Tokyo: My Best Actor Gear List

Chapter 65 Scandal Erupts and Reverse Actions

During the filming of Tokyo Love Story, a new explosion of public opinion erupted.

A newly printed copy of the weekly magazine "FRIDAY" was tossed onto the coffee table in the Daejeon office.

On the cover, a huge yellow title takes up almost a third of the page:

[Exclusive! A secret rendezvous at the dock late at night! Is Kanji Nagao and Rika Akana's "off-screen romance" exposed?]

The accompanying photo was taken at the pier that night.

Although the lighting was dim and the noise was high, Kitahara Shin's highly recognizable profile was clearly visible thanks to the faint light from the lighter.

The long-haired figure sitting on the hood, wearing a large trench coat, did indeed bear a resemblance to Honami Suzuki.

"These reporters are insane!"

The manager, Ota, was running around the office, grabbing his hair and shouting that he was going crazy, but his face betrayed an undisguised excitement. "The first print run was 800,000 copies! Sold out in just one morning! Now the whole of Japan is talking about whether you two are really going through the motions!"

Sitting opposite me on the sofa was the head of the publicity department at Fuji Television.

The man wearing gold-rimmed glasses pushed up his glasses, his face beaming: "Kitahara-kun, this is great news. 'Tokyo Love Story' is premiering next week, this is practically free publicity material. Producer Akira's idea is that we can go with the flow, maintain an ambiguous attitude of 'neither denying nor admitting,' and let the audience watch the first episode with this kind of curiosity."

This is a common practice in the entertainment industry; they create hype whenever they have nothing to do, even if there's no news.

Kitahara Shin held the magazine in his hand, his gaze fixed on the blurry figure in the distance.

Fortunately, apart from that silhouette, there were no other features that pointed to Izumi Sakai.

That girl who was enjoying her meal at the dock is probably hiding in a recording studio right now, trembling with fear as she looks at this magazine.

"no."

Kitahara Shin's voice was calm yet undeniable as he closed the magazine.

The PR manager's smile froze for a moment: "Kitahara-kun, this is all for the sake of ratings..."

"Using Suzuki-san for publicity is impolite."

Kitahara Shin threw the magazine back on the table. "Besides, if viewers turn on the TV just to see gossip, they are insulting the show and Sakamoto-sensei's script."

Of course, this is just a high-sounding excuse.

The real reason was that he absolutely could not let the newly debuted Izumi Sakai get involved in this vortex.

Although he can now admit to having an affair with another woman, if these reporters were to delve deeper and try to investigate the truth...

He believed that Izumi Sakai would soon be exposed.

ZARD's debut single hasn't been released yet. If it's discovered that she was "meeting" with a man at the dock late at night, Daiko Nagato will definitely go crazy, and her career will be overshadowed.

In other words, he died before he could even begin his mission.

"So what do you plan to do? The media are all camped out downstairs right now." Da Tian looked at him with some concern. "If you deny it outright, those reporters will swarm you like flies, determined to find out who that woman is."

"Then let's give them an answer they can't refuse, one that's even more interesting."

Kitahara Shin stood up, straightened his collar, and said, "Arrange the press conference. I'll talk to them myself."

……

A few hours later, at the impromptu press conference.

The flashes of light were as dense as a thunderstorm, and dozens of microphones seemed to be poking Kitahara Shin's face.

"Mr. Kitahara! Is the woman in the photo Ms. Honami Suzuki?"

Are you two dating?

"A man and a woman alone at an empty dock late at night—how do you explain this kind of relationship?"

The reporters' questions were increasingly pointed, and the air was thick with tension. If it were the old "thug Sawada," he would probably have flipped the table by now.

But Kitahara Shin simply stood quietly on the stage.

With a slight movement of consciousness, the icons in the system bar lit up.

[Equipment: The Love Diary of a Faded Idol (Activated)]

[Equipment: Midnight Diner's Abandoned Chef's Knife (Activated)]

[Special Effects Overlay: The Insensitivity of a Good Homebody]

To make your words more convincing, you'll need to use some equipment.

He didn't look like a celebrity caught red-handed; he looked more like an honest, unassuming older brother next door, feeling a little embarrassed by the crowd.

He raised his hand, scratched the back of his head somewhat awkwardly, and sighed into the microphone.

"Everyone, you overestimate my charm. Ms. Suzuki and I are just business partners, nothing more. Besides, no one else would easily fall for me."

The noise at the scene decreased somewhat.

"However, because of this news, it may have some negative impact on her. Here, I would like to apologize to Ms. Honami Suzuki."

Kitahara Shin gave a wry smile, his eyes sincere. "And then there's your question from earlier. I can tell you very clearly that if I were really going on a date with Suzuki-san, I would definitely take her to a French restaurant in Aoyama or a high-class ryotei in Akasaka, instead of driving to a cargo dock where the wind is blowing cold and letting her sit on the hood of the car and eat instant udon noodles."

"That would be too rude, Rika would scold me."

Kitahara Shin cleverly used this storytelling tone to divert everyone's attention.

At this moment, a soft laugh rang out from the audience, and the atmosphere eased slightly.

"But Mr. Kitahara," a bespectacled male reporter persisted, "even if it wasn't Ms. Suzuki, taking a woman to a place like that late at night—isn't that a date? Would ordinary friends do that? So who is that woman?"

"Sir."

Kitahara Shin shrugged. "Actually, my purpose is very simple. I just want to share delicious food."

"Sharing food? Your reason is a bit far-fetched. Why share food by the sea? No matter what, your explanation doesn't hold water."

"That makes sense, but let me guess, you don't cook much, do you?"

The reporter was taken aback, wondering why Kitahara Shin wanted to bring this up.

Kitahara Shin continued, "For cooking enthusiasts, if they really make something delicious, like a perfect soup base they've just made, the urge to share it with someone is absolutely strong."

"Soup base?" The reporter was stunned.

"The kelp and bonito flakes were simmered for three hours, and then served with large shrimp bought from Tsukiji Market."

Kitahara Shin explained in a serious tone, his face bearing an undeniable obsession with food, "Cooking this kind of thing in the apartment would smell too bad and the neighbors would complain, so I had to find a place where the smell could dissipate. But I can't exactly go camping in the mountains or do this kind of thing by the roadside, can I? As for that female friend..."

He shrugged. "She just happened to be hungry, and unfortunately, I dragged her along to be a food taster. Like I said before, if this were a date, I'd probably be considered the most unromantic man in all of Japan, wouldn't I?"

The entire room fell silent for a second.

The reporters looked at each other in bewilderment.

This explanation is... utter nonsense.

But there seems to be a certain logic within the absurdity?

Although I don't know why, when people look at his face, they feel that he is an honest person.

And that's precisely where the equipment comes into play.

He readily admitted it, using a logic bordering on "male chauvinism" to turn a romantic scandal into a farcical late-night snack tasting incident.

"So..." The male reporter pushed up his glasses, his aggressive tone largely dissipating, replaced by a hint of curiosity. "That noodle soup, is it really that delicious? Is it really worth sharing?"

"certainly."

Kitahara Shin gave the camera a warm and confident smile, an expression he only showed when discussing his proudest work:

"If you don't believe me, you can ask my agent. He slept on my sofa for three days just to get a free meal from me."

"If you don't believe me, you can come to my house, and I'll make you a sample to try."

That's not true at all, but that doesn't stop him from making things up.

He's an "honest man" like Kanji, how could he possibly lie?

Hearing him say that, the reporters seemed to be genuinely convinced.

Looking at his face and feeling the infectious power of his voice, you can't help but want to believe him.

The originally tense "scandal trial" has completely changed its nature.

the next day.

Public opinion has completely changed.

A gossip magazine that originally wanted to delve deeper into the "mystery girlfriend" suddenly discovered that readers didn't care who the person in the back was at all—since it wasn't Honami Suzuki, it didn't really matter.

In contrast, the adorable reason that he "went to the beach to avoid the smell of the soup that might bother his neighbors" is much more talked about.

FRIDAY: [Rumors or food? Kitahara Shin's "Dockside Udon" sparks heated discussion!]

"Josei Jishin": [Not just Kanji, but a culinary master? I want to marry him! A single male celebrity with Michelin-level dedication!]

"I want to eat the food made by Kitahara Shin" has even become the most popular greeting among young women in Tokyo.

Fuji Television was all smiles.

This "good family man" persona is practically a perfect prelude to the character of Kanji Nagao in "Tokyo Love Story".

This time, it was a lucky accident, but it hit the bullseye.

Even before the drama aired, a significant number of modern women had developed feelings for Kitahara Shin.

……

Rest area on set.

Honami Suzuki, holding a newspaper, walked up to Shin Kitahara, who was reading a script, with a smile.

"Seriously, Maruko."

She lightly tapped Kitahara Shin's shoulder with a newspaper, her tone slightly teasing, "So you're going to a French restaurant for our date? Looks like I'm not as high-status as that 'food taster'."

Kitahara Shin raised his head and helplessly shrugged:

"You need to book a table at the French restaurant a month in advance, but the sea breeze at the pier is free. If you want to eat there, I'll bring a stove to the set next time."

"Forget it, the director will kill me."

Honami Suzuki sat down in the chair next to him, her eyes showing a hint of closeness.

Previously, she felt more awe and fear towards Kitahara Shin, after all, she had seen his previous films such as Yakuza Blood and Violent Man.

But after this unexpected incident, she could sense Kitahara Shin's composure.

The explanation given in this incident can be said to have protected the non-celebrity friend, saved her face, and also provided the production team with a perfect opportunity for publicity.

"but……"

She leaned closer, lowered her voice, and asked with a curious glint in her eyes, "Was that broth really simmered for three hours?"

Kitahara Shin turned a page of the script, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

"That's just something used to fool reporters."

"Actually, it was only cooked for half an hour."