[CH.10] The beginning of the third year and a surprising audition

I Reincarnated as a Beautiful Girl and Aim to Become a Top Actress! (WN)

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[CH.10] The beginning of the third year and a surprising audition

"Second grade, which had been peaceful, came to an end, and third grade, the last half of elementary school life, began.

Last year, there wasn't anything particularly noteworthy, but if I had to mention something, it would be that, thanks to the efforts of Ms. Kio, we all learned our multiplication tables without anyone dropping out, and during the field trips in the spring and autumn, someone from our class would always get lost, and we would search for them with the teacher.

Getting lost in an unfamiliar place must be a terrifying experience for a child. I was the one who found them both times. The lost children clung to me, sobbing. Hey there, young man, isn't it a bit embarrassing to cling to me while crying, especially when you're smaller than the girl? No, it's okay.

By the way, in the spring, it was a girl who got lost, and in the autumn, it was a boy. The girl was a transfer student who had just joined our grade, and this incident was the catalyst for her becoming friends with us and fitting into the class. The boy I had known since kindergarten, but for some reason, after this incident, he started giving me sidelong glances. Is it a silent pressure not to spread the word about his crying?

Speaking of the rituals of the new school year, there's the class shuffle. At our school, class changes occur every two years, so compared to schools where it happens every year, we get to spend more time with our friends. In fact, it's been two years since we enrolled, and I've spent all that time with Nao and Fumika, my closest friends. However, this year, our classes are finally separating... only Nao."

When it comes to class shuffling, I've heard urban legends about some teachers deciding it through things like drawing lots, but both our homeroom teachers, Ms. Kio and Ms. Kanda, are equally serious about it. I'm sure they made the decision considering the children's personalities and friendships.

Being locked into friendships from such a young age can only be a disadvantage in the long run. I think class shuffling is done to prevent that. Even though we had interactions with all our classmates, the three of us were too close-knit, and I felt a kind of dependence from both Nao and Fumika towards me, especially. Perhaps the teachers noticed this from an outside perspective.

Nao is definitely the more outgoing of the two. I'm sure she could make friends and do well in a different class on her own. But for the introverted Fumika, it would be a challenging mission.

"Nao, even if our classes are different, we're still friends, and we can visit each other during breaks. I'm sure we'll be together again in the next class shuffle."

I tried to reassure Nao with these words, but deep down, I couldn't help but think it might be challenging given the current situation. Like I mentioned earlier, class shuffling is practice for resetting and rebuilding relationships. The teachers probably intend to keep Nao and Fumika together in the next shuffle and separate me from them. It might not be so much concern for the shy Fumika as it is anxiety about me, perhaps.

From a third-party perspective, it must have seemed like I got along well with my other classmates besides Nao and Fumika. That's probably why they want to see if I can make friends on my own when they separate us.

And here I am, making all these predictions, but if it turns out that we're together again in the same class, it would be so embarrassing. But whatever, I find it comforting to be with Nao and Fumika.

However, just as I was lost in these thoughts, an unexpected situation arose. After several years of being scolded by my parents, my usually well-behaved older sister had done something out of character.

---

The story begins in mid-April, around the time when conversations about where to go for the upcoming Golden Week started to pop up here and there.

"Hey, there's a big envelope for you," my mother said as she handed me a large envelope that could fit A4-sized papers. Indeed, it had my name on it, and the sender's name was... the All-Japan Beauty Pageant Audition Office?

I looked at my mother with a puzzled expression, and she seemed equally puzzled while looking at me. I recognized the name of the contest, it was an audition that had discovered numerous actresses and idols. I wasn't sure if it was still ongoing, but I occasionally heard about it in entertainment news reports even in the 2000s.

What I couldn't understand was why an envelope from the audition office had arrived addressed to me. I had no recollection of this, and the fact that my mother was asking me about it meant she had no idea either.

I vaguely recall that you can apply for these things even if someone else recommends you. So, there was a possibility that someone curious had applied on my behalf without my knowledge.

"Oh, that!" my sister chimed in as she approached us, pointing at the envelope. She checked the sender's information and then looked at me with a gleeful expression.

"Just see how vast the world is! You're just a frog in the well, after all."

Had she recently learned that saying? Even though she said it with a smug look on her face, I had no idea what she meant or how to respond. However, I could tell that my sister had some scheme in mind, and I was about to get dragged into something troublesome. She had been quiet lately, but it seemed like her personality was becoming more twisted as she got older.

Perhaps my mother had sensed that my sister was up to something, as she instructed me to stay where I was and then took my sister into another room, dragging her along. Most likely, an interrogation, under the guise of gathering information, was about to take place.

Well, there's no point in getting involved in this mess. I'll just watch from the sidelines. Besides, I'm sure we'll discuss it further when Dad gets home.

As I expected, after Dad returned and we had dinner, we convened a family meeting. I'm sure my mother had already filled him in on the situation because his gaze at my sister was noticeably chilly.

"So, why did Tsukiko use Sumire's name to apply for something like this without permission?" Dad asked.

"...I did it to teach this girl, who's been getting a big head because everyone says she's cute, about the vastness of the world," my sister replied.

I had a feeling that was her reason, but hearing it directly from her made her malicious intent stand out even more. In other words, she wanted to throw me, a country bumpkin, into a place where people with the looks of celebrities gather, just to make fun of me. 

Sure, the adults in the neighborhood, Ma-kun, and Nao and Fumika compliment me by saying I'm cute, but I think it's not the kind of cuteness that matters in such contexts. In that sense, I do think I'm somewhat good-looking, at least if I look at myself with biased eyes. But I'm not at the level to compete in the entertainment world. At best, I might be considered cute enough to be one of the top five in the class.

"This is a delicate matter that we haven't discussed until now, but you've crossed the line this time. Let me be clear, just because you think yourself is chubby and ugly, that's no reason to hurt Sumire. Doing such a thing won't make you cuter than her, and it will only make you miserable," Dad said firmly.

"See! Dad thinks I'm ugly and chubby too!"

"Calm down and listen! It's true that you would look cuter if you lost weight, but the fact remains that you're chubby. If you don't like being called chubby, then lose weight. But instead, you hold a grudge against your innocent sister and try to make her a laughingstock. That's the lowest thing a person can do."

While my sister and Dad argued heatedly, I continued to read through the documents I had received. I'm not interested in my sister's feelings or her rehabilitation afterward, to be honest. Initially, after my reincarnation, I had some empathy, and I hoped we could get along somehow. But if this situation of being resented continues, that empathy will gradually fade. I do hope my parents take responsibility as parents and help her become a decent person who doesn't inconvenience others, but I don't really care about the process or the outcome.

Anyway, it seems I passed the document screening, and next is the interview. I don't know what kind of application materials my sister provided, but she must have fabricated something clever. I guess she didn't want me to pass the document screening just so she could embarrass me. She probably chose some photos where I looked cute, like the miracle shot taken about two years ago. I doubt there's much to write about my career as a third-grader in elementary school, so she could probably handle that part alone by just writing a seemingly convincing statement of intent.

Leaving that aside, after passing the interview, it seems I'll have to answer questions from the judges and make appeals on stage. It might be a rare experience worth trying, but considering the event is in Tokyo, it could be challenging.

When my mother asked me what I wanted to do, I simply conveyed the thoughts I mentioned earlier. My mother, looking thoughtful for a moment, raised some concerns.

Our relatives are mainly in the west, and we would need to use a hotel for accommodation in Tokyo, which could be a financial burden. If we go, my mother would accompany me, but she's never been to Tokyo, so the unfamiliarity with the area makes her nervous.

While I had lived in Tokyo for a short time in my past life, transportation wouldn't be an issue, but the financial aspect was a valid concern. Although it could be a unique experience that one wouldn't typically have in daily life, I didn't intend to be selfish and burden our family financially.

"Mom and Dad, you can decide. I don't really mind either way," I said.

When I said that, my father, who had been arguing with my sister, suddenly turned his gaze toward me.

"Sumire, go and come back! Win the whole thing and show this idiot that the world won't bend to her whims!"

"What do you mean by 'idiot'! Dad is the one who favors my sister!"

"That kind of thinking is why you'll never amount to anything, you fool!"

And just like that, my father and sister resumed their argument. I wonder where I should insert myself into this. In any case, I think winning is impossible, Dad. 

So, thanks to my sister's irrational actions, it was decided that my mother and I would spend this year's Golden Week in Tokyo.

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