[CH.63] Planning for the School Trip and Sudden Gratitude
**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. Touka Kimura: Sumire's close friend and classmate in Tokyo. Haruka Sasaki: Sumire's kouhai Yuuka Anno: Famous Child Actress |
I began the last year of my second elementary school life. On the first day, I took Haruka, a transfer student, to the staff room, and then I checked the class list posted in the courtyard.
During spring break, when Haruka went to the staff room to introduce herself, I had heard that we would be in the same class, but I wanted to confirm just to be sure. Naturally, in addition to Haruka and me, the names of my friends Touka and others were also there. Thinking that this year would be enjoyable with the upcoming school trip, I joined Touka and the others who had arrived at school and enjoyed some casual conversation about what we did during spring break.
As Haruka entered the classroom accompanied by the teacher, I noticed that some boys seemed a bit shy and fidgety. Well, that's right, because our Haruka is cute. Her height is over 150 cm, which is higher than the average for her age, and from the perspective of my past life as a man, I think she's quite a catch. The problem is that she's shy, so she tends to give a cold shoulder to people she meets for the first time. However, once she gets used to them, she becomes more friendly and smiles normally.
I waved to Haruka after exchanging simple greetings, and she shyly waved back at me. Although I haven't really blended into the class, I was determined to try my best to bridge the gap with my classmates. However, the class queen, Touka, took care of everything. No, she might be the queen of the entire grade, not just the class. I started receiving greetings not only from Haruka but also from students in other classes. I admire her communication skills and tactics, there's something to learn from her."
"We're going on a school trip in June, so basically, our class meetings are all about discussing the upcoming trip. The teams are decided with three boys and three girls each, and despite the usual grouping of us six girls, we played a common game where we made gestures with 'rock' and 'scissors' signals, dividing ourselves into groups of three. It's purely coincidental, as we didn't cheat, but I was really surprised when I ended up in the same group as Touka and Haruka. Well, I had wished for the two of them to be in the same group with me, so it was a wish come true, but the surprise outweighed the joy.
The boys consist of the usual members, Take-kun and Moo-kun, and their friends, Yoshinobu-kun. They seem to be calling Yoshinobu-kun, so I'll call him Yoshi-kun too. It's not like we're meeting for the first time, but for some reason, he occasionally shows off remote-controlled toy cars running on batteries, asks about test scores, and initiates contact. I had the urge to talk about various things, like 'Isn't a sponge tire better?' or 'You should flatten the part where you opened a hole for weight reduction with a file,' because I was into those toys in my past life. However, since girls generally aren't interested in such toys, I just returned with safe compliments like 'Wow, that's cool.'
Regarding the tests, I always won, so all I could do was watch him dejectedly walk away with his shoulders drooping. That's because I've been studying independently since I entered elementary school, and coupled with the good memory of this body, I've already finished studying for the high school entrance exams. It's unfortunate, but I can't afford to lose to my classmates in test scores, I basically score 100 points all the time. He probably doesn't want me to deliberately lose either, so as long as he keeps challenging me, I plan to beat him."
Setting aside Yoshi-kun for now, let's get back to the discussion about the school trip. The destination is Kyoto and Nara, and I guess it will mainly involve visiting shrines and temples.
"By the way, Sumire, you moved here from Kansai, right? Have you been to these places around here?"
"I've been to Kyoto once, and I visited Nara Park and the Todai-ji Daibutsuden."
In response to Touka's question, I nodded and answered. However, when you live near tourist spots, you don't feel the need to actively visit them since you can go anytime. With the destination being shrines and temples and the visitors being children, it makes even more sense.
Haruka was also asked the same question, but it seemed like she hadn't ventured far from her hometown either. I have memories of living as an adult, having experienced living alone away from my hometown, so leaving the local area doesn't bother me much. But for someone starting dormitory life for the first time, it must be quite anxiety-inducing. I hope I can help her in any way possible so that she can live her usual life.
"But you know, it's a bit much for teachers to ask us to go to three tourist spots in a place we've never been before and then write an impression essay. I have no idea where to go."
When Moo-kun expressed his reluctance, the other boys nodded in agreement. For the time being, we decided to determine the details on-site. I suggested a course where we would first visit the Great Buddha at Todai-ji, play with deer in Nara Park, and finish by paying our respects at Kasuga Taisha. Since everyone is a child, I thought it would be better to move around and walk outside, rather than going to overly formal places, to avoid accumulating too much stress.
It seems like my proposal was accepted, as the same content was recorded on the planning sheet to be submitted to the teachers. In Kyoto, there seems to be a lot of experiential learning, such as zazen meditation, so I hope it will be a good change of pace."
---
"After school, I accompanied Haruka to the television station. It wasn't for my job today, but rather to support Haruka during her audition. Yoko-san, who temporarily acts as Haruka's manager and often accompanies us, also came along. The audition is for selecting a child actor to play the heroine in scenes depicting the heroine's past in a drama. Haruka seems quite nervous. Unfortunately, I can only go as far as the waiting room. Haruka, who had been holding my hand the whole time, reluctantly let go as she entered the audition venue.
It's inevitable to feel nervous, but it's frustrating not being able to exert the power I possess. I'll do my best as usual. Feeling a bit inadequate with my commonplace encouragement, I excused myself for a moment to Yoko-san and stepped outside the waiting room for a change of scenery. Since I was already outside, I decided to use the restroom. As I started walking towards it, someone familiar approached from the other side.
"Oh, Matsuda-san, long time no see."
"Good morning, Anno-san. It has been a while."
There stood Yuuka Anno, whom I once competed against for a role in 'CHANGE!.' She has grown quite a bit taller and has gained more of a big sister vibe since then. She should be a year older than me, as she entered junior high this spring. I used to call her Yuuka-chan in my mind back then, but now there's an atmosphere that makes me want to address her as Anno-san."
"It seems like your work is going well. Are you recording a drama today?"
"No, I'm here to accompany my junior who's taking an audition. She just moved to Tokyo and seems to have various concerns."
As I replied, Anno-san invited me for tea, and we walked towards the vending machine in a corner of the hallway together. When asked if coffee was okay, I nodded, and she quickly pressed a button, handing me a paper cup with steam rising. When I tried to pay, she insisted, saying, 'It's fine, I'll treat you,' and pressed the button for her own.
We sat on a bench next to the vending machine and took a sip from our paper cups. After enduring the uncomfortable silence for a while, Anno-san chuckled and spoke up.
"Even though she's working so much and earning, my mom doesn't give me much allowance. She takes everything, saying it's for my future or tuition, but I wonder how much is left. Matsuda-san, how do you manage your money?"
"My family isn't that well-off, so I use the money I earn from work for living expenses and tuition. I manage my own passbook, but when it comes to complicated things like taxes, I leave it to the accountant I have a contract with at the agency."
I might not fully understand things like taxes, but I've heard from my past life that if you don't handle them properly, it can become troublesome. Since I'm entrusting it to a professional, and so far, the agency hasn't said anything, I think it's being processed without any issues.
After my words about taxes, there was another stretch of silence. As the one being treated to a drink, I couldn't leave the seat hastily. Anno-san had invited me here for a reason, and until she started talking, I had to patiently wait. While sipping on the now slightly cold coffee, Anno-san finally began to speak, as if she had made up her mind.
"I've been doing this job since I was a child, as my parents told me to, but I always hated it. I longed for a life where I could play after school like other kids, without being scolded unfairly. Even though I was doing the job half-heartedly, I was praised as the best child actor in Japan, and everyone was excited about me. I was doing my job adequately, but deep down, I became arrogant, thinking, 'Why is this so easy?' What shattered my arrogance was your acting at that audition day."
"Anno-san..."
"I had never lost to anyone before, so it was really frustrating. If your acting hadn't been so impressive, I probably wouldn't have been so shocked. Your performance was amazing. I wanted to win against your acting, not just you but anyone else. So, I wanted to thank you for giving me the motivation to take things seriously."
With a defiant smile, Anno-san expressed these words. I myself have a vague memory of that performance, but after finishing the acting, I felt a sense of fulfillment much stronger than usual. I've been pursuing that kind of acting, but I haven't been able to recreate that same feeling since then.
"Someday, I want to compete for a role with you again or create a work together as co-stars. I'm waiting for you to step onto the stage of an actress, polishing your skills even more."
Saying this, Anno-san quickly finished her drink, tossed the cup into the trash, and said, "Well then, see you on set," before leaving. I was left behind, probably wearing an expression that seemed quite dumbfounded to anyone watching. After all, it was so sudden, and the words she delivered were somewhat affected. Whether she wanted to act like a senior or just wanted to show off, it was quite an exaggerated performance for Anno-san.
But she acknowledged me as a rival, anticipating my future growth. Even though we're only a year apart, Anno-san is considerably taller than me, and if I don't step up, even if she enters junior high next year, I feel like I won't be able to reach the stage of the actress she mentioned. I have already received an offer to continue as a child model for a fashion magazine, and if I get job offers, I want to give it my all. But ideally, I want age-appropriate work.
For now, I'll drink more milk starting today. Watching Anno-san's back as she left, I made a strong determination in my heart.
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