to "control the scene".
When the supporting actor playing a junior policeman gets nervous due to the clash of their auras and slightly deviates from his position, Shin Kitahara will subtly guide him back to the correct position with a turn or a very natural look.
The feeling was quite magical. Under Kitahara Shin's guidance, the supporting actors were like puppets on strings, being led but not feeling any discomfort. On the contrary, this silent guidance allowed them to quickly find their most comfortable performance state, significantly improving the quality and rhythm of the entire play.
"Cut! That's fantastic! That's perfect!" The director exclaimed excitedly, his face flushed.
This crucial scene, which was originally expected to require a long rehearsal, was actually filmed in one take with exceptional smoothness! This is definitely the most enjoyable and intense scene that the "Furuhata" crew has filmed since the start of production.
Hearing the director yell "Cut," Tamura Masakazu's tense shoulders relaxed slightly. The look in his eyes as he looked at Kitahara Shin had changed from initial scrutiny to a fervent admiration, as if he had found a kindred spirit.
He walked up to Kitahara Shin, and a rare, expectant smile appeared on his usually stern face.
"Kitahara-kun, your acting was superb. After work tonight—would you like to grab a drink?"
Faced with this unprecedented invitation from an industry giant, all the surrounding staff perked up their ears. If it were any other actor, they probably would have fainted from excitement.
However, Kitahara Shin simply smiled and gave a slight bow, his tone calm and gentle: "I'm sorry, Tamura-senpai. I have some very important personal matters to attend to tonight, so I can only apologize for not being able to accept your kind offer. I will definitely visit you next time I have the opportunity."
Upon hearing this unequivocal refusal, Masakazu Tamura's smile froze instantly, his expectant expression crumbling, replaced by a look of disappointment. He didn't press the matter, however, but simply sighed, nodded, and turned back to his folding chair to continue resting with his eyes closed.
In the evening, Kitahara Shin, having finished his cameo appearance in the film, returned to his upscale apartment in downtown Tokyo.
In the apartment's dining room, Akina Nakamori and Izumi Sakai had prepared a sumptuous dinner.
At the dinner table, when Kitahara Shin casually mentioned that he had declined Tamura Masakazu's invitation to a drinking party, Akina's hand, which was picking up food, suddenly froze in mid-air.
"You—you actually rejected Tamura-senpai outright?" Akina's eyes widened, her voice filled with worry. "Nobu-kun, is this really okay? We'll inevitably run into each other in this industry again in the future. A senior like him won't feel like you've offended him and hold a grudge against you, will he?"
Kitahara Shin picked up a piece of tamagoyaki and put it in his mouth, smiling nonchalantly: "Do these seniors who can stand at the top of the industry really have such petty feelings? Or have you encountered many people like this who rely on their seniority before?"
Akina turned her head to look at Izumi sitting next to her and shrugged helplessly.
Quanshui put down her chopsticks, her voice soft but tinged with helplessness: "Xin-kun, you've always been at the top of the food chain, so you probably don't realize it. When I was doing gigs and participating in some large music shows, I did encounter quite a few senior colleagues with strange tempers. Especially the older they were, the more irritable they tended to be, and their demands for etiquette from juniors were extremely strict. They would get angry backstage at the slightest thing that didn't go their way."
Kitahara Shin frowned. After transmigrating, he rose rapidly through capital and ruthless methods, and the people he met, such as Nishida Toshiyuki, were all straightforward and generous. He had never really suffered from this kind of workplace bullying before.
"Is this even possible? I thought the entertainment industry had curbed the trend of people acting like big shots because of their seniority by now." Kitahara Shin shook his head.
"There are indeed fewer than before, but those deeply ingrained old-fashioned habits aren't so easy to completely disappear," Akina replied with a smile, then lowered her head to take a sip of soup, her gaze inadvertently falling on the diamond ring on her right ring finger.
Kitahara Shin keenly noticed her movement. He put down his chopsticks, glanced at Akina, and then turned his gaze to Izumi sitting opposite him.
Treating everyone equally is the bottom line he, as a man with multiple female confidantes, must uphold.
After putting the ring on Akina's finger in the parking lot, he naturally wouldn't forget Izumi, who had always been silently by his side.
"Spring water." Kitahara Shin looked at her, his tone becoming serious.
The spring water stopped flowing and looked at him with some confusion.
Before Kitahara Shin could even open his mouth to explain, Akina, who was standing to the side, had already stood up quite tactfully.
"Oh dear, I think I forgot that the variety show I recorded yesterday is going to be rebroadcast soon." Akina picked up her bowl and plate, winked at Kitahara Shin, and smiled with a big sister-like tolerance and consideration. "You guys take your time eating. I'll go to the living room and eat while watching TV."
After saying that, Akina carried the food to the living room without hesitation, leaving the private dining room entirely to the two of them.
Kitahara Shin watched Akina's understanding back as a warm feeling washed over him. Then, he pulled out a chair and sat down next to Izumi.
To Izumi's astonishment, Kitahara Shin pulled out a black velvet ring box from his pocket, just like Akina's, as if by magic.
He opened the box. Unlike Akina's dazzling white diamond, this ring was set with a sapphire diamond as clear and serene as the deep sea. The sapphire's color resembled the cool, untainted quality of spring water.
Kitahara Shin didn't utter any flowery vows or make any lengthy promises. For a girl as thoughtful and sensitive as Izumi, any words would seem superfluous.
He simply looked quietly into her eyes and gently pushed the ring, which shimmered with a deep blue light, in front of her.
All the deep affection and promises are conveyed without words.
Looking at the sapphire ring engraved with her initials, Quanshui's eyes instantly reddened. A single, crystal-clear tear slid down her fair cheek. She didn't speak, but simply nodded vigorously and extended her right hand.
Kitahara Shin carefully helped her put on the ring, then pulled her into a tight embrace.
In the living room, Akina sat on the sofa, silently picked up the remote control, and turned up the TV volume to cover up the faint sobbing coming from the dining room.
She took a bite of her food, looked down at the diamond ring on her hand, and a smile of utter satisfaction spread across her lips. In this unique family, to have this kind of happiness—mutual understanding and being so well cared for by that man—was all she could ask for.
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