Arc-2 Ep-41

And then the month changed, and July finally arrived—the month when the serial drama would begin airing.

On the broadcast day of episode 1, Dad and my brothers all returned home early from work or part-time jobs, and the entire family gathered in the living room, eyes fixed on the TV.

To be honest, in this episode I had no lines and only a brief appearance, so there was no real reason to get so worked up.

Episodes 2 and 3 only feature me in flashback scenes from the first encounter, which had already been filmed during episode 1, so there was nothing particularly noteworthy to report.

It is from episode 4, the tea-ceremony experience class, that my substantial appearances finally begin. From there, I am supposed to further ensnare the male protagonist in love and also captivate the viewers.

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“………………Oh, there’s Mikuri…”

“““…………………”””

This drama tells the story of childhood friends who fall for others of the opposite sex, go through various misunderstandings and incidents, and ultimately end up together.

The drama began at 9 p.m., and just as it seemed like the episode was concluding, I finally appeared on the large TV screen. Dad muttered quietly under his breath, while my three brothers silently focused on the screen.

That said, my appearance was brief.

The transcendentally beautiful girl passing in front of the protagonists was shown from several different angles.

The protagonist, played by Tsujii-kun, watches her pass with a dazed expression, and then the episode moves to the ending.

“…That’s all?”

“Yeah. It’ll be like this for a while.”

I answered honestly when my eldest brother asked.

“Hmm. Mikuri was definitely cute, but the screen time…”

“Well, it’s episode 1, so maybe this much is fine?”

“At least it makes you curious about episode 2.”

As the ending theme played, the men of the house began commenting. By the way, the ending song was, unfortunately, not from Sistema Solare. The track chosen for this drama’s ending was a new release from a male idol group that debuted about five years ago.

The main reason is likely that one of the group members appears in the drama. Agency politics also played a role, but ff-Fortissimo is not significantly inferior. Incidentally, that cast member plays a handsome, well-off college student who becomes the object of affection for the female protagonist, played by Watanabe-san.

In other words, although the genders are different, our positions are somewhat analogous. However, he had not appeared in episode 1, and I heard there would be no scenes involving both of us. We probably will not even meet on set, though perhaps at the wrap party or some other event.

I was pondering these things when it happened.

Even after the drama ended, my voice suddenly came from the still-on TV. At that moment, Dad and my brothers all turned their heads toward the screen at once.

Yes, the commercial I had shot with Miho-san had started airing. Unfortunately, in that spot, the two of us only voice the company name at the very end; our faces do not appear.

Both the 15-second and 30-second versions consist solely of us saying the product name and the company name at the conclusion.

“Hey, someone make sure it’s being recorded!”

“It’s fine. It’s set to record automatically. Look.”

“If the recorder breaks, we’re done for. We need a backup.”

“I’ll handle that. So Dad, don’t touch anything—”

My middle brother, who is skilled with electronics, moved over to the TV. And when he started fiddling with the recorder beneath it, Mom let out an exasperated sigh.

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“…Good morning.”

“Good morning, Mikuri.”

“Good morning!! I watched the drama!”

“Ah, thank you, Chie-chan.”

The next afternoon, after school had ended and I arrived at the agency building, only Sayaka-san and Chie-chan were in the lounge. Naturally, Chie-chan, who is very attached to me, brought up the drama immediately.

“You had no lines, but you really stood out.”

“Yeah. My appearance was so brief, I wondered how it would come across.”

“Mama said you were as beautiful as ever, and I got asked a lot of questions at school too.”

So Sae-san, Chie-chan’s mother, had watched it as well. Well, of course, since her daughter keeps talking about me.

“I got asked at school too, but I couldn’t answer anything, so it was tough.”

“With Chie-chan, you can just say you don’t know the details and it ends there, but for the person herself, it’s different.”

“Exactly. Even when they ask about future appearances, all I can say is ‘of course there will be some.’”

It is an entirely original work, so the story is strictly confidential. If I said anything unnecessary and it spread on social media, it could cause problems for my future entertainment career.

“Mikuri, I watched it too. Your beautiful-girl aura really came through.”

“Did it? Thank you very much.”

After my conversation with Chie-chan settled, Sayaka-san spoke to me next. Naturally, her topic was also my drama appearance.

“However, inside Shusu-Solare, the reaction isn’t great. After all, it breaks precedent.”

“…The rule that the first year after debut is for studying and gaining experience, right?”

“Yes. There’s jealousy like, ‘even Takechi-san only did commercials at first.’”

As expected, quite a few members in the group seem dissatisfied.

“Though it’s mostly the lower-ranked members in the popularity poll, so maybe we don’t need to worry too much.”

“That’s right! Mikuri-san was the one who received the job offer!”

“Well, I’ll just stay humble and quiet. I don’t particularly want to brag anyway.”

Once next month’s Reitaisai is over, my position will be strengthened. Until then, I will try not to stand out too much and avoid earning the resentment of the other Shusu-Solare members. Though there are some members who would resent me no matter what I do.

“…G’morning~ Wait, it’s the actress Mikuri Kayanuma-chan!! Please give me an autograph!!”

“Stop it, Yuuna. …Nn, good morning.”

“Good morning, Mikuri-chan. I watched your drama.”

At that moment, Yuuna-san, Sakiko-san, and then Nozomi-chan entered the lounge. Just like before, yesterday’s serial drama became the topic of conversation. I suppose today will continue this way, with it remaining the main subject of discussion.