Hi guys, sorry for taking so long! I was busy, but not just with life stuff, but also, I went to JAPAN! More at the end.
Hoshino Aquamarine fiddled with the hem of his collared shirt, a little nervous, despite himself. For such an important meeting with the producer, Miyako insisted on him at least using his collared shirt.
Aqua had no idea how or even why Mana was trying to get him a role. It rankled at his adult pride to be referred an acting role by another five year old kid.
Aqua felt complicated feelings towards his current situation. He had previously decided to enjoy his second youth to the fullest, spending his days being pampered and loved by his new mother. He enjoyed every moment that he was being spoiled by his new mother.
Acting was more fun than he first thought. 'I was just acting as myself that one time, but people really liked it.'
The smile on his new mother's face as she watched him on the screen for the first time was mesmerizing.
It attracted Aqua's notice without fail. It was his favorite idol who was also his mother. And he was seeing an entirely new side of her.
Whenever the part of him that existed that didn't want to enter the entertainment industry, didn't want to become a child actor, and didn't want to start working at the young tender age of 5 sprouted up, the memory of his mother's proud, happy smile pops up on his face, and that part of him shrivels up and dies.
He didn't quite realize how good it felt, to chase after the love and praise of his mother. He didn't exactly have that luxury in his previous life, but now that he was given the opportunity to taste that sweet fruit, he wanted more.
He just wished that it didn't have to come at the recommendation of a 5-year-old.
Mana and Ai were still on, up front, recording for some advertisements that took full advantage of their burgeoning popularity. Their popularity was booming as ever, but Aqua knew that this period would come to an end.
Aqua had overheard President Ichigo planning to increase Ai's rates as well as be more discerning with the jobs she took, after this current batch of jobs that she'd agreed on.
The president even called Mana's mom and advised her to do the same. He couldn't exactly tell Mana since he wasn't from the agency, but Aqua appreciated the president going the extra mile to give advice to his friends.
Aqua wondered if Mana followed the president's advice. Based on what he'd overheard from Miyako and the Arima mother's conversations, Mana made and negotiated his deals himself, with the oversight of his mother, of course.
The image of the 5-year-old Mana wheedling a producer for better rates or more screen time or something brought a smile to Aqua's face. While the image would normally be bizarre from a normal person's standpoint, the image strangely fit the Mana that he knew.
Aqua sniggered as he imagined Kana becoming the famous genius child actor based purely off of Mana's crazy 5-year-old negotiation skills.
Miyako tapped Aqua on the shoulder all of a sudden, and he startled, standing at attention.
A man was approaching them. Miyako seemed to know the man, Aqua could tell, as her eyes lit up in recognition. "Good afternoon, producer Kaburagi." she greeted the man with the business smile that Aqua had gotten used to over the past year.
"Ah, yes, Ai's manager, Miyako-san yes?" The man returned her greeting with a smile. "And who is this little fella?" the man's smile turned to Aqua.
"Good afternoon sir." Aqua took the unspoken hint and introduced himself, bowing lightly to the older man. "My name is Aqua. I am a child actor affiliated with Strawberry Productions. It's nice to meet you."
Aqua watched as the man made a thoughtful hum, lightly scratching at his chin. "Affiliated? That's quite the word for someone as young as you." The producer commented, his eyes reflecting consideration of something Aqua couldn't distinguish.
Aqua quickly replied, a light feeling of uncertainty washing over him. "I like reading books in my free time."
Miyako jumped into the conversation in the moment. "Oh yes, Aqua loves reading books. In fact, over the past year, he's already been reading a lot of the heavy literature from Natsume Soseki and Murasaki Shikibu." she explained to the man.
"Classical literature already at your age? You must be very smart." The producer complimented.
'It's not like I'm a genius. I just have a few years of experience on these kids." Aqua thought to himself even as he thanked the producer modestly.
"And how about Detective Conan?" The producer went straight to the point, surprising Aqua, who thought the man would have beat around the bush for a bit longer at the rate he was going.
"I'm a big fan." Aqua then went on an abridged version of his explanation as to how he got into the series and what he liked about it. The explanation had to be abridged to remove any suspicion of his reincarnation, after all.
"By the way…" The producer started changing the subject after a few minutes of questions and investigations. He started gesturing at Ai and Mana who looked to be wrapping up with their roles up front. "You're friends with Mana, aren't you?"
The mention of Mana perked Aqua's attention. "Yeah, we hang out a lot." Aqua replied, not quite sure where he was going.
"Must be real close if he proposed a big project with you in mind." Producer Kaburagi dropped a bomb that had Aqua and Miyako's jaws dropping.
Miyako rushed to clarify. "You mean, the Detective Conan project being proposed was Mana's idea?" Aqua thought Miyako's face, scrunched up in shock, was funny for a moment before the meaning of the words caught up to him. Miyako's following words only emphasized the absurdity. "And he proposed it for Aqua?"
"Sure seems like it." The man's face looked tired all of a sudden, and Aqua felt like he could relate to the man. Mana's shenanigans really could get the better of anybody after a while. "He just called me one day after getting my contact details from Ai and proposed the idea to me. Apparently, he was already talking with the author." The producer shook his head.
The producer continued. "The biggest problem with getting a Detective Conan live up and running was finding a child actor who could actually act like an adult. But there were no children who could actually act like adults."
Aqua sweatdropped. 'But if you think about it from that angle, then…' Aqua thought to himself, a little shy to think these thoughts even within the confines of his head. 'In theory, wouldn't I be the best pick for Detective Conan? As an adult in the body of a child.'
The thought of being the perfect fit for such an amazing role flushed Aqua's cheeks a deep crimson, and he struggled to keep a straight face,
The producer's gaze trailed towards Mana and Ai in the distance. "Honestly, I thought for sure, after that movie 'That Was The Start' going well, and then Mana and Ai getting viral and popular, that Mana made that proposal for himself. A child actor known for playing Detective Conan would for sure be a mainstay in the industry." The producer nodded to himself, crossing his arms.
Aqua could see why the man would say that. Detective Conan was a big part of Japan's culture, at this point. He was watching it even in his previous life, and it held a special part of his heart as something from his childhood, his real childhood as an actual child. In multiple ways, it would literally be a dream come true for Aqua to be cast in Detective Conan.
"And honestly, judging by his performance in the movie, he can definitely do it." The producer finished, his gaze on Mana. Mana and Ai seemed to have finished up with their parts and was heading towards the group to join their conversation.
That last comment really made Aqua think.
The producer seemed to have really wanted Mana to take the role. And honestly, Aqua could see it.
When he rewatched their movie and looked at Mana's scenes, something about it struck deep, and he could see its effects on his mother and his sister. And judging by the movie's popularity online and all the shows inviting Ai and Mana, something about the scenes resonated with everyone as well.
Aqua felt that if there was a 5 year old who could maybe pull off pretending to be an actual adult, it was the cheeky Mana who had some kind of talent at moving people's hearts.
But a voice in Aqua's head rebelled against it.
Unbidden, it arose from within him. 'But I'm an actual adult reincarnated into a child, I know I can do better' his thoughts whispered. 'I just declared the other day that I wouldn't lose to Mana next time.' Aqua recalled declaring Mana as his rival the other day, the embarrassment of doing so melting away as something else slotted in.
Mana had already told him that he didn't want the role and wanted Aqua to take it. He insisted that he had something else planned, and that he had a lot of jobs lined up. He even said that Aqua would be perfect for it.
If it were pretty much any other normal role, Aqua would have refused out of the shame of being given a job by a 5 year old. But this role was Detective Conan, a series that had a special place in his heart. In many ways, as he is now, it is literally his dream role.
Even thinking beyond that, the other considerations and implications of getting such a big role to his life was huge. Ai was a single mother who was working in an industry that was as fickle as the whims of the audience. Just the revelation that he and Ruby were her children would send her career crashing down on them all.
'Would it really be okay? For me to take this opportunity?' Aqua thought to himself. Would it really be okay for him to take this role from Mana, who seemed to have contacted a lot of people to make it happen?
"Is it really okay for me to do this…?" Aqua mumbled to himself out loud.
Mana, who just arrived with Aqua's mother in tow seemed to have heard Aqua's mumbling, and he leapt at his friend and put his arms around his shoulder.
"Of course you can!" Mana bulldozed into the conversation as if he was always in it, a bright smile on his face as he regarded the face of the producer in front of him. "You're a great actor, Aqua, and I bet you'll do perfect as Detective Conan!"
Mana poked his friend in the rib, eliciting a gasp of surprise and a glare from the boy. "See? You've even got the whole serious adult vibe down."
Aqua opened his mouth to grumble back at Mana's banter, but Mana looked up away from him and into the eyes of the producer.
"So? Kaburagi-shishou? What do you think about Aqua taking the role?" Mana asked the producer. The man looked absolutely tired and exasperated with Mana's energy, and Mana had only been in the conversation for a few seconds, but as he replied, Aqua could tell that the man had a soft spot for his friend.
The man sat there, drank his coffee, and sighed. "For the record…" The man took another sip of his coffee. "Mana, I still think you're perfect for the role. I don't think I've ever seen a 5-year-old set a project in motion, let alone for someone else."
Aqua didn't, either. Aqua couldn't believe Mana did all this for him just because he knew that Aqua liked Detective Conan a lot.
The producer continued. "That's what adults do, I mean, that's kind of what I do." The man laughed self-deprecatingly, and Aqua related to him. Mana just had that effect on people. A glance at his pretend mother and his secretly real mother revealed wry smiles that seemed to agree with the man.
"But you know, Aqua, I saw your potential in that movie and I saw your potential in our earlier conversation." The man nodded to himself, eyes meeting Aqua's. Aqua had no clue what in their earlier conversation brought the man to this conclusion, but he couldn't help the sudden spike of emotion that came as he realized what the man was insinuating.
"And I can just feel that you'll do well for the role. I'd like to offer you the role." the man concluded, his gaze bearing down on Aqua.
It was Aqua's moment of truth. Everyone was watching him.
But before anything, there was something he had to do.
"Mana, are you sure you don't want the role? We can audition together and settle it that way." Aqua had to try one last time, for the sake of his conscience, so that he didn't feel like he was taking what was essentially a set up for a young actor's future.
"Yeah! Just accept the role already, Aqua!" Mana smiled at him, flashing him with a peace sign. "I accepted another role in place of that, so don't worry about me." Somehow, Mana could tell exactly what Aqua was worried about and instantly assuaged his worries.
Aqua felt his shoulders relax at those words. There was only one thing left to do after that.
"Producer Kaburagi, I'd like to accept your offer. Please take care of me. I look forward to working with you." Aqua bowed his head.
Producer Kaburagi laughed at him. "Relax!" he exclaimed.
Aqua watched as Miyako stepped forward to handle the details as well as the contract, his mother stepping forward curiously to look at the details with the other adults, leaving him and Mana at the back.
Mana gestured like he wanted to hear the details, and moved to step forward and observe, but Aqua grabbed his friend and embraced him.
"Aqua?!" Mana was shocked at the sudden embrace, because usually it would be Mana initiating physical exchanges with others. Aqua was probably the least likely to initiate hugs in their friend group. Still, Mana kept silent after that initial surprise.
Aqua held on, tears silently rolling down his face. He'd just had way too many emotions and he needed to hold on.
Shame for needing to be helped.
Happiness at his abilities being acknowledged.
Self-loathing for feeling like he didn't deserve to be so happy in his second life.
Pride at being able to help his mother.
Embarrassment that others had noticed that he needed help.
Gratitude for being helped.
All of these condensed into tears that silently poured down onto Mana's shoulder during their embrace. If Mana noticed them, he didn't say anything about them.
As the two separated, the moment gone as quickly as it came, Aqua looked up to confirm that the adults hadn't noticed. Thankfully, none of them did, as embroiled as they were into the details on the deal.
Mana nudged him, smiling lightly. "If you need anything, just let me know, and you can always count on me."
Aqua nodded seriously, catching Mana's gaze. "If you need anything, let me know, and I promise I'll do what I can to help you."
Mana nodded lightly back, giving Aqua the idea that Mana wasn't paying him much attention in that moment, and Aqua poked him to regain his attention. "Seriously Mana. I owe you for this. You did so much for me just now." he said.
'More than you probably realize.' Aqua felt his chest tighten up with emotion again, but this time, he succeeded in pushing it down so he wouldn't have to keep crying in public. Any more and perhaps the adults would notice.
"I got it." Mana replicated Aqua's serious nod. "If you really owe me one, then just keep being my friend and I'll be happy with that."
Mana said such a sappy line that Aqua almost let out a snort. "Please. Of course we'll keep being friends. But I'll still owe you one."
Mana looked like he was about to argue that point, and so Aqua changed the subject. "Anyway." He said, cutting Mana off and ignoring his friend's pout.
"What role did you accept in place of Detective Conan, anyway?" Aqua asked his friend. What role would his friend take instead of Detective Conan?
"Oh." Mana put his finger his cheek, lightly poking it. "Don't tell anyone just yet, but I'll be voicing and doing some roles for some trainers in Pokemon." he whispered, his finger in front of his lips in the universal gesture for silence.
But the shock got to Aqua, and he exclaimed his surprise out loud. "WHAT?!"
So... how was the chapter? Aqua actually crying wasn't planned at all, it just kinda happened. But when I thought about how important the role was for him, in a lot of ways, I felt like it had to happen.
Aqua had a lot of regrets, and a lot of it was stuff like not being able to help Ai with her pregnancy. Now, with the potential of going viral, becoming popular with a major role, he could contribute and help Ai. He can help secure his and Ruby's futures. It was important to him, and he didn't even realize how much he wanted it until now.
As for Mana, well, yes, he was definitely plotting to give the Conan role to Aqua. But Aqua and Miyako have it a little wrong, Mana didn't exactly gather everyone to get the project going, Mana simply sent a fan letter to the author and called Producer Kaburagi, who happened to have contacts and connections to the author. After the movie blew up and Mana became well known, the fan letter with his suggestion for a live-action was remembered, and he was approached by the author through Producer Kaburagi.
ALSO
Yes, I went to Tokyo to do an Oshi no Ko pilgrimage. I took so many angles of the exact places inspiring scenes in the anime. I went around where Ruby was walking and getting scouted, I went where Aqua and Kana cut classes together and took so many photos there. I even walked around for an hour and a half looking for Akane's bridge. Yes, that bridge.
I had sooooo much fun doing the Oshi no Ko pilgrimage. I'd love to come back to Tokyo after a season or 2, and continue my pilgrimage with new places.
I also did a few mini pilgrimages. Sangatsu no Lion shogi association building was super hype. I had so much fun.
I know way too many date spots in Tokyo, actually... At least I have unique date spots to include for this fic in the future, I guess LMAO
Sorry for being so slow at updating. But I suck at life and time management. I'll try to update more quickly.
Now, the lie! We will have more fics, we will have more updates! This lie will become true!