This world is cold.
Every year, hundreds of actors debut with dreams overflowing in their hearts, but only a tiny handful actually survive.
Even if they have overwhelming talent and looks, even if they have a huge agency backing them.
Even if they somehow break through those brutal odds and rise above it all.
If they cannot keep being remembered by the public, then in the end they become nothing more than a [star talent] that slowly fades away and disappears, just a matter of time.
That was why.
They had to struggle to survive.
Because they carried the love and wishes of someone precious on their shoulders.
Even if it was hard. Even if it was frightening. Even if they had to deny a reality that was fading away, and cling to it in the ugliest way possible.
The actress who had struggled through each day like that discovered a young, pretty child actor who had newly joined the agency.
And before long, the actress found herself swept up in dark feelings she should never have harbored for even an instant toward the little girl who perfectly imitated the days when she herself had shone so brilliantly—
"……."
"……."
Kaoru blinked those blue eyes that stood out against his black hair, scratched his chin, and set the synopsis down before looking at Director Gotanda.
Then he looked at the synopsis again, and then back at Director Gotanda.
The pressure of having a rough-looking middle-aged man with an unshaven face staring at him with sparkling eyes was overwhelming.
Kaoru pressed his lips together and let out a low sigh.
"So?"
"……."
"Is it bad? Huh? No, wait, are you saying it’s bad?"
"……How did you write the script for [My Sea]?"
"How do you think? I wrote it while smoking. I stayed up all night and busted my ass writing it, thinking, 'If it’s this kind of script, you’ll say yes, right~?'"
"And this one?"
"I had a drink yesterday and wrote it right after. It came out so smoothly. While I was writing, I kept thinking, 'This should do it!'"
At Director Gotanda’s answer, Kaoru simply said nothing and sipped his coffee.
The rule that a work’s quality is proportional to the creator’s suffering seemed to apply perfectly to Gotanda’s sleepless nights and smoking habit, too.
So rather than saying much else, all Kaoru could do was comfort the director’s efforts with the cliché that the premise itself was very interesting.
"Slurp."
The café where the two of them had first spoken long ago was just as quiet as before, with hardly any customers despite it being lunchtime.
The interior, the atmosphere, the staff, the taste of the coffee. Nothing had changed.
"When will the editing be finished?"
At Kaoru’s question, Director Gotanda leaned weakly against the back of his chair and answered in a tired voice.
"Who knows. The release is a month away, so we just have to make it by then."
"……I see."
Finishing work exactly on deadline was practically human nature.
It was hard to understand from Kaoru’s perspective, since his style was to plan everything carefully and finish it precisely to schedule.
[♬ Bell Pepper Exercise~ let’s start~ eat bell peppers~ Superman~ if everyone dances, Peter Pan~ ♪]
"...Bell Pepper Exercise~"
Kaoru, who had been staring out the window, twitched his fingers and murmured along with the song coming from the speaker. Director Gotanda looked at him with surprise.
"You know that song?"
"Yeah. Ruby used to sing it a lot when she was in kindergarten. They taught them the dance there too, so she’d show it to me and Ai... It was cute."
Whenever the topic turned to his daughter, Kaoru’s indifferent face would soften into a smile as if nothing had happened.
Director Gotanda clicked his tongue softly and nodded. Kaoru, sensing that lukewarm reaction, looked at him and asked as if he didn’t know.
"You know it too, Director?"
"Yeah, well... the kid who sang that song. The one who appeared in [That Is the Beginning], right? She even came around to hand out CDs to me."
"You mean [Arima Kana], right? That girl."
"Hm? You know her?"
"It was the first movie my wife and the kids appeared in, so I remember it."
"……."
My sides are freezing just watching this.
The agency president was supposed to be getting married soon, too, so he’d probably become a living Buddha from having to watch the love-struck antics of the couple in front of him up close.
Director Gotanda swallowed his coffee with a face full of dissatisfaction.
[♬ Bell Pepper~ if you eat it~ ♪]
The lively song echoed through the quiet café.
Kaoru kept staring out the window and humming it under his breath, then suddenly seemed to remember a part of Arima Kana’s performance in the film and said,
"She was about the same age as the twins... but her acting was good enough that you could compare it to adult actors. But..."
Kaoru narrowed his eyes slightly and trailed off, and Director Gotanda, still looking out the window, said,
"...That’s the fate of a child actor. Stop here, or keep going with your eyes closed. It’s their own choice to make."
"……."
Suddenly, Director Gotanda’s synopsis seemed to draw Kaoru’s gaze in.
As an actor who knew the realities of this world well, and as a father with twin children who had just entered elementary school.
There was no way he wouldn’t understand the meaning behind Gotanda’s words.
"Aqua and Ruby both have talent. It hasn’t bloomed yet, but you can see it, can’t you? That sprout. And then there’s you and Ai. That background is something you absolutely can’t ignore."
As if he had seen straight through Kaoru’s thoughts, Director Gotanda set down his now-empty coffee cup, picked up a fork, cut off a bit of cake, and put it in his mouth.
Kaoru, his blue eyes shining, quietly set down the coffee cup that had only a little left in it.
"Well, that’s assuming the kids actually want to do it in the first place."
"……."
If Aqua became an actor, and Ruby became an idol like Ai, of course he would be overjoyed.
Just as Director Gotanda said—
Kaoru and Ai already had the background that would let the twins walk the path of entertainment without getting hurt, and even thrive there.
But there was no way to stop the twins from eventually seeing the dark side of the entertainment world that he himself had once seen.
And if even the smallest controversy arose, the twins would be subjected to disgusting abuse from an anonymous mob hiding behind a mask of anonymity.
Once you step into that world, you inevitably see and hear those things. Even if you don’t want to. Even if you don’t want to hear them.
Either way, Kaoru was still the father of three children, so he couldn’t help worrying about dark shadows falling over their hearts.
But—
"I trust the kids. Even without my wife’s and my support, they would have done just fine. At the very least, they inherited all of my wife’s talent."
"...Yeah. Well, they did come out of someone’s belly. My mother used to say you shouldn’t worry about kids. They’ll grow up fine on their own without anyone fretting over them... Mmm, this is good."
At Kaoru’s unwavering blue gaze, Director Gotanda let out a snort and curved his lips into a smile before putting the rest of the cake in his mouth.
"...I’ll order another one, so take it home and eat it with your mother."
"Oh, really?"
In the end, Kaoru didn’t get to eat a single bite... but that hardly mattered.
-
"Takamine!!!"
"Tataie!"
"Ai! Ame!!!"
Ai had come directly to the set to see Takamine, who was appearing in a romantic drama broadcast at 9 p.m. on NHK as a supporting role close to the lead!
Since they hadn’t been able to see each other much over the past few weeks because they’d both been busy, Takamine and Ai squealed like childhood friends meeting after ten years and grabbed each other’s hands.
"What~! So that’s why you asked what time I was filming today~?"
"Yep~★ A surprise~ kind of thing?"
"Thanks. I was bored stiff waiting around anyway. Ame~ is that Aunt Takamine?"
"Tataie~!"
Ame, held in Ai’s arms, waved her hand as if greeting her.
Takamine was completely smitten by the adorable baby, her eyes sparkling.
She was so cute that Takamine felt happiness well up to the point of tears, clasped both hands together, and smiled brightly.
"Ame... uuu~ Ameee~~ Come here to Auntie~ I’ll give you a kiss! Mwah mwah mwah—"
When Takamine leaned in to kiss her, Ame stiffened and buried her face deep in Ai’s arms.
"Daang~"
"Ehehe★ Ame~ Auntie will be sad, you know?"
"Uuu— Auntie’s gonna cry."
Even when Takamine pretended to cry, Ame still wouldn’t give her a kiss.
Unlike the twins, she was a little fortress who didn’t open up to just anyone, and Ai and Takamine exchanged a look before bursting out laughing.
"She’s exactly like Kaoru!"
"Heheh— right?"
Still buried in Ai’s arms, Ame fixed her gaze on Takamine with that fortress-like baby stare.
Takamine felt the fatigue she had been carrying melt away.
The two of them stepped away from the set for a moment and went into the waiting room to talk.
Nearby staff members kept sneaking glances at Ai and the mysterious third child as they passed by.
Takamine and Ai, both veterans already used to people’s stares, ignored them and happily chatted after so long.
"You drove all the way here yourself?"
"Yep~ There weren’t many cars on the road, so it wasn’t that hard."
"That’s amazing... I’ve been saying I’m going to get my license forever, but I still haven’t gotten it!"
"Hehe. If you set your mind to it, Takamine, you’ll get it in no time. The written test isn’t really that hard... wait, is it?"
Ai, who had failed the written test twice, froze for a moment.
Takamine burst out laughing behind her hand at that goofy side of Ai’s that hadn’t changed even after becoming the mother of three children.
Ame, still in Ai’s arms, grabbed a small packet of biscuits and shook it around before trying to put it in her mouth.
"Ah, Ame~ That’s dirty. Dirty~ No, no~"
"Daang- daaaang~"
Even when she was told not to, Ame seemed to like her mother, smiling brightly and flailing her little arms.
Takamine smiled and took a sip of water, then opened the conversation about the not-so-distant full-group comeback.
"Ai."
"Mm?"
"You know... our full-group comeback. Ai, what do you think about it?"
"Huh? What do I think?"
Ai tilted her head slightly after looking at Takamine’s expression. Takamine fiddled with the plastic water bottle and continued.
"Little by little... I guess what I mean is, now that we’re over twenty, I keep thinking there aren’t that many days left when we can all be together... Haha, sorry. I never meant to bring it up so seriously."
"Takamine..."
"We met when we were twelve... it’s been almost ten years, right? Now that we’re adults, I feel a little sad that I’ve hardly ever lived as just 'Takamine' and not as part of [B Komachi].
If we end up scattering too, like our seniors did—getting married, taking other jobs, going our separate ways—it’ll feel even more like that. Time keeps running out, and even if I try to pretend otherwise, I can see it with my own eyes..."
"……."
Ai smiled softly and held Takamine’s hand tightly.
As [Ichigo Production] actively accepted outside investment, the company grew larger, and of course there were many changes in the welfare and support provided to [B Komachi] members. The members also continued their own activities in different directions, using their individual strengths and talents—appearing on variety shows, acting, releasing solo records, and more.
Ai had been unable to work because of childcare, but thanks to Kaoru and Ai as a couple, [B Komachi]’s recognition had also risen sharply, and when schedules matched, the members would gather and hold large-scale concerts regularly.
The merchandise kept selling well, and even now, most of Ichigo Production’s revenue still came from [B Komachi].
Still, as Takamine felt, the members had all passed twenty and had by now spent nearly ten years in the industry, gaining real-world experience, so to speak, and their eyes had been opened to how the world worked.
The fact that this life would not last forever. And that when that future came, they would have to prepare for their own separate lives. Several of the members had already reached the point where they could accept that calmly.
"Takachan’s right. We... someday, we’ll have to part ways too. But that doesn’t mean we’ll never see each other again, does it? If we each keep doing what we’re good at, we can keep meeting up."
"...Ai."
Ai’s starlit eyes shone brilliantly. Instead of her usual goofy smile, she wore a warm, gentle one as she held Takamine’s hand tightly and said in a clear voice, as if giving her courage,
"I believe [B Komachi] will keep going. Even if we all disappear saying, 'We can’t do this anymore!'... even if other people inherit the name and stand before the fans again, by then Takachan will be married too, and Nino-chan will be married too, so we can all gather with the babies and watch together! Heheh★"
"Pfft— what is that? There’s no way there’d be a [B Komachi] second generation or anything like that."
Still, Takamine felt comforted by Ai’s words, and the heavy clouds in her heart seemed to clear as she smiled.
"Eh? If it’s the president, I bet he would do it."
"Do you have some kind of source or something!?"
"No! It’s just... Ai’s intuition~★"
While the wobbling Takamine sighed, saying, Of course that’s what it was, the waiting room door opened and a woman with blue hair and a young girl stepped inside.
"Hello~"
"Hello!"
At the sudden greeting, Takamine and Ai turned toward the waiting room door.
A blue-haired girl around the twins’ age, with a cute and pretty face, caught Ai’s eye!
As Ai’s starlit eyes sparkled while she looked at the young girl—
"Ah, Mother! Akane-chan~! You came early?"
Takamine stood up with a bright smile and waved. The woman who looked just like the girl bowed her head slightly and greeted Takamine as well.
Watching Takamine exchange familiar greetings, Ai immediately stood up with Ame in her arms and greeted the blue-haired mother and daughter.
"Hello★"
"Huh?!"
The moment Ai greeted them, the woman was so startled that she covered her mouth and stumbled back.
The little girl who seemed to be her daughter tilted her head at her mother’s reaction, and Takamine and Ai were no different.
After taking a deep breath, the woman took a piece of paper and a pen from her handbag and shouted with sparkling eyes,
"C-could I possibly get your autograph?!"
"Eeeh—!?"
After the brief commotion.
Ai, who signed for [Kurokawa Riko], was very, very shocked when she realized that this was the very same woman who had once been reported in the media as one of the lucky couple winners at Kaoru’s first autograph event.
What were the odds that the daughter of that couple would become a child actor and they’d meet right here, in this waiting room, today!
"Heeey—! T-this is what they call [Fate]?!"
"Probably?"
"Hohoho—"
Riko could only laugh as she held her daughter, [Kurokawa Akane], in her arms. She still vividly remembered Kaoru’s dopey, fatherly grin when he saw her baby daughter as an infant, and that was why she had a strong fondness for Ai, Kaoru’s wife and the twins’ mother as well.
Ai seemed to feel the same way, smiling softly at Akane, who was nestled in Riko’s arms and looking at her with shy curiosity while her starlit eyes shone.
"She’s so pretty. She’s seven this year, right!?"
"Yes~ Aqua-kun and Ruby-chan both started school this year, so Akane is one year older."
"Kyahhh~★ She seems like she’d be such a wonderful older sister for Aqua and Ruby... It’s such a shame they don’t go to the same school."
"Hohoho~ Thank you so much for saying that!"
In the midst of the mothers’ conversation, Takamine, Akane, and even baby Ame were left on the outside, unable to join in and only watching awkwardly.
Riko, high on meeting her favorite’s wife, continued with a bright, excited smile.
"Do you remember when I asked Akane, 'Do you remember going to the fan meeting?' She said she did, and then she got sad saying she should’ve at least said hello to Kaoru-san."
"Eh, when did I... I don’t remember."
"My, Akane. You said that just the other day, too."
"Uuu... n-no..."
At Akane’s adorable, embarrassed muttering, her face flushed red in contrast to her blue hair—
Ai wore the same smile Takamine had just shown Ame earlier, her starlit eyes sparkling.
"If she’s a child actor, is this her debut?"
"No~ She’s gone to a few auditions and has appeared in a few small roles here and there. She was brought in partway through, but this is her first proper drama appearance."
As Riko gently stroked Akane’s hair and praised her, Ai smiled warmly and met Akane’s eyes.
"Wow~ Akane-chan. You’re still so young, and you’ve already been to auditions. That’s amazing and admirable!"
"...T-thank you very much!"
Akane blushed, but clearly happy to be praised, and bowed politely with a shy smile.
Then—
"We’re about to go on standby!"
A staff member came running up breathlessly from outside and said it.
Hearing that, everyone in the waiting room except Ai immediately began moving busily.
Ai also stood up with Ame in her arms and looked at Takamine.
"I should get going! I’m watching the drama and having fun, so you do your best too, Takachan~★"
"Thanks. Hehe~ You must’ve had a hard time coming all this way. Drive safely!"
"Yep~! Ms. Kurokawa! Akane-chan! I’m cheering for you with all my heart! Good luck~★"
"Thank you!"
"Hohoho, thank you!"
"Bye~!"
Ai left the waiting room with a cheerful wave, and Takamine and the Kurokawa mother and daughter saw her off.
Looking down at Ame in her arms, Ai smiled softly and happily.
"Ame!"
"Mama~"
"It looks like [Fate] really does exist. Wow~ maybe even Ame being born was fate too?"
"Mama~ Hehe-"
With Ame’s adorable smile, Ai hurried home so she could get back before the twins’ curfew.
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