A Life worth Living
Disclaimer: I do not own SkipBeat or any of its characters.
Chapter 2 – Reconsiderations, Retractions and Revisions
Director Shinkai scratched his head in frustration for the fifth time in the last hour. What was I thinking? You weren't thinking, you baka! You were so amazed at what Mogami-san accomplished that you didn't stop to think. "One small request?!" Yeah right! Arrgh!
The problem was this: Takarada Maria had built a reputation among the directors in Tokyo; and it wasn't a good reputation. Whenever Maria appeared, disaster was sure to follow. Granted that these occurrences had dropped off completely since Tsuruga Ren married Kyoko; but the damage had been done.
Actresses, most especially the pretty, young ones who acted alongside Ren, feared Takarada Maria like the revival of the Black Plague. When she showed up on the set, banana spiders, dead rats, and all manner of other gruesome objects showed up in the women's dressing room... or on their designated chairs… or down their dresses. It had gotten so bad in fact that the directors had worked out a special code with the filming crews. Whenever anyone whispered, "A Tsunami is imminent," everyone knew to be on the alert: Maria had entered the building.
And now Director Shinkai had actually agreed to allow the little terror to act in his movie. Has she ever even acted? Does she even know how to act? Just because her grandfather runs LME doesn't mean that she has any talent. Baka, baka, baka!
Actually, her relationship with her grandfather made things even worse. If she couldn't act, then how was he supposed to fire her? How do you explain to your boss, the owner and CEO of the most powerful talent agency in the Far East, that you have to fire his granddaughter?
But for Director Shinkai this movie was too important to sacrifice on the altar of nepotism. He had fallen in love with the story as soon as he had read it. He had begged and pleaded for the privilege of directing it (which is why he was willing to give Kyoko a chance). He wanted to make this movie into something that would be talked about for years to come. He wanted it to be his directing masterpiece.
Finally, he opened his cell phone and made the call.
Despite everything that happened in the last year, Kyoko was still occasionally oblivious to her own fame. Had her manager, Ashina Mieko, been there she wouldn't have made this blunder. But Mieko had requested the day off to take care of a personal matter. Today was one of Kyoko's increasingly rare free-days so she had happily sent her manager off.
It was almost four years ago that Kyoko had changed her hair style and color and stood on the corner of Tokyo's busiest intersection hoping to be "discovered." At that time nobody had noticed her or even given her the time-of-day. Those days of anonymity were long gone now.
Today Kyoko stood at the gates of Yamata Private Middle School waiting distractedly for the school to let out and for Maria-chan to exit. She had not expected the other four-hundred and Sixty-three students to walk out first. Nor, characteristically, had she expected them to recognize her. Now Kyoko was surrounded by almost every one of them as they clamored for her attention.
"It's Kyouko!" "Kyouko-san, you're my favorite actress of all time!" "Can you be Mio?" "No, do Natsu!" "Show us Enoki Masami!" "Can I have your autograph?" "Me too!" On and on it went. Kyoko was normally good with crowds, but she had been totally unprepared for this.
Then… Suddenly the crowd of students began to hush and fidget nervously. A few started whispering. Finally, the school yard became deathly still. Kyoko saw the fear in their eyes as they began to part like the Red Sea. There, standing at the other end of that impromptu child-made corridor, stood Maria. She glared to the right and left as she moved forward with deliberate and measured steps. She stopped in front of Kyoko, "Onee-sama, what are you doing in public without Mieko? Are you nuts?"
The other students looked on in amazement as their classmate spoke so casually and even scoldingly to the young lady who had recently become so famous. Not that they would have dared to correct her. Maria-san was perhaps one of the scariest middle-schoolers they would ever meet. Even bullies didn't mess with the little blond girl with the dark aura.
Kyoko, still a little taken aback by the onslaught of little worshippers, smiled crookedly at her favorite little friend. "Gomen, Maria-chan, but I really needed to talk with you. I've brought an extra helmet. Can you go for a ride with me? I already cleared it with your grandfather."
Two minutes later, Takarada Maria rode off with one of Japan's biggest young stars on the back of her motorcycle. The boys who knew motorcycles declared positively that "that was the motorcycle Enoki Masami rode in Ronin's Children." Using the scoring system that only school-aged students understood, Maria moved up a few more rungs on the reputation ladder that day.
Kyoko rode her friend through the streets of Tokyo until they arrived at a little cake shop that both of them loved. After they ordered their desserts and took their seats, Kyoko nervously informed Maria about her phone call from Director Shinkai. She was relieved when Maria-chan took the news well. "So, all I have to do is perform a script reading for Director Shinkai? He'll still give me a chance if I can show my acting ability?"
Kyoko nodded. She had been so pleased with Maria's reaction to her news the previous evening. When Shinkai "revised" his agreement, she was mortified. Kyoko understood the rules of professionalism, so she understood that for the director the movie had to come first. Still it seemed so cruel to take this opportunity away from Maria.
But Maria was the granddaughter of the founder and CEO of LME. Someday she intended to take over for her grandfather. At twelve years old she already understood more about the movie and film industry than most people three times her age. "Don't worry Onee-sama," she said confidently, "I'll get the part."
oOoOOoOo
An hour later, Director Shinkai sat in the LME audition room all alone with Kyoko and Maria, his face expressionless. "Here is the script, Maria-san. I have highlighted your parts with a marker. Say your lines the way that young Ishida Tomiko would say them. Mogami-san, I want you to read the other parts."
Even though he wasn't showing any emotions on the outside, inside he was in turmoil. It started as soon as Maria had walked in the door. At that moment she had been wearing the same bring-it-on expression that Kyoko had showed when he had laid down his challenge. He had expected a spoiled brat. Instead Takarada Maria not only accepted his proviso, but she seemed determined to prove herself worthy of the role.
I guess the rumors are true, after all. He had heard through the rumor mill that Mogami Kyoko had somehow tamed this young shrew. Rumor said that the girl could still be scary at times, but that she had matured and was actually becoming a likable young lady.
Maria's looks were definitely right for the camera. At the age of twelve she was beginning to stretch out and was making the transition from little girl to teenager. Shinkai was old enough to remember Takarada Lina, Maria's mother. Not only had she been beautiful, but she was a gifted pianist, singer, and actress. It was clear watching Maria now that she had inherited her mother's gift for acting. He wondered if she shared her other talents. Well, I already know she is a gifted pianist.
The other thing that was standing out to him was the chemistry between Kyoko and Maria. Seldom had he encountered two girls who just seemed to belong together in front of the camera. Their interaction was not only comfortable, but it was endearing, real, and wonderful to watch. What a shame that they wouldn't ever be acting together in this movie.
Suddenly Director Shinkai started flipping through the script. He was reading frantically now, only listening to the reading with one ear. There! What if… that would work! He flipped through page after page. Reading the lines and visualizing the scenes. He became so involved in what he was doing that he didn't even realize that the two young ladies had become silent.
"Ano…" Kyoko tapped the table in front of him to gain his attention. Both Mogami Kyoko and Takarada Maria were looking at him with anxious expressions. "Director Shinkai, Maria-chan has finished with the reading. Can you please tell us if she gets the part?"
"I'm afraid that I don't want Maria-san for the part of the young Ishida Tomiko." Both of them looked stricken at his words, so he decided not to leave them in suspense, "You see, the part of the young Ishida Tomiko is just too small to waste on you, Maria-san. I think that I would like you to play a much larger role. I wonder if you would be willing to take on the role of Hattori Akiko?"
Kyoko's eyes went wide with disbelief. She and Maria had read through the entire script on the previous evening. The role of Akiko was a key role in the movie. Ishida Tomiko would finally turn her life around after devoting her time to helping Hattori Akiko, a young girl who had also attempted suicide after losing her sight. It would require the young girl to display a full range of emotions, sometimes all in one scene. It was almost as challenging as the role of Tomiko. Kyoko turned from Shinkai to look at Maria.
Maria still had that bring-it-on grin on her face.
"I take it that the answer is yes?" Director Shinkai tried to give the twelve year-old his best frown, "Understand this: you will have to work very, very hard to pull off this role. If we start filming and I decide that you're not good enough, I'll fire you on the spot. Are we agreed?"
Maria stood and bowed, "Hai, Director Shikai-san. I promise you that I will not disappoint you. Please take good care of me."
Notes: This is a short but-necessary chapter. I've spent the last couple of hours re-reading the manga sections with Kyoko and Maria together. The more times I read it, the more I love this friendship. I will do my best to make this story worthy of the original.
Several reviewers, those who know music, have very kindly pointed out the near-impossibility of Kyoko learning to play those three pieces of music in only six months… especially since she didn't play before. All that I will say at this point is "please be patient with me." Kyoko's unexpected and unnatural acumen for music is a key feature of this story. On another note: I can state with absolute certainty that this particular feat is possible. In fact, I know someone who did it. Granted, this person is considered a prodigy, but he is not alone… even within his own family (or especially within his own family). It is not my intention to Mary-Sue Kyoko in this story. In this particular story, as in Hidden in Plain Sight, an unusual gift is a part of the story.
Thank you to those who have already read and reviewed.
