Tough Love
Cast:
Cure Lemonade, Kasugano Urura - age 16
Ms. Shitataare, Sugimoto Atsuko - age 27
Kintolesky, Sugimoto Kaneda - age 27
Kasugano Heizou - Urara's grandfather - age 62
January, 2010
A suspicious figure has gained access to the rented studio. His eyes are hidden behind sunglasses, and he is wearing a surgical mask over his face. A small cap fails to cover most of his gray hair. Slipping in a side door that was left propped open, he moves from cover to cover as he approaches the stage where filming is going on. The door is slightly ajar, where a golden-haired actress is speaking lines that the intruder cannot quite hear.
He approaches the open door. Within, all attention is focused on the actors. He glides soundlessly toward the entrance. His advance then stops. The reason: his feet are not in contact with the floor. He hangs in the air, suspended by the fabric of his shirt, the collar of which hangs from the hand of a large man with a prominent mustache.
The scene ends. The cameras stop filming. The large man turns to carry the intruder away, who finally seems to understand his situation.
"Wait!" the intruder shouts. "I'm only here to see Urara!"
This gives the other man pause. "You can see the movie when it is done," he answers.
"Not the movie, Urara! I want to see Urara!"
All eyes are now on the intruder. The director is approaching him, and she seems livid.
Urara gets there first. "Grandpa, what are you doing here? How many times have I told you not to do things like this?"
The old man averts his gaze. "You didn't say not to do it today."
"Are you in grade school?!" the director shrieks. She strides up to him and slaps him across the face. "When a lady tells you to stop doing something, you are to stop doing it indefinitely!"
The old man mutters something under his breath.
"What was that?" the director shrieks. She winds up to slap him again, but Urara jumps in between them.
"Please, madame director! He's my grandfather. Let me handle this."
"Urara! I knew you'd-"
Urara slaps him. He slumps in the air as if she has knocked out part of his soul.
"You have to stop doing this, Grandpa!" Urara shouts, teary eyed. "I'm tired of hearing excuses! Sneaking around like that is dangerous! Do you know how sad I'd be if something happened to you?"
"I just wanted to see you..."
"We live in the same house, Grandpa! Even if you're lonely, wait until I get home!"