Chapter 560
"..."
Five minutes later.
"Mahiru-chan's outfit has a really nice color combination, especially the soft, fragrant shoulders..."
Ten minutes later.
"Ai-chan's is great too! Wear this to film next time, and you'll be Queen- like leading lady! Auntie has good taste, but it's too conservative and doesn't allow for much freedom of movement. Let me help you make it easier..."
Fifteen minutes later.
"The interior color and style... did Rumin-jie help you choose them? Girls this age really do have... surprisingly similar tastes."
"..."
"Ai-chan ~ Could you please lower your head a little more? Yes, just like that!"
"..."
Half an hour later.
"Brother, brother, it's not very quiet in the living room~"
"Don't worry about it~ We'll find you another place in a bit!"
"..."
"Ugh, this skirt is way too long, it's not very convenient. There are so many layers, it must be heavy on my waist, right? Sorry, Mahiru-chan, just hang in there a little longer!"
"Waaah~ Aha~!"
"Mr. Talent, your clothes are very expensive... If they get dirty or damaged..."
"It's alright. I'll have it professionally cleaned later, so there shouldn't be any problems. Even if it gets damaged or wrinkled, don't worry, you'll probably attend more banquets than you do with your clothes in the future."
"..."
"You two work together so well! You've already developed a great relationship, it's truly heartwarming!"
"..."
"Alright, it's about time I took a shower, then went back to the bedroom... Looks like I won't be getting much sleep tonight."
"..."
The next morning.
After waking the two up and having morning tea together, and arranging for someone to take Shiina Mahiru back to Fuchu, Sakurakoji Talent and Hoshino Ai sat in the waiting area on the first floor of the apartment building, waiting for the other two to arrive.
"Darjeeling and Assam are both well-known India Black tea, but these are just names for different types of tea. The quality varies greatly, and the price also differs significantly depending on the harvest time. Most of the teas sold in beverage shops are made from very ordinary tea leaves, and the price per pound is not expensive."
"Rather than saying that because some Darjeeling tea bushes can be harvested three times a year, the taste and value of most of them are quite poor..."
"The kind we were just drinking? That's a flavored tea. The base is Assam, then you add spices like ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper. After boiling, you add milk and sugar. Drinking it in the morning helps to refresh you and wake up your stomach."
"This tea I'm drinking now is the one I swiped from my aunt's office last time. How does it taste? Very mellow and refreshing, right? That's right, this stuff costs about 100,000 yen per gram—oh, Kokoro! The tea's spilled!"
"But I still prefer Green tea to Black tea ~ However, milk tea and iced tea are exceptions... By the way, I bought some Gyokuro tea (Japan's highest grade Green tea, made using a steaming process) in Uji last time, I'll brew some for you to try next time!"
"When talking about tea, we can't forget China, the birthplace of tea. Its four major tea-producing regions are all comparable to the major tea-producing regions in South Asia, East Africa, and Southeast Asia. Each province in each tea-producing region has its own famous teas."
"The most impressive? That's really reader-centric thinking... If I had to choose one, it would probably be Anhui Province in the Jiangnan Tea Region. It occupies several spots in the top ten famous teas, and it's famous for both its Black tea and Green tea. Because of the great differences in climate and terrain between the north and south, the taste of tea can vary even every few dozen miles. People in each county and city even only drink the local tea..."
"Where is it? That's a real problem, how should I explain it to you... Look at the map."
"..."
While waiting and chatting, Sakurakoji Talent began to teach Hoshino Ai some basic knowledge about tea.
If we want them to accept and get used to their current life, their mindset and lifestyle need to keep up. Many things that were unnecessary, unfamiliar, or unthinkable before, we now need to start paying attention to.
Money can build popularity, but simply smashing things won't work. They need to find common ground with other people of the same class so that they can gradually overcome their sense of inferiority.
Especially for Hoshino Ai, because of her experience of being abandoned and beaten as a child, her inferiority complex is more severe than that of Shiina Mahiru.
Shiina Mahiru has never lacked food, clothing, or necessities since childhood, and she has a nanny who teaches her the right values in life, but she... has a long and difficult road ahead, so let's take it slow.
As their conversation continued in a fun and engaging way, the two of them found it quite enjoyable. After a while, the person they were waiting for finally appeared.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
A pleasant, cheerful female voice rang out from behind them, attracting their attention.
Sakurakoji Talent turned around and saw that familiar figure with Black Long Straight Hair. He smiled slightly and said, "Yo~ Subaru-chan, how have you been lately?"
"How should I put it?"
Anwa Subaru gave a weary smile, his intellectual and elegant face revealing accumulated fatigue. "I'm busy practicing with Momoka and Nina, acting, recording albums, balancing school, tutoring in Tokyo, and filming... I feel like I'm about to collapse..."
"Do you have a problem with my tutoring, Subaru?"
No! Absolutely not!
Anwa Subaru straightened up abruptly.
The newcomers were none other than Anwa Subaru, and—a step behind her Yōkadō Sakuri.
Today was the day they went to the film set to shoot, and after thinking about it, he decided to come along as well, so he could check on Anwa Subaru, and Hoshino Ai's recent study progress.
"Good morning, Miss Sakuri."
He greeted Yōkadō Sakuri, after all, she was a tool to lighten his burden... a good assistant, of course he should treat her well.
Even if someone is a little abnormal, they are still worthy of respect!
It is said that, anticipating that more and more people would come to visit him, he finally stopped her previous perverted behavior in advance under his strict demands (threats).
Therefore... for a while, he didn't see her slender figure curled up in the corner of the wall at the door of her room, a figure that had been there since four or five in the morning.
Good morning, Talent-kun!
Yōkadō Sakuri cast a gentle and peaceful gaze at her, devoid of any filthy thoughts, only the normal distance one would feel when meeting an acquaintance on the street.
"... Talent-kun?"
He narrowed his eyes, then raised an eyebrow and guessed, "Are you going to act today too?"
They are all very aware that she will adjust herself into the role she needs to be in before a performance or interview.
"Oh~ she's a high school girl from a prestigious family~"
Her tone was soft, yet it made him feel extremely uncomfortable.
Her eyes and brows radiated a gentle affection for everyone, as if she were truly a naive and well-mannered young lady from a respectable family.
"Isn't that just you? Why not indulge yourself for once and play yourself?"
He looked away, resting his chin on his hand, ignoring him.
Hmm? If she's playing herself, will she use her usual "perverted" mask, or her true self? I really can't wait to find out.
"I'd like to do that too... but I can't, actors have to follow the script, right?"
Her expression remained gentle, but anyone could tell what she was thinking.
"That's true. It's all the screenwriters' fault for being too presumptuous. Have they even seen a real young lady before writing this? The young ladies have all sorts of fancy things to do... Unfortunately, I haven't seen one yet, but Miss Sakuri must have seen plenty, right?"
"That's a lot~ Not every Young Master or lady from a prestigious family can be as innocent and polite as Talent-kun and Rumin."
Yōkadō Sakuri's facial muscles involuntarily twitched, her brows and eyes darkening, but she quickly returned to normal.
I'm really curious about what dark social realities she's witnessed, but it's not appropriate to ask now...
"What roles do Subaru and Ai-chan play?"
He looked them over curiously.
I'd only heard that I was going to act, but I didn't know exactly what role I'd play.
"My female classmates, with whom I got along well, but they didn't have many scenes, to put it simply..."
"Just extras or supporting roles?"
"That's one way to put it."
Emmm... well, considering their experience and reputation, there's nothing we can do about it.
If Anwa Subaru were to leverage their grandmother's influence, they might be able to secure better resources and roles, but this wouldn't actually help them hone their acting skills.
If possible, it's better to be a performer with real talent, at least reaching the passing grade; otherwise, the criticism will be just as intense as the fame.
If all else fails—I'll just go the idol route from now on!
In any case, both of them are good-looking and have other skills, which is a huge advantage!
Seeing him deep in thought, Yōkadō Sakuri simply stopped acting and slumped down beside them with Anwa Subaru, reverting to her usual sullen demeanor. "Don't underestimate extra roles, Mr. Talent! I also started from small roles and worked my way up."
"I know, and since they're acting alongside you, Ms. Sakuri, they must be much better than most minor characters, right? I also think they'll be less likely to get stage fright starting from this point. Thank you for your help these past few days."
He picked up the white jade pot and poured a cup of cool tea for each of them using an empty cup he had prepared beforehand.
"It's good that you know~"
Yōkadō Sakuri nodded with satisfaction, feeling that her efforts had been recognized. She picked up her teacup without ceremony and took a sip.
She noticed something was wrong as soon as she took a bite.
"... What kind of tea is this?"
"Tea served to guests in the office of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Philia Academy."
"Chairman... that's you and Rumin-san's... I see."
She immediately understood the whole story and calmed down to savor it carefully.
This level of tea is sometimes so good that you can't buy it even if you have the money; we can't let it go to waste!
Chapter 504: Work and Lunch on Set.
"This tea is so delicious! It really relieves all my fatigue!"
"It's only morning, your fatigue is coming on way too early!"
"Just thinking about the work ahead makes me feel exhausted."
She glanced at her two "apprentices" and felt even more uncomfortable than when she was acting herself. She sighed and said, "Just stay normal for now, don't get nervous."
She was in a state of confusion and blurted out her dialect to mask her emotions.
It's rare for her to use her special privileges as a big star to squeeze two people with connections into the crew. If their performance is too bad, she'll lose face too, even though they're just two minor roles.
"By the way, Mr. Talent, do you have anything to eat? Ms. Mao and I are both hungry. If not, we can buy some on the way."
"It's all prepared for you two, please enjoy."
He opened the insulated lunchbox on the table and prepared cutlery for the two of them.
The food box contained several breakfast items, including soup dumplings, filled pastries, deep-fried sweet potato balls, and millet porridge.
"Really?! That's wonderful! I love you! Please marry me! Cook for me for the rest of your life!"
Yōkadō Sakuri stared wide-eyed, grasped his Hands together, and poured out her gratitude and personal grievances to him in rapid succession.
Across a table, Hoshino Ai puffed out her cheeks, a hint of jealousy in her expression.
Although she had known for a long time that he harbored ill intentions towards her, and had never tried to hide it, knowing it didn't mean she could accept it, even though he was practically her teacher.
"I provided you with breakfast, and you're trying to repay kindness with enmity?"
Sakurakoji Talent pulled his hand back and wiped it with disgust.
"Aha! This look isn't bad either!"
Yōkadō Sakuri's lips curled into a smile, her eyes gleaming with a sinister look, as if she were lost in thought.
"Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and eat, don't you need to go put on makeup later?"
"It's okay, even if I'm a little late, no one will say anything."
"So you're often late?"
"Almost never. I still try my best to be punctual, and I hate it when others waste my time."
"Then hurry up!"
"I understand... By the way, Miss Ai, aren't you going to eat?"