Tokyo: My Best Actor Gear List

Chapter 81 The Ambition to Not Be Just a Pretty Face

Chapter 83 The Ambition to Not Be Just a Pretty Face

In an old bookstore in Qingshan, the air is filled with the musty smell of damp paper and the burnt aroma of freshly ground coffee beans.

Just two streets away from the bustling Omotesando, this place feels like a corner forgotten by time, where even the light seems exceptionally languid.

Kitahara Shin put the old abacus, which was supposedly from the Meiji era, back on the shelf.

Nothing happens.

The familiar blue screen on his retina didn't pop up. It seemed these mass-produced "antiques" didn't meet the system's criteria. He'd been wandering around here for half an hour, gaining nothing but dust on his hands.

"An Actor Prepares" — "Film Acting Techniques" —

A very soft murmur came from across two rows of bookshelves.

Kitahara Shin dusted off his hands and walked towards the sound.

In front of the shelf of performance theory books, a tall figure was standing on tiptoe, trying to reach a large book on the top shelf.

She was wearing simple jeans and a white T-shirt, no makeup, and her hair was casually tied in a ponytail.

Because of his height, the jeans were a bit short at the ankle, revealing a section of his fair skin.

It's Nanako Matsushima.

After that dinner, she didn't seem to gain any resources immediately, and she still looks like a small-time model worrying about her future.

The moment her fingertips touched the spine of the book, the heavy hardcover wobbled and looked like it was about to fall.

A hand reached out from behind her, firmly pressed down on the spine of the book, and then easily pulled out.

"Stanislavski?"

Kitahara Shin glanced at the cover and handed the book to her. "You want to read this? This book is too dry for beginners, I don't really recommend it."

"Ah! Kitahara-senpai!"

Nanako was startled and quickly tried to bow while holding the book, but the aisle of the bookstore was too narrow, and she almost bumped into the bookshelf when she bent over.

"Shhh."

Kitahara Shin put his index finger to his lips and said, "Keep your voice down."

Nanako quickly covered her mouth, leaving only her big, blinking eyes, and her face turned red again.

"I'm sorry—I didn't know you were here too, senior." She lowered her voice, sounding somewhat flustered.

"Just browsing around."

Kitahara Shin glanced at the other books she was holding; they were all bestsellers like "Learn to Act Quickly" and "Become an Actor in Thirty Days."

"Want to learn acting?"

'

Nanako nodded, her eyes dimming slightly. "But I don't know where to begin."

"Have you bought the book?"

"not yet----"

"Put it back."

Kitahara Shin shoved the hefty book back onto the shelf, turned, and walked out. "Let's grab a coffee. You can't really gain much insight just by reading."

An outdoor cafe next to the bookstore.

Two cups of iced coffee, with melting ice cubes floating on top.

Perhaps it was because she had left the tense bookstore environment, or perhaps it was because Kitahara Shin's attitude was more easygoing, but Nanako slowly started to open up.

"My agent always says I'm too tall and not suitable for playing petite, delicate roles. He tells me to take advantage of my youth and good figure to take more swimsuit photos, saying it will make me quick money and build my popularity."

Nanako poked at the ice cubes in her glass with a straw, her voice full of distress. "But I don't like standing in front of the camera and smiling like an idiot, striking those weird poses. I feel like a plastic doll on a shelf. I want to act, even if it's just a few lines, but I always get rejected at auditions."

She looked up, her eyes pleading for help: "Senior, should I enroll in some kind of acting training class? Or should I memorize those books I just read?"

Kitahara Shin shook his head.

"If you want to act, don't rush to learn how to 'act'."

He leaned back in his chair and pointed across the street.

It was an intersection, and as soon as the red light came on, a group of people stopped.

"First learn how to see."

"Look?" Nanako looked in the direction he was pointing.

"Do you see that middle-aged man in the gray suit?"

Kitahara Shin's voice was steady. "Look at his leather shoes, the heels are badly worn, and there are dried mud spots on them. Look at his shoulders, they are not naturally relaxed, but hunched. He keeps looking at his watch, but he is not in a hurry to leave. Instead, it seems like he is delaying."

"This means he's a salesperson, and he probably didn't meet his sales target for today. He's afraid to go home, or afraid to go back to the company and face his boss's yelling."

Nanako was stunned.

Before Kitahara Shinichi said that, he was just an ordinary passerby.

But after he finished speaking, the image of the middle-aged man suddenly became more three-dimensional, and his fatigue, anxiety, and even helplessness towards life seemed to be transmitted through the distance of dozens of meters.

"And the clerk smoking outside the convenience store."

Kitahara Shin pointed in another direction, "He was smiling and greeting regular customers passing by. But with each puff of his cigarette, his brow furrowed, and his weight kept shifting on his left leg, indicating that he had been standing all day and his leg was very sore. That smile was professional, a mask plastered on his face."

Nanako listened intently.

She never imagined that she could observe a person with such meticulous detail.

"This is the first lesson you're going to learn."

Kitahara Shin withdrew his gaze and looked at the girl in front of him. "Don't always stare at yourself in the mirror. That will only teach you how to pose more beautifully and how to make a more standard fake smile. That's a model, not an actress."

"What actors need to see is the diverse spectrum of human life."

"Observe how street vendors hawk their wares, watch couples argue, and see how commuters squeeze onto the tram. Remember these details, store them in your drawer." When you need to play a role someday, open the drawer and use these real-life experiences.

Nanako looked at Kitahara Shin.

The afternoon sun shone on his face, giving his usually aloof face a golden edge.

At that moment, she finally understood what Miyamoto Nobuko meant by what she had said that day.

This man really has something inside his stomach.

What he taught her was not some profound theory, but a key to unlock the world.

"I—I've remembered."

Nanako sat up straight and nodded seriously. "You have to take your eyes off yourself and look at the world."

"Good comprehension."

Kitahara Shin glanced at his watch. "Let's call it a day. I have something to attend to."

He stood up and picked up the bill from the table.

"Ah, okay! Thank you, senpai!"

Nanako quickly stood up as well.

Watching Kitahara Shin turn away, preparing to leave, a strong impulse suddenly welled up inside her.

If we don't seize this opportunity, who knows when we'll meet again.

"Um—senpai!"

She shouted, her voice a little loud, which drew the attention of several other tables of guests.

Kitahara Shin stopped and turned to look at her: "Is there anything else?"

"that----"

Nanako gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, mustering all her courage, "Could I—have your contact information? If I encounter anything I don't understand during my observations, could I ask you for help?"

After saying that, she nervously closed her eyes, afraid of hearing a rejection.

After all, the other party is a popular star, while he is just an unknown little model.

"Can."

The answer was surprisingly straightforward.

Kitahara Shin took out a pen from his pocket, wrote a string of numbers on the back of the book receipt that he hadn't thrown away yet, and handed it over.

"Call this number. But I'm usually filming and can't answer, so you can leave a message."

"Thank you! Thank you so much, senior!"

Nanako took the light, flimsy receipt with both hands and carefully tucked it into the innermost part of her wallet as if it were a priceless treasure.

On the tram home.

It was rush hour, and the train carriage was packed with tired commuters.

Normally, Nanako Matsushima would definitely put on headphones and close her eyes to block out this awful air.

-

But today, she opened her eyes.

She looked at the middle-aged man dozing off across from her, at the 0L secretly touching up her makeup next to her, and at the student in the corner carrying a backpack and looking heavy-hearted.

The world has become vibrant.

She even found the crowds and noise interesting.

She touched the receipt in her bag, and couldn't help but smile.

The tram stops at Shibuya Station.

The train doors opened, revealing a huge electronic GG screen on the platform.

The screen is displaying the latest entertainment news flash.

[Breaking News: The Legend Returns!]

Amidst rousing music, a familiar yet aloof face appeared on the screen. The woman in the picture had short hair, wore a black trench coat, and stood in the departure hall of New York's JFK Airport.

Akina Nakamori has finished her studies in New York and will arrive at Tokyo's Haneda Airport next Monday! Her new album is complete, signaling her full comeback!

"Is Akina-chan coming back?"

"Really? That Nakamori Akina?"

The crowd in the carriage stirred, and everyone looked up at the screen.

Nanako also looked up at the radiant senior on the screen.

For some reason, the image of Kitahara Shin's profile looking into the distance that afternoon suddenly popped into her mind.