Familiar street. Familiar buildings. Familiar bench.
Kaoru let his blue eyes sweep over the road he was visiting for the first time in a long while, now that he was out of school.
The bench in front of the cafe. It had originally been a hamburger shop, but it had changed into a cafe. The bench, however, was still the same, and the outdoor billboard on the rooftop in the distance was still there too.
Some things changed as time passed, and some things did not. Kaoru, who remembered his past life and was living his present life anew, let out a soft breath at the strangely nostalgic feeling tugging at his heart and stepped into the cafe.
"Welcome."
After returning the part-timer’s greeting, he looked around inside and spotted Director Sojiro waving at him. Kaoru started toward the window seat, but Director Sojiro, who had been sitting there, stood up with two wrapped iced Americanos in hand and walked over to him.
"...What is this?"
The boy, now taller than Sojiro, looked at him quietly and asked.
Director Sojiro adjusted his glasses and nodded toward the bench outside.
"I felt like sitting on that bench again after so long."
"...I’ll carry them."
"Thanks."
Kaoru let out a small sigh and took the wrapped drinks from Director Sojiro. After lightly patting Kaoru’s shoulder, Sojiro opened the door, went outside, and walked over to the bench to sit down.
Kaoru followed soon after with his long strides and sat beside him.
As the bench’s hard surface pressed against him, Kaoru was once again seized by that odd feeling.
Had the perspective always been this high? From the time he had been a first-year middle schooler to now, a second-year high schooler. After five whole years had passed, sitting on this bench again felt...
"How is it?"
"How is what?"
At Director Sojiro’s question, which lacked a subject, Kaoru took a sip of his iced Americano and asked back.
Smiling faintly, Director Sojiro leaned against the bench backrest and let out a quiet breath.
"You ask without knowing? That hurts my feelings."
"...Why did you do it?"
At Kaoru’s question, loaded with more meaning than one, Director Sojiro smiled again and turned his head to look at the handsome boy, now still youthful but steadily becoming a young man.
"Well. Why did I do it? It wasn’t impulsive, but it wasn’t because I’d drawn up some grand master plan either."
"I heard that if it hadn’t been for the ratings, they would have dragged it down. You could have ended up taking all the blame and getting kicked out, couldn’t you?"
"In the end, I showed them, didn’t I? What was really [real]. With the numbers, the popularity, the impact. I proved it all. They tucked their tails. They even came back asking if I wouldn’t add more PPL to the remaining episodes. I told them to stop talking nonsense and sent them all packing."
Was that reverse power harassment? Kaoru smiled faintly and said, "I see."
"Yeah. My eye wasn’t wrong. I’ve always, always trusted my [gaze]. People called me a freak, a stubborn old fool, but I kept walking while trusting my eye. This time, too, the board played out exactly right. I took all the winnings, and the ones who bet against me got wiped out."
But Director Sojiro only let out a soft sigh and showed no more intense reaction than that. Instead, in a quieter voice than before, he went on.
"Kaoru. Have you ever stood face-to-face with death?"
"......"
He had.
But he couldn’t say that.
Still, he had stood before death countless times. Shot, strangled, driven into a pillar in a car. Every single moment had been death.
In the end, he had lost his life to nothing more than a truck, but death had always been by his side. He had lived that way all his life. He could at least guess what Sojiro was trying to say.
Thinking Kaoru’s silence was a denial, Director Sojiro looked toward the people sitting inside the cafe and said, "When I first got my terminal diagnosis, regret came before fear. I thought I’d lived a successful life, one with plenty to show for it. But when death actually came for me, all that was left in my head was regret. My wife, my children. Every contact saved on my phone. They were all just... things I couldn’t hold on to. Like gold dust slipping through my fingers."
"......"
"And then, like a miracle, I recovered, and the doctor who had given me the terminal diagnosis said, ‘Congratulations.’ Only then could I finally laugh. For other people, tomorrow is just tomorrow. But for me, today had always been the last day. So I wanted to live without regret."
Director Sojiro turned his now-bright eyes toward Kaoru.
A boy.
The dazzling, beautiful jewel he had found while walking this street five years ago had, as if by fate, grown so firmly at his side and was shining so brightly it hurt to look at him.
The one and only masterpiece and proof that his eye had not been wrong.
With his left hand gripping Kaoru’s shoulder tightly, Director Sojiro smiled at the corner of his mouth and said, "You’re my [pride]. So I wanted to show off my pride to the world to my heart’s content."
"...You succeeded."
"Hahaha. Yeah. I did. I really rubbed their noses in it. Even with everyone against me, I pushed through. And I succeeded beautifully."
After laughing in satisfaction, Director Sojiro’s expression soon turned serious as his eyes flashed behind his glasses and he looked at Kaoru.
"You... don’t ever live like me and [regret] things. Don’t waste your youth. Do whatever you want... without regret, to your heart’s content. Live as much as you can."
"......"
His business card. Kaoru remembered the card Director Sojiro had once handed him. It was still carefully tucked into his wallet.
If he had taken that card and never called?
He would definitely have regretted it.
He would never have found something he loved, never have joined the troupe, never have met Ai, and never have held the twins, who were his entire life, in his arms.
The beginning of everything had come from receiving Director Sojiro’s business card and making one phone call with the resolve to try living without regret.
Looking back on those memories and feeling Director Sojiro’s sincerity deep in his heart, Kaoru smiled and nodded.
"I’ll keep that in mind."
-
Kaoru’s additional filming moved very quickly. That was because the amount originally meant for the special episode had been pulled into the main broadcast, leaving a hole where the special episode footage had been.
Director Sojiro, who had already worked out the details in advance with the writer and the network, managed to film all of the new special episode material in just five days.
It was the result of the three of them—Kaoru, the writer, and Director Sojiro—huddling together and thinking everything through in painstaking detail from the production stage onward.
They filmed an episode set after [Kiriyama Ryota] entered university, and one of the prestigious national universities they had secured as a filming location came out to greet them in person and express its thanks.
"The student council president is filming at our school!"
Students at Haito University came out in droves to watch the shoot and take pictures. At Haito University, known for its old-fashioned, beautiful campus, Kaoru awkwardly waved at the older students and did his best to provide fan service.
As photos taken with Kaoru spread across social media, and photos from the shoot itself spread as well, the internet once again burst into flames.
- Told you so. I said he’d be pushed as the student council president, lol.
No matter what the netizens said as they rushed to act like sages who had seen it all coming, the prevailing opinion was that the drama had delivered a brilliant counterexample, smashing the trend in the industry of big agencies and advertisers propping up unqualified lead actors for PR dramas.
And viewers who now got to see more of the student council president, that refreshing sip of soda in an otherwise heavy, frustrating drama, had no choice but to be delighted.
As proof of that...
"Father!"
"The honor of the family comes first. I have nothing more to say."
"Beee! The worst! Idiot! Old fossil! Why are you going that far?! Are all political families like this?!"
"Papa! Papa! Papa!!!"
Watching Ai and Ruby vent their genuine anger and frustration at the TV, Kaoru broke out in a cold sweat.
As the hidden story of [Kiriyama Ryota], the student council president who had lived a suffocating life in a family that had produced generations of politicians and legal elites, was revealed, viewers instantly understood why the student council president had ended up with such a rigid, rule-bound personality.
It was practically a separate storyline inserted into the regular broadcast here and there, but viewers didn’t mind at all. On the contrary, they begged for even more screen time.
The six lead actors had long since been completely forgotten. As the gap between the average ratings and the per-minute peak ratings widened to more than three times, the network began reading the room and even asked Director Sojiro, who had been given full authority, to increase Kaoru’s screen time instead.
But Director Sojiro coolly told them to get lost and kept the amount of footage frustratingly limited to the end.
"Kaoru! When is the special episode airing? Huh?"
The child, nestled in his arms and sitting on his thigh with star-bright eyes sparkling.
It was the day episode 8 of the regular run aired, the eighth week already. Kaoru, who had come to respect President Ichigo’s incredible skill at never scheduling Ai on drama broadcast days, smiled as he kneaded his wife’s soft cheeks like mochi.
"Why? Are you going to beg the president not to schedule you again?"
"......Ebeee-"
Did she think he wouldn’t know? When Ai looked away in embarrassment, Kaoru gently stretched her cheek and let it go, then kissed her.
"Mm-"
After their lips met, Kaoru smoothed back Ai’s long hair and whispered, "It airs the week after next. Keep that in mind. You have to watch the finale."
"Mm! Got it!"
Ai nodded with a flushed face from Kaoru’s gentle touch and rubbed her face against her husband’s chest like a cat.
Bathed in the power of that always-warm, always-comforting, always-reassuring magical space, Ai looked at the TV with a happy face.
Of course, the twins, who were watching from beside their father, looked at their parents’ lovey-dovey display with icy eyes.
"Mama... Papa...."
"Taa...."
"Ah! It’s starting!"
As the drama began, Ai immediately slipped out of Kaoru’s arms, hugged the twins, set them on her thighs, and watched the show.
"It started?!"
Miyako came rushing out of the bathroom too, her hair still not fully dried as it swayed while she sat down in front of the table.
For some reason, this felt like déjà vu. Kaoru tilted his head and looked at Miyako.
"Congratulations on your graduation."
As expected, after the uninteresting setup came the latter half.
Kiriyama Ryota attended his graduation ceremony. Hirano Taisuke, who had reformed after dating the heroine and been elected the next student council president, gave Ryota a short smile.
Even the smile looked awkward. Their relationship in real life had not been good, so it was only natural that even a warm scene would look stiff.
Whether that was the case or not, Kaoru, playing Ryota, smiled with dazzling skill as if to spite Sasaki Ryunosuke, then took a fan from inside his arms and handed it to Sasaki.
"This is?"
"Think of it as the symbol of the student council president. Now it’s your turn."
"......"
With a relieved expression and a gentle smile at the corners of his mouth, Kiriyama Ryota, now dressed in a comfortable school uniform with neither the stiflingly buttoned-up collar nor even a tie, patted Hirano’s shoulder and said, "I’m counting on you, Hirano Taisuke."
"Yes!"
Across the whole of episode 8, the unexpected charm of Kiriyama Ryota showing his most boyish side...
Ai looked at the former student council president on the screen with starry eyes and a trace of wistfulness.
She couldn’t let him go. She couldn’t let the student council president go like this. That radiant smile. Those beautiful blue eyes. To think this was the end.
"Taa...."
"Hng... Ruby feels sad too?"
"Taa...."
"Student council president! Please keep going to school! It’s not like repeating a year would matter anyway—!"
"A, Ai."
Even though her husband, who had played the student council president, was sitting right beside her, Ai held Ruby tightly in her arms and sadly saw off the departing student council president.
Kaoru and Aqua were left speechless by the mother and daughter’s affection, but...
"Sniff, sniff, sniff! Are you really just going to leave like that? Sniff. So cold, really."
At least she wasn’t wiping away tears like Miyako, so that was something.
After the regular episode 8 finished airing, Kaoru received a call from Director Sojiro saying he had finished editing all the way through episode 2 of the special.
- I’m leaving Japan tomorrow. I already handed in my resignation to the company.
"What?"
Kaoru asked back in surprise at Director Sojiro’s sudden announcement that he was resigning and leaving Japan.
Laughing for a long while on the other end of the line, Director Sojiro finally stifled it and said,
- Is that so surprising?
"...Isn’t it supposed to be?"
- Hahaha. Yeah. It should be. I turned down a 500% performance bonus, a promotion to CP, and even the bonus clause that would have paid me proportionally every time a project hit later on. But I did get a promise that my position would be guaranteed if I came back later, so it’s not like I’m taking a loss. I can just return whenever I feel like it.
Smiling cheerfully, Director Sojiro said he planned to leave Japan for the time being, maybe even for several years, travel the world, do the trips he had always wanted to do, and write a travelogue.
Kaoru nodded with a smile at the courage it took to ignore the company’s attempts to stop him, as well as the objections of his wife and children, and they exchanged a brief farewell, wishing him a safe trip.
- I’ll still keep in touch now and then. Like I said before... I’m the type who likes to show off my [pride] to my heart’s content.
"I’ll be waiting. If you open a Twitter or Facebook account, let me know. I’ll add you as a friend."
- OK! Then... good luck. I believe you’ll do well. And one more thing, Kaoru. Remember that you’re no longer just a simple actor. Just like other top actors, your daily life is going to change, and you’ll never get this kind of life back again.
Don’t be afraid of change. Take it in smoothly. Don’t hesitate—accept the change, grab it by the throat, throw it over your shoulder, seize control, and drag it forward. You understand what I mean, right?
"Yes. I’ll keep it in mind."
- Good. Fighting! I’m hanging up!
After ending the call with Director Sojiro, Kaoru soon found himself flooded with calls from countless entertainment agencies.
Even representatives dispatched from the troupe came one after another, shoving contracts at him or explaining their PR pitches with spittle flying.
Even Toshiro was left speechless by the quick, sharp movements of the agencies that had grasped the potential of the huge new star, Kamiki Kaoru.
"Amazing."
"...Didn’t you get a call from Kaburagi PD too, President?"
"......Ahem."
"You did."
Kaburagi Masaya PD, who had contacted him through Toshiro, had also asked on behalf of an acquaintance at an agency whether this one might be a good fit.
But most agencies had rather unfavorable contract terms, such as long contract periods and clauses that intruded on the actor’s private life.
The way they split appearance fees was also somewhat unreasonable.
Even the contracts from the big-name agencies everyone would recognize by name had a basic term of ten years, and even that was nearly super-tier in how harsh the non-renewal conditions were. The other clauses were also one step beyond the toxic terms the existing agencies had offered... in short, they were full of garbage clauses.
"Hah."
Kaoru let out a dry laugh and rejected them all. Money wasn’t important anyway.
He had no shortage of assets thanks to stock investments and the like, and the moment he became an adult, the astronomical sums sitting in nominee accounts and paper companies overseas, along with the dollars recorded as investment funds, would flow into Japan through every possible route.
What Kaoru needed was nothing more and nothing less than an intelligent, quick-witted [agent] to handle his entertainment-industry affairs in his place.
Someone who wouldn’t act foolishly without reading the room, and who wouldn’t ask for more than necessary without reading the room.
Kaoru decided he would first talk things over with trustworthy adults like President Ichigo, President Toshiro, Director Sojiro, who would now be off traveling, and Director Gotanda, who would be waiting for his call.
He still had plenty of time, and since he was the one with the leverage, he decided to think it through slowly.
For Kaoru, the number one priority was the safety of his wife, Hoshino Ai, and the twins.
Since the secret he had hidden would one day have to be revealed to the world, he needed to find an agency that, if nothing else, would not get in the way, even if it couldn’t help him move forward—just as a matter of risk management.
Thinking that the annoying vetting process would continue for a while, Kaoru let out a bitter smile and a sigh.
Two weeks later, Kaoru’s special episode aired.
"Ai appears—☆"
After somehow finishing her schedule and arriving at the Saito family home, Ai didn’t even change clothes. She just washed her hands, kissed the twins on the cheek, and immediately focused on the drama.
"...Hey, Ai?"
"Ah— ah— ah!? Ah— s-sorry, Kaoru! Sorry, sorry, sorry! I got so distracted thinking I had to watch the drama! Sorry!"
When Kaoru called out to her casually, Ai jumped up in surprise and showered his cheek with apologetic, affectionate kisses.
He had almost felt left out, but after receiving his wife’s kiss assault, his mood improved again.
The twins’ eyes were icy. Kaoru sat beside his wife and watched the TV.
"Hello. I’m Kiriyama Ryota, a first-year student in the business administration department."
Despite his family’s opposition, Kiriyama Ryota chose the business administration department instead of law to pursue the dream he wanted.
Unlike the cold, stern face he had as student council president, Kaoru’s seamless, almost one-with-the-role performance captured the fresh youth of a young man moving toward his dream.
"So cute... It’s like I can see exactly what Kaoru is thinking while acting."
"What do you think I’m thinking?"
"Mm... that you want to see Ai☆"
"......"
How did she know?
Kaoru, who had expected her to say she was thinking about the script or the character, swallowed dryly at Ai’s uncanny intuition.
But Ai must have meant it as a joke, because she stuck out her tongue playfully and then focused on the drama again.
As the story progressed, Kiriyama Ryota realized that the world he had lived in was nothing more than a well, and he gradually began shedding his old self and resolving to face a life that would transform him boldly.
He worked part-time to pay his living expenses, studied hard without asking his wealthy family for money, and tried to earn a scholarship.
He was no longer a boy trapped in a stuffy school uniform and obligations, but a university student and an adult, proactively designing his own life and future.
Watching him quietly, Ai’s starry eyes sparkled as she murmured in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "He looks happy."
"......"
There was no way Kaoru hadn’t heard that.
Ai’s words, full of many meanings, flew straight into Kaoru’s chest and lodged there.
Did she mean the way he looked while attending school?
Or the way he was shaping his own life on his own terms?
Or the way he stood firm against his family’s opposition, willing to be cursed at if it meant protecting a happy present and future?
Only Ai knew the truth. In fact, when Kaoru played Kiriyama Ryota, he had interpreted the character and immersed himself in the role based on those very feelings.
But that did not mean those were the emotions Ai herself felt.
So Kaoru didn’t ask any further. He simply took Ai’s hand in silence.
He looks happy...
Kiriyama Ryota is happy.
No matter what future lay ahead, Kiriyama Ryota would keep pouring his youth into the world, moving forward toward his dream and his future without hesitation.
Despite his family’s opposition, he would stand firm in his beliefs and keep moving forward against the waves.
"Ai."
"...Mm?"
"Let’s be happy too. We have to. Without regret, to our heart’s content. Let’s be happy."
"......"
The warmth in her husband’s hand. His body heat. Courage. Faith. Trust. Love. Sincerity.
Every one of those feelings reached Ai’s heart intact, without a single one missing, as Kaoru’s entire heart pressed into her.
Ai smiled brightly at Kaoru, who wore the same smile as [Kiriyama Ryota]—no, an even brighter, more dependable one—and nodded.
"Mm!"
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