Translator: Flowingcloud Editor: Arocks141
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Theater 4: Horror Actress’s Friend From the Old Days!? – Scene 3
In front of a splendid Western-styled building.
Her young best friends look at the building, Tsugumi looks at them with a wry smile.
It seems that shooting in the countryside does not equal lodging. In my previous life, they used to shoot throughout the night, stay for the night, or film for long hours, but nowadays, due to the Labor Standards Act or whatever, putting aside adults, the hours child actors could film have been restricted. 1
No, but now that I mention it, it’s better this way. It could be a hindrance to their growth. In my previous life, I used to curl up in the futon together with Sakura-chan, and we would start filming early in the morning, but they say you have to sleep a lot in order to grow up, right? 2
Thus, the adults—who were not restricted by the law—stayed on the set while the children went home for the day. However, unlike the other child actors, Rin-chan, Juria-chan, and Mimi-chan’s parents are actors, announcers, or cameramen, and they don’t have much free time in their schedules, so there was no one there if they went home. Since that was the case, it would be best if they could sleep in a place with adults.
Which is how it turned out like this.
“Everyone’s mothers, Asashiro Satsuki-sama, Yoruhata Maho-sama, Yuugao Tetsu-sama will be arriving at night.” 3
Whether or not they paid attention to my manager, Koharu-san’s explanation, our children party of four (which included me) stared blankly with open mouths at “that”.
Beige-white walls and pillar-like decorations. Walls as high as one could look up lined with square windows, and if you keep looking up, you would end up with a blue roof. Rin-chan, Juria-chan, Mimi-chan, and I. The four of us were staying at my parent’s villa that I borrowed from the several secondary residences that they owned—the one closest to the filming site was chosen—but… Yeah, the fact that they were lending out this residence—and several others, not to mention—the shock kind of disappeared. 4
“The house was owned by the head of Sorahoshis’ three generations ago. In the Meiji 30s (1900s), he was deeply impressed by the Jacobean-style decorative architecture he saw. He commissioned a foreign architect and it was completed in 1902. Although it does not have the elegance of a museum, it has been maintained without any issues. The Madam has entrusted me to pass on the message for everyone to please feel free to spend your time here without any worry.”
As usual, Koharu-san explained everything to us without moving her facial muscles. However, I’m sorry, Koharu-san. It’s hard to stay calm, you know? You know, our house is a very nice Western-style building, but parts of our house have modern elements. This one here feels more like a museum. It feels like I have to pay an admission fee.
“Wow…”
The sound of admiration came from Juria-chan.
“T-Tsugumi-chan, even your house is amazing—There’s no flaws at all.”
Following after was Mimi-chan. I was about to say, “Even I am filled with flaws”, however, Rin-chan snatched away the opportunity to do so.
“What are you talking about, Mimi? Tsugumi’s a boomer.”
“A boomer… Rin-chan, you could be spreading a harmful rumor, you know?”
What am I going to do if people had the impression that I was a “boomer child actor”? Even when my lips pursed, Rin-chan acted like it had nothing to do with her.
Because we had only brought a minimal amount of luggage, Koharu-san had prepared toothbrushes and other things for us. She also arranged for servants to be on duty, so they can handle most things. There are also bathing facilities and a billiard room, but putting aside the bath, it’s impossible for us to play billiards with our height, Koharu-san…
Following Koharu’s lead, we entered the Western-styled mansion. It seems we have to take off our shoes at the entrance and change into slippers. If the guests were foreigners, they would wear slippers over their shoes.
Passing through the living room with a fireplace, I put down my luggage while trying to figure out where my room is. Four people share a large bed. It seems like they’ve done some wiring and there are electrical outlets. Rin-chan charged her cell phone right away. I don’t use mine, so it doesn’t run low.
“Ah, my brother is filming nearby.”
“Really? Do you want to invite Kou-kun too?”
“No, it’s fine. He said he’s staying at a hotel.”
The map on Rin-chan’s cell phone showed that his location was just over a mountain. However, the distance from here to the location is not much different. The film site, here, and the place where Kou-kun is filming seemed to be arranged in a straight line at equal distances from each other.
When it comes to it, of course it would be no problem for Kou-kun to come over, but he was currently staying at a hotel very close. As I was thinking he might come at a moment’s notice.
“Mmm, Brother she does have a sharp tongue.
“What did he say?”
“Here.”
Rin-chan showed me her screen, which displayed her Line chat exchange with her brother. 5
[Brother. Tsugumi’s place is nearby. Do you want to stay with us?] [As if I would stay! Idiot!] [I cannot comprehend. Tsugumi is here, you know?] [So what’s going on? I have a room at XXX Hotel.] [Come to think of it, you’re staying together with Dad, right? You chose Dad over Tsugumi, huh?] [Don’t phrase it so weirdly, you idiot!]
Rin-chan shook her head in disbelief, but yeah, I think this is Rin-chan’s fault…
“Did both of you organize your belongings?”
The two of us were looking at the screen when we were approached by Juria-chan, who quickly put away her personal belongings and even helped Mimi-chan organize her luggage. I had an image of her as a lively person, but she is quite family oriented.
I felt my face turn bright red from the embarrassment of being a sluggish person with a previous life. Mmm, sorry, Juria-chan….
“When you’re done, could you help me with acting practice?”
I nodded without hesitation to Juria’s words.
“Ah, i-if that’s what you need, Juria-chan, then I-I can—”
“Okay, got it, I’ll tidy up right away! Ah, sorry, Mimi-chan, did you say something?”
However, I spoke over Mimi-chan. Mimi-chan was just about to suggest something too!
“Do you want to join us, Mimi-chan?”
I quickly put my luggage away while pestering Rin-chan to hurry. I asked Mimi-chan while I was cleaning up, and she frowned as if she was troubled.
“Eh, ah, I-I’m…”
“No, I’m always practicing with Mimi, so I’ll be fine with Tsugumi today.”
“What did you mean by “fine with Tsugumi”, Juria-chan?”
When I interjected without thinking, Juria-chan didn’t look timid at all and pouted her lips with her hands behind her head.
“Nothing reallyyy.”
Mimi, as usual, was very calm and tried to mediate, while Juria was very curt. Well certainly, it may be difficult to constantly bother Mimi-chan, but it may be easy to get me. Even so, I am her rival after all. Juria’s competitor.
Even Rin-chan, who was complaining about tidying up, had sparkling eyes when she heard that we were going to have acting practice. Then, in a very very sloppy fashion, she organized her luggage as if throwing them around.
“Acting practice? Then, you’ll need to review it, right?”
Rin-chan most likely had no intention of taking part in the acting. She declared that she was going to be the cameraman, and started up her cell phone camera.
“Rin, are you going to be okay with being in charge of filming?”
Rin-chan nodded her head in response to Juria’s question.
“I’m banned from practicing after all.”
I was confused by her strange statement. I wondered what she meant by “banned”, as opposed to taking a break for practicing too much.
“Rin-chan, what do you mean by banned?”
Rin-chan’s lips pouted, as if she was sulking.
“I’m not allowed to practice unless there’s an adult around. They said it’s dangerous.”
“Dangerous?”
Although I was puzzled, Rin-chan seemed like she did not want to answer anymore and mumbled in dissatisfaction, “I don’t understand adults.” Seeing Rin-chan in that state, Juria-chan replied with a wry smile.
“We got it, we got it. Rin can observe with Mimi.”
“Eh… eh?”
Before she knew it, Mimi-chan was dragged into this and Rin-chan led her by the hand, sweeping her along.
“It can’t be helped. Let’s go, Mimi.”
“S-Sure.”
When the door was opened, Koharu-san—dressed in a genuine maid’s uniform—was waiting for us. My father told me she held the position as a guard as well, and I guessed that she was standing guard in front of the door. I greatly admire her.
When I told Koharu-san that I wanted to practice acting, she quickly contacted someone with the communicator in her ear as usual. Juria-chan and the rest stared at her with their mouth wide open at her skilled actions. Yeah, yeah, that’s right. I get it. It’s like straight out of a drama, isn’t it?
“—Well then, allow me to guide everyone to the sunroom.”
“Okay,” I nodded in agreement to Koharu-san’s words.
A sunroom is a room in a Western-style house where one relaxes in the sun. Naturally, our house also has one and occasionally, my mother would read to me from time to time. It was a long time ago—before I got back my memories from my previous life. 6
A luxurious sofa and a large white table. A vase beautifully decorated with brand new roses. We asked to clear away the long desk in the center of the sunroom, where we would practice our acting. First, Juria-chan pointed to a sentence in the script so that I could see it.
“So about this part of the script.”
“Uh-huh.”
This scene is quite far in. Some time after Minaho (Mimi-chan) became a bullying target, Akari (Juria-chan), who treats Hiiragi Lily (me) as an enemy, tries to help Kaede (Rin-chan), who is suffering from being on the bully’s side.
As Akari suffers from her inability to help Kaede, Lily tempts Akari by telling her that she would free Kaede from the bullying if she becomes her friend. Minaho was excluded from the liberation from bullying. Naturally, Akari realizes that Lily has no intention to stop bullying Minaho, but she is still troubled because she cannot think of any other way to help Kaede.
Then, in this scene, Akari is troubled over whether or not she will join Lily and become a bad guy, but in the end, she rejects Lily’s offer. This is the scene in the play where Akari shows her growth and the first defeat that Hiiragi Lily suffers from.
“Juria-chan, what part of this scene do you not understand?”
“I don’t understand why Akari would be troubled here.”
In response to my question, Juria-chan answered as if she was groaning.
“Isn’t it okay to ignore her agreement since Lily’s a bad girl?!”
Hmm, how should I put it? Akari is from the good side, so if she lied, she would become a kind of evil different from Lily. If that happened, Akari would also become an object of fear for the other classmates.
“Hmm, let’s look at it like this. If she did that, wouldn’t Akari be a bad girl even though she’s on the good side?”
“I see. But, the bad girl. The bad girl, huh?”
By some chance, can she not imagine herself to be the “bad girl”? If that’s the case, I think I have a way.
“Bad girl… hmm, do you get it, Rin?”
“Nope!”
“Well, I mean that’s Rin. How about you, Mimi?”
“Ah, umm, um, err…”
“Yeah, I get I said something unreasonable. Then, Tsugumi?”
“Do you want to try acting the bad girl situation out?”
“Huh?”
There are various methods to do this, but the first step is to imagine, ‘What will happen if I refuse, and what if I accept this proposal?’ Thinking over the proposal, the feeling of “not wanting for that to happen” would kick in.
This is the process of refusal, and a powerful scene because it displays her growth. Isn’t it good to have at least that level of repulsion inside her?
“Wouldn’t you be able to act as the good girl if you recall that feeling of “I don’t want this to happen” when performing as the bad girl?”
“Hmm, but the bad girl, the bad girl, huh?”
“It’s just practice, okay?”
“I see. Okay, if it’s practice, then it’s fine. Sure, as expected of my rival!”
It seemed that she understood. Well then, let’s try going with the flow and improvise. The base will be like the script. Rin-chan will probably stop us at the right time. The fact that Minaho (Mimi-chan)—who will suffer if things turn bad—is in her sight is also a very big plus right now.
Well, let’s keep the switch light this time. Hiiragi Lily does not appear in the main story as the complete winner. In other words, this is just fiction.
“Okay, Scene—Action!”
After Rin-chan’s shout, the flood of malice—Hiiragi Lily—seeped loosely through the air. As if prompted by this horrendous and pure malice, I put my hand on Akari’s cheek.
“If you want to save Kaede, then how about becoming my friend?”
With my knees slightly bent, I looked at Akari as if I was raising something important. Her pupils dilated faintly, and as the unrest shook her opinion—I was glad that she was beginning to be poisoned.
“What are you talking about? Do you think I’m going to betray Minaho?”
“But if you become my friend, I’ll let Kaede go. I won’t bully her anymore.”
“You promise?”
She slumped down and tried to escape my gaze. What a cute girl. But, how long can you act so firmly? It’ll be fine if I put her at ease. A kind voice and kind smile. Kindness is a simple word that can be just stuck on.
Do you think such shallow feelings could defeat beautiful words as sharp and cruel as a blade?
“Let’s see. But, if I’m lying, you can just stop being my friend, right?”
“That’s…”
“If I’m telling the truth, Kaede will be free. Simple, right?”
Originally, Akari would have taken a firm stance and turned me down here. There are many risks and it could be said that such actions are foolish. However, helping her is more important than defeating Hiiragi Lily.
—However, that’s all irrelevant right now.
“Will you really spare Kaede?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Got it, I’ll be… your friend.”
“Haha, hahaha, aha—then, you have to prove it, you know?”
“Prove it?”
I went up to the windowsill, and picked a rose. It was a white rose decorated with an accent. Taking into consideration that children would touch it, the thornless rose would not hurt anyone. A beautiful rose.
“Do you know what a rose means in the language of flowers?”
“? No, I don’t.”
“Red roses mean passion, beauty, and love.”
“How about white roses?”
I held it against my lips. As if engraving the meaning of the rose.
“Purity.”
An unblemished white. Unblemished pure white. Innocence, or perhaps purity. Akari, who could be seen on the other side of the rose, was trembling like the surface of water illuminated by moonlight.
“Step on it.”
“—”
“Step on it with evil, violence, pain, power, hatred—step on it with pleasure.”
Akari took the rose I held out with her trembling hand. She raised the rose she held in her hand over her head, shut her eyes tightly, and the words she spoke from her lips were—the proof of corruption.
“Sorry.”
The thrown rose hit the ground and the petals scattered. My words must have been engraved into her. As she crushed and trampled, her face contorted with pleasure as the pure white petals turned dirty, dull and crushed.
How enjoyable. How enjoyable. How enjoyable. How enjoyable.
How fun. How fun. How fun. How fun.
“Ahh, why?”
Why is it so fun to dye something white, black?
“Crush, crush, GET CRUSH, BE CRUSH!!”
“”Ha, haha, aha, AHAHAHA—”
“Ha, hahaha, crush, get crush, BE CRUSHED!!” 7
“Ha, hahaha, AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”
Akari laughed with empty eyes, and I picked up a broken off petal from under her feet.
“Well, now we’ll be together forever. My friend.”
When I kissed the slightly dirty petal—it tasted of mesmerizing pleasure.
“—Cut!”
—And, I was brought back with Rin-chan’s words. Juria-chan performed really well, so I flipped my switch harder without thinking.
It seemed that Juria-chan still hadn’t gotten over her role, and she was looking at the scattered roses in a daze. She got into the role and stepped on the rose without hesitation… I’ll have to apologize to my parents and Koharu-san and the others later. I did something bad to the flowers too.
“Juria-chan, you okay?”
“—I… what?”
“Juria-chan?”
“Ahh, yeah. I kinda… get it.”
Juria-chan shook her head and nodded repeatedly, muttering, “I see, I see,” as if she was chewing on something.
“Ahh, the rose!”
“Mmm, I’ll clean up the flowers, okay?”
“No, uhh, sorry. You were definitely the bad girl.”
Juria-chan nodded meekly, responding like a yes-man.
“I see, I don’t want to become like this.”
“That’s right.”
“So, I’ll be the good girl.”
Juria-chan muttered as if ruminating over it. By saying it out loud, she is probably clarifying the image in her head. I used to do that in my previous life, but when my co-actors heard me going, “Hatred… revenge… fear… Yihihihihihihi,” and got frightened, I learned to do it inside my head.
“W-Wow, you actually solved the problem.”
The sound of admiration. Mimi-chan opened her eyes wide and her words leaked out.
“Yup, that’s right. My Tsugumi is amazing.”
Rin, when did I become yours? 8
“You really solved the problem! Thanks, Tsugumi! I kinda get it now!”
Juria-chan said happily, and for some reason, I’m happy now too.
“I didn’t do much.”
“That’s not true, you know? Also, it was kinda fun performing as the “bad girl” with—”
—Initially, I thought something heavy had fallen. I heard a loud bang, and my shoulders jumped in surprise. When I turned around, I saw a woman that opened the door and was staring at us… Juria-chan’s mother, Satsuki-san.
I looked at her, trying to find traces of Kasaba Sara’s face subconsciously. The smile lines weakened by makeup, the wrinkles at the corners of her upturned eyes. Signs of the passing years were firmly etched on her face, but her straight posture and the tense look on Satsuki-san’s face were definitely Sara’s.
“—Mom?”
“Even though I kept telling you. What are you planning to do? Juria!”
“Y-You’ve got it all wrong. This is just practice—”
“Practice? You were practicing to be a bad girl!? When did Mom ever let you do that!?”
“I—I…”
A menacing look. An angry roar. Mimi-chan had come forward to protect her, but was startled and cowered by her angry voice strong enough to scatter the petals. Satsuki-san noticed Mimi-chan was frightened, but that did not change her angry attitude towards Juria-chan.
—Thus, I stepped forward, trying to weave my way through her momentary lapse of consciousness.
“Um, I’m sorry! I forced her to go along with me!”
“I see. You’ve made a bad friend, haven’t you?”
“N-No, Tsugumi is my rival. She’s not a bad—”
“Then, did you become a bad girl? Answer me, Juria.”
Juria-chan was stunned by her mother’s words. Juria-chan clutched her chest as if in agony, bit her lower lip hard—and ran away with a drop of tear falling out of her eyes.
“!!”
“Wait, Juria-cha—kyah!”
“Woah!? A kid!?”
As I started to run, I encountered a shadow. I heard a strange man’s voice. I saw Juria-chan running away through the gap of vision, and in no time at all, she was out of sight. I don’t know if my legs can catch up with her, but I have no choice but to chase after her!
“Wait, please, Juria-chan!”
I took after her, however, I misjudged the power of my eyes measuring the distance. My feet intertwined and I fell over, my vision being filled with the carpet.
(I’m going to fall!)
“Ohh, careful! Are you okay!?”
Just as I was going to collide with the ground, my body floated in the air. The owner of the unfamiliar voice grabbed me by the waist and helped me up. A man with a beard. His face was square and stern, but his small, round eyes were gentle, and he was a big man.
“What’s going on?”
Mimi-chan was surprised to see the large man.
“D-Dad!?”
Dad—This person was Mimi’s father?
“Mimi! What’s going on??”
I sat up and stared dumbfounded at the hallway, where I could no longer hear her footsteps. I wonder if there was something more I could have done. If there was still more I could do. The thought of catching up first went numb with the fall, and I could not move my body.
“Tsugumi-sama.”
“…Koharu-san.”
“It has been arranged that you cannot go outside. The servants have gone out to search for her, so for now, please head inside.”
“Okay…”
Pitter-patter—The sound of hitting the ground resounded in my ear. It had begun to rain. However, the sound of the rain could not wash away my despair. As if sneering at me for not being able to do anything, the rain reflected in the window flowed down as if tracing my cheeks.
If you are reading from a pirate or aggregator site, please read from the translator’s site: yado-inn (dot) com I have to put the link like this or else the bots will remove it, sorry 🙁
T/N: Bad parenting Satsuki-san strikes again! Boooooo!!! Jokes aside, please do not parent your child like this. You’re actually going to ruin their emotional development. The author did make slight improvements to this Scene compared to the web novel version. No big changes were made, but a still good revision fitting for the light novel version.
- Flowingcloud: The Labor Standards Act in Japan enacted in 1947 has been revised many times in history. The modern revision for child labor of the Labor Standards Act was revised in 1985 (to my understanding). Children under 15 working in the film industry CANNOT work between 8PM to 5AM in the revision. I have included the full text in the following for those interested:
Article 56. Children under 15 full years of age shall not be employed as workers.
2. […] children above 12 full years of age may be employed […] this shall apply with respect to children under 12 full years of age employed in motion picture production and theatrical performance enterprises.Article 61. An employer shall not employ a person under 18 full years of age between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.; however, this shall not apply to males over 16 full years of age employed on the shift system.
2. In the event the Minister of [Labor] deems it necessary, that Minister may change the hours under the preceding paragraph to 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., limited to a certain region or period.
3. […] 4. […] 5. With respect to children employed pursuant to the provisions of Article 56, paragraph 2, the hours set forth in paragraph 1 shall become 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., and the hours set forth in paragraph 2 shall become 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. - Flowingcloud: The actual saying Tsugumi is referring to is “you won’t grow taller if you don’t sleep a lot” which is a myth by the way.
- Flowingcloud: Just in case you’re confused why all their mothers have the same last name as the main cast, Japan’s Supreme Court ruled that laws requiring married couples to have the same surname are constitutional. Most commonly, the wife will change their surname to their husband’s.
- Flowingcloud: Getting used to the rich life lol.
- Flowingcloud: I know I previously translated “Lane” (the Line parody) differently, but I’m not officially translating it, so I’m not going to bother to translate the parody name for those who have difficulty remembering what in the world “Line” is.
Arocks141: There he is! Lazemaster Flowingcloud! - Flowingcloud: I believe not all Japanese readers would clearly understand what a sunroom is, since those don’t exist in Japanese-style houses. Generally, no normal person would have a room like this in Japan. A rich people thing per say.
Arocks141: Oi, lazemaster, don’t be a jerk and explain what a sunroom is. Dear readers, a sunroom is basically a glass-walled lounge. It emulates being outside in a gazebo or open-air lounge while still being completely indoors.
Cloud: Bruh, how do you not know what a sunroom is? - Flowingcloud: This is quite disturbing since there’s a double meaning behind this sentence. Juria is yelling for the rose to be “crushed” (つぶれろ), but is also means to break something. A symbol of Akari being broken in this scene.
- Arocks141: Rin, you can’t stake claim on our Tsugumin.
Cloud: She’s everyone’s Tsugmin!
Iwannaslapthatwomansofckingbadlyidontfckingcarethatsheistraumatizedaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Me when I read Chinese cultivation novels