Once the drama "Black Rose of the Mastermind", in which Kaoru appeared as a child actor in a supporting role, surpassed an average viewership rating of 20 percent just six episodes after it began airing, public attention naturally shifted to the child actors appearing in the early episodes.
The production team’s decision to populate the first episode through the beginning of episode three almost entirely with child actors, laying a solid foundation for the story in the crucial opening stretch that heightened the drama’s appeal, was praised as a masterstroke.
The child actors in the main cast line had already been snapped up by performers with backgrounds that gave them overwhelming leverage in industry power games—child actors from major variety agencies, or student-model-turned-child-actors from model and actor promotion companies that were already famous in the business.
But when it came to the child actor whose performance left the deepest impression, viewers who watched the drama all agreed on one name: Kaoru Kamiki, who played Kuroki Shunichi.
Kuroki Shunichi was the hero’s ally and irreplaceable best friend, a rookie prosecutor in the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office’s Financial Crimes Division.
In the early part of the drama, after the hero’s father took his own life following a ruthless betrayal by the family that owned a major conglomerate, and Shunichi’s father was framed for everything, sentenced to prison, and died behind bars after his health deteriorated, the character became someone who wept blood and sharpened his blade for revenge.
In episode one, which captured that agonizing process in full, Kaoru’s performance—dropping to his knees on the ground and sobbing without a single NG in a one-take—became an even bigger topic of conversation than the two child actors who portrayed the hero and heroine’s first meeting, and was hailed as one of the episode’s most iconic scenes.
Now that the drama was racing toward its climax, major magazines and broadcasters were scrambling to land an interview with Kaoru, who had rapidly risen as one of the most talked-about young actors of the next generation.
- "Kaoru Kamiki doesn’t have an agency!"
To everyone in the industry’s shock, Kaoru had no agency.
There was no official channel except for the Rararai Theater Troupe, where Kaoru was affiliated.
Some people connected to the troupe, with only tenuous ties to the entertainment world, had merely “helped out” when broadcast casting requests came in, but all of the practical management work for his acting career was being handled by the middle school boy alone.
The unbelievable behind-the-scenes story that a mere middle schooler had been handling all those complicated entertainment-industry tasks with just a cellphone.
Industry insiders rushed to contact the Rararai Theater Troupe, trying to set up Kaoru’s interview schedule, or asking for his personal phone number, causing all sorts of trouble.
And the victim of this blazing competition, Toshiro Kinidaichi, the troupe’s director, had just hung up after refusing yet another interview request for Kaoru from someone described as "the son-in-law of the nephew of a classmate’s father-in-law who was class president in first grade," and was now rubbing his temples against the rising headache.
As he massaged his temples, Toshiro once again realized the eternal truth that you couldn’t live without committing sins.
He didn’t even remember the name or face of his first-grade class president, so how on earth had they tracked that down and contacted him?
And more importantly, did they really think that calling with such a bizarre title would make him gladly agree?
Wouldn’t telemarketing have been more productive?
But where on earth was the troupe’s actor at the center of all this, Kaoru Kamiki, that he never showed his face?
When had I become this brat’s agency head or manager?
Ah, I want a vacation.
Lost in a flood of thoughts, Toshiro rubbed his temples again, then frowned when his phone rang.
Using his right hand, still pressing at his temple, he picked up the phone lying beside the documents and opened it, where a familiar number appeared.
"Yes, Producer."
The caller was none other than Kaburagi Masaya, a junior from the troupe.
At the sight of Masaya’s number—one of the few people he personally knew who was good at managing connections—Toshiro immediately sensed that this call was about Kaoru’s interview.
- "It’s because the wife of a college classmate of mine works for a famous magazine. Somehow she found out how to reach you and the director and called me. Honestly, this world is way too small."
"Hah... We do live in a world where you can’t get away with anything. So, you’re calling to ask me to help make the interview happen?"
- "Haha. Back when we launched a program, this friend and his wife helped me out quite a bit with marketing and promotion. I guess, after all..."
"This business is all about give and take, after all... Still, I can’t promise anything. It’s been a while since I last saw his face. All right, I’ll at least put in a word. Yes, yes. Got it."
After taking Masaya’s call for help, Toshiro clicked his tongue and set the phone down.
As was the way of this world, everything ran on connections and give-and-take, so people gave what they could in advance and received what they needed to build relationships.
If he owed Masaya a favor, there would come a time when a single phone call could solve a problem in a pinch, and the same was true for Masaya.
The world of adults.
During the last shoot, when Kaoru had confessed that a senior actress had been making advances at him, Toshiro, as an adult, had not been able to do anything that truly helped him.
He had only offered a few generic, overused pieces of advice as a worn-out adult, and Kaoru had still thanked him for them.
"...I’m completely disqualified."
Still, since he had been asked for a favor, Toshiro decided to call Kaoru first.
After sucking in a bitter breath, he picked up his phone again and was just about to enter Kaoru’s number when—
Bang—
"?"
"...Were you here?"
"...?"
What the hell was wrong with this kid?
Without even knocking, Kaoru suddenly opened the director’s office like it was his own living room.
Toshiro stared blankly at Kaoru, who had barged into the office while holding his phone, and felt the guilt and debt he had been carrying as an adult explode like fireworks in the night sky.
Kaoru, who was seated and had brought along snacks like Toshiro’s favorite iced Americano and donuts, took off the hat he’d been wearing and said in an indifferent voice, "Please have some."
"......"
Come to think of it, he had always been like this.
The kid who, on his very first day, had thrown scissors at a shelf and punched a hole through it.
The kid who had climbed this far on his own in just a little over two years, with that same indifferent face.
The kid who had now overtaken his twin brother and senior troupe member, Hikaru Kamiki, to become the troupe’s undisputed top ace.
And yet his dignity as the director and head of the troupe...!
Slurp—
"Mm. This place really is the best."
With one cup of coffee, all his stress vanished.
Feeling the caffeine bring his body back to life, Toshiro nodded in satisfaction and looked at Kaoru.
"You’re coming from school?"
"Yes."
"You’ll graduate at the end of this semester, right?"
"Yes."
"Where are you thinking of going for high school?"
"I’m considering either Youtou High School or Kaisei High School Academy."
"...?"
Was this kid out of his mind?
With a face that had already given up on thinking, Toshiro sipped his iced Americano blankly and sniffled before saying, "That’s... your own future, so I won’t interfere."
"Yes."
"Well, fine. I know you’ve become a hot topic in the industry lately, right?"
"...Yes."
He answered indifferently with an indifferent expression, but Toshiro knew.
Kaoru was deeply uncomfortable with his own fame.
Everyone who debuted in this world wanted to become famous.
They were souls prepared to do anything if it meant becoming famous.
But the ones who were actually “chosen” had to pass through a hole narrower than the eye of a needle before their fate was decided.
This was a place where even the greatest talent, if luck did not follow, would be forgotten without a trace, and such people were everywhere underfoot.
And yet the boy in front of him merely frowned and let out a quiet sigh, as if he hated how his fame kept growing day by day.
Even though supreme talent and fortune had come together, Kaoru was not happy at all.
"Interested in doing an interview?"
But Toshiro was an adult.
He was not Kaoru’s manager or agency head, only the director of the Rararai Theater Troupe.
It was true that he felt a debt to the boy as an adult, but separate from that, Toshiro had already been asked a favor by someone whose name now carried a debt.
The calculations had long since been settled on the abacus.
"Hmm... This is Producer Kaburagi’s request, isn’t it?"
"......"
Toshiro could not answer.
No, more precisely, he had not expected a question like that to come out so suddenly that he could not open his mouth.
...How did he know?
As a crack appeared in Toshiro’s usually stubborn face, Kaoru looked at him as if he already knew everything, quietly lifting the corners of his mouth and sipping his iced Americano.
"You’re not very good at lying."
"......"
"I thought it might be him. There’s no way Producer Kaburagi would just sit still. And there’s no reason to refuse."
At Kaoru’s insight, which seemed to see straight through his mind—
"R-right. Hah... So, will you do it or not?"
In the end, Toshiro gave up completely and let out a long sigh. The boy smiled and shrugged.
"It can’t be helped. You asked me in person, Director."
"...Show off your throwing skills as a party trick or something."
Casually tossing out the remark, Toshiro stood and returned to his desk.
"Pick out the dates that work for an interview and send them to me by text. After that, it’s your job."
"Yes."
"You can go."
At Toshiro’s dismissal, Kaoru politely bowed and left the office.
Watching the door close, Toshiro scratched his head and muttered while looking at the shelf that had once been pierced by scissors.
"Being an adult is hard."
-
One week later. A practice room at the Rararai Theater Troupe.
Lon-lo, a famous fashion magazine published by a major Japanese publishing company known for its manga magazine series.
They had come with a dedicated team, including a photographer, to interview Kaoru, who played Kuroki Shunichi, the second most popular character after the protagonist in the recently booming "Black Rose of the Mastermind."
For photo shoots, interviews were usually held at studios or nearby locations, but Kaoru had insisted on doing it at the Rararai Theater Troupe.
The reason was simple.
It was convenient.
A woman with a refined, urban beauty and a bob haircut greeted Kaoru with a very natural, relaxed smile.
"Hello. I’m Yuno Hasegawa from lon-lo, and I’ll be conducting your interview today. It’s nice to meet you."
"Yes. Nice to meet you. I’m Kaoru Kamiki. Please feel free to call me by my name."
Kaoru politely accepted the business card Yuno Hasegawa handed him and pointed to the chair set up in the middle of the meeting room.
At the handsome boy’s courteous gesture, Yuno Hasegawa covered her mouth and laughed, then tucked her bobbed hair behind her ear and sat down.
"Hoho, yes. Thank you. Today’s interview will follow the sheet we handed out earlier. The photographer will be taking pictures in between, so please don’t get nervous and just keep things relaxed. If you have any questions or anything else you’d like to ask during the interview, feel free to stop me at any time."
"Yes."
He was only wearing a casual white shirt, jeans, and sneakers, but somehow it still became fashion.
Yuno, a veteran employee at a women’s fashion magazine, sized up Kaoru’s physique and fashion sense at a glance.
He might have looked cool and cold with his indifferent expression throughout, but the boyish charm in his blue eyes could not be hidden.
Once a team member finished setting up the lights for the photo shoot and gave the okay signal, Yuno Hasegawa turned on the recorder and skillfully began the interview.
"Please introduce yourself."
"Hello. Nice to meet you. I’m actor Kaoru Kamiki. I played the younger version of Kuroki Shunichi in Black Rose of the Mastermind."
Kaoru continued answering in a very calm, stable voice, with no sign of nervousness.
Yuno Hasegawa could only inwardly marvel at the calm charisma Kaoru radiated and the mature charm that did not seem at all like that of a 15-year-old boy.
Whenever she asked a question, the answer came out without hesitation, as if he had already prepared it in advance.
There was no fumbling or rambling, only clear and concise responses.
"...Yes. Next question. Before playing Kuroki Shunichi, you also appeared in dramas in minor and supporting roles. Did that experience help you? What mindset did you have while playing Kuroki Shunichi?"
"Yes. It couldn’t help but be useful. There are always unexpected variables on set. Even in those situations, you have to keep your emotions steady, stay immersed in your role, and always be ready to step into filming at any time. I first appeared in a work by Producer Matsushige Sojiro, who has now retired, when I was 12, and as I kept working steadily, I developed my own methods. While playing Kuroki Shunichi, I constantly thought about Shunichi’s emotions and motivations, and the dignity he held as a human being. Filming started in June, and it was extremely hot. But even then, I kept thinking about Shunichi and immersing myself in him. The hatred Shunichi carried was something ordinary people could never feel while living their everyday lives..."
As Yuno Hasegawa nodded and reacted to Kaoru’s words, she began to seriously wonder whether this boy really was a child actor.
No matter how she thought about it, she had never expected a child actor to be capable of an interview at this level.
It almost felt like she was interviewing a seasoned middle-aged veteran actor nearing old age.
Apparently she wasn’t the only one feeling that way, because even the junior photographer who would normally be hammering the shutter nonstop was hesitating, watching Kaoru and wondering whether to press the shutter at all.
That was because some veteran middle-aged actors absolutely hated camera flashes going off noisily while they were talking about themselves.
"Ah. Yes... Um. Do you feel your own popularity now?"
Yuno Hasegawa asked a spur-of-the-moment question that had not been on the sheet.
Honestly, such intellectual and scholarly interviews were not especially popular with the female readers who made up the magazine’s main target audience.
In truth, what they most wanted to know was the product called Kaoru Kamiki himself, and they did not care much about what kind of acting philosophy he had.
At Yuno Hasegawa’s ambush question, Kaoru smiled for the first time and said, "When I found out the magazine that wanted to interview me was lon-lo, I immediately wanted to cancel."
"...? Ahahaha! I-I see? Why did you feel that way?"
"I became an actor because I like acting. Being in the spotlight or becoming famous is very burdensome for me, and I’m not the type who enjoys that sort of thing, so at first I was flustered. Now, when I walk down the street, some people recognize me and ask for autographs or photos. They also tell me they’re cheering me on or that I’m good at acting. Every time I hear that, I’m very happy and grateful. It’s just that I’m still awkward when it comes to autographs and photos, so I never quite know what I should do."
As Kaoru scratched his head and answered with an embarrassed smile, the camera flashes immediately burst into a rapid patter and captured the scene.
"You’ve also done CFs, mostly for things that aren’t too flashy, like drinks or study materials. Is there a connection there?"
"Yes. I received casting offers from major clothing brands and... places that anyone would recognize if I named them, but I turned them all down because I didn’t want to stand out."
"......??"
It was Yuno Hasegawa, not Kaoru, who failed to keep her expression under control after hearing that answer.
He turned down all the CFs from famous companies that would become career-defining the moment you did one, and instead chose drinks and study-material models...?
Her face plainly showed how confused she was, wondering whether this boy was really a child actor.
It was not a lie or a concept.
Kaoru’s actual path had truly been the very definition of mystique.
In fact, this was effectively his first official interview, and he was the so-called "once-in-a-generation boy breadwinner" who had handled all his entertainment-industry work alone without even a proper fan club or agency.
Yuno Hasegawa had a feeling this would probably be the strangest interview since she joined the company, and decided to ride the momentum and squeeze out every last drop of so-called value.
As a personal judgment, it was extremely mercenary. As a solo interview for lon-lo, it was perfectly rational.
Her eyes sparked with determination as she resolved to plaster this golden apple with spit before anyone else could get to it first.
"Um... I’ve heard rumors that you’re incredibly good at studying. I’ve heard that you even ranked first in your grade?"
When another question not on the sheet came up, Kaoru’s eyes narrowed for a moment, but he decided not to show it and to act like an adult.
"Yes."
"It must have been difficult to balance academics and acting. What was your method?"
"I reviewed and previewed my lessons whenever I had time. I hate letting work pile up, so my habit of not procrastinating helped me the most."
"Yes, yes~ Do you have any favorite singers or actors?"
"...Not particularly."
"Yes, yes.
"You’re graduating middle school now, so is there a high school you’re aiming for?"
"...Not yet. I’m still in career counseling."
"You’re very popular with the opposite sex, so maybe you have a preference for the opposite..."
"Please wait a moment."
At the question that crossed the line, a chill seemed to sweep through Kaoru’s gaze for an instant.
An unpleasantness seeped into his indifferent expression, and in that instant, a cold, ruthless aura that was hard to believe belonged to a 15-year-old boy descended over A Practice Room in silence.
'Ah.'
Shocked by Kaoru’s completely changed attitude, Yuno Hasegawa froze, painfully aware of her own misjudgment.
She had let greed blind her and failed to make a proper judgment.
Even though she had clearly and desperately felt from the very start of the interview that the boy before her was not some ordinary, naive child actor—she had still let herself be blinded by image-driven marketing.
"May I ask what any of those questions have to do with Kaoru Kamiki as an actor?"
"Ah... I-I..."
"I can allow a certain degree of off-script questions for the sake of making the interview more interesting. I’m not saying I don’t understand that. However, the format and intent of those questions are extremely unpleasant."
"!!!"
At the suffocating decisiveness displayed by the 15-year-old boy before her, Yuno Hasegawa’s mind went completely blank.
How in the world!
How could this be the charisma and self-assertion of a child actor?
The horrifying sensation of cold sweat breaking through every pore on her scalp struck Yuno Hasegawa head-on.
At this point, it was impossible to act tough, because Kaoru had already moved first and turned the blame back on her, and objectively speaking, her own mistake in forcing those off-script questions because of greed was too great.
On top of that, the cold anger he displayed—so refined and so unlike what anyone would expect from a child actor—played the decisive role in completely shattering the psychology of Yuno Hasegawa, who had unconsciously assumed the upper hand as an adult.
Without even being able to properly argue back, the grown-up adults had been completely swept up in Kaoru’s pace and reduced to speechlessness.
If the interview fell apart here, it was obvious she would be torn apart and lose the trust of both the smug editor who wouldn’t bleed even if you stabbed him and her own boss, who had barely managed to arrange this interview through connections.
And if word of this spread through the industry, then in the worst case...
Kaoru, who had been staring straight through Yuno Hasegawa’s now deathly pale face, shifted his gaze and spoke in a firm voice to the team members, who had also frozen stiff.
"As you know, this interview was arranged because our troupe director personally requested it of me. Please, I would appreciate it if you could make sure that our director’s reputation is not damaged."
At Kaoru’s action of politely bowing first while mentioning Director Toshiro Kinidaichi, who had been asked through a connection, Yuno Hasegawa was startled and sprang to her feet, waving her hands frantically.
"N-no, no! Kaoru, I should be the one apologizing for making you uncomfortable! I’m sorry. As the interviewer, I should have kept proper manners, but because of my own greed..."
"...Then that’s fine. Please continue the interview."
"Y-yes, understood."
Yuno Hasegawa tucked her sweat-soaked hair behind her ear and continued the interview with a level of politeness that was incomparable to before.
Kaoru returned to his usual calm, indifferent expression as if nothing had happened and answered the rest of the interview with a serious attitude.
About forty more minutes passed like that, and once all the prepared questions were finished, the schedule ended with a few simple poses for the photos that would appear in the magazine.
"T-thank you for your hard work, Kaoru."
Yuno Hasegawa’s face had gone so pale it looked as though her HP had completely bottomed out, and unlike when they first met, she smiled and bowed deeply.
Kaoru also bowed politely and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work as well. I’m very happy and grateful that I was able to have such a good interview thanks to you."
"Yes, yes. We also think it was a very good interview because you approached it so sincerely and seriously. Thank you."
"Um, Yuno."
"Yes?"
As if he had something to say, Kaoru hesitated for a moment, scratching the bridge of his nose.
Yuno Hasegawa tilted her head and looked at the boy.
"Earlier, there was the question you asked me about singers or actors I like."
"...Ah~ yes, yes, yes. How should I put it—"
"Could you change that to, ‘What songs have you been enjoying lately’? I can answer right now."
"...Huh? That... would be possible, but why?"
When Yuno Hasegawa asked out of pure curiosity, Kaoru scratched the bridge of his nose and—
for the first time since they had met for the interview, he gave a warm, gentle smile and said in a low voice,
"I’ve been enjoying songs by an idol group called B Komachi. The reason is..."
Yuno Hasegawa could only stare blankly at the boy, as if time itself had stopped for a moment.
Why had the industry’s reaction to the actor called Kaoru Kamiki been so slow?
Why did technology still not exist that could capture exactly what the eye could see?
Feeling deep regret over the unresolved questions that flashed through her mind, she was soon completely captivated by the boy’s shy smile as he answered.
-
"...So you liked idol songs, huh. I didn’t know. Hmm. No wonder you suddenly started carrying around an MP3 lately; there was a reason for it."
"......I could guess what kind of reaction you’d have, Producer."
"You looked absolutely delighted, like you’d just pulled off something without lifting a finger. I had no idea you’d mention B... those girls there."
Toshiro, sipping his iced Americano with his usual stubborn expression, flipped through the magazine and said, "Let’s see. As an actor of the Rararai Theater Troupe, I feel deeply grateful to be able to work with such wonderful people who are striving to reach the top... I’ll keep doing my best in the future... I hope everyone will continue to support me and come see me... Hmm... I really did pull off something without lifting a finger. Win-win."
"......"
"...You worked hard. You can go."
"Please have the donut right away. It’s cream-filled."
"Got it."
Kaoru politely bowed and left the office.
As soon as he stepped out, his phone rang. Checking it, he saw Ai’s number.
Kaoru looked around briefly, then smiled and answered.
"What is it?"
- "K-Kaoru! Where are you?"
"I’m at the troupe, obviously. What’s wrong?"
- "I-I saw the magazine! With the director!"
"...And? Why?"
- "Th-thank you. Um, the director still doesn’t know about Kaoru, but, yeah—he said that if he ever gets to meet you, he wants me to tell you he’s grateful. So I wanted to call and say thank you too... so I called..."
As the girl’s voice grew smaller and smaller, Kaoru silently stifled a laugh and leaned against the wall.
"Actually... I was planning to keep it a secret."
- "Huh? What was?"
"That I’ve been listening to your songs. It was the first time I’d ever gone looking for them, and honestly, they weren’t really my type at first... but I started liking them more and more. Ai, your songs."
- "......"
"...Ai?"
- "Uh, w-wait— I have to hang up soon because I’m about to go on stage! People are looking for Ai! I’ll text you later! Bye★"
It felt like she had hurriedly cut the call off for some reason, but Kaoru smiled, closed his phone, and slowly walked toward the practice room.
"?"
Sensing someone’s gaze seeping into his sharp awareness, he immediately turned around to look behind him.
But there was no one there.
"......"
And yet, the boy’s cold eyes had clearly caught something unusual.
Kaoru quietly resumed walking toward the practice room.
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