Fushimi Duraksadı

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August came, and just as we were about to resume filming, Fushimi messaged our production group chat:

Sorry, I’m not feeling well today.Could we postpone the shoot?

Before I could say anything, many of our classmates replied telling her to rest and take care.

Filming was soon to wrap up, and Fushimi was passionate about the project to an annoying degree.Honestly, I couldn’t imagine her asking to take a day off.

Despite my doubts, I sent her a private message telling her to rest up and that she didn’t have to worry about the project.

Sorry and thanks, she replied.

Himeji and Torigoe didn’t respond in the group chat, either, so I assumed they had DM’d her, too.

Now that we weren’t filming, I decided to start editing, but just as I was about to do so, the doorbell rang repeatedly, irritatingly.

“Only one person rings the bell like this.”

I sighed and stood up to head for the door.

As I expected, it was Himeji.

“Ryou.”

“Could you stop ringing it like that?We’re not kids anymo—”

She cut me off with a huge smile, throwing herself at me.

“I passed.I’m in.I got it!”

“Huh?Uh… Whaaa—?Niiice?”I had no idea what she was talking about for a moment and gave a vague reaction, but then I made the connection.“O-oh, wow!That’s great, Himeji!”

“I did it!I did it, Ryou!I won!”

She hopped like an excited child.

“Congratulations.”

“Yes!And—”

Now Himeji was cut off by the sound of the living room door opening.Himeji jumped away from me, and I heard Mana’s voice:

“What’s the fuss all about?!Stop shouting at my door!”

“I’m sorry.I just had something to tell him.”

“Well, Bubby?Why don’t you go listen to her?”She pointed her chin upward.

Go talk in your room—I see.

I asked her to come in.She was still in high spirits.

…So this means that Fushimi didn’t…

“So they called my agency first, and I was totally losing my mind when I heard about it from Mr.Matsuda…”

She started flailing her legs just thinking back on it.Kicking my bed was her way of holding in the excitement.Hmm.

“So, who were you rooting for?Hina?Or me?”

“…Both.”

“Gosh.You should have said me, even if it wasn’t true.”She sighed dramatically before putting on a smile again.“Anyway, I wasn’t expecting you to be that considerate in the first place, so whatever.”

“Hey!”

She beamed even in the face of my grumbling.

“You promised me you’d cheer me on, and I gave it my all with that in mind.I just felt like I needed to thank you, even if just a little.”

“Well, it’s an honor to have helped you in whichever way possible.”

Himeji cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure.

“And since you weretotallyrooting for me, I wanted you to know first.So I rushed all the way here.”

“…Thanks?”

Was there a need to say“totally”like that?Youtotallydon’t believe I was rooting for you, huh.

Himeji crossed her legs, placed a hand on her chest, and looked me straight in the eye.

“Now that I have passed the audition, you have the right to kiss me.”

“What’re you talking about?”

“You heard me.”

“Why?”

“You have the right.”

“…Um.Okay…?”I said suspiciously.

She put on a confident smile.“I know you won’t take advantage of it.”

“No, I won’t.”

I didn’t ask for such a right in the first place.

“After all, if you ever dared to do so, you’d end up hopelessly falling for me.”

How can you be so sure?

“So if you’re ever mentally prepared for that, then………” She hesitated to say the rest, her face turning redder and redder with every second.“Then…you can kiss me.”

Her confident tone tapered off, her voice becoming quieter.I wouldn’t have heard her if we weren’t in my silent room.

…Mentally prepared, huh.Mentally prepared to fall in love…

The phrase echoed in my mind; I doubted Himeji had intended for her words to affect me this much.

The conversation ended there.I went down to the kitchen and came back with tea.

“Ryou, did you know about Hina?”

“You mean how she wanted the day off ?”