Back in his rented apartment, Michiya Gōshin cast the uproar on Twitter from his mind, immersing himself in a peculiar tranquility.
Outside his window, Tokyo remained boisterous, and the negative news online had begun to fester, but all of it was shut out by the heavy door.
He sat at his desk, the ballpoint pen scratching against the manuscript paper as the story of Love Letter slowly flowed forth.
At two in the afternoon, the ringing of his phone shattered the quiet in the room.
"Hello?" Michiya Gōshin answered the call, his voice calm.
"Michiya-san... are you okay?"
Sakurajima Mai's gentle voice came through, a barely perceptible nervousness in her words. In the background, the faint shouting of a crew member could be heard; the girl was clearly calling during a break on the set of "49."
"I'm fine. Now that I don't have any scenes to film, I can focus on writing at home. It just means Sakurajima-san will get to see my novel sooner.
The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds.
"I saw the news," Sakurajima Mai's voice lowered. "They're really... too much."
"It's just the usual mudslinging tactics. Do you think I'd care, Sakurajima-san?" Michiya Gōshin asked deliberately.
"It's best if you don't!"
Hearing the young man's cheerful tone, Sakurajima Mai's tense emotions seemed to relax quite a bit. "I knew Johnny & Associates was no good! Something felt off when Yamada invited you at the party last time!"
Michiya Gōshin couldn't help but chuckle.
"You should focus on filming, Sakurajima-san. I'm just a supporting character, but you're the female lead."
He twirled the pen in his hand. "This will all blow over soon. Don't worry about me."
Another moment of silence.
In the background, someone seemed to be calling, "Sakurajima-san, we're getting ready to shoot."
The next moment, the girl's voice came through again.
"Michiya-san, I have a day off next week. When the time comes... I'll bring a care package to see you."
"It's a rare day off, Sakurajima-san, you should just stay home and..."
"Aren't we friends?"
Sakurajima Mai retorted forcefully.
"...Alright then. I'll be right here at home, eagerly awaiting a visit from my famous friend. Just remember to buy something expensive."
"Hmph, hmph~ Don't you worry, I definitely won't disappoint you."
The call ended. Staring at the darkened screen, the corners of the young man's mouth lifted unconsciously.
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At six in the evening, a light rain began to fall on the streets of Tokyo.
Michiya Gōshin tidied up the manuscript pages on his desk. He felt a bit hungry and was about to get up to make a bowl of instant noodles.
Just as the water in the pot began to boil, the doorbell suddenly rang.
He opened the door and was surprised to see Kurokawa Akane standing outside. She wore a dark blue hoodie and was carrying a thermal container with a cat pattern printed on it. Her bangs were a bit messy from the wind.
"Kurokawa-san? What are you doing here?" Michiya Gōshin asked, surprised, and stepped aside to let her in.
"I heard about what happened, Michiya-san, and I was a little worried... so I wanted to come see you."
Kurokawa Akane placed the thermal container on the entryway cabinet. Her voice was tinged with nervousness as she bent down to change her shoes. "I asked Director Asano for your address. My place isn't far from here... I made some chicken soup and wanted to bring it for you to try."
"Thank you. I was just about to have dinner," Michiya Gōshin said with a smile.
Walking into the apartment, Kurokawa Akane subconsciously glanced around, her eyes quickly landing on the newly opened package of instant noodles and a pile of snacks.
The next moment, the girl's delicate brows furrowed slightly.
"Michiya-san, is this what you're having for dinner today?"
"A lot has happened these past two days, so I was just going to make do," Michiya Gōshin scratched his head. "I'm dealing with something very important right now, and sometimes I get so absorbed that I neglect to eat properly."
"That won't do. Eating is very important."
Kurokawa Akane opened the thermal container, and the fragrant aroma of steaming hot chicken soup immediately filled the air. "Michiya-san can try this first. You can have the noodles later."
"Okay."
The two sat down together at the small dining table, and the air suddenly grew quiet.
After a moment, while watching Michiya Gōshin taste the chicken, Kurokawa Akane spoke with a hint of guilt.
"Um, Michiya-san, I originally wanted to support you on Twitter, but my agent wouldn't let me get involved in something like this. I'm sorry..."
Hearing this, Michiya Gōshin put down his chopsticks and smiled casually.
"Kurokawa-san, I'm just happy you came today. This has nothing to do with you, so please don't do anything foolish."
"But what they're saying is really horrible. Michiya-san is such an excellent actor, why should you have to go through something like this..."
Kurokawa Akane looked up at him, a stubborn light shining in her eyes.
She had long since come to see Michiya Gōshin as a friend fighting by her side, and upon hearing his scenes were cut, the girl had been bottling up her anger.
But her agent was terrified of the matter, immediately contacting Kurokawa Akane to tell her in a very serious tone that she was absolutely forbidden from getting involved.
"Alright, alright, let's talk about something more cheerful."
Michiya Gōshin didn't want her to feel burdened and changed the subject naturally.
They chatted for over half an hour. Kurokawa Akane seemed to remember something and suddenly looked into the young man's eyes with a serious expression.
"Michiya-san, I'll be an adult next year."
The statement was a bit sudden and left Michiya Gōshin slightly bewildered, but the girl's next words immediately made him understand.
"So..."
Kurokawa Akane took a deep breath, the tips of her ears turning slightly red.
"Could you stop using polite language with me, Michiya-san? Just call me 'Kurokawa.' After all, I'm only two years younger than you."
Michiya Gōshin shook his head and smiled, his tone a bit helpless. "But you're using polite language with me, too."
"Then... let's change how we address each other, since we're costars who worked together."
Kurokawa Akane had a very earnest personality; once she set her mind on something, she tried her best to achieve it. Since she wanted to get closer to Michiya Gōshin, she had to take this first step bravely.
"Alright."
"Then..."
Kurokawa Akane hesitated for a moment, and then she heard Michiya Gōshin's relaxed voice.
"Kurokawa, did you make this chicken soup yourself?"
"...Mhm, my mom taught me. Michiya-kun... how does it taste?"
"It's delicious."
In a daze, the sound of the rain outside seemed to grow distant.
Kurokawa Akane quietly raised her eyes, her gaze falling on Michiya Gōshin's lowered profile.
He was focused on drinking the chicken soup, his eyelashes casting fine shadows in the light.
The girl couldn't help but curve her lips into a smile, revealing a faint dimple. Her smile was pure and gentle, like a lotus flower quietly blooming on a rainy night.
She wished the rain would last a little longer.
That way, she could stay here more comfortably.
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