Chapter 16: Family Dinner at the Japanese Restaurant
Hikaru Hoshino continued to write and draw in his notebook, planning out Ai's future development route. Although it felt a bit like he was overstepping, he did it instinctively.
"In short, let's aim to transition into a serious actress and singer."
"Regarding the fanbase, we'll perform a large-scale 'purification.' Through multiple rounds of refining the fans, we'll strive to turn the majority of them into supporters of Ai's career and works. Of course, there will definitely be a loss of fans in the process. How to minimize that loss is something we need to focus on during the transition."
"Ai's route is more or less set. Aqua and Ruby can't enter the industry before then. First..."
Hikaru left them in suspense, looking at the twins with a playful smile.
Ruby followed up urgently, "First what? First do idol training at the company?"
"If I practice for two and a half years, I can definitely debut successfully!"
Hikaru flicked Ruby's forehead with a "snap." "What are you thinking? Of course, you have to study properly first. What else are you going to do at this age if you don't study?"
"Ah! I don't want to study!" Ruby clutched her head and wailed in agony. "Aqua, think of something!"
Aqua smiled, agreeing wholeheartedly with Hikaru's view.
What kind of child doesn't study?
Even though he could easily get full marks. Um, that definitely wasn't the reason he agreed.
The joys and sorrows of top students and failing students are not the same; Ruby just found Aqua's smile annoying right now.
"Here is your order."
The voice sounded from behind the door first, then the tall waiter pushed the door open and brought a small cart to the table.
"Tuna sushi, sashimi, takoyaki, a bowl of spare rib noodles, a bowl of Nagasaki-style Champon, one serving of pasta, two servings of tempura, and finally, miso soup."
The waiter quickly checked the dishes and finally gave a professional smile. "Everything is here. Please enjoy."
*So this is Japanese food...* Hikaru looked at the plates and bowls on the table with curiosity. The presentation was excellent, but he wondered how it tasted. He prepared to give it a good try; he hadn't eaten at a formal Japanese restaurant in his past life.
Wait... he suddenly noticed something.
"Ruby-chan, did you order a bit too much?"
Hikaru stared at Ruby with a "kind" smile.
Ruby's response was...
"Ehe?" She chose to play dumb to get away with it.
The group finished the food at a fast but not rude pace. By the time all four were full, quite a bit was left untouched on the table.
For example, the sushi—since Ai hadn't touched it at all—had about a third left over.
Hikaru instinctively wanted to pack it to take away, but then he suddenly remembered the cultural differences and asked Ai awkwardly, "Do you guys usually have a habit of taking leftovers home?"
"No," Ai said, continuing to nibble on a piece of sashimi. "Usually, we don't pack leftovers, and many shops don't offer a take-out service for them."
*Miscalculated.*
No wonder the waiter came in earlier to remind them they had ordered too much; apparently, they didn't offer a doggy-bag service at all.
Hikaru experienced the difference in culture between his past and present lives for the first time, and he began to miss the delicacies of his previous world. To him, this Japanese food was a bit too bland.
*If possible... next time I'll cook a meal myself.*
Ultimately, he decided to do as the locals do, leaving the unfinished food on the table and standing up to leave.
"Thank you for the meal."
Ai gently wiped the sauce from the corner of her mouth with a tissue and offered her thanks with a smile.
Hikaru Hoshino pulled out his wallet, laid out several Fukuzawa Yukichi bills to settle the tab, and took his leave.
"Well then, I'll be going now."
Hikaru left the restaurant alone, while Ai and the twins called the President to pick them up. Recalling the rowdiness at the dinner table, Ai allowed a faint smile to cross her lips.
"In the end, Biyoo still didn't tell me how he plans to 'cultivate' himself."
She had seen him write "Hikaru Hoshino's Cultivation Plan" on a fresh page with her own eyes. But after jotting down the title, he hadn't written another word.
Meanwhile, Hikaru Hoshino was walking the streets of Tokyo. It was 8:00 PM; in the gray city, colorful lights flickered incessantly, and neon advertisements covered every available surface. Men carrying briefcases hurried past him from time to time, and he saw middle-aged men clutching liquor bottles slumped by the roadside.
Young girls in miniskirts wandered the commercial district in groups, occasionally whispering and giggling, radiating the vibrant colors of youth. Their pale legs were particularly eye-catching, but Hikaru merely spared them a glance before looking away.
*Tokyo is truly a massive metropolis.*
He pulled out his planning notebook once more, tore out the page labeled *Hikaru Hoshino's Cultivation Plan*, crumpled it into a small ball, and tossed it casually into a street-side trash can.
Only Ai needed cultivation; he had no need for such things. Instead, he wrote down a different title:
"Hikaru Kamiki Severance Plan"
He was thinking about how to make society truly accept that he and Hikaru Kamiki were not the same person.
Hikaru Kamiki had once been the lead actor of the Lalalai Theatrical Company, renowned for his deep, "method-acting" style. Looking at the original manga, Hikaru Hoshino believed the ceiling for acting talent in this world would actually appear twelve years later. Kana Arima, Akane Kurokawa, and Taiki Himekawa—the performances of these three in the manga were brilliant, making them the strongest actors in the entire work. However, Kamiki's strength was not inferior to theirs, as he was a possessor of two complete "black stars" in his eyes.
His skill was also at the ceiling level—a level Ai could only reach through massive amounts of practice.
Unfortunately, as an outside soul, Hikaru Hoshino did not have those two stars in his eyes. If he were sent to a film set right now, he would likely deliver only a mediocre performance.
Kamiki had also participated in many variety shows, gaining a significant female following thanks to his handsome, "sunny boy" image. He was actually quite popular in the industry, and the news of his amnesia had caused a stir, even if it had been overshadowed by the hype of Ai's concert.
*How can I make the audience see me and Kamiki as two different people?*
Hikaru kicked an empty can by his feet, sending it flying and drawing grumbling shouts from a nearby street drunk. However, no one came to pick a fight; Tokyo's public order was decent enough, as everyone was too busy living their own lives to interfere with others.
He crouched on the street corner, a chocolate bar he had just bought hanging from his mouth. After a long period of contemplation, Hikaru reached a conclusion.
Contrast.
He had to project a persona completely opposite to Hikaru Kamiki, so that the moment anyone saw him, they would immediately sense the difference.
Kamiki was an actor? Then he wouldn't be an actor; he would debut again as a singer. If possible, he'd take on a few teen idol dramas and intentionally deliver clunky performances to further widen that gap.
Regarding his image, the audience saw Hikaru Kamiki as a bright and cheerful "sunny boy." He would go the other way, establishing an opposite persona: melancholy, socially awkward, guarded, and outwardly cold. He would use his top-tier looks and talent as the capital for his aloofness, while revealing in small details that he was essentially a gentle person capable of empathizing with the tragedies of others.
This archetype should be quite popular as well.
Then again, Hikaru felt he was naturally like that anyway; there was no need to force it. Although using one's true personality in the entertainment industry made it easy to get hurt, as long as his heart was strong, it didn't seem like a big deal.
Kamiki's stage name was simply Hikaru Kamiki, and the industry generally addressed him by his full name. Those close to him privately called him "Miki-san."
To distance himself, his most important "trademark"—his stage name—had to be completely different. He planned to re-enter the industry, using his previous connections to navigate the circle once more. The name "Hikaru Hoshino" was too easily confused with Ai's and wasn't prominent enough; it lacked the qualities of a famous brand and wasn't suitable as a stage name.
The law of the entertainment industry was to be eye-catching at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing one's bottom line. It was a place so murky it lacked a sense of morality.
Thus, his stage name was decided.
"Hikari."
Meaning "Light."