Arc-2 Ep-09
29
“Good morning!♪ I’m Mikuri Kayanuma from ff・Fortissimo.♪”
“Oh, looking forward to today.”
It was the first week of October, a weekday. I’d taken the day off school for a CM shoot. We were filming in a video studio dressed up as a winter street scene.
I greeted the director and the client representatives with a bright, flirty smile. Beside me, Taneyama-san—who’d come along as my manager—was busy exchanging handshakes and business cards.
It was still early; my co-star hadn’t arrived yet. As the newcomer, being late was out of the question, so showing up perfectly on time felt good.
“Mikuri-chan’s adorable. Maybe more gigs are headed your way?”
“Thank you♪ If anything comes up, please talk to my manager♪”
I answered with a weaponized smile that glittered like sunlight on glass. It wasn’t even hard—I had zero resistance to turning on the charm.
“Your first CM shoot, huh? Keep this up and you might be aiming for CM Queen before long.”
“No way. ff・Fortissimo. already has Rina Takechi-san. That’s a tough mountain to climb.”
“Haha, true enough. She is a monster.”
While chatting lightly with the director and staff, movement stirred near the entrance.
“Miyashita-san, the set’s ready! Coming in now!”
The staff’s call made my heart skip—my co-star had arrived. Showtime.
“…Sorry for being late.”
“No, no—you’re right on time, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Pleasure working with you today.”
The woman who entered first greeted the director and clients smoothly. I waited for the right moment before stepping forward.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Mikuri Kayanuma from ff・Fortissimo. Looking forward to working with you.”
“Yes. Miho Miyashita from Innocent Smile. Likewise.”
She smiled faintly—a super-beauty on the same level as me or even Rina-san.
Miho Miyashita.
Two years older than me, she’d been a reader model since upper elementary school—her beauty practically legendary. I’d seen her in teen fashion magazines and thought, in every sense, how nice it would be to get close to her.
But since I’d chosen the idol path instead of modeling, I’d figured our worlds would never cross. And yet—here we were, working together.
Lucky me.
Her modeling jobs had dwindled recently, forcing her to shift toward other work. The reason? Her height. Her official profile listed her at 157 cm—slightly shorter than me.
In the fashion world, that made things tough. You really needed at least 165 cm to thrive as a model. Still, she had a slim, graceful figure that looked every bit the part.
Her appearance was the very image of a refined Japanese beauty— if not for the hair.
If she hadn’t had that light-brown hair cascading down her back, we could’ve been mistaken for sisters.
“Phew… it’s still a bit hot.”
“Yeah. At least we’re indoors. An outdoor winter shoot right now would’ve been hell.”
The CM was scheduled to air in December, so the wardrobe was full-on winter gear. But it was only early October. In this age of global warming, the heat lingered stubbornly. Thankfully, the air-conditioning made it bearable.
“We’re drinking something hot soon, though.”
“Right. Let’s wrap this up quick.”
“Got it.”
We chatted casually in our matching outfits.
“…Starting the shoot. Please get ready.”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
I wanted to talk more with the gorgeous older beauty beside me, but the staff’s call cut our conversation short. A rare chance—what a shame.
The CM shoot went smoothly. A few takes with small variations, but the core was simple. Miho-san and I played sisters, happily drinking a steaming hot beverage, ending with the product name.
For someone like me—a god-tier cheat—it was easy work. Only the heat had been rough.
“Phew…”
“Good work, Mikuri-chan.”
“Ah! Miho-san, good work to you too.”
It felt like we’d grown closer during the shoot. Maybe it was just her professional grace—but still.
“Hot, huh.”
“Yeah. But compared to magazine shoots, this was way easier.”
“Seasonal shoots ignore the weather too?”
“Yep. Way tougher than commercials.”
Miho-san told me stories from her reader-model days. Shooting in the blazing summer sun while wearing full winter outfits—then doing light, breezy summer shoots in the freezing cold.
“All outdoors. My body nearly broke.”
“Wow… the photos always looked so cheerful. I never realized how much pain was behind them.”
Male staff were sneaking glances our way as we chatted—which, honestly, was understandable.
Two top-tier beauties chatting casually?
Even in the entertainment industry, that was rare. Having multiple girls of this level in one place almost never happened.
Even within Sistema Solare, it wouldn’t happen until the next Grand Festival—when I’d finally share the stage with Rina Takechi-san.
“…Miho-chan. We’re done with the director—heading to the next site.”
A woman in her forties approached her.
“Got it… Well then, Mikuri-chan. If we ever work together again, let’s do great.”
“Yes. Likewise. Thank you for your hard work, Miho-san.”
“You too. Excuse me.”
She gave a polite bow to Taneyama-san—who’d appeared beside me—then waved lightly with a gentle smile, greeted the director, and left.
“…Kayanuma-san. Time to head back.”
“Ah, yes. Right, Taneyama-san.”
We said our goodbyes to the clients, director, and staff before exiting the studio. No plans afterward—I’d just return to the agency building. Showbiz, huh. So many cute, charming women in one world.
As I climbed into the car driven by the overall manager, I couldn’t help hoping I’d meet even more beautiful, fascinating girls.