Kitagawa Ryo Studio Is Expanding / I'm Here to Join This Family

P. S.: Thank you for reading and subscribing.

Chapter 70: Kitagawa Ryo Studio, Under Expansion

After Kitagawa Ryo and Asahina Nazuna finished their drinks, the buses that had been assembled started their engines and drove out of the gates of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School one after another, heading towards Tokyo.

Because there were no assigned seats, the students from ANHS quickly formed groups with their friends after boarding the bus, quietly exchanging ideas and discussing the Special Exam while watching the scenery rushing past the window.

Although the specific company names and addresses to be hired by each student were distributed to them upon boarding the bus, it was wishful thinking to expect these high school students to know anything about these companies they had never encountered before. After all, they weren't recent graduates who had been job hunting for half a year, and their knowledge of companies was limited to the few brands they frequently saw on TV or in their daily shopping.

Even when students are gathering information online, they are less likely to look at information on standard company websites. Instead, they mostly choose to search on job search websites to get a better understanding of what kind of company they will be working for.

Where is Airi going this time?

While Asahina Nazuna was also looking at her phone to research the company she was going to, Kitagawa Ryo asked Sakura Airi rubbed her eyes sleepily and gave a small yawn.

"Go act."

"Acting?"

"Well, since I applied to become a professional Actor, the school has temporarily placed me under a talent agency. I should be able to do some guest roles in a few film crews this month, right?"

As she spoke, Sakura Airi took out her phone and showed Kitagawa Ryo the name of the agency that the school had sent that morning:

"Look, it's this Strawberry Pro. It seems to be one of those agencies in the industry that's not very big but has a good reputation. They're currently focusing on web dramas and short series, since the exam period is only one month, and long ones would be troublesome."

"It seems Airi really intends to develop in this direction."

"Yeah, after all, I don't want to be an idol anymore, but I also feel it's not worth wasting all the popularity and resources I've worked so hard to build up over the past few years. So, I guess I can only transition into Actor. There are quite a few Actor who started as idols in the industry."

"That's true, but a significant portion of them are forced or compelled to change careers. At first, they can leverage their existing popularity to land roles in two different productions, but later their reputation easily suffers, and they eventually find themselves without any acting opportunities. Ultimately, it comes down to acting skills."

Because he was originally a legitimate theatrical Actor, and had genuinely experienced life as a multi-talented Actor in Hotaru's automatic simulation, Kitagawa Ryo is quite knowledgeable about the entertainment industry. However, he will definitely not be able to set up any agency or studio in this lifetime; the only thing waiting for him in the future is to inherit the family business.

Thinking of this, Kitagawa Ryo unconsciously glanced at Horikita Suzune again. After all, the root of all evil could be traced back to that simulation in which the other party cleared the game in one life. If Suzune had not been easily defeated by him in the first simulation, but had been dragged into the second or even the third, then this talent would not have manifested in reality and profoundly affected the Fate of everyone, including him.

Looking back now, though, there might have been some cat's big hand behind that.

"Yes, we can only learn by trial and error. After all, the only acting training I've ever had was the time I spent with Ryo when I was a kid. Besides, the acting style of a theatrical Actor is different from that of a film and television Actor."

"There are still commonalities, after all, many professional Actor originally came from a theatrical or stage Actor background."

After taking this opportunity to chat briefly with Sakura Airi about various topics related to acting, Asahina Nazuna, who was sitting in the seat in front of her, leaned back and joined in:

"The company I'm going to seems to have pretty good reviews. I heard their chief designer even won some international award, but it doesn't seem to have much to do with interns like us. I have a feeling these companies don't have any special expectations for high school students like us. They'll probably just have us do odd jobs?"

"I think it depends on the company's size. It feels a bit like a trap set by the school. Although those well-known big companies are indeed very attractive, as you said, the bigger the company, the less likely it is to entrust any slightly formal work to us high school students who are here for internships. So smaller companies are more likely to show their value and get opportunities."

"That makes sense. My company doesn't seem to be a particularly large one, so I'll see if I can learn something from the designers in the store."

"I'm confident in my senior's interpersonal skills; I feel like there shouldn't be any problems."

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was chatting back and forth with Asahina Nazuna and Sakura Airi, his phone, which was in his pocket, suddenly vibrated. It was a message from Horikita Suzune, who had most likely been watching them from the beginning.

Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School allows students to bring mobile phones to this Summer Special Exam, but still strictly limits their functions and uses. Apart from work-related purposes, they can only contact other students in the school. Therefore, calling or texting parents or family members is prohibited. If any student is found to be contacting their parents or family members privately to seek help, they will be declared to have failed the Special Exam and will be expelled from the school.

Of course, the school has also taken into account the possibility of chance encounters. After all, Tokyo is a big city, and no one can guarantee that students won't run into acquaintances or friends during exams. Therefore, there are supplementary rules that allow students to take exams as long as outsiders do not provide any form of assistance.

"Come sit here."

The message from Horikita Suzune was very short, containing only a few simple words.

Kitagawa Ryo put down his phone and looked up. Perhaps it was because of his status and aura as the Student Council, but the seat next to Horikita Suzune was indeed empty. When she saw him looking over, she even reached out and patted the empty seat twice, clearly indicating that she was being beckoned over.

"Um, Suzune asked me to come over, I'll go there first."

Faced with this situation, Kitagawa Ryo readily chose to change seats. It was as if he had returned to the lunch scene of the Mixed Training Camp Special Exam at the beginning of this year. However, compared to the embarrassing situation of having to frantically change seats while serving rice back then, he only needed to change seats once on the bus today.

Carefully making his way through the bus aisle without disturbing the other students, Kitagawa Ryo quickly reached Horikita Suzune's side, sat down next to her, and then waved his phone:

"They've arrived."

"I'm late. I thought Liang would come over to me as soon as he got on the bus."

Horikita Suzune was sitting by the window, so even though she deliberately turned her head away in a slightly sullen manner, Kitagawa Ryo could still clearly see her expression and demeanor in the window mirror. Suzune herself seemed to realize this, so she immediately turned her head back to Kitagawa Ryo and said:

"Don't you think it's strange that I'm in this car, Liang?"

Although Kitagawa Ryo really wanted to complain that ever since Horikita Suzune received that ring from Hotaru on Valentine's Day, nothing she did was strange, he swallowed his words and obediently played the straight man:

"That's true to some extent. After all, I thought Suzune would go to a big company like a bank, like Honami, and become a typical social elite."

"What Liang was talking about was probably my ideal for the first fifteen years of my life, which was roughly the expectation I set for myself: to go to a good university, find a good job, and become a social elite under universal values, the kind of child that everyone admires."

"Does anyone really say they are 'someone else's child'?"

Ignoring Kitagawa Ryo complaint, Horikita Suzune continued speaking:

"However, I have a completely new idea now. Although this line sounds more like a line that would be uttered by the male protagonist when he suddenly chooses the female lead chosen by the author, abandoning a long-standing foreshadowing that was laid out at the beginning in the ending of a romance manga about factional struggles."

"Have you actually learned to make fun of yourself first?"

"In short, although this doesn't mean I'll go down this path in the future, I'd still like to give it a try during this rare Special Exam period. Come to think of it, it's quite similar to Ryo's job?"

"If you're referring to the self-media industry, then yes, actually I never thought Suzune would go to a place like a bank. I felt she was more likely to set up a street stall or something, but now she's become a store-exploring livestreamer."

"I wouldn't call myself a full-time streamer. I still want to run an account like Liang did. I do have some basic photography, editing, and voice-over skills."

"Don't worry, if Suzune fails, I'll remember this embarrassing moment until the last day of my life. No, how about I just play it on the big screen at the wedding?"

"Uh, how about I switch to teaching cooking classes instead?"

Because Horikita Suzune's chosen direction was a bit more abstract than Sakura Airi's, the Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, after much consideration, still set up a guild for her. It's said that the person in charge was a graduate of ANHS Advanced Educational High School a few years ago. Anyway, this year's ANHS found quite a few alumni to mentor these juniors, which is really a lot of effort.

"At least when I first met Suzune, I never imagined that one day I would see you develop in this direction. Hmm... your brother probably never imagined it either."

"So it all comes down to coldness. Everything only started to change after I met you, including myself."

Although Horikita Suzune was no longer bothered by such sweet talk after Valentine's Day, she still blushed slightly when she realized they were on a bus full of other students. She instinctively turned her head away, only to find her expression clearly reflected in the window. So, she awkwardly turned back, staring directly at Kitagawa Ryo with a defiant glare, as if playing a game where whoever blinked or laughed first lost.

"... I still don't feel comfortable letting Suzune do this kind of thing alone."

Staring at Horikita Suzune's fox-like, purplish-red eyes, which possessed a subtle allure even when simply open, Kitagawa Ryo quickly raised his hands in surrender, saying with a hint of helplessness:

"It just so happens that we've chosen similar tracks, and neither of us has a fixed work location or content, so why don't we try working together? We can also submit our work using two accounts."

"Good."

As if she had been waiting for Kitagawa Ryo's invitation, Horikita Suzune nodded in agreement without hesitation. In a sense, she had grasped Kitagawa Ryo's psychology, since everyone else wanted to partner with him in this Special Exam, and her chosen job didn't allow it.

Of course, if Kitagawa Ryo is willing to go on a Tokyo wandering plan with Ryuen Kakeru, then we can pretend Horikita Suzune never said anything. But then we'll have to bring everyone together to put pressure on the other side. It seems that Ichinose Honami is quite interested in this inexplicable male-male relationship with Ryo, but the main person being watched is Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

And so, Kitagawa Ryo Studio, which was originally intended to be run by one person, expanded to a two-person operation. Although theoretically, if Kitagawa Ryo wanted to recruit more people, Ryuen Kakeru could squeeze an entire Class D into the studio, he really didn't plan to babysit and drive a baby bus again this time. The main reason for bringing in Horikita Suzune Kitagawa Ryo could only accept it. After all, if he didn't care about his girlfriend, who would?

The others at least have a legitimate company to work for, Shiina Hiyori, who is barely related to freelancing, also has her father's connections. She directly chose a publishing house that has been cooperating with Shiina Katsumi for a long time. By then, the editors there will probably understand. Next, it will be time for the writer to make up stories. She doesn't seem to be under any pressure.

"So Ryo is only paired with me for this Special Exam, right?"

Horikita Suzune seemed to care about this as well, and quickly asked directly.

"That's not it."

Kitagawa Ryo simply shook his head at this, and then said another name that surprised Horikita Suzune somewhat, yet also seemed to be expected.

"And fireflies."

However, what she doesn't know right now is that the other person is referring to more than just the kitten that just escaped from Chabashira Sae's dormitory by climbing over the wall.

P. S.: Thank you for reading and subscribing.

PS2: The characters from the book "Push" will not appear in this book; there will only be a slight connection in name.

Chapter 71: I'm here to join this family

Soon, the bus from Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School arrived at the Shibuya Crossing, one of the world's busiest intersections, bustling with traffic and crowds. Students who were chatting with friends or looking at their phones couldn't help but press their faces against the bus windows, soaking in the vibrant atmosphere unique to this metropolis.

There's no way around it. Since enrolling in Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, although I did leave the school grounds during last summer vacation and the Mixed Training Camp Special Exam at the beginning of this year, the former was on Uninhabited Island and the latter was Forest School in the mountains. I hardly ever saw anyone there. The Cultural Festival and this year's Club Special Exam were the busiest times. Seeing so many people coming and going all at once now gives me a sense of disorientation, as if things have changed.

Around the intersection, towering skyscrapers were covered with huge electronic advertising screens, playing all sorts of advertisements and entertainment information day and night. The sound and light intertwined, mingling with the sounds of car engines, pedestrians' footsteps and conversations, street performers' music, and announcements from trains arriving at the station, all entering the bus. Fortunately, most of the people in the bus were native Tokyo residents, and after a brief moment of disorientation, they came back to their senses and began pointing at the surrounding buildings and shop signs, trying to recall what they had seen.

After driving for a while, the vehicle finally arrived at the destination parking lot. Under the guidance of the school staff, the students on the bus began to disembark in an orderly manner and collect their belongings. Next, they had to follow the navigation on their phones to report to their respective work locations.

"Thanks."

After politely thanking the staff, Kitagawa Ryo took his suitcase from them, waved goodbye to Sakura Airi and Asahina Nazuna, and then joined Horikita Suzune.

"It's been so long since I've been out..."

Feeling the solid sensation of stepping back onto the ground after leaving the car, Horikita Suzune sighed, raising her hand to shield her forehead from the scorching summer sun, and then asked Kitagawa Ryo:

Where to go first?

"Let's take a look around. The school should be giving us tasks soon, otherwise we won't even have a place to eat and stay tonight."

Unlike the two exam methods of daily-paid part-time jobs and internships where meals and accommodations are provided, the path chosen by Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune undoubtedly highlights the challenge of urban survival. However, the school has of course taken this into account, so it has specially introduced relevant rules for their profession, which does not have a fixed place of work.

Completing daily tasks earns them a basic living allowance, and the better they perform, the higher their final score. If you said they were filming Running Man or Extreme Challenge, people would believe it, since their looks are definitely on par with celebrities. All that's missing is a whole crew of photographers and directors.

All I can say is that Tsubaki, a student in Class 1-D who had already become a working-class warrior, must have felt quite resentful. She had worked so hard to create her own variety show for an entire simulation, only to have Horikita Suzune easily snatch the reward.

Let's go--

Naturally, Horikita Suzune's hand, and like tourists visiting Shibuya, Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune soon began strolling around with their suitcases.

Because the crowds on the streets of Shibuya are indeed astonishing, and Kitagawa Ryo's fame is only within the small circle of theater, there is no need for him to do anything deliberate in disguise. After all, he is not a national-level Actor like in that automatic simulation. If anything, the chances of him being recognized by Airi are much higher.

Before long, the two arrived at the crossroads they had seen on the bus. While waiting for the traffic light to turn green, Kitagawa Ryo unconsciously recalled his first simulation experience. Back then, he was just a penniless man who spent his time in a basement reading a bunch of text that called a life simulator. Hotaru set up this was the first scene for him.

In a sense, it can be considered the opening animation.

Upon arriving at the familiar location again, Kitagawa Ryo silently recited the words he had seen back then:

[Day 1: The date is July 9th. Early July in Tokyo is the height of summer. You stand at a street intersection, following the directions on your phone's map navigation to the property's location. Everything here is new and exciting. During summer vacation, you see many couples dating on the streets. Advertisements are playing on the large screens installed on the exterior walls of the surrounding buildings. The white cat on your shoulder pats your cheek with its paw, indicating that the light is green and you can cross.]

It was as if they knew exactly what he was thinking at that moment. In a daze, Kitagawa Ryo felt a soft, furry touch on his cheek. Looking closely, he saw Hotaru sitting obediently on his shoulder, who had appeared out of nowhere. When he turned his head to look at him, Hotaru even pointed to the traffic light in front of them, which had turned green.

"... Why does Hotaru seem a bit elusive?"

Unlike Kitagawa Ryo, who was already used to this, Horikita Suzune, who had been holding his hand the whole time, was a little startled by Hotaru's sudden appearance and glanced at the kitten with some suspicion.

"Without this elusive and clever wit, Suzune wouldn't have been able to receive my ring in the Student Council's office on Valentine's Day. Hotaru is very smart."

"That's really true."

Kitagawa Ryo's words probably reminded Horikita Suzune, because she immediately took out a small box from her shoulder bag, and solemnly took out the ring inside and put it on the middle finger of her left hand:

"It's sometimes inconvenient to wear one at school, but it doesn't matter outside. It's cool outside, so I'll wear it anyway."

Before Horikita Suzune could finish speaking, Hotaru, on Kitagawa Ryo's shoulder, had already pounced on his backpack as if she had received a command. She used her front paws and teeth to unzip the backpack, poked her front half inside, buried her little head in it, and rummaged around for a while before quickly pulling out a small box. She then very proactively handed it to Kitagawa Ryo and zipped the backpack up.

Kitagawa Ryo himself swore that if Hotaru hadn't picked out the ring that matched Suzune's, then his livestreams for the next month would have to focus on cute pets and cats.

Fortunately, Hotaru is not confused about such important matters, after all, Horikita Suzune is the heroine she admires the most.

Just kidding, she personally customized and presented the other party with that championship ring back then, how could she possibly pull any tricks now?

And so, an hour after forming a husband-and-wife (crossed out) studio with Horikita Suzune, or rather, after idly strolling around the streets of Shibuya Tokyo for an hour, the two finally received the phased and daily tasks issued by the school on their phones simultaneously.

It's worth mentioning that, probably because they chose almost the same career path, Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune had the exact same tasks.

Phase One Task:

Create a new personal account on a mainstream social media platform.

(Completion reward: 10,000 yen)

Phase Two Tasks:

Publish your first submission and get at least one hundred likes.

(Completion reward: 10,000 yen)

Daily tasks:

Eating and sleeping are the most important things, so please manage your meals and accommodation smoothly.

(Completion reward: 1000 yen)

"It seems this 10,000 yen is the start-up capital the school gave us. Well, it's not bad, I guess."

After reading the message from the school, Horikita Suzune felt fairly satisfied. After all, the task of registering a personal account in the first stage was basically a freebie. If she used the 10,000 yen sparingly, it wouldn't be a problem to live on it for a few days. After all, if she really wanted to stay home, she could make do with an internet cafe for about a week.

However, Kitagawa Ryo's expression was a bit subtle. After all, this phase of the mission felt to him like a "trash-to-riches system" or a "newbie system" that only arrives after he's already reached the Great Ascension stage.

Although he's not exactly a big star, he can easily generate some traffic for tasks that are popular with a large account.