Starting Point (As Expected, I Shouldn't Have Eaten Instant Noodles I Wasn't Familiar With)

On Sunday, Duanmu Huai took Ruby out and settled into a private room at a Coffee Shop nearby.

Although Ruby had been wondering the entire way who Duanmu Huai was taking her to meet, since he refused to say anything... she could only wait and see.

"Phew..."

Once they entered the private room, Ruby finally took off her hat, glasses, and mask, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Being an entertainer really is troublesome."

"You're an entertainer too, big sis! I really wish I had abilities like yours!"

"Actually, having abilities like mine wouldn't help you."

Duanmu Huai stretched, then sat down and started scrolling through his phone.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm an actress, and you're an idol."

"What's the difference?"

Hearing Duanmu Huai's answer, Ruby looked puzzled, while Duanmu Huai glanced at her.

"When you think of an actress, what's your first impression?"

"Huh?"

"Someone high above the masses, distant from ordinary people, right?"

"Ah, yeah... that's true..."

"That's the benefit brought by television and the big screen."

Duanmu Huai shrugged.

"To the public, actors are more like 'people who live inside the television.' The physical barrier of the screen creates an instinctive sense of distance between most people and actors. You've probably seen it too. Many actors have been exposed in scandals or announced their marriages, but most people aren't especially invested in those things, right?"

"That... is true."

"The reason is that instinctive sense of distance. Whether actors are performing on television or appearing in real life, to the audience, they're all 'people from the television,' and whatever happens to them is something that 'happened on television.' Forget acting—even if you see on the news that some place has been struck by an earthquake or hurricane, it's still difficult to truly empathize with the victims, right?"

"Mm..."