HPDBC Chapter 160: The Paparazzo's Doomsday After the Four-Person Date
Chapter 160: The Paparazzo's Doomsday After the Four-Person Date
Chapter 160: The Paparazzo's Doomsday After the Four-Person Date
On a Monday afternoon, sunlight streamed through the towering glass facades of Shibuya, Tokyo, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Kitahara Shin stood by a pillar at the entrance of the Parco Theater, holding several performance tickets in his hand.
Beside him, Izumi Sakai wore a baseball cap pulled low, with a few strands of hair peeking out from under the brim. She wore a simple white shirt and jeans, her hands in her pockets, her body subconsciously leaning towards Shin Kitahara. That natural intimacy was clearly a tacit understanding formed after spending a long time together.
"Um—is Akina-san and the others almost here?"
Quanshui glanced at his watch, a hint of nervousness tugged at his voice.
Although last night's drive was exhilarating and she woke up this morning feeling sweet, the thought of facing the legendary "official wife" made her a little nervous. After all, their last meeting downstairs at the apartment building was incredibly awkward.
"It should be soon."
Just as Kitahara Shin finished speaking, a taxi slowly pulled up to the side of the road.
The car door opened.
Two pairs of legs with very different styles stepped down.
The first to get off the train was Akina Nakamori. She was wearing a loose-fitting knit sweater and sunglasses. Even in the bustling streets of Shibuya, her superstar aura, which emanated from her very being, instantly made the passersby around her look like background figures.
Following closely behind was Rie Miyazawa. She was still the same as always, wearing a Horikoshi High School uniform (obviously she had just taken leave), carrying a bag, her face clearly showing "I was forced to do this" and "This is so troublesome".
Akina closed the car door and turned around.
Her gaze swept through the crowd and landed precisely on the two people standing by the pillar.
When Akina saw that Izumi was standing next to Kitahara Shin, and that the distance between the two was significantly less than the social safety distance, she paused slightly in taking off her sunglasses.
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, but it vanished in an instant.
Instead, she wore a gentle and dignified smile, yet exuding the aura of an empress.
She took the initiative to go to him.
"It's been a long time, Ms. Sakai."
Since developing a deeper relationship with Kitahara Shin and receiving the protection of the [Ring of Life], her mindset has undergone a complete transformation. She is no longer that insecure little girl, but a woman capable of weathering any storm.
When she recently went to the recording studio, even her manager, who had always been worried about her, couldn't help but exclaim, "Akina-chan, have you had some good luck lately? You seem to be glowing!"
Actually, it's nothing serious.
When looking at the scenery, the colors seem more vibrant; when shopping at a convenience store, he subconsciously buys an extra serving of his favorite flavor; in this unpredictable world, he has a definite anchor point in his heart.
When Izumi saw Akina approaching, her body tensed up instinctively.
She recalled that awkward encounter downstairs at Akina's house last time.
I acted impulsively and rushed over without thinking. Looking back now, it felt like I was a mistress showing off in front of the wife.
and----
Thinking about how, over the past two weeks, she had not only raced cars with Kitahara Shin, but also—slept with him. A strange sense of guilt made her unable to look Akina in the eye.
"It's been a long time, Ms. Nakamori."
Spring Water responded quickly, its voice a little strained, sounding exceptionally polite.
The two stood there, exchanging pleasantries about their recent work and the weather. The atmosphere wasn't awkward, but there was a subtle sense of distance that made it difficult to get a word in edgewise.
Kitahara Shin stood to the side watching, sighing inwardly.
This was probably the first formal meeting between the so-called "Empress and Favored Concubine".
He wisely chose not to get involved and instead turned to walk towards Rie Miyazawa, who was standing not far away, staring blankly at the theater poster.
"What's wrong? Is the air pressure over there so low that it's making it hard for you to breathe?"
Without turning her head, Rie stared at Nanako's prominent photo on the poster—a photo that, though only occupying a small corner, was still quite eye-catching—and said with a hint of sarcasm, "You didn't know how to handle this, so you came to me for refuge, didn't you?"
Kitahara Shin smiled, ignoring her little tantrum, and pointed to the poster, saying, "This is an avant-garde play called 'The Glass Menagerie.' Although it's an old script, the newcomers are performing it quite interestingly. Nanako plays Laura, the somewhat insecure but rich-hearted daughter. It suits her very well."
"snort."
Rie, clutching her bag, snorted defiantly, "It's just playing a tumor, what's so hard about that? Last time on the set of 'The White Tower,' didn't you praise my acting? Now you're praising someone else in front of me, do you think I'm jealous?"
Kitahara Shin couldn't help but laugh at her arrogant demeanor.
"Rie, what do you study at school?"
He suddenly changed the subject, "I've always been curious about how acting classes are actually taught in formal arts schools?"
As someone who came from an unorthodox background, Kitahara Shin, despite having the support of a system, was not really familiar with the formal training system.
Rie rolled her eyes at him, and although she said "So annoying," she still honestly began to explain: "There's nothing special about it. It just starts with the most basic vocal, acting, and physical expression. For example, the vocal warm-up exercises every morning, and physical liberation—the teacher will have us imitate animals, or do actions without any real objects. Although it looks silly, it really lets you let loose."
Kitahara Shin listened attentively, nodding occasionally, his eyes sparkling with a longing light.
The atmosphere of learning purely for the sake of "performance" was indeed very new to him.
"What about other film crews?" he asked again. "Besides 'The White Tower,' didn't you recently take on a campus drama?"
"That one—"
Rie pouted. "Too easy. Ever since filming 'Ocean Waves' with you, and then being tortured by those old monsters in 'The White Tower,' acting in those lovey-dovey school dramas feels like child's play. The director even said I was acting too 'deeply' and told me to tone it down."
That's true.
Having experienced the baptism of a top-notch film crew, going back to act in idol dramas does indeed feel like a game-changer.
Kitahara Shin reached out, instinctively wanting to pat her head.
"Smack."
Rie slapped his hand away, glaring at him and saying, "Stop hitting me! I'm not a child! I'm twenty years old!"
Kitahara Shin withdrew his hand, looked at her face—though still somewhat childish, it was beginning to reveal a certain charm—and smiled: "I'm just used to expressing my concern this way. Since you don't like it, we'll try something else next time."
"Change—change to what method?"
Rie blushed slightly at his gentle words, and her initial confidence instantly vanished by half.
Just then, Akina and Izumi seemed to have finished their conversation. Akina even took Izumi's arm, and their relationship seemed much more harmonious than before.
"It's about time to go in."
Akina waved in their direction.
The Parco Theater is not large, and can only accommodate about four or five hundred people.
Since it was a weekday afternoon performance, there weren't many audience members; it was only about half full. But for a small theater troupe, that's a pretty good attendance rate.
The four of them sat down in the center of the second row.
The seating arrangement was subtle: Kitahara Shin sat in the middle, with Akina on his left and Izumi on his right. Miyazawa Rie, unsurprisingly, was squeezed next to Izumi, the furthest seat from Kitahara Shin.
"7
Rie sat in her seat, looking at the situation around her, feeling somewhat uneasy.
Akina naturally placed her hand on the back of Kitahara Shin's hand, their fingers gently intertwining. Izumi, though more reserved, leaned slightly towards Kitahara Shin, her dependence on him evident.
—Seriously, are they here to watch a show or to show off their love?
Rie became increasingly annoyed, so she simply looked away and forced herself to stare at the stage.
The lights were focused on the center of the stage.
-
Nanako Matsushima, playing Laura, is dragging her disabled leg as she moves through the dilapidated living room set. Her performance is delicate and sensitive, perfectly capturing the character's inferiority and vulnerability.
Sitting in the audience, Kitahara Shin nodded frequently and said in a low voice to Akina next to him, "Nanako handled this part very well. She completely captured that feeling of wanting to touch something but not daring to."
Akina nodded in agreement: "Yes, this child is improving very quickly."
Sitting on the other side, Rie Miyazawa listened to the two of them talking back and forth, and her already somewhat depressed mood became even more irritable.
Just as she was getting a little distracted by boredom and jealousy, a strange feeling suddenly crept into her heart.
It felt like something was watching them.
It wasn't the gaze of the actors on stage; the feeling came from above, carrying an uncomfortable sense of being watched.
Rie frowned, and taking the opportunity to adjust her posture, she casually glanced up and down out of the corner of her eye.
The private rooms are located on the second floor.
Although a deep red velvet curtain was drawn there, a barely perceptible reflection flashed by through the gap in the curtain.
That's a reflection from the lens.
Someone is taking pictures secretly.
Rie's nerves tensed instantly, and the images of the police cars she had seen in the parking lot and the rumors that the paparazzi had mentioned about "being closely watched by the paparazzi lately" flashed through her mind.
If a photo like this were taken—popular actor Shin Kitahara, Akina Nakamori, Izumi Sakai, and Rie Miyazawa watching a play together.
Tomorrow's newspaper headlines will absolutely explode. Forget about "the empress" and "the favored concubine"; everyone will be swept up in the vortex of public opinion.
A nameless anger suddenly surged up from the bottom of my heart.
On what grounds?
These people work so hard usually, and they finally get to relax a bit, but they have to be monitored even in a small theater with only a few hundred people?
She glanced at Kitahara Shin, who was engrossed in the story, and then at Akina and Izumi, who were completely oblivious.
It was as if they had found an outlet.
"I'm going to the restroom."
Rie suddenly stood up and said in a low voice.
Kitahara Shin glanced at her with some surprise, but didn't think much of it and stepped aside to let her squeeze out.
Rie walked out of the audience seats, but did not head towards the restroom.
She glanced left and right, then turned directly into the side emergency exit. It was dimly lit there. She took off her uniform shoes, carried them in her hand, and ran barefoot up the stairs quickly to the second floor.
The second-floor corridor was quiet.
Rie, like a stealthy cat, silently crept to the back door of that private room.
The door was ajar.
Through the gap, she saw two men leaning on the railing. They held telephoto lenses, half their bodies sticking out of the curtain, their eyes fixed on Kitahara Shin below.
"Did you get a picture? The one holding hands just now?" one of the men in the black jacket asked in a low voice.
"We got it! It's crystal clear! We're rich!" Another man in a hat exclaimed excitedly, his voice trembling. "This is solid evidence! An exclusive!"
As Rie listened to their conversation, the anger in her eyes intensified.
She took a deep breath and adjusted her breathing.
Then, instead of shouting, she calmly pushed open the door, tiptoed, and slowly walked behind the man in the hat.
The other person was completely focused on the viewfinder and didn't notice anything unusual behind them.
Rie reached out and gently patted his shoulder.
"Hi."
The man was startled and instinctively turned his head.
What came into view was a face that was breathtakingly beautiful even in the dim light.
Rie Miyazawa was smiling at him, but her beautiful eyes were as cold as ice: "Did you enjoy the filming?"
"Why?!"
The man had barely let out a cry of surprise and hadn't even had time to react when Rie's hand suddenly tightened its grip.
She grabbed the strap of the expensive camera and pulled it backward sharply.
Caught off guard, the man dropped the camera from his hand.
"My camera!"
Another man in a black jacket heard the commotion, turned around, and saw what was happening. His expression changed drastically. He reacted quickly, grabbing his camera and rushing towards the door.
"Don't run!"
Rie threw the stolen camera on the ground (of course, she skillfully pried open the back cover first and pulled out the film), and then chased after him without saying a word.
The man in the black jacket ran very fast, rushing straight into the emergency exit and running down as fast as he could.
Rie followed closely behind.
During the run, she made a surprising discovery.
In the past, running up these stairs would have left her breathless and with aching thighs. But today, her body felt incredibly light.
That abundant energy pumped continuously from my heart, flowing to every part of my body. Every step I took was full of power, and my breathing was as steady as if I were taking a walk.
This is the effect of the [Ring of Life].
The "warm current" that she had dismissed as an illusion was actually transforming her physique.
"stop!"
She caught up with the man in the black jacket at the corner of the stairs.
Hearing the approaching footsteps behind him, the man panicked, slipped, and tumbled down the stairs, landing on the first-floor platform.
"ah!!"
He let out a scream, and the camera in his hand flew out and slid to the corner of the wall.
Rie jumped down the steps in two steps, giving him no chance to get up, and stepped directly on the camera.
She bent down, picked up the camera, and skillfully opened the back cover.
"Sizzle!"
She ripped all the film reels out. In front of the man, she crumpled the black film into a ball, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it several times with her heel.
"Go back and tell your boss."
She looked down at the disheveled man and sneered, "Trying to take pictures of him? You'll have to get past me first."
After finishing the film rolls, she didn't stop there.
She picked up the camera, then ran back upstairs and retrieved the other camera as well.
Two paparazzi then surrounded them, looking menacing as they tried to snatch back their food.
"Give us back the camera! It's company property!"
"You want it?"
Rie raised an eyebrow, picked up two cameras, turned around and ran into the women's restroom on the first floor next door.
"Come in and take it if you dare."
She threw the two heavy SLR cameras into the innermost cubicle and slammed the door shut.
The two paparazzi stood at the entrance of the women's restroom, sweating profusely with anxiety.
Those two cameras are worth hundreds of thousands of yen; if they're lost, they'll be devastated.
"Never mind! Let's go in and get it!"
One of them gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and rushed into the women's restroom. The other followed him in.
Just then.
A middle-aged woman passing by happened to walk into the women's restroom with her bag.
When she saw two large men trying to climb over the stall door, her terrified screams echoed down the corridor: "Perverts!! Someone's breaking into the women's restroom!! Help!!"
The screams immediately attracted nearby security guards, and the scene instantly descended into chaos.
Rie took advantage of the chaos to run out, stood outside the crowd, dusted off her hands, and tidied her somewhat disheveled skirt and hair.
She glanced at the two unfortunate men being held down by security guards, a triumphant smile playing on her lips, then turned and went back to the theater as if nothing had happened.
When I returned to my seat, the performance on stage was nearing its end.
Nanako's character, Laura, is blowing out the candles.
"You're back?"
Kitahara Shin turned his head and glanced at her. "You've been gone for quite a while."
"No."
-
Rie sat down nonchalantly, clutching her bag back to her chest. "There are too many people queuing for the women's restroom."
She snorted and silently said to herself:
I even helped you get rid of a big problem. You should thank me properly.
But she didn't say those words aloud. She simply raised her chin with a touch of arrogance and continued to pretend to watch the show.
The performance ended with thunderous applause.
The four walked out of the theater.
"That—Shin-kun."
Akina glanced at the spring beside her, then at Kitahara Shin, and suddenly said, "Ms. Sakai and I are planning to grab a coffee and chat later. We won't be going back with you."
Kitahara Shin paused for a moment.
He glanced at the spring and noticed that she smiled and nodded, showing no sign of rejection.
It seems these two "older sisters" have something to say to each other and are preparing for a peaceful "negotiation".
-
"OK."
Kitahara Shinya was a smart man and knew he shouldn't ask too many questions at this moment. "Then be careful. Call me if anything happens."
After seeing the other two off, only Rie Miyazawa remained.
"Let's go, I'll take you home."
Kitahara Shin led Rie towards the parking lot.
As soon as I reached the intersection, I saw several police cars parked there with flashing lights. A lot of passersby were gathered there, pointing and talking.
The police were escorting two dejected men into a car. The two men were still holding broken cameras and looked utterly hopeless.
Kitahara Shin paused in his steps.
"This is----"
He was a little confused; why did these two look somewhat familiar?
"It's nothing."
Rie quickly walked over, blocking his view, and pushed him towards the car: "It's just two perverts who got caught breaking into the women's restroom. Stop looking, let's go, I'm starving."
I got into the car.
Kitahara Shin started the car, but he didn't drive away immediately.
He turned his head and looked at the girl in the passenger seat.
"Speak."
He reached out and gently pinched Rie's cheek, the touch delicate and warm against his fingertips: "Were you the one who got those two arrested?"
Rie blushed slightly as he pinched her, and slapped his hand away, saying, "What are you doing? I don't understand what you're saying."
"Otherwise, why would you have come back looking so disheveled?"
Kitahara Shin smiled. "You did a pretty good job. I never knew our young lady had the potential to be a secret agent."
Rie's blush deepened.
She turned to look out the window at the departing police car and muttered softly, "I just—didn't want them to ruin the atmosphere today. It's so rare for everyone to be together—if we make the headlines tomorrow, Akina-nee and Izumi-nee will definitely be very upset."
"and----"
She paused, then lowered her voice even further: "I'm your artist. If the boss falls from grace, I won't have anything to eat either."
Hearing this excuse full of arrogance and awkwardness, Kitahara Shin's eyes softened.
He looked at this little girl who used to hide in a corner and be suffocated by her mother's control, and now she had learned to protect the people around her in her own way.
The speed of that growth made him both gratified and a little heartbroken.
"You're getting cuter and cuter."
Kitahara Shin said softly, "Or is this just your true nature?"
That pure girl who dared to love and hate, had a bit of a temper, but was incredibly loyal.
Rie seemed to understand the meaning behind his words when she heard them.
She turned her head, looked at Kitahara Shin, and deliberately raised an eyebrow provocatively: "How about it? Are you regretting saving me now? I'm not as obedient as you think, and I certainly don't know how to repay kindness."
Hearing her provocation, Kitahara Shin smiled.
"I never expected you to repay me in any way."
He started the car and gripped the steering wheel: "So, where do you want to go later? I'll take you out for a big meal."
Rie was taken aback: "Why am I being taken out for a big meal? Where are the two older sisters?"
"They all said they wanted to meet up to talk about something, but I don't know exactly what they'd talk about," Kitahara Shin shrugged.
Rie glanced at him, her eyes somewhat strange: "Are you really sure this is okay? Letting your wife and lover go out alone? This is the first time I've seen you handle a lover's relationship like this. Aren't you afraid they'll fight?"
Despite Rie's blunt words, Kitahara Shin was not angry.
He looked at the road ahead and said calmly, "This is based on the most basic respect for them and their right to make their own choices."
"While I admit I'm not a great man, I won't deprive anyone of their right to make friends or solve problems. That includes yours."
He turned his head and looked deeply at Rie: "Whatever you want to do, whatever kind of person you want to become, I will support you. Instead of locking you in a cage."
The carriage was quiet for a few seconds.
Rie Miyazawa silently turned her head to look at the street scene rushing past the window.
She recalled her "arrogance" in front of those two paparazzi, and Kitahara Shin's earlier words, "I support you."
0
"—Glib-tongued."
She looked at her slightly flushed face reflected in the windowpane and chuckled softly.
Aoyama is an Italian restaurant with excellent privacy.
The restaurant was dimly lit, with only the flickering candlelight on each table. It was a favorite spot for many celebrities, not only because the food was delicious, but also because the owner was very tight-lipped.
-
Kitahara Shin cut the beef on his plate, looking relaxed.
Sitting opposite him, Rie Miyazawa seemed somewhat distracted. She poked at the seafood pasta with her fork, making a soft clinking sound.
"What's wrong? Doesn't it suit your taste?"
Kitahara Shin raised his head and glanced at her.
Rie put down her fork, picked up the soda water next to her, took a sip, hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking, "Speaking of which—aren't you really not scared at all?"
Kitahara Shin continued cutting the meat without stopping: "What are you afraid of?"
"You got photographed."
Rie leaned forward, lowering her voice, her tone carrying a hint of tension from the "spy battle" she had just experienced: "Even though I destroyed the film, what if? What if they have a spare camera, or what if someone else took the picture? 'The White Tower' is still airing, and if this kind of scandal breaks out—it will definitely affect your reputation and the drama's ratings, right?"
Having been in this industry for so long, she is well aware of the destructive power of public opinion. Audiences can tolerate actors being bad on screen, but they find it hard to tolerate actors being "chaotic" off-screen.
In particular, Kitahara Shin is now cultivating a persona of "professionalism, dedication, and zero scandals".
Kitahara Shin put down his knife and fork, picked up a napkin, and wiped his mouth.
He smiled as he looked at Rie's worried (and even somewhat pleading) expression.
"Actually, it doesn't matter if I get photographed."
Rie was taken aback: "Huh?"
"Think about it, how many of us were there at the time?"
Kitahara Shin pointed to each person with his finger: "Me, Akina, Izumi, and you. The four of us."
He picked up his wine glass, swirled it gently, and the liquid left a faint red streak on the glass: "If it were just Akina and me, or Izumi and me, that would indeed be irrefutable proof, impossible to clear my name even if I jumped into the Yellow River." But when the four of us are together, it's just a "film crew dinner" or a "friends' gathering."
"When there are more than three people involved, gossip magazines have a hard time writing headlines like 'In a passionate relationship' or 'cheating.' Because those photos look too open and lack any sense of privacy."
"I could easily say it's because you've been under a lot of academic pressure lately, so I asked my two older sisters to help you with your studies. The PR department could write a perfect statement for that reason in just half an hour."
Kitahara Shin spoke casually, as if it were all part of his calculations.
"...
'
Rie stared at him, mouth agape.
My brain went blank for a few seconds.
A sense of absurdity welled up inside me.
so----
Just now, she was running around the theater like a madwoman, fighting tooth and nail with those two paparazzi, even stomping on the film reel, and almost got arrested as a pervert.
Was all of this unnecessary?
"so----"
Rie's voice trembled slightly as she pointed to herself, asking incredulously, "What I just did—was it all for nothing?"
"Would I have acted like an idiot and tried to grab the camera? It was completely unnecessary. Even if they had taken the picture, you wouldn't have cared at all?"
That feeling was awful.
It's like a hero who thinks he's saved the world, only to find out in the end that the "big devil" is actually just a dud whose fuse has been removed long ago.
Not only did she fail to help, she also appeared to be a self-indulgent, clown.
Seeing Rie's face instantly collapse, Kitahara Shin abandoned his rational analytical stance.
He put down his wine glass, looked into her eyes, and his tone became serious.
"That's not entirely true."
"Although the results may be similar, the nature of the problems is different."
Rie: "What's the difference? You've already planned your escape route anyway."
"A way out is a way out, but your actions reflect your attitude."
Kitahara Shin leaned forward, shortening the distance between them: "Although the exposure of the photos may not be fatal, the feeling of being watched in the dark is disgusting. You helped me get rid of those two voyeurs, which makes me feel very relieved."
"Moreover, with those two paparazzi arrested, once the news spreads within the industry, other people who want to follow us will think twice. This will at least make our private lives much quieter from now on."
As he spoke, he raised his glass and gently touched the untouched juice in front of Rie.
"bite."
The crisp sound of glass clashing echoed in the quiet restaurant.
"Anyway, you protected our privacy. Well done, thank you, Rie."
Kitahara Shin looked at her with sincere eyes.
Rie looked at the outstretched wine glass, then at Kitahara Shin's face.
His gratitude was genuine.
She could sense it.
but----
Rie picked up the juice and took a sip. The sweet and sour liquid flowed down her throat, but it couldn't wash away the subtle bitterness in her heart.
If it's two people, it's a scandal.
If there are four people, it is a "clean" gathering.
"—A cunning adult."
Rie muttered something under her breath.
She put down her cup, picked up her fork again, scooped up a large ball of pasta, and stuffed it into her mouth.
"Eat quickly! After you finish, take me home! I have school tomorrow!"
Kitahara Shin smiled as he watched her turn her grief and anger into a hunger, and said nothing more.
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