Chapter 49 Invited to the event, I was being snapped up by talent agencies while at Rikkai University.
[Risa: Sorry, I think I'm catching a bit of a cold...]
My finger hovered over the send button for a few seconds before I finally pressed it. Almost instantly, "Read" appeared at the top of the chat window.
[Yukimura: Since you're not feeling well, let's cancel our date this week.]
[Yukimura: Is Akaya home? Do you need me to bring him some medicine?]
Risa stared at the concerned words on the screen, her fingertips unconsciously stroking her phone. She didn't have a fever, yet her cheeks felt hot.
[Risa: No need for that, just rest for a bit.]
【Risa: I'm so sorry T﹏T】
[Yukimura: It's alright, please get some rest.]
Putting down her phone, Risa lay back on the bed, staring blankly at the flickering light and shadow on the ceiling.
Yukimura must have realized she was lying. She was full of energy yesterday, and it's summer now, how could she suddenly catch a cold?
Recalling what happened last night, she let out a long sigh and murmured to herself.
"What am I doing...?"
That's Yukimura Seiichi. Anyone would have their heart race when faced with such a handsome and refined young man, right?
Last night, as Yukimura was about to utter those words, her heart pounded wildly in her chest, almost bursting out of her throat. The palpitation was so abnormal, so abnormal, that it instinctively frightened her.
At the same time, a sharp voice rang out just in time, suppressing those dangerous tremors back to the darkest corner of the heart.
—He's a high school student, after all.
The word "high school student" is like a curse.
An eight-year age gap is a chasm between the two.
I can't waste his youth. To a promising young man like him, I, a "fake girl," would only be an irresponsible disturbance.
Risa turned over and buried her burning cheeks in the pillow.
"That's good..."
"A 25-year-old soul shouldn't have a story with a 17-year-old."
"We'll all go our separate ways after graduation anyway. It's better for everyone than to ruin this friendship."
She was saying this to herself, or perhaps trying to convince someone else.
-
The cheerful laughter of Kirihara and her son could be heard from downstairs.
Risa took a deep breath, composed herself, and walked down the stairs.
"Wow, is this a photo of my aunt from high school?" She leaned closer to the album and pointed to a group photo of them in school uniforms.
Kirihara's mother gently stroked the photo: "Yes, so many years have passed in the blink of an eye."
"Could that stern-faced boy next to me be my uncle?" Risa blinked.
"Risa-nee, you can recognize this?" Akaya came over with two bottles of chilled juice, handing one to Risa. "Dad is twice the size he used to be now."
“Although you’ve gained weight…” Risa took the juice Akaya handed her, “the gentleness in your eyes hasn’t changed at all.”
Akaya shrugged, nestled into the single sofa, and began rapidly clicking his game console, determined not to give up until he had finished the new game.
"I didn't expect my aunt and uncle to have been together since high school. Is that considered puppy love?" Risa took a sip of sweet and sour citrus juice and winked mischievously at her mother. "But going from school uniforms to wedding dresses is so romantic."
"Speaking of which~" Kirihara's mother looked up, her eyes sparkling with gossip, "Isn't Risa going on a date with that handsome blue-haired boy today?"
"puff--"
I almost choked on the juice.
"You...you've misunderstood!" Risa hurriedly waved her hands. "We're not in that kind of relationship...and there are more important things for me right now..."
“Auntie understands.” Kirihara’s mother smiled kindly, gently holding her daughter’s water-drenched hand. “Risa is a mature and sensible child; she always considers everything so thoroughly. Part-time jobs, studies, future plans…”
“But Risa, in your aunt’s eyes, you and Akaya are both children who need to be spoiled.”
Risa's lips parted slightly, and her eyelashes trembled.
"Risa, there are some things your uncle and I have wanted to tell you for a long time."
Kirihara's mother took Risa's hand and made her sit down next to her. "Although our family isn't wealthy, we've already prepared the savings to ensure that you and Akaya can successfully complete your studies."
"So it's okay to be a little willful sometimes, like Akaya."
A drop of water slid down the glass bottle, spreading out a small water stain on the trouser leg.
"Do what you want to do, go to karaoke with your friends after school, or have a heart-pounding romance, create memories that will make you smile when you're old..."
Risa's eyes welled up with tears, and her reflection was seen in Kirihara's mother's gentle smiling eyes.
"Thank you, Auntie. But there are some things I'd like to wait until I'm more mature..."
"Silly child. Isn't the best part of youth that you can be immature with a clear conscience?"
Kirihara's mother held her hand and said earnestly, "Your aunt has been through this, so she can probably guess what's troubling you. What your aunt wants to tell you is—"
Not all good things come when you're ready. The stirrings of adolescence are like a summer downpour—sudden yet beautiful. If your heart is moved, don't be afraid to get wet.
After a moment of silence.
Risa lowered her eyes, her reply nasal in tone.
"Hmm... I'll think about it carefully..."
-
The school bell rang, and Risa packed her bag, ready to go to the club activity room with Yuzuki.
"Matsuno, come with me to the student council." Yagyu Hiroshi's voice came from behind.
Risa tilted her head in confusion and exchanged a glance with Yuzuki.
Yuzuki: "Go ahead, I'll go prepare the merchandise proposal for next month."
The student council office was empty, with only the curtains being gently lifted by the breeze.
Yagyu walked straight to the iron-gray filing cabinet, opened the door, took out a stack of envelopes printed with the logos of various companies, and neatly placed them in front of Risa.
"I started receiving them this week. They specifically requested that I deliver them to you personally."
Risa took the invitations and glanced at them. They were all from talent agencies and scouts: Johnny & Associates, Ken-On, Toho Entertainment... Each one was a well-known talent agency in the industry.
After the Rikkai University ambassador competition ended, her inbox kept popping up with emails from various agencies, and she didn't expect to receive paper invitations as well.
Just as Risa was about to thank him, a vibration came from her backpack.
She hurriedly stuffed the letter into her bag, took out her phone, and saw the name "Sonoda Umi" flashing on the screen.
After nodding to Liu Sheng, she quickly walked out of the student council room and pressed the answer button.
"Moses, Moses?"
“Matsuno-san.” A calm female voice came from the other end of the phone. “Is it convenient to talk now? Seventeen magazine is planning a special issue on active high school girls next time, and editor-in-chief Nanjo specifically asked for you to be the cover girl.”
Risa stopped at the corner of the administration building, where she could see the tennis club's training session through the window.
"The filming time is set for..."
"Taking into account your final exams, we have specially arranged to film two episodes, this weekend and the first weekend of July."
Sonoda paused for a moment, then continued, "However, the filming location this week is in Tokyo, so you'll need to come in advance for a makeup trial. The new stylist is from Harajuku and said they'll be designing a look for you..."
"I understand. Let's stick with a part-time collaboration model."
“Editor-in-Chief Nanjo wanted to sign an exclusive contract with you…” Sonoda’s voice was tinged with regret, “but considering your situation, they agreed to work on a per-project basis.”
Risa's gaze unconsciously drifted to the window. Through the bright glass of the administration building, she could see figures running back and forth on the tennis court in the distance.
"Um...okay..." she replied absentmindedly, her gaze fixed on a figure on the court.
Yukimura stood behind the service line, the evening sunlight casting a hazy golden glow around him. From this distance, his figure was somewhat blurred, but each swing of his racket remained elegant, making one hold their breath.
The delicate arc of her wrist when tossing the ball, the smooth lines of her clothes fluttering when swinging the racket, were just like the slow-motion shots she had seen on screen.
The only difference is that live streaming is more exciting than watching from behind a screen.
After the ball was played, he seemed to sense something and looked up in the direction of the administration building.
Risa's heart skipped a beat. From this distance, he shouldn't be able to see her behind the window, but she still subconsciously took a half-step back into the shadows.
"Matsuno-san?"
“I’m sorry,” she said, snapping back to reality. “Please thank Editor-in-Chief Nanjo for my understanding.”
"In that case, I'll send you the address and contract via email first."
"Okay. Thank you for your help, Sonoda-senpai."
After hanging up the phone, Risa took one last look out the window.
That blue-purple figure still shines on the court, and just looking at it from afar makes her heart race for no reason.
Risa let out a soft breath, stuffed her phone into her skirt pocket, and went downstairs with her schoolbag.
As she walked through the courtyard, she was thinking of taking a shortcut to the back mountain when she suddenly heard someone calling her from behind.
"Matsuno-kun."
Risa turned around and saw a tall, slender figure slowly rising from the bench under the ginkgo tree in the courtyard.
Backlit, the man's silhouette was outlined by the setting sun with a hazy golden edge, only his glasses gleaming coldly in the shadows.
The man stopped three steps away from her, his glasses reflecting Risa's slightly furrowed brows.
"Long time no see, I'm Akira Kurosawa." The man took out a business card from his suit pocket and handed it over with both hands. "I originally planned to formally introduce myself on the day the competition ended, but unfortunately some things came up at the last minute."
“But now it seems,” his eyes behind his glasses curved slightly, “that fate has given us a better opportunity.”
Risa hesitated for a moment, then took the business card, feeling the unique texture of the high-quality paper on her fingertips.
The business card simply reads "Akito Kurosawa | Film Director," with the Toho logo in the lower right corner.
She looked up and her gaze fell on the man.
This man in his early thirties, dressed in a casual suit, is the prodigy director that Liu Lianji has been hailing from in recent years.
"Hello, I'm Risa Matsuno." Risa greeted him professionally. "I've seen your film 'When Cherry Blossoms Fall,' that youth film was very interesting."
“I didn’t expect Matsuno to know about this work.” He took out a brown paper bag from his briefcase. “Actually, I came here today to invite you to audition for my new film.”
The sound of laughter and chatter drifted from afar as several students walked through the courtyard, looking at them curiously.
"It's not convenient to discuss this in detail here," Akira Kurosawa glanced at his watch. "If you don't have any plans afterward..."
“I also have club activities…” Risa replied.
Realizing she was rejecting him, she quickly added, "But I'm free after 3 p.m. tomorrow."
Kurosawa Akito paused for a moment: "As expected of Rikkai University's top student. Then I'll wait for you at the school gate at this time tomorrow."
He handed me the brown paper bag, saying, "You can take the script back and take a look."
As Risa took the paper bag, she noticed a ring on his left ring finger. This detail inexplicably relieved her—in the entertainment industry, Akira Kurosawa was known for his professionalism and loyalty; it was unlikely he would...
"The protagonist is a 17-year-old high school girl, and we needed a newcomer who was both transparent and explosive," Akira Kurosawa explained the reason for choosing her.
“I saw your performance in the semi-finals. The ability to switch from tragedy to comedy in an instant is a talent that many professional actors do not possess, and it is exactly what I am looking for.”
Just as Risa was about to speak, her phone vibrated.
The words "Unknown Number" on the screen made her frown.
"Excuse me, I need to take this call." She took two steps back and pressed the answer button.
"Hello, is this Ms. Risa Matsuno?" A sweet female voice came from the other end of the phone.
"I'm Yuki Takahashi, an agent from Stardust Media. I heard you recently received an audition invitation from Director Kurosawa?"
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Author's Note: I was listening to Xiao Gang's "The Secret of Winter" while writing this chapter. [Thumbs up]
Thank you all for your comments, likes, and support! I'm so sorry, I can't write anything extra today. I'll try to update more this weekend. [hugs][hugs]
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