[CH.55] Monday After a Tough Schedule
**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. Touka Kimura: Sumire's close friend and classmate in Tokyo. |
"Sumire, take a look at this."
Touka, who had arrived at the classroom early as usual, came over to me with an eager expression. We exchanged greetings with a "good morning" before she uttered these words, so there must be something she really wants to show me. I walked over to my desk, and she followed closely, keeping her hands behind her back.
Once I settled into my seat, she boldly occupied the seat in front of me, which was still unclaimed by its usual occupant who hadn't arrived yet. Sitting with his back to me, she placed a magazine on the desk with a decisive thud. The magazine was titled "Film Critique," featuring a man on the cover who looked like a film director. Even though I wasn't particularly knowledgeable about movies, I recognized the magazine as a well-established one.
"I've mentioned this before, but if you bring irrelevant magazines to school, the teacher will confiscate them, you know?"
"It's alright, I've already won over the teacher."
With a mischievous grin, Touka responded without a hint of concern, even as I shot her a slightly annoyed look. She's one of those honors students who seem trustworthy but have a knack for mischief.
"Leaving that aside, read this. There's an article about the movie you're in, and the critic seems to be praising it."
"Oh, that's intriguing. I think anyone involved in a project would prefer to receive praise rather than criticism. It looks like you've marked the page you wanted to show me." Touka had folded the corner of the page to mark it, and she quickly turned to the page with the review.
"Well, let's see... 'I haven't felt this excited about attending a screening in a while. Director Kanzaki, who took the helm for the first time in 'Goddess of the Wicked Deity,' always manages to fill me with anticipation. With his third film, 'Yearning,' he won the Japan Academy Prize for Best Picture, and who can forget the standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival for 'From Beyond the Sunshine'? In his latest work, 'CHANGE!,' the story may have a wild and whimsical premise, but his trademark approach of crafting down-to-earth human drama remains intact.' It's quite a praise. I'm sure the director must be thrilled to receive such compliments."
"But don't stop there, the rest is important!"
I paused my oral reading, which seemed like a good stopping point. Touka urged me to continue reading ahead. Even though I was reading quietly, it felt a bit embarrassing to be promoting a movie I was involved in within the classroom while trying to be discreet. Still, I gave in to Touka's insistence and reluctantly continued with the next part.
"'The outstanding contributions of the staff behind the scenes were evident and conveyed clearly to the audience. If I had to select an MVP among them, it would be the young lead actress, Miss Sumire Matsuda. This film marks her debut as a leading actress, but she has brilliantly brought to life the vivid imagination of what it would be like if Kenji Nakamura turned into an elementary school girl. Her acting prowess is undeniable, and it leaves us yearning for more films starring actress Sumire Matsuda.' ... Is it just me, or is this person overly generous with their praise?"
"That's not true at all. I went to see it too, and Sumire was nothing like the Sumire I know. I was really impressed by her acting... for a moment, I thought it would have been great if Sumire had been a boy," Touka admitted, but her voice trailed off at the end.
"Huh? Sorry, I couldn't quite catch that last part. Could you repeat it?"
"...It's nothing! Anyway, don't you have friends who went to see it on the opening day, too?"
Touka said it in a slightly sulky tone. I gently squeezed her hand on the table to express my gratitude. Of course, I was happy that my friends went to see it on the opening day. So, I smiled warmly and thanked Touka.
"Thank you, Touka... I love you!"
My words made Touka's cheeks blush slightly, and she averted her gaze for a moment. But she responded by squeezing my hand tightly, so I believed that my thanks had reached her.
With a heartwarming moment like that with Touka, I felt reenergized in the morning. However, last weekend was unusually busy. The film "CHANGE!" premiered on the Saturday, and on the first day, I had a stage greeting event in Tokyo, followed by various interviews and commitments. Then, I had to travel early to Osaka for another stage greeting event on Sunday. In the evening, I had dinner with Nakamura-san, Hana-san, and others who were traveling with me, as well as sponsors and industry people. After a long and tiring day, I slept like a log in the hotel. The following day, I faced a stage greeting event at an Osaka movie theater with a smile. Once it was over, I was interviewed by local media. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay in Osaka any longer this time, and I had to rush back to Tokyo by plane.
The truth is, I have an extreme fear of heights from my past life. The cause of it dates back to when I was very young in my previous life. My father took me to the observation deck of Tsutenkaku Tower and forced me onto a stepping stool to look through a telescope. When I hesitated, he shouted and even hit me. This traumatic experience made me terrified of heights. It seems that even after being reborn and changing genders, my fear of heights never went away. I'm especially scared during flights, where there's no escape. I clung tightly to Yoko-san's arm, closing my eyes tightly.
Perhaps due to the effects of such a tight schedule, today I accidentally nodded off during class for the first time in my current life. The teacher, who knows about my situation, scolded me in a somewhat understanding manner, and the class had a small laugh, so it ended up being okay. But it was a bit embarrassing. In my past life, I used to fall asleep all the time, so it's funny how things change. It's probably natural for an elementary school student to have less stamina, but I think I need to work on improving it.
"Sumire, if you don't have any work, how about going home together?"
After managing to get through school on that Monday, I started getting ready to leave, and Touka ran over to me, asking if we could go home together. I really wanted to go home with her, but I sadly shook my head.
"Sorry, Yoko-san is coming to pick me up after this, and we need to go to the office together."
"Yoko-san is your manager, right? I think she's making you work too hard."
Touka pouted while protesting about Yoko-san, who wasn't here at the moment. I gave a small, wry smile. Indeed, I'm quite busy, but it's a crucial time to give it my all. Yoko-san is working hard for me, and as the one who needs to promote myself as an actress, I can't afford to be discouraged.
"Once things settle down, let's have another sleepover in my room. The older sisters in the dorm said they want to see you again."
More accurately, they wanted to play with me as a dress-up doll, but I didn't need to tell Touka about that. She didn't mind it, and her face lit up with happiness when I invited her, saying, 'Really?! I'll definitely come, it's a promise!' as she wrapped her pinky around mine. It seemed like she was genuinely thrilled.
After making the promise with Touka, we both exited the classroom through the sliding door at the back, into the hallway. As we approached the door, a few boys I recognized were engaged in lively chatter. I gave them a polite "See you tomorrow" greeting, and the familiar boys, Take-kun and Moo-kun, waved their hands to bid us farewell. I had been teamed up with them in class and on field trips since I transferred, thanks to Touka.
Take-kun, in particular, always seemed tense when talking to me, despite chatting with Touka and other girls like it was no big deal. I used to worry that he might dislike me, but according to Touka, he was just incredibly shy. It made sense, as he had been together with the other kids in kindergarten and the first and second grades. So, there was no need for him to be shy around them. I accepted this explanation at the time, but even after two years, he was still awkward when talking to me. I sometimes wondered if there might be another reason, but I didn't want to pry or stir up any trouble, so I left it as it was.
Moo-kun was Take-kun's best friend, lively and mischievous, and he had a stereotypical, energetic boyish charm. He appeared rough at times but was surprisingly considerate and had good looks. He helped smoothen the conversation when Take-kun and I seemed to be struggling. Moo-kun was popular among the girls, and he had a reputation for being quite the ladies' man.
With a wave to those two, Touka and I made our way to the staircase. Along the way, I had a feeling that a group of sixth-grade boys was sneakily glancing in our direction. It seemed like I was being overly self-conscious, and I couldn't help but smile at the thought of maybe misinterpreting their intentions. However, it turned out that their gazes were indeed directed at us. When Touka gave them a stern look, the boys quickly moved to a different spot.
"Sumire, did you notice those looks earlier?" Touka asked.
"I... Well, I thought I might have been noticed, but I didn't think anyone would go out of their way to sneak glances at me, so I assumed it was just my imagination," I replied honestly.
Upon hearing my response, Touka let out a deep sigh and lightly pinched my cheek with both hands. It didn't hurt, but it pulled the flesh of my cheek a bit and made it a little hard to speak.
"It's okay, Sumire. Your movie commercials are all over the place, and those bath toy commercials still air as well. You're already a celebrity, so be aware that you're being watched. Stay vigilant and keep an eye on your surroundings at all times, so you don't attract the wrong kind of attention. Got it?"
"Got it."
With my cheek still tingling from the gentle pinch, I may have had a slightly peculiar pronunciation. Nevertheless, it seemed like Touka was satisfied with my response. While mentioning how much she fusses over me, she gently rubbed the cheek she had just pinched.
We changed into our shoes at the entrance and headed to the parking lot. Yoko-san had already parked the car and was waiting for us. I placed my bag on the back seat and then took a seat with a little "hop." After confirming this, Yoko-san closed the door with a solid click, and I twisted the lever to roll down the window all the way.
"Touka, thanks for seeing me off. See you at school tomorrow."
"Today, make sure to get some good rest! Sumire actually dozed off in class. Please don't push her too hard, Manager-san!"
When I leaned out of the window to say that, Touka placed her hands on her hips, appearing a little annoyed, as she scolded me and Yoko-san with a hint of anger. It's like that sometimes, Touka treats me as if I were a younger child in need of constant care. It's hard to describe, but as someone who had lived a life long enough to be called middle-aged in my past life, I sometimes feel embarrassed. As a friend of Touka's, I appreciate her thoughtfulness, even though it's a complex feeling.
Yoko-san gave a small smile, made an OK sign with her thumb and index finger, and then waved her hand back and forth. She smoothly started the car while still seated in the driver's seat. I waved back at Touka from the open window, and just a while ago, she had looked slightly angry, but now she smiled and waved back at us until our car was no longer visible.
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