Chapter 117 My Ill-Tempered Little Brother and the Conman
When Risa opened her eyes, it was already a deep night outside the window.
She tried to sit up, and her fingers touched something soft and silky, like satin.
"You're awake? Risa-nee."
A deep, resonant male voice came from the dim light.
With a soft "snap," the bedside lamp illuminated a gentle glow, casting a soft light on the figure sitting by the bed.
"Akaya?" Risa was somewhat surprised.
As far as I can remember, it's been a long time since I've seen him.
After graduating from high school, Akaya Kirihara pursued a career in professional tennis while attending university, while Risaya was busy with her acting career. The two were like intersecting flight paths, rarely having a chance to meet.
The last time the siblings spent time alone together seemed to be when he was struggling with his college entrance exams, and she specially drove him to the beach to relax.
"Sister Risa! Why didn't you tell me you were so sick?" He picked up the water glass from the bedside table and handed it to her, then looked for the thermometer. "If I hadn't happened to come here today to pick up something, were you planning to tough it out by yourself?"
He breathed a long sigh of relief only after confirming that the number on the thermometer had returned to the normal range, but his eyes still held an undisguised sense of blame and lingering fear.
"There's some porridge simmering on the stove, keeping it warm. Would you like some?"
Risa looked at the young man before her, who had unknowingly grown into a broad-shouldered, long-legged, and steady man, and smiled with satisfaction. That impetuous boy from back then had finally grown up.
"What are you staring at me like that for?" Kirihara felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze, his ears turning red. "Could it be that your high fever has damaged your brain?"
—As expected, her tendency to be shy and her stubbornness haven't changed at all.
For the next two days, Kirihara acted as a temporary caregiver, confiscating her phone and preventing her from using electronic devices under the pretext that "she is a patient and needs to rest."
Although his cooking is terrible, his porridge is either burnt or so salty it tastes bitter, and even the milk tea he carefully makes according to popular online tutorials always has an indescribable "experimental" flavor.
But this clumsy yet sincere care and companionship truly dispelled the chill in the room and her loneliness in her spare time.
"Akaya, you still don't have a girlfriend?"
That evening, Risa leaned over the dining table, watching the back of the young man in the western kitchen area who was studying a new milk tea recipe with a furrowed brow in front of his phone screen, and couldn't help but bring up the old topic again.
"University is the last golden period, you know? After leaving the ivory tower and entering society, you might only be able to solve your problems through blind dates."
She deliberately used a worried tone, "Good girls are in high demand and not readily available on the market. If this continues, I might really end up alone."
“Risa-nee has such an amazing boyfriend,” Kirihara retorted calmly, without turning his head and focusing intently on the measuring cup, “but isn’t she still no different from anyone else?”
"......"
Kirihara Akaya, a master who always unintentionally unleashes his "close-range ultimate attack" skill.
Risa reluctantly took a sip of the milk tea he had just pushed towards her. Although she knew he didn't mean it, the complex taste felt like a revenge attack on her tongue, causing her beautiful features to scrunch up.
"It doesn't taste good?" He noticed her expression.
“Akaya…” Risa put down her cup, her tone heavy, “Promise me you’ll spend less time with Yanagi Renji in the future. Look, even the milk tea tastes so… weird.”
The two chatted about Liu Lianji for a while, and before they knew it, they had returned to the topic of love.
"Seriously, aren't you thinking about dating?" Risa suggested again, her eyes sparkling. "I know a lot of beautiful and outstanding girls, I can introduce you to some~"
“What’s the use of knowing so many people?” Kirihara said in a low voice as he washed the utensils, his back to her. “Anyway, there’s only one person like Risa in the world.” The sound of running water drowned out his deep voice.
"Huh? What did you just say?" Risa tilted her head and blinked. The sound of the water was too loud, and she couldn't hear her clearly.
Kirihara Akaya turned around, glanced at her, and didn't repeat what he had just said. He simply reached out and took the failed "experiment" from in front of her.
"Never mind, this one won't do. I'll make you another one, this time it'll definitely be a success!"
His tone regained its usual enthusiasm.
-
On a morning when his cold was getting better, Kirihara Akaya had to return to school to prepare for a match a week later.
After he left, Risa was left alone in the once bustling villa.
With four days left until the end of my vacation, I might as well go to school.
During her three years of university, except for her first year, Risa learned and took exams almost entirely online. With her passion and amazing perseverance, she achieved pretty good grades in every course.
She quickly tidied herself up and prepared to leave.
When the door opened, Risa was stunned.
Standing outside the door was the person she most wanted to see, but who had absolutely no chance of being there.
"Aichi?" Risa looked at the person in front of her, wearing a casual jacket, with soft blue hair and gentle eyes, and was so surprised that she forgot to breathe.
"Shouldn't you be in...Melbourne preparing for the Australian Open?"
"I wanted to surprise you." The other person's voice was gentle and familiar. "Akaya said you had a cold. Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, much better." Risa nodded, staring at him blankly.
She had specifically instructed Akaya not to tell Yukimura about her illness. Being thousands of miles apart, with the competition underway, would only cause him worry and add to his troubles.
"I'm relieved to see you're safe and sound." He took her hand. "Come on, let me take you for a walk to clear your head."
His other hand reached into her pocket for her phone without saying a word.
After a series of actions, he returned the phone to her, his tone forceful: "You'll be watching me all day."
Risa looked up and gazed into his ocean of gentle, iris-purple light, feeling no urge to resist. She softly hummed in agreement.
He took her to a secluded amusement park in the suburbs. The Ferris wheel slowly rose to its highest point, as if the whole world was beneath their feet.
The azure coastline stretched across the horizon, sunlight scattering like shattered gold across the sea, but even more dazzling were his eyes, brimming with tender smiles, fixed on hers inside the sedan chair.
As the roller coaster roared past its peak, he held her hand tightly, his laughter carried on the wind. At the shooting game booth, he hit the bullseye every time, winning her a huge plush toy.
The whole day felt as wonderful as a brief, detached dream.
He escorted her back to the villa as the sun set.
“That’s enough,” he said gently. “I have to catch my flight back to Melbourne tonight.”
Risa nodded, without trying to stop him. She took a small box from her bag and handed it to him.
"For me?"
"Um."
He took the box, opened it, and his pupils trembled slightly. Inside the box was a pink rubber band.
He looked up at her. Risa, holding the giant doll, was also looking up at him with a pure smile.
"I'm really happy today. Thank you, Niou."
"Consider this a thank you gift."
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
The figure of "Yukimura" standing in front of her paused subtly.
Then, that impeccable gentleness faded, replaced by a complex yet knowing smile. He raised his hand and habitually rubbed the back of his head.
The soft, deep blue hair faded back to a dazzling silver-blue, and the gentle, violet eyes transformed into dark blue fox eyes with inward curves and outward flicks.
Niou Masaharu stood before her with his unique languid cunning.
"Pfft~" He curled the corners of his mouth into a lazy tone, "You've been exposed. When did you find out?"
“From the very first word you spoke to me,” Risa looked at him, her eyes clear and unfathomable. “Your acting is flawless, almost exactly the same. But the feeling is different.”
Niou smirked. "It seems that no matter who I become, I've never been able to fool you."
"Because Niō Masaharu is Niō Masaharu."
The moment those words were spoken, the usual playful curve of Niou's lips froze, and his azure pupils trembled violently, as if struck hard by something invisible.
"Be careful on your way back." Risa smiled at him and turned to go inside.
Niou stared at her retreating figure, his eyes deep and dark.
"Risa".
A deep voice came from behind.
Before Risa could turn around, her arm was grabbed. The next moment, a force spun her around, and she was unexpectedly thrown into a thick, warm embrace.
"Pick me, Risa."
Niou's voice rang softly in her ear, devoid of all its usual languor and playfulness, leaving only a strange, melancholic seriousness.
Risa stood frozen in place, momentarily unable to react.
Niou... what are you saying?
After a long while, Niou loosened his arms slightly, but still kept them around her. He lowered his head, his gaze fixed on her wide, shocked eyes.
"Choose me, okay?" he repeated. "Let me be your strength, so you don't have to carry everything alone anymore, and you don't have to endure the endless separation."
He dropped his nonchalant attitude, his gaze becoming direct and earnest.
"Risa, I know how to make you happier. I will always be by your side, anytime, anywhere."
He paused, his low, husky voice taking on a seductive tinge, "Even... if you wish, I can become anything you desire. Just like you once said, having me is like having the whole world, isn't it?"
The air was deathly silent.
Risa's pupils trembled slightly. She stared into those deep, dark blue eyes so close to hers, the emotions surging within them so unfamiliar, yet so heavy.
A complex mix of bittersweet emotions and touching feelings swept through my heart, but more than anything, there was a clear and unwavering conviction.
“But Niou Masaharu… is just Niou Masaharu.”
She met his gaze: "You are Rikkai's unparalleled con artist, a powerful and trustworthy companion, someone who brings me comfort and joy when I am troubled by rumors or recovering from an illness, and a very interesting and very gentle friend."
“Precisely because you are such a good and unique Niou Masaharu, you cannot be, and should be, anyone’s shadow.”
Risa gave her final answer, decisively: "Besides, I don't want the whole world. All I've ever wanted, from beginning to end, is Seiichi alone."
Niou Masaharu listened quietly, the light in his eyes gradually fading.
He didn't dwell on it, nor did he feel disappointed. He simply accepted the answer with a sense of relief, as if it were the final result of a thrilling game.
"Pfft~ I get it." He finally smiled. "That guy's luck is as infuriating as ever."
“The lucky one is actually me,” Risa gently corrected.
Renou looked at her, a fleeting emotion she couldn't decipher passing through the depths of his eyes—a mixture of worry and a warning.
"Risa-chan is so strong, no matter what happens, she'll definitely get through it, right?"
Risa blinked, sensing a hidden meaning in his words, but before she could ask further, he had already turned away from the night and lazily waved.
"I'll always support you from now on. I'm looking forward to the day your 'R. Studio' is officially launched."
As the sun sank below the horizon, Niou's figure disappeared into the rising night.
Risa stood at the door for a while, holding the huge doll, her eyes lowered, her chest filled with mixed feelings, as if a spice bottle had been overturned.
She turned and went inside, closing the door to temporarily shut out all the disturbances.
"Won't I have to endure the pain of separation?" she asked herself.
The hardships of long-distance relationships can only be truly understood by those who have experienced them.
When work and studies are busy, the longing is bearable. But once things quiet down, when she returns to an empty room alone, or when she is sick and vulnerable and needs someone to be with her, the silent loneliness and the spreading darkness are almost suffocating, threatening to engulf her.
But......
She wasn't the only one struggling with this long and agonizing longing.
She wasn't the only one who needed to resist the gentle temptations around her and uphold her promises.
Risa placed the doll on the entryway cabinet, and subconsciously took out her phone from her pocket, wanting to hear his voice and draw some warmth from their chat history.
The computer is powered on and the screen lights up.
The next second, all the sentimental, complex, and warm emotions were instantly frozen and shattered by the malicious messages and shocking entries flooding the screen.
#A chilling thought! A review of Risa's resource-boosting abilities#
#Risa rises in resources#
#Akito Kurosawa's list of major donors#
......
My fingertips trembled, and the phone almost slipped from my hand.
Risa clicked on those so-called "exposés":
"A certain actress signed with Kurosawa's project before winning a newcomer award; she was photographed having dinner with NHK executives the night before her morning drama was officially announced; she just won two A-list actress awards and then landed a role in a big Netflix production... Is all of this really just a coincidence?"
"Exclusive in-depth analysis! Director Kurosawa personally coached her on set for over half an hour, with frequent physical contact (blurry long shot attached); at the wrap party, the two were seen chatting happily on the balcony (blurry photo attached)... Is this really just a brother-sister relationship?"
"There are many actresses with better acting skills than her, so why do international resources always seem to fall into her lap? Why did Akira Kurosawa repeatedly promote her? Why did Netflix specifically request her? There's only one truth: she has more than one man behind her."
"Industry insiders are digging into this! Director Z is known for his fondness for 'mentoring' newcomers, and actress R is very adept at networking. She recognized several 'godfathers' at dinner parties, and that's how she got her resources. Those who know, know."
"Exclusive reveal of the mysterious men behind actress R: her senior, Akira Kurosawa, brand godfather XX, capital tycoon XX... Her success is a textbook example of sacrificing oneself to rise to the top."
"......"
She looked at the maliciously spliced photos, the obscene text, and the so-called "list of sponsors"... This undeserved disaster was far more deadly than the "plastic surgery rumors."
It left her with no way to defend herself, splashing mud on her entire life, dragging all her collaborators into the mess, aiming to deliver a fatal blow and completely destroy the career and character she had devoted everything to.
A chilling coldness surged up my spine.
It felt as if all the strength had been drained from my body; my knees buckled, and I crashed heavily into the cold wall.
Just as this endless chill and panic were about to engulf her—
The doorbell rang abruptly and sharply.
Her heart clenched.
Who could it be at this time?
Paparazzi? Reporters? Or...?
Filled with immense fear and confusion, I gripped the doorknob with trembling hands and pulled open the door—
The person standing outside the door made her freeze in place, forgetting to breathe.
-----------------------
Author's Note: I don't know how the fox became the second male lead; maybe I've been delirious with fever these past few days. Since it's come to this, I'll add a bonus chapter later.
P.S.: Chapter 110 is finally back to normal, with no complaints about the censorship affecting the reading experience. Some sentences have been polished and are now more aesthetically pleasing. Those who like it can refresh the page to take a look.
The reason for the name change is due to online piracy. There's not much to say about it; where there's demand, there's supply. Most people lack copyright awareness, hence the rampant piracy.
All I can do is write a good article, correct any flaws, and ensure that every reader who supports the official version gets their money's worth. Thank you again everyone! [heart emoji]
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