Chapter 10 : First step on set

Chapter Summary : With determination Ai gets into many other roles, while her popularity as an Idol lasts, she steps into acting. To make the most of where she is in life right now.

Watching the Idol's smiles and effortless charm on the stage, one could easily not see the hard work that went into their performances. But seeing how Ai juggled her career and motherhood, pouring everything into both, had truly opened Aqua's eyes. The grace with which she balanced her roles felt nothing short of a miracle. And over the past two years, he had a newfound appreciation for Ai.

Ruby adored watching her mother practice. Occasionally, Miyako would take the twins down to the rehearsal hall to watch, but what she loved more than watching B-komachi's rehearsals, was the attention of all its members. They'd come up to the twins everytime to play with them, She'd laugh, and giggle, and soak up their affection, all while looking every bit as adorable as the baby girl she was. She truly took after Ai, and it wouldn't be surprising if she grew up to be a spitting image of her.

One morning, as usual, the kids were asleep in their bed while Ai was already up, helping Miyako prepare the breakfast. She woke the kids up and set the table, Saitou also joined them and the five of them settled around the table to eat.

"This is so tasty, Mama!" Ruby exclaimed between bites, her eyes sparkling with delight.

"Mmm" Aqua added with a nod of agreement. He had to admit — Ai was a surprisingly good cook.

Miyako gave a dramatic sigh, crossing her arms. "You kids can thank me. I'm the one who taught her how to cook," she announced proudly.

Ai giggled and held out a dish with cooked fish on it. "Would you like a taste, sensei?"

Miyako and Saitou both sampled the bite she offered, nodding in approval. "You've really come a long way," Saitou said, giving her an approving smile. "It's hard to believe you're the same girl who couldn't prepare white rice if your life depended on it"

"That's not true" she said with a nervous chuckle,

"I remember you used to burn everything, and I had to clean up after you and still refused to learn how to cook, until these little guys arrived," Miyako said, looking at the twins with a warm smile.

Ai smiled nervously as Miyako remembered the old days "Seems like yesterday, you kids grow up so fast"

The twins ate neatly and quietly, unusually well-behaved for children their age. They rarely made a mess or demanded much attention, a fact that made life a little easier for everyone in the bustling household.

After breakfast, Saitou cleared his throat, looking over at Ai. "By the way, Ai, I won't be able to accompany you to your shoot today. Something's come up. Miyako can drive you instead."

Miyako's brows knitted together. "But what about the kids? Who'll look after them?"

Saitou waved a hand dismissively. "Just take them along. They've never caused any trouble before."

Ruby's face lit up, and she threw her little hands in the air. "Yes! I want to go to Mama's drama shoot!"

Miyako chuckled, ruffling Ruby's hair. "Only if you promise to behave," she teased.

Ai smiled, gently patting Ruby's head. "It'll be fine. They're always well behaved"

Saitou nodded "That's true"

Miyako thought for a moment, agreeing to the idea. "Alright, but you both know the rules, right?" She glanced at Aqua and Ruby. "No calling her Mama in front of anyone."

Both twins responded in unison, "We know!"

A short while later, they piled into the minivan. Miyako took the driver's seat with Aqua beside her, while Ai and Ruby sat in the back. Ruby bounced with excitement, practically glowing.

"I can't wait to watch you act, Mama!" Ruby squealed, beaming up at Ai.

Ai smiled, brushing a stray strand of hair behind Ruby's ear. "It's just a small part"

Miyako kept her eyes on the road but couldn't resist a stern reminder. "Alright, you two. While we're there, absolutely no calling her Mama, Mom or anything. There will be a lot of people around, and one slip-up could be a disaster. While we're at the set, you're my kids. Got it?"

Aqua turned his head to her, "Mother, please give me headpats" he said in a sarcastic voice.

Ruby leaned forward, poking her head from behind Miyako's seat, "Mama, can I have my allowance please" her voice equally as sarcastic.

Ai giggled and joined her kids in the teasing, "I would like my allowance too Mama!"

"Ugh—" Miyako groaned rolling her eyes, "Alright you little devils, settle down in your seats"

- x -

They soon arrived at the high school where the Drama scene would be shot. Ai's role was a small one — a few scenes, with brief interactions with the show's lead character. She'd only appear in this one single episode, which was a little disappointing but still it was a good start to her acting career.

Inside the classroom, much of the furniture had been cleared away to make space for the filming equipment. Production staff buzzed around, adjusting lights and setting up cameras. Ai stepped forward and bowed gracefully, her voice clear and polite. "I'm Ai from Strawberry Productions. I look forward to working with everyone today."

The director, a stern-looking man with his arms crossed, walked over and stopped in front of her. He didn't return her smile, instead, he studied her, his gaze cold and calculating.

Ai's smile quickly turned into a nervous one, "Is something the matter, Director?"

"Not really," his tone clipped. Without another word he turned to Miyako, who stood nearby with Aqua and Ruby.

Miyako straightened herself with a flinch, forcing a smile despite her nerves. "I'm her manager, Ichigo Miyako from Strawberry Productions"

The director's gaze shifted to the twins, who were whispering to each other. "What are these kids doing here?"

"Oh—, they're mine," Miyako said quickly, if that wasn't clear enough already.

The director's frown deepened. "A manager bringing her kids to a set… huh." He shook his head, looking distinctly unimpressed.

Upon hearing his words the twins straightened themselves, trying to look as well behaved as they could. "They won't cause any trouble" Miyako assured him, "I'll keep an eye on them."

He sighed, "I guess it's fine, some people even bring their dogs these days. What an age we live in" and he turned away to discuss the next scene with his crew.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Miyako let out a breath of relief. "Well, that went… well,"

Ai wandered over to a table of snacks laid out for the crew. She grabbed a bottle of water and a small snack, then made her way toward the director to review her scene.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the room, a group of actors were getting ready for their final touch-ups from the makeup team. One of the actresses, the lead for the drama, noticed the twins wandering around the room and called them over with a bright smile. "Are you two twins?" she asked, eyes twinkling "You both are so cute!"

Before Ruby knew it, she was lifted into the actress's lap, enveloped in a gentle hug as the makeup artist fixed the actress's hair. Ruby giggled, making cute little baby noises and soaking up the attention.

Another actress — a tall, elegant woman who looked like she'd stepped off a magazine cover — picked Aqua up with a laugh. She tousled his hair, murmuring about how adorable he was. He tried to play along, but after a few minutes, he was feeling overwhelmed by all the fuss.

He wriggled free, mumbling a quick "thank you" before slipping out of the classroom to find a quieter spot.

Out in the hallway, Aqua ran into the Director, "Well, if it isn't that manager's kid." he said gruffly, "I don't mind you being here, but if you start crying and cause any trouble filming, I'm shutting you out"

Aqua swallowed, up close he looked even more serious and scary. "Oh, no sir! We may be babies, but I assure you we won't cause any problems. We understand that not obstructing the shooting is rule number one. We dearly hope you'll love the work of Ai and favor her in the future—" he blabbered nervously.

"Holy—" the Director was visibly surprised, "This baby sure can talk! Where did you learn to talk like that?!"

"... uh… Youtube?" Aqua said, hoping he sounded convincing enough.

"Youtube huh? Amazing, what an age we live in." he commented and picked him up, looking at him as he looked at Ai earlier. "You're an interesting kid. I've seen my fair share of child actors, but you seem a lot different. Ever thought about acting?"

Aqua hesitated, then shook his head, "Not really.. Acting isn't my thing"

"You could fit right in for a lot of interesting projects. I'd like to use you in something" He crouched to put Aqua down and offered his card "Here, take my card. If you start acting, let me know"

He took the card and looked at it, "I'm not planning to.. If you're handing out jobs, give them to Ai and not me"

"Oh, the Idol, right." He stood up and glanced back in the classroom where Ai was preparing for her scene. "She sure looks pretty and amazing, if she is lucky she might last."

"Lucky?" Aqua repeated, tucking the card in his little pocket. "But you just said she looks amazing"

"Hmm?" He raised his eyebrow at him, "Listen up kid, there are three types of actors,"

The director raised one finger on his right hand. "First, there's the audience magnet. These are the pretty faces — the ones who get people watching. They're usually popular, and they cost a fortune."

He raised a second finger. "Next is the talent. These are the real actors, the ones who preserve the quality of the project along with the brand's Name and Reputation."

Finally, he lifted his thumb and gestured subtly toward Ai, who was chatting and laughing with two other actresses near the back of the classroom. "And last, you have the newcomers. They're here to prove they've got potential. If they can draw in some new viewers, that's a bonus. Low-budget dramas like this are training grounds for the next star."

Aqua listened intently, his young face focused as the director continued. "In other words, those fresh faces over there are investments. Maybe they'll become great actors. Maybe they'll build an audience. But if they don't deliver on either, they're gone. No-one makes it unless they are excellent at atleast one thing that sets them apart from the rest"

Aqua nodded thoughtfully, a small smile playing on his lips. "She'll be fine then, Ai's an excellent idol."

The director shot him a skeptical look. "Kid, we're not filming a music video. Being a good idol doesn't mean anything here." He turned back toward the set as the assistant director called for silence. "Alright, people — scene 74. Let's get this in one take."

The actors settled into place, perching on desks and chatting quietly in character as the crew prepared the shot. The clapperboard clicked, and the cameras started rolling.

The scene began, with the actresses laughing and joking as directed. Ai's laugh rang out, bright and clear, her face lighting up as if she were genuinely caught in the moment. Her cheeks flushed with color, and there was a sparkle in her eyes that made the entire room feel warmer.

The director found himself watching her closely, his previously guarded expression softening. She wasn't delivering an award-winning performance, but there was something undeniably magnetic about her presence.

As the scene wrapped up, he muttered, almost to himself, "Her acting… well, it's average. But she stands out."

Beside him, Aqua smiled. "Doesn't she? She was saying on the way over that she could treat this like a music video shoot."

The director raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Music video, huh?"

"Yeah," Aqua continued, clearly proud of Ai. "On stage, she has to look good for the whole audience, from every angle. But here, she just has to look cute for the camera. This is what she excels at."

The director glanced down at the small playback screen of the camera, where Ai's radiant expression still filled the frame. He rewound the footage and watched it again, nodding slowly. "Huh… I'll admit, this scene turned out better than I expected." He glanced at Aqua with a smirk. "Wanna see it, kid?"

Aqua's eyes lit up "Yeah!"

- x -

Even though she was a popular actress now, Arima Kana's mother wouldn't listen to her protests about not needing school anymore. As always, she had insisted firmly — Kana couldn't skip school.

So here she was, in her kindergarten school uniform, her hair held up with bright red little clips, sitting at her tiny desk with her hands folded over a colorful workbook. Her legs dangled above the floor, and her small backpack, which was decorated with anime characters, was propped up neatly against her chair.

She stared at the bright letters on the page in front of her, tracing them with her pencil as her teacher led the class through the alphabets, letter by letter.

Arima Kana wasn't like the other kids in the room, she had been on television for goodness' sake. She had stood in front of the camera's, hit her marks, delivered her lines with real emotion, and worked with seasoned actors. None of the other kids had done anything remotely close to that, and she made sure they knew it.

When the bell rang for recess, she watched as the other children scattered into little clusters and their laugh and chatter slowly filled the classroom.

She, too, strolled over to her usual spot by the window, where her friends were already settling down to open their lunch boxes. She joined them and carefully opened her own lunch — the bento her mother had made for her, with heart shaped carrots and sausages cut like octopuses.

As they ate and enjoyed their lunch, the conversation quickly turned to the most exciting topic of all — Kana's latest TV appearance.

One of her friends leaned forward, a boy with round glasses, "Kana! I saw you on TV yesterday! You looked so cool! When the Blue ranger saved you from that burning building, I was like 'Whoa!' He picked you up and ran super fast! It was amazing!"

Another girl nodded enthusiastically "Yes! I saw it too, in the last episode right? Kana was in the episode!" She looked at Kana like she was a real-life superhero.

Kana couldn't help but smile, a small, smug smile as she picked up her juice box and took a sip. "Oh, come on" she said with a little wave of her hand "It was just a small scene. Nothing special" She had done this before, accepted praise, basked in the attention and made it seem like no big deal. That's what the real stars did.

Her friends wouldn't have it. "It was totally special! You were so cool! Are you going to be in more episodes?"

Kana leaned back, trying to keep her expression composed, though on the inside she was absolutely glowing. With a glance around to make sure everyone was listening, she tilted her chin up a little, "Those kinds of children's shows are way too easy for me, I mostly do Dramas you know, serious acting."

She paused for effect and lowered her voice just enough for a hint of mystery "And… I just got my first movie offer"

The effect she wanted to have was instant, everyone gasped, their eyes growing wide as they clutched their lunch boxes, "A movie?!" one of them squealed, "You're going to be a movie star?!"

She nodded, the words Movie Star hitting her ears like a sweet melody. She didn't bother hiding her proud smile this time, "Yep! This is my big debut. But…" She held up a finger to her lips, leaned in and whispered "I can't tell you the title yet. It's a secret until it's officially announced."

Her friends practically melted with excitement, their eyes shining with admiration. "You're so amazing Kana!" one of them said, "You're really going to be a movie star!"

Kana held her head high, lifting her juice box in a kind of toast, "I know, right!"

- x -

A month had passed since the drama shoot, and the day the episode would air had finally arrived. Ai, the kids, Miyako, and Saitou – who had taken the evening off for the occasion, gathered on the couch.

"Don't you have work?" Miyako asked Saitou, as he settled in the seat beside her.

"I missed the shoot, I'm not about to miss this" he replied, crossing his arms with a small, anticipatory grin. They all turned their attention to the TV, waiting in silence as the opening credits rolled.

Ruby, sitting on Ai's lap, swayed side to side with excitement. "I can't wait to see you in the episode, Mama!"

Ai smiled, stroking Ruby's hair. "They filmed a lot of scenes," she said, recalling the two-day shoot. Seven scenes, if she remembered right — enough that she might get a decent amount of screen time.

"That sounds promising," Saitou added, giving Ai an encouraging nod.

"It's starting!" Aqua interrupted, nudging everyone to shush down as the episode began.

The high-school drama unfolded on screen, the camera panning across the familiar set. Five minutes passed with no sign on Ai. Then finally, her first scene appeared – but something was wrong. Aqua leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. He recognised the scene and remembered how Ai had been sitting right next to the lead actress, chatting and laughing, but she was out of the frame. The shot had cropped her out entirely.

The camera lingered on the main characters, leaving Ai's lines unheard.

"What…?" Aqua muttered, his brows knitting in confusion.

Two more minutes passed, and Ai finally appeared on screen, but only in the background, in a long shot from another character's point of view.

"There you are, Mama!" Ruby squealed, pointing excitedly at the screen.

"Come on, zoom in on her," Aqua whispered, clenching his fists in frustration. But the camera quickly panned back to the main actors, focusing on them instead.

The episode ended, cutting to the weather report without any more scenes of Ai.

A heavy silence hung in the room. Ruby and Aqua stared at the screen, slack-jawed and indignant.

"What? That's it?!" Ruby blurted, her voice loud and disappointed. "She was in just one scene for like a few seconds!" Aqua blurted after his sister.

"That's not what I expected," Saitou muttered in a disappointed voice, as was everyone in the room.

"Maybe my acting wasn't good enough…" Ai said softly, trying to keep her tone light, but her shoulders had slumped ever so slightly.

Ruby spun around to face her mother, "No it definitely wasn't!"

Aqua slipped off the couch, fists clenched. Without a word, he marched to Ai's room and rifled through a drawer until he found the business card the director had given him. Grabbing Ai's phone, he dialed the number and waited, tapping his foot impatiently.

The phone clicked, and the director's voice came through. "Hello?"

"Hey Director!" His voice was firm — as firm as his child-like voice allowed him to be, "You didn't use any of Ai's footage in the episode!"

There was a pause. "Ah–, It's the wonder kid." The director sounded almost amused. "Yeah, the scenes were great. It's a real shame we couldn't use any of it"

His words didn't make sense, "If the scenes were great then why?"

The director sighed, as if this were a question he'd heard too many times. "The production company's been promoting the lead actress as 'too cute to handle.' So, what do you think happens when a girl cuter than her shows up in the same frame?"

"She…" He thought for a moment, putting the pieces together "She'd steal the spotlight?"

"Bingo, Ai's presence was just too strong. So the higher-ups asked for some changes and they practically erased all the scenes with the both of them together."

"What the heck, how is that fair?" his frustration showed in his voice.

"It's the companies who decide who gets how much screen time, think of this as an unfortunate accident." The director's voice softened, turning almost sympathetic. "It's fine to dream about being a star, but don't have any illusions about it. The industry is a business at the end of the day"

Aqua realized the truth in his words.

The Director continued "Still, I get it where you are coming from kid, and I do feel bad about it. This won't exactly make up for it but I'd like to offer her a job. It's a movie, sounds good to you?"

"For real?!" his eyes widened.

"On one condition," the director added, a hint of mischief in his tone. "You have to be in it"

Aqua thought for a moment, before agreeing. "Alright. Fine by me"

Interviewer : Look who's getting into acting, following your mother's footsteps are you Aqua?
Aqua : I don't really care about acting, I'm only doing it so Ai gets that role.
Interviewer : So you are doing it for her, still I think this could be a great start to your own acting career.
Aqua : I don't really love the idea of acting and fame, I think I want to be a surgeon when I grow up. I have cleared medical school once, it should be easy a second time around.

- x -

Interviewer : Hello miss little movie star, are you looking forward to being in your first movie?
Kana : Yes! It's going to be great, finally I'll be a movie star. I've been honing my acting skills for this day!
Interviewer : That sounds amazing, your mother must be very proud of you.
Kana : Yes, I'm sure!

- x -

Interviewer : Your first TV drama, it's a shame barely any of your scenes were in the finished episode.
Ai : It's okay, my acting wasn't as good as the other seasoned actors, I'll just have to try harder next time.
Interviewer : I'm sure your acting was fine, but we always strive to be better, right? Did you enjoy acting?
Ai : That's true, and acting was every bit fun as I imagined it would be. I loved my time at the set with the other actors, they even gave me some pointers!

Author's Notes : I thought I could fit this and the Aqua's acting part in one chapter, but when I wrote this much I realised I couldnt. At least not properly.
Hope you all enjoyed reading this. Thank you for the reviews, your kind words is what keeps me going!

Up Next - Chapter 11 : Natural Actor Aqua