Ryou Takamori

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Mr.Matsuda got a text from Himeji, and he told her we were in the café.I received a text from Fushimi soon after.

“I want to meet this childhood friend of yours,” he said.

So I asked her to come to the café and told her Himeji was coming, too.We were hearing about the audition from Himeji when Fushimi arrived.

“Huh?It’s her?That’s her?”Mr.Matsuda asked.I nodded.“Oh.My.Gosh.She’s so cute!So cute!”

Okay.

Fushimi noticed us and waved, then furrowed her brow as soon as she saw Mr.Matsuda.

“This is Mr.Matsuda, the manager at the office I’ve been working at.”

“He’s the chief manager of my agency,” Himeji added.

“Oh, is that so?It’s a pleasure to meet you.I’m Hina Fushimi.”She quickly introduced herself.

“You’re amazing, Fushimi!You got all the way to the last screening from the documentation step!”

“Oh, it’s nothing… Ah-ha-ha.”

Himeji used a straw to take a sip of her juice.

“I had heard you were going to an acting school, but I never expected to meet you at the venue for an audition I was taking.”

“Right?I was shocked, too.”

“Yeah.”

Mr.Matsuda stared at Fushimi every time she spoke.It was as though he was surveying her, like he was trying to absorb every tiny detail about her.

The final screening was nothing like I had imagined.It was mostly small talk and some questions, including their goals for the future.It was the same for Fushimi and Himeji.

“I’ll have one of those!”Fushimi said while looking at Himeji’s mixed fruit juice.

She came back with her own glass on a tray.

“So you don’t act or sing for this review, huh.”

“We already did that for the second and third screenings.”

Oh.No need to check that again, then.

“They film each round to review how they acted later on,” Mr.Matsuda added.

It made sense why the last one was more like an interview.

Fushimi and Himeji stayed quiet once that topic was over.They must’ve been curious about the results.

“No point in worrying about it now.Just forget you even took the audition in the first place, honestly,” Mr.Matsuda said.

Then he asked if we had any plans after this.We said no, and he offered to take us home in his car.

I got in the back seat of the luxury sedan.Fushimi followed behind me, while Himeji got in from the other side.

I whispered for one of them to sit in the front, but it seemed they didn’t hear me.They stayed in the back.

Mr.Matsuda glanced at me from the rearview mirror and chuckled.

“Surrounded by beauties, I see.Goddesses, even,” he said jokingly.

The girls on either side soon fell asleep.They must’ve been super tired.A good part of the ride went by in silence.

“Try stealthily recommending my agency to Fushimi, okay, Ryo-Ryo?”

“Stealthily?”

“I mean, like, don’t go and tell her,Hey, wouldn’t it be nice if you worked with Aika?We’re not a local sports team.”

I chuckled.

It seemed the producer had taken an interest in Fushimi.

Your protagonist energy never fails to surprise me.

She had passed the supposedly impossible documentation stage and reached the final stage.It felt like she could even easily win the lead role.

“…Why do you look so frustrated?”

“Huh?Was I making that sort of face?”

“Yes, you looked green with envy.”

“I’m not jealous.I don’t want to be a celebrity.”

“I mean, not envious of that, but of being recognized in general.”

That hit me hard.

“Well, you are at that age.Hey…please show me that film you’re making, yes?”

“I don’t mind, but it’s nowhere near complete yet.”

“Look, I’m not an expert in that field, but I do know what the real professionals have in mind when producing movies.I could teach you a thing or two.”

“I—I would be extremely grateful.I’ll bring what we have next time, then.”

“Gooood!”he said in a singsong voice.