[CH.48] Tea Party in the Dormitory and the Outcome of the Matter
**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. Kenji Nakamura: Actor from director Kanzaki's film Director Kanzaki: He is a film director with no common sense. 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. |
Being dragged by Yoko-san, who still seemed quite upset, I returned to the dormitory that day. Unusually, Yumi was lounging in the living room in her school uniform, while right next to her, Maho and Natsumi were engaged in a lively conversation. After exchanging greetings upon returning home, I joined them and decided to share today's events and get their opinions.
Yumi expressed, "It sounds like an interesting role." She seemed excited. Despite being the youngest among the three, she had more stage experience, so she tended to prioritize her sensibilities as an actress over other concerns. On the other hand, the two older girls firmly supported Yoko-san. They stated that it was unimaginable to let a young elementary school girl live with an adult man even for a short period.
"But maybe Director Kanzaki is not a complete fool, so he might have been planning to have some monitoring staff in place just in case?" I suggested.
"Come on, this guy says the most ridiculous things. Do you really think he thought it through that far?" Natsumi countered.
Both Natsumi's and Maho's arguments seemed plausible, and I could only offer a wry smile. Ideally, I would prefer to believe in Natsumi's prediction, but it seemed like the director had trust in Nakamura-san, and it appeared he intended to let them live together alone, which aligned with Maho's perspective.
Whatever the case, discussing it here at this moment wouldn't lead to any answers. The director, who had been preparing this film for several years, would not simply end it or change the cast. While Yoko-san had her grievances, her attitude was far from commendable as a working professional. Both sides were at fault, and it was likely that there would be a meeting soon to address the issue.
For me, it was an interesting role, and I had a certain degree of self-confidence that I was the only one in Japan who could truly understand the protagonist's feelings. I probably had memories of being a man in a previous life that no one else had, and the shock and confusion I experienced when I woke up as a girl would likely be etched into my heart forever. I never had to worry about things like explaining my gender change to others or dealing with official records since I started my new life from scratch and had an open attitude about being a girl, but the protagonist of this movie was different. Changing genders mid-life would be incredibly difficult, and I wanted to challenge myself to express all the confusion and inner conflicts that came with it.
"Sumire, stop right there. I wanted to talk to you about what happened today. Is that okay?" I thought about these things, and I was gently embraced from behind. Hearing the voice, I knew it was Ai-san, but she wasn't here just a moment ago.
"Sumire, we were just talking about this. Feel free to join us. Wait a moment, I'll make tea." Maho said.
Yumi quickly stood up and headed toward the kitchen, offering to make tea. Ordinarily, as the youngest, I should have gone to make tea, but I couldn't move with Ai-san holding me tightly. Apologetically, I let my body relax into the warmth of Ai-san's embrace. While I felt a bit guilty about not making the tea myself, I found comfort in Ai-san's soft embrace. While I savored the warmth emanating from her, Maho explained the story I had shared to Ai-san. Although her explanation contained a hint of personal bias, it wasn't entirely inaccurate, so I decided to let it slide.
"But Ai-san, how did you find out about what happened today?" I asked.
"Ms. Azusa told me. I got in touch with her, and she mentioned that you had a meeting at the agency today after work. When you returned, Yoko-san informed her, so I thought I'd check to make sure there were no discrepancies in the story and to understand what you want to do. I just found out through Toyo-san." Ai-san's quick actions were impressive.
I was impressed, and Aisa's initiative to make tea for everyone was even more so. She placed cups of tea in front of each of us. I thanked her softly, and she responded with a small smile, "It's okay, Sumire can't move in her current state." Being held like a plush toy by Ai-san, I couldn't argue with that.
I watched Yumi as she moved to sit on the cushion she had occupied earlier. Ai-san released me from her embrace and sat down beside me. Finally free, I took a sip of the tea Yumi had made, moistening my slightly parched throat.
"Nakamura-san, I've worked with him a few times, and his behavior and comments have never rubbed me the wrong way. I guess you might not have liked that Sumire is being relied on by the director, who, as everyone acknowledges, is a big fan of her. Small-minded of you, isn't it? But don't worry, Sumire doesn't need to be concerned," Maho remarked.
"Men can be sensitive about being called 'small-minded,' but perhaps women don't attach as many connotations to it," Ai-san added with a laugh. While I was irritated by Nakamura's attitude, I had no intention of defending him.
"Anyway, what would you like to do, Sumire?" Ai-san asked.
"I find the role and the script interesting, so I want to participate in the movie. However, I absolutely refuse to live with Nakamura-san, even for a limited period," I replied firmly. I crossed my index fingers to emphasize my point. I didn't genuinely dislike him, but I didn't want to live with someone who'd make snide remarks about me all the time. That's a line I wouldn't cross.
"Well, Ms. Azusa will never allow cohabitation, so that's not an issue. So, Sumire, if you had to compromise, how far could you go?"
"Well, how about meeting with Nakamura-san about once a week for a chat? I'm also in favor of mimicking Nakamura-san's gestures and speech habits to make the acting more realistic, so I plan to study his previous appearances in dramas during my free time," I suggested.
Don't consider it a patronizing attitude, but as a grade schooler, there's only so much I can think of doing voluntarily. However, Nakamura-san is a popular actor, so finding time in his schedule might be challenging. While watching dramas and practicing on my own, I thought the best way to bridge the gap would be to engage in conversations with Nakamura-san once filming begins.
Thinking along these lines, I proposed this idea to Ai-san, who nodded and said, "I'll convey Sumire's request as her preference." I also asked Ms. Azusa to deliver a message, requesting that they not scold Yoko-san too harshly. While her response was unacceptable in terms of professionalism, I assumed that Yoko-san's pent-up frustrations had led to this outburst.
During that era, coaching and similar approaches were not as widely known, and it was common for superiors to use tough methods to toughen up their subordinates, expecting them to crawl their way up through sheer determination. I worried that Yoko-san might be unfairly reprimanded, as that was the prevalent style of leadership at the time. If the worst came to pass, it might jeopardize the leading role in the film, and the higher-ups at the agency would undoubtedly be on edge. This frustration could be directed towards Yoko-san, and I was genuinely concerned about her well-being.
"You're so kind, Sumire. Yoko-san is already an adult, so she'll manage things on her own, and you don't have to worry," Ai-san said.
"No, it's not like that, Ai-san. You see, I rely on Yoko-san to be able to continue my show business activities. So, in a way, worrying about Yoko-san is for my sake," I explained.
I tried to convey that I wasn't pretending to be a good person, but the more I spoke, the kinder Ai's eyes became, and she even gently stroked my head. After that, Ai-san left to make a phone call, and I couldn't entirely correct the misunderstanding that I was a kind child. The other three seemed to look at me with warm eyes as well, which made me feel embarrassed. So, I quickly tidied up the cups and retreated to my room.
A few days later, during a break from Ms. Azusa's lessons, I asked about the outcome of the situation. As expected, the idea of Nakamura-san and me living together had been abandoned, and it appeared that Director Kanzaki and Yoko-san had reconciled and made amends.
Director Kanzaki was focused solely on getting the best performance from me, and as I suspected, he had ignored all other aspects of the situation. It's understandable for a director, but it would be better if he could address issues beyond his immediate obsession. Upon further reflection, he had scouted me during my initial audition, setting aside his work for me. In a way, his overly impulsive style might benefit from the presence of a responsible adult who could assist him.
Yoko-san visited me the following day to apologize, bowing repeatedly in a humble manner like a grasshopper. I hugged her to stop the excessive bowing, and after a while, she hugged me back, squatted down to our eye level. We embraced for a bit, attracting a surprising amount of attention from the people around us. Although that was a bit uncomfortable, Yoko-san returned to her usual powerful self when she let go, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
This is just my own musings, but I was prepared for the worst in case the movie discussion didn't work out. I wanted to portray that character as an actress, but even without the momentum from the movie, I'm confident that if I keep working hard, I can build my reputation steadily in the acting profession. If I receive substantial support from Ms. Azusa and the agency, yet still can't achieve results, I might even consider giving up on my dreams.
However, my existence seems to cause a butterfly effect, so even if the timing is off, there's bound to be an event like the collapse of the Japanese economy, thanks to me. So, in that sense, it was fortunate that the movie role discussion continued. Even in the late Heisei period of my past life, commentators were debating whether the Chinese real estate bubble was on the brink of bursting or had already burst on Japanese television. Maintaining a prosperous economy indefinitely is unlikely.
When the bubble bursts and a recession sets in, it naturally affects the entertainment industry as well. Fees may decrease, and job opportunities might become scarce. Being able to star in a movie means that you can increase your recognition before the negative effects kick in, and you'll receive a substantial fee before the recession hits. When I consider that it will significantly contribute to my future savings for school expenses, I think it was a good thing that this movie role discussion continued. I should just be happy about it.
It seems that Ms. Azusa also ventured into real estate for asset management. Whenever I childishly mentioned in conversations, "I learned in class that Japan's population will continue to decline, and when that happens, land starts to become abundant, and its value drops significantly. Is that true?" or "Our teacher said that gold, for example, is less likely to lose its value," Ms. Azusa might have had her own reasons or thought about it and decided to reorganize her assets. I'm just an ordinary person who wasn't an economics expert in my past life, and this is the extent of intervention I can make. I hope I can be helpful in some way, but I'd rather not see my mentor, Ms. Azusa, burdened with debt or anything like that.
After the lesson, I was contemplating such matters while staring at the television in the living room, displaying the Nikkei 225 Stock Index Average that fluctuates above and below 30,000 yen. Regardless of the circumstances, there's not much I can do, but I'll try to focus on what's right in front of me. As I switched my focus while inserting the videocassette handed to me by Ms. Azusa during today's lesson into the VCR (Video Cassette Recorder), that was my plan.
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