Chapter 164

We took a train, then a bus, and finally arrived at a stop called “Theater of the Arts.” A lot of other people got off, too. Right next to the stop was a huge library-like building. The structure itself was very clean and formal-looking, and the path leading up to it was well-maintained and lined with nicely trimmed trees. It could have been the city hall. This was where Himeji’s first show would take place—today, no less. “Will Lady Hime be all right?” Shinohara muttered from behind me. I can see your AIKA fan jutting out of your bag. Seriously, put that away. “She looked super confident back at school, didn’t she?” I turned to Fushimi beside me, and she nodded twice. “Same as ever,” said Fushimi. “She was, like, Who do you take me for? Hmph!” I was pretty sure she didn’t say Hmph! but I supposed Fushimi was trying to convey her prickly attitude. “Himeji’s always like that,” said Torigoe. She was walking beside Shinohara. “But when push comes to shove, she can be unreliable. I have to admit, I’m a little worried.” Behind them were Deguchi and Mana. “Ugh, Degu, what the hell? Of course she refused!” “What?! That bad?!” “You’ve got to set the mood first, my dude.” Apparently, he was asking her for some romantic advice. The six of us had met up and come here together. We checked the theater’s map and made our way to the main hall, where we ran into the other students from our class Himeji had invited. “This place has a capacity of fifteen hundred people?” said Fushimi, reading from a flyer. “That’s pretty big. But I guess they do hold orchestra concerts here, huh…?” Her face began to cloud over. She seemed worried. “I do see a lot of commercials for the concerts and plays they do here,” I said. “For ticket preorders and stuff.” “Yeah. This is the biggest, most theater theater in our area,” explained Fushimi. I’d had no idea. The main hall’s doors were already open, so we headed inside and found our seats. We were the perfect distance from the stage; not too close, not too far. We still had about thirty minutes before the show started, so I stood up to go grab a drink from the vending machine I’d seen on our way in. “Ryyy!” As I did so, I spotted my boss, Mr. Matsuda, across the hall. He was the president of Himeji’s agency, so he was wearing a proper suit for her first show. It made him look like a well-dressed, wealthy patron of the arts. “Oh, Mr. Matsuda. Hi.” He jogged up to me, moving his arms not forward and back, but side to side. Even his run is feminine, huh? “It’s finally the big day,” I said. “I was looking for you!” he replied, puffing out his cheeks. “Why don’t you answer your phone?!” I checked and saw I had a several missed calls from him. I’d put my phone on silent before entering the hall, so I hadn’t heard them. “Ah, sorry. I just noticed. What’s wrong?” “It’s Aika…!” “Did something happen to Himeji?” “Come with me to the greenroom.” “Huh?” He grabbed my hand and took off. No time to explain, apparently. “What happened?” I asked. “She’s here, right?” “She is. She did great in the rehearsal and was bragging about how she’d crush the show, but then… Gosh!” He moaned, clearly displeased. We passed through a door marked STAFF ONLY and headed into the back of the building. Then, at the end of a narrow corridor, we stopped, and Mr. Matsuda knocked several times on the door in front of us. “Aika, Ry’s here to cheer you up.” “Um, I didn’t say tha—,” I started to protest, but Mr. Matsuda pinched my butt. “Ow! Hey!” “Aika’s as white as a sheet and shaking like a rabbit in there,” he said. Himeji, shaking like a rabbit? I couldn’t imagine it. “Back when she was in SakuMome, the biggest venue she ever played was for three hundred people. The scale of this place has her spooked.” Mr. Matsuda sighed. “She’s not as used to a big audience as she’d like you to think. She was the same before the audition, right up until you met her at the entrance.” As it turned out, Torigoe understood Himeji better than Fushimi or I did. Mr. Matsuda gestured toward the door, and I nodded. “Heeey, Himeji?” I said, knocking. “You scared?” “Are you kidding? Scared of what?” …She sounded just as confident as ever. I turned to Mr. Matsuda. “She sounds fine to me…” But he put on a stern face and shook his head, throwing open the door. “Go give her a kiss or something.” “Um, what?” Then he pushed me inside. The room was small, not even 108 square feet. There were two long tables shoved together to place items on and a folding chair, where Himeji was sitting, hugging her knees. It seemed there was a different room for makeup. The only things on the table were Himeji’s bag, a bottle of water, flowers from the other staff, and two sets of packed lunches. Himeji was already in costume, dressed as a common town girl. The play was a heartwarming story about her and the people around her. “Are you nervous?” I asked. “No.” “That’s some big talk.” “What are you getting at? I can’t believe you came to my greenroom and didn’t even bring a gift.” She looked up, and I finally saw what Mr. Matsuda meant. Her eyes lacked their usual strength, and her face was pale. “You weren’t supposed to see me in character until I was onstage. If you were going to come back here, you should’ve showed up an hour earlier, at least. You’re being a bother.” “Sorry.” I didn’t just come back here, I was dragged here. But I decided to apologize anyway. “That costume looks good on you.” “…Are you trying to tell me you think I’m some simple town girl?” “It was a compliment.” Way to twist my words. “Fushimi’s here to see you.” “Of course she is. I gave her the ticket, remember?” “You know, when she failed the audition, she cried and cried.” “…” “I think it’s your duty to go out there, guns blazing. You’ve gotta do your best both for yourself, and for everyone you beat out to get the part.” “…Who are you to say that?” Himeji said, pouting. She was right, of course. Nevertheless, I pressed on. “Your acting’s not bad anymore, right?” “Of course not. Do you know how much I’ve rehearsed? I spent months listening to that bald director tell me how I was messing everything up, only for him to say Yes! That’s what I was looking for! when I did the same exact thing the next day.” I knew my clumsy and obstinate childhood friend well enough to realize she’d given it her all despite such complaints. I reached out to her. “Everyone would be disappointed to see you in here hugging your knees and moping. Aren’t you the invincible Lady Aika?” She took my hand, and I pulled her up. Just then, someone knocked desperately on the door. “It’s almost showtime, so hurry it—!” “Hey, don’t rush my girl. She’s pulling herself together.” I could hear Mr. Matsuda grappling with them outside. “But everyone else is already on standby…” “Ry! I’ll buy enough time for you two to have a quickie! That’ll calm her down!” I am not doing that. “He’s so overprotective, huh?” Himeji sighed, and her face began to soften up. Then she cocked her head. “So what kind of quickie are we doing, Ryou?” “We aren’t gonna do anything.” “Sheesh. What a killjoy.” “That reminds me, Shinohara brought an Aika fan.” “Tell her I won’t speak to her ever again if I see it from the stage.” “Roger.” With that, Himeji stepped forward and brushed her cheek against mine. Then she backed up and smiled bashfully. “I can have this much, can’t I?” “O-oof… I was worried there for a second.” While I hesitated, Himeji started to blush. “That’s just a standard greeting in other countries.” “But we’re Japanese, and this is Japan.” “And?” Himeji shrugged dramatically and started walking toward the door. We could still hear Mr. Matsuda arguing with the staff outside. I gazed at her profile as she went. She was looking like herself again. “I’ve got this,” she said. The curtains fell, and a soft light shone on the audience as applause filled the hall. A voice over the speakers announced the end of the play, and everyone began to stand up and move outside. “Ai did amazing,” said Fushimi, sighing from the seat next to mine. “Her singing was so good.” “Not even a hint of stage fright,” added Torigoe from Fushimi’s other side. “I’m impressed.” Nobody here knew how she’d been just before the play. She’d looked like someone sick with a fever. I’d returned to the main hall just in time and told everyone I’d gotten lost on the way back. There was no point in worrying them, and I doubted Himeji wanted them to know. After Himeji left the greenroom, Mr. Matsuda had showered me with gratitude. “Thank you, Ry. The baby rabbit is now a Valkyrie!” he’d said. Whatever that meant. I turned my phone back on and saw a new notification. “Come backstage anytime for an autograph!” It was a message from Himeji. She’d just sent it; it must have been the first thing she did once she got backstage. Haven’t you got anything better to do? I chuckled to myself. “What’s up, Ryou?” asked Fushimi. “This just came from Himeji.” I showed her my phone, and she laughed, as if to say, Typical Ai. “She’s just anxious because it’s over.” “Shouldn’t she be relaxed?” “It depends on the person, but I think most people actually get kind of jumpy after a performance. Like they can’t get out of character.” Apparently, that was typical. Her acting had been leagues above what she did for the school festival film. She’d been like a cardboard cutout when we first started shooting, but by the end, she was doing pretty decently. Still, her acting today was on a whole other level. It seemed the director’s nitpicking had paid off. Deguchi, Fushimi, and our other classmates all shared their impressions as they headed outside, and I followed a little ways behind. “Himeji was so good,” said Torigoe. “This is the first play I’ve been to since Hiina’s. It’s really different to see one live, huh?” Her expression remained flat, but she was speaking a lot more than usual; it must’ve really left an impression. “I gotta work hard myself.” “On your writing, you mean?” I asked. “Yeah. I submitted the story I showed you last time to a contest, by the way.” “Wh-whoa. And?” “Nothing. I knew it wouldn’t be that easy, though. Really stresses how amazing it was that you won.” “That was just because not many people participated,” I said, embarrassed. “Stop putting yourself down.” Fushimi and Mana were waiting for us outside. “Send Ai your thoughts, Bubby.” “Maybe I should.” I know it’ll go straight to her head, though. “Lady Hime… Amazing work today… I was so moved at seeing you back onstage that I am blinded by my tears…” Shinohara said her message out loud as she typed—the cliché impressions of an overzealous fan. I hope she doesn’t get blocked. “Takayan, we were talking about going to a diner or something after this. What do you say?” He pointed to the restaurant; apparently, he’d looked up the nearest place already. Fushimi and I traded glances. It was only four PM, and we’d made plans for after the play. “Sorry, Deguchi. I’m busy.” “Really? What’re you up to?” “Uh, well…” Fushimi chimed in with a nod, and that got the point across. Deguchi fell to his knees and punched the ground. “Why……? Santa, please, give me a female childhood friend for Christmas… I won’t ask for a princess, a gyaru will do. In fact, I think I’d prefer a gyaru…” You can’t just ask Santa for a childhood friend. “Oh, are you two going on a date?” asked Shinohara. Torigoe shot us a teasing grin. “Wanna join in, Shii?” “Oh, sorry. That’s not what I meant. I don’t want to get in the way.” “I see…” Fushimi seemed a little bummed out. We left the group and took a bus downtown. “Ai was so amazing,” Fushimi muttered from the seat beside me. “She’s really improved…” She’d just seen her childhood friend give an amazing performance, and now she was staring out the window, as if the show we’d just seen was still playing on the other side. That spot in the limelight had nearly been hers; it made sense that she was feeling sentimental. “Himeji has her strengths, and you have yours, Fushimi… Or at least that’s how I see it.” “Ryou, don’t you find it weird?” “What?” The question seemed to come out of nowhere, and I had no idea what she was asking. From her tone, I wondered if I’d messed up somehow. “How long are you going to keep calling me Fushimi?” Oh… Yeah. “I’m your…girlfriend…so…,” she said under her breath. “I don’t want you…to call me like everyone else… I want a special name, just for me.” She took advantage of the bus shaking to lean against me. A special name… “Like, Hinapi?” “Pfft. C’mon, I’m being serious.” She looked up at me and smiled. At some point, she’d put her arm through mine. I got the feeling she wasn’t going to let me go anytime soon. “I think the pi makes it cute.” “Okay, then. But keep in mind you’ll have to call me that in front of everyone else.” “…” “See! You’re already embarrassed!” “I didn’t say anything.” She saw right through me. But I wasn’t about to admit defeat. I leaned into her ear and whispered: “Hinapi.” “Pffft. Gosh! Stop making it into a joke. I can’t stop laughing.” “Okay, no more Hinapi. Except as a joke.” “Did you even hear what I just said?” she asked, giggling. Once we got downtown, we immediately headed for the mall and started looking around the shops. The whole city, including the mall, was already dressed up for Christmas, and you could see couples everywhere. “Ryou, look at this weird book.” Fushimi ducked into a shop and showed me what she’d found. I wonder what kind of gift she’d like. Thinking back, I hadn’t given her a Christmas present since elementary school. And then I’d done it only because we’d had to for a school event. Thanks to my job at Mr. Matsuda’s agency, I had a decent amount of money to spend. I could splurge on something, but I didn’t want her to feel bad about it. Was she wondering about what to give me, too? “Ryou?” “Huh? Oh, sorry.” She was trying on fake glasses over by the register. “How do I look?” “Gorgeous.” “Hee-hee.” She grinned, clearly liking my answer. “I bet Ai would’ve said something like ‘Obviously.’” She even mimicked her voice, and I could barely contain my laughter. We left the shop and walked on, gazing at the mannequins in the storefront windows. Maybe some clothes? I’d have to ask Mana for help. “Let’s take a break,” I said. There was a food court on the top floor of the building. “Wha—?!” Fushimi’s eyes grew wide, and she blushed furiously. “Uh… I mean, I’m a little tired from walking. There’s a café upstairs.” “Huh? Oh! A café. Yup, yup, you’re totally right.” Fushimi spoke unusually quickly, then dashed toward the escalators. You misunderstood what I said, didn’t you? I bet you thought I was going to invite you to a hotel or something. You’d never guess it from her serious facade, but I knew Fushimi read erotic romance novels at home. She was obviously interested in that kind of thing. While we were riding on the escalator, a college-aged couple in front of us started flirting. They got closer and closer to each other, and then their faces touched. “Ooh.” They totally kissed right in front of us. “Don’t look!” Fushimi covered my eyes. She’d clearly seen it, too. “I wasn’t looking on purpose.” “Wh-why do people do that in public…? Geez…” As expected from our class representative. She awkwardly turned to face me so she couldn’t see them anymore. “Well, it is almost Christmas,” I pointed out. “Though I’ve never seen anyone do that right in front of me before, so I was pretty surprised.” “Yeah. It was kind of shocking…” And yet it seemed she couldn’t contain her curiosity. She kept glancing behind her the whole ride up. Once we got upstairs, we looked around for the least crowded spot and wound up in a little café. “We came here back in April, didn’t we?” said Fushimi. “Yeah.” I remembered. Come to think of it, that was the first time we went on something you could call a date. The waiter showed us to our seats, and we looked over the menu while we waited for them to take our order. I got coffee, and Fushimi got café au lait. Soon, our drinks arrived, and Fushimi grabbed her mug with both hands and lifted it to her lips. I found I didn’t mind spending time in silence with Fushimi. Before, I’d thought Torigoe was the only one I felt that way about, but maybe I just wasn’t over my time apart from Fushimi, and I’d gotten it in my head that silence meant awkwardness. We chatted as we sipped our drinks. First, we talked about the play, then our friends at school, then about what we used to do for Christmas. “I’m still not over Ai’s acting…” Eventually, the conversation looped back to the play. Fushimi had been praising Himeji nonstop, her tone full of envy. By then, we’d finished our drinks. Fushimi headed to the bathroom, and I went up to the register to pay. “You paid for both of us?” said Fushimi when she got back. “But mine was more expensive…” “It’s fine. I can pay for our dates.” “What? But I can’t let you pay every time…” I smiled wryly as she tried to hand me a bill from her wallet, and I stubbornly refused to take it. She’s so serious about stuff like this. “Okay, then how about you treat me next time?” “Oh, well, I guess that’s fine,” she said, allowing us to reach a peaceful agreement. “You’ve really grown up, Ryou.” “Hey, you too. I had no idea you’d started reading sexy novels…” “Th-they’re romance novels! There’s a difference!” I doubt it. All the couples around us were holding hands, and we did the same without thinking too much about it. Once we’d left the mall, we thought about where to go next. Fushimi pointed at a building advertising karaoke. “Mind if we go inside, Ryou?” I had a vague idea of what she meant—she probably wanted to vent her frustration over Himeji’s acting. I agreed, and we made our way to the karaoke place. We paid at the reception desk and then walked to our assigned room. It was dark and cramped, with only a couch for two and a table. Once inside, we took off our coats and hung them up on the stand. “Nice and cozy,” said Fushimi. “What do you mean?” “I mean, this couch is perfect for snuggling.” Wait, is that why you wanted to come here…? Indeed, the space was so small, we had no choice but to snuggle up together. Fushimi grabbed the control tablet and entered two songs right away. I watched her profile as she sang in a sweet voice, one tone higher than her regular voice. I could see the display reflected faintly in her eyes. “You do one, too, Ryou.” “Lemme see.” The first song that came to mind was the one she’d requested at the party before the school festival. It was a love song, and couples would replace the name “Rina” in the lyrics with the name of their sweetheart. When I first heard it, I never dreamed I’d be doing that myself one day. Fushimi canceled her second song. “Wait, are you sure?” I asked. “Yes. I want to hear you.” Her eyes were sparkling with anticipation. I could feel her gaze boring into my cheek from the side. The pressure was immense. When it came time, I did as she requested and changed the name Rina to Hina. “Waaah!” “Hee-hee-hee!” “Aaaah!” “This is so embarrassing!” As I sang, she kept making excited comments and slapping my arm. “Stop it, you’re making it even more embarrassing.” “I promise you it’s more embarrassing to be on the receiving end.” The song finally ended, and I put the mic down. By the second half, I’d gotten over my embarrassment and decided to just go for it, but my cheeks were still burning. “The lyrics are so good. ‘Hey, Rina, you’re the only thing I need to smile.’” It was easy to dismiss the song as cliché, but I agreed with her. “I want to be that to you, Ryou,” she said, resting her head on my shoulder. I reached my arm around her neck, and her pink lips quivered, asking for attention. I tilted my head down to answer. Between the noises from the TV—sound effects, and the voice of a minor celebrity introducing the latest hits—I could hear the vivid, wet sound of our kiss. “We did it in public…” Fushimi’s eyes narrowed happily, and she flashed me a shy smile. “We’re all alone in this room, so it doesn’t count.” “R-really…? Then…one more.” I almost couldn’t hear her over some band’s music video playing on the TV. We kissed a second time, then a third atop the cheap leather sofa. I could hear heavy breathing, but was it hers or mine? All I knew was that our faces were burning up. Was my breath all right after drinking that coffee? Fushimi didn’t seem to mind. She puckered her lips, asking for more. We booked the room for one hour to do some light singing, but in the end, we only sang the first few songs. We spent the rest of the time so close together that even the tiny sofa felt huge. Before we knew it, our hour was up. Back outside, the December breeze cooled us down again. “What’re you doing for dinner?” I asked. As far as I knew, she didn’t have a strict curfew, but I figured I’d check. “I don’t want to go home yet.” “Then how about we have dinner together and then head home?” Better text Mana and let her know, or I’ll get an earful. We returned to the mall, and I left Fushimi for a moment to go to the bathroom. Where should we eat…? I brought up a mental map. Fast food seemed too cheap for a date; maybe for lunch, but not for dinner. Then again, maybe it’s fine. It would probably put less pressure on her… I still had no idea what Fushimi preferred at times like this. Maybe asking Torigoe for help would be quicker. “I guess I’ll just ask her what she wants to eat, and then we can look for a place.” After finishing my business, I left the restroom. Fushimi was right outside, but for some reason, she was talking to some guy in his thirties. Another playboy?! I cleared my throat so I could get loud if I needed to. Then I took a deep breath and strode over to them. “E-excuse me! Is something the matter?!” I asked, coming up to them from behind. They both shivered in surprise. “Ryou! You startled me…!” “Ah, um, is this your boyfriend?” “…Hee-hee. Yes…” Fushimi nodded bashfully and scratched her cheek. “Oh, hello. I’m sorry for taking your girlfriend’s time.” “That’s okay. You weren’t hitting on her, were you?” I glared daggers at the guy, and he waved his hands in a panic. “No, no, no… Well, I guess it’s kind of close. But no.” Was that supposed to be a riddle…? I furrowed my brow, and he showed me his business card. “My name is Mori, with Cast Stadium Office. We’re a model and talent agency, and I was just chatting with your girlfriend about our work…” I took a closer look at the business card. It seemed he was telling the truth. Mr. Mori wore a neat, casual outfit. Apparently, his job title was Chief of Management Support. “Oh. Sorry for jumping to conclusions.” “No worries. I know how it looked. You did nothing wrong,” he said, chuckling. Then he turned back to Fushimi. “If you’re interested, please call the number on the card. Well then, enjoy your date.” Fushimi bowed, then the man waved at us and left. I looked at the card again, then glanced up at his back as he walked away. “CSO… So it’s a talent agency?” Hold on a minute. “Wait, were you getting scouted just now?” “M-maybe. He just introduced himself and gave me his business card.” “I think that counts…” Fushimi seemed to realize something and fished another card out of her wallet. “Ah! Look! The one I got last time was also CSO.” She showed me the card. “The one from Mr. Takashiro, back at the summer festival. He was from the same agency as Mr. Mori.” “Oh, right. He handed me one, too.” I had no idea where I’d put it. I probably threw it away or lost it. “Maybe there’s some sort of fate linking you to that company.” “You think…?” “Hey, it’s happened twice now. And this time a scout approached you personally.” “Doesn’t that kind of thing only happen in Tokyo?” “……I—I guess you have a point.” We could get to Tokyo by train, but we were still pretty far away. I had never heard of talent scouts going out into the sticks. Instead, the stories were always about celebrities being scouted on the streets of the big city. “But then why would he give you his business card?” “Because he wanted to contact me…personally?” Fushimi was a lot more suspicious these days. She’d already had some weird agency’s director try to take advantage of her. “But in that case, wouldn’t he give you his socials instead? A business card means it’s for business.” “Maybe you’re right.” She stared intently at the card, thinking deeply. If this had happened back during summer break, she would have gone for it without a second thought. It seemed she’d finally learned the move Think About It. For now, I decided to ask her what she wanted to eat for dinner, and she suggested a famous chain serving Western-style food. “I want some omelet rice, or pasta, or steak,” she said. “Wow, you’re pretty hungry.” “Ha-ha. I didn’t mean I’d eat all three.” We joined hands and walked to the closest franchise. “The dessert here is good, and the price is reasonable,” she said. “And don’t you just feel like eating Western food around Christmas?” “Well, it is a Western holiday.” We’d been seeing Christmas decorations all day, so it was no wonder Fushimi was feeling the holiday spirit. We found the place we were after right on the main road and went inside. As we escaped the cold wind, Fushimi sighed in relief. “We still have finals to do before Christmas…” “And then entrance exams next year…” We reached our seats, then stared into the distance for a moment, thinking about our tests. “Let’s have a party with everyone on Christmas,” suggested Fushimi. “What do you say?” “I thought you’d want to spend it together, just the two of us.” “I thought about it, but considering we’ll be studying for entrance exams next year, this might be the last Christmas we can all hang out.” “You’re right.” And besides, we could spend time alone together whenever we wanted. I looked at the menu, then stole a glance at Fushimi. Back before the sports festival, she’d said she didn’t need to rush to find an agency. It made sense for her to be wary after what had happened. But it was someone from the Thespian Academy who introduced Mr. Takashiro to her. “Won’t you at least hear him out?” I asked. “Who?” “Mr. Mori.” “Mm… I’m not sure. We have all those tests coming up… And then there’s you…” “Me?” “I… I want to spend a lot of time with you…” Fushimi looked down, and her ears turned red. She’s so cute. “I want to spend time with you, too.” “Horndog.” “Why would you say that? We’re not doing anything dir—” Memories of what happened in my room and at the karaoke place suddenly came rushing back to me. I fell silent, and so did Fushimi. She was even redder than I was. …Right. We aren’t just childhood friends hanging out anymore. She’s my girlfriend. I’m her boyfriend. It’s only natural for two people who like each other to wind up doing stuff like that when they’re together… “See, you’re already thinking dirty thoughts!” Fushimi cried. “Keep your voice down. You’re the one who said you wanted to spend time together.” “Oof. Yeah, I did.” “And you even said a lot.” “Hghh… So what?! I’m happy!” “Well, yeah. Me too.” We giggled at each other. Suddenly, I thought back to the reviews I’d received for my independent film. My girlfriend was a talented actress, recognized by industry judges. She was attending an acting school.