[CH.36] Reunion with Mother and Sister's Career Path

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

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[CH.36] Reunion with Mother and Sister's Career Path

**TL Notes: So as not to confuse you all, I made a list of the characters that get mentioned in this chapter that you may have forgotten before.   Sumire Matsuda: MC Ms. Oshima: Sumire's mentor. Ai Shinonome: Sumire's senpai at the dormitory Yoko Ando (Yoko-san): Sumire's manager. Sumire's sister: Tsukiko Matsuda

It's been almost five months since I started learning the piano and swimming.

It's currently March, and I'm about to finish my fourth grade in school. Unlike my previous life, I'm not facing any particular challenges. I don't have to do heavy farm work like in my hometown school, and we even had field trips to places like the aquarium.

By the way, I couldn't return to my hometown for New Year's this time, unfortunately. But it seemed like everyone was concerned about me being alone in the dormitory last year, and around the beginning of December, Ai-san declared that she would stay with me. Then, Maho-san and Natsumi-san also talked to their families, and the four of us spent New Year's together. Yumi-san wanted to stay as well, but she's still in junior high school, and it seems her parents were worried and strongly insisted that she come home. Still, she tried to delay her return as much as possible and stayed with us until around noon on New Year's Eve.

Ms. Oshima had work from New Year's Eve until about January 7, so unfortunately, she had a busy New Year's holiday this year. She was really worried about me, but I just accepted her feelings. I wonder what kind of work she does every year, the entertainment industry is supposed to have a break during the New Year's holidays, right? That's why many celebrities go to Hawaii, and it becomes a hot topic.

I asked her out of curiosity, but Ai-san didn't know either. In any case, please take care of yourself and don't overwork, Ms. Oshima.

And after the New Year, my work continued to be stable, juggling several one-off jobs while regularly modeling for magazines. In addition to this, I added piano lessons twice a week and swimming once a week. Of course, I still had to attend school, so my schedule might have been quite tight for an elementary school student.

Furthermore, Yoko-san brought in auditions for additional regular work, and at one point, I was truly exhausted. However, I ended up failing all of them, possibly because they were all variety shows. Even though Yoko-san had presented these opportunities to me, I felt sorry for not meeting the expectations.

As February was coming to an end, and I was thinking about how March was just around the corner, I received a sudden call from my mother. She usually called me once a month, so it wasn't unusual, but this time, she mentioned that she was coming to Tokyo by herself. I couldn't help but feel a bit anxious, wondering if something had happened. We decided to meet at Tokyo Station.

On the appointed day, I purchased a ticket and went through the ticket gate to head to the Shinkansen platform. My mother wasn't familiar with Tokyo, so I didn't want her to get lost waiting outside the gate. I needed to guide her.

I knew the Shinkansen I was planning to board and the seat number, so I headed toward the area where she was likely to get off. There were exits both before and after, but if I paid attention, I should be able to spot her. Since it's the final stop, there would be many people disembarking, so I needed to be vigilant not to miss her.

After waiting for about 10 minutes, a loud, bustling chime accompanied by a deafening noise signaled the arrival of the Shinkansen on the platform. Knowing the Shinkansen of the future, I was even more surprised by the volume of the sound. It slowly came to a halt, and the automatic doors at the exits opened, with the arrival announcement resounding.

Now, as I kept my eyes on both exits, my tired-looking mother descended from the Shinkansen, following the flow of people. She was only staying for one night, so her luggage consisted of a small Boston bag and a shoulder bag slung across her.

"Mom, over here!"

Waving my hand vigorously to get her attention, my mother, looking around a bit disoriented, spotted me. A small crack appeared in her slightly fatigued expression, and a smile surfaced.

"Sumire, it's been a while!"

Taking a few quick steps towards me, my mother said so and tightly embraced me in her arms. In reality, it had been about a year and a half since we saw each other at the platform when she accompanied me to Tokyo for the move. It was understandable that her embrace had a bit too much strength, given the time that had passed, but it was almost too tight... I felt like I was going to pop out.

I endured the discomfort for a while, and then, as if satisfied, my mother loosened her grip and released me. She then gently touched my cheek with her hand, her eyes slightly moistened.

"I'm sorry we couldn't meet for so long, it's our fault... You've grown quite a bit, and and you look so refined," my mother said.

"Well, my height has been gradually increasing, but compared to the other kids around me, it's not much at all. After all, I'm always at the front when we line up for assemblies," I replied.

As I pouted, my mother chuckled and gently patted my back. She was wearing something like a black casket cap today, so she probably avoided patting my head.

The clothes she had brought from our hometown were a bit too plain for Tokyo, and I sometimes stood out. I had discussed this with the wardrobe people I had become friendly with during magazine modeling, and they started giving me items that I could wear from the clothes that were going to be disposed of. Despite being labeled as disposable, these clothes were still in great condition, as they were meant for people who appeared on TV and in magazines. The reason for disposal wasn't due to dirt but rather the fast-changing fashion trends.

There were also clothes directly provided by apparel companies, although I hadn't received many of those. Lately, as my name and face had gained a bit of popularity, I had started receiving some as a kind of sponsorship or collaboration.

With my closet now serving as a sort of wardrobe, Ai-san had selected today's outfit for me. It consisted of the black cap I mentioned earlier, a fluffy white knit sweater, black jeans, lightweight tights, sneakers, and a lightweight black coat since it was still a bit chilly.

Ai-san had also styled my hair, giving me a side ponytail look for the day. Although it was hidden by the cap, the twin tails were tied high with white yarn hair ties adorned with pom-poms, giving it a cute finishing touch.

"You've really adapted to city life. You look so cute that I can't believe you're my daughter," my mother mused, making me smile awkwardly. Well, my mother was quite the rural lady. She didn't particularly dress up, and she had always been minimal with makeup even in her past life. Maybe that's why she found me so different.

Even if we kept in touch regularly, there were many things to catch up on. We held hands to ensure we didn't get separated and chatted about our current lives as we took the train back to the dormitory. After grabbing lunch along the way and getting some cream puffs as a snack, we finally made it back to the dormitory. Tokyo was crowded, and by the time we arrived at the dormitory, my mother looked even more tired than when she had arrived in Tokyo.

Today, all the dormitory residents were either at work or out having fun, so the dorm was quiet. I ushered my weary mother into my room and quickly prepared some tea. I used to not be a fan of plain black tea, but since coming here, Toyo-san had taught me the proper way to brew tea, and it now tasted delicious.

My mother loved tea, so I brewed two cups and carefully carried them on a tray to my room. It would have been nice to just sit back and relax, but when we entered the room, my mother seemed fidgety and started pressing the keys on the electronic piano. When she noticed me, she took the tray from me and placed it on my study desk.

"It's so nice to see that you keep your room clean. Tsukiko's room is always a complete mess. It's quite fascinating how different you two sisters are," my mother complained.

"...Onee-chan is still the same," I responded, nodding to her complaint, and took a sip of the tea I had brewed. Yeah, it was good that I could brew it so nicely. My mother also took a sip after me, and her previously stern expression softened as she exclaimed, "This tea is delicious!"

With a click, she placed the cup back onto the saucer, and she stared at me with a more formal expression. Sensing something unsettling in her words, I inadvertently stiffened, thinking that maybe she was here to talk about something like bringing me back. In any case, I had no intention of obediently complying with such a proposal. Being able to clearly communicate "I don't want to do that" was a crucial lesson I had learned from my past life's experiences. If I had been capable of that, I believe I would have lived a more normal life without falling ill.

"Since you came to Tokyo, your mother and father have tried to deal with your sister," my mother began. "At times, we even invited the local grandparents and the island grandparents, and the six of us had discussions. But your sister hasn't changed at all. In fact, she's been getting worse. I realized she was brewing bad feelings towards you, Sumire, when she told you not to come back."

My mother didn't explicitly mention what those bad feelings were, but it was likely hatred or even murderous thoughts. I have no recollection of doing anything to my sister, and I don't believe there's any justification for unleashing such irrational emotions. So, if, in the unlikely event, my sister actually posed a threat to me or those around me, I would do everything I could within the limits of being a victim to defend myself. Of course, I don't intend to become the aggressor, but it's a matter of self-defense within the boundaries of what a victim can do.

Summarizing my mother's somber, her words about what's to come seemed directed at my sister, not me. My parents had tried sitting down with my sister several times, but there was no progress, so they sought the help of our paternal grandparents and maternal grandmother in mediation. However, my paternal grandparents had quickly given up on my sister, treating her as if she were beyond help. They had always been the kind of people who placed their societal image above all else and cut off anyone who didn't comply or obey. So, this outcome was somewhat expected.

My maternal grandmother, on the other hand, was a strict yet compassionate person, so she had patiently talked to my sister. My parents appreciated her efforts, but apparently, my sister had upset my grandmother.

I wasn't given all the details, but it seemed that my sister had said things belittling me, like how living in a dorm in Tokyo was easy and that I was getting all the attention like a fool. These remarks had infuriated my grandmother.

My grandmother had divorced a worthless husband and raised five children on her own, so she knew firsthand how challenging it was to achieve something alone. She seemed to be concerned and caring about me, a primary school student living away from home in a dormitory. That's probably why she reacted strongly to my sister's remarks, at least according to my mother.

My grandmother had told my sister to "try it if you think it's easy," and declared to my parents that she would put my sister into a prestigious private school known for its strictness. My parents were hesitant to accept her proposal because of their love for their daughter and financial constraints. It was only after my grandmother somewhat coercively convinced them by saying, "If we don't correct this child now, things will get much worse," that they finally agreed.

But my sister... why would she say something like that? I couldn't help but sigh when I heard the story. Regardless of her true feelings, she should have been more adept at using tact.

"So, is my sister really going to that integrated school?"

"Yeah, she's using our grandma's connections and all. I feel sorry for her, but I hope this experience will make her change."

It's easy to say, "You're the parents, try harder before entrusting her to someone else for rehabilitation." However, as I watched my mother speak about the ordeal, I could imagine that both my parents and my sister had been trying their best in their own ways. For both my parents and my sister, creating some distance by placing her in a different environment might be a good way to handle the situation.

"So, I hope she can meet friends she likes and find something she's passionate about in that school, to the extent that she doesn't care about me."

"Thank you, Sumire."

That's why I decided to support my parents' significant decision. Changing one's environment is certainly an effective method, but it's easy to imagine that such an environment can influence a person in both positive and negative ways.

I'm grateful that Ms. Oshima has welcomed me so warmly and the dormitory residents treat me like a real sister, which allows me to thrive alone in Tokyo. But if the environment were entirely different, I might have quickly returned to my hometown. I've made friends at school, which makes attending school enjoyable, but if I were isolated, I might have ended up with school refusal. The environment has such a significant impact on one's life.

I'm genuinely worried about what will happen, but I hope my sister will have a fun and enjoyable six years in middle school and high school. Then, maybe we can develop a more typical sibling relationship where we can have normal conversations.

Also, with my sister leaving the hometown, the ban on my return to my hometown is lifted. If my sister plans to go back, I will coordinate my return based on her schedule, as determined by my mother. While I would like to see many people when I return to my hometown, it's still uncertain if I can go back this year because I have film shooting scheduled. Nevertheless, being able to visit my hometown without any hesitation is something I'm delighted about. I should discuss it with Yoko-san for now.

Afterwards, we had light-hearted conversations about each other's recent activities. I played the piano for her, and we spent some quality time together. For dinner, my mother prepared a special meal as a token of appreciation for the dormitory residents, and it was well-received by everyone since they were already accustomed to my cooking style from home, with its Kansai flavors.

When it was time to take a bath and prepare for bedtime, my mother received a call from Ms. Oshima and was gone for about an hour. I assume they talked about various matters like my day-to-day life and my evaluation as an actress, but my mother didn't mention any of that during our conversation. I couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy, wondering if Ms. Oshima brought up the topic of adoption that she mentioned earlier. However, since it hadn't come up, I decided to leave it be for now.

The bed in my room is a standard single bed, so both my mother and I could sleep together. While I've shared rooms with all the other residents since coming to the dormitory, there's something special about sleeping next to my mother. I feel like I slept more soundly than usual.

After breakfast, I accompanied my mother back to Tokyo Station to see her off. I watched the Shinkansen train speeding away until it disappeared from view and then turned back. I felt a hint of sadness but couldn't dwell on it for long. I had to return home, catch up on yesterday's piano practice, and make up for any lost time.

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