[CH.39] Sumire's Recital (Yoko-san's Perspective)

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

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[CH.39] Sumire's Recital (Yoko-san's Perspective)

**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 Yoko Ando (Yoko-san): Sumire's manager. Azusa Oshima: Sumire's mentor. Kotone Mimura (Kotone-sensei): Piano teacher Director Kanzaki: He is a film director. Yumiko Kurita (Yumi): Sumire's senpai at the dormitory. Ai Shinonome: Sumire's senpai at the dormitory. Maho Iida: Sumire's senpai at the dormitory. Natsumi Shirakawa: Sumire's senpai at the dormitory. Touka Kimura: Sumire's close friend and classmate in Tokyo.

*Yoko Ando’s POV*

I have always loved singing since I was a young child. So, as my parents and grandparents suggested, I participated in local singing competitions and even those a bit farther away, winning first place.

Singing made me feel like I could let go of the burdens in my heart, and, above all, when I won, my parents and grandparents would pamper me. On the flip side, if I came in second place, I would be scolded or ignored. It became increasingly frustrating to have my family meddling in my hobby.

Before I could explode with frustration towards my family, a representative from a record company in Tokyo visited me shortly before I graduated from elementary school. I became an apprentice to a composer and aimed for a debut. My parents and grandparents were delighted about this, but I was even happier to leave this house and live away from them. By that time, the beloved songs that I once treasured had turned into tools to escape from home, and I felt they had lost their luster.

In this state, there was no way I could become a successful singer. I debuted with a song in my first year of junior high, but it was an unfortunate flop. I owed so much to my composer teacher and his wife, who took care of me both professionally and personally until my high school graduation. Ultimately, after graduating high school, I retired as a singer and enrolled in a junior college.

I devoted myself to my studies relentlessly, and before I knew it, I had become a top student. When I considered what I wanted to do in the future, I realized I wanted to support someone striving in the entertainment industry from behind the scenes, even though I didn't succeed in it myself.

I continued to meet with my teacher and his wife even after retiring from the entertainment industry. On that day, I was invited to their house, where I enjoyed his wife's home-cooked meal. It was during this moment that I confided in them about my feelings. In response, my teacher said, "I know someone who owns a production company. I'll introduce you," and they introduced me to a very famous Japanese actress, Azusa Oshima, whom almost all Japanese people are familiar with.

Accompanied by my teacher, I met her in a retro café where she listened attentively to my life story and what I wanted to discuss. Before I knew it, I was given a job as a trainee manager at the production company.

During my first year, I learned the ropes of the job under Azusa-san's primary manager, a kind lady in her 50s who was not in the best of health. She was looking for a successor, so I wanted to quickly become capable and make her job easier. With that determination, I worked hard, and from my second year, I served as Azusa-san's primary manager, dedicating myself to the job. Although it was daunting when my predecessor left, the other staff members supported me, and I managed to carry on.

I became familiar to various people in the industry, from executives at television stations to fellow artists, production company staff, and advertising agency representatives. It took another two years for me to gain their respect and become someone whose opinion was valued. I became known as the ace manager in our agency behind the scenes, by the time I was 24.

The fact that Azusa-san was looking for her successor was known to everyone in the industry, whether it was out of kindness or to ingratiate herself. Aspiring child actors with potential were sometimes entrusted to our agency. Previously, other managers would take care of them. However, kids often left easily, as they would become disheartened when handled strictly, and would get carried away when treated gently.

After Azusa-san's management, I worked with child actors for around two years, but it didn't go well. They would quickly get discouraged when handled strictly and become unruly when treated kindly. Dealing with children is genuinely challenging.

In the end, it was decided that Azusa-san would conduct a pre-screening before allowing any child actors to enter the production. From the referring side, the goal was to have a connection with Azusa-san, not to incur her displeasure. Referrals still happened, but Azusa-san's screening was strict, and most children ended up being rejected and sent home.

By the time they transferred to our agency, older kids like Ai, as well as the high school entrants like Maho and Natsumi, understood the professional mindset, determination, and tenacity required for the job. But it was rare to find elementary or middle school students who grasped this and were willing to work hard.

The first successful applicant under this system was a girl named Yumiko Kurita, who came from a children's theater group. She had aspirations to become a stage actress, so I didn't interact with her much. She left an impression of being a straightforward and pleasant girl. Despite being surrounded by Maho and the others, she adapted quickly to the dorm and the work.

"I'm Sumire Matsuda. Nice to meet you."

One year later, a fateful encounter awaited me. Accompanied by her mother, a polite and respectful girl visited the production. As she bowed her head in front of me, I thought that they didn't look very similar as a mother-daughter pair. Perhaps they had similar facial features, but while the mother had the demeanor of a middle-aged woman from the countryside, the girl introduced herself as Sumire and had a lovely, doll-like appearance. I had an impolite thought: It seemed like God had taken a handful of materials at hand and skillfully crafted a beautiful girl, like assembling a puzzle.

The fact that Azusa-san personally requested to be responsible for her meant that she had high expectations for this girl. At the time, I was temporarily managing Maho and Natsumi, but I immediately handed that over to someone else, and I began my work as Sumire Matsuda's exclusive manager.

It's not a good idea to get too close to the talents you're managing, but I had an intuition that I would have a long relationship with this child. So, my initial goal was to get to know Sumire better. Despite her cute and delicate appearance, Sumire was a girl with a strong core. She tackled Azusa-san's rigorous training sessions when she moved to Tokyo without complaining, and she bit down on her challenges. Yet, she wasn't assertive, she was skilled at being considerate of others and creating harmony in the group.

The dormitory supervisor, Ai, the high school group consisting of Maho and Natsumi, and even Yumi, who had been treated as the youngest, were all head over heels for Sumire. And I, in my capacity as an adult with a strong professional attitude at work, had been thoroughly charmed by the gap between that and her childlike neediness off duty. She was just too cute. I never had any intention of getting married, but I had been completely knocked out to the point where I wanted a daughter of my own.

I wondered how many talents Sumire had hidden within her tiny frame. When she performed an original song at the cherry blossom viewing party without accompaniment, it was a shock. Her singing was at an amateur level, but her songwriting and composition skills were almost professional. I couldn't help but clench the cassette tape recorder I was using to record it, wondering if it might lead to some job opportunities.

I didn't have the courage to play the song for my teacher. Instead, I took the story to a composer who had provided me with songs during my singing career back when I was a singer. He expressed a desire to meet Sumire. Despite his carefree and lively personality, he was serious when it came to music.

Sumire was asked why she sang a "song heard repeatedly in her dreams," but was it really possible for something like that to happen? Yet she claimed that she had never studied composition or songwriting. I had no choice but to accept her answer. I thought that maybe this mysterious side was part of Sumire's charm. I did get scolded by Sumire for not telling her in advance.

From then on, Sumire's talents continued to shine. She even beat out some of Japan's top child actors during the audition for Director Kanzaki's film. Her performance was simply amazing. The backdrop behind Sumire, an ocean and sandy beach, was surreal. Even the sponsors who initially opposed Sumire's lead role were left speechless.

However, the real challenges for Sumire began from there. Director Kanzaki demanded that she learn to swim and play the piano for the film. Being slim with little body fat, Sumire initially struggled with swimming, but she quickly mastered it once she grasped the technique. Her elegant swimming style even earned her the coach's approval. Now she's focused on improving her swimming distance. It's one of Sumire's strengths that she can put so much effort into something.

On top of that, her biggest challenge was the piano. This wasn't something she could pick up quickly and play like a professional. She had been learning the piano with the help of Instructor Kotone and was making good progress, but then came the director's impossible request. He wanted to hear Sumire play the piano under conditions similar to the actual performance. At that moment, I felt like giving the director a good slap on the face and telling him to stop, but of course, I didn't.

I couldn't help but feel frustrated by how much burden was placed on young Sumire, who was still in elementary school. But once the instructions were given, there was no choice but to figure it out. I consulted with Instructor Kotone, and we managed to arrange for Sumire to participate in the upcoming music school recital. She originally had the right to participate, but there had been past refusals from Kotone, thinking it was still too early.

Kotone sensei had a smile as she politely explained, "I want Sumire-chan to grow freely. Even after the film shoots are over, I want her to continue playing the piano. After all, she's an actress, not a pianist!"

Sumire, who was now required to participate in the recital, dedicated herself to practicing more than ever. I watched her practice diligently, sensing her intense determination. However, after a while, I started to worry that Sumire might collapse if she continued like this, so I made the decision to keep her away from the piano for a few days.

I had an upcoming job in Kyoto that I couldn't refuse, so I used it as an opportunity to persuade Sumire. Along the way, Sumire burst into tears, and her vulnerability and maternal instincts got the better of me, and I hugged her without thinking. But it was Sumire being too cute, I wasn't at fault. Although she was the same age as other children, she looked younger, but I couldn't help noticing that her body was getting a little softer and rounder. I had mixed feelings because I wanted her to stay small and cute forever but also celebrated her growth.

At first, Sumire wasn't too thrilled about the trip, but as we spent time in Kyoto, her mood seemed to brighten, and she started showing sparkling smiles. I'm glad I brought her along despite her initial reluctance. But Sumire, you won't suddenly decide you want to become a maiko or geisha after being so curious about them in the traditional Kyoto teahouses, right?

Since returning from Kyoto, Sumire seemed more relaxed and engaged in practice. It appeared that she could practice the recital piece more efficiently than before. Starting the new school year, Sumire found herself in the same class as her best friend Touka-chan and other close friends. She approached her lessons with determination.

Today was the big day, Sumire's very first recital. The organizers had chosen a larger hall that could accommodate up to 800 people, considering the families and friends of regular classroom attendees and entertainment production personnel.

In the dressing room, Sumire wore a white dress, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt nervously. The dress was adorned with many small rose motifs at the neckline, with frills on the shoulder straps and around the neck. The skirt featured two layers, with overlapping lace that created an elegant impression. It was originally handed down by Instructor Kotone but had been adjusted to fit Sumire better, as it was a bit large for her.

Observing that Sumire didn't appear as nervous as she had expected, I left her in the care of Instructor Kotone and made my way to the entrance hall to attend to my duties. Although I thought I had arrived early, the director I was supposed to meet was already there, holding a large bouquet of flowers.

"Hey, Ando-san. How's Sumire-chan doing?" he said with a casual demeanor.

I wanted to slap his cheek with all my might, but I mustered all my strength to contain myself. Sumire had been pushed so hard and reduced to tears because of this person's whims. I wanted to say something in anger, but I knew that Sumire wouldn't want that. So, I did nothing, but my frustration was undeniable.

The director greeted me, and I noticed a petite woman standing beside him. I learned that she was the pianist who had been instructing Sumire during the movie's filming period. I didn't have any particular issues with her, so I decided to greet her cordially. While I wanted to create a good impression in hopes that she wouldn't push Sumire too hard, I had ulterior motives for being polite.

Accompanied by the two of them, we made our way to the audience seats just as the previous performers finished their piece. True to her word, both Maho and Natsumi, who didn't have any scheduled work for today, were in attendance. Our production team also had a camera crew on standby with the best quality cameras personally approved by Azusa. They were all set to capture excellent footage.

As we watched the piano performances of three more participants before Sumire's turn, I couldn't help but marvel at the skill of kids her age. It was evident they had a lot of experience. Still, I silently cheered for Sumire in my heart, knowing she wouldn't be outshone.

Finally, it was Sumire's moment. Bathed in the spotlight as she walked onto the stage from the stage-left side, Sumire seemed to glow even more brilliantly than usual. The audience greeted her with warm applause, and a slight smile graced Sumire's face.

As Sumire took a seat at the piano, she gracefully placed her fingers on the keys after a moment's pause. She wasn't nervous, her usual gentle touch made the hall resonate with music. She swayed slightly as she played, and her performance was so beautiful that it left anyone who watched it in a trance. I heard someone sitting behind me sigh with admiration.

Considering that she had been playing the piano for only six months, Sumire's performance was impressive. But that was to be expected, given the extensive time and dedication she had put into her practice, more than most children her age would. While this piece was often attributed to Beethoven's love for a woman named Therese, Sumire's performance seemed to express not just romantic love but also the warmth of familial or affectionate love. It was like listening to a piece that naturally made you feel warmer, and I couldn't help but smile.

After finishing the piece with a lingering resonance, Sumire rose from her seat and took a slow bow in the center of the stage. Watching this, my eyes welled up with tears, and my emotions were on the verge of overflowing. Just then, sitting in the adjacent seat, Director Kanzaki unexpectedly stood up and exclaimed, "Bravo!" before applauding Sumire louder and more enthusiastically than anyone else.

I was taken aback, and my own applause, as vigorous as it could get, accompanied Sumire. The audience's applause continued until the young pianist's figure gradually faded away.

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