Perhaps moved by Ryuya's words, Ichika could not help but fall into deep thought.
"So in the end, something has to be given up…"
Repeating Ryuya's words softly, Ichika already had her answer in her heart.
Leaning against Ryuya's shoulder, she let out a gentle sigh.
"I understand now. Could I ask you to tell them for me? I'm sorry, I really don't know how to bring it up…"
"Sure. When we go back later, I'll tell them."
"I'm so worried… I wonder if they'll get angry…"
Ichika forced out a nervous smile.
Even though Ryuya had comforted her by saying everyone would understand each other, once she actually confessed the truth, who knew what might happen?
If someone got emotional, things could easily spiral out of control.
By then, everyone's mood for watching the fireworks might be completely ruined.
"Since you've already made your choice, don't overthink it."
As Ryuya spoke, he took Ichika's hand and led her straight toward the bearded man.
When the bearded man saw Ryuya and Ichika coming out of the alley, he froze.
"Ichika! Where did you two run off to? Seriously, the audition is about to start!"
The girl looked slightly embarrassed, while Ryuya caught the key word.
"Audition?"
He looked toward Ichika.
Hadn't she just said her job was photography?
Uh…
Ryuya suddenly realized something.
Calling an audition "photography work" was not exactly wrong either.
Good grief.
So she had actually gone into acting.
For a moment, Ryuya could not help but smile wryly.
Why were there so many actors around him?
Of course, Sakurajima Mai, the super famous star, went without saying.
Her younger sister, Nodoka, was also a fairly popular idol.
And now Ichika here was also heading toward the entertainment industry…
"Sorry, I needed to talk to Ichika about something just now."
Ryuya took the initiative to shoulder the responsibility for their earlier escape.
"You? What relationship do you even have with Ichika? Do you know how important this audition is for her?!"
The bearded man was clearly very concerned about Ichika's career. His face had even turned pale from anxiety.
"I'm Ichika's friend. I'm truly sorry for causing trouble. Let's hurry and get going now," Ryuya said calmly, thinking to himself that if driving was not fast enough, he could just send Ichika there himself.
Although he had not learned flight magic yet, his running speed was not slow.
He was confident he could easily outrun a car.
Hearing that, the bearded man quickly went to get the car.
Ryuya stayed with Ichika and waited where they were.
"So you've decided to go down the acting path?"
"Yeah. Half a year ago, the agency president found me and asked if I wanted to try acting. So I started by playing some nameless minor roles. Just now, the president notified me about an audition for a pretty big role in a movie…"
Ichika explained what had happened over the past six months.
It was basically the classic story, something like being discovered by a talent scout while walking down the street.
"This road might not be as easy as you imagine."
Although his girlfriend Mai was also an actress, Ryuya did not view the profession through rose colored glasses.
He knew very well how difficult it was to stand out.
Not everyone was Sakurajima Mai.
"Of course I know that. But you still have to try your best to fight for it."
"And right now, it's finally time for me to make my official debut."
As she said that, Ichika gave Ryuya a bright smile.
Ryuya, however, fixed his gaze on the girl in front of him. His black eyes appeared deep and unfathomable.
Looking at Ichika, he suddenly spoke calmly.
"Has anyone ever told you that your smile looks fake… forced, even?"
"Uh…"
Ichika could not help but freeze.
"D-Does it?"
"Yes," Ryuya replied evenly. "Because I used to smile like that all the time too. So I'm very sensitive to things like that."
He pressed his lips together slightly, recalling his former self with a trace of emotion.
Perhaps he should feel fortunate that he had met so many special people.
Whether it was Rias Gremory and the others, Sakurajima Mai, or even the Nakano quintuplets, all of them had unknowingly changed him quite a bit.
However, Ichika and he were not the same type of person.
At the very least, Ryuya believed he was somewhat more advanced than her.
After all, his fake smiles in the past had always been purposeful when dealing with others.
Ichika's fake smile, on the other hand, was meant to hide herself.
There was a fundamental difference between the two.
Ryuya's mentality had been far stronger.
Of course, that did not stop him from seeing through Ichika's forced smile.
Just like how Sakurajima Mai had once instantly seen through his own fake smile.
Now, facing Ichika, he had a clear advantage in terms of experience.
Becoming a devil had been a turning point in Ryuya's mentality.
And now that he had formed a contract with Ichika, he was naturally willing to try supporting her and helping her change.
Ryuya felt that this might be the opportunity for what was called a faith contract.
Thinking back to his relationship with Sakurajima Mai, the two of them had reached a point of complete trust in one another, their bond deepening steadily.
Perhaps if he helped awaken Ichika now, she might return the favor with a pleasant surprise.
"Lately I've come to realize that living according to your true feelings is the easiest way to live."
As he spoke, Ryuya smiled and reached out, lightly pulling at Ichika's cheeks to form a cute smiling expression on her face.
"So these days, I rarely fake smiles just to please others. You should try it too. Stop forcing yourself."
"You don't always have to act so composed either. You're actually very worried, aren't you? After all, you've been trembling this whole time."
Ichika stared at him blankly for a moment before her cheeks turned red.
"When I first started this job, I felt like I had finally grown up. Like I could finally hold my head high as the eldest sister."
"But after going through a few things, I started imagining what it would be like if I failed the audition and returned home in embarrassment. So… I get scared."
As she spoke, Ichika looked at Ryuya and could not help sighing.
"I wish I could be as calm as you…"
"Then you're going to be disappointed."
Ryuya smiled faintly.
"My confidence comes from my eternal lifespan. I have plenty of time to make mistakes and grow."
"If I were in your situation, I might perform far worse than you."
Ichika had no response to that.
She wanted to say something but stopped herself, because she felt that things were not as Ryuya described.
Even without eternal life, Ryuya's state of mind was something she could never compare to.
It felt as though this boy had already seen through all the countless facets of the world.
His mentality was unimaginably strong.
No matter what happened, he could face it calmly.
In the end, she could only sigh softly.
"Being a devil really is nice…"
Ryuya smiled lightly and patted the girl on the shoulder.
"Do your best. Don't carry too much psychological pressure."
"No one laughs at someone who gives it their all. So just do everything you can."
…
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