Arc-2 Ep-39

The irritating rainy season of June had arrived.

The main events of this month were my birthday and the release of the video software for the comprehensive concert held last December.

Which meant I ended up staring in disbelief at the enormous stack of BDs and DVDs piled on the table. 

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“…………No, seriously, isn’t this a bit too many?”

“Is it? Personally, I was thinking it’s nowhere near enough.”

“Sorry, Mikuri. With your big brother’s current financial situation as a college student, this is the best I can manage.”

“For me, as a university student, three copies—one for watching, one for appreciating, and one for keeping—is already my limit…”

“The kids these days are so unreliable. Look!! Look at how many Papa got!!”

It was obvious that Fortissimo, the agency I belong to, had carefully designed the lineup to encourage fans to buy multiple copies.

It’s true that, in addition to the regular edition, there were limited editions, special limited editions, and even deluxe limited editions—more varieties than last year.

“You four should have coordinated before buying. Just how many are there in total…?”

“The copies for keeping have to remain sealed, right? That means we can’t use the popularity vote ballots inside them.”

“We also need viewing copies for everyone. It would be a shame if we wanted to watch and couldn’t.”

“I want to contribute to Mikuri’s ranking too.”

“The summer bonus is coming soon, so it’ll be fine.”

“Haaaaah.”

The last, exasperated sigh came from my mother. She was probably thinking that all the men in this house were idiots.

“It’s the first popularity vote ever. The higher the rank, the better, right?”

“On the internet, they’re saying it’ll be a close battle for the top spots between Rina Takechi-chan and Tomomi Uchikawa-chan.”

“That’s true, both are cute, but our little sister isn’t losing to them.”

“Of course our daughter is the cutest!”

The siscon brother and the doting father were making a racket. I appreciated their support, but there was such a thing as a limit.

“You four are absolutely not allowed to buy any more, understood?”

“Wha-!”

“I was planning to get even more once my salary and bonus come in…”

“I literally can’t afford any more.”

“M-Mama… This is our daughter’s big moment, you know?”

The three men were stunned by Mother’s ban on additional purchases. Only the third brother, the university student, was exempt.

“Mama’s right. Money isn’t infinite, you know? I’m happy, but this is already more than enough.”

“M-Mikuri…”

“Thank you. Papa, big brothers.”

“Mikuri~~~!”

I gracefully dodged my father’s embrace as he tried to hug me, overwhelmed with emotion.

“M-Mikuri… Why did you dodge?”

“Because it’s hot and sticky, and I don’t like it.”

My father, rejected by his beloved daughter, wore a look of shock. No matter how much he is my father in this life, I’d rather not be hugged during the humid rainy season.

“Don’t buy any more, okay? That goes for you too, big brothers.”

“O-Okay…”

“I suppose there’s no helping it…”

“I keep telling you, I literally can’t buy any more even if I wanted to.”

I made sure to drive the point home to my brothers, who had attempted to hug me in my father’s place but froze upon hearing my words.

Even if it is to support me, this much is already practically wasteful spending.

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“H-Hello! I-I’m Daisuke Azumi!”

“Jeez… I’m Miika Eriiguchi. Nice to work with you.”

“Hehe♪ I’m Sakiko Miyata. Thank you very much for today.”

With the broadcast scheduled to begin in July, the drama filming was progressing smoothly. Today’s filming setup was as follows.

Daisuke Azumi, played by Takuya Tsujii-kun, has fallen in love at first sight with Sakiko Miyata, the character I portray.

He runs around frantically trying to identify the transcendently beautiful girl—me—but in the end, he is only a high school boy. Azumi-kun’s world is small, and he has no information. This part of the story continues from episode 1 through the middle of episode 3.

That is when the reliable childhood friend appears: Miika Eriiguchi-chan, played by Yuuho Watanabe-san.

Using her personal connections, she manages to discover my name and even finds a way for him to make contact. I really wish I had a capable same-sex childhood friend like that. I absolutely do not need the kind of male childhood friend who would cause misunderstandings.

Anyway, the opportunity is set as a tea ceremony experience class. Apparently, the setting had not been finalized when filming began, but after seeing me in episode 1, the scriptwriter decided on it. Which is why I am wearing traditional Japanese clothing, in other words, a kimono.

To be honest, it is supposedly a subdued komon pattern, but as someone lacking knowledge of traditional attire even from my previous life, I don’t truly understand it. They appear to be expecting a boost in ratings from the sight of an ultra-beautiful girl who looks pure and refined in traditional Japanese clothing.

Indeed, when I stood in front of the mirror after changing, I was shocked by this new aspect of my charm. Reflected there was a Japanese beauty who could undoubtedly hold her own even in a period drama, attracting considerable attention.

Most likely, my kimono appearance will be featured repeatedly in previews and promotional commercials, stirring public interest. Honestly, my own rare beauty is intimidating.

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In reality, I have zero experience with tea ceremony. For a modern, ordinary household, that is perfectly normal. Even so, I am the unfair one who possesses god-level cheats.

Thanks to my memory cheat and acting cheat, after only a few days of instruction before filming, I apparently reached a level where there would be no issues.

The instructor, a woman holding a high-rank license from a prominent school of tea ceremony, seemed astonished and asked if I was truly a complete beginner.

She enthusiastically recommended that I continue in the future, but I managed to escape by saying, “if I ever have the time.”

To be honest, I have no interest in flower arrangement or traditional Japanese dance either, so I will only learn them if an acting role requires it.