Several days after I went with Rinka to the movies.
It’s morning, shortly before homeroom in my class begins.
I’m studying at my desk at school, as usual.
Honestly, I’m not studying because I want to, but because I’m just trying to kill some time during this awkward and uncomfortable period.
And today, I’m particularly nervous about a certain matter.
“Hey, hey! You guys! Have you seen this video?!”
“Oh? Kaminogi-kun, why don’t you just go and die already?”
“For no reason at all?! You’re being a sharp-tongued beauty as usual, Minamisawa.”
As usual, a group of girls were excited as they talked about Shion.
Then, Kaminogi recklessly decided to do a kamikaze attack.
And what came out of that was Kaminogi getting abruptly struck by a bullet, but…
“Director Sakaki released a new short movie on YuTube! One of the actors in the video was a really attractive girl!”
Saying that, Kaminogi showed his phone to the girls.
“Here, this red-haired girl!”
“Hmm~, she’s definitely cute, but… isn’t her acting a little stiff and awkward?”
“And her makeup is too heavy, huh? She seems to have a cute face anyways, so I think lighter makeup would suit her better…”
Each of them gave their thoughts and impressions while they watched the video.
It looks like the video wasn’t as well-received as he’d hoped.
How pitiful, Kaminogi…
It’s your fault for recommending “a girl like that”.
“Heh heh heh! You girls, she has a line she’s about to say after this. Listen carefully!”
Kaminogi confidently played the rest of the video.
「I will protect you! So, don’t worry about a thing and take my hand!」
“……”
“……”
“……”
The girls were at a loss for words.
Eh, what? Was the video so bad that it made them speechless?
“W-what an incredibly beautiful voice… It’s almost like she’s singing a song…”
“And yet, she sounded so reliable. That line sounded so cool, it was almost as if it were a man who said that…”
“B-but, she looks so cute. D-damn… even though she’s a girl, I think I’m starting to have some strange feelings for her…”
No, no, no, wasn’t that acting really bad and overdramatic?!
Why are you all blushing?!
Also, what the heck! Kaminogi, what the hell is up with your expression?!
Stop that!
It’s almost as if you’re saying, “I’ve done a great job yet again.”!
“They’re letting us choose which actor we’d like to see star in the next movie that they’re going to make.”
“Is that so… I guess it has to be this girl, huh…”
“I-I also really want to see a movie with this girl as the main actress!”
“Alright, then let’s vote together! Click on the link here!”
I dropped my head on my desk at these words.
~~ Some time ago ~~
On the night that I had finished my movie outing with Rinka, and after I had explained the circumstances behind my cross-dressing to my sister.
“Shion’s phone” received a call from Director Sakaki.
“Shion-kun, about having you appear in my movie. Saying something like, ‘I want you to perform in my next movie’ was certainly a mistake on my part… I’m really sorry.”
“Director Sakaki… It’s okay as long as you understand that. I’d also like to apologize for all the trouble I caused at the stage greeting event.”
“Ahh, I was such a fool… An actress like ‘Shion-chan’ isn’t a person you can just have as a mere ‘actor’ in a movie.”
“…Huh?”
Not understanding his point, I gripped my phone in my hand as I replied nervously with a smile on my face.
“I’d like you to be the leading actress in my next movie! Let’s go for the Best Actress award together!”
I immediately hung up the call.
The director kept trying to call me repeatedly, and I continued to ignore all his calls.
The next day, when I opened the door of my house, Director Sakaki was there waiting for me.
“Ahh, Shion-kun. My phone calls weren’t connecting for some reason, so I went to Suzuki-kun and threa― asked her to tell me your address, and I came straight to your house in person ♡”
“Don’t just say, ‘I came straight to your house in person ♡’! Why did you come to my house!”
“Uwawawa, please! Don’t close the door! Listen to me please!”
“Why should I listen to a director who doesn’t listen to me!”
“If you don’t hear me out, I’ll shout ‘Shion-kun!’ out loud!”
“Are you really an adult or a child?!”
Having no other choice, I let the director come into the foyer.
“I won’t show you inside the house.”
Without even serving him tea, I folded my arms and glared at the director.
I didn’t want to let him enter any further because I had the cutest little sister in the entire world inside the house.
If the director saw her, he’d target her as well.
“Shion-kun, let’s make a bet.”
“A bet?”
“Yeah. I’m going to make a short video with some other actors and upload it online as ‘potential candidates for actors in the next movie’. I’ll have a poll on it, and whoever gets the most votes will appear in my next movie.”
“No, I’m not going to participate in that recording, okay? It’s not a Personia affiliated activity.”
“Please, I’m begging you! I’ve said this about 3 times by now!”
“I don’t care what you say, I’m not going to―”
“Ah~, how I wished I could’ve ended the stage greeting back then~”
“Kuh… You’re taking advantage of me using that…”
I sighed.
Well, everyone else were professionals in the acting world, so I had absolutely no chance of winning this.
“Fine, I’ll do it. But, I won’t be dressing the same way I did the other day. I’ll be changing the color of my wig, and I’ll be applying much more makeup in order to make me look like a completely different person.”
“…B-but the makeup― No, I understand! If it’s you, I’m sure it’ll be just fine! You’re on, Shion-kun!”
~~~~~~~~~~
“This ‘Nanai Shio’ actress is incredible~!”
“I heard she’s from a private agency~!”
“She’s both cute and cool~.”
“Hearing her voice makes my heart skip a beat~.”
“I can’t help but play the video over and over again~.”
Before I knew it, everyone in the class started talking about the ‘mysterious red-haired actress’.
Of course, that ‘Nanai Shio’ actress in the video… is me.
No, this should be fine.
I’m sure this is just a fad that’s happening here.
The world is a big place after all, surely the other actors are getting attention elsewhere in the world.
“Hey, hey! You guys! Have you seen this video?!”
“Ah, Kaminogi-kun, why don’t you go die~?”
“You’re abusing me as casually as one would say ‘Good morning’!”
Kaminogi continued to launch his Kamikaze attack on the students commuting to school
Is he immortal to these attacks…?
Author’s Notes:
This chapter is more like an omake.
The story is going to enter a new arc in the next chapter!