Chapter 33: The Toddlers Want to Take the Field Too
"Are all the leads here?"
Taishi Gotanda poked his head out from the restroom area, still clutching half a smoldering cigarette in his hand.
"The two child stars you picked haven't arrived yet," Hikaru Hoshino shrugged. "Maybe they got delayed in traffic?"
"Could it be that the parents heard it was an izakaya and refused to send them?" Ai wondered aloud, her imagination running wild. "If Aqua said he was going out to drink, I would absolutely, definitely never agree to it!"
Aqua's face went dark. "Mama, you're overthinking it. I'm only four; there's no way I'm going out to drink."
Taishi Gotanda took his seat at the innermost part of the table. "The scenario you're describing won't happen. They are actors. Once they step into this circle, the common sense of ordinary people no longer applies. Even as four-year-olds, they still need to socialize and build rapport with the crew."
"Because this is their job."
Aqua nodded in silent agreement.
Just as the words left his mouth, the wooden door of the izakaya creaked open once more. Two strikingly similar little girls walked in.
On the left was Kana Arima, with her short reddish-brown hair and a proud smile pinned to her face. On the right was Akane Kurokawa, her short blue-violet hair swaying as she followed somewhat timidly.
The two were remarkably alike. If you ignored the difference in hair color and expression, they could almost pass for carbon copies.
Clearly, this was intentional on Akane's part.
Adoring Kana Arima as she did, Akane had styled herself to resemble her idol. She had cut her long hair and donned a beret adorned with a white flower just like Kana's—dressing up as her hero to bridge the distance between them.
Unfortunately, her hero wasn't flattered.
The moment she walked in, Kana Arima began complaining to Gotanda: "Whose actor is this? Why is she mimicking my look?"
"Is she trying to get famous by copying me? Let me tell you, this kind of 'clout-chasing' won't work! I, Kana Arima, am a true genius actor. No matter how much you copy me, you're still leagues away!"
Ruby leaned into Aqua's ear, whispering, "Aqua, isn't that the child star you acted with?"
"Yeah, that's her," Aqua replied expressionlessly.
"I remember now!" Ruby smacked her palm with her fist in a 'Eureka' moment. "It's that genius child star who can lick baking soda!"
Kana Arima barked back: "It's the genius child star who can cry in ten seconds!"
She finally noticed Aqua sitting next to Ruby, and her face lit up with surprise. "You're... Aqua! Are you performing in this movie too?"
The memory of being outacted by Aqua not long ago surged back, and Kana's competitive spirit caught fire instantly.
"I won't lose to you in acting this time! Just you wait and see!"
"Sure," Aqua replied coldly. "You've already won."
"Beating me is a given, but you should be careful not to lose to the girl next to you. She's Akane Kurokawa from my troupe, and she's just as talented as you are."
Suddenly praised, Akane was overwhelmed. "Oh no, I still have a long way to go."
Kana Arima turned her head away in annoyance, shooting an unkind look at Akane. "Since Aqua praised you, just accept it. Don't act like you're incompetent."
*Otherwise, it'll look like his judgment is flawed!*
Director Gotanda clapped his hands. "Stop arguing. This is our production's kick-off banquet. Constant bickering isn't a good look. Everyone, take your seats. I'll go order some yakitori."
"By the way, what are you all drinking?"
"The kids should all have juice. Koromo Shiranui is likely a minor too. What about the rest of you?" Gotanda looked toward Ai and Hikaru. "Teppei Nishikawa and I are definitely having draft beers. You two should have a couple of glasses as well."
Hikaru tapped the table. "Ai should have juice. As for me..."
"Did the Director forget I'm not 20 yet? Last time you incited me to smoke, and now you're pushing alcohol. You really are a 'dirty adult,' aren't you?"
"Blame yourself for looking so mature," Taishi Gotanda rubbed his stubble. "I always mistake you for a peer. Is 'precociousness' and 'maturity' hereditary?"
Kana stared at Hikaru in shock. He looked exactly like another version of Aqua; the relationship between them was blindingly obvious.
Hikaru had no intention of hiding it from the crew.
"Everyone here is an important member of the production, so let's introduce ourselves."
"I'll start. I'm Hikaru Hoshino. As you can see, I'm this kid's father. I worked at the Lalalai Theatrical Company for a while, and now I'm an independent musician. I'm responsible for the film's score."
Hikaru had just said he was under 20, yet his child was already this old. Realizing this, complex expressions appeared on everyone's faces. Ai, however, was completely unaffected and picked up the conversation with high energy.
"I'm Ai of B-Komachi! Wait, B-Komachi has disbanded... My job is being an idol! Uh, but I'm not really an idol anymore..."
The group silently labeled Ai as a "natural airhead."
"The character I'm playing is one of the heroines, Ai Kita. Please look after me!"
Assorted yakitori, beer, juice, and food were brought to the table in succession, and everyone began to eat heartily. This was Hikaru's first time eating at a Japanese izakaya, and it felt strangely similar to the open-air food stalls from his past life.
Though the decor here was significantly better.
"I'm Teppei Nishikawa from FM Agency!" Teppei looked nervous, instinctively swallowing his saliva. "I'll be playing the male lead, Naoto Anna!"
"Koromo Shiranui, professional idol. Playing the heroine, Shizuna Ueda."
When it was time for the three little ones to introduce themselves, they realized their characters shared names with the adults.
Aqua frowned. "I'm Aqua Hoshino, playing... the male lead, Naoto Anna."
"Genius child star Kana Arima, playing the heroine, Shizuna Ueda!"
"I'm playing Ai Kita," Akane Kurokawa said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"The scripts I sent you before were incomplete fragments," Taishi Gotanda said, taking a large gulp of beer and slamming the glass on the table. "It seems you've realized that the 'Adult Group'—let's call them that—and the 'Child Group' are actually playing the same characters."
"You are portraying the same three main characters across different age groups. Both sides' roles are equally important."
Hikaru had already read the script and sat quietly sipping his juice. He turned his head and noticed the color of the liquid in Ai's glass looked wrong. Upon closer inspection, it was actually beer.
Before he could stop her, Ai drained the glass and let out a burp.
Hikaru shook his head helplessly. *Well, beer isn't enough to get her drunk. Let her be.*
Gotanda continued speaking, detailing the goals of the film and the crucial plot points, before his expression turned solemn.
"You are all leads. You are the stars. The 'Child Group' scenes will make up about thirty percent of the movie. Do you understand what that means?"
Kana Arima was stunned, while Akane was too intimidated to speak.
Finally, Aqua answered, "It means we are all 'Protagonists,' right?"
"Exactly." Gotanda set down his glass, revealing a wide grin. "Most movies, even those with child actors, don't feature them much. Directors don't trust the acting of children, so they don't give them major screen time. Even a genius star like Kana Arima has mostly played minor roles with little impact."
"Main characters are usually high schoolers or adults. Aside from children's cartoons, you rarely see works with kids as the focus."
"The so-called 'child star' actually has a very narrow career path," Gotanda lamented.
"The difference this time is..."
Aqua finished his sentence: "We have the same status as the adults."
Gotanda said meaningfully, "In the final credits of this movie, you can rightfully write your names in the 'Main Lead' section."
"I have high hopes for all three of you, and I believe in your futures."
"Now, the future of this film is in your hands."