[CH.64] Wardrobe Fitting and Unexpected Visitors
**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. Toyo-san: An elderly maid who works for the Oshima-san Touka Kimura: Sumire's close friend and classmate in Tokyo. Nao & Fumika: Sumire's close friends. Haruka Sasaki: Sumire's kouhai. |
In late April, as Golden Week approached, I found myself in a slightly spacious meeting room in Tokyo. I was there to participate in a costume fitting for a movie I had previously accepted an offer for.
The role this time was that of a capable office lady with a youthful appearance. I stood in front of the costume coordinator in a white blouse paired with a navy vest and skirt, the typical office attire.
"Yeah, it suits you well, Sumire-chan."
"Well, I'm really happy to hear that, but..."
Yes, there was absolutely no problem with the outfit. The issue lay with the shoes. Normally, aren't office shoes pumps or loafers? Why high heels, and on top of that, the heel height clearly exceeded 10 cm, which was terrifying. Thanks to that, as someone who could barely stand, I trembled my legs like a newborn deer, directing a protest-filled gaze at the woman in front of me.
"Usually, if you wear such high-heeled shoes at the workplace, wouldn't you incur the displeasure of people around you? Moreover, I'm sorry, but I really don't feel like I can walk properly in these. I mean, seriously."
"Oh, come on. You just need to get used to it. Once you're accustomed, you can walk at a fast pace or even run."
Puffing her cheeks discontentedly is cute, but I can't back down. If I have to wear these during the entire shoot, my feet are likely to suffer severely. I absolutely need to get them replaced with other shoes.
As we exchanged glares, the woman who had brought the costume in a cardboard box chimed in while placing it on the ground.
"See, Leader, that's what I told you. Even we hesitate to wear heels of that height. It's tough for an elementary schooler."
"But I went through the trouble of preparing it. We didn't have heels this high for elementary schoolers, so I had them custom-made."
"That's because the Leader got carried away. Sorry about that. She went a little overboard, saying it would definitely suit Sumire-chan."
With a wry smile, the person who spoke seemed to be an assistant. Leader, it's great to be enthusiastic about work, but please refrain from going overboard. I feel like muscles I don't usually use are twitching, so I'm almost certain I'll have muscle pain tomorrow.
The character I'm playing is concerned about being short in height, so it seemed they wanted to use high-heeled shoes. In the end, we decided to use pumps with elevated soles overall. For men, these kinds of secret shoes are commonplace, but for women, it seems unusual since height can be disguised with heels. While examining them, Yoko-san said, "There's something like this too."
The hair I cut short in the movie "CHANGE" has grown to about the middle of my shoulder blades. I regularly go to the salon to have it maintained, but it feels a bit guilty to see nearly 10,000 yen disappear with just a slight trim of the tips, even though the cost is covered by the agency. I once consulted Yoko-san about reducing the frequency of visits to the salon, but she said that since taking care of my appearance is part of my obligations as a talent under the agency, I shouldn't worry about it. I reluctantly accepted that, but being naturally frugal, it still bothers me. The same goes for skincare; I always rely on the agency. If it's my role, I have no choice but to comply.
For now, since it's just a fitting, I loosely tie my hair and let it hang down from the side of my neck to my chest. I put on a light pink cardigan over the office uniform and look at myself in the large standing mirror provided. Yeah, if it's just the appearance, I look like a decent OL. Despite being in elementary school, my actual age, there's inevitably a cosplay-like feeling, but let's just overlook that.
"Kyaa, Sumire-chan, you're so cute! Let's take pictures, pictures!!"
While being tightly embraced by Yoko-san, who enthusiastically jumped in from the side, I moved in front of the camera held by the assistant. I wonder when she handed it over; it's Yoko-san's beloved expensive camera. It's not a digital camera, so if you keep snapping away like that, the film will run out quickly, I thought, but I obediently struck poses as instructed.
Feeling a bit uneasy about the future, it's my first time in a romantic movie, so I have to do my best. With that determination, I tried on several casual outfits for scenes outside the company, exchanged greetings with the co-stars who came later, and successfully finished the costume fitting.
---
On the first day of Golden Week, I was at Tokyo Station. With no work scheduled for the consecutive four-day Golden Week, I had planned to spend a leisurely time practicing and playing the piano. However, two days ago, I received an unexpected phone call.
It was from Nao and Fumika's aunties. They initially said it was okay to decline if it was inconvenient for me, but then they asked if I could take care of their daughters during this Golden Week. "What? Nao and Fumika are coming to Tokyo?" I would be delighted to take care of them and would love to meet them, but I wondered what brought them to Tokyo.
Although they offered to arrange hotels and such, I asked them to wait for a moment and consulted with Toyo-san and Ms. Azusa. I got their permission to let Nao and Fumika stay at the dormitory if I took full responsibility for supervising them. Considering the travel expenses, even at the child rate, would be a significant burden for the aunties, I thought it would be nice if I could help alleviate that a bit.
"So, even though it's Golden Week, was it good for the two of you to be with me?"
When I turned around and asked, Touka and Haruka, who had been following me, smiled warmly.
"Sumire's childhood friends are coming, right? Since they're coming all this way, I'd like to see what kind of kids they are."
"...Well, Mom kept nagging me to go home anyway, so if that's the case, it's more fun to be with Sumire and the others."
If the two of them are okay with it, I don't mind introducing Nao, Fumika, Touka, and Haruka. They're all nice kids, so I hope they get along well. I need to be mindful, especially since Haruka is shy, and Fumika tends to be reserved. I have to be ready to support them anytime.
As I pondered these thoughts, the time for the Shinkansen they were supposed to be on approached. The signal for arrival sounded, and the Shinkansen slowly glided into the platform. I hope Nao and Fumika are okay. This is probably their first time venturing out like this without any adults around. I hope they're not too nervous.
I know their train car and seat numbers, so I waited for them on the platform in a place that wouldn't obstruct the exiting passengers. Today, it seems like there are more people heading to the countryside than coming to Tokyo. The fact that it's early might contribute to that, it's only 10 in the morning. They probably woke up early to catch the first train, so I hope they didn't sleep on the way here.
"Has everyone finished getting off?" I started to worry when I didn't see the two of them, and just as I was thinking of checking inside, Nao and Fumika finally appeared, rubbing their eyes, with slightly oversized backpacks on their backs. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Nao, Fumika! Over here~!!"
Waving my hands and calling out, they approached with sparkling eyes, running towards me like puppies finding their owner. Wait, hold on, I can't catch both of them with that momentum!
First, Nao lunged at me, and I managed to catch them somehow by stepping back. But then, Fumika followed, and unable to firmly hold my ground, I was about to fall with Nao and Fumika. Fortunately, Touka and Haruka, who were behind me, rushed to support my back, preventing us from falling.
"Come on, you two. I get that you're excited to see your friends after a long time, but can't you calm down a bit? If you both hug someone shorter than you at the same time, isn't it obvious it'll end up feeling unsteady?"
Touka scolded Nao and Fumika, placing her hands on her hips and sighing. As the class representative, she could calmly advise new people without hesitation. The two, scolded by Touka, seemed to lose a bit of their excitement. They stared at Touka with a puzzled expression and simultaneously asked, "Who's this?" It was the perfect timing to introduce each other. I thanked Haruka for her concern and took a step toward the three of them.
"Nao, Fumika, this is my friend Touka Kimura-chan, whom I met in Tokyo for the first time. She's reliable and sometimes strict, but a kind girl. Touka, these are my childhood friends, Nao Okamoto and Fumika Takahashi. I'd be happy if you could get along well. Also, this girl here is Haruka Sasaki-chan, from the same talent agency as me, and she lives in the same dormitory."
As I introduced each person, the four of them exchanged glances for some reason and then quietly said, "Nice to meet you." Why are they acting shy at this point? Especially Touka and Naoto, they're not the type to be like that.
I felt a bit anxious about whether they would get along, but it seemed like my worries were unfounded. By the time we moved from the Shinkansen platform to the Yamanote Line platform, Nao and Touka were talking with a lively atmosphere, and it looked like Fumika and Haruka, both introverts, were somehow enjoying exchanging words.
Feeling a bit like the odd one out among mutual friends, but Nao and Fumika making new connections outside of school could be a good experience for them. Although it's a bit sad that the two, who had stuck with me since I moved, are starting to drift apart, I'd rather not be a hindrance to their growth.
"Suu-chan! Touka-chan is such a nice person!"
"...Haruka-chan is nice too."
Lost in my thoughts, suddenly both Nao and Fumika clung to my arms. They might have already outgrown me in height, and the chest against my arms was soft and girlish, but I couldn't help but wish we could stay like this a little longer.
"Come to think of it, I haven't asked yet, but where are we planning to go today?"
"First, Harajuku! I heard crepes are delicious there, and I really wanted to go!"
In response to Touka's question, Nao enthusiastically answered while Fumika nodded along. They mentioned wanting to go to Tokyo Tower, Asakusa Temple, and other major tourist spots in Tokyo.
"Is it okay for you to go to Harajuku? Won't you get recognized?"
Upon hearing that the first destination was Harajuku, Touka looked a bit worried and asked. As a minor celebrity, I had prepared fake glasses and a cap that I had worn before just in case.
"I don't think anyone will notice it's me, especially with my usual hairstyle, the two-sided up. Besides, I'm not that well-known, so I doubt anyone would recognize me."
"You might not notice it's Sumire, but wouldn't you get scouted as a cute girl regularly? Are you okay? And about crepes, you don't have to go all the way to Harajuku, there are places selling them elsewhere."
"Since Nao did the research herself and came up with it, I want to accommodate her wishes as much as possible. Besides, all four of you are cuter than me, so shouldn't you worry about getting scouted or something?"
When I said that, for some reason, Touka shifted her gaze to Haruka, who responded by shaking her head as if to say, "No intervention needed." Just as I was about to delve into their exchange, the melody announcing the train's arrival played on the platform. I reluctantly redirected my attention to Nao and Fumika, who were still clinging to my arms, explaining that we would be taking the upcoming train.
Inside the train, perhaps due to it being the first day of Golden Week, there was a reasonable amount of space. Although we couldn't find seats, we managed to secure a spot where all five of us could stand together. While calming Naoto, who was still clinging to my arms, and observing the cityscape through the train window, I explained that we were heading to Harajuku. The train departed, swaying gently, and we began our journey towards Harajuku.
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