Tokyo Rebirth: Start From Picking Up Sayu

Early the next morning.

Yinglili walked out of the villa wearing a warm autumn suit, and the first thing she saw was the black BMW 5 series parked at the door.

A tall man wearing a black suit and a top hat was leaning against the car, smoking leisurely and facing the vast forest scenery in front of him.

Her steps hesitated slightly, then she walked up.

"Hello, is this the car we booked to go to Tokyo?"

The man paused with his hand, stubbed out the cigarette in the portable ashtray, and then turned around.

"Well, let's just say it's what you said. Are you all ready?"

The man said in a slightly low and flirty tone. The top hat was pushed down so that the face could not be seen clearly, only the slightly neutral jawline could be seen.

Yinglili frowned unconsciously, but she still patiently explained: "...Well, my companion is picking up his luggage and will be out soon."

Just as he was talking, there was a "crack" sound from the door behind him.

"——Sorry for keeping you waiting."

Kato Yusuke came over with the suitcase in hand, raised his hand and patted the butt of the car, speaking in a very natural tone, "Akane, open the trunk."

"ok."

With the "click" sound of the lock, the trunk opened.

"Eh? Akane——??"

Yinglili couldn't help but raise a long note, and then heard a chuckle.

"Huh~? Look at it like this. Didn't he tell you about it? Teacher Eri Kashiwagi."

"The man" said, raising the brim of his hat to reveal his true appearance.

What appears below is a face that is by no means unfamiliar in the fandom industry.

"--It's you!"

Eiri was shocked, "Wait a minute, why is the famous Akane Benisaka here!?"

"About this~" Akane Kurisaka raised the corners of her lips intriguingly, "You might as well ask that bastard next to you~?"

So Yinglili immediately changed her focus.

"Yusuke! What's going on...!?"

"Well?"

Kato Yusuke pressed the automatic switch on the trunk and explained:

"Didn't I tell you yesterday that we made an appointment for a ride back to Tokyo? Akane said she was free and could drive us back to Tokyo."

"ha?"

The girl showed an indescribable expression, her eyes flicked back and forth between them, and finally she hugged his arm.

"Eiriri?"

"...You should have told me about that kind of thing earlier."

Eirili cooed, staring warily at Akane Benisaka in front of her, but she only received a half-smiling look from him.

"Well……?"

Kato Yusuke observed the atmosphere and suggested: "Anyway, let's get in the car first. If we have anything to say, it's not too late to talk about it on the way."

No one refuted.

Akane Hongsaka shrugged, opened the door and got into the driver's seat.

Kato Yusuke stretched out his hand to open the door of the back seat, let Erili sit in first, and then followed him in the car.

Then, the car slowly drove forward.

…

On the way, Kato Yusuke briefly explained the situation.

He originally planned to rent a car back to Tokyo, so he asked Akane Benisaka if there was a recommended car rental company.

As a result, after understanding the situation on their side, the other party offered to take care of the pick-up and drop-off, and expressed that he wanted to appreciate Ying Lili's new works.

The two parties thus reached an agreement, and then the current situation emerged.

As for why Kato Yusuke didn’t inform the girl of the incident at the first time, he himself also whispered a word in the girl’s ear——

"That's because you didn't seem to be in the mood to listen to this at the time, and I won't be in the mood to talk to you about this later..."

Yinglili instantly understood what he meant by being uninterested, and she blushed and lowered her head.

All she could say was that what happened yesterday was so ridiculous that even now when she thinks about it, her cheeks feel hot...

Even though she has a wealth of theoretical knowledge due to her creative experience, when it comes to practice, the sense of reality is completely beyond the imagination. The difference can only be described in terms of heaven and earth!

She shook her head to get rid of unnecessary distracting thoughts, calmed down and asked: "But, why does Akane Benisaka want to see my original painting?"

Kato Yusuke joked with a smile.

"That's because Akane is the type of person who is eager for excellent original animators. Once she finds someone with potential, she will rush after her like a wolf. You can understand her as a collector in the game."

"Eh... does this mean...?"

Yinglili hesitated to speak and cast her eyes towards the front row with some uncertainty.

"Ah, it's just what you thought."

Kato Yusuke nodded with a smile, put his hand on her head, and confirmed her guess, "Akane, you think your new work is great?"

"——!"

Yinglili's eyes widened in surprise, a trace of ecstasy flashed in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth could not help but raise slightly.

But immediately, she stopped smiling, pulled the corners of her mouth downwards, coughed pretending to be calm, and cleared her throat.

"...Oh, so that's what it is, let me tell you."

She spoke seriously, not letting her emotions leak out, but her expression could not hide her excitement.

You know, that's Akane Kurisaka——!

While she was still playfully drawing graffiti, the other person was already a famous figure.

Although the creators who were taken under his wing seemed to end badly, it is undoubtedly an honor for any creator to be recognized by Akane Kurisaka himself!

Kato Yusuke tilted his face, watching her covert reaction in amusement, but said nothing.

Akane Kurisaka did not deny this statement. He glanced at her in the rearview mirror and continued speaking.

"Well, those seven original paintings are indeed not bad, and the brushwork is completely different from the past Eri Kashiwagi.

Obviously you could imitate your previous painting style in just a few clicks, but now it takes a lot of effort.

With this aura, you can be considered an excellent piece of jade, and it is normal to feel proud. "

"Huh……"

"Then, although you probably won't agree, I still ask. Teacher Eri Kashiwagi, are you interested in coming to my place?"

"Aha?"

Ying Lili was stunned for a moment, and then refused: "How could I be interested! I already have my own club, how could I possibly accept such an inexplicable invitation!"

"Is it true? In that case, just pretend that I didn't say it." Akane Hongsaka said disapprovingly.

"Well……?"

Eirili struggled for a while and couldn't help but ask: "Um... are you really like Yusuke said, have a collecting habit for the original animator you like?"

"Collection addiction? Well, if you insist on interpreting it that way, it's not impossible, but it's not just for the original painter, it must be extended to the creators."

"Eh?"

"As a person, what I hate most are authors who don't write, artists who don't draw, and producers who don't work. Since you can still move, do it for me!"

Akane Benisaka narrowed her eyes and her tone suddenly turned nasty.

"Guys like that who are clearly talented but have been idle and thinking about resting on their laurels, might as well all die!"

"Varied--"

The car was driving on the highway, and the scenery on both sides was quickly retreating.

"For those guys, I will never let them have an easy time. I will move closer to their style, then make better works, use all means to make them lose their existence value, and finally let those guys finish playing!"

"..."

Yinglili was speechless.

The strong aura suppressed all voices, leaving people speechless.

Akane Kurisaka paused for a moment, then continued: "By the way, the bastard next to you was in this situation before~"

"Hey, Yusuke, he——??"

Eiri turned her head and looked to her side, while Kato Yusuke shook his head slightly in depression.

"Let me tell you, Akane, Eri-ri's situation is different from yours. Don't export the value of talent first to her. Besides, our studio does not promote this kind of atmosphere."

"Oh? Although my idea is selfish, it is a strategy that can achieve the best development for the company? If you don't squeeze the potential of your people, they will only waste their talents in constant fishing."

"No, I think it depends on the situation. Employees are free to do whatever they want as long as they can do their jobs well. I don't think it's necessary to imprison others in the company's cage."

"Tsk, that's why I said you are an idealist. It's not surprising even if your ideas are treated as soft persimmons."

"On the other hand, it's because you always hold such extreme ideas that you make enemies everywhere in the industry."

"So what? I don't care."

Akane Benisaka sneered again and again.

"Creation is my life. If I can't produce good works, I would rather die. If one day my works cannot be sold, I will die on the street. I can't live without this industry anyway."

"Don't always talk about the words "die" and "die violently", you will live a very healthy life. "

Kato Yusuke first scolded, and then said calmly:

"In short, we each have our own concepts and ideas, so there is no need to argue. We have our own pace here, and we just need to go slowly."

Akane Hongsaka scoffed at this and ignored it.

Yinglili just watched them pulling back and forth, her eyes focused on someone, her eyes shining.

Unlike the aggressive Akane Kurisaka, Yusuke Kato always looks calm and collected. Even when faced with someone whose status far exceeds one's own, they can maintain their opinions and remain unaffected.

That kind of easy-going attitude made her a little admired, until she asked the next question——

"Um, Miss Benisaka, you just said that you only value talented people. Do you treat Yusuke the same way?"

"What if -?"

Akane Hongsaka said without hesitation: "If it weren't for this reason, do you think he could climb into my bed just because of his face?"

"——!?"

Ying Lili's eyes widened in astonishment, her eyes lost focus, and she didn't come back to her senses for a long time.

Kato Yusuke on the side was also stunned, unable to complain about that outrageous speech.

The two of them were petrified on the spot, as if they were transformed into sculptures.

Akane Kurisaka glanced at them through the rearview mirror, her pretty red lips curved into a wild arc, and then she stepped on the accelerator slightly.

Whoosh——

The car suddenly picked up speed and sped away on the verge of speeding.

…

There was a strange atmosphere in the air.

For a while, no one spoke in the car.

When passing the expressway service area, Yinglili said she wanted to go to the bathroom, so the car stopped in the parking lot.

Kato Yusuke felt a little regretful.

Even though he had long understood Akane Benisaka's self-centered character, he was still shocked by her no-holds-barred style.

As if reading his inner thoughts, the person involved turned his upper body from the driver's seat with a playful expression.

"What? Are you still thinking about what happened just now~~?"

"...Seriously, little aunt, can you restrain yourself a little in front of Yinglili?"

"Converge? How to converge?"

Akane Akane raised her eyebrows, her passionate brown-red hair tied high on the back of her head, giving her a sassy vibe.

Kato Yusuke pinched his eyebrows and said with a hint of melancholy: "...At least don't talk about such naked topics in front of Eiri."

"What~? You love her very much? Is Eri Kashiwagi your new favorite?"

"Are you jealous?"

"Stop talking, I don't have the time."

"There's no special reason, it's just that she has a thin skin and a simple personality, that's all."

"Simple?" Akane Kurisaka said with a smile, "Do you want me to give you an on-the-spot introduction to Eri Kashiwagi's job and her excellent works?"

Kato Yusuke frowned, "Those are two different things. Personality and works cannot be confused."

"Oh~~?"

Akane Hongsaka smiled meaningfully and raised her fingers at him, "Come here and let me see if your eyes are lying."

Kato Yusuke did not doubt that he was there and moved his upper body forward confidently and boldly.

Are you kidding me? He was not the kind of young boy who showed emotions and emotions, so how could he possibly see anything through his eyes.

Just as he was thinking this, a hand suddenly grabbed his collar and pulled hard——

"Well--?"

What followed was a deep kiss mixed with the faint smell of tobacco and coffee.

Akane Hongsaka put a hand on the back of his head, threaded her fingers into his hair, and kissed him fiercely as if she was sucking out moisture.

After a while, her lipstick was all around his mouth, looking wet and embarrassed.

She licked her lips and couldn't help but sneer.

"...The little bastard smells like a woman's rouge all over his body, and he looks more and more like a pretty boy."

She smiled and reached out her hand to roughly wipe off the lipstick for him.

Kato Yusuke subconsciously pulled up his shirt, smelled himself, and found that there was nothing else on it except the smell of laundry detergent.

"What? Are you guilty of being a thief~?" Hongsaka Akane asked with a cheerful smile.

"What's wrong with you?"

"What do you think?"

She gestured in the direction of the bathroom with her chin, her face full of teasing.

"I remember that Eri Kashiwagi was the childhood sweetheart of Yin Zhi's friend, right? But you still attacked her anyway? Doesn't this fit in with the creative theme when you first debuted in drawing books?"

Kato Yusuke clicked his tongue, "Don't you think it's too far-fetched to talk about something that happened so long ago?"

"Really? Let's talk about the recent one~"

Akane Hongsaka seems to have started talking.

"You just said that your little girlfriend is thin-skinned, but didn't she declare her sovereignty to me before getting in the car? Also, you seemed to have done something similar to Yin Zhi last time, right? Oh, you brats It’s just trouble.”

After all, it still comes back to the past.

Kato Yusuke felt a murmur in his heart. He didn't want to continue this topic and asked casually: "...Speaking of Yin Zhi, what is he doing recently?"

"I don't know. Since I handed over the management of the club to him, I have stopped asking about everything. But I heard two days ago that he used the club's resources to create a script. It seems that he did it with your traitor. ."

"Honestly, your taste in choosing disciples is really poor."

"Huh? Are you unhappy because someone took you away from the sea? Or are you angry because Yin Zhi didn't stop you?"

There was a bit of surprise and curiosity on Akane Hongsaka's face. This was the first time she had seen him express disparagement to a person directly.

Kato Yusuke shrugged and said:

"Don't get me wrong, I just doubt Hashima Yinzhi's vision. At least when it comes to going to sea, his performance is not worthy of your heir."

"Well...Actually, I have never figured out how he could make that kind of judgment. Yin Zhi may have his reasons."

Akane Hongsaka reluctantly found an explanation that wasn't an explanation, and was also puzzled by this matter.

Not to mention that Yusuke Kato is the person she likes, including Yunori Namishima himself, who has seen someone's painting skills with his own eyes, and should understand the meaning behind it, but in the end he made a choice that went against common sense. Really strange.

She thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure out the key, so she had to put the matter aside temporarily and prepare to discuss it later.

At this time, Kato Yusuke suddenly said -

"About Hashima Yinzhi and Aki, don't talk about it in front of Eirili later."

Akane Benisaka was slightly startled, looked at him thoughtfully, and curled her lips.

After a while, Yinglili also came back from the bathroom, her face a little better.

"Sorry for the long wait, we can go."

So they continued to set off.

…