As July began, a string of news kept coming in one after another.
< B Komachi unit group MeiMei & Nino single album [Stella] reaches No. 1 on the Oricon charts >
< B Komachi unit “MeiMei & Nino” becomes the first solo act to reach No. 1 on the Oricon charts since Ai Hoshino >
It was news that the unit activities of Aunt MeiMei and Aunt Nino, both members of B Komachi, had produced excellent results.
Rather than the flashy, dance-heavy idol genre, it seemed the public had been won over by a J-pop style song armed with superb vocals and melodies that could be listened to comfortably like background music—the so-called easy listening.
And the most important fact here—!!!!
"……★"
The lyricist who wrote the lyrics for this [Stella] was… none other than [Ai]—my mother!
《 Even if the morning star in the night sky is hidden and cannot be seen, it’s okay. Because you, who hold me tightly, are my own morning star. Always with Your Stella-♬ 》
People of the public.
Worship her with all your heart and soul, my [oshi]!
"Big brother~! Huh? Why are you standing there with your hand on your forehead?"
"……Ah, nothing. Want me to read you a book, Ame?"
"Yeah! Read to me!"
In fact, Mother had written the lyrics for [Stella] about ten years ago.
After Father was attacked and the first Tokyo Dome concert was canceled, when they held the second Tokyo Dome concert, the idea of using the members’ self-written songs as concert-only tracks was proposed among the sisters.
At the time, Aunt MeiMei, who had the greatest talent for instruments, was going to play acoustic guitar herself and sing with Aunt Nino, and Mother took on her very first lyric-writing job for the two of them so the three could make a self-written song together, but….
Very sadly, for one reason or another, it fell through, and the notebook containing the lyrics Mother had personally written was carefully stored at Aunt MeiMei’s home for ten years.
After that, before anyone had time to feel too disappointed, they were busy preparing for the concert, and as time passed, they naturally forgot that Mother, and even Aunt MeiMei and Aunt Nino, had once made a self-written song together—
Until, while packing up her belongings to move, Aunt MeiMei discovered the composition notebook and the notebook with the lyrics, and [Stella] finally came into the world after ten years, in a backstory more dramatic than drama itself….
"Congratulations, Mei, Nino! That’s right, I saw it! Kyaa~★ Yes! It’s been such a long time since you did a live broadcast, and you didn’t even get nervous at all-! Amazing!"
Watching Mother’s smile as she chatted on the phone with the sisters, her starry eyes sparkling.
I, too, once again realized the true happiness and hope of living in this world, along with the meaning of life.
And thanks to the dazzling smile of my [oshi], I even felt a sort of reverent purity, as if my heart were being cleansed on its own.
No one would disagree that [Stella] was this year’s best lyric, packed full of Mother’s literary sensibilities, her uniquely radiant sensitivity, and the essence of her [sincerity] and [love].
If there were anyone who did disagree, I can guarantee we had more than enough energy to fight a keyboard battle until 6 a.m.
After all, we were fearless third-year middle schoolers on summer vacation.
"Big brother."
"Yeah."
"I sent you the address. We need support."
"Got it."
The current time was 11:10 p.m.
We immediately switched on the twelve anonymous VPN accounts we had paid for in preparation for this holy war, and Ruby and I set out on a journey to make the faithless who doubted Mother’s lyric-writing ability repent.
Ah—
Ignorant masses.
Bow down before the sanctity of my [oshi].
-
< [Exclusive] Yonezu Taishi signs an exclusive contract with the Ichigo Production Group >
< The Ichigo Production Group, which brought forth a “genius,” is the secret [B Komachi]? >
Right now, if you were to name the most famous male solo singer-songwriter in Japan, it would be Yonezu Taishi.
Just looking at the fact that he handled the main OST for master filmmaker Miyazaki Makoto’s [How Will You Live?] shows his musical standing.
By now, almost everyone knew that Yonezu Taishi was a hardcore fan of my mother.
But no one could have predicted that the moment his agency contract ended, he would immediately decide to sign with President Ichigo….
"……."
That bastard was starting to annoy me for some reason.
< Popular travel YouTuber with 5 million subscribers, Kuma no Plane, signs an exclusive contract with Ichigo MCN >
< Popular fitness YouTuber “Piyeong,” selected as a Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare campaign ambassador for “Obesity Smash” >
Fortunately, there was also some truly good news.
The results of Ms. Miyako’s wholehearted efforts and investments in leading the MCN business were being steadily harvested.
The popular travel YouTuber Kuma no Plane, who had even appeared on terrestrial TV a few times, signed an exclusive contract with Ichigo MCN.
With as many as five million subscribers and every video guaranteed to pull in at least a million views, it apparently drew a huge number of advertising offers.
Just from the fact that Miyako’s MCN division had been formally split off into a separate company under the name Ichigo MCN, you could tell how much President Ichigo trusted her, beyond even their marriage.
"Piyeong! Piyeong!"
"Waaah! Ame, that’s amazing!"
"Big sis! Ame’s gonna build muscles like Piyeong too! So later I can carry big sis like this—hup!—and go to school!"
"…E-eh? C-carry me? T-then you’d have to lift heavy dumbbells like Papa does?"
"I don’t like heavy things~! Oh! Then, big sis can do that and hug Ame instead!"
"…??"
We also heard that the fitness YouTuber Piyeong, whom our Ame was completely obsessed with and watched all the time lately and who was especially popular with elementary school kids, had been appointed as a campaign ambassador.
In my past life, there was a kind of “truth” that said popular stars had to be born through TV.
But now, through video SNS platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Stories, anyone in the world could become a star—a celebrity.
And the business of managing them across multiple channels, MCN, had grown into a hugely promising cash cow, just as Miyako had predicted.
Moreover, Ichigo MCN’s strength wasn’t limited to video platforms alone.
My mother belonged to the Ichigo Production Group, and my father belonged to Stani-On.
But the two agencies had such a close partnership that they were practically sister organizations, so naturally the YouTubers under Ichigo MCN also benefited greatly from that halo effect.
《 Waaah~ I didn’t know Momo-chan could eat her feed so deliciously! Definitely!
Maybe because it’s feed packed with thoroughly selected 100% organic ingredients and fresh pork, but Momo-chan really didn’t leave a single bite—
M-Momo! Wait! I’ll give you more! Wait! Kyaaah-! 》
Just look at the popular beauty-and-pet YouTuber MEMcho, who landed a paid sponsorship from a global company famous for making premium organic feed—
The very fact that she belonged to Ichigo MCN had become one of the standards companies used to judge a YouTuber’s popularity and value.
Of course.
"Ai, I’m really sorry. Could you take Hina to get her vaccinations? I had originally set up remote work, but the client suddenly changed the meeting schedule, and—ugh…"
"Hehe, don’t worry about it, Miyako-chan! Amber and Hina will go together and get their shots nicely and happily!"
"Th-thank you, Ai."
For working mom Miyako, both work and child-rearing were precious areas of life, so being this busy was a drawback—it felt like she needed two bodies.
Still, just as Miyako had once looked after Ruby and me in place of our parents, our family was now helping her in every way we could whenever she was busy.
"Bwaaah-!"
"Iko- iko-"
"…Huh? Iko- what?"
Amber immediately went up to the crying Hina and readily handed over a toy she treasured.
Watching Hina stop crying in an instant after receiving the toy Amber offered made me smile without meaning to.
The three of us siblings watched Amber and Hina’s friendly little scene from a bit of a distance.
Leaving behind the somewhat shameless thought that maybe… someday, they might grow up as close childhood friends and bring us good news….
"It’d be fun if Amber and Hina grew up and got married later, wouldn’t it, big sis?"
"Yeah. That would be really nice. Heheh-"
Hearing Ruby and Ame say that, I couldn’t help but flinch.
I even felt a strange sense of relief that I wasn’t the only one thinking it.
Scratch the part about being shameless.
Wait, maybe this wasn’t shameless at all.
Maybe it was the wish of our whole family….
Hahaha…….
Grow up quickly, you two.
-
< Outstanding Award, Youth Male Category, 78th Japan Arts Theater Award: Hoshino Aquamarine >
< Outstanding Award, Youth Female Category, 78th Japan Arts Theater Award: Kurokawa Akane >
If you asked anyone to name the most prestigious award in the Japanese theater world, they would all answer with the Japan Arts Theater Award.
I didn’t become an actor because I loved acting and wanted to rise in the world or anything like that.
Still, isn’t it true that when people are praised with an award for doing well, they feel happy?
Of course, Father, who had won the Japan Arts Theater Award Grand Prize, was very happy, and Mother was delighted too. Ruby and Ame even bought a cake to celebrate me.
Of course, once you receive an award, the important thing is to keep working even harder.
Without acting rashly, and as an adult living a second life, I should keep my head down and sharpen my skills with a humble and serious mindset.
"…You’re thinking too much, Akane."
While we were practicing, I noticed Akane staring blankly at me without delivering her lines, so I warned her. She jumped and lowered her head deeply.
"S-sorry, Aqua-kun."
"Well… Akane is in the middle of a lot of thoughts right now. The reality of trying to make a living as a stage actress is tough, and her heart keeps drifting toward the TV station, and in the end, after much agonizing, she quits the troup—"
"……."
"Th-that’s not it!! Don’t just arbitrarily ‘leave a perfectly normal person’s troupe’…."
When you look at Taiki-nii’s unique and dark worldview, you realize that nothing in this world can be free from the law of equivalent exchange.
Looking at Taiki-nii, who had exchanged his outstanding acting ability for a lazy, snail-like personality, it really seemed that way.
After moving beside Akane, who still couldn’t quite focus, I quietly checked the time and said casually,
"Let’s do a little more, then wrap up."
"……I’m fine with doing more."
Huh.
Was she not in a condition where she was hungry or losing focus?
Rather, I was the one who was surprised by how she suddenly brightened her eyes and strongly wanted to extend the time, at least by Akane’s standards.
Since she had seemed to be in poor condition, and then suddenly said this with a sharp glint in her eyes, I had nothing more to say after I’d been the one to suggest ending practice early.
In the end, with Taiki-nii’s judgment(?) deciding on a 10-minute break, we lay down on the practice room floor or leaned against the wall and spent a little time gathering our thoughts.
< Grand Prize, Male Category, 78th Japan Arts Theater Award: Himekawa Taiki >
The day we won the Outstanding Award in the youth categories.
Taiki-nii won the Grand Prize in the male category.
President Toshiro smiled with his usual indifferent face and congratulated Taiki-nii, and the other seniors did the same.
With a career built in just about two years since joining the troupe, he was on a level comparable to my father, Kamiki Kaoru.
But—
"……."
Taiki-nii’s expression, unlike that of someone who had won the Grand Prize, remained expressionless as he stared at the award in silence.
Looking at his dark eyes, dull as if black paint had been splashed over them, I recalled that scene that had been etched into my mind like a photograph, and for a while I felt a strange emotion.
Was it sympathy for his unfortunate upbringing?
Or was it because of some kind of [feeling] toward Taiki-nii—something even I still couldn’t trace to its source?
There is no family beside Himekawa Taiki to congratulate him. That is certainly unfortunate.
The troupe members—Akane and I included—had grown close to Taiki-nii through living and working together, but in the end, we could not become [family].
When I thought about it that way…
I could understand why Taiki-nii never let us into the deepest part of his heart, kept a certain line drawn, and went to private rooms every day to drink with women.
〔 To… receive this award, I’m deeply grateful and very happy. I’d like to express my thanks to everyone who supported me… the people of the troupe, and my colleagues… and to Aquamarine-kun and Akane-chan, who also won awards today, I want to say thank you.
And…… 〕
During the brief silence, was I the only one who noticed the way his hand tightened around the award?
While his dark eyes, like a night sky, moved aimlessly through the air.
What exactly was he thinking about… who was he thinking about?
After a short silence, what followed was nothing but a standard acceptance speech.
In the end, no words ever came from his mouth for the person who no longer existed in this world.
"……."
The air from the ceiling-mounted AC felt a little cold, so I quietly stood up.
There had been plenty of talk about the fact that actors from the Rararai Theater Troupe had won many of the highest honors available to stage actors.
There were rumors, of course, that they had changed the original Grand Prize recipient to Taiki-nii so no one would say he’d only won because of his father’s halo…
And people also said President Toshiro’s influence and standing had now risen to a level no one could casually approach.
But our president? If he cared about that sort of thing, he would have dragged our father onto the stage by the collar from the beginning.
For President Toshiro, who didn’t hesitate to use harsh language like saying the theater world was taking off its breathing apparatus and dying like a terminal patient, this seemed to be nothing more than “a good thing that happened over the course of a long life.”
The only difference was that if you searched the internet for the names of the three of us, one more line had been added to our award history.
Other than that, there was nothing else that had changed…… and that wasn’t really for us to judge, so pass.
"Taiki-nii."
"……What."
"Get up. Ten minutes are up."
"…………Can I rest… five more minutes?"
"……Sigh."
Akane’s deep sigh echoed through the practice room.
Of course, Taiki really didn’t move an inch for five whole minutes.
-
On a hot, humid July evening in Tokyo.
The staff gathered in President Toshiro’s office at the Rararai Theater Troupe focused on his usual indifferent, tired voice.
"The premiere is on the 15th of next month. We only have one month left already."
President Toshiro muttered as he reviewed the documents submitted by the planning department and the performance schedule list.
Once the season run begins, it usually lasts two or three months, and even during that period, the troupe doesn’t rest—it immediately begins preparations for the next season.
In summer, because the foot traffic was especially heavy, the evening shows were usually packed to capacity.
Of course, given President Toshiro’s style, which was close to perfectionism when it came to performances, it wasn’t just about box office success; whether they could truly captivate the audience was also extremely important.
Now that [Kamiki Kaoru] had become a legend of two opposing worlds—stage and camera—
And since, for the first time in a very long while, three Japan Arts Theater Award winners had emerged at once, President Toshiro, as the troupe’s head, couldn’t help but pay even more attention to this performance without realizing it.
After hearing the widely reported award news, more and more people would be watching with burning eyes to see the skill of the “new generation” and “golden generation” that would carry the future of the Rararai Theater Troupe.
The trio’s rise was President Toshiro’s pride, and any attack on the trio was no different from a wound that President Toshiro himself would have to bear.
"For the actors’ overall schedule, is there any opening this Saturday three days from now, or the weekend after that?"
At President Toshiro’s question, the staff shook their heads.
"None."
"Akane is free except for her Saturday morning schedule. She’s free five days from now too."
"Then three days from now… let’s announce a full mid-rehearsal at 1:00 p.m. in rehearsal room 1A. It’s about time we got serious."
"Yes, sir."
"Understood."
Nodding, President Toshiro leaned back in his chair and picked up the cup of iced Americano beside him, taking a long sip.
He could feel the cold, bitter coffee sliding down his dry throat.
Reward psychology. For some reason, that word came to President Toshiro’s mind.
The nostalgic reward psychology that should come after this bitter coffee taste.
Ever since he became the head of a household and got busier, the guy had been coming by less and less—
But he always used to bring that along with the coffee.
That thing.
"…Haah. Cream donuts would be perfect with this…."
President Toshiro murmured softly, stroking his rough beard with his right hand, and suddenly let out a snort of laughter.
He should think about his health, too.
A bitter thought, as bitter as coffee, flashed through his mind—that he had gotten old enough to think of something like this as natural.
Ignoring the puzzled looks from the staff directed at him.
President Toshiro, who had been idly flipping through documents, soon spoke quietly.
"Let’s go eat."
-
Saturday afternoon, three days later, Rararai Theater Troupe rehearsal room 1A.
The troupe actors gathered in the rehearsal room each reviewed their scripts at their own pace, practiced alone, or formed small groups to watch and critique each other’s acting.
If they showed even the slightest weakness, President Toshiro’s thunderous scolding might come down on them, and they might have to eat and sleep in the troupe rehearsal room from that day on.
But the people gathered in the rehearsal room, regardless of age or seniority, were all souls who lived and died for [acting].
The room was filled with tension, but none of the actors gathered here held [fear] in their hearts.
The stance of an [actor]: tense, but not afraid.
Actors with this stance were the [treasures] the Rararai Theater Troupe had spent years rigorously evaluating and selecting.
"……Ah. I shouldn’t look at the script. My head…"
"Could it be… you drank again until late last night, Taiki-san?"
"…You’ve stripped away even the slightest trace of familiarity. Yes, Akane-chan. Rather than ‘last night,’ it was until ‘today.’"
Even kind, gentle Akane looked at Taiki—the soul who was not free from a hangover—with icy, narrowed eyes, setting aside her human assessment of him.
She wondered if he was out of his mind.
He hadn’t shaved, his hair was a greasy mess, his eyes looked hollow, and his horn-rimmed glasses hadn’t been cleaned either, with eye gunk and eyelashes stuck all over the lenses—a rare sight indeed.
Even after the terrifying President Toshiro had announced the full rehearsal, this man still went and drank himself stupid until dawn and showed up in a hangover-ridden state.
Serious Akane truly could not understand it at all.
However.
After even the senior actors who had once tried to lecture Taiki in his own unique worldview had finally signaled surrender, the only person currently capable of controlling this prodigal son(?) was President Toshiro.
"Brother. Here, wipe your face with this tissue."
"…Thanks, Aquamarine-kun."
He didn’t seem to have brushed his teeth, because there was no rotten smell coming from his mouth, but Aqua couldn’t shake the feeling that some kind of “natural” scent was drifting off Taiki as he took the wet tissue.
Aqua looked away from Taiki, who was busy wiping his face, and turned to Akane, who was staring intently at the script with sharp, intelligent eyes.
"……."
Maybe the script book would burn through.
No matter how many times he saw it, her concentration was incredible.
She was so meticulous and thorough in her practice that she even went on scouting trips to a seaside town near Tokyo by herself on the weekend because she wanted to immerse herself more deeply in the character she would play.
"I like this sea so m…… ah…"
Perhaps sensing Aqua’s gaze, Akane blinked for a moment, then blushed and lowered her head again.
Realizing he had interrupted her practice, Aqua hurriedly apologized.
"Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to—"
"N-no, it’s okay. It’s okay. Don’t mind it, Aqua-kun."
Akane, instead, waved it off and stopped him from apologizing.
Smiling gently so Aqua wouldn’t feel awkward, she fidgeted with her right hand holding the script, then brightened her eyes and spoke in a more confident voice.
"W-we have a lot of scenes going up as partners, right? Let’s check it one last time!"
At Akane’s words, Aqua stared at her shining eyes for a moment, then slowly smiled and nodded.
"Okay. Let’s do it."
"Yeah. Then, starting from page 150—"
Bang—
At that moment, the door opened—
And President Toshiro strode into the rehearsal room with the director of operations, clapping his hands as he said,
"Everyone, pay attention."
At President Toshiro’s clap, the noisy rehearsal room fell silent.
Satisfied with their momentum and expressions, President Toshiro gave a small nod and spoke in his usual indifferent voice.
"Today’s mid-rehearsal will be a stripped-down run in the rehearsal room rather than on stage, but that makes it all the more important. You all know why."
At President Toshiro’s words, all the troupe members nodded.
There wasn’t a single member of the Rararai Theater Troupe who didn’t know why this was also called a “mid-evaluation.”
President Toshiro nodded, checked the time, and said,
"Then, starting with Group A. Aqua, Taiki, Akane. From page 161."
"Yes, sir."
"Yes."
"Yes."
Akane, Aqua, and Taiki, whose names were called, were the first to step onto the mid-rehearsal test stage.
Despite its fame, the Rararai Theater Troupe itself was actually on the smaller side compared to other troupes.
To manage the troupe members’ schedules, working hours, and condition, each performance used a rotation system in which the actors were divided into groups.
The so-called “A group,” often called the main cast group, was usually assigned to weekends and prime time on weekdays, so the burden was quite heavy.
However, because it always included actors trusted by the president and guaranteed to draw audiences, the quality of the performance was practically assured.
The fact that this A group included a third-year middle schooler, a first-year high school student, and an actor who had only just become an adult made even the other troupe members feel, with both eyes and body, that a generational shift was truly underway.
"…."
Akane, clearly tense, let out a small breath and licked her dry lips.
By nature, Akane was gentle and timid, always carrying tension somewhere in the back of her heart, so “starting” had always felt like this for her.
But—
The “character” fully assembled in Akane’s mind, and in the vast mental world that stretched as far as the sea, slowly stretched and rose to its feet.
The instant she became completely immersed in the character, the play, and the role.
A fictional person who existed only in text finally became a perfect human being existing in reality, breathing and living.
Gradually, the trembling stopped, and Akane’s eyes began to emit a clear [light].
"……."
Cold, clear blue eyes like a quiet lake, exactly like her [father]’s.
Aqua, lowering his brilliant blond hair slightly, quietly settled his breathing and called up his concentration.
The meticulous calculation and direction of [acting], and the instinctive, sensory power to pierce through the flow and staging of the entire play.
He had inherited the peak of natural talent from his legendary actor parents, and Aqua had used it freely without even needing to sharpen it further.
The power of meticulous direction that made [lies] believed as [truth].
It began to shine brilliantly in the boy’s starry eyes.
"…Ha."
Dark as a pitch-black night sky, yet with black eyes so deep they could not be carelessly judged.
To have no color meant that whatever color was applied to him, he could reproduce it perfectly as his own.
What actors most wanted was precisely that: to preserve their own color while simultaneously shedding it and performing an entirely different color perfectly.
And Taiki had proven that distant realm effortlessly with his innate talent, in just a little over two years since entering the troupe.
Of course, right now his head hurt so badly from the hangover that no one knew whether he’d do well or not.
Like the glasses he had briefly left in his pocket.
Because acting and rehearsals were, in the end, things he had to keep using in order to [live].
In those dull black eyes, which had had no light at all, [life] rose in ripples like a wave pattern.
"……."
President Toshiro silently—
stared at Aqua and Taiki standing face to face.
Having lived with theater since his university days in his twenties, President Toshiro, with his rich experience and years, quickly finished analyzing the vague feeling he got from looking at the two of them.
"Do you really think I’d stand by and watch you steal my [father]’s factory?"
Aqua’s fierce voice—and—
"Steal it? Does it even make sense to call it stealing when I’m taking what [father] left behind for me?"
Taiki’s cold voice.
Kindred.
Though their shape, purpose, direction, and way of walking were all the exact opposite.
The [acting] the two of them displayed gave President Toshiro an impression so alien and strange that it could not be put into words.
Was that why?
Suddenly, in this important moment of mid-rehearsal evaluation.
In President Toshiro’s mind, the hot, bitter taste he had forgotten for so long came back to him.
Something he had given up for his health…
Something hotter and more bitter than coffee… something nostalgic.
"……."
Something he had now recalled together with the names of people who no longer existed in this world…
That something.
Kept wavering again and again in President Toshiro’s mind like a pale plume of smoke.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register