Tokyo: My Best Actor Gear List

Chapter 67 Rie's Late-Night Visit

Tokyo Love Story has been airing for a while now.

In the underground parking lot of Fuji Television, white fluorescent tubes emitted a buzzing sound.

At 3 a.m., Kitahara Shin finally finished his last shoot. In addition to dramas, he has also been filming many variety shows recently.

The workload suddenly increased dramatically in a short period of time.

I took out the key and went to the parking lot.

It's so quiet here that you can hear the distant rumble of the elevator shaft in operation.

Kitahara Shin pressed the car key, and the black Crown headlights flashed twice.

Just as he opened the car door, he caught a glimpse of a white shadow huddled behind the pillar.

It wasn't a ghost; it looked more like a large, abandoned garbage bag, still trembling slightly.

He stopped what he was doing and didn't say anything immediately. Instead, he quietly looked around to make sure there were no bread carts with telephoto lenses before walking over.

"If you want an autograph, it's after get off work hours now. If you're taking photos without my consent, I reckon you'll be facing a lawsuit."

Kitahara Shin's voice echoed in the empty parking lot.

The shadow shuddered suddenly and slowly raised its head.

The baseball cap was pulled low, and a few strands of hair peeked out from under the brim, looking disheveled. Those big eyes that had once shone brightly in countless magazines were now swollen like walnuts.

It's Rie Miyazawa.

She was wearing only a thin sweatshirt and even a pair of mismatched slippers—pink on the left and blue on the right.

"S-senpai."

His voice was hoarse and had a heavy nasal tone.

Kitahara Shin frowned, took a few steps closer, and squatted down in front of her: "You... ran away from home?"

Rie sniffed, nodded, then shook her head, finally burying her head in her knees and muttering, "Mom wants me to have dinner with that bald company president... saying we'll be spending the night at a hot spring hotel in Hakone. I didn't want to go, so I ran away while she was on the phone."

Hakone, overnight stay.

In this circle, the implications are self-evident. That crazy woman, Guangzi, has started to stop at nothing for money.

Why did you come here?

Kitahara Shin couldn't quite grasp her train of thought. "Everyone here knows you. Are you worried your headlines won't be sensational enough?"

"I don't know where to go..."

Rie looked up, her eyes blank and helpless. "But I was hungry. And then... when I came to my senses, I was already standing in front of the TV station."

"What if I don't have a scheduled appointment today, or I've already left?"

"I haven't thought about it."

Rie honestly replied, "I'll probably just squat here for the night."

Kitahara Shin looked at her hands, which were frozen purple, and her silly expression, as if she had completely forgotten her "survival instincts".

In that instant, another figure from the depths of his memory, on the other side of the ocean, overlapped with the girl before him.

They are all pathetic creatures swallowed up by the world of fame and fortune, who don't even know how to protect themselves.

He sighed helplessly and twirled the car keys in his hand between his fingers.

"Get in the car."

Rie's eyes lit up, and she was about to stand up when Kitahara Shin pressed her shoulder down.

"Don't move."

Kitahara Shin opened the back door and took out a thick blanket that he usually used to cover props. "Lie down on the back floor and cover yourself with this. No matter how much the car shakes, you are absolutely not allowed to lift your head."

"There are at least ten paparazzi from various magazines watching my car right now. If they photograph me with that runaway national beauty in my car, we're both finished."

Rie shrank back in fright, obediently crawling into the gap in the back seat, curling herself into a ball, and letting Kitahara Shin cover her with the black blanket, disguising herself as a pile of junk.

……

Twenty minutes later, at a luxury apartment in the port area.

After confirming that there were no tails behind him, Kitahara Shin drove the car directly into the highly private underground parking garage and took Rie, who was wrapped up like a dumpling, into the elevator.

As soon as you enter the house, you are greeted by a wave of warmth.

Rie's blanket slipped off, and she was shivering uncontrollably. It was from the cold, and also from fright.

"Go take a hot shower. The bathroom is on the left, and there are new bathrobes in the closet."

Kitahara Shin pointed in the direction of the bathroom, then took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, and went into the kitchen.

The kitchen lights came on.

He took out the somewhat worn black kitchen knife.

[Equipment: Midnight Diner's Abandoned Chef's Knife (Activated)]

[Special Effect: Healing Atmosphere of Everyday Life (Activated)]

At times like these, complicated dishes can actually put a strain on the digestive system.

Place the clay pot on the fire, put the washed rice into the pot, bring it to a boil over high heat, then turn to low heat and simmer.

Kitahara Shin gripped the knife, slicing some ginger and then pitting and chopping a few pickled plums. The sound of the blade touching the cutting board was soft and rhythmic, like a metronome soothing the nerves.

When Rie came out, drying her wet hair, a steaming bowl of plum porridge was already on the table.

The rice grains are fluffy and sticky, garnished with red plum flesh and green scallions. There is no excess oil, only a pure aroma of rice.

"Eat."

Kitahara Shin sat opposite him, lit a cigarette but didn't smoke it, just held it in his hand and let the smoke swirl around him.

Rie picked up the spoon and, ignoring the heat, put a mouthful into her mouth.

The tangy and salty plum flavor instantly awakened her taste buds, and the warm porridge flowed down her esophagus. At that moment, she felt her frozen heart finally start beating again.

[Special Effects Take Effect: Soothes Anxiety]

Tears fell into the bowl without warning.

"It's so hot..." she cried as she stuffed porridge into her mouth. "Senior... I don't want to be a star anymore. I want to go back to school. I want to sleep. I don't want to drink with those disgusting old men."

"Mom said if we don't go, the penalty for breaking the contract will crush us... but I'm really scared..."

She sobbed incoherently, like a drowning person grasping at the only piece of driftwood.

Kitahara Shin listened quietly until she finished her bowl of porridge and her emotions calmed down a bit.

"Are you done crying?" He stubbed out his cigarette.

Rie nodded, her eyes red.

"Rie, listen."

Kitahara Shin leaned forward, crossed his hands on the table, and his eyes became rational and cold, completely unlike a warm man who had just finished cooking porridge.

"The more you resist your mother, the crazier she becomes. Because in her eyes, you're not her daughter, but her private property. And when property wants to run away, the owner will naturally tighten the chains even more."

Rie's face turned pale: "What should I do? Should I really go and work as a hostess?"

"No."

Kitahara Shin shook his head. "You need to learn to be a 'broken product'."

"A damaged...product?"

"Next time she invites you to a dinner party like this, don't say you don't want to go."

Kitahara Shin's voice was deep and seductive, "You have to say you're going. But before you go, you have to 'get sick.' Whether it's a fever, an allergy, or even putting something on your face to make your skin red and swollen, no one will be interested in a sickly hostess who might vomit on the customers at any moment."

"Also, on set, I pretended to faint a few times. I wanted everyone to know that Rie Miyazawa's health had collapsed and she was having mental problems."

"When the money tree starts to lose its leaves, or even withers and dies, the greedy gardener will be afraid and will have to let you rest in order to protect the principal."

Rie stared at him blankly.

This method... is too cunning. It's not a legitimate "resistance" at all, but rather some kind of underground survival wisdom.

"This is called a delaying tactic."

Kitahara Shin stood up and poured her a glass of warm water. "You don't have the power to completely break ties with her right now. Use this method to keep her calm, get well, and secretly save the money that belongs to you."

"Wait until you're fully capable before you confront her."

Rie held her water glass and looked at the man in front of her.

He taught her to lie, to act, and to scheme against her own mother.

But this was the first time someone had stood in her shoes and given her a file that could cut the chains, instead of letting her break her wrists.

"I see."

Rie took a deep breath, and the bewildered fear in her eyes lessened, replaced by an unprecedented determination.

"I will act well. After all... I am an actor."

Kitahara Shin looked at her, and a genuine smile finally appeared on his lips.

Children can be taught.

"The guest room is on the right. The door lock is working. Remember to lock it before you go to sleep."

He pointed to the room. "Sleep soundly tonight. Even if the sky falls, it'll be tomorrow morning."