SCIAW: Chapter 138/139

Chapter 138: The Female Artist Who Refuses to Give Up

"Click!"

Just as Ren opened his door with his suitcase in hand, the door to the neighboring apartment swung open.

A familiar figure stepped out—his neighbor, the female artist—wearing panda-themed pajamas, complete with a hood.

"You're back," Yoko greeted him with a smile.

"Is this what a female artist usually looks like?"

"So what? Even celebrities need to relax sometimes!"

Yoko pouted in dissatisfaction before stretching her arms in an exaggerated manner, as if trying to show off some nonexistent muscles.

"See? This is the benefit of loose pajamas."

"Even if I move around or stretch at home, I won't feel uncomfortable. This set is super comfy!"

Then, she pulled up her panda hood, covering her head.

"If I wear this with a mask when I go out, almost no one recognizes me."

"I've been wearing these pajamas a lot lately."

Hearing this, Ren's expression turned a bit strange.

He could already picture the scene, her walking around in full animal pajamas.

It wasn't that people weren't approaching her because they didn't recognize her.

They probably just assumed she was a weirdo and stayed away.

Still, something else caught his attention, Yoko's neck.

"The bruises have healed quite a bit."

"Of course!"

Yoko placed her hands on her hips proudly.

Her recovery hadn't been in vain.

Aside from her training, she had also used external medicine. Otherwise, her neck wouldn't have healed so quickly.

"The agency isn't just there for show."

"Now that I'm so popular, they're planning to put me in an idol drama. They've been sending me all kinds of effective medicines lately."

"Very effective medicines?"

Ren frowned, setting his suitcase down as he stepped closer.

A strong medicinal scent immediately hit him.

"Take off your hood."

"Alright."

Even though he didn't get too close, he instinctively fanned his hand in front of his nose before furrowing his brows.

"The medicinal properties are too strong, almost excessive."

"This medicine speeds up bruise recovery, but it can also cause serious side effects."

"There are a lot of these kinds of treatments in this country, but they come with risks."

"Especially when applied to the neck."

"Huh?!"

Yoko's eyes widened in shock.

"Wait, does that mean…?"

"Because the medicine is so potent, it forces the bruises to disperse quickly."

"But it also increases the risk of throat-related issues."

"And if used too much… it can even lead to cancer."

"Cancer?!"

This time, Yoko really panicked.

She instinctively reached for her neck with both hands.

She had trusted the agency's recommendation without a second thought, never imagining it could be this dangerous.

"I… I'm not already affected, am I?"

"Not yet."

Ren chuckled and shook his head.

"These issues only happen with long-term use."

"Besides, applying it to your neck makes it even riskier."

"Next time, don't blindly use whatever your agency gives you."

"Y-yeah…!"

Yoko nodded frantically, her face still pale from the shock.

She couldn't believe the agency had recommended something this harmful.

"I never thought they'd give me something like this…"

Ren could understand why.

"You're a top star right now. Your agency needs you in peak condition."

"Besides, if I remember correctly, you're the only major celebrity under that company, right?"

"Well… Miss Yuko was also really popular a few years ago."

"Yuko?"

Ren thought for a moment but couldn't recall such a name.

"Ikezawa Yuko. She's only a little older than me. Lately, she's been stuck doing idol dramas."

Even after hearing the name, Ren shook his head slightly.

"I don't really follow idol drama actresses."

"But if she was so popular, why didn't she stay at the top?"

"That's… uh…"

Yoko looked a little troubled.

Ren immediately understood, it was the usual entertainment industry story.

"She got caught in a scandal with a director?"

Yoko hesitated before giving a slight nod.

"Plastic surgery rumors?"

She blinked in surprise, then nodded again.

"Tax evasion?"

This time, Yoko stared at him in shock.

"…How do you know that?!"

"…"

Ren let out a tired sigh.

"I know too well how this industry works."

Even though he wasn't interested in celebrity gossip, these types of scandals were everywhere.

Big-name stars, industry veterans, they all had their fair share of issues.

In an era where entertainment dominated everything, how could someone not hear about these things?

The entertainment industry had always been full of shadows.

Money, fame, power—everything was tangled together.

It was called a glamorous world, but in reality, it was a giant cesspool.

"Youth is the most important thing for female celebrities."

"Every year, new young stars flood into the industry. The problem isn't finding fresh faces, it's finding someone who can actually last."

"What's rare are actresses who are talented, beautiful, and can actually win over the audience."

"Those with real skills can survive on their own."

"But those without… well, their options are limited."

Ren didn't finish his sentence.

And he didn't need to.

Yoko understood exactly what he meant.

"Be careful next time."

"Your agency probably knows the long-term risks of that medicine."

"But you've been out for too long. They must be getting desperate to push you back into the spotlight."

"That's why they gave you something with fast-acting results, even if it came with serious side effects."

"…"

Yoko fell silent.

She understood but that didn't mean she had to accept it.

Looking at her conflicted expression, Ren sighed.

"So, are you still going to continue?"

"…"

After a moment of hesitation, Yoko lifted her head.

"Of course I am!"

"My dream is to become a top-tier actress, just like Fujimine Yukiko!"

"Even if there are setbacks, I refuse to give up!"

Ren had expected this answer.

"Then next time, don't drink anything suspicious at events."

"And don't blindly trust everything your agency gives you."

"If you run into trouble, I can help with some of it."

Chapter 139: Sister? Just Be a Younger Sister

Yoko knew deep down that her relationship with Ren was built on gratitude—he had saved her life.

But rather than her helping him, it was always Ren who ended up taking care of her.

"I wanted to help you, but I was the one being helped instead."

As an adult, she thought she could offer support to a younger boy.

Yet, when she saw how capable he was, she realized she was the one who needed help.

"You figured out my intentions from the start and still let me try?"

"Yeah."

Yoko originally just wanted to repay her debt of gratitude. Since this boy had saved her life, she thought she should do something for him in return.

But in the end, things turned out completely the opposite.

Ren didn't think it was necessary, he had already made it through the hardest part of his life, and now, things were improving for him.

Still, he didn't reject her kindness outright.

If he had wanted to, he would have distanced himself from her a long time ago.

Yoko suddenly raised her head.

"You knew from the start?"

Ren gave a small nod.

"Your intentions were too obvious."

"Every time you visited my place before, it was practically written all over your face, 'I'm your big sister.'"

Thinking back to their previous interactions, Ren could only shake his head helplessly.

"If we're talking about age, I guess it fits."

"But in terms of reliability, I feel more like I'm looking after a younger sister."

"Ugh…"

Yoko had to admit, she really wasn't acting like an older sister at all.

Still, she didn't know why, but she always felt strangely flustered around this quiet boy.

At first, he was bad at talking, but now he seemed to speak quite smoothly.

"Tell me the truth! Were you just pretending to be bad at talking?"

"I'm just not good at socializing."

"So, aside from when we first met, you were fine talking to me the whole time?"

"I just have trouble dealing with strangers. The more I get to know someone, the more I talk."

Ren had always struggled with socializing.

Since he didn't know how to start conversations and worried that his words wouldn't land well, he simply avoided initiating conversations altogether.

And because of that, getting along with girls was even harder for him.

That was the real reason he wasn't good at interacting with them.

If he was alone in a room, he might speak a little.

But if he was in front of a stranger, he could go a long time without saying a single word.

It couldn't be helped, social anxiety worked that way.

"Oh, so that's how it is."

Yoko finally understood.

Yeah, that made sense. Social anxiety really worked like that.

Just then, Ren paused and pointed at her apartment's open door.

"Even though this floor only has two apartments, isn't it a bit cold to be talking outside?"

As if on cue, a chilly wind blew through.

Yoko shivered slightly, feeling the cold at her toes.

"Yeah, this really isn't the best place for a chat."

"Go back inside first. I just finished making yam and pork rib soup, let's have it together for dinner."

Before Ren could refuse, Yoko had already turned and hurried back into her apartment.

He was left standing outside, shaking his head helplessly.

He didn't mind interacting as friends, but as for the "big sister" thing…

It was hard to see this impulsive and unreliable female celebrity as an older sister.

If she were an energetic younger sister, though, maybe that would make more sense.

He walked inside, carrying the suitcase he had left by the door.

There was no need to close it, only his next-door neighbor had access to this floor, so there wasn't much to worry about.

Inside, it was even colder than outside.

Maybe it was due to lingering traces of supernatural energy, or maybe it was just because no one had been home for the weekend, but the entire place felt eerily cold.

There was also a faint smell of dust.

Ren stretched out his hand, and a droplet of invisible water appeared on his palm.

"Secret."

In an instant, the dusty scent that had clung to the room disappeared completely.

"Hmm. This makes cleaning a lot easier."

The Secret of the River of Eternal Darkness was quite useful for dealing with unnecessary annoyances.

He just wasn't sure if the goddess would be upset that he was using it like this.

Shaking his head, he moved his suitcase to the rooftop and started tossing his clothes into the washing machine one by one.

After adding detergent and setting the wash cycle, he was done.

When he walked back inside, he found that the table in front of the kitchen had already been set with dishes and utensils.

A familiar female neighbor was already seated at the table, waiting for him.

"Come on, come on! Try my cooking!"

Ren sat down across from Yoko and picked up a bowl of soup.

The rich, savory aroma of pork ribs filled the air.

The soup had a creamy white color, indicating that it had been simmered for a long time.

"It's good."

"The broth must have been stewing for hours."

"That's right! I started making it this morning."

Yoko beamed, pleased that her cooking had been acknowledged.

"I didn't want to use a pressure cooker since it would turn the meat too soft and ruin the texture."

"So, I used a clay pot instead."

"It takes longer, but the soup turns out richer, and the ribs don't get dry or lose their flavor."

"Here, try one!"

"Alright."

Ren picked up a rib and took a bite.

The meat hadn't lost its original flavor, it was tender but still held together well, easily separating from the bone with a gentle bite.

The part near the bone was slightly firmer, adding a good texture.

"It's really well done."

"The seasoning is just right, there's no gamey taste, it's not overcooked, and the meat is easy to pull off the bone."

"You sure you're an idol and not a chef?"

The yam and pork rib soup was excellent, no doubt about it.

But was this really normal?

A celebrity who regularly starred in dramas, variety shows, and performed on stage, yet she could cook this well?

That was probably the highest compliment Yoko could receive.

"I told you before, didn't I?"

"I love cooking. It helps me relieve stress sometimes."

"And I've been on several cooking shows. To make sure everything went smoothly, the production team actually taught me how to cook properly."

"Since I was on that show for a long time, my skills naturally improved."