In front of the camera, on a set by Director Gotanda once more, Hoshino Ai was consumed by her desire to do better this time.
Her last project, with Director Gotanda, didn't go so well, after all. She recorded for multiple hours, had multiples lines, and knew for sure she was the cutest person on set. Not even the main character, who was famed for being "too cute for her talent" was cuter than her. And yet she'd still been cut out of nearly everything she'd recorded. She barely showed up in the drama, they could have cut her out entirely with the way they took her out of every scene.
"I wonder if my acting wasn't good enough…" She remembered wondering aloud, embarrassing herself as Ruby, her cute and precocious little girl, overheard her muttering and immediately tried to comfort her.
She immediately smothered her urge to smile at the thought of Ruby's warm and kind words.
"Right now, I'm a ghost, lingering in regret, waiting to be set free. No smiling." She reminded herself.
Thinking of her daughter led her to think about her son who had rushed out of the room while she was talking with Ruby that time. She couldn't hear what he did with Miyako-san's phone that time, but all of a sudden he came back and said that the director had offered her another job.
"No more getting distracted." Which brings her back to her role in front of the camera. ******Her role is that of a ghost, lingering in regret, waiting to be set free by the next visitor. Her character is captivating and attractive, beyond even that of the magic touchup her character had supposedly had in the woods, but also bittersweet and regretful, to show the main character that the magical touchup in the woods indeed was amazing, but it would never be worth it if you had to lose everything you held dear.
In other words, it's a perfect debut role for her. She's incredibly cute, and she knows it.
All she needs to do is sell the lie that she was also bittersweet and regretful, get told a couple lines by the main character and the her character's living little brother, and cry gut-wrenchingly before being 'set-free' as a ghost so to speak and moving on.
Her eyes land on the child actor in front of her, her eyes tearing up. She wasn't tearing up because of him per se, he had nothing to do it, she was just tearing up as demanded of her by the script. It was helped a little by a few bitter feelings that they considered some random child actor to be more suited to play someone related to her than her own son, who also plays a character in the same movie, however.
She listened to lines coming out of his mouth, somewhat surprised at the emotion and eloquence coming out, but only somewhat. It was about on the same level as Ruby and Aquamarine, which was impressive considering the president and Miyako-san both said that those two were geniuses. "Perhaps kids related to show business are all geniuses?" She thought to herself, even as she prepared her lines in response and the subsequent tears.
"Nee-chan…" the kid teared up, his eyes watery but not quite crying. He was blushing, a little red in the nose and cheek that was both the work of his own prodigious acting as a child as well as thework of the set's makeup artist. "You don't need to be more beautiful, you're already beautiful the way you are, the way you've always been. I don't need a sister who's popular and can do anything, I just want you to be happy." the kid mumbled his lines, impressive acting for a child actor. She knew Aqua and Ruby could do that too, she just knew it.
She breathed in a little for the response she'd been preparing to say for a while now, but right as she was about to speak, the kid went off script. His gaze poured into her eyes and she could almost imagine them judging her, painfully. She could almost see the child shift into Aquamarine's visage as he said his improvised words. "Nee-chan, I love you. It's not a lie, I really do love you."
Instinctively, she took a step back in shock, randomly attacked at the deepest and most fragile part of her heart: her insecurity about whether or not her saying those three little words to her children would be a lie. Her eyes briefly caught the child's mother's angry gaze from behind the camera, pointing and gesturing at the script, but then the director's hand tapped her on the shoulder and shook his head.
That brief moment of hesitation was all she would allow. She was Hoshino Ai, the strongest idol who was the best at lying no matter what. Even if here greatest insecurity was targeted, she would not falter here. She gathered herself up and continued on from the script as planned. "Touma…" her eyes watered as she began lightly crying, not surprised at how easy it was given how she was attacked so personally by mistake.
"I'm sorry that we're only meeting again this way…" She placed her hand on her chest as she continued her lines, as if to calm herself before reaching out toward the child actor. "I love you." Her familiar lie wafted into the air in silence as her hand moved slowly toward the child actor and finally reached his head. She couldn't resist lightly ruffling his hair, the image of Aquamarine not completely fading.
The moment lasted for an infinitesimally short and long few seconds before the director's voice shouted out. "CUT!"
Hoshino Ai sighed in relief along with her fellow main actor in the main scene. "Wow, kid, that wasn't in the script, but that was amazing acting." The female main actor commented, impressed.
Hoshino Ai couldn't help but agree, even if she would've said something similar as part of her usual reacting to the scenario which she does with every person. "Yeah! I really felt my heart tremble when you said that last line. I hope the director lets us keep it." She orated, adding a little ring in her voice near the end. In truth however, personally, Hoshino Ai wished they cut out that last line. It was a little too personal for her, and if it stayed in the movie and she watched it with her kids, it would be quite difficult for her to keep her cool with them. Her kids would probably instantly notice she was uncomfortable there, especially since it was her scene.
Her hopes were not to be, however, when she heard the director and the child's mother approach. "Kid, that was amazing! You honestly shouldn't make it a habit to go off-script, but in this scene, you performed spectacularly and I think we can use that for sure. You'll go far, kid, you did well." The director began with the kid before turning to her. "You too, Ai! That precocious kid was right that you'd be great for this." The director complimented enthusiastically, smiling before turning around and issuing commands to the rest of the crew to perform their tasks and prepare for the next scene to film, the female main actor waving with a smile as she went ahead to go and join them.
Soon, Ai was left with the child and his mother. Ai had gestured to do the same as the female actor, intending to leave for the debriefing with the director and assistant director and perhaps earn some likeability points with other crew and cast members before leaving, when the mother addressed.
"Ai-san from… Strawberry Productions, correct?" The mother asked, and Ai was forced to temporarily abandon her plans and stay, her gaze once more falling upon the child who had inadvertently attacked her greatest insecurity.
"Yes, of course!" she answered immediately, both a little curious as to what the lady was making conversation about as well as a little impatient to get her plans underway. If the next scene started shooting and she couldn't get her debriefing, after all, she'd have to wait until the scene was done shooting to get that done.
"My name is Arima Miura. I heard that Strawberry Productions has enlisted one of its manager's children as a child actor, just like my daughter, Kana, and my son over here, Mana." the mother started, the child smiling shyly and waving as his mother introduced him.
Ai's guard couldn't help but rise even higher. They couldn't have found out that they were her children, could they? No, impossible. Ai's guard relaxed imperceptibly as she thought about it a little more. There's no way, they weren't even filming on the same day. And her kids were geniuses, she trusted that they could keep their secret safe. They were her kids, after all, she was sure they were geniuses at lying too.
"Yes, we do, you've heard of him? I'm not surprised that he's already getting attention, but on his first role? That kid sure is really cute" she giggled at the end of her statement, not forgetting to include a sweet, ringing tone to her voice to mask what little nervousness she let off at the rate these interactions were going. The son inadvertently attacks her greatest insecurity while the mother somehow accidentally brings up perhaps her greatest weakness. Even the greatest liar would be a little nervous at this turn of events.
"Yes, I had the pleasure of seeing Aqua-kun's acting yesterday. He acted with my daughter, Kana, yesterday." the mother continued, the mention of the previous incident sparking a hint of recognition in Ai's eyes. Of course, Ai knew of the incident, Ruby made sure to tell her all about it the previous night, with further explanation from both Aquamarine and Miyako-san.
"I was hoping if it would be alright if you could pass on my request to your manager, Aqua's mother, for him and perhaps his sister to have playdates with my children." The lady went straight to her point.
"Oh, of course of course! I'll pass on the message and request for you, Arima-san." she immediately promised. She didn't promise to make it happen however, she knew she had to think about it more. She really did need to consult with the president and Miyako-san regarding this request, after all.
Despite her personal feelings regarding this kid's impromptu words, she couldn't imagine this kid having meant his inadvertent attack intentionally or maliciously, and he indeed was a talented child actor that seemed just as smart as Ruby and Aquamarine. They might enjoy having more connections with people just in case they continue in the entertainment industry, and they get to make more friends, too.
The lady smiled, satisfied with Ai's response. "Thank you, Ai-san. Come, Mana, say goodbye to the nice girl and fellow co-actor. She prompted her child.
Unbidden, Ai's hand moves to ruffle the child's hair once more. The child leans into her touch before slowly stepping back to his mother's side. "Bye bye, Ai-neesan! I hope to see you soon!". The child smiled sweetly. The mother and son pair walked off into the distance as Ai lingered for a little longer.
"Perhaps…" her lips moved in a whisper, but the rest of her whisper continued in thought only. "Perhaps my kids would be happy to make a friend like that."
Thought completed, Hoshino Ai walked off, a spring in her step.
I'm really NOT sure if I have the time to actually continue this. But I couldn't get this out of my head, so I had to put it into words. I also hope that maybe I could pad the numbers of Oshi no Ko fanfics and have more people write them. Please write more Oshi no ko. More than writing, I wanna read Oshi no ko fanfics. Please. I need your help.