Chapter 29 Yoko Okino: I Thought We Were on a Date

Ever since she learned the amount of her performance fee, Yoko Okino had been feeling restless. Even after the news began reporting on "Ring" and her upcoming role as the lead actress, she still hadn't fully processed it. Finally, her fee of one hundred million yen was made public, and the payment, minus taxes, arrived in her bank account.

Yoko’s eyes cleared. "It’s actually that much money? Why am I being paid so much?" As a rookie actress, leaping instantly to become the highest-paid actor in Japan was simply unbelievable.

"Yoko!" Hearing a knock at the door, she snapped out of her daze. She opened the door to find her manager and asked, "What is it?"

Yamagishi said, panting, "Masakazu-sama is waiting for you outside. He wants to take you out."

Yoko’s heart skipped a beat. She whispered, "Is that little girl with him?"

"No, he’s all by himself."

"I understand." Yoko nodded. There is no such thing as a free lunch; she understood that much. She took a deep breath and said, "Wait for me to finish my makeup, and I'll be down."

"Good, don't keep Masakazu-sama waiting." Yamagishi nodded.

A long time later, Masakazu was finally waiting downstairs. He greeted her, and Yoko gave a sweet smile, trotting over with small steps.

"Get in the car."

"Okay."

Once inside, Yoko took off her mask while sitting in the passenger seat. She looked out the window uneasily; every time the car passed a hotel, her heart beat a little faster.

"Where are we going?" Yoko asked.

"To get something to eat, then do some shopping."

Yoko nodded. Eating and shopping—it sounded like a date, though she wondered where the day would end.

Masakazu pulled the car up to a secluded little restaurant. After getting out, Yoko stared at the place, taken aback. It was so shabby; it didn't look like a place someone of Masakazu's stature would dine.

Masakazu held the door open for her and smiled slightly. "Could you treat me to a meal?"

"Of course," Yoko said, blushing. It really felt like a date.

The moment she picked up the menu, Yoko’s hand trembled. On the menu, even a single boiled egg cost hundreds of thousands of yen—this was practically highway robbery! But after glancing at Masakazu, who was calmly drinking tea, Yoko gritted her teeth and spent nearly ten million yen on the meal. She had just received such a large fee; she could afford this much.

After the food arrived, Yoko took a few bites, but it tasted quite ordinary, hardly worth the price on the menu. Masakazu only ate a few bites himself. He barely spoke to her, leaving Yoko suspicious. Was this really a date?

"Let's go. I'll take you to buy a few things."

"Okay," Yoko said with a smile.

Yoko followed Masakazu into a store and felt as if she had truly entered high society. The trash cans here cost millions of yen, and a single water glass cost millions. She even saw a toilet plunger that was priced at ten million yen. Are the wealthy really so indifferent to money?

When Masakazu helped her pick out gifts, Yoko felt embarrassed. She didn't think she would ever need anything so expensive.

"Alright, go pay." Masakazu handed the items he had selected to Yoko.

Holding the items, Yoko asked blankly, "Pay? Me?"

"It's not like I'm buying them for myself," Masakazu said, looking at her strangely.

Yoko swallowed hard and went to pay, dazed. The balance in her bank account dropped by more than half. It felt like she had already spent most of her movie salary. Now, she realized something might be wrong. Masakazu definitely didn't bring her out for a date, because a date wouldn't involve making the girl pay for everything.

Yoko looked at the items in her hand. They weren't designer brands, had no artistic value, and weren't made of precious materials. Heaven knows why they were so expensive.

Masakazu took her to a few more places. As dusk approached, he asked, "Did you remember all these locations?"

"I did," Yoko whispered.

"In the future, once you’ve landed endorsements or received your film paychecks, remember to come here and spend more often," Masakazu said.

"Understood." Yoko nodded.

Masakazu glanced at his watch and tossed the car keys to Yoko. "This car is yours. I’m going to pick up Ai from school; you can head home on your own."

"Okay." Yoko nodded. Watching him walk further and further away, she felt a sense of relief, followed by a flicker of regret.

She stared at his retreating figure and muttered to herself, "I thought we were on a date."

...

At Teitan Elementary School, Masakazu waited for Ai at the school gate. He stood under a large tree and saw Ai walking out, flanked by two girls. Her expression remained as haughty as ever. One girl with a headband teased Ai a little, and Ai muttered something in response. Then, seemingly noticing something, she broke away from the other girls and walked toward Masakazu with feigned reluctance.

"I'm here to pick you up." Masakazu picked her up.

Ai struggled, her face turning red. "I'm not a child anymore! Why are you just picking me up like that? And my classmates are all around—don't I have any dignity?"

"You smell strange," Ai said, covering her nose in disgust.

"Maybe it's someone else's perfume."

"Do you always come to pick people up on foot?" Ai asked again.

"I gave the car I came in to someone else, so I had to walk to get you," Masakazu replied.

Although he didn't have a car, he did have a driver. Masakazu took out his phone and called his driver: "Hello? Officer Sato? A private citizen named Masakazu Sumitomo is in a bit of trouble. Could you come to Teitan Elementary to pick me up?"

Hearing this, Ai rolled her eyes. He really thinks the Metropolitan Police Department is his own private service, using a cop as a chauffeur.

"Okay, I'm heading there now."

"Hm?" Ai's eyes widened. So the police department really was his personal service!

"I have a murder case that involves you, so I'm coming to pick you up right now," Sato said in a hurried tone.

Ai breathed a sigh of relief. The police department wasn't his company; it turned out he had just gone and killed someone again.

"Alright, I understand. Hurry up," Masakazu said.

After hanging up, he patted Ai’s head. "Let's wait in the shop next door for a bit. The driver will be here soon."

"Okay," Ai nodded.

It wasn't a driver coming to take him home; it was the police coming to arrest him, the criminal.