TALK

Yonagi Kei, after a typical morning, was running to his high school as usual, even though he would not be late at this pace. Her sleep cycle was back to normal after a long rest. The shocks that occurred the day before used up a good portion of his stamina, so he had no difficulty sleeping or, in this case, the willpower to watch some movie or series from his collection. Maybe that's why he experienced a little restlessness as soon as he woke up, a bad feeling or a chance? He would think about it later.

After waking up, getting her siblings up, cooking breakfast, having an emergency meeting over the suspicious scruffy individual who offered her a job as an actress, branding that same adult as a con man or a man of bad water, preparing lunches for each of them, taking her siblings to school and heading to her high school with a brisk pace for a predictable nap before the bell; she looks fresh as a freshly picked lettuce.

At a glance, Yonagi Kei appears to be a living representation of the youth determined to be punctual in class. His worn uniform does not detract from the classic charm of a simple and practical Japanese citizen with the use of the devalued national currency. His steady walk, with no signs of fatigue, evidenced an enviable state of health; a direct consequence of his over-specialization in physical labor, be it from delivering newspapers to cleaning some premises and the like. Not even in the "quieter" ones did he fail to carry the odd object without explanation. However, considering his longed-for line of work, this was a further addition to his appearance. A fact evident from the fact that he passed the preliminaries without complications on two occasions, in addition to the only ones in which he participated.

Comments poured in as she walked by. Compliments, praise, doubts and an endless number of words that did not enter the young woman's radar. Along with this, her peers, or those who knew of her existence, threw out detailed information about her activities or characteristics, along with gossip and giggles typical of youthful idiosyncrasy. Be that as it may, the essential thing lies in his presence. His figure always manages to penetrate the minds of others, whether in a good or bad way.

As the crowd moved on to their destination, Yonagi Kei thought about the possible job offers she could still apply for. Of course, it was not the first time she had been thrown out of some place for the accumulation of casual mistakes; no matter how hard she tried, the circumstances around her hindered her work or, at best, reduced her ability to fulfill the minimum allowed. At least she still had the local government pension; a minimal amount, but vital for survival through long periods of unemployment. Yes, his father's money would never be used, even if it was the end of the world. It was to turn to dust just like its impact on family life.

It all seemed to be an ordinary morning, isolated from the eccentric impact of the previous day. However, the sudden call from a stranger brought her back to reality.

Other than her family and a few teachers, her interaction time with strangers was at a minimum. On top of that, that added up to little interest from others in interacting with her. Suffice it to say, without adequate socialization time, bonding or camaraderie with third parties never blossomed satisfactorily.

However, to the female's dismay, a stranger called out to her on the way to her destination. This scenario, by itself, would involve nothing more than a casual glance and continuing on to school. But the previous day's incident forced her to make another decision, one outside her comfort zone. Without going for a worrisome scenario, Yonagi Kei confronted whoever named her.

Her negative expectations crumbled at the image of a classmate of hers, not from the classroom but from school. In his male uniform, the young man radiated the image of a diffuse being, easy to mistake for any ordinary student. However, seconds were enough for that image to collapse and, as if removing a veil, reveal the presence of a dumbfounded Hikigaya Hachiman. Suffice it to say that surprise did not fail to appear on the faces of both, albeit in different forms.

And, by chance, silence and stillness appeared in that meeting. Explanations were superfluous in this scenario; an event that diverted the audience's attention to them. The contrast between a presence so full of vitality and one lacking the laughing thrust of youth never appeared so vividly before the eyes of the spectators. Their discrepancy became more and more accommodating as they compared all the attire they wore. Even the casual shade of dawn shaded the young man, while the girl's dark hair was bursting with warmth and radiance in the luminous rays.

Unable to sustain the discomfort that surrounded him and, above all, end the problem given by that old man, Hikigaya Hachiman pushed the most common questions out of his mind for his presentation, along with the frontal recruitment.

— I come on behalf of Kuroyama Sumiji, I am Hikigaya Hachiman, I would like you to accompany me to the Daikokuten studio, Yonagi Kei-san..

— No.

Well, that settled everything for the young man known as Hikigaya Hachiman. With a feeling of well-being with himself, the young man sighed in relief. However, habit is a powerful force. Actions emerge as a standard procedure, a muscle memory that is reinforced by the automatic words learned in the long sessions with Hiiragi Yuki. In other words, he had to insist with all the regret in his heart.

— Don't be in a hurry to give me an answer, I can…

— No

— … wait for you outside the school to go.

— No

— Well, I tried.

The last sigh that followed was one of reassuring exhilaration, a sense of joy with oneself, but for others it may mean different. More so when they lack frequent social contact.

Yonagi Kei was one of those people. Her sense of danger, curiosity and guilt kept her from moving forward and going on her way. On this occasion, she recognized the young man, not only by the mention of yesterday's suspicious person, but by his sparse presence throughout the last audition, similar to a smudge on some old photo. Her memory struggled to frame his presence and give some consistency to his presentation.

Even so, her prejudices about the young man and his boss did not return, not because of his figure, but because of the impression he gave her. He did not resemble the venomous words of some trickster or the convoluted poetry of some amateur. An uneasy feeling flooded her body, perhaps she should find out more before running away from this possible path? He did not seem unwilling to answer them, but he did seem unwilling to run away, perhaps because of the refusal she gave him. So, despite his null record in initiating any banal or important conversation for his future, he asked without fear.

— Are you an actor too?

— Unfortunately, yes.

The quick answer pleased the girl, however, the way she answered revealed some drawbacks of her profession. Curiosity took control of her mouth.

— ¿Unfortunately?

— Sorry, I mean, thanks to Kuroshitji...uh, Kuroyama-san, I work as an actor from time to time A part-time job maybe?

Bewilderment appeared on her face, she could not assimilate that her longed-for profession was only treated as an occasional job. With how hard it was for her to get past the third rounds, a certain uneasiness burned in her stomach. In her bewilderment, she repeated what she understood.

— He helped you to work as an actor...

— Yes, just the first few days, then he pushed me with Hiiragi-san. To tell you the truth, it's much better to work with her, but without the initial push, I would be working much more often.

Despite interrupting her words, the information released surprised her. If she could be coupled to work with another person who didn't give off that bad vibe after a while, Yonagi Kei was beginning to consider that option from the deepest part of her being. Maybe giving her a chance wasn't such a big risk.

— That's what I need.

Hikigaya Hachiman's mind, for its part, related his response to the precarious situation shown by his clothing. It was not for nothing that this young man could stand aloof and unnoticeable with the crowd, whatever his initial location. Keeping out of groups and banal topics of conversation involves careful analysis of many overlooked factors in active interaction. Clothing as a whole is one of them; one of the most important as its impact highlights the importance placed on it by the group. And no, I wasn't a pervert, no matter how much that idea was floating around in my head right off the bat. On this occasion, he had to contradict his beloved imouto.

Be that as it may, their interaction lasted far beyond the occasional promotional announcement, so that only a few passers-by continued to observe this "common and fascinating" scene without any qualms whatsoever. Most of them were young people of a similar age to those mentioned above. The adults, reluctantly and with annoyance, left the scene because of their responsibility with their work, a few others skipped it and remained standing.

Why did no one approach to speak to them or mention the passage of time? Perhaps, none of them wanted to dirty a fantasy scenario, close to the beginning of some successful manga, with their common and vulgar presence. Just to be spectators and remember this moment every time they thought of improbables. And, even with that, only the images, gestures and contrasts would remain, but their gathering would be deformed with the passing of the years. A terrible time not to take a video or, if that were possible, to end up as a recommended video after 8 years.

— Cash? Yes, it goes a long way, especially when you have siblings to support.

— Police, a stalker is trying to...

— Don't say another word, miss, watch what you say because my little physical and social integrity is about to disappear.

— But it's true...

— It's not and you know it, vile woman, I was at your presentation yesterday too. I know you remember it. Besides, even if I didn't, I have a sister too, though not so little.

For the first time in the conversation, their looks did not express the awkwardness and distance of strangers, but a simple talk between people who found a similar point for both of them. Soft laughter escaped from the neat mouth and a fugitive smile, laden with embarrassment and understanding, emerged from the somber face. A strange combination in the natural realm, but it enjoyed a certain charm nonetheless.

— If I were to accompany you, what would it accomplish?

The answer gushed like a river in the young man's mind, it would not be the first time he would hear that question, either from his mother or sister. A small fortune for any young student, to be able to consume free drinks per month, to possess more power within the family home, to improve the skills necessary to lead a normal life, to enter a good university with the recommendation by young talents and, most importantly, to buy light novels without fear of losing a lot of money... But all that applies to the thinking of the young and immature Hikigaya Hachiman. Therefore, he transformed all of the above into the words she wanted to hear. Or so he thinks.

— In addition to casual money, it will most likely help you get an image in this world of acting. He doesn't look it, but the guy has talent in training and persuading future liars, I mean, actors on a grand scale. Otherwise, he's a walking headache not recommended for a newbie, less so if you're not to his liking.

— Liars?

— Yeah, I mean, no. Ehm, actors, okay?

Yonagi Kei sensed that Hikigaya Hachiman still didn't fully assimilate or identify as an actor. Did she hate that word? That didn't offend her, it just brought a lot of questions to the table. He didn't seem like a very talkative guy, but his chatter never stopped. Maybe he would find the answer from her own mouth?

— Hmm... Hikigaya, why are you an actor?

— I ask you back, why are you asking me all these questions?

The young woman turned her back to him. His quick and premeditated reaction startled her. She didn't know where to start. Was this kind of question common when they first met? No, it wasn't. But their cases were different, the situation also warranted it.

— My house is filled with various old movies, it's a quiet place. However, I think my approach is not normal.

— I doubt the word normal fits any actor by any means, let alone if Kuroyama kept an eye on us.

Hoshi Akira's puzzled look, along with the crowd at the time, had haunted her since the day before. How strange was she to other people? Would he also give her that look of bewilderment and fear? No. At least, with that answer, Hikigaya Hachiman was more in tune with her situation.

Interestingly, that young man still had no friends at the start of his school year. Acting changed him to a path more unnatural to him, a path full of shocks and inconveniences that forced him to twist his way of analyzing the world. A story for another time.

—¿RIGHT? That's what I mean, I think you understand it too as an actor, that desire to become someone else and forget your real world self, right? But Rei said I looked scary if I kept it up. She apologized for that, but I know that only if I'm an actress, I'll stop being afraid of her. As an older sister, I can't let my siblings be sad.

The young man was shocked by such a strange thought. However, he kept his face without a sudden change, one of his 108 skills, to prevent discomfort from arising. He could not judge life guidelines so lightly, after all: Imitating other people to go unnoticed is always a useful solution.

— Sometimes our our brothers and sisters can be impulsive and hurtful.

— I know.

Yonagi Kei thought to himself. Hikigaya Hachiman had only a few words to contribute.

— So, will you go?

— Yes, I'll get paid, right?

In the young man's eyes, the look full of anticipation reminded him of his sister's excitement over some gift. What feelings were broaching his heart? A strange feeling came over him. Yet he held back that impulse.

— The old man might be sullen, but not stingy.

— I understand, I'll see you later.

— I'll be here.

She had already hit the run before he said the last thing. Then, Hikigaya threw out her last words at the top of her lungs. His reply also came with a wave of his hand in farewell.

— Oooooooooooooook

The atmosphere resumed its ordinary status and the fanciful sensations disappeared. Hikigaya Hachiman gripped his cell phone with all the regret in the world. The moments of mental peace helped calm her impulse to blend into the crowd. How ironic.

— She's coming.

— Heh, the brat already knows how to convince people.

— Because someone never knew how to.

Hachiman still remembers the lousy image his mother got from talking to a renowned film director, winner of multiple international awards: he almost earned an arrest warrant. If it weren't for his father's timely intervention (who knew?) he might never have gotten permission to go beyond Chiba. Perhaps, he would never have managed to amass so much money for starting out in a place other than Tokyo. Entertainment is cruel to hopeful first-timers, worse in the provinces.

— Tch, what time will it be then? You know how small investors think about advertising, right?

— Yeah, I'll pick her up after school, buy time for then. Shouldn't be hard for a distinguished director, right?

— Oi, brat, you're being too smart, do you want to experience hell again?

— I'm no longer inexperienced, I won't even sweat for what you have in store for me. Come whenever you want.

As much as the adult wanted to push his protégé's buttons, the conversation did not seek to detract from his time so, as is often the case, he returned to the focus of the matter. Hachiman continued the conversation as if it had never happened.

— You say she has siblings?

— Yes, two to be exact. They were those kids in the crowd.

— Crowd? Wasn't that a STARS audition for their next phase?

— Right, you weren't there for her second performance. A lot of things happened and she was evaluated after Arisa's son brought her in.

— I think I understand what happened. So, you took advantage of Hikari Akai leaving her vacancy to infiltrate Yonagi Kei in a completely arbitrary way. What a dirty move. It was to be expected from a foreigner who was not honorable at all.

Apparently, Kuroyama Sumuji underestimated the level of information the young man possessed. As usual, he sought to stay afloat by thoroughly researching his topics of interest and then piecing it all together into a story. Which was not necessarily true. The times of his failure always drew a sneer on Sumiji's face. The young man was too serious and stubborn despite presenting himself as a "full-time householder" in his aspiration for the future.

— Jo Jo, how "high" esteem you have for me in spite of teaching you the essentials to survive in this world. Besides, the years do not run in vain. Such an occasion happens in these sad circumstances, at least one should take advantage of any chance opportunity.

— Your sarcasm and compassion are the most chilling sensations I have ever felt in my entire life. Please avoid bringing them up again.

— I repeat, brat. I will not be soft the next time we meet.

— Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just bring coffee to keep me from getting bored.

— Arrogant brat. It's only been almost a year since you entered this world, don't underestimate Japanese entertainment. It may be childish compared to the West, but its fangs still hurt and wound.

— Anyway, I'll let you know to pick them up, or else we'll take them to my sister. Wait, forget the former, I think the latter is better. Komachi will be happy to take care of two little balls of energy.

— How devoted to detail. I almost didn't recognize you. Are you sure I'm communicating with Soichiro's son?

— Spending an afternoon with you would be too much punishment for them. No, for anyone. I only need the minimum to be an ordinary human, unlike you.

— You'll be... anyway, I'll still pick them up after the last bell.

— Roger that. Over and out.

No sooner had the day begun than Hikigaya Hachiman began to miss the sweet taste of his coffee.

Hi guys, let´s talk a favourite writer. Sorry for posting so slow, but next time there will be an omake with an omake as a gift.

Pdta: if possible, read act age, it may not be continued, but the interations and feelings when reading it have a certain impact.

Thank you very much for your attention

Kind regards: a writer with a right wrist injury.