There was an hour lunch break until the second part would commence, so everyone could go out and eat.
Seeing such a rare opportunity to spend more time together, Asakura hastened to take advantage of it.
"You'll have an hour before the performance begins. Would you like to have lunch together with me?"
"Eh? I…"
Sato looked startled by this unexpected invitation. But he didn't appear to mind the idea. Rather, he was flustered and shy.
Just as he was about to reply, someone came running towards them, calling out loudly.
"Sato! Sato, I'm here!"
"Kyosuke? What are you doing here? Weren't you filming today?" Sato asked.
At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder if there was something special about that day. He kept receiving one shock after another.
"I finished all my scenes. The next one is during the evening, so I have a few hours to spend with you."
Kyosuke appeared to be very pleased with himself. Puffing out his chest, he continued to speak without paying any attention to the person standing next to Sato.
"I thought you might feel lonely and scared all by your lonesome, so I hurried over here. Let's go grab lunch if you…"
Just then, Asakura coughed lightly.
The sound successfully attracted Kyosuke's attention, and the young man eventually noticed the presence of someone else beside them.
That person was staring fixedly at him, his gaze so intense that it almost made him want to take a step backward.
A second later, the dazed Kyosuke finally recognized Asakura and he let out a cry of surprise.
"Asakura-san! What a surprise to see you here!"
"Not really." Asakura smiled and replied patiently. "My company is one of the main investors for the movie Sato-kun is auditioning for. Therefore, it's only normal to see me here at this time."
"Are you serious? So, the movie Sato will be appearing in is going to be one you invested in?"
"Kyosuke, stop saying such things." Sato interrupted him. "It's not settled whether I will get the part yet. I haven't even finished the audition."
Kyosuke clicked his tongue and waved a hand at him.
"That… I am not worried about that at all. There is no way you won't get the part. As long as you pour your heart into it, just like you always do, there is no way you'll lose."
"Is that so?" Asakura mused quietly, glancing at Sato's face.
He had to admit that he was very interested to see just how well Sato acted. Despite searching high and low, he couldn't find anything that could satisfy his curiosity. Only a reality show Sato appeared in just a little more than a year and a half ago, and a few pictures that were published in a magazine. That's all he managed to find. But those weren't enough to give him a feel of Sato's true acting skills.
Perhaps he didn't search thoroughly enough, or he might have found a few movies and one TV drama.
But, maybe in the end it was better to be surprised.
"Since we are all gathered here, why not have lunch together?" Asakura finally spoke. "There is a nice restaurant a few minutes away from here. Do you like Chinese food, Sato-kun?"
"Eh? Ah, yes. If Asakura-san recommends the place, it must be good." Sato replied politely.
"Hey, how come you didn't ask me as well whether I like it or not?" Kyosuke chided with a frown.
"That's because you look like a person who can eat almost anything." Asakura retorted with a straight face.
Hearing this, Sato unexpectedly burst out laughing.
The sound attracted Asakura's attention and he stared at the young man with an unfaltering gaze. It was the first time he saw that person make such a face.
The corners of his eyes were wrinkled and his mouth was curved upward in a beautiful arc. His glowing complexion mesmerized Asakura for the second time that day, but this time the effect was even stronger than before.
Caught by surprise, Asakura felt a sudden urge to touch that smiling face. His fingers itched to stretch out and feel the softness of that beautiful pale skin.
Luckily, though, he held himself back just in time. Still, his heart rate increased slightly, and his mind was boiling with conflicting thoughts.
'This person is really dangerous.' Asakura finally concluded.
Yet, he completely ignored one fact. That the most dangerous person was likely to be him, and not the innocent Sato.
But, in reality, there was no way to be certain about who was more dangerous than whom.
Was it the innocent, soft looking Imamura Sato? Or the overconfident and intrigued Asakura Ryuu?
~~~
In the end, it was just as Kyosuke predicted. Sato really won the tryouts and received the part for the main lead.
Reading more about the main character, Sato felt confident about the task. Solely based on the man's personality he was sure about pouring his heart and soul into acting that character.
Oinuma Zetsu was a young man, who started off as being loved and respected by his peers. But due to an unfortunate event, he ended up having to leave his home and travel around the world.
As an expert martial artist, he wielded a dangerous sword and used powerful techniques to subdue his enemies.
However, at the same time, he was also a kindhearted person, who didn't abuse his strength and always helped those in peril.
This person was also very attractive. He was described as having the beauty of an immortal and the air of a celestial being.
Everyone in the crew unanimously agreed that the role fitted Sato like a glove.
A few days after the audition concluded, Sato came to visit Asakura Ryuu at the office.
The man had been in a meeting with Director Mayama and Producer Fukuoka since the early hours of the morning. When Sato arrived, they were just about to take a break.
Being a Managing Director entitled Asakura to own an office with a private terrace. That way he could always go for a breath of fresh air whenever he was tired.
Seeing how the meeting was going to drag on for a while longer, Asakura excused himself and went out for a smoke.
Meanwhile, the other two men remained inside the office, talking about their upcoming project.