Chapter 14 —Her Place in the World

Dry Swelter. Heat of a cloudless summer sky—surprisingly pleasant to feel against one's own skin. Heat that stripped away the most careless layers of cloth, teasing the sun-soaked romance of a bright summer's day. Fair and golden. Strewn about the city was an unaccustomed-to ambience, with every sight and every sound growing more curious than the last. The tall palm trees casted long, slender shadows that sliced through the sidewalk. Clamor of a hundred simultaneous voices drifted just over the ears, only to be drowned by the abrupt blare of city traffic.

Ichika slipped a finger underneath the collar of her shirt. Compared to the summers back home, the summertime of Los Angeles was a much more gracious heat. She had been here long enough to adjust to it, which by today would make it a little under two weeks. As intriguing as the days have been, it was also tiresome. There would be something new to discover each day; something peculiar that further alienated her from her surroundings. It had taken every last nerve within her to not come off as some stray Japanese girl who hardly knew her way around a foreign place.

When she had first arrived, Ichika had the good fortune of meeting with a few contacts—courtesy of Masaki Yusa, the young director that had referred her to the training program for promising young actors. Ichika was welcomed to a luxury five star hotel while a hired agent took care of finding proper residency for her. Maruo's advice. Her father's wealth, admittedly, was something she would have to rely on for just a little longer. In the meantime, Ichika had spent the days getting used to California . A few days was enough to get used to the language, the routine, and the layout of the city.

Though, if it was one thing Ichika still needed some more time growing accustomed to, it would have to be the people. The Americans. Ichika had never appreciated Nino more than she did now, as the American bloggers that they had previously taken the time to peruse and study had given Ichika at least some expectations. Americans were of a much larger variety—an amalgam of different cultures, traditions, and attitudes that more or less held together harmony within their vast differences. If it were one general assumption Ichika could surmise, it would have to be that Americans were generally a little louder in their speech, and a lot more interactive with the average stranger. She had never expected to have been approached as many times as she had, whether it be for a general question, soliciting a sale, complimenting her on her beauty, or even just to have a friendly chat.

Mornings were mostly the same. She woke at an early hour—early, if going by her standards—within the walls of her own luxury single-room apartment, situated in the affluent neighborhoods of the Los Angeles area. She eagerly checked for and responded to messages from back home; she went for usual morning jog; she showered and then dressed before setting off to the institution. Not too bad for her first handful of days, if she could say so herself.

"Friday already, huh…" Ichika muttered to herself. The clatter of her heels slowly paced through the tall corridors of the campus. Warm air brushed through the ends of her hair. Wide stone steps lowered to the campus's courtyard, where the students of the arts roamed. Most paced between buildings and facilities, chatting alongside friends or tapping through their phones. Others enjoyed a pleasant lunch seated on the outdoor tables. And there was a rather confident student that stood in the middle of the field, practicing the conviction of his lines for all to hear. Compared to traditional four-year universities—like from her earlier visit to Tokyo University—a school of performing arts was noticeably smaller in size.

Ichika sat down on a nearby bench. Her oversized sunglasses pulled past her nose, which she then gingerly tucked the temples of into her collar. "It's probably a little too early back at home…" she said as she eyed the palm side of her wrist. The main dial designated the current time, 11:17 a.m, and the smaller subdial was pointed seventeen hours ahead, 4:17 a.m. "The soonest to wake up would probably be Yotsuba, but that's still a little too early…"

Messages from all of her conversations scrolled through her phone.

「 Ichika 」(sent at 1:55 a.m.): "…all in all, my first week in the academy is going pretty smoothly. Looking forward to finally starting the weekend."

「 Nino 」(sent at 2:02 a.m.): "That's good to hear. Make sure you aren't pushing yourself too hard, Ichika."

「 Nino 」(sent at 2:02 a.m.): 3 images attached. IMG_48099, IMG_48100, IMG_481…

「 Nino 」(sent at 2:02 a.m.): "We're having a Western style dinner tonight. Carbonara."

「 Ichika 」(sent at 2:05 a.m.): "Whoa! It looks so tasty! Gosh, I already miss your food, Nino. I haven't had a home-cooked meal in a while…"

「 Nino 」 (sent at 2:06 a.m.): "Actually, Miku made dinner tonight."

「 Miku 」 (sent at 2:06 a.m.):"It turned out a lot better than I thought. Though, Nino had to help with the presentation…"

「 Itsuki 」 (sent at 2:08 a.m.): "Ichika, doesn't your apartment have a kitchen?"

「 Ichika 」(sent at 2:09 a.m.): "It does. Why do you ask?"

「 Itsuki 」 (sent at 2:10 a.m.): "Don't tell me you've been ordering takeout this entire time? That isn't healthy at all!"

「 Ichika 」(sent at 2:11 a.m.): "I've been meaning to. Just haven't gotten around to it, haha! After classes tomorrow, I'll go do some shopping. Promise!"

「 Yotsuba 」(sent at 2:16 a.m.): "Wait, isn't today Friday? Why would Ichika have school tomorrow?"

「 Miku 」(sent at 2:18 a.m.): "Yotsuba, we've been over this. We're almost an entire day ahead of America, so it just turned Friday over there."

「 Itsuki 」(sent at 2:20 a.m.): "Wait, Ichika is still awake?! Isn't it like 2 a.m. in California?! Ichika?!"

「 Ichika 」(sent at 2:21 a.m.): "Whoops, you caught me. Haha!"

「 Itsuki 」(sent at 2:21 a.m.): "Go to bed!"

「 Yotsuba 」(sent at 6:11 a.m.): "Good morning, Ichika!"

「 Ichika 」(sent at 9:21 a.m.): "Good morning Yotsuba. You're up pretty late, aren't you?"

「 Ichika 」(sent at 9:24 a.m.): "Oh, you sent that almost three hours ago. Whoops, you all must be asleep now. Sorry if I woke anyone up!"

「 Miku 」: (sent at 9:25 am) "Good morning, Ichika."

「 Ichika 」: (sent at 9:29 am) "You're still awake, Miku? Isn't it like, really late over there?"

「 Miku 」: (sent at 9:31 am) "Don't worry about it. Good luck at your academy today."

「 Nino 」: (sent at 9:32 a.m.) "I can't sleep with all of this buzzing!

「 Nino 」: (sent at 9:32 a.m.) "Miku, why are you still awake?! Go to bed!"

Ichika leaned on her elbow. Conversations were something she expected to be a little difficult now that they were on opposite ends of the ocean, yet Ichika would still find herself looking at the ends of their conversation with anticipation and a tinge of impatience. It made sense; everyone of them had grown a lot busier with their lives. Sometimes, she would be fortunate to exchange a few messages in between classes, but those were few and far between. When she would have dinner, the rest of them would probably be in class or at work.

Disappointment fell from her lips as she tiredly sighed. Exchanges like 'Good morning' and 'Good night' left a lot more to be desired. That was especially true as she read the header of her current chat conversation—「 Fuutarou-kun 」—complete with a little heart emoji beside his name. Again, she knew better than to expect too much. Among everyone else, Fuutarou was undoubtedly the most diligent. Life as a student in Japan's most prestigious university, the amount of coursework that it entailed, as well as juggling a part-time job to assist his family. Ichika thought to herself that she should be thankful they could still keep a few short exchanges going throughout their day. It was just that, after a long and tiresome week, she thought it would be nice to be able to talk to Fuu—

Her phone almost fell from her hands. Something had suddenly appeared on her screen and she had instinctively shoved it closer to her nose. Three blinking ellipses, trailing close to his name.

「 Fuutarou-kun 」 is typing…

He's typing? Ichika thought to herself. She looked back and forth between conversation and the clock on the top-corner of the screen. She then checked it again, followed by another glance at the two-dial watch on her wrist. No, it was definitely correct. It should be 4:23 a.m. in Japan.

He's typing! Ichika repeated the thought, as if a part of her was still trying to convince her otherwise. It was just so unexpected for her. Why is Fuutarou-kun still awake? Is he having some trouble sleeping? Is he also thinking about me? And why is he taking so long to type it?!

If her sisters were here right now, they surely would not let the look on Ichika's face go unnoticed. The way she tightly held onto her phone with both of her hands, starring anxiously at the impending message. The slight tinge of red that lined her cheeks. It was as if she were practically a bashful, young schoolgirl texting her crush for the first time. This was her boyfriend! Her boyfriend of over one year already! What reason did she have to—

"Hey, what are you doing sitting here all by yourself?"

In her deep fixation, Ichika had not realized a set of footsteps had approached her bench. A few footsteps, as a matter of fact. A tall, casually-dressed boy had curiously—and invasively—leaned his head close to hers, perhaps to get a glimpse of what she was looking at on her phone. His blonde hair was leisurely curled and swept to one side. His eyes were a bright shade of blue, and when they had met with hers, he offered a wide grin. "Whoa, you're a cutie! What's your name?"

"Hu… huh?" He was close. A little too close to her. "I… uhm… sorry, I—"

"Oh, are you a foreigner? From where? China? Japan? No, wait… Korea!"

One of the blonde boy's friends joined them. "Hey come on, James. You're coming on way too strong there. Look, you're making her all red."

Ichika touched the side of her cheek, realizing how warm they felt. Moreover, these guys did not give her the most comfortable vibe. They were a little too close, and a little too friendly, too soon. Was that simply the way Americans greeted each other?

It was not like her to over-think things like this, and that was clearly evident in the way she responded. "S-Sorry, I am not interested in—"

"Ah, now look what you've done." The second boy nudged his friend's shoulder. "You've gone and made her uncomfortable! Now she thinks we're just a bunch of creeps hitting on her." He combed his fingers through his dark brown hair, then casually took a seat right beside Ichika. Uninvited. "Sorry about this idiot friend of mine. He should know that it's good manners to introduce yourself first when meeting someone new." He tilted his head, offering a slight smile of his own. "I'm Preston. What's your name?"

A halfhearted laugh forced its way out of Ichika's mouth. How interesting it was, to have to deal with two bothersome approaches at once. Though, it was not as if this was the first time she had been so brazenly approached since she first got here. The sooner she learned to get used to this specific extension of American courtesy, the better it would make for the rest of her stay here. "Nakano Ichika…" she reluctantly mentioned, then casually gathered her belongings. "It is a pleasure to meet you, but I should be go—"

"Ichika, huh?" The boy named James recited her name, much to Ichika's own visible discomfort. Being called her first name so casually was something she was still not used to, and the way this boy rolled the syllables under his cocky smile did not help in the slightest. "Wow, that's such a pretty name. 'Ichika…'. So, that is… Chinese, right?"

"Idiot, I'm sure that's Japanese," the third and last boy crudely laughed. "Get your countries right."

"Hey, lay off, man. I was close. It's not like I speak the language or anything."

"Forgive them," the boy named Preston said to Ichika. "They're both just acting like a couple of idiots. Look, we don't mean to make you uncomfortable or anything, but a couple of us are throwing a little get-together later tonight. Something fun to celebrate finishing the first week, you know? Lots of people will show up and it'll be a good place for all of us to get to know each other, since our school has students from all over the world."

Preston gave a subtle look over his shoulder, and continued in a somewhat hushed tone. "And I don't like to make a big deal out of this to everyone, but there will be some… special people there. You know what I mean? Could maybe be some connections to a couple of big-shots here in Hollywood." After a subtle cough and wink, he resumed his normal, friendly tone. "What do you say? We'd love to have you there, Ichika."

Ichika felt a low rumble inside her purse. That had to have been Fuutarou's message, and Ichika could think of nothing more she wanted to do than to pull out her phone. "I—"

"Yeah!" James squeezed himself back into the conversation. "Beats sitting around all by yourself. We're in the same'Scene Study' class, and I noticed you don't talk a lot. Can't imagine why; you'd look like you'd be really popular with people. Come hang out with us. A girl as pretty as you shouldn't be all alone."

"Don't scare her off again, man."

"I hardly am. She's probably just a little shy."

Ichika held back her tongue with another forced smile. Regrettably, there was a begrudging truth behind what they had said. Yes, she knew that connections were worth its weight in gold when it came to this occupation. People from all over the world gathered at this prestigious academy, and not a single person admitted here was naive enough to believe that two years of training and a dash of talent was enough to make it big. No, it was a battle from the start. A war waged with false faces and hollow words, willing to do anything and step over anyone if it meant a few more seconds under the spotlight. She, like many other actors and actresses, have thought about it once every now and then, but all of them knew the answer—'that's show business'.

But what really irked Ichika was something else. It was true; she was here alone. It had taken her a little longer to notice, but all that lingered on her mind between all of the study and practice were thoughts of home. Thoughts of her friends, her family, and of course, her most beloved. From sunrise to sunset and a few more moments thereafter, that was all she thought about. The same lonely feelings that drew her eyes to two time dials on the watch around her wrist.

Homesickness. Plain and simple homesickness.

Without realizing it, Ichika had lost her edge. It should have been easy. She should have no problem turning down a couple of guys harassing her, but it was as if she had forgotten how to simply say 'no thank you'. There had been pushier guys before, and surely these three would not be the last. Why now, of all times, had she chosen to shy away her gaze? Why did their purposeful gazes make her fluster and doubt herself? If she did not know any better, she would assume that they enjoyed seeing her like this.

"I… I, ah… I am sorry, but—"

"Hey, you three clowns over there," a voice interrupted them. "Will you all get lost already? You're clearly making her feel uncomfortable. Quit bothering her."

They turned around. Stood with their arms crossed and a fierce scowl to their face was a tall girl with long, dark hair tied to a ponytail. She wore a short tank top that exposed her midriff and the sleeve tattoos down her right arm.

The blonde-haired boy cautiously put his hands up. "Whoa, whoa, Erika! Let's not go around causing misunderstandings. We were just inviting her to—"

"What you're doing is harassing her." The girl stepped forward. Her voice had a slight gruffness to it. Powerful and aggressive. Loud enough to attract the gaze of the nearby students in the courtyard. "Can't you see she doesn't want anything to do with you creeps? Now get up and fuck off. Before I call security on your asses."

Preston stood up. "We weren't doing anything like—" He paused. There were too many people looking at them now. He could catch sight of a few girls whispering to each other as they passed, turning looks of disgust as they made eye contact with him. He nervously looked to his friends, then to Ichika, then to the dark-haired girl that almost looked as if she were ready to throw a fist at him at any given moment. "We were just—I mean we were—ugh! Forget it! This is what we get for trying to be friendly, huh? Come on guys, let's go."

It only took the shuffle of a few steps for Ichika to feel as if she could breathe again. They were finally gone.

In her brief respite, Ichika had not noticed the girl had taken a seat next to her."Sorry for barging in like that," she said. "Those guys do anything weird to you?"

"No, that really helped me. Thank you so—" Ichika covered her mouth with her fingers. The look in her eyes grew wide as Ichika looked at the dark-haired girl beside her. "Wait… Japanese?! You speak Japanese?"

"More or less, but it's mostly for when I talk to my Obachan," she replied in full Japanese. A smug grin lined her face. "Does it sound a little off? Can you understand me?"

"No, no! It sounds fine!" replied Ichika in Japanese. "I was just… a little shocked. I didn't expect to meet someone here who knew how to speak my language, Miss… oh! I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself first. My name is—"

"Nakano Ichika, right?" she confidently interrupted, much to Ichika's surprise. "Yeah, I know who you are. Hold on for a sec." She dropped her bag and began to dig through the contents. "Where did I… I know I had something… ah! There it is! Here."

Placed in Ichika's hands was a square board, with high-quality white paper laminated over. The surface felt smooth under her fingertips. It was something that she had seen many times already, yet the realization was slow to come to her, as she had not expected to be given one here. A shikishi board.

But before Ichika could so much as question why she was giving this to her, a peculiar detail had stuck out to her. There was something wedged along the back frame. Something smaller and flimsier, and when she drew it out, Ichika could no longer hold a straight face. It was a picture.

A picture of Ichika.

A picture from one of the promotional materials for one of her recent movies from Japan.

And so suddenly did Ichika's blood run cold. Now that she thought about it, the dark-haired girl that leisurely sat beside her looked scarier than all three of those boys from earlier combined. From this distance, she could make out every detail of the girl's sleeve tattoo. Crashes of waves, scatterings of flowers, and the fearsome visage of an oni that faced Ichika as she looked to the girl's shoulder blade. The definition of her muscles showed in her biceps and exposed abs, and Ichika no longer doubted that this girl would not have hesitated to throw a fist. She did not look scarier—she was scarier!

And for what reason did she have a picture of her? A stalker? A thug? Someone hired to find her? For what reason? She even knew Ichika's full name!

"Oh right," the tattooed girl inattentively continued, "I should have introduced myself first. My name is Erika. Sasaki Erika. I'm Japanese too, but I was born and raised here. It's a pleasure to meet—" She stopped herself as she looked at Ichika's pale face. Her brow raised curiously, until her eyes fell on the picture Ichika held in her stiffened hand. Ichika's lips were tightly clasped, and it seemed as if she was scooting away from Erika.

It took Erika all of a few seconds to connect the dots. "Oh! OH! Oh my god! Wait, wait! I-It's not what it looks like! I'm not—"

"Hu… huh…?"

Erika clasped the back of Ichika's hands, which only made the young actress let out a short, fearful yelp. "Don't run!" Erika quickly shook her head. "I'm not some kind of creep or anything, I swear! I-it's just that, I'm not good with remembering faces! That's it! This picture isn't even mine!"

"Remembering… faces…?" A nervous sweat dropped beside Ichika's brow. Remembering for what? And if this picture was not hers, then whose was it?!

"Just let me—ugh! Let me start over." Erika raised both of her hands, as if to appear harmless. For now it seemed, it did not look like she completely scared Ichika off. She took a deep breath, then politely bowed. "My apologies. It's just that my little brother is just a big fan of yours. I umm… promised him that if I saw you, I would get your… autograph. For him."

"Auto…graph…?" Ichika finally regained a bit of composure. Enough to look down at the shikishi board in her hand, and the realization finally dawned on her. "Oh… oh! I see, I see. So that's how it is." She breathed a deep sigh of relief. "Sorry, I'm just not in the right state of mind right now. I shouldn't have assumed."

"No, no. I was in the wrong." Again, Erika bowed as she handed Ichika something to write with. "I should have explained it better."

Ichika quickly scribed her signature across the square board. There was plenty of room to work with. A swift, precise scribble. A broad, underlining stroke. A wide, overarching curve. A flourish to complete a single flower on the bottom-left corner, accompanying a humble message written in Kanji and Hiragana, 'Thank you so much for your love and support!'

"You can make it out to, Sasaki Rei," Erika politely included. "That's my little brother's name."

"It feels kind of weird doing this again." Ichika lightly chuckled. "Never thought I'd be signing something all the way here. Actually, now that I think about it, I'm surprised that I have a fan all the way out here."

"Really? Is it that surprising?" Erika shrugged. "My family is pretty big on keeping up with a lot of Japanese TV. That's where I first heard about you. My little brother was devastated when he found out your agency declared that you were going on hiatus to study. Imagine my surprise when I saw your name floating around here, Ichika. Wait, I forgot. I should call you Nakano-san. It's not polite or something to call you by your first name, right?"

"It's alright. If I'm going to be staying here, then I should get used to it. I have four sisters too, so I'm used to going by my first name."

"Whoa, four? That's a quite a big family you got there. Though, I'm not one to speak, because I got three younger brothers myself." Erika laughed. "Anyways, where was I? Oh, right. Rei-chan is probably your biggest fan out there. He's watched every single one of your movies and he just won't shut up about you to his friends. He even has his own little fanclub dedicated to you. Boy is he going to freak out when he gets this."

"Tell him that I'm really thankful for him. That's really sweet of him."

"Sure thing. Hey by the way, are you busy with anything right now, Ichika?"

"Me? No, I suppose not."

"Cool." Erika stood up, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. "Then, if you're willing, why don't we go grab some coffee or something? Sitting around the institute is cool if that's your kind of thing, but I'd rather be somewhere else on a Friday. I'll even treat you."

Twenty-four ounces. A plastic tube of blended ice, coffee, and syrup that greatly imposed the cafe table. A fluffy wig of whipped cream smeared against the walls of the dome lid, reflecting bright bits of sunlight down the length and along with swirls of caramel drizzle. Large. Enormous. Super-sized. Everything analogous of its sheer size, and the feelings of shock and awe thereafter.

A venti frappucino. Ichika had only heard about it, but it was something completely different now that it stood before her. This was nothing like the drink she had previously grabbed in the mornings back home. Twenty-four ounces—which she later discovered to be 700 mL—of blended ice coffee. Fifty-four grams of sugar. Sixteen grams of fat. Truly a marvel of appetite; a pinnacle to all things portioned.

And if that did not convince her, then surely the mound of fries and stacked layers of meat to a burger would have. Her newfound acquaintance had brought Ichika a few streets away from their institution; a street plaza bordered by many different shops and restaurants. "You sure you don't want anything else?" Erika asked as she took her first bite into the large burger.

"I'm fine with this, thanks," replied Ichika. "You've helped me out a lot; I couldn't possibly bother you with more."

"It's really not a bother."

"But I don't even think I can finish all of this." Ichika quietly laughed to herself as they continued to enjoy themselves. At some times, Ichika had found herself glancing back at her phone. Of course, there would not be much for her to expect. There would not be any new messages and her social media feed would more or less be the same. And in the hassle of what happened earlier, she was not able to catch Fuutarou when he was texting her so late in the night.

「 Fuutarou-kun 」(sent at 11:24 a.m.): "Hey, Ichika. Hope I'm not bothering you if you're busy with anything. I know, it's pretty late here in Japan. Just wanted to say that I miss you and hope you're doing okay."

「 Fuutarou-kun 」(sent at 11:27 a.m.): "I had my first exam for the semester this week. Organic Chemistry is seriously no joke. Don't think I've ever been this nervous about my score for an exam before. Hope I did well."

「 Fuutarou-kun 」(sent at 11:35 a.m.): "Anyways, you're probably busy. The weekend is coming up and I don't have anything planned so maybe we can find some time to spend together? Maybe we can talk about that thing you said was bothering you."

「 Fuutarou-kun 」(sent at 11:36 a.m.): "Anyways, I should try to get some sleep."

「 Fuutarou-kun 」(sent at 11:39 a.m.): "Good night, Ichika."

"That your boyfriend?" Erika said with a bit of her mouth still full, much to Ichika's surprise. She swallowed her food and laughed. "Sorry. I have a bad habit of being a little nosy."

"It's alright. And yeah, that's him." A tender look fell over Ichika's eyes as she glanced at the name. "That clueless idiot. I can't understand him sometimes."

"You must miss him a lot, huh?"

"More than you can imagine. I just can't stop thinking about him." Ichika nodded, then looked off into the distance. Her fingers wrapped over the cold plastic of her drink. "It's actually a little embarrassing. I've been here for almost two weeks now, and this is the first time I've gone out to get my favorite drink. I haven't gone out at all, really. I just never really thought about it."

Erika shrugged. "I don't blame you. International students usually have their own troubles adjusting to things here. You gotta learn the language, learn how to deal with the people. It makes sense that some people might think you're all shy and don't talk all that much."

Ichika abruptly coughed. "You heard all of that?"

"Told you I had a bad habit of being a little nosy, didn't I?" She mischievously grinned. "I was going to talk to you before those guys showed up. Figured I'd wait a bit to see if you needed someone to step in. You know, you're a little too nice, Ichika"

"Too nice?"

"Mhm! Guys like them love to target cute, shy, and polite girls like you. Gotta learn quick to not take any of their nonsense around here." She cracked a few of her knuckles. "Though, some weirdos might be harder to convince than others."

"'Cute and shy girls'…" Ichika could not help but sound a little baffled as she quoted her. That was definitely a first for Ichika; it was almost as if Erika had mistaken her for Miku, but that was just not possible. It was just her here. "I'm actually not that bad with people at all. It was just a… bad time."

"Is that so? Well, either way, you should carry around one of these." Erika brandished a tiny black canister looped around her keyring.

"What's that?"

"Pepper spray. A bit of these in some creep's eyes and they'll pretty much be rolling all over the ground, kicking and screaming. For this one here, it's got this tiny little switch you flick over here. Then you just point and spray. They're pretty easy to find too."

"That seems a little… violent?"

"Either this or a knife." She twirled her keyring, and in the same motion, effortlessly flipped out the blade of a pocket knife.

"A knife?!" Ichika reel backed in shock, eyes widened. "Wh-why would I—"

"Kidding, I'm kidding." Erika laughed as she sheathed the blade. "Well… I'm mostly kidding. My Obachan did tell me that the streets back in Japan are a lot safer, but you shouldn't get too used to that outside of Japan. It's not like assaults from weirdos are common or anything like that, but it's all about feeling safer. Just brandishing it out and threatening them is enough to get people to back off."

Ichika lightly nodded. "I see… Well, that is… good to know. I suppose."

"Though, there is something I'm curious about, Ichika. That is, if you don't mind me asking."

"What is it?"

"Weren't you a pretty big deal back in Japan? I mean, I watched that interview you had a while back, and it kind of blew me away that you were only eighteen. Someone as popular as you probably doesn't need to come to an institute that trains actors in the first place. Why come all the way here?"

"You make a good point." Ichika leaned on her wrist, drawing a contemplative gaze to the distance. "It might have been easier if I stayed; it might not have been. Maybe, I'm using this all as an excuse to run away from the problems I was facing with my career back in Japan."

"Problems? What kind of problems?"

"You mentioned that you saw my interview, right? Then you should already know that I've been… dating someone. It caused a lot of trouble for my manager and advisor, and they didn't hesitate to scold me. According to them, I lost a lot of popularity because of that. They even had me disable all of my social media accounts for a few months. I don't regret it at all, but handling it was… troublesome.""

Erika sat in a temporary silence, then slowly crooked her brow as if expecting more. "Wait, that was it?"

"Yeah…?"

"Huh. Is it that big of a deal in the East if celebrities date people? That's kind of weird."

"Is that not a thing here?"

Erika shrugged. "Unless you're talking adultery or any other form sexual misconducts, then people couldn't give two shits about that here. But I mean… just dating? Who cares! My brother and his little fanclub know all of that and they're still absolutely in love with you." She laughed even louder. "You should have seen how heartbroken the kid was when he heard you were on hiatus!"

There was something uplifting in that loud, obscene tone in her laughter. Some sort of loosening feeling, as if she playfully mocked the things Ichika had always silently brooded over. As if they was hardly anything to worry about in the first place. Before Ichika knew it, she was laughing too.

"Alright," Erika continued. The look in her eyes narrowed as she leaned against her hand. What was once her low, somewhat husky voice had suddenly shifted to a calmer and more sophisticated tone. It was as if she had become a different person, where even that smile on her face felt as if it were a complete stranger. After all, Erika was also an actress of similar caliber to her. "New question. I am curious—what makes you want to become an actress, Ichika?"

Something about the way she had asked that question made Ichika think carefully over her next words. She looked to the crowded shuffle of the streets, the tall palm trees, and the hills of dried grass in the distance. Big, bright letters that read 'HOLLYWOOD' decorated this new world she had yet to fully find her place in. "I guess it's because… I don't want to be seen."

"Hmm… that was not the kind of answer I was expecting." Erika raised a brow. "What kind of actress doesn't want to be seen?"

"It does sound a little funny now that I saw it out loud." Ichika laughed to herself. "It was just a thought I had one day. An actress is only as good as the lies she can tell, and the number of people that she can fool. Even when they're interviewed, they know exactly what words to say to the camera. I guess all I can really say is that—it's fun. It's fun to fool people and it's fun to keep them guessing about the kind of person you really are."

Ichika took a long, slow sip of her coffee. "I have four younger sisters that are just like me. Because we look so much alike, I always thought that I had to do something big to stand out. I learned how to tell lie after lie so that I got whatever I wanted. There are a lot of times I can't be proud of either, but it always ended up the same way—with them seeing right through me. They, and a few special ones, are the people that see the real me. They see just how troublesome of an older sister I can be."

As she turned back, Ichika returned a satisfied smile. A smile that belonged to any number of faces that Ichika saw fit. "That's why, as an actress, I can't afford to get sloppy. I just need to tell bigger and better lies so that no one else will ever know how greedy and envious of a woman I can be."

Erika pinched her chin, quietly humming her thoughts. Her eyes slowly drew across the young actress in front of her, picking apart every face and facet that made up Ichika's resolve. "Huh. Well, that is a pretty unique one… but I do like that answer!" Loudly, Erika crumpled the leftover trash of her meal in her hands. "Alright! I've decided!"

"Decided…?" Ichika raised a brow. "Decided on what?"

"I like you, Nakano Ichika! You got what it takes to make it big here, I can tell!" The legs of Erika's chair loudly scraped as she boldly stood. She placed her hands on her hips, grinning even wider. "It ain't easy rising to the top. Not anywhere and especially not here. You gotta learn that if others are too tall to step over, then you gotta make them kneel. Shine brighter than any other star out there; talk bigger than everyone around you. And I'm just the kind of girl who can help you out."

"Help me out? What do you mean by that?"

"Come on, you seem like a smart girl, Ichika." Again, that cool, sophisticated tone, as Erika smiled. "As we say in show business, it's all about who you know and how well you use them. Being an international student, it makes sense you've never heard my name before." Her smile turned notably smug as she continued, "But I guess what really matters to you is that I'm a senior and you're a junior in the program. It might be all nice and lovely now, but the training picks up fast and it hits hard. Vocal Training, Scene Study. Improvisation. Cold Reading. Body and Movement. Tell me, can you sing?"

"S-sing…? Well, I mean I've practiced it a little but—"

"Not enough. Take longer showers if you need to. Now, where was I? Ah. You'll also need to learn what it's like to be a director, dancing, filmography. Don't forget that trainees here are required to star in a number of student-directed films too, so it's best you break out of your shell and make some friends in your year."

"Break out of my shell…?'" Again, Ichika had heard something she never thought would be said to her. "I think you're mistaken a bit about—wait, that's not important right now! All of this a lot to take in if you spring it on me so quickly!"

"We can cover more of it as we go then." Erika laughed. "Point is, I think I can show you the ropes around here. Maybe you'll learn a trick or two."

"I don't know what to say… I mean, that is awfully nice of you—and I am truly thankful for it—but isn't that an awful lot to do for someone you just met? I am nobody here. I—"

"I see it as a mutual benefit." Erika smiled. Whether it was another face that an actress would use to get what she wanted, or whether it was in genuine enjoyment, Erika smiled. "Years ago, I had my own mentor too, you know. I owe everything I know to him. So the way I see it, I'm just passing on the favor. And who knows? Maybe when you go on to become an actress that will inspire millions, maybe you'll remember some of the things your big sister, Sasaki Erika, taught you!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Ichika held up her hands. "Big… sister…?"

"Yeah! I've been stuck with three little brothers my whole life, but I've never had a sister before. Hmm… should you refer to me as Erika-neechan then? Or maybe Erika… neesan? What sounds better…"

For a while, Ichika sat with a blank look on her face. In these long years she desperately worked—all the hours of blood, sweat, and tears—Ichika had done what she had always thought was the right thing to do. It had gotten her this far. Now that she stood among stars that shined just as brightly as she did, Ichika realized that there were limits to what she could do alone. Still, the thought had left her a few breaths short of speechless. "Sorry, I'm not quite… used to calling someone that. Ha ha…"

"Well, then I suppose we'll have to work on that then! Oh! How about Aneki? Sounds pretty cool, don't you think?"

Ichika smiled at her senior, letting content laughter fall past her lips. "Let's… stick with just Erika for now."

「 Fuutarou-kun 」(sent at 11:35 a.m.): "Anyways, you're probably busy. The weekend is coming up and I don't have anything planned so maybe we can find some time to spend together? Maybe we can talk about that thing you said was bothering you."

「 Fuutarou-kun 」(sent at 11:36 a.m.): "Anyways, I should try to get some sleep."

「 Fuutarou-kun 」(sent at 11:39 a.m.): "Good night, Ichika."

「 Ichika 」(sent at 2:40 p.m.): "Sorry, Fuutarou-kun! I can't believe I missed your text!"

「 Ichika 」(sent at 2:40 p.m.): "What are you even doing staying up so late? You need to make sure to take care of your health, you idiot!"

「 Ichika 」(sent at 2:41 p.m.): "But… I was thinking about you too. I just miss you so much. There is so much I want to talk to you about. Let's talk a LOT when you wake up."

「 Ichika 」(sent at 2:43 p.m.): "Oh, and I don't think there's anything bothering me anymore! I'll tell you about it later!"

「 Ichika 」(sent at 2:45 p.m.): "…I guess you could say that I made a friend today :)"

Author's Note

Another more dialed-back chapter, and admittedly, a unique one to write. Thought it would have been a fun idea to take a peek into Ichika's new adventure. Tossed up a couple of ideas, like maybe focusing on the exact moment she landed, or exploring the city, but those ideas didn't fit too well for the overall pacing of the story. Ultimately, I decided that I'd rather keep this chapter as a single little "send-off" to Ichika in America—meaning that I wanted to leave her in a pretty solid spot while I focus on some other elements to the overall story. She's got her own place, gotten a little more accustomed, and has overcame some of the expected hurdles that comes with leaving home for the first time.

Overall, I don't think I'll be dedicating future chapters solely to Ichika's solo adventures in America. The types of plots I could think of would basically turn it into an entirely new story in the process (￣ε￣＠). For now, future chapters will focus on developing other characters and story elements to plug some of the gaps that we saw in the canon time-skip. That means a bit more brainstorming on my end about the other quints! Hopefully a little lighter as well—the recent chapters have been quite the endeavor to write.

Anyways, thanks to those who left reviews on Chapter 13 and any recent chapters—Fox McCloude, Tuvieja33, Quintaphract, Bob19248, chloetuco, XXAlter, Miimbot, TheMist33, KanameKaraage, somereader, Rosalina, and any other guest review(s)! Thanks also to the reddit commenters—vonin7, Miimbot, and cassethf03!

_φ(。。) "For someone who is from the United States, and California to boot, you had quite a bit of trouble writing about it, didn't you…?"