[CH.47] Director's Proposal and Yoko's Furious Anger
**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. Director Kanzaki: He is a film director with no common sense. |
"Huh? Director Kanzaki, you say?"
As I took a breather in the dressing room after finishing the drama shoot, Yoko-san said to me, "I've received a summons from Director Kanzaki." It's true that it's been two weeks since I returned home, and the start of filming for the summer is getting closer, so it's not surprising to be called, but the suddenness of it is undeniable.
"Sumire's surprised expression is adorable. Look this way, please."
"Yoko, isn't that enough? Are you planning to use up all the film in that camera?"
With a sigh, I said this as I watched the flash go off, wasting another piece of film. Yoko-san had a disposable camera. This was a time when digital cameras had not yet made their presence known, so film cameras were the only option, and they had a limited number of shots. Yoko-san had bought it with her own money, so it wasn't my place to interfere, but I thought it was a waste to only take pictures of me.
Of course, under normal circumstances, Yoko-san would probably be satisfied with just one or two shots of me, but today, I must have stimulated her photography enthusiasm because I was dressed unusually.
Today's shoot was for a drama where they broadcast strange stories from around the world in an omnibus format. I played the role of a French doll that would return to my possession no matter what means were used to get rid of it. While we primarily used the actual doll, I was responsible for the scenes where the doll conveys complex emotions to its owner through anthropomorphism. As a result, my appearance today included wearing a blonde wig with softly curled hair, and I was dressed in a light blue dress adorned with plenty of lace. I also wore loafers with a rounded toe, and even my socks, which should have been hidden under the skirt, were decorated with lace.
Perhaps they were rented, but there were staff members in the dressing room who were anxiously waiting for Yoko-san's photography to finish. The rental fees must be high, and I couldn't help but feel gratitude for the staff members who had waited this long, even though they likely had other work to do, just to accommodate Yoko's demands.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I'm done, so could you help me take this off?"
As I said this, the staff members approached me with relieved expressions. Yoko-san looked visibly disappointed, but I chose to ignore her.
After successfully removing the dress and changing into my regular clothes, they took off the blonde wig for me. My hair is long, so it was pinned into a swirling pattern at the back of my head and covered with a net to prevent it from falling out, so I couldn't remove it by myself.
"Ah, it's a bit stuffy in there. It was hot, right?"
The makeup artist skillfully removed the pins and combed through my hair that had been gathered up. I thought it would dry on its own after a while, but the makeup artist took the time to dry my slightly damp hair with a blow dryer.
I made sure to change back into my own shoes and socks and then bid farewell to the staff before leaving the studio. Actually, this job was a last-minute replacement, but I worried that people in the industry might not view me as a dedicated substitute child actor. I might still lack the level of fame needed to get job offers by name, but occasionally, I wish for offers with enough lead time to prepare in advance. Well, I'm grateful to have work at all, especially since this drama is a nationwide broadcast.
As I thought about these things, I got into the back seat of Yoko-san's car, which she was driving. I suddenly remembered that the director's conversation had been left hanging, so I spoke up to Yoko as she drove.
"By the way, when is that Director Kanzaki's appointment?"
"It's later today. Didn't I tell you?"
I tried to retort, "No, you didn't!" to her easy response to my question, but we were already on our way to the meeting place, and it was too late. It's not that I dislike the director, but he tends to give me demanding requests at every opportunity, so I can't afford to let my guard down.
As I prayed, 'I hope there won't be any unreasonable requests today,' Yoko-san's car entered the hotel parking lot. It looked like an upscale hotel, but I wasn't unfamiliar with Director Kanzaki, so I thought it might be more cost-effective to use a rented conference room or something. After all, when you leave your car keys, an attendant will park it for you. Such a service is only available in luxury hotels, right? It was my first experience, at least in this life, so my excitement levels rose. I exclaimed, 'Wow, this is amazing!' to Yoko-san, and then, for some reason, she gave me an especially gentle look and affectionately patted my head... quite puzzling.
Yoko-san must have known the room number in advance, as she walked confidently towards the elevator. We got into a lavishly decorated elevator and went to the desired floor. After walking down a corridor with plush carpets for a while, Yoko-san stopped. She lightly knocked on the door, and Kanzaki director appeared as if he hadn't mistaken the room.
I tried to greet him, but he gestured for us to enter first. He seemed to be concerned about the eyes of others, giving me that impression. I found it curious, and then I saw the reason inside the hotel room. Even people who aren't very familiar with celebrities would likely recognize the face and name of Kenji Nakamura, the number one young actor, sitting alone on a sofa with his legs crossed.
"Director, is this the child you've been boasting about?"
In a somewhat familiar tone, Kenji Nakamura asked the director, perhaps indicating that they had a personal relationship. As the one pointed at, I felt a little miffed, but when the director introduced me, I put on a composed expression as usual.
"I'm Sumire Matsuda, nice to meet you."
"I think you know me, but let me introduce myself anyway. I'm Kenji Nakamura. I was discovered by the director and became a beloved disciple of Ms. Oshima through that connection. I hope to make this film a hit with that stroke of luck."
Nakamura's words had several hidden barbs, and my cheeks almost twitched involuntarily, but I managed to hold it back and replied with a cheerful smile, "I'll do my best!" Well, my career is still in its early stages, and from the perspective of a popular actor like Nakamura, I probably look like a bit player cast through luck or connections, not talent.
"Director Kanzaki, by any chance, are you also appearing in this film?"
"In a way, you could say it's a significant role that could be considered the lead. Well, since we're not here to chat, why don't you both have a seat?"
We were offered a two-seater sofa, so Yoko and I sat side by side. The director also settled into a single-seater sofa and took several thick scripts out of his bag, handing one to each of us. Let's see... [Changing in My Life], huh? I wonder what kind of story it is?
As I read through the script, I gasped. The reason being, in a nutshell, the film was about a man in his mid-twenties who wakes up one morning and suddenly transforms into a young girl, struggling comically and seriously to return to his original self. Unlike me, the protagonist of this film doesn't change their entire life or gender but only their gender, which would undoubtedly be a tremendous source of stress, and the effort to stabilize their future life would be unimaginable.
As far as the script goes, the protagonist becomes a girl and tries to find their place in the world. Looking at the cast list, it seemed that Nakamura would play the protagonist before the gender transformation, and I would play the protagonist after turning into a girl. I have been consciously trying to act like a girl to avoid being seen as strange by those around me since my reincarnation, but I couldn't help but wonder why the director chose me for this role.
There was no way anyone could tell that I had been born again with a different gender. I couldn't help but feel a little anxious, wondering if I had done something to give off a strange vibe.
"How about it, Sumire? It's a challenging role, and I think it will be quite demanding. Do you think you can handle it?"
"I want to take on the challenge. But it's true that playing a girl with the mind of an adult man is quite difficult."
As I said that, the director nodded as if it were to be expected. Nakamura also gave a wry smile and said, "The idea of an adult man as imagined by an elementary school girl is quite far from reality."
"For me, Sumire, who behaves like a girl, is charming, but I also wanted to see Sumire deliberately act in a more masculine manner. Of course, I know it's an unreasonable demand to do it without any hints, so I asked Nakamura. He's a drinking buddy of mine, and he's been in my films before, so he was an easygoing choice," the director explained.
Not quite understanding what the director was saying, I looked at Nakamura, and he waved his hand towards me with a somewhat suspicious, forced smile.
Upon hearing more details, I learned that I would be playing a girl with Nakamura's persona, so by observing Nakamura's actions closely and mimicking them, I could deliver a more authentic performance. For this purpose, the director would provide a room, and as soon as the director suggested that I live with Nakamura for about a month, Yoko-san, who was sitting next to me, stood up and stomped her foot loudly.
"There's no way I can permit that! We can't have our valuable actress living with an adult man. I will report this to Ms. Oshima. As a result, there is a possibility that we may have to cancel Nakamura's participation in this film, so please understand," she said firmly.
Yoko's face turned bright red as she yelled, and when she uttered that last sentence in a chillingly cold voice, I felt a shiver run down my spine. Logically, what Yoko was saying was most likely correct, but I couldn't help but think that the director was solely focused on making a good film and not considering anything else.
I could have defended the director, but I appreciated Yoko's concern for me, so I allowed her to pull me up from the sofa and, still being dragged by her, we left the room. I couldn't help but wonder what would happen to this film. It was a perfect role for me, considering my past life as a man, and I hoped the story would continue without any issues.
---
"Oh my, that's what I told you, Director. Such an unreasonable request, nobody, especially the adults around, would ever give their approval," Nakamura said with a playful tone as he looked at the door through which the woman and the girl who had been in the room earlier had left. Of course, he was not a lolicon, and his romantic interests were in adult women. No matter how attractive a young girl might be, he had no intentions involving children, but trying to prove it to a stranger would be impossible.
"But, Sumire, despite being mature for her age, is still a young elementary school girl with limited life experience. To make this role more appealing, I thought it would be best for her to mimic your gestures and way of speaking," the disappointed Director Kanzaki explained, and Nakamura sighed with exasperation, thinking, "This guy has amazing talent but no common sense."
As he spoke, Nakamura felt a simmering sense of jealousy towards that girl who seemed to be the object of his director's intense infatuation
Nakamura had appeared in one of Kanzaki's films when he was still not even twenty years old. He couldn't deliver the required performance and had been yelled at and even smacked with a megaphone. However, that period of time had shaped Nakamura into the actor he was today. Back then, he had harbored feelings that were close to resentment towards the director, but now, all that remained was gratitude and respect.
"It's not like she have to live with me. You can just borrow the videos of my dramas and movies where I'm in, and maybe I'll give you a bit of guidance depending on the role, but fundamentally, my acting is the base. There's no significant difference between the way I am in everyday life and when I'm acting," Nakamura suggested.
"Why didn't you say that in the first place?" Kanzaki director asked.
"Well, most people would figure it out, wouldn't they?"
Despite being taken aback by Nakamura's response, Kanzaki director decided to use that idea and negotiate with Sumire's guardians, Ms. Azusa and Ando-san, once again.
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