< Rararai Theater Troupe’s first opening performance of "The Sea of Loss" at Shinjuku’s "Grande Ensemble Tokyo"... >
< Rararai Theater Troupe’s "The Sea of Loss" sold out all seats within one minute of first opening ticket sales... >
< "The Sea of Loss" — a bold plot that moves between past and present, a fierce blend of suspense and drama! >
< [Monthly 'Theater People' Column] It is precisely the vivid desire bearing the raw misery of human nature that is "The Sea of Loss." - Interview with Rararai Theater Troupe’s representative, Kinidaichi Toshiro >
August 15th. At last, the Rararai Theater Troupe’s summer season production, "The Sea of Loss," raised the curtain on its first performance.
"...Hah."
Aqua briefly turned his gaze onstage and looked toward the four-tiered audience seating, which felt distant, as if it were somewhere far, far away.
Long ago, his father had also successfully completed his first opening performance as a lead actor here at "Grande Ensemble Tokyo."
And now, with time having passed, he, the son, was once again raising the curtain on a first opening performance here—as the lead actor.
It would be a lie to say there was no pressure. Before becoming an actor who could surpass his father, he absolutely could not become an actor who would disgrace the path his father had walked.
Slowly brushing back the rich blond bangs with his right hand, Aqua let out a quiet breath laced with tension.
"...Let’s do this. Without regrets. Let’s give it everything we’ve got."
With that quiet resolve, Aqua stepped down from the stage.
A black shadow, contrasting with the brilliant stage lights, moved in time with the boy’s motions.
. . .
Holding Amber in his arms and studying the pamphlet for "The Sea of Loss" intently, Kaoru lifted his head at the sound of the crowd beginning to fill the seats.
Thanks to Representative Toshiro giving them invitation tickets to the second-floor VIP seats, the Hoshino family could watch in greater comfort and ease from the second floor.
Just as his own return performance had sold out right here, his son’s first opening performance had also sold out every seat.
As a father and as a senior—
Watching Taiki and Akane, who would carry the troupe’s future, and his own son Aqua grow before his eyes filled him with joy.
Perhaps because a mother’s arms and a father’s arms were different, Amber, who had been smiling brightly in her mother’s arms, now nestled her face against her father’s chest and stared quietly at her mother from his lap.
"Heheh-★ Amber-chan, your big brother will be out in just a little while. Right~?"
"Big bro~ big bro~ wanna see-"
Both parents gazed at their youngest child, who was babbling in a cute little voice at the thought of seeing his big brother, with eyes dripping with honey.
It wasn’t their first time watching their eldest son perform, but this was his first "first lead role" and his first opening performance, so even Ai felt nervous and jittery inside.
So when she stood up to go to the bathroom—
"Mama! B-bathroom...?"
"Mm-hm! Huh? Ruby-chan too? You just went a little while ago~"
"Waaah- I’m so nervous I keep needing to go to the bathroom~!"
It seemed she wasn’t the only one being consumed by nerves and trembling in real time.
Of course, there was Ruby, who adored her brother to an extreme degree even on a normal day—
"Amber wants to go too!"
"Huh-?! Amber too?"
And even Amber, who simply declared that she would go to the bathroom with her sister.
Watching his wife and two daughters looking so adorable, Kaoru burst into a hearty laugh.
Before long, time passed and the performance began.
Just one minute after the show started, Director Gotanda hurried over and slipped into the seat beside Kaoru.
Even though he was endlessly busy with drama editing work, he had contacted Representative Toshiro and burned with an unbreakable determination to make sure he saw Aqua’s performance—but Tokyo traffic had not been part of his plan.
Looking at Amber in Kaoru’s arms, Director Gotanda gave a mischievous smile instead of his usual indifferent one, and exchanged greetings with Ai and the Ruby-Amber sisters, who had noticed him.
The pamphlet for "The Sea of Loss" roughly went like this.
A young owner who inherited and ran his father’s small fish cake factory marries a woman who already has a daughter, learns that he cannot have children of his own, adopts two boys from an orphanage, and the story unfolds from there.
Though the family was not bound by blood, the young owner—kind and gentle by nature—truly loved his two adopted sons and his wife’s daughter, building a warm family bond.
But before he could decide who would inherit the fish cake factory, the owner and his wife died in a sudden accident, and, as if fate were playing a cruel joke, the brothers realized they had both fallen for the same woman before they had even had time to care for each other’s pain.
And then—
【 The accident 20 years ago... was actually something I fabricated. 】
What did the suspicious line spoken by the troupe member in old-man disguise, who came to the police station to turn himself in, really mean?
But after posing the question, the stage lights went out again, and the story of the past began in earnest.
"..."
Kaoru and Director Gotanda carefully observed the unfolding story and the actors’ performances with serious, sharp eyes.
"It’s big brother."
"Ah!"
At Ruby’s quiet voice, Ai’s starry eyes shone brilliantly as she looked at Aqua, who had stepped onto the stage.
He was no longer the son she knew; as if he had become someone else entirely, Aqua was so fully immersed in the role that even the way he walked had changed.
Kaoru looked at Taiki, who played Aqua’s older brother.
'Nothing to criticize.'
He had only been in the industry for two years. From Kaoru’s perspective, the talent Himekawa Taiki displayed showed no shortcomings.
'Aqua’s acting feels like a director onstage. He’s steering the whole play as if guiding it overall.'
Kaoru’s blue eyes gleamed with a bright, unusual light.
There were certainly things to refine, but to Kaoru’s eyes, his son’s performance—worked on diligently instead of resting on natural talent—was admirable and made him proud.
【 Didn’t Father say it? That he wanted to grow the fish cake factory even bigger someday. I want to help Father do that too. 】
【 If we’re going to grow the fish cake factory, the first thing we need is money. Father is too... soft. 】
【 ...I don’t think Father’s way is wrong. In fact, the factory manager said sales are doing better than when Grandfather was running it. 】
【 Well. How long can that method really last? In the end, the fact remains that we have to find a new way forward. 】
Through the brothers’ dialogue, the difference in their personalities and values was laid bare.
If they were together with the father who adopted them, the two were family and righteous brothers—but without their father, were they nothing more than strangers bound only by paperwork?
After their parents’ deaths in that suspicious accident, the two brothers did not try to repair the relationship that had collapsed as they criticized and slandered each other over control of the factory.
Having never received true love, the brothers’ desire for love and recognition took priority over everything else.
The fish cake factory left behind by their father, and the brothers’ desire to inherit it and make it succeed in order to raise their honor.
Was that desire truly to repay the father’s kindness, or was it for something else?
As the play progressed, the brothers’ hostility toward each other became increasingly blatant, and they began to suspect one another of their parents’ deaths.
【 Big brother.... 】
Though they were adopted children, the story of the two brothers who held in their hearts a woman with whom they shared no blood at all ultimately—
【 Stop it! Everyone at the factory is leaving! What on earth are you going to do?! 】
With tears streaming down her face, Akane’s scream, torn from her throat, echoed throughout the theater.
At Akane’s chilling method acting, in which she had become perfectly one with her role—
Director Gotanda’s and Kaoru’s eyes both sharpened with a bright, unusual light.
It was a ruthless charisma that absorbed the audience’s emotions with gripping force and made them assimilate those feelings—making them believe [lie] was [sincere].
Only one thing.
'Still, I wonder what it would look like if she acted without being [prepared], showing it raw.'
His respect for Akane’s unique acting method would never change.
However.
If one judged this method positively, it was a way with no mistakes at all—one that thoroughly analyzes things, stacks block upon block, and creates a single perfect form.
If one judged it with concern, though, its effectiveness drops sharply without the [resources] to analyze the character.
It is an acting method that depends entirely on the individual actor’s own ability, and only when the necessary [time] for analysis and a sufficient amount of [information] are secured will the environment be in place for Akane’s true worth to shine.
In other words, if she is not guaranteed that time, or if she has to dive straight into acting on the spot with only a brief analysis and practice because she cannot analyze the information, smooth immersion could become difficult.
If this were a filming set rather than a play, whether due to outside pressure or internal circumstances, it would be common for a good script to be revised in real time, for the director’s direction to change, and for situations to arise where preparation time and the amount of information available were limited.
If Akane, who had relatively little experience appearing in visual media such as dramas and films, had a gentle nature and was sensitive to stress triggers.
She herself would likely feel intense stress and anxiety in such situations, which could in turn create a vicious cycle leading to an actor’s slump.
In this respect, it was once again clear that her style was the exact opposite of Kana’s.
'You’ve done well so far. For now, let’s think it through.'
Meaningless advice and solutions only end up tying the feet of geniuses who are growing step by step.
Kaoru himself was still learning and honing his own acting, so he couldn’t—and didn’t want to—start bossing around younger colleagues as if he were some senior telling them what to do.
Considering the influence he held, if he said even one wrong thing to a young junior, that person would surely follow him blindly and lose the will to carve out their own path.
"..."
Right beside him, Director Gotanda, who was observing the actor’s performance with laser-like intensity, would surely be able to help with solutions.
And—since he thought Representative Toshiro probably wasn’t unaware of the problem he himself had in mind.
Kaoru set the matter aside in a corner of his heart, leaned back against the chair, and patted Amber’s back as she nestled against his chest and drifted into soft sleep.
'Representative Toshiro... you must feel at ease.'
With a satisfied smile, Kaoru watched the trio delivering their passionate performance onstage.
. . .
After the performance ended, Kaoru excused himself from his wife for a moment and headed alone to the actors’ waiting room.
Aqua, Taiki, and Akane were removing their makeup, along with senior and junior troupe members.
Even though Kaoru had suddenly appeared after opening the door, the troupe members, drained by the tension of the first opening performance and the whirlwind curtain call, greeted him like dried-up squid.
Of course—
"Dad!"
"Aqua. Haha, good job. My son."
Startled by his father’s surprise visit, Aqua approached him and received a pat on the shoulder, wearing a shy smile.
His father’s smiling face as he praised him for doing well was enough to wash away the tension and worry he had been carrying.
Even though this was his second life, hearing his father’s voice made tears threaten to spill before he knew it, so Aqua deliberately turned his head and gestured toward Taiki and Akane.
"Taiki-hyung and Akane did even better. I was really nervous, but thanks to them I was able to get through it safely."
"Yes. Thank you, everyone, for doing so well. I was so absorbed in watching that I lost track of time. Taiki-kun, Akane-chan. You two worked really hard too. Haha, Representative Toshiro probably won’t say anything again, but he’s definitely smiling in satisfaction."
At the heartfelt praise from Kaoru, a far senior in the troupe and a man standing at the pinnacle of the acting world—
Akane, whose face was already red to the point of burning, and even Taiki, the very picture of a free spirit, scratched the back of his head shyly and bowed.
"...Thank you."
"T-thank you very much, senior! I’ll keep doing my best!"
Kaoru nodded and met Taiki’s gaze as the latter looked at him quietly.
Those were not dark, parched eyes, but living eyes full of clear vitality and strength.
He had worried when Taiki said he wanted to become an actor and strike out on his own after leaving the children’s center and taking his first steps into acting.
But Taiki had turned those worries into needless concerns, growing dazzlingly and carving out a new path for himself.
Ever since the first time they met, Kaoru had felt an unusual tenderness toward Taiki more than toward others, and now he gently patted the young man, who had only just become an adult, on the shoulder and said,
"You’re doing well, Taiki. I’m always rooting for you, so I hope you become a great actor."
"...Yes."
Right beside him, Aqua watched a faint unusual light drift through Taiki’s black eyes and—
'...'
Looking at his father and Taiki, he suddenly tilted his head slightly at a strange sense of déjà vu that felt both familiar and unfamiliar.
Even though it was clear they were unrelated men, complete strangers with no blood ties at all.
Seeing the two of them in profile, the subtle and complicated emotion that suddenly surged in his chest somehow intensified that unknown sense of familiarity.
Just as Aqua’s strange gaze passed over his father’s and Taiki’s side profiles and came to rest on the father’s warm hand placed on his older brother’s shoulder—
Bang—!
"Aquaaa-★"
"Big brooo-★"
"Aqua big brooo-★"
"Big brooo-★"
"Wah?!"
Four surprise guests burst into the waiting room and rushed all at once toward Aqua.
Each of them, their starry eyes shining brilliantly, hugged Aqua tightly—
"You were so, so, so cool-! Akuu-chan, you were so cool it made Mama’s heart go zzt-zzt—electrocuted!"
"Big bro, give me back my hearttt!!! Give it backkk!"
"Tonight I’m sleeping with big bro, not sis!"
"Uwaaaah-★"
"...Hah-hah."
With praise pouring out of them, Aqua let out a hearty laugh and spread both arms wide to embrace everyone tightly.
Even if it looked a little troublesome to the troupe members, naturally he would happily accept praise from the family he loved.
At the sudden situation, Kaoru tilted his head.
Surely his wife and babies had no way of knowing where the waiting room was, so how had they found their way here?
When his surprised, questioning gaze turned to the familiar middle-aged man standing outside the door, Kaoru finally smiled and nodded.
If Representative Toshiro allowed it, then...
"..."
Akane, too, who had been watching from behind Kaoru with a flushed face,
quietly patted Aqua’s back along with the others, as if she were part of the Hoshino family.
With more courage than she had shown when performing her first opening show.
. . .
The editing process for the eight-episode drama was, for Director Gotanda, a refreshing and pleasant string of moments like a happy summer vacation.
Most of the cut scenes were not discarded, but blended together perfectly according to the script he had written, and the OST and BGM, packed full of the essence of classical music brought in by the music director, were also excellent.
Unlike in the old days, he no longer had to do the timid little thing of silently asking after the parents of the editing team, who had been favored by the production committee.
It was so good to be able to tie up both the process and the finish of the work exactly as he wanted.
In other words, it gave Director Gotanda’s work performance wings.
As a result!
< [Exclusive] Fuji TV, "Bird in a Cage" confirmed for a surprise September 5 broadcast! >
He pulled off the feat of successfully locking in the air date for episode 1 just six weeks after filming ended!
And on top of that, the drama PV was scheduled to be released in advance on YouTube at midnight tomorrow—an unbelievable sight even when seen with one’s own eyes!
It was truly an achievement that overcame physical and temporal limits, and people in the industry were left with their jaws on the floor at the strength of Fuji TV, the production committee, and Director Gotanda’s team.
The same was true of the actors who appeared in it.
"Director! Does it make any sense for the drama promotion schedule to be five slots a week?!"
Rentarou, who rarely got angry, shouted into the receiver.
But Director Gotanda didn’t budge an inch, merely laughing it off and hanging up, saying it was entirely the production committee’s and Fuji TV’s responsibility.
Today was August 23rd, and the broadcast was already on September 5th.
"Damn it."
Taking off his sunglasses and setting them on the desk, President Ichigo looked somewhat flustered by this absurd, insane promotion schedule.
TV interviews, magazine promotions, variety show appearances—after the drama shoot had ended, the Kaoru-Ai couple had already effectively entered a rest period like a summer vacation, but for two weeks they would be quite busy...
"No, wait."
"Nope."
Come to think of it, they didn’t even need to run around frantically promoting the show like they used to.
Whenever Kaoru and Ai posted once on social media, it became a major news story, and for the rest of that day television stations everywhere would be introducing the couple’s social media accounts.
Didn’t every fashion item Ai and Kana wore at the company dinner sell out in every offline store and online mall starting the very next day?
Did the most famous star couple in Japan in this era really need to go out of their way to appear on promotional broadcasts?
"Haha."
"Hmm!"
Given their experience and careers,
if they didn’t bother pushing the promotion schedule too hard and just went with the flow...
"On September 5th!"
"[Bird in a Cage] will be coming to you."
"Please look forward to it!"
However, professionals were different.
【Hoshino Ai】. 【Kamiki Kaoru】.
The two of them were not only unmatched in talent, but also in their sincerity and resolve toward their work.
A married couple who personally proved why they were praised as "top of the industry" and stood as the most famous actors of the era!
"I’m addicted to the advance PV! I kept replaying it right up until just before recording started! It’s been looping in my head nonstop!"
"Hehe, thank you-★"
"I just can’t wait until September 5th! So let me ask one thing. Will there be a kiss scene between Ai-san and Kaoru-san?"
"Will there be one!?!?"
"Eh, that—!"
"You’ll see when you watch."
Even under the barrage of mischievous questions from the famous MC duo who came from a comedian background, Ai and Kaoru showed perfect give-and-take, matching their positions like the best actor couple they were.
Of course, in reality, it was Ai’s skill that carried the variety show they appeared on together with Kaoru.
Even for top-tier actors, the world of variety shows was still difficult.
"Kana-san says filming this drama was a very meaningful time for her as an actress. Is that right?"
"Yes. I got to match acting rhythms with Ai-senpai, spend a lot of time together, and talk about many things. It was such a great experience."
"According to the staff, Ai-san was very fond of Kana-san, isn’t that right?"
"Hehe-★ Well, she’s just so cute!"
"......."
On a variety talk show where Ai, Yuriko, and Kana appeared together for promotion, Kana’s bashful smile after being startled by Ai’s unrestrained and candid remarks also became a hot topic.
While his wife worked hard on variety shows and in all kinds of media, Kaoru took charge of interviews with broadcasters and magazines.
At first, husband and wife attended interviews with domestic broadcasters and magazines together, but this was also to consider his wife’s mental fatigue from the repeated similar questions and the somewhat long interview times.
The drama and the immense popularity of the Kaoru-Ai couple spread not only across Korea but also to China, the United States, Southeast Asia, and Europe, so reporters from various countries visited Japan to request interviews.
Knowing that linguistic communication is important for building closeness, Kaoru handled every interview fluently in the language of each country with the interviewers who came to see him.
〔 Did you perhaps study Korean for the interview? We were really surprised that you spoke so fluently without the help of an interpreter. 〕
〔 Haha. It’s partly for interviews, but I’ve also been interested in the cultures of various countries for a long time, so I’ve been studying little by little online. If I ever get the chance, I’d like to visit Korea with my wife and talk with Korean fans about many different things. 〕
Media and netizens in each country, who were fond of Kaoru for speaking not only Korean but also English, Chinese, and French at a near-native level, began to throw themselves into promoting the drama from a distant foreign country.
More than expected, Representative Rentarou and President Ichigo...
"..."
"...Ahem."
At some point, they reflected on their own judgment, which had lost its original初心.
. . .
On a Saturday evening not long before the twins’ second-semester school term began.
Aqua and Ruby finally brought up to their parents the high schools they wanted to attend.
"Eh-?! "Youtou High School"?"
"Mm. If it’s "Youtou High School," I think it’s the only place in Tokyo with an 'entertainment department,' right?"
"Yes." "Yep!"
Ai and Kaoru couldn’t help being both as expected and slightly surprised by the twins’ decision to go on to "Youtou High School."
In fact, there were many young entertainers attending "Youtou High School" from various fields, and quite a number of students who aspired to become entertainers as well.
Just among the people the couple knew—
'Kana-chan said she goes to "Youtou High School" for her acting career! Since she’s one year older than Ruby, if Ruby enrolls, they’ll be senior and junior, right?'
Ai’s starry eyes sparkled brightly.
But there was also another reason they were a little surprised by the twins’ declaration.
The couple knew that Aqua had steadily maintained a place in the top five of his grade rankings.
Kaoru had also once researched both "Kaisei High School" and "Youtou High School" as possible schools to attend in the past, and Ai had heard from Kana that "Youtou High School" did not require especially high academic scores.
They had somewhat expected Ruby to choose "Youtou High School," where the academic requirements were relatively flexible, in order to pursue her dream.
But they had not expected Aqua, who had also consistently maintained high grades without difficulty since entering school, to choose "Youtou High School" as well.
"I see. Um, could you tell us why you decided on "Youtou High School"?"
At their father’s question, Ruby and Aqua’s differently colored starry eyes glittered brilliantly as they spoke.
"Yep! Papa, Mama. If I go to Youtou High School, there’s an entertainment department, so I’ll be able to train much more freely than if I went to another school.
Hehe— Ruby isn’t the type who’s especially gifted at studying like big bro, and it’s true I’m not really interested in it! If it were just for studying, I might have considered somewhere else..."
"Ruby decided on that place in order to fulfill Ruby’s [dream]!"
Ruby’s red starry eyes shone with determination toward the mother and father she loved.
The sincere advice her mother, brother, and father had given her that day—written down on a memo pad—was still vividly preserved in Ruby’s heart.
"Papa said it. To do whatever I want without regrets—without holding back. So... Ruby wants to become the best [idol], just like Mama... just like Mama! And I want to perform at Tokyo Dome!"
"Kyaaaah-★ What do we do... uuu- Ruby-chan...."
In truth, even without saying it, they had already guessed, but this was the first time Ai had heard her daughter’s bold dream and ambition directly.
For a tiny, adorable baby to grow up so well and declare her goal so steadily and confidently.
The starry eyes of Ai, overwhelmed with emotion, filled with tears sparkling with joy and excitement.
As a mother, the fact that her daughter’s [dream] and [wish] were none other than 『Hoshino Ai』—herself—
made Ai feel as if she could fly with happiness and gratitude.
Kaoru firmly held his wife’s hand under the table and, with a proud smile, looked at his daughter and said,
"Yes. Your mom and I... have always sincerely supported Ruby’s dream. Even after you go to high school, I believe without a doubt that our daughter will keep working hard for her dream without laziness. Ruby will definitely become someone wonderful, just like your mom—or even more wonderful than your mom. I’m sure of it, from the bottom of my heart."
"...Thank you, Dad! Heheh."
At her father’s support, Ruby stuck out her tongue a little shyly and smiled. A lovely smile like pure starlight bloomed over her flushed face.
Ai also had no doubt that Ruby would become someone even greater than she was. She firmly vowed to do everything she could for the sake of Ruby’s dream.
Then.
With the same detached yet calm expression that resembled her father’s, Aqua met the gazes of his father and mother looking at him.
Ai, her brilliant starry eyes shining, smiled and spoke to her son in her bright, cheerful voice.
"Aqua, will you tell us too? Mama’s really curious!"
"Yes. Well, as you both know, I’m aware that my academic成绩 is a little disappointing for choosing "Youtou High School."
So at first, I worried a lot about how I’d convince you if you opposed it. My teacher opposed it at first too."
"Mm."
Kaoru nodded. From an objective standpoint, it made even more sense.
If entertainment activities were the issue, then Kaoru—well, if he attended "Kaisei High School," which had revised its school regulations for the first time in a hundred years to allow students’ entertainment activities, that problem would be solved.
That was probably the advice Aqua’s homeroom teacher gave as well. But Aqua seemed to be looking not just at the immediate issue, but far beyond it.
His blue eyes, like the sea and resembling his father’s, began to sparkle little by little as Aqua said,
"At some point, I started thinking that academics are something I’m naturally good at anyway... so I should just manage them well as long as they don’t interfere with acting.
Learning acting at the troupe is fun, and acting onstage is incredibly fun too.
Every time I act, I feel as if I become someone else and am free. Sometimes it hurts so much emotionally, and even though it isn’t my own life, when the character I’m playing is happy, I end up smiling with all my 【honestly】.
When I study, I only end up looking upward, but when I act, I feel like I’m doing what I truly want to do."
"...!"
The desire for acting reflected in Aqua’s eyes, and that [star light].
Kaoru, as if bewitched, found himself listening to his son’s resolute voice and unable to look away.
"I think I can study whenever I have time in my life. The same goes for a good university. Like you, Father, I could probably go to [Tokyo University] again without much difficulty, given my academic level.
But—
The [miracle] of being able to pursue what I truly love and achieve a [dream] together... I don’t think that will ever come again in my entire life.
I don’t want to regret it again.
I want to study what I love and become a good [actor] like Father. That’s the [dream] I want to achieve."
"..."
"Heh-★"
Ai, smiling brightly, poked her husband in the side as he stared at their son and said quietly,
"Like father, like son, huh~?"
"..."
The hand that had been poking his side now clasped his large hand tightly, interlacing their fingers just as her husband had done earlier.
In the blink of an eye, watching their grown-up babies have [dreams] and walk toward the future was—
as heartbreaking as it was joyful, something the couple realized only then as they faced yet another brilliant [miracle].
They really had grown up. Truly.
"Aqua."
"Yes."
"Since you’ll be attending the same school as Ruby, make sure you keep taking good care of your little sister like you do now, and stay on good terms with her. Okay?"
"Yes!"
"And Ruby."
"Yep! Ah, yes!"
"Your dad and I are sincerely rooting for you too, Ruby. We’ll do our best to help make Ruby’s [dream] come true."
"...Then..."
"...does that mean you’ll give us permission?"
At the twins’ question—
The couple turned to look at each other, then looked back at the twins.
"Yep-★"
"We’ll allow it."
The moment their parents gave their permission—
"Kyaaaaiyaaa!!!! Mama-!"
"Kyaaaah~♥"
Ruby struck a victory pose and let out a scream of joy, then sprang up from her chair and ran to her mother, throwing herself into her arms.
At her little sister’s sudden action—
Aqua, his face flushed, also looked at his father sitting across from him and slowly rose from his chair.
He wondered if he should hug him too, to show his gratitude.
But then—
"Come here, son."
"..."
His father had already stood up and was waiting with both arms wide open.
That embrace looked so broad.
And then... suddenly, far in the future.
The thought that there would come a time when this gentle embrace could never again be held, no matter how much he wanted to, came rushing over him all at once.
With moisture glimmering in his blue eyes, Aqua bowed his head without realizing it and went to his father—bracing himself against his embarrassment, he hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, Dad."
At his son’s tiny voice, his father wore a faint smile and quietly patted his son’s back.
-
Not long after the Aqua-Ruby siblings and Amber started school, September 5th finally arrived.
Ruby, in particular, took a break from training, and Aqua left the troupe early and headed home to prepare for the live broadcast with full force.
The Kaoru-Ai couple were overwhelmed replying to messages from every acquaintance saved in their contacts, as well as to the actors and staff who had worked on the drama.
With the live-broadcast event offering handwritten autographs from the Kaoru-Ai couple and the other cast members, plus drama merchandise, social media and community sites were already on the verge of exploding.
During the commercial break before the drama aired—
Holding Hina in her arms, Miyako performed the feat of popping open a beer can with one hand and shouted like a true man of action, drawing on deep abdominal breathing!
"Turn the volume uuuuup-!!"
Just wanted to let you know that in the last couple of chapters Ame has mistakenly been called amber in a bunch of spots, it get increasing difficult to figure out which is correct unless you reread it a few time's