Chapter 136: Apples and Apple Cider Vinegar

"This is Miss Yuko Takeuchi, the heroine who will be featured on the cover of my new single," Akao introduced Takeuchi to the actors, who were still completely unaware of the situation.

"Nice to meet you all," Yuko Takeuchi said, bowing to the group.

The others bowed in return.

"In that case," Akao said to Yukihiko Tsutsumi, "Tsutsumi-san, we'll head over now."

Tsutsumi made a "go ahead" gesture and teased, "Shooting a single cover on a movie set—you really don't like to waste a single resource, do you?"

"Tsutsumi-san, you could just say I'm stingy, cheap, and lack ambition." After all, this was their company's fine tradition. Akao beamed brightly. As a true "Being" person, he had to carry forward the ancestral spirit of frugality and lack of ambition to truly honor the president's cultivation...

Refreshed after the banter, Akao beckoned to Yuko Takeuchi. "Let's go, Miss Takeuchi."

Akao, who didn't look back, naturally failed to notice the complex gaze following him closely from behind.

...

In the prime of her youth with a naturally good foundation, it took the makeup artist only seventeen minutes to finish, briskly declaring, "That's it."

Looking at herself in the mirror—seemingly unchanged yet somehow different—Yuko Takeuchi twitched the corners of her mouth and made a small, silly face.

The rooftop of Omiya Chuo Prefectural High School was like the most ordinary rooftop one might see in a Japanese drama: dusty, without safety netting, and bordered only by a low railing. Although a "No Entry" sign hung at the entrance, the lock on the door was rusty and could be opened with a light twist.

While clearing the area, the film crew even found two cigarette butts in a corner.

Yuko Takeuchi ascended to the rooftop accompanied by a female staff member. The fifteen-year-old girl wore a white shirt with two buttons undone, revealing the delicate lines of her collarbones. Even her bobbed haircut, which resembled a kappa, didn't look comical at all; instead, it exuded a sense of pure youth.

"Done so soon?" Akao asked casually. Without waiting for an answer, he nodded to himself, picked up a Red Fuji apple he had prepared, and approached her. "Catch."

Having already learned the details of the shoot the day they met, Yuko Takeuchi caught the apple and cradled it carefully in her hands. "This apple looks like it’s going to be delicious."

"Just a heads-up, don't actually take a bite just yet. This apple is quite expensive," Akao joked.

"Are you going to reclaim it after the shoot, Akao-san? If so, please allow me to decline with all my might."

"Why?"

Yuko Takeuchi's expression turned subtle. "If you were to take it back to eat yourself, I would feel very embarrassed."

"Rest assured, I don't have such strange tastes," Akao said, looking at her, speechless. "If you're worried, you can just take it home as a souvenir once we're done."

...

The entire shoot lasted about an hour. The moment the end of the shoot was announced, a crisp "crunch" sound echoed—Yuko Takeuchi had taken a large bite of the apple, squinting her eyes in bliss. "It's so good!"

Paired with her childish, innocent face, it made everyone around her want to smile.

The staff on site let out good-natured laughter. The quick-handed photographer immediately aimed his camera at Yuko Takeuchi, capturing her expression exactly as it was.

"A bit too impatient, Miss Takeuchi," Akao teased. "Didn't I tell you to take it home as a souvenir?"

"Sorry, sorry," Yuko Takeuchi said, munching on the apple. Her cheeks, already round with baby fat, were puffed out by the fruit, making her look even more like a hamster. "I had the apple pressed against my lips during the shoot, didn't I? It smelled so good that I couldn't help but eat it first."

With that, Yuko Takeuchi flashed a small, ingratiating smile. "Akao-san doesn't mind me disposing of the 'souvenir' like this, right?"

"What would you do if I said I did mind?" Akao poked fun at her.

"I refuse to believe Akao-san is such a petty and stingy person!" Yuko Takeuchi retorted confidently.

"Pfft!" The photographer, who had been listening to the whole exchange, couldn't hold back his laughter.

...

After the shoot, the staff busied themselves with clearing the set, and Yuko Takeuchi strolled around the Omiya Chuo Prefectural High School campus accompanied by Akao. Along the way, Takeuchi asked many questions about the movie. Akao shared a few interesting anecdotes, such as the strange wig he prepared for Mai Hosho's audition, or how Yukihiko Tsutsumi had long planned for him to play Hiroki Kikuchi.

As for his past attempt to find her at a middle school in Tokorozawa, Akao didn't say a word. Saying such things would be ambiguous and only make him seem strange.

...

The rooftop was empty, showing no signs that a shoot had taken place there just moments ago. Looking down, one could see the shaded tents the crew had temporarily set up. At two in the afternoon, the scorching sun baked the earth. When she touched the concrete railing, a burning sensation radiated from her palms.

Spreading a handkerchief on the ground and holding down her skirt, Yukie Nakama sat down. She looked up, trying to meet the sun's gaze, but after less than fifteen seconds, she sneezed and gave up.

After sighing for what was probably the umpteenth time today, Yukie Nakama let her brows droop and muttered, "How annoying..."

But what was it that she found so annoying? Was it annoying that he was laughing and chatting with another girl? Or was it annoying that the once-unique privilege of being on his record cover was now being shared with someone else?

Yet, laughing and chatting with other girls was his freedom, and as a singer, he had his own considerations for choosing record covers. These were all such clear facts, so why couldn't she stop herself from feeling frustrated?

Or perhaps... the fact that she was the one feeling upset over such trivial matters was the most annoying part of all.

Lost in her thoughts, Yukie Nakama didn't notice someone approaching her quietly.

Until—

"Hey!" A cold soda can gently tapped her cheek. Startled, Yukie Nakama instinctively pushed out.

The next second—

"Ouch!" Akao, pushed to the ground, stared at the soda can rolling toward the other corner of the rooftop. A thought crossed his mind: when it comes to poking a girl in the cheek with a soda can, definitely don't do it while squatting.