"Mr. Dubian, do you want to die here?" Kiyono Lin pointed at the zebra crossing ahead.
"... I already said, it’s the male lead that dies! Not me! And if someone dies on the zebra crossing at the intersection, will the fireworks festival really go ahead as planned?"
"Yeah, you make sense. Then we’ll have to find a secluded place for your demise."
"I already told you, it’s not me," Dubian Che said weakly.
He decided that once the movie came out, he would make sure Kiyono Lin personally recorded a line: "An actor is an actor and is not associated with any real person; the same names are purely coincidental."
Not long after walking under the sun, they saw the blue sign indicating "Meiji Shrine Outer Garden."
As they entered, they immediately saw a sign listing the fireworks festival’s time tonight, sponsors, and tourist spots.
The place was already very crowded, even police officers were directing traffic, even though the fireworks festival was still a long way off.
Family groups and couples were taking photos under Shengong Ginkgo Avenue, buying food from freshly set-up stalls.
The summer ginkgo trees were lush green, tall, and sturdy on both sides of the road.
The dense ginkgo leaves prevented the sunlight from piercing through the canopy, only specks of light scattered on the ground.
"It’s too crowded," Kiyono Lin frowned slightly, as the dappled sunlight greedily kissed her perfect profile.
Staring directly at this scene was of no help in becoming a devoted person; Dubian Che moved his gaze away from her face and replied nonchalantly, "That’s to be expected; after all, it’s the last fireworks festival of the summer."
"Let’s keep looking and see if we can find a less crowded path. It’s okay if we can’t see the fireworks; we just have to make sure your demise goes unnoticed."
"... Exactly what kind of person is Dubian Che, thinking irrationally about running off to a deserted path."
Listening to Dubian Che seemingly talk to himself but actually critiquing her, Kiyono Lin couldn’t help but crack a smile.
She chuckled, "Although I’ve never been in love, I know that couples during their honeymoon phase desperately try to avoid crowds and intentionally go to secluded places, right?"
Dubian Che looked at her in surprise.
"What’s wrong?" Kiyono Lin returned his look with a puzzled expression.
"You’re suggesting we go to a less crowded path; could it be you’re trying to create an atmosphere of passionate love? I admit, when I’m alone with you, I sometimes have unhealthy thoughts, but as a professional actor, I have enough discipline not to get involved during shooting..."
Kiyono Lin, holding her SLR camera, turned and walked towards a less crowded area.
"Hey, don’t go, I wasn’t finished. Wait for me, I’m not familiar with this place... no, I mean, I said I would protect you, Kiyono! Minister!"
After walking and stopping intermittently, they finally reached a narrow pedestrian lane covered in fallen leaves, devoid of any people.
Kiyono Lin looked around, nodding in satisfaction.
"This way, Mr. Dubian." She beckoned gently.
"I’ve told you, stay by my side, protecting beautiful girls is the sacred duty of ’Card Face to Fight’," Dubian Che joked about a ’knightly kick’ from Card Face to Fight as he approached, shouldering his equipment.
"I’ll be careful," Kiyono Lin nodded, "Set things up quickly; I want to try different shooting angles. Oh, do you have a photo of Jiutiao Meijie?"
"No. What do you need it for?"
"It’s useful. Ask her for one now, quickly."
"What a hassle." Dubian Che set up the tripod and boom mic, then messaged Jiutiao Meijie on his phone.
"Send me a picture of yourself."
"Did you get it?" Kiyono Lin adjusted the settings on her SLR.
"Not yet." Just after he spoke, his phone pinged, and a photo popped up on the screen.
... Silence fell on the deserted path.
It should be legs propped up on a luxury office desk, sitting in a high-back chair, one black stocking pulled off, toes usually hidden in stockings now neatly and prettily manicured peeping out.
Those legs, impossible to look away from, seemed almost like they could slide out from under a skirt that seemed about to slip.
But the skirt would never actually fall off because this was a photo, and even if there were any continuation, you couldn’t see it from a photo.
Dubian Che slowly looked toward Kiyono Lin; she was pinching her attractive nose bridge, her expression with closed eyes seemed somewhat painful.
While Kiyono Lin wasn’t paying attention, Dubian Che, with the reactions of a "Grandmaster Level Free Fighter" and the hand speed of a "Grandmaster Level Oboist," clicked [Save], [Delete Record], and then sent a voice message to Jiutiao Meijie.
"What are you doing in broad daylight? I didn’t want this kind of photo! Just normal everyday photos!"
Kiyono Lin heaved a long sigh, slowly opened her beautiful eyelids, and murmured to herself as if she’d seen the ugliest side of humanity, "It’s unbelievable."
Saying this, she lightly shook her head, seemingly deleting the memory of the recent ’leg photo.’
"Hmm," Dubian Che coughed lightly, "As a ’Leg Researcher,’ isn’t it reasonable for my girlfriend to sometimes provide me with experimental material to support my career?"
Kiyono Lin held down her skirt and slightly turned away, looking at him warily.
Even Dubian Che felt a bit embarrassed.
At this rate, he was about to become a pervert in Kiyono Lin’s eyes.
Just as he was racking his brain filled with thoughts of legs to salvage his image, Jiutiao Meijie sent a normal everyday photo, accompanying it with a message, "You’re quite demanding, aren’t you satisfied even with pictures of legs and socks?"
Dubian Che quickly deleted the message.
Did they also think he was a pervert?
This interruption made him too lazy to save his image; after all, time would show the true nature of a person, and Kiyono Lin would eventually realize that he was indeed an upright person.
"The photos have arrived, what now, Director?"
"You stand here, look at the photo with your deepest affectionate expression, subtly hinting at a touch of longing," Kiyono Lin released her skirt, pointing to a spot in the shade where sunlight was freely falling.
"Looking at your current girlfriend’s photo, but actually thinking of your childhood sweetheart?" Dubian Che’s gaze briefly swept over Kiyono Lin’s slightly swaying skirt, quickly looked at her legs, and asked with focused concentration as if discussing a script.
"It seems you still retain your last shred of sanity," Kiyono Lin nodded in approval.
"What do you think I am?"
"Wait, setting aside that it’s for research, she sent it to me unsolicited, is it perverted to look at my girlfriend’s legs? That doesn’t make sense, right?"
"Where were you looking just now?" Initially pleasant, Kiyono Lin suddenly said with a cold laugh.
"...You noticed, huh."
"Did they look good?"
Dubian Che had never faced such a difficult multiple-choice question.
But since he knew Kiyono Lin could see through lies, there wasn’t much to agonize over.
"They looked good." He nodded sincerely, his intentions were pure, not sleazy at all.
"Heh," Kiyono Lin scoffed coldly, "From now on, you must absolutely follow my directions. If I’m not satisfied, the traffic directing policeman we passed on the way here will take you away."
"You’re actually using your body to seduce me? That’s really low," Dubian Che could hardly count how many times he had been at Kiyono Lin’s mercy.
With the mindset of an actress caught in a scandalous photo, under the evil director Kiyono Lin’s guidance, Dubian Che began shooting the first scene of the film that would be shown at the Cultural Festival.
Following instructions, he let the sunlight purposely hit his side face.
He looked down at the photo in his hands, an everyday photo of Jiutiao Meijie.
"Expression," Kiyono Lin prompted.
Dubian Che brewed for a moment, reminiscing about his old home in Iwate Prefecture, remembering his parents braving the fierce winds to harvest the crops so they wouldn’t be blown away.
His eyes slightly wet with nostalgia.
He magnified the photo, staring blankly at the young girl whose face was the only thing showing.
Then suddenly, he zoomed out on the photo, pocketed his phone.
He casually inserted his hands into his pockets, closed his eyes, and tilted up his head, still touched by the sunbeam stroking his face that was thinking of someone.
Kiyono Lin captured this scene with her camera.
At Meiji Shrine Outer Garden, amongst the distant noise and bustle, stood the beautiful young man in a white shirt and trainers, expressionless, his hair slightly messy from the wind.