Translator: Flowingcloud Editor: Arocks141
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Theater 5: Genius Child Actor and Genius Child Actor! – Scene 2
Shimoda Akane, Mimi’s manager, brings Mimi to an empty classroom.
Some of the empty classrooms were being used as rest rooms. In one of those rooms, I turned towards Mimi-chan, one of the child actors I was responsible for.
“You don’t look well, are you okay? Do you feel sick or have a headache?”
Mimi-chan is a reserved but determined girl who takes her time to get her point across. She is just a shy but strong normal child unlike Mimi’s mother, Natsu-san, who would push her request no matter what even though they should have been following my request.
This is the first time I’ve seen Mimi-chan in such a bad state. I’m worried about her…
“I’m fine, I’m doing okay.”
“It doesn’t look like that though. I’ve already confirmed that there’s no scene that needs to be urgently filmed, so you can take it easy today, okay?”
“I-I’m honestly—I’m fine, Akane-san.”
Mimi-chan said as she showed me a stiff smile. No matter how you looked at her, she did not look fine… but perhaps the issue doesn’t stem from a physical problem.
As I thought about it, a bunch of information suddenly came together in my mind. Perhaps—from a relationship?
“Mimi-chan.”
“W-What?”
“Did something happen with your friends?”
“…”
Bingo. Just as I thought. I went to the same university as Maho-san, and through her, I got to know Mimi’s mother, Natsu-san. I had known the Yuugao family for a long time, thus, I know that girls tend to get involved in relationship problems. I often get dragged into them, and eventually, the Yoruhata couple would step in most of the time.
I cannot keep relying on those two. I had been Mimi-chan’s manager before she was even born (I was appointed over drinks). What kind of manager would I be if I could not solve one of Mimi-chan’s problems?
“I-It’s…”
“Mhm. I totally get it. I also had a time like that too.”
“Akane-san too?”
I nodded in agreement. After all, I’m 28 this year. In two years, I’ll be reaching the 30 mark single and alone, but my BMI will not go down and I am an incompetent woman, but I am someone who has experienced many things in life.
If my crappy life experiences were useful to Mimi-chan, then there would be nothing better than that.
“The other people are Rin-chan.”
“…”
“Juria-chan.”
“…”
“And Tsumugi-chan.”
“…”
Fluctuation. Lips tightly bound together. I found it! I knew it, I was right. Yeah, yeah, I can see why you’re worried. I was the same way.
“I-I…”
“Frankly, you’re in love, right?”
“…”
Mimi-chan’s face fell. That looks like I’m on the mark, doesn’t it? I totally get it. University tours. The evening campus. Leaning against a ginkgo tree, the view from the side as they read a novel. Shadows stretching over the yellow leaves laid out like a carpet. Ahh, forbidden love. I was captivated by the flowing, intelligent profile of Maho-senpai that day.
However, the threads of fate remained untied, and without the courage to try and make her look my way, I spent my days weeping over my ever-increasing BMI. It’s tough, I know.
“That girl is cute, isn’t she? So you like cute ones. Mhm, mhm.”
“I don’t hate that about you, Akane-san.”
“Eh? Really? But what exactly do you mean?”
Mimi-chan let out a heavy sigh and shook her head as she said that. What did she mean? But, wasn’t that a compliment? Oh no~, what should I do?
“I feel a bit better now, so I’m going to head back.”
“Really? But remember, you can talk to me anytime if you’re feeling down again, okay?”
“Okay, I got it.”
I watched Mimi-chan walk away dejectedly. She doesn’t look like she’s cheered up at all… Has she gotten over it? Could she be considering… c-confessing? Oh my, oh my!
I really shouldn’t tell anyone… but maybe I should subtly report this to Natsu-san. Even though prejudices are diminishing in society, the support of parents is still absolutely essential, after all!
Break time. Empty classroom.
Tsugumi enjoys a brief chat with her friends.
There were plenty of scenes of adults that did not include Mimi-chan, so the filming was progressing smoothly. Amidst the hustle and bustle, the child actors gathered around four desks pushed together, waiting for our turns while drinking tea.
“Come to think of it…”
Juria-chan suddenly raised her head as if she remembered something.
“Juria-chan?”
I tilted my head, and Juria-chan scratched her cheek with an embarrassed, shy look.
“I cooked with mom.”
“Really!? How did it go?”
My voice involuntarily raised in excitement and Juria-chan nodded.
“Ohhh, you did great, Juria.”
Rin-chan and I clapped our hands and stood up for her happy report. I see she’s doing well. That’s great…
“It’s been a while so mom burned the hamburgers. But they were really delicious!”
“That’s good… I’m so glad for you, Juria-chan. Honestly, that’s so great.”
“Hehehe, what’s with that? Don’t cry, Tsugumi. ──Thanks.”
Strangely enough, the corner of my eyes started tearing up before I knew it. Juria-chan, who had been shouting hoarsely in the rain, struggling with her mother. It made me genuinely happy to see her getting along well with her mom now.
Rin-chan silently handed me a handkerchief to wipe my eyes. All I could do for Juria-chan was to try to stop her. However, because everyone worked so hard, it concluded with everyone smiling.
“Did anything happy on your end recently, Tsugumi?”
“Hehe. Guess what! Tsugumi finally took her head shot photos.” 1
Before I could respond to Juria-chan’s question, Rin-chan stood up straight and answered for me. I remember telling Rin-chan right after the shoot. I wonder if Kou-kun was okay afterward. Hmm, I’m starting to get a little worried.
Juria-chan continued to ask Rin-chan questions with a suspicious look on her face.
“Why is Rin the one bragging… But is that true? When?”
“Yesterday.”
“Wow. So it’s not on the homepage yet?”
“It’s uploaded.”
Rin-chan said as pulled up the SST Production’s homepage. The SST logo featured a bird flying with a star in its beak. The logo would appear on the screen first, then followed by the company profile page.
Then, Rin-chan quickly brought up the menu screen and opened the page for the affiliated actors. How did she do that? I couldn’t understand anything she just did…
“Look, this one.”
“Woahhh, you’re so cute!”
“I-It’s so embarrassing.”
Rin-chan proudly showed Juria-chan my photo. It was so good that I didn’t even know that I could make such an expression myself… Ragi-san sure is amazing.
“Look here, this one, she’s tempting you in.”
“Rin… you…”
Tempting? What kind of face was that? I didn’t quite understand and unintentionally raised my voice.
“Did I make such a face? Which photo?”
“Here, this one──”
Just as Rin-chan was about to show me the photo, I suddenly caught someone at the edge of my vision. I quickly realized who it was and waved my hand vigorously.
“Ah, Mimi-chan!”
“…Tsugumi-chan, everyone else too? S-Sorry to keep all of you waiting.”
Mimi-chan, who had returned, seemed to be lacking her usual energy. I did not mind that we had been made to wait at all. In fact, I thought it would not have been bad for her to rest more. I was worried.
“No, but are you okay? Do you feel sick?”
“I’m fine. Really, I’m okay.”
I wonder. She still seemed to be lacking energy. According to (previous life) Tsugumi’s memory as an actor, there are three types of people: Those whose performance suffers when they’re not feeling well, those unaffected by their condition, and those whose acting varies depending on their condition. For example, Tsugumi was the second type, Sakura-chan eventually swapped from the third to second type, and Uruu-san, who was Tsugumi’s best friend, was the first type.
If Mimi-chan was the first type, it might affect her acting. She had many NGs, maybe she was really feeling unwell.
“Hey, Mimi-chan.”
“W-What? Hyah!”
I quickly arranged the chairs and pulled Miumi-chan’s shoulder toward myself, offering her my lap as a pillow. Mimi-chan… Rin-chan, Juria-chan, and Mimi-chan are my first friends. It’s really uncomfortable to see friends in pain or feeling sad.
Mimi-chan’s eyes widened in surprise, then she took off her glasses and covered her eyes with her arm. I think her face looked a little red.
“It’s okay. Wanna rest a little, Mimi-chan?”
“!”
Rin-chan got excited for some reason at the sight.
“Wow, so mother-like.”
Then, Juria-chan looked somewhat envious at me and Mimi-chan spoke.
“That looks nice. Next time, I’ll ask my mom to do this for me.”
I put my index finger to my lips and whispered “shhh” to them, and both Rin-chan and Juria-chan became so quiet to the point where it became creepy.
“Koharu-san, could you please buy us some cold juice?”
“Understood. Right away.”
When I asked Koharu-san, she promptly went to buy it. She’s always agile and attentive, and has been a huge help.
“Why?”
“Hm?”
“Why are you so nice, Tsugumi-chan?”
Her voice was so faint it was almost disappearing. A voice that told you that you shouldn’t joke around.
“It’s only normal for friends to be nice to each other.”
I stroked her soft hair. I liked my hair─the same color as Daddy’s, however sometimes, I yearned for soft black hair like Mommy’s. Mimi-chan’s hair is a cute and gentle color, like a sparrow. Cuter than black, and gentler than silver. 2
“If only Tsugumi-chan could be── that would be nice.”
“Eh? Sorry, Mimi-chan, can you repeat that?”
“No, i-it’s nothing, nothing at all.”
“Really?”
I was so engrossed in stroking her hair that I missed what she said. I hurriedly asked her to repeat what she said, but Mimi-chan just shook her head and evaded the question. She definitely said something… but perhaps it’s better not to press the matter.
“Ahh, everyone, can I have a moment?”
As I was stroking Mimi-chan’s hair, hoping to comfort her, a staff member’s voice called out to us. From the corridor side of the empty classroom, the door was slightly opened, and only her gaze was cast towards us. It was a female staff member I felt I had seen somewhere before. Is she new? But, I have a feeling I’ve seen her before.
Once I’ve seen someone, I can usually remember them. She must be a new addition to the staff that I happened to see before they were introduced.
“We’ll be shooting Rin-chan and Juria-chan’s scenes first, so please get ready.”
“Okay, got it. Shall we go, Juria?”
“Okay! Then, see you two later!”
At the staff member’s call, Rin-chan and Juria-chan left the room. I wonder if I have to wait a bit longer? Before I could ask, the staff member spoke up first.
“I’m sorry, but this room will be used for something else, so Tsugumi-chan, please move to the west building. Ah, as for Mimi-chan—”
The staff member said and hesitated slightly. The door was only slightly open, and she didn’t forward into our room. She only glanced at us at the beginning and seemed to be looking around the corridor as if checking her surroundings, probably not realizing that Mimi-chan was using my lap pillow hidden by the desk.
“—I will inform her later.”
With that, the staff member quickly left, hurrying away.
“Umm, shall we move?”
I asked Mimi-chan, who was on my lap, and she nodded timidly.
“S-Sure.”
She didn’t seem to be feeling much better. I wonder if she’s really okay?
Right now, we are in the east building of this large school. The west building is at the back. I remember from Kirio Tsugumi’s memory that it’s quite tiring to move there, but it seems I have more physical strength than Tsugumi had in her childhood, so it didn’t bother me as much. But if it was tiring for Tsugumi as a child, Mimi-chan might get tired. It seems like I have more stamina than everyone else. Somehow, I’m more concerned about that.
“Then, let’s go?”
“Okay, g-got it.”
With Mimi-chan’s nod, we moved together. The sky visible from the window was slowly turning a madder red.
- The promo photos you see on the official agency site of celebrities. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_shot
- Arocks141: Black Haired Tsugumin… Hmm, I am not opposed.
thanks for the chapter