Disclaimer: I own neither Skip Beat! or La Corda d'Oro.
Mogami walked in the large glass doors at the front of studio carrying her new violin. It had been a week since she had started practicing with Mori and the elderly Tsuzuki-sensei. Today was going to be the first day they were going to attempt to play their songs from their respective roles. The director said he hated movies and TV shows when the actors and actresses were clearly faking their instruments so they would bungle through the fingers while an actual professional's performance would be dubbed over hers (and everyone else's) performance.
She had learned a great deal about her role through reading her script. After reading the first half of the season she learned that Hino Kahoko was rather thick. How could anyone be so unaware that she couldn't see that half of the boys in the story were in love with her? Kyoko sighed. Some girls just couldn't what is in front of them.
As she arrived at the practice room she waved to Ito Masahiko who was entering the practice room next to them.
"Mogami-san, how goes your practicing?"
"Well enough I suppose, but I never realized how heavy this thing is after carrying it with me and then holding during practice" she said while lifting the violin in its case.
"I'm lucky enough I suppose with the flute. It's not that heavy, but the breathing required is worse than playing sports."
"Really? I've never done either. At least it's a comfort to know we're all in the same boat in having to learn," she replied.
"All of us except Murakami. He's already an excellent piano player, remember? I actually heard him practicing on his own earlier in the week. He seems quite talented."
"Oh, I had forgotten that," Kyoko said. She actually hadn't. She had seen hints of the tall young man in hall all week, but she still hadn't forgiven his rudeness the last time when she had tried to speak with him.
"Mogami-chan!"
Kyoko turned back to the room she had been going in. "Mori-kun, I'm coming." Right before she went in the practice room (which was sound proof for sake of everyone else in the building), Ito called out, "Will you be at the costume fittings this afternoon?"
"Of course." She was really looking forward to having a cute uniform.
As she entered the room and bowed to Tsuzuki-sensei, she went to stand by Mori.
"Please take out your violins and let us go over what we've practiced so far," he asked.
They both retrieved their instruments and stood in the correct form.
"Alright, now demonstrate the correct first position" he commanded. Mori and Kyoko's fingers moved to correct position. As they went through their drills, Kyoko was thankful that Mori had been her practice partner. Even now when the instructor would turn around, Mori would make a face which caused her to giggle. He had begun the practice after the first day when they hadn't moved past the correct posture yet. She was sure this was something that Tsuruga would consider disrespectful and unprofessional, but she still had to giggle as Mori crossed his eyes.
They successfully completed the review and moved on to actually looking like they were playing. The director observed them through the window at the door as the two continued to practice. Kyoko giggled again (it was a good that Tsuzuki-sensei seemed to be hard of hearing).
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The director watched as Mori and Mogami were making faces with each other during the practice. He wanted his people to have a relaxed environment with each other because it made for greater ease on set. He walked to the next window and watched Ito practice with the flute. He continued to check on all of his actors who, with the exception of Mogami and Mori, seemed hard at work. He understood that one's job couldn't always be serious. In order for someone to perform to their best abilities, the person also had to enjoy what they were doing.
Hiroyuki reached the last window and saw Murakami playing the piano by himself. The young man looked more relaxed and peaceful than he did when he had been introduced earlier in the week. He had looked like he was awaiting a severely painful medical procedure then. Hopefully would realize that acting was performing and would be able to translate his attitude from piano to his other scenes.
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Murakami walked into the door for wardrobe and sat down in the first chair came to. He'd been playing piano all week and was already working on the music he would be playing for the show. He'd been working on his music trying to get it as perfect as possible and had only briefly glanced over his actual script. Besides, piano was what he knew and loved so it was easy to spend time doing it. He had plenty of time to work on his lines. Murakami glanced around and realized he was the only one there. Looking down at this watch he saw he was right on time.
Murakami looked up when he heard, "Hey! Is this fitting correctly?"
Mogami was standing in front on him wearing an indecently short skirt along with the rest of her costume. Murakami couldn't really notice anything else besides the skirt though.
"Have you seen the costume stylist?" she asked him. Lord, she was looking up at him while she was in the school uniform. Surely none of the girls in his old school had actually looked so nice. Crap, she was staring at him again expecting an answer. What had she asked?
"Umm, so that's the costume?" She cocked her head to the side. Ok, so that's not the answer.
"Have you seen the costume stylist?" she repeated.
"There wasn't anyone else here when I came in," Murakami replied. That answer seemed to satisfy her.
"This skirt seems a little long," she commented.
Murakami was a bit taken aback. It seemed rather short to him.
"Really?" he tried to sound as if her skirt length had nothing to do with him.
"Well, it's the length of an actual school skirt. All my other costume ones have been up to here." She pulled the skirt up about another several inches.
Murakami had better sense than to comment. He turned around at a noise behind him. Ochi and Ito had come in.
"Mogami-san, you look so cute," Ito commented, and Ochi nodded in agreement. They exchanged pleasantries about practicing their respective instruments. Ochi complained about having the heaviest instrument to cart around.
"That cello is going to kill me," he said.
XXXXX
The young woman who was in charge of costumes came back in and shuffled the boys off to try on their respective costumes. Kyoko waited with her while the boys were changing. She was pleased how well she was getting along with most of her cast-mates. Granted, they had not actually had any scenes together, but it was a relief that she had come far enough that she did not have people questioning her abilities or resume every time she started a new project.
Mori was lots of fun during their rehearsal with his cutting up. He seemed the exact opposite of the cold Tsukimori. Ito was just extremely comfortable to hang around. He had the most experienced air of any of the boys but did not seem to take himself too seriously. She had taken to having lunch with one or the other frequently since they were in the same building together.
As the boys each stepped out, Mogami noticed that they all seemed comfortable in the uniform. Well, all of them except Murakami. His posture and expression seemed to imply his uniform was made of coarse burlap.
"Ooooh, you all look so handsome," squealed the stylist. Ito and Ochi nodded in response while Murakami's clothing seemed to grow more itchy by the moment judging by his expression. "Now," she continued, you will all need to be here tomorrow for work with makeup and hair. Especially you, Ito-kun, we need to make sure your wig is long enough."
"What! I actually have to wear hair that long?" he fumed. While Ochi and Ito were distracted, Mogami sidled up next to Murakami who started when he noticed her next to him.
"What?" he said rather sharply.
"Umm, does your costume not fit correctly? Because if it doesn't you really should tell the stylist," she said. She wanted to be as nice as possible since this was his first time acting. Maybe he didn't know what he was supposed to do.
"I don't know what you're talking about" he replied looking over her head.
Goodness, would the boy never make eye contact with her? He either ignored her or pretended not to hear her when she spoke.
"Well, you seem like your costume must not be right since you're being a tad, ummm, tense and fidgety."
Murakami looked like he was restraining himself and counting to ten. "No, the costume is fine. I'm just, well, I didn't like wearing the uniform to regular school so I'm not that fond of this one either." He looked even more uncomfortable now.
"So you're nervous about the uniform?" she asked.
"Sort of," he replied.
Mogami wondered how he could do the role when he seemed to fluster easily, but she gave herself a mental shake. She had needed all sorts of help when she had started and that was when she started acting classes and commercials. She wasn't sure how she would have handled being the lead in a drama without her previous experience, and Tsuruga to help her. His advice had always proved invaluable. Maybe he needed someone with more experience to give him a push or to along.
"Murakami-san, if you have any questions, please, ask me," she said very quickly. What if he thought her presumptuous for thinking he needed help? After all, she was not the actor with the most experience even if she was the lead.
He was silent for a moment, "You would not mind?"
Mogami gave an exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "Of course not." She gave him one of the smiles she usually gave to Tsuruga when he had helped her with problem. Maybe Murakami didn't dislike her after all?
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