Chapter 122: I Won't Help You Get an Autograph

Expecting a younger sister who has gone out of her way to call and complain about her older brother to show any restraint is simply impossible.

On the television, an episode of *The Kindaichi Case Files* was playing, while on the other end of the line, Ye Qing was busy rattling off various complaints and nitpicks about her brother. Slowly, however, these grievances began to intermingle with inquiries about Ye Zhao’s recent life.

Ye Zhao suddenly realized that he had been so busy lately that he hadn't called home in a long time, let alone met up with Ye Qing.

Of course, this neglect was also partly due to the fact that he had never quite found a true sense of belonging with his family in this life. Even so, it mostly came down to his own temperament.

He was the type of person who believed that as long as he didn’t call, it meant everything was fine. That was the case now, and it had been the same in his previous life. Even with people he hadn't seen in a long time, he rarely took the initiative to call unless there was something vital that required communication. Naturally, he didn't mind if others didn't reach out to him for long stretches, either.

In his previous life, this "unmoved as a mountain" personality—which some perceived as overly aloof—resulted in him having very few friends.

It seemed that his sister here was also having a hard time adjusting to this way of interacting.

Thinking of this, Ye Zhao smiled gently and, with a softened tone, began to chat idly with Ye Qing, answering her questions one by one. The effect of this soothing approach was obvious; the complaints on the other end of the line gradually faded, and the session of grievances transformed into a warm, familial heart-to-heart.

On the television screen, the plot had reached the point where Eiji Tono was trapped by Kindaichi’s scheme, and Kindaichi began to unravel the mystery behind the case.

"Tsuyoshi-san’s Kindaichi is really quite convincing."

"As a fan of the original work, aren't you dissatisfied?"

"I already saw it during the special drama. Although his appearance doesn't quite match Kindaichi-kun’s in some ways, his overall performance is pretty good. At the very least, when he calls himself Kindaichi, there isn't any sense of dissonance."

In reality, among all the actors who have played Kindaichi over the years, Tsuyoshi Domoto is widely recognized as the most classic version.

"Speaking of which, do you remember my friend Shizuka, Brother?" Ye Qing asked casually. Without waiting for a response, she continued on her own: "Shizuka is a super fan of KinKi Kids now. She spends her days hoping they’ll debut soon so she can contribute to their CD sales, and she even went to the Budokan to see their performance last year. If she finds out you’re co-starring in a drama with Domoto-san, she’ll definitely pester me with questions tomorrow."

"But let’s get this straight: I’m not doing any favors by asking for autographs," Ye Zhao said, preemptively setting a boundary.

"Why? Does my brother think that, as a popular singer, it’s embarrassing to ask another artist for an autograph?" Ye Qing teased.

"Does that even need to be said?" Ye Zhao raised an eyebrow. Besides, given the insane level of protection Johnny & Associates maintained over their intellectual property and image rights, if he actually asked for an autograph and Shizuka Shimazaki went around showing it off, it could lead to some unpleasant situations.

"Don't worry, if Shizuka asks, I’ll help turn her down. Even if my brother is a bit of a disappointment, as his sister, I’ll still do my best to look out for him."

"Now, now, Xiao Qing," Ye Zhao lectured, "any girl with a brother like me would be incredibly proud right now."

"So narcissistic!" Ye Qing scoffed.

*...I just played a brother in a "bone-mending" drama, how did I become a disappointment in your mouth?* Ye Zhao grumbled inwardly while watching the television. On screen, the characters stood by the shores of Tragedy Lake, watching the water—which had returned to silence after an explosion—slowly turn red. One character said in disbelief, "Look! The lake... it's stained red."

*Hmm... by modern standards, these special effects are only worth about fifty cents,* Ye Zhao thought silently, scrutinizing Tsuyoshi Domoto and mentally casting him in the role of Ryoya Maeda.

...

When it came to casting the role of Ryoya Maeda, Ye Zhao and director Yukihiko Tsutsumi had considered many people, only to reject them all in turn. Initially, they wanted to hire actor Ryu Nakamura, but his schedule didn't align. Later, they thought of the former child star Kenji Kohashi, but his features were too delicate—in other words, he had too much of a "host" vibe. No matter how they styled him, he just didn't have that "slacker" feel.

In the process of repeatedly nominating and replacing candidates, not just Tsutsumi, but even Ye Zhao felt as if there was no one else for the role but Tsuyoshi Domoto.

"How about we send an invitation to Tsuyoshi-kun?" Tsutsumi suggested again.

Ye Zhao scratched his head. "I suppose that’s the only way. It’s really hard to find someone who fits both the age and the aura. But whether he’ll accept is another matter."

"I’m quite optimistic about it," Tsutsumi said. "If this script is shot well, there’s a good chance it could win some awards. Even though Johnny & Associates is at its peak, many traditionally trained actors hold strong prejudices against idols. There have even been incidents on set where actors targeted idols. Although Tsuyoshi-kun is an idol, his acting is solid; he even won Best Newcomer at the Television Drama Academy Awards last year. Johnny’s is likely very eager for him to win a film award to prove his worth."

"In that case, let’s try contacting him... no, before talking to his manager, I want to let Tsuyoshi-kun read the script himself."

Ye Zhao paused. "Actually, I’m not worried about Johnny’s rejecting the film because it’s a low-budget production without big-name directors or actors—it’s unrealistic for an un-debuted Junior to be invited by a famous director to star in a major film anyway. The only potentially troublesome part is the training camp requirement. Tsuyoshi-kun’s schedule is packed; this requirement is a bit of a tall order for him. But the training requirement was sent out along with the audition notice. If I give him a green light, the credibility of the production team will be severely damaged."

...

Actors can just act and enjoy life after filming; singers can just sing and enjoy life after releasing a record. But idols, because they have to do everything—singing, dancing, acting, variety shows, stage plays, voice acting, and commercials—are basically in constant motion. It was common for them to be so busy that they would show up to work while running a fever.

Moreover, as idols—as vendors of dreams—their fans were incredibly intense.

Male fans of female idols might get so angry at their idol appearing on screen with a male actor that they would curse the actor and even burn their CDs, leading to some truly pathetic behavior.

But what about the female fans of male idols? Once female fans go crazy, the male "otaku" fans are nothing by comparison... After all, once a woman's jealousy is ignited, it can destroy the world.

After Rie Tomosaka co-starred in a drama with Tsuyoshi Domoto, besides gaining fame and acting experience, she also gained a massive wave of haters. Not to mention that this production was filled with actresses of the same age—if one weren't careful, every one of them could become a "hypothetical romantic rival."