A white-haired old man, wearing old-fashioned round glasses and a wooden pipe in his mouth, was furiously pointing at Genta.
He was holding a mesh bag containing several eggs that Genta had swapped, leaving his hand covered in egg liquid.
"I wondered why my eggs were still raw after sitting for half a day! So it was you, you little brat! Give me back my boiled eggs!"
The old man, named Tetsuyama Ganji, was beside himself with rage.
Genta flinched from the shouting, almost dropping the egg in his hand into the water.
"Tetsuyama-sensei, please calm down. It's normal for children to be mischievous."
A handsome middle-aged man, about forty years old, walked over.
With a gentle smile and a humble attitude, he tried to persuade Tetsuyama Ganji. "Tetsuyama-sensei, it's just a few eggs, why get angry with a child? I've boiled quite a few here, if you don't mind, please take mine."
Tetsuyama Ganji let out a heavy "hmph," glared at Genta, and then, under the middle-aged man's persuasion, grumbled and walked to the other side of the hot spring, muttering things like "ill-mannered brat."
Only then did the middle-aged man turn to the still-shaken Genta and Mitsuhiko, as well as Conan and Dr. Agasa, who had looked over at the sound, and said with a slight apology.
"I'm sorry, did I scare you all? Tetsuyama-sensei is a director and screenwriter, he has a bit of a temper, but there's no malice. I'am Tanzawa Junsaku, Tetsuyama-sensei agent."
"Tanzawa Junsaku?"
Conan felt the name sounded familiar. He carefully scrutinized the elegant middle-aged man in front of him and suddenly remembered,
"Ah! Are you Tanzawa Junsaku-san, who once played the young male lead in the movie The Crimson Spring?"
Tanzawa Junsaku looked at Conan with some surprise, then smiled gently.
"Oh? The little one knows that movie too? That was many years ago."
His smile carried a hint of nostalgia and a subtle, almost imperceptible trace of melancholy.
Information about The Crimson Spring quickly flashed through Conan's mind.
This was a very famous series of films, known for its profound portrayal of human nature, and had been remade in multiple versions.
The stories of the protagonist's youth and old age had both been successfully brought to the screen and received widespread acclaim.
However, the story of the protagonist's most crucial and complex middle-aged period had been delayed, unable to begin filming because a male lead with the perfect appearance, temperament, and acting skills for the role could not be found, becoming a regret in the hearts of many film fans.
Tanzawa Junsaku continued, "Besides relaxing, our main purpose in coming to this hot spring inn this time is to discuss the preparations for filming the middle-aged version of The Crimson Spring. Takeshan-sensei has poured a lot of effort into this work."
"Has the male lead been confirmed?" Mitsuhiko asked curiously, interjecting.
Tanzawa Junsaku's gaze subconsciously turned to the other side of the hot spring pool, and he said calmly.
"Tetsuyama-sensei already has someone in mind. The female lead will still be played by Natori Mishio-san, who played the young female lead, her acting and image have always been highly recognized. As for the male lead…"
He paused slightly, "Tetsuyama-sensei has decided to cast Terado Unpei-san."
Following his gaze, they saw the hot-tempered screenwriter, Tetsuyama Ganji, now chatting happily with a man in his thirties, who was quite handsome but had a hint of frivolity in his brows. That man was Terado Unpei.
"Terado Unpei?"
Mitsuhiko frowned and whispered to Conan,
"Conan, I know this actor! His acting is terrible, he relies entirely on his looks and scandalous publicity to attract attention, and his reputation is very poor! Is it really okay to let him play such an important role in The Crimson Spring?"
Conan's gaze fell back on Danze Junzuo beside him.
He clearly remembered Danze Junzuo, who had made a sensational debut as the young male lead in The Crimson Spring back then, with nuanced acting that was widely praised by critics and audiences.
Moreover, given Danze Junzuo's current age and still-handsome appearance, playing the middle-aged male lead would be a logical choice.
What's more, with Natori Mishio continuing as the female lead, if the male lead could also be continued by the young version's actor, Danze Junzuo, it would undoubtedly be the best choice in terms of both character continuity and audience acceptance.
Why choose Terado Kyohei, who has poor acting skills and a bad reputation? This was too illogical.
Conan couldn't help but ask, "Danze-ojisan, you played the young male lead so well back then, wouldn't it be perfect for you to play the middle-aged version now? Why aren't you being used?"
Upon hearing this, Danze Junzuo's smile became a bit forced, and he said self-deprecatingly.
"Well… Takeshan-sensei feels that my acting still needs more refinement and might not be enough to handle the more complex inner emotions of the middle-aged protagonist.
Besides, Terado-san… he has his market appeal."
…After the hot spring, feeling warm all over, Conan and the others went to the inn's common lounge.
It was decorated warmly and comfortably, offering free tea and snacks.
Coincidentally, Rin, Ellen, Lucy, and Caesar were also resting there.
"Ah, Conan, you guys are out too?" Ayumi greeted happily.
Conan took the opportunity to approach Rin. He had been thinking about seeing Alexandrina and Lycaon together earlier and was eager to subtly probe.
He pretended to chat casually, then seemingly inadvertently asked, "Rin-neechan, I remember Rina-neechan works in housekeeping, right? Which housekeeping company does she work for?"
Rin was sipping hot barley tea. She looked at Conan upon hearing the question, and her lips curved upwards.
"Yes, Rina does work in housekeeping. The company she works for is called Victoria Housekeeping."
Victoria Housekeeping! It was that name after all!
Conan's pupils dilated, and his heart skipped a beat.
He wanted to ask more details about Victoria Housekeeping, such as the company's address, main services, and other employees.
However, before he could speak again, Ayumi excitedly ran over, waving the inn's promotional brochure, interrupting their conversation.
"Rin-neechan! Ellen-neechan! And Lucy-neechan and Caesar-neechan! Look! The brochure says the inn's open-air hot spring has a super beautiful sunrise view!
Ai-chan and I have already decided to wake up early tomorrow morning to go to the hot spring and watch the sunrise! Do you want to come too? It must be beautiful!"
Rin heard the suggestion, glanced at Conan, and showed a slightly troubled expression on her face.
She politely declined. "Watching the sunrise… that sounds very nice. But, I'm sorry, Ayumi, I prefer to sleep in, so I probably can't wake up that early. You and Ai-chan can go and enjoy it."