บท 12: [12] A Bitter Taste
I woke to a cacophony of peppy voices and upbeat synths blaring from Marin's phone.
"We are your idols, our sign is B, chu! B Komachi! Woohoo!"
I groaned, fumbling for the source of the noise. My hand connected with something soft and warm instead.
"Mmmph. Five more minutes," Marin mumbled, burrowing closer.
"We finally met you, we're happy! While impatiently thrashing our legs..."
I cracked an eye open, taking in Marin's tousled hair splayed across my chest. She looked so peaceful, I almost felt bad about disturbing her. Almost.
"Marin," I grumbled, giving her shoulder a gentle shake. "Your alarm."
She stirred slightly. "Hmm?"
"We couldn't sleep because we were looking forward to today! Me too!" the voices chirped.
I sighed. "Marin. Phone. Now."
She lifted her head, blinking blearily. "Wha...? Oh!" Her eyes widened as realization dawned. She scrambled for her phone, nearly elbowing me in the process.
"This is no time to be nervous! We can't waste one minute, one second!"
Marin finally silenced the alarm, cutting off the voices mid-cheer. She flopped back onto the futon with a dramatic sigh. "Sorry, Akira-kun. I forgot I set that."
I rubbed my eyes, willing my brain to start functioning. "What even was that?"
Marin's face lit up. "Only the greatest idol group ever! B Komachi!" She struck a pose, flashing a peace sign.
I raised an eyebrow. "You're certainly chipper for someone who wanted five more minutes ten seconds ago."
She grinned sheepishly. "Well, now that I'm up..." She bounced to her feet, stretching. "Come on, let's get started! You too! You too!"
I groaned, pulling the covers over my head. "No. Absolutely not."
Marin tugged at the blanket. "Akira-kuuun," she whined. "We can't waste one minute, one second!"
"Watch me," I muttered, clinging stubbornly to my cocoon of warmth.
She huffed, then changed tactics. "Fine. I guess I'll just have to make breakfast all by myself. Who knows what might happen to your kitchen..."
I peeked out from under the covers. Marin's eyes gleamed with mischief.
"You wouldn't."
She smirked. "Try me."
With a resigned sigh, I sat up. "Alright, alright. I'm up. Happy now?"
Marin beamed. "Ecstatic! Now come on, sleepyhead. The day awaits!"
As she bounced towards the kitchen, humming that song, I couldn't help but shake my head.
Just another day in paradise.
I shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from my eyes. Marin was already there, humming that infernal idol song as she rummaged through cabinets.
"What're you looking for?" I asked, stifling a yawn.
She spun around, beaming. "Pancake mix! We're having a proper American breakfast today!"
I raised an eyebrow. "Do we even have pancake mix?"
"Nope!" She chirped, undeterred. "But we have flour and eggs and milk, so we're making them from scratch!"
I blinked. "You know how to make pancakes from scratch?"
Marin's smile faltered for a second. "Well... no. But how hard can it be?"
I sighed, reaching for my phone. "Let me look up a recipe."
As I scrolled through search results, Marin bustled around, gathering ingredients with more enthusiasm than skill. A small cloud of flour puffed up as she dropped the bag on the counter.
"Oops," she giggled, brushing white powder from her nose.
I bit back a smile. "Alright, culinary genius. First step: mix the dry ingredients."
We fumbled our way through the recipe, Marin's excitement compensating for our lack of experience. She insisted on adding chocolate chips, claiming it wasn't a proper pancake without them.
"Your turn to flip!" Marin announced, thrusting the spatula at me.
I eyed the sizzling batter warily. "I don't know..."
"Come on, Akira-kun! Live a little!"
With a deep breath, I slid the spatula under the pancake and flipped. It landed with a satisfying sizzle, only slightly lopsided.
Marin cheered. "See? You're a natural!"
We continued cooking, falling into an easy rhythm. Marin chattered about her plans for the day, her words tumbling out faster than the batter hit the pan.
"...and then after school, I've got cosplay club, and we're working on..."
I nodded along, focusing on not burning our breakfast. It was... nice, this domestic scene. Comfortable. Dangerous.
As we sat down to eat, Marin's eyes widened at her first bite. "Akira-kun! These are amazing!"
I shrugged, hiding a pleased smile. "They're not bad."
We ate quickly, Marin glancing at the clock every few minutes. "Oh no, I'm gonna be late!"
She scrambled to gather her things, shoving the last bite of pancake in her mouth. "Thanks for breakfast, Akira-kun! See you tonight!"
And just like that, she was gone.
I sighed, surveying the mess in the kitchen. Flour dusted every surface, and sticky batter clung to utensils. As I began to clean, I felt the mask of Akira Hoshino settling back into place. The easy companionship of the morning faded, replaced by the calculated coolness I'd cultivated.
By the time the kitchen was spotless, no trace remained of our chaotic pancake adventure. Just as it should be.
I sat at my desk, staring blankly at the screen. The apartment felt empty without Marin's exuberant presence. I found myself missing her cheerful chatter as I scrolled through unread emails.
One message caught my eye - from Kaburagi, the director of "Sweet Today." He confirmed the walk-through rehearsal would be this afternoon at 2:30pm. I jotted down the address, pulse quickening. This was really happening.
I glanced at the clock. Still a few hours before I had to leave. I tried to focus on researching my character, but my mind kept wandering. What would my co-stars be like? Professional and serious, or more easygoing? And how much of the script would we get today?
My leg bounced with nervous energy. I stood abruptly, needing to move. I paced the small apartment, tidying things that didn't really need tidying. As I folded some blankets, my thoughts drifted back to Marin. Was her day going well? Probably better than mine - she was likely surrounded by friends, not rattling around an empty apartment.
I shook my head, annoyed at myself. I didn't need anyone. Just had some first day jitters, that's all. I'd be in my element once I got to the rehearsal space. Back in the world I knew best - pretending to be someone I'm not.
Glancing at the clock again, I decided to head over early. Better than sitting here overthinking things. I pulled on a casual outfit, ran a hand through my hair, and headed out the door.
The rehearsal space was easy to find, just a short train ride away. I stopped outside the nondescript building, steeling myself. Today marked a fresh start, a chance to reinvent myself again. Akira Hoshino would be confident, charming, mysterious - everything my characters needed to be. My past didn't exist here.
I pushed open the glass door, a bell chiming overhead. The receptionist, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes, looked up.
"Good morning!" I said. "I'm Akira Hoshino, here for the 'Sweet Today' shoot."
She beamed back. "Oh, wonderful! We've been expecting you. I'm Sakura. It's lovely to meet you, Hoshino-san."
"Please, call me Akira," I insisted warmly. "Sakura-san, that's a beautiful name. It suits you."
Her cheeks pinked slightly. "My, aren't you a charmer? Go right on in, dear. They're setting up in the main room."
I winked. "Thanks, Sakura-san."
As I entered the main area, I saw a few crew members setting up lights and cameras. I made a beeline for a guy struggling with a heavy equipment case.
"Need a hand?" I asked, already moving to grab the other end.
He looked up, surprised. "Oh, uh, sure. Thanks."
Together, we lifted the case onto a table. "I'm Akira," I said, offering my hand. "One of the actors."
"Kenji," he replied, shaking it. "You're playing Kanata, right?"
I nodded. "That's me. First day jitters and all that. You been in the industry long?"
Kenji chuckled. "Long enough to know it's always a zoo on the first day. Don't sweat it, kid. You'll do fine."
We chatted for a few more minutes about his experiences on different sets. I made sure to laugh at his jokes and ask interested questions. By the time we parted, Kenji was grinning and slapping me on the back like we were old friends.
As I moved through the room, I made a point to introduce myself to everyone I passed. A compliment here, a helping hand there. Each interaction was a chance to cement Akira Hoshino as likeable, friendly, and hardworking.
I was in the middle of helping a costume designer hang up some outfits when I spotted her. A petite girl with shoulder-length pinkish-red hair and matching eyes, radiating an aura of quiet confidence. Definitely an Actress
Our eyes met, and I gave her my warmest smile. "Hey there! You must be the female lead. I'm Akira Hoshino."
She nodded, her gaze assessing. "Kana Arima. Nice to meet you, Hoshino-san. I take it you're our Kanata?"
"That's right," I said, moving closer. "And please, call me Akira. We're going to be working closely together, after all."
A small smile formed on her lips. "Alright, Akira-san. I look forward to seeing your interpretation of Kanata."
Before I could respond, a booming voice cut through the chatter. "Akira-kun! Glad you could make it. Are you ready for your first day on set?"
I nodded, injecting confidence into my voice. "Absolutely. Can't wait to bring Kanata to life."
As Kaburagi led us towards the makeshift dressing area, I caught Kana watching me with a calculated gaze. Her expression was unreadable, but I got the distinct impression she was trying to figure me out.
The door chimed again, and in walked three guys who looked like they'd stepped straight out of a fashion magazine. Each had their own entourage of makeup artists and assistants trailing behind them.
I plastered on my friendliest smile and approached the first one, a tall guy with perfectly styled blonde hair. "Hey there! I'm Akira Hoshino. Looking forward to working with you."
He gave me a once-over, his expression barely concealing his disdain. "Charmed, I'm sure," he drawled, before turning to his makeup artist. "Yuki, darling, touch up my foundation. This lighting is atrocious."
Okay, strike one. I moved on to the next guy, a brunette with a chiseled jawline. "Hi, Akira Hoshino. You must be playing-"
"Not now," he cut me off, not even bothering to look my way. "I'm in the zone."
The 'zone' apparently involved staring intently at his own reflection in a compact mirror. Alrighty then.
The third guy at least acknowledged my existence with a curt nod, but quickly turned away to bark orders at his assistant.
I shrugged off their cold reception. Their loss. I headed back to where Kana was standing, skimming through her script.
"Warm bunch, aren't they?" I said, keeping my tone light.
Kana glanced up. "You get used to it. Some people think being difficult makes them seem more important."
I chuckled. "Guess I missed that memo."
She studied me for a moment. "You're... not what I expected."
Before I could ask what she meant by that, Hisashi - the director clapped his hands. "Alright, everyone! Let's do a quick read-through of the first scene. Akira-kun, Kana-chan, you're up first."
I grabbed my script and flipped it open, scanning the first page. My brow furrowed. This... didn't seem right.
"Um, Hisashi-san?" I raised my hand. "I think there might be a mix-up with the scripts. This doesn't match the manga at all."
Hisashi blinked. "Manga? Oh, right. No, no mix-up. We're going in a... different direction with the adaptation. More streamlined. You'll see."
I frowned, reading further. Different was an understatement. The Kanata in this script was less 'foul-mouthed bad boy with a heart of gold' and more 'generic pretty boy with mood swings.' And Miyu... well, she barely resembled the manga character at all.
"Is there a problem, Akira-kun?" Kaburagi's voice came in with an edge to it.
I looked up, realizing everyone was staring at me. Right. Professional. Be professional.
"No, no problem," I said smoothly. "Just... taking it all in. It's certainly a unique interpretation."
Kaburagi beamed. "Exactly! Now, let's start with Kanata's introduction. Akira-kun, whenever you're ready."
I cleared my throat, pushing down my confusion and disappointment. This wasn't what I'd signed up for, but I was here now. Time to make the best of it.
"Hey," I read, trying to inject some of Kanata's gruffness into my voice. "So do you enjoy making that face all the time?"
Kana, as Miyu, furrowed her brow. "What?"
I continued, feeling increasingly uncomfortable with how flat the dialogue felt. "Nothing, I was just chasing some cat and I just happened to come across you."
As we continued reading, it became painfully clear that while the basic structure of Kanata and Miyu's relationship was there, all the nuance had been stripped away. Kanata's complex personality had been reduced to "generically rude boy," and Miyu's character seemed to exist solely to react to him.
Gone were the subtle hints at Kanata's troubled past, the gradual softening of his demeanor around Miyu. Instead, we got scene after scene of surface-level interactions that barely scratched the surface of what made the manga so compelling.
I caught Kana's eye during a break in the reading. She gave a small, almost imperceptible shrug, as if to say, "This is how it goes sometimes."
I sighed internally. This was going to be a long day.As the read-through dragged on, I found myself struggling to connect with this watered-down version of Kanata. Every line felt like a missed opportunity, a chance to explore the character's depth that was being squandered.
"Great work, everyone!" Kaburagi clapped as we finished the last scene of episode one. "I can already tell this is going to be something special. Remember, we do the real thing tomorrow, so get plenty of rest."
Special was one word for it.
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