An Unexpected Opportunity
"A film director?!"
My voice came out much louder than I intended. I looked up again and Sasaki-san was still sitting across from us with a perfectly calm expression.
Too calm.
He said he wanted to talk… especially with me…?
I felt a small shiver.
Why?
Did I do something wrong?
Did I break a law without knowing it?
My imagination started running at full speed.
"Would you like to order something?"
The waitress's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I blinked.
Ah.
Right.
We were in a café.
Sasaki-san raised a hand.
"Order whatever you want. It's on me."
Kenji's eyes lit up.
"Yesss!"
He threw both arms up like someone had just announced he'd won the lottery.
"Then I want the giant chocolate milkshake!"
Mei hesitated.
"Really? You don't have to…"
"Please. I insist."
Sasaki smiled.
"It's the least I can do for making you all come out here."
Mei ended up nodding.
"In that case… thank you."
Yuuna picked up the menu.
"Then I'll order something too."
I kept staring at the card.
Especially you, Shimizu-san.
My stomach knotted up again.
"Aika."
"Huh?"
Mei gave me a small nudge on the arm.
"The waitress is waiting."
I turned my head.
The woman was watching me with a patient smile.
"What would you like?"
"Ah."
My mind went completely blank.
I looked at the menu.
I didn't understand half of what was on it.
"U-um… a coffee."
The waitress waited.
"What kind?"
"…"
What kind of coffee?!
"A-any kind…"
Mei covered her mouth.
Yuuna turned her head slightly to hide a smile.
The waitress blinked.
"A cappuccino?"
"Yes! That!"
I nodded quickly.
"A cappuccino, please."
"Of course."
The waitress wrote everything down and left. After that, Mei fixed Kenji with a look that could have stopped traffic.
"Takagi-kun."
"Yes?"
"What you did was wrong."
Kenji slowly lowered his arms.
"Huh?"
"Bringing your friends to a mysterious meeting with a stranger, without telling them anything… I hope you reflect on that."
"…"
Kenji pressed his hands together.
"I'm really sorry."
Then he stuck his tongue out slightly, and Mei made a face because he clearly wasn't sorry at all, which made Sasaki let out a small laugh.
Mei cleared her throat and turned her attention back to the man across from her.
"So… Sasaki-san, correct?"
"Yes."
"What did you want to talk to us about?"
Sasaki calmly rested a hand on the table.
"I want to recruit you for a project."
"Recruit us?"
"Yes."
He paused briefly.
"Have you heard of the Chofu Film Festival?"
"Chofu…?"
I tilted my head slightly.
I had absolutely no idea, but Yuuna's eyes opened slightly the moment she heard the name.
When I looked at Mei, she also seemed confused and shook her head.
"Honestly, no."
Sasaki looked at me, seeming to expect my answer, so I had to be honest.
"I have no idea either, hehe…"
I let out an awkward smile, and then Kenji cut in, apparently amazed.
"Seriously? Anyone who does acting should at least recognize the name."
"Saying we do acting is a little…"
When Kenji looked like he was about to respond, Yuuna shot him a look threatening enough to make him drop the subject entirely.
Even so, Yuuna was being particularly quiet, which caught my attention.
Sasaki also seemed a little taken aback by our ignorance, but he quickly recovered his composure.
"The Chofu Film Festival is a fairly well-recognized festival within Japan. It's held in Chofu, in Tokyo. The next edition will be in February, and I want to submit a feature film."
My back straightened slightly.
"A feature film…?"
"That's right."
Sasaki laced his fingers together on the table.
"And I want you to be part of the cast."
I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"Us?"
"Yes, all of you."
I swallowed.
"But…"
I looked at Yuuna.
Then at Mei.
Then at Kenji.
"I understand wanting to recruit Yuuna and Mei… or Kenji."
I looked at my own hands.
"But why me?"
I lowered my voice slightly.
"I'm just a beginner."
Yuuna answered before Sasaki could.
"That's exactly why."
I looked at her.
"Huh?"
Yuuna crossed her arms.
"Hiring professional actors for an independent production can get quite expensive."
Her tone was completely calm.
"Working with students and novice actors can cut the budget considerably."
"Exactly."
Sasaki's lips curved.
"I see you understand how it works — saves me quite a bit of explaining. But I want to clarify that I don't choose actors purely because they're cheap."
His gaze swept across us.
"I'm only interested in people I believe have potential. That's why I'm here."
He looked directly at me, and I felt my back tense.
"Why do you think that I…"
"I went to see the school play."
"Ah…"
Now it all made a bit more sense.
Mei tilted her head slightly.
"So you save money by working with students, but…"
Her expression turned a little more serious.
"What makes you think we'll accept?"
Sasaki smiled.
"Because the festival represents an opportunity."
He paused briefly.
"The Chofu Film Festival brings together professionals and relevant people in the industry. It doesn't mean you'll become stars overnight."
I was glad he clarified that.
"But if the film does well and manages to attract the right attention, it could open some doors."
Kenji nodded.
Sasaki continued:
"Contacts. Experience. Visibility. Maybe future auditions."
He shrugged.
"I'm not going to sell you false hope, but with some luck, this film could be your ticket into the industry — the rest depends on you."
Some luck… probably the hardest requirement of all.
"A ticket in?"
Mei lowered her gaze slightly.
"That's not something I'm interested in."
I looked at her.
"Mei…?"
Her expression was hard to read, but I knew what was behind it.
Her family…
I thought about saying something, but before I could try, Yuuna tapped the table lightly with her hand.
"I accept."
Everyone looked at her.
Yuuna was completely serious.
"I'll participate in the film."
"That fast?"
I was surprised.
She looked at me.
"Why not?"
"Well…"
I didn't know what to say.
Yuuna simply smiled.
"It sounds interesting."
Sasaki nodded, satisfied.
"I'm glad to hear it."
I looked down.
What am I supposed to do now?
I'm not particularly interested in fame, and I already have enough problems…
A film? That sounds like walking headfirst into another one.
Yeah, better not to complicate things further…
"Sasaki-san… I… I don't think I…"
I was ready to turn it down, but then I looked at Mei — still quiet, like she was trying to convince herself she didn't care.
She actually wants to do this…
Mei is talented, and I know she loves acting…
She's probably thinking her parents would never let her waste time on something like this.
Maybe it'll cause her problems… but I want to give her a push.
I took a deep breath.
"I…"
Everyone looked at me.
I felt my heart pounding against my chest.
"I'll do it too."
Sasaki smiled.
"Excellent. And you, Hirano-san?"
Mei went quiet.
"I…"
Before she could continue, I gently took her hand.
Mei's eyes opened.
"It could be fun, don't you think?"
I smiled at her.
"And besides… you're really good at acting."
Mei looked down at our joined hands.
She seemed surprised.
Yuuna sighed.
"What's wrong with trying something you enjoy and happen to be good at?"
Mei looked at her.
"Yuuna…"
"Don't be a wet blanket."
"That's not exactly motivating."
"But it works."
Mei let out a small laugh.
Finally she looked up at Sasaki.
"Alright."
She smiled.
"I accept."
Sasaki nodded, satisfied.
"Perfect."
Right at that moment…
"Here you are."
The waitress came back with our drinks.
My eyes lit up.
"My coffee!"
I picked up the cappuccino with both hands.
The smell was wonderful.
I took a small sip.
…
…
This is amazing.
I felt my whole body relax.
A few centimeters away, Kenji was already attacking his enormous milkshake like someone who'd been lost in the desert for three days.
"This is incredible!"
"Don't talk with your mouth full," said Mei.
"Mmmf."
"That doesn't fix anything."
I let out a small laugh — the atmosphere had finally relaxed — and Yuuna took the opportunity to ask an important question.
"So what's the film about? What roles will we play?"
"It's a youth drama. I'll send you the details later, but I don't think you'll have any trouble — I trust your talent."
Sasaki set his cup back on the saucer.
"As for the roles…"
Everyone's attention snapped back.
"Takagi-kun will be the male lead."
I looked at Kenji.
Well… that makes sense.
With that face that belonged on the cover of an otome game, it was practically mandatory.
Kenji smiled proudly.
"I always knew I had leading man material."
"Don't get too excited," said Yuuna.
"Let me enjoy it."
Sasaki continued.
"Hirano-san and Kanzaki-san will have supporting roles, but fairly significant ones for the story."
I looked at Yuuna and then at Mei.
Right.
They were both good actresses — they'd probably steal half the movie even in supporting roles.
Then I thought about myself.
So I'll probably be an extra.
Honestly… that made sense. I'm a complete amateur. I'd acted once in front of a real audience and survived by a miracle.
If I'm lucky they let me appear for five minutes.
Sasaki paused briefly.
"And Shimizu-san…"
I looked at him.
"Will be the female lead."
"…"
My brain stopped working.
"…Huh?"
I brought the coffee cup to my lips on pure reflex.
I took a sip.
And the next instant—
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
I choked.
"WHAT?!"
The coffee nearly came out through my nose.
Mei startled.
"Aika!"
Yuuna's eyes went wide.
Kenji just started laughing.
"Are you okay?!"
I raised a hand while coughing.
"Y-yes!"
Another cough.
"I'm fine!"
I was not fine.
I looked at Sasaki with watery eyes.
"Female lead… me?"
"Yes."
"Me?"
"You."
I blinked.
"Not… an extra?"
Sasaki shook his head.
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Completely."
I stared at him.
What in the world.
Female lead?
Me?
He's only seen me act once.
"Wait!"
I leaned forward slightly.
"Are you sure about what you're saying?"
"Yes."
"You'll probably regret it later!"
Yuuna stepped in immediately.
"I think you can do it."
I looked at her.
"Huh?"
Yuuna smiled.
"You have a real talent for acting."
I went completely still.
Then I looked at Mei.
She was smiling too.
"It's true."
"Mei…"
"I'm sure Sasaki-san noticed it too."
Her smile became a little warmer.
"You're perfect for the role."
Something strange settled in my chest.
"You two…"
I didn't know how to respond.
I wasn't used to someone trusting me like that.
Sasaki let out a small laugh.
"Normally I wouldn't give the lead role to someone without experience."
My expression turned serious.
"But…"
Sasaki looked directly at me.
"Something tells me it has to be you."
"Something…?"
"A gut feeling."
He shifted slightly in his seat.
"As I mentioned, I went to see the school play."
My back tensed.
"But honestly, I went mainly to watch Kenji-kun. Though that doesn't mean I wasn't also looking for students with potential."
Sasaki sighed.
"But to my surprise, Kenji-kun wasn't in the play — and you were there in his place."
I swallowed.
"Playing a male role."
I felt a small shiver.
"When I saw you…"
Sasaki paused.
"For some reason, I felt something special."
I went completely still.
"You didn't look like you were acting."
His gaze became more serious.
"You looked like you actually were Haruto."
…
I stayed quiet.
"I have to admit I was impressed."
Sasaki continued.
"A week later, I spoke with Kenji-kun and asked him about you."
I looked at Kenji and he shrugged slightly.
"Even if it doesn't seem like it, he's quite demanding when it comes to acting, and his opinion of you was very positive."
He paused to take a sip of his drink, then continued.
"If he thought the same thing I did about you, that means my gut feeling is worth acting on."
Sasaki tilted his head slightly.
"So, what do you say?"
He looked at me directly.
"Would you like to be my female lead?"
I opened my mouth.
Closed it.
Opened it again.
"I…"
I stared at my coffee.
An opportunity…?
To lead a film?
Where does something like this even come from?
I survived Haruto by pure coincidence — it was a miracle that my character resembled the person I was in my past life so closely…
"…"
I looked at Yuuna.
Then at Mei.
Both of them were smiling.
Then I looked at Kenji.
He also had a pretty calm expression.
"I trust you'll do well, Shimizu-san. I'm excited to share the screen with you."
He tried to motivate me with that ridiculously bright leading-man smile of his, and I couldn't help laughing a little.
If I'm with them… I think I'll manage.
"Alright…"
I took a deep breath.
"I'll do it."
Sasaki smiled.
"Excellent."
And just like that, without quite believing it…
I had agreed to star in a film.
…
…
After that we exchanged contact information.
Sasaki saved our numbers and explained he'd send the script and project details later.
A little while after, he checked the time.
"Well. I think that's enough for today."
He stood up.
"I've already paid the bill."
Kenji raised his thumb.
"Thanks, Sasaki-san!"
"Since Kenji-kun is the only one with an agency, I'll send the three of you the information directly."
"Understood."
Mei gave a small bow.
"Thank you very much for the opportunity."
"We'll be in touch."
Sasaki picked up his jacket.
"I hope we work well together."
"We do too."
…
…
…
A few hours later.
I finally got home.
I opened the door to my apartment.
"I'm back…"
Silence.
The tiny studio was exactly as I'd left it.
My futon folded up.
The boxes stacked.
The small kitchen by the entrance.
Barely enough space to move without bumping into something.
I sighed.
"Home, sweet home…"
I put my bag down.
Changed.
And decided to take a shower.
After such a strange day, I needed to unwind.
I walked into the bathroom.
Turned on the faucet.
Waited.
Nothing.
"…"
I turned it on again.
"Come on…"
A small trickle came out.
Then another.
And finally…
PSSSSHHH.
The water shot out sideways.
"WHAT?!"
I jumped back.
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
The stream hit the wall.
I stood there staring at it.
Then at the pipe.
Then at the stream again.
"…"
"…"
"Is this normal?"
Silence.
The apartment decided not to answer.
I turned off the faucet.
"Fine."
I took a deep breath.
"It's okay."
Probably.
After some creative maneuvering I eventually managed to take a shower.
When I came out, I emerged from the bathroom with damp hair.
I collapsed onto the futon.
"I'm exhausted…"
I looked around.
A small lightbulb flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
"…"
"No."
It flickered again.
"Don't start."
It flickered again.
"I'm warning you."
The light went out.
"…"
Darkness.
"…"
I slowly raised a hand.
"Hello?"
The light came back.
"…"
"Fine."
I dropped back down.
"Perfect."
I stared at the ceiling.
"The rent is cheap… but is it cheap enough to justify this disaster?"
Just then…
CLONK.
Something sounded very wrong.
I sat up.
"…"
Silence.
CLONK.
"What was that?"
I stared at the wall.
CLONK. CLONK.
"WHAT IS IN THERE?!"
I shot to my feet.
I waited.
Nothing.
"…"
"Probably just a pipe."
Pause.
"Yes."
I sat back down.
"Just a pipe."
Then a much louder noise.
CLAAANG!
"AAAAAAAAAH!!!"
I dove under the futon by pure instinct.
…
Silence.
I slowly peeked my head out.
"…"
Nothing.
"This apartment is trying to kill me."
I dropped back down.
I stared at the ceiling.
Things have changed a lot in the last few days… and thanks to my deal with Ryuji, my financial situation improved a little.
"Maybe…"
I looked around.
The cracked wall.
The pipe.
The dying lightbulb.
The tiny space.
"Maybe I should start thinking about moving… somewhere the walls aren't actively trying to murder me."
I settled into the futon.
"Yeah."
I closed my eyes.
"I definitely need another apartment."
Then…
CLONK.
I opened one eye.
"…"
"Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll start looking!"