Chapter 52 Clearly, Clearly, He Was Soberly Falling into Depravity
The moment Akira Kurosawa reached out to her, Risa felt as if her blood had frozen.
When she was twenty, the director, hailed as a "rising star," approached her with a gentle smile. He said he had foresight, that he would nurture her, give her opportunities, and let her reach a wider horizon.
That year, Risa won the Best Newcomer Award. The man kept his promise, but also cornered her in a secluded corner after the celebration party late at night.
A large hand pressed down on her shoulder, the scalding smell of alcohol assaulting her senses, yet his voice was terrifyingly clear:
"Where do you think your talent comes from? It was me who discovered you and shaped you... Every movement you make, every glance, every smile, is something I personally crafted."
Those narrow eyes gradually darkened, becoming tainted with a morbid obsession.
"Look how perfect it is... even the way it resists is exactly what I wanted."
The man gripped her chin with his thumb and forefinger, the force so strong it almost crushed her.
"Now, it's time to teach you how to be 'grateful'..."
Dark memories flooded back like a tidal wave, a suffocating, salty feeling churning in my stomach. I trembled all over, unable to stop the nausea.
In that instant, she seemed to transform back into the person she had been cornered.
His body was stiff as iron, even a scream was stuck in his throat, and he could only watch helplessly as the demonic claws reached towards him...
(Get out of the way! Get out of the way—!)
The soul is screaming, but the body seems to be nailed to the spot.
until--
A familiar presence suddenly enveloped her, and the boy's warm chest pressed against her back. His strong arms encircled her shoulders, like a drawn sword severing the memories shrouded in darkness.
His heartbeat, steady and powerful, pierced through the thin fabric of his clothes.
It was as if it was telling her silently:
Don't be afraid.
I'm here.
The salty, humid air filled my lungs, and the bitterness in the glass bottle scattered and escaped, only to be replaced by grains of sugar.
There were no knights in my past life.
When that disgusting claw touched her, her body reacted before her brain, and she immediately executed an over-the-shoulder throw.
The director's screams, the sound of shattering glass, and the security guards who arrived later... that day's chaos gave rise to the infamous "most violent newcomer" rumor in the industry.
The charge of assaulting the director, coupled with Ms. Lin's instigation, resulted in a two-year hiatus from the entertainment industry.
But she doesn't regret it.
Those two years were cruel and dark, but they also transformed her into a true actress.
......
"Matsuno-kun, do you want to become a star?"
A gentle voice, like a clear spring, flowed softly in her ear, pulling Risa back from her dark memories.
The tram swayed slightly, and the neon lights outside the window reflected like water. Kirihara Akaya leaned on Risa's shoulder, fast asleep.
"A celebrity..."
Her gaze fell on the tram window, where the three people's blurry reflections swayed slightly with the tram.
"I don't have any romantic feelings about this profession. Whether it's idols who are elevated to godhood or glamorous models, they are all just puppets of capitalists in the end."
The girl's tone carried a clarity beyond her years, but Yukimura didn't find it strange. On the contrary, he felt that it was only natural for her to say such words.
"However, I am a pragmatic person, so I do not reject this job."
Risa turned to look at the boy, her eyes reflecting the dim light in the carriage. "Since we're both going to be working, why not choose one that pays well and stays within the legal framework?"
Yukimura: "Your goal is to make a lot of money?"
“Of course. No one in this world would complain about having too much money.” She held up a finger, a sly glint in her eyes. “Let’s set a small goal first: earn a hundred million.”
The tram entered the tunnel, and darkness instantly enveloped the carriage.
"What happens after you earn 100 million?" Yukimura asked her. "What will you pursue after achieving financial freedom?"
"I don't have any dreams I want to pursue." Risa looked at the emergency lights flashing past on the tunnel wall.
"If I had to choose, I'd want to be the one who controls their own destiny. To go wherever I want, to see whomever I want, without having to worry about the consequences, without having to consider anyone's feelings..."
She paused, then asked in a low voice, "Is this considered a dream?"
As the tram emerged from the tunnel, light once again flooded the carriage.
“It’s a remarkable dream,” Yukimura said softly, a glint in his eyes. “Perhaps it’s… the most moving dream I’ve ever heard of.”
Risa tilted her head to look at him, a smile playing on her lips: "You too, a future Grand Slam winner."
When tennis was mentioned, Yukimura's expression suddenly turned serious. He looked out the car window, his gaze falling on the distant lighthouse: "I won't stop."
“Then…” Risa extended her little finger and gently shook it, “Let’s meet at the summit.”
The tram arrived at the station and stopped at the platform. A night breeze slipped in through the open doors, carrying the warmth of early summer.
Yukimura gazed at her slender fingers suspended in the air, smiled gently, and then reached out his little finger to hook hers.
"Yes, see you at the top."
The tram's announcement sounded, signaling that it was about to depart. Unconsciously, Xiaohai rubbed against Risa's arm and hugged it even tighter, like a spoiled little animal.
Yukimura gazed at the innocent sleeping face of the seaweed and unconsciously curled his lips into a smile.
"I really envy Akaya."
"Hmm?" Risa tilted her head, a strand of dark hair slipping off her shoulder. "Are you sleepy too?"
She raised her left shoulder and smiled mischievously, "Sure, you can lean on me for a bit~"
Yukimura paused, then chuckled softly, "Are you trying to coax me like a child?"
Risa blinked but didn't reply. The neon lights outside the car window swept across, casting shifting shadows on her profile.
“Matsuno-kun.” Yukimura’s voice suddenly turned somber, his eyes darkening. “I’ve already told you, haven’t I?”
"...What?" His sudden seriousness made Risa's heart skip a beat.
"What I want—"
Yukimura leaned slightly forward, his warm breath brushing against her ear. "Unlike Akaya."
Risa trembled all over.
These are the most ordinary words, yet at this moment they feel like countless tiny electric currents are converging at the nerve endings.
That restless, unsettling thrill was like a beast suddenly awakening. A strange shiver spread from my fingertips to my spine, and then from my spine to every part of my body.
"Next stop—"
The broadcast came on at just the right time.
"Sorry, we've arrived at our stop." Risa hurriedly stood up. "Akaya, wake up, it's time to get off."
She frantically shook Kirihara Akaya awake and practically dragged him off the train.
The moment the car door closed, Risa unconsciously glanced back—
The boy remained in that languid posture, looking in her direction, his eyes a cool blue-purple, like hydrangeas wet with rain.
When he saw her turn around and their eyes meet, he slightly raised the corners of his lips and gently curved his eyes.
Thump! Thump!
My heart pounded violently in my chest, and the scalding blood surged and boiled through my body, as if a wild beast was howling and roaring as it pounded against the cage.
She vaguely, perhaps, maybe... finally understood what the sense of security she had developed for him, the inexplicable anxiety she had recently felt, and the throbbing in her chest that felt like it was burning her heart meant.
—She likes...
The answer was obvious, but she dared not admit it.
That is Pandora's box, a forbidden place where stepping into it will plunge you into an abyss.
"Risa-nee?" Kirihara Akaya rubbed his sleepy eyes and tilted his head to look at her. "Why are your ears so red?"
"...It's too hot."
Risa sprinted off the platform, practically fleeing in panic.
The night breeze brushed past her ears, but it couldn't dispel the restless heat beneath her skin. Her lungs burned with each rapid breath; she clutched her chest, gasping for air.
Clearly! Clearly!
She had set up the game herself, yet she fled in panic the moment her opponent made a move.
Even though she knew it was wrong, she couldn't help but get close and tease him, watching herself gradually and consciously sink into depravity;
Even though she was already drowning in the tide of passion, she insisted on pretending that she had only gotten her shoes wet, remaining nonchalant.
Her as a person—
That's... absolutely terrible.
-
That night, at the Liu residence.
The phone rang, breaking the silence.
"Renji, do you know Akira Kurosawa?" Yukimura's voice came through the receiver, devoid of emotion.
Liu's fingertips hovered over the keyboard for a moment.
"You would ask that..." He locked his laptop, the cold light from the screen reflecting on his face.
"That means he's already contacted Matsuno-kun, right?"
A faint rustling sound came from the other end of the phone, as if Yukimura had changed the way he held the phone.
Tell me about it.
Three simple words, yet they understood each other implicitly.
Liu Lian'er got up and went out to her father's study, where she pulled out a black notebook from the top shelf.
"Akito Kurosawa is known in the industry as the 'Midas touch,' but in recent years, people in the industry often call him the 'most dangerous talent scout.'"
He flipped through the notebook, the pages making a soft rustling sound, finally stopping at a page covered with clippings—"Newly crowned Best Actress Suspected of Committing Suicide Due to Acting Bottleneck."
"He... is a very 'special' genius. Neither a righteous man nor a villain. Just a madman who uses humanity as a palette."
Liu Lianji's voice was calm and still as he proceeded to deliver a long string of information:
- “A persistent search for ‘unpolished gems,’ especially for young students with contradictory qualities.”
- “The methods are extreme yet cleverly avoid risks—psychological manipulation, creating real traumatic experiences, and even deliberately leading them into extreme emotions.”
"The actors he 'trained' are at least winners of gold medals at A-list film festivals."
- "But the price is... mental breakdown."
His fingertips lightly traced a line of text. It was a record about Akito Kurosawa's deceased wife:
Kawano Ai, Akira Kurosawa's college classmate and lover, was also the first actress he "trained." She became a triple-crown Best Actress at 26, and committed suicide within a year of her marriage. The official explanation was that she encountered an "acting bottleneck," but in reality...
Yukimura sensed a hidden meaning in his friend's words, "What's the real reason?"
Renji Yanagi slightly opened his eyes, his voice low and somber: "After winning the Best Actress award, Kawano Ai lost her way and was on the verge of a mental breakdown. I heard that before she committed suicide by cutting her wrists, her suicide note contained only one sentence: 'I'm sorry, I've disappointed my teacher.'"
Renji Yanagi closed his notebook. "After Kawano's death, Akito Kuroyori was depressed for a while. After that, he became even more insane. Those prey he 'captured' eventually became his most devout admirers."
A moment of silence.
A low, cold laugh came from the other end of the phone: "People often say that the most skillful hunting is to make the prey willingly walk into the cage and even be grateful for this 'honor'."
“However, as I said before, this person cannot be considered a villain.” Liu Lian'er paused, his voice suddenly becoming a few degrees deeper. “It is said that he has two ironclad rules for his actions: he does not touch things that belong to someone else, and he does not cause unnecessary trouble.”
The night breeze blew through the receiver, bringing with it a faint electrical noise.
Renji Yanagi's voice continued:
"Even the most tempting prey will be withdrawn immediately if the other party is not interested or if the price is too high."
"So, this is a two-way choice between him and Matsuno. Yukimura, you... can't interfere."
After a brief silence, Yukimura's voice rang out again:
"Thank you, Renji."
"I will remember this favor."
After hanging up the phone, Liu Lianer put the notebook back in its original place.
On the other side of the city, the moonlight bathed the terrace in a pale blue hue.
Yukimura leaned against the railing, toying with a business card between his fingers. The night breeze carried the subtle fragrance of the terrace garden, swirling around him.
He lowered his eyes and stared at the business card in his hand; the four characters "Akito Kurosawa" were faintly visible in the moonlight.
He found it in the inner compartment of Risa's schoolbag, and since he was somewhat interested in it, he quietly "borrowed" it.
"Click".
The phone screen lights up.
The call was answered after only the second ring, as if the other party had expected him to call.
"Is this Yukimura-kun?" A deep, smiling voice came from the other end of the phone. "This is making me anxiously wait."
Yukimura smiled, but his eyes were filled with frost: "I apologize for disturbing you so late at night."
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