[CH.85] Going Home and Going Out With Touka
Regarding the drama offer that had come in, I decided to consider it positively. However, I didn't insist on eliminating abnormal settings, like a romantic relationship between siblings, as a condition for accepting it. Instead, I asked for it to be as mild as possible.
While dramas depicting forbidden relationships are undoubtedly popular among women, I feel that, more often than not, it's a topic that evokes a sense of disgust for many. Even if it's not the main theme, hinting at it subtly like, 'Could those two be...?' might be more acceptable to viewers.
About two weeks after that meeting, specific plans for Golden Week began to be discussed in class. I also received a phone call from my mother asking, 'Are you coming back here for Golden Week?' However, I think the decision about going home depends more on the situation at my parents' house.
To be specific, I can't make plans until I know if my sister is coming home. She probably wouldn't want to see my face, especially if she went through the trouble of coming back, and honestly, I don't want to see her much either. I'm currently in my first year of junior high, so my sister should be in her third year. I wonder if she's doing well. There's no information about her post-graduation plans or whether she'll return home, so I would like her to inform me properly about her future plans. If my sister is going to live at home, I'll need to think of another way to meet Nao and Fumika.
When I conveyed this in a roundabout way, I was told shortly, 'I'll let you know as soon as I know,' and the call ended. Even if it's right on the verge of Golden Week when they tell me, I'd really like to know as soon as possible, as my schedule often gets filled with work commitments.
People who have already graduated from school and work as entertainers full-time might be able to adjust their schedules according to the calendar. However, as a student, I can't do that. I am free only on weekdays after school, Saturday afternoons (until half-past noon), and completely on Sundays. Thankfully, I've been receiving a fair amount of work, so Sundays often end up being a full day of work because I can't handle everything just after school on weekdays. From September of this year, I'll have Saturdays off as well, but those might also be filled with work. If work keeps coming in like this, I'll be happy—it means both saving money and staying busy.
It might seem heartless, but the main reason I want to go home is to see Nao and Fumika rather than my parents. I even briefly considered silently going home without contacting my family and staying in a hotel. However, there are no hotels in my hometown, and in this day and age, the cost of a hotel is quite high, correlating with the cleanliness of facilities and safety.
Being a girl and possibly recognized, I've been advised by Yoko-san to be moderately self-conscious, to the point where it might be considered overly self-conscious. I wear a hat and disguise myself with fake glasses when I go out, so I think there's no need to worry too much. However, when I said that, I got scolded quite a bit.
"Okay, Sumire. Clearly visible disguises are just fashion, nothing more."
When Yoko-san said that, I secretly felt a bit annoyed at the rudeness of being so obvious. I think it works perfectly well for people who have never seen me up close, but occasionally, someone I don't know at all will call out, "Sumire-chan?"
While thinking about such things, I put on a casket hat and looked in the mirror after wearing slightly oversized round glasses. Today is Sunday, and a while ago, Touka called me and invited me to hang out, so I had kept my schedule open. She said it had been a while, but it's been only about a month since graduation, and we've been meeting and playing even after the graduation ceremony, so it doesn't feel like it's been that long. When I look back at my junior high days in my past life, the passage of time felt incredibly slow, so I can understand why she might feel that way.
Recently, Haruka, who has been working hard in lessons, also needs a break from time to time, so I invited her to join us. It's not worth getting injured by pushing too hard, and after all, acting is something that accumulates in the drawers of everyday life. While it's good to practice in the rehearsal room, observing people on the street outside can also be a valuable lesson.
Thinking it's been a while since I went out with casual-dressed Haruka, I met up with Touka at the nearest station. Today, we plan to travel by train, look at clothes, drink tea, and chat. Even though we call it shopping, both Touka and Haruka are on an allowance, so it'll mostly be window shopping.
"Speaking of which, I'm a middle school student now, so I want some new clothes."
"Why don't you just buy them? You're getting an allowance from your mom, right?"
While looking at the mannequins dressed in fashionable clothes in the storefront, Haruka said, and Touka replied somewhat indifferently. I manage my money in my bank book myself, but in Haruka's case, she receives a monthly amount determined by her parents from Ms. Azusa. Haruka is still a child, so her parents might have foreseen a future where she would use up as much as she has in her balance.
"I save my allowance, but I can't buy things so casually. Cute clothes are expensive."
"Considering we live in the same dorm, Sumire surprisingly has a lot of costumes. Like you mentioned before, do you get unwanted costumes from stylists?"
"Yeah. Even though they're secondhand, fashion changes so quickly, and not many damaged clothes come in, so it's convenient. Sometimes there are frayed or subtly torn ones mixed in, so I have to fix them myself."
At first, I think the stylists accepted them, even if they were secondhand, as long as some money came back. At that time, there were more worn and damaged items than now, so I learned repair skills from Toyo-san. Actually, even the checkered skirt I'm wearing now had quite a few frays.
As we became friends while working together, recently, the stylists started sending me items in as good a condition as possible, so the need for repairs has decreased significantly. However, it's impossible to eliminate frays and damages that occur every time I wear them, and I don't think the opportunity for complete alterations will ever disappear.
"If Haruka wants, I can ask the stylist for you, but what do you think? The only thing is, it'll be a whole box of clothes, and you can't choose your preferred ones. Also, as I mentioned earlier, it takes effort to fix them."
"...By the way, how much does it cost?"
Come to think of it, I asked that before, didn't I? When the box arrived, someone asked me, 'What's in that package?' I vaguely remember being rejected, saying something like, 'I'm clumsy, can't fix them, and might ruin them if I wear them.' I might not have discussed the amount at that time.
"About this much."
"2,000 yen... right?"
Showing the victory sign, Haruka answered hesitantly. Close, but it's one digit off.
No matter how worn out they are, they are branded items worn by celebrities appearing on television. If they're willing to sell a whole box for 20,000 yen, I actually think it's cheap.
I offered to teach her how to repair them, but she declined, saying she can't spend that much on clothes. Since the stylist chooses the clothes, they are easy to match, and considering that about 20 outfits are sent twice a year in one box, it seems like a good deal.
As actors, we also have an image to maintain when entering TV stations due to our work. We need to be mindful of our attire. While we have school uniforms as a formal option as students, if we wear them even on weekends, they'll wear out faster, and it would be counterproductive to look shabby at school events.
"I wish at least Sumire and I had the same size in clothes. Shirts and blouses are okay, but when it comes to skirts and pants, the hems are... "
Oops, are you saying that because I'm short? Well, it's pretty obvious that if Haruka were to wear my pants or skirts, it would be a bit off.
With Haruka soothing my puffed-up self and Touka laughing at the scene, we visited various shops, and quite some time had passed. I was tired from walking a considerable distance, and we had been chatting about trivial things, so my throat was dry. Deciding to take a break, we entered a donut shop with an eat-in area.
Since she offered to buy for me, I took on the responsibility of securing a table and watching over our belongings. I ordered a café au lait and an old-fashioned donut. I thought this would be sufficient for lunch today. If I eat more, I probably won't have room for dinner. It's a bit late for lunch, so this might be just right.
While I paid Haruka for the order as she brought the tray, Touka, who returned a bit later, took a seat. After moistening my throat with a sip of the drink and taking a bite of the donut, Haruka brought up a conversation with Touka.
"What's your school like, Touka?"
"Both the elementary and middle schools are full of people who came in through exams, so there aren't any rough or delinquent types. It's easygoing. Sometimes you see flashy upperclassmen, but we've just entered, so everyone seems to be wearing a mask, trying not to cause any trouble."
Haruka nodded and said, "I see," and I couldn't help but nod in agreement, thinking that's how regular new students usually are. In our class, there seem to be quite a few classmates who have already shown their true colors and are living openly. A typical example would be Miki-san.
When I mentioned that Haruka and I were in different classes, Touka reacted with exaggerated surprise. As someone who didn't know the reason why Haruka had been reluctant to take on work until recently, Touka had assumed that Haruka would be in a class with a schedule that was easy to manage. The issue was resolved after entering school, so the school didn't think they needed to give Haruka any special consideration. However, I couldn't just casually bring up such a sensitive topic, so I laughed vaguely and changed the subject.
The conversation shifted when we discussed the difference in classes, and it seemed that there was currently a lot of talk about romance in Haruka's class. The kids who were part of Touka's group during elementary school didn't pay much attention to boys in their class, so they didn't discuss such matters. Given this situation, hearing about romantic topics seemed fresh to Haruka, and she seemed to be gathering various pieces of information. As long as it contributes to her acting skills, it's fine, but since she has just started on the path of acting, I can only hope it doesn't take a strange turn.
By the way, when asked about the trending topics in our class, I mentioned that students in the sports clubs recommended workout routines and other training menus to each other. On the other hand, students in cultural clubs shared recommendations for books and stationery. Since this is valuable word-of-mouth in the pre-internet era, I often join in the discussions about stationery. I need pens that last long and are not disposable because the ballpoint pens I use for script checks tend to run out of ink quickly.
In exchange for getting information, I provide useful tips, such as recommending easy-to-use planners and sharing how I organize my notes during preparation and review. When you start using colorful pens, the focus can shift from the content to creating a neat and colorful notebook. So, I use only two colors of pens, in addition to black and red, to keep my notes concise and easy to understand. When I actually showed my notes, it seemed to be easy to understand, and some students proud of their studies began to imitate my method, boosting their learning motivation.
The first mid-term exams of junior high are after Golden Week, so I'm looking forward to confirming the effectiveness of my note-taking a little later. When I mentioned this to the two of them, Touka seemed to have a somewhat bewildered expression.
"As always, you're influencing your classmates in strange ways. That's so Sumire-like, isn't it?"
"These slightly quirky aspects are what make Sumire so unique."
While they said this with a smile, I couldn't quite tell if they were complimenting or criticizing me and found myself tilting my head in confusion.
"To be honest, I was worried. Sumire is cute, so I was afraid she might be treated with distance, ignored, or even ostracized, even if she wasn't bullied directly. But hearing your recent stories, it seems like you're fitting into the class, and that's a relief."
It seems that today's invitation to hang out was to check on the current situation since entering school. Whether this is a leadership quality or simply her protective nature, I'm not sure, but I genuinely appreciate her consideration. Without thinking, I placed my hand on top of Touka's hand on the table and thanked her, saying, "Thank you for caring."
"You're welcome. Just so you know, I may not have known you as long as Nao and Fumika, but I'm the one who supports you the most over here."
Touka, blushing slightly, said this with a hint of a more childlike appearance than usual. She has been a dear friend who has been kind and supportive since I transferred, just like Nao and Fumika.
With such support, I feel the need to continue working hard. Carrying the feelings of these friends who cheer me on, I decided to renew my determination and give my best.
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