Feeling that gentle touch, Asakura's heart stirred ever so slightly. He was instantly impressed by the gentleness of this man. 

Despite looking so young and pure, Sato carried such deep scars. His past put a mark on him in a way that only experienced adults can end up being marked. This caused him to occasionally show such a sad expression. 

Yet, the calmness of Sato’s presence had the power to soothe other people’s hearts.

Filled with a strong sense of empathy, Asakura pulled Sato's hand away from his shoulder, grasping it tightly between his fingers. 

A moment later, he placed something in the young man’s palm.

"Sato-san, I hope you will be able to move forward and give yourself another chance. When you wish to give it a try, use this."

Sato blinked. His beautiful eyes showed mostly confusion. 

Glancing down at his hand, he saw a business card nestled in the middle of his palm. On it there were a few lines that made him gasp in surprise.

Asakura Ryuu

Managing Director

Nozomu Financial, partner group of KIKAI Entertainment.

During this time, Asakura continued to speak in a low voice.

"We will be holding an audition soon and I hope to see you there."

Asakura saw the hesitation written on Sato's face, and he instantly knew what the young man was troubled with. Afraid he would refuse him on the spot, Asakura quickly folded Sato's fingers, trapping the card inside his fist. Next, he looked into Sato's reluctant eyes, boring into them with a peculiar intensity. Through his fingertips he could feel the person in front of him trembling slightly.

"My company is directly involved in the production of the movie, but you can rest assured. I'm not one to pull strings or help people who don't have the talent. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be a good businessman.” He joked, hoping to pull a smile from Sato’s lips. “If you decide to take part in the audition, I will make sure you are treated fairly. You won't be given special treatment, but I will make sure you aren't hurt by injustice either."

"Why are you doing this?" Sato suddenly spoke in a low voice. 

His mind was extremely muddled. Only half of it processed Asakura’s words, while the other half was solely focused on the heat emanating from the man’s hand. 

"I'm just a stranger to you. We haven't even properly introduced each other, so why are you going to such lengths to help me?"

"Because I know how painful it is to lose chance after chance, to see your dream getting further and further away from you. I’m sure you don't want everything you've worked so hard for to slip through your fingers."

"What if it's already too late? Even in your case... it was still the same."

"Even so, in the end, I still went ahead and faced that person properly. I got rejected quite bluntly, yes. It was painful as hell, of course. But that upfront attitude was also what helped me to accept the situation. Only by facing your fears can you truly move on."

Sato remained silent, simply staring at Asakura's resolute expression with a mixture of fear and wonder. 

This man suddenly seemed so big in his eyes, his presence and aura were all of a sudden quite overbearing. The seriousness Asakura showed, and the firm manner in which he spoke, affected Sato's wavering disposition greatly.

Accurately guessing Sato’s small change of heart, Asakura congratulated himself for this achievement. Now that he had successfully attracted the young man's attention, Asakura let go of his hand. While taking a small step backwards, his lips curved into a smile and his eyes flashed with contentment.

"After you think about it properly, make sure to give me a call. At that time, we can talk more about the audition."

He then turned around and got ready to leave. But, barely a second later, he stopped and tilted his body sideways.

"Ah, and I believe offering someone their business card counts as a proper introduction. Therefore, from today onwards we are no longer strangers. Isn't that right, Sato-kun?"

Asakura shot Sato a mischievous grin and also flashed him a wink before walking away.

"And I am Imamura Sato, from HoshiAkari Entertainment." Sato shouted after the man, clutching the card tightly inside his palm.

Without turning his head, Asakura responded with a wave of his hand. He continued to walk with confident steps towards the inn.

Behind Asakura, Sato stared at his retreating back, still muddle-headed and confused. His eyes were fixed on those broad shoulders and lean, yet powerful body. 

A moment later, as if on command, Sato bent his own upper body forward in a deep bow. He felt his eyes moistening and his breath caught in his throat. Then, a soft whisper came through his smiling lips. 

"I'm glad to have made your acquaintance... Asakura-san." 

It was a greeting only heard by him, but it held great weight in his heart. Without realizing, something was already changing inside him.

~~~ 

The moment Asakura went back inside the inn, Kota suddenly materialized in front of him, appearing just like a summoned spirit. The man’s eyes were narrowed, carrying a hint of mischief.

"I hope you didn't do anything unnecessary. Though, by the looks of it, that young man seemed quite troubled. Should I start going around rescuing strangers from you?"

"Were you watching me?" Asakura paused slightly.

"Yes, well, I guess your peculiar habit of stalking people has rubbed off on me." Kota shrugged. "But seriously now, I am curious to know why you are paying so much attention to that person."

"Because he had the same look in his eyes as I used to have all those years ago. He thinks he's gotten over his pain and lives his days like that. But in reality, the suffering is eating at him from the inside. He's been putting up a strong front for so long that he ended up believing himself to be cured."

"Oh? And how are you so sure that you aren't mistaken? Perhaps he really is alright and you’re just being nosy."

Asakura closed his eyes and shook his head slowly.