Chapter 1
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Volume 1: First Performance: A Tragic Love Story Of A Young Lady And Spring Cherry Blossoms
Chapter 1: The Man Who Gave Up On His Dream
The most essential thing for an actor.
That is the skill to become someone else, to bring down another personality into oneself.
To perfectly trace the heart of a character in the script, to transcend oneself into another being, to deceive the audience, a mad dancer on the stage.
That is the essence of the work of an actor that has continued since the days of ancient Greece.
However — in the past, when I aspired to be an actor, I did not possess that ability.
According to my father, “Kyoichiro Yanagisawa,” a renowned actor, I am “defective.”
I understand what emotions are, but I cannot perform them sincerely from the bottom of my heart.
My acting is superficial, just tracing the surface, a mere child’s play, as my father has repeatedly yelled at me.
In the end, I couldn’t improve on that point, was abandoned by my father, retired from being a child actor, and left the entertainment world.
The name “Fuuma Yanagisawa,” who once made a name for himself as a genius child actor, has weathered with time, and there are now almost no people in Japan who know that name.
Not “just an ordinary person once you turn twenty,” but… the former genius child actor Fuuma Yanagisawa had become just an ordinary student, spending every day aimlessly as his only joy.
“――――――Hey, Fuuma, Fuuma! Hey, are you listening!?”
As I absentmindedly gazed at the fully blooming cherry blossom trees lining the railway tracks from the classroom window, a voice suddenly called out to me from the side.
When I turned my gaze towards the direction of the voice, there stood a man with a digital perm, holding a magazine in one hand, sporting an annoyingly smug smile.
He, my bad friend since junior high school, Shogo Kiritani, put his arm around my shoulder and ostentatiously showed me the contents of the magazine.
“Look, Fuma! The front cover gravure of today’s Monthly Magic, ‘Honoka Hiiragi’! Ugh! No matter how many times I see it, this girl’s body is just perfect! Those bouncy breasts, that slim waist!! A body so mature and yet with a loli face, it’s practically criminal! Hey, you like girls like this too, don’t you, Fuuma?”
“‥‥Hey, perpetually horny guy. Why, on this first day of school, are you spreading photos of gravure idols on my desk? And why are you assuming I like Honoka Hiiragi? Explain yourself concisely. If not, I’ll kill you right here.”
“Eh? But you’re a hardcore siscon, right? You like these little sister-type girls, don’t you?‥‥ Hey, girls! This guy may look like a beautiful blonde half Japanese boy, but is actually a lewd pervert inside! Don’t think he’s a mysterious cool guy and confess to him! He’ll eat you all up!!!”
Suddenly, Shogo turned around and loudly shouted such nonsense to the entire classroom.
I immediately stood up from my seat, grabbed his shoulders with both hands, and shook him violently.
“You bastard!! What the hell are you saying!? Also, I’m not half Japanese, I’m a quarter Japanese! Get it right, you pervert!!”
“Shut up!! Did you think I’d forgive you for having all those girls ogling you at yesterday’s entrance ceremony!? Today, on the first day of school, I’ll make everyone know you’re just a virgin like me!!!! Let’s spend our high school lives as losers together, pretty boy!!!!”
“Don’t be ridiculous, you debuting high school idiot!! A priest’s son carrying around dirty magazines!? Should I pluck out all those frizzy hair roots of yours right now!? Huh!?”
“Oh, bring it on! If you think you can――――”
“‥‥You two, what on earth are you making a racket about this early in the morning?”
Before we knew it, standing in front of us was Miyuki Makikusa, our former class president from junior high.
She looked at the magazine on my desk, then at our faces in turn, crossed her arms, and frowned.
“What on earth is this?”
“Uh, well, class president, I mean, former class president. This is, uh, a manga magazine! Yeah!!”
“Good grief. I could understand if it were just Kiritani, but I never thought Yanagisawa would like such magazines as well… Disgusting. Honestly, I’m disappointed.”
“Eh? No way! It’s not me, class president! This guy!! This fake perm guy put the magazine on my desk!! You saw everything just now, right!?”
“‥‥”
“Hey, are you listening, class president!?”
“‥‥‥‥‥‥Do you really like girls with big breasts that much?”
“Huh…?”
Saying that, the class president placed her hands on her small chest and let out a big sigh.
Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help but tilt my head in confusion.
“Uh, class president…?”
“Ah!! It’s nothing!! Anyway, I’ll be confiscating this magazine until after school! As someone from the same junior high, I can’t condone such rule violations!! Excuse me!”
Makikusa-san grabbed the magazine and, shaking her pigtails, returned to her seat with tremendous speed.
Watching her retreating figure, Shogo beside me smirked in exasperation.
“Judging by that reaction… The president is still in love with this gloomy guy. Seriously, Fuuma, how many girls have you dumped with that face of yours?”
“Shut up. Go back to your seat, Shogo. Homeroom is about to start.”
Making a shooing gesture with my hand, Shogo shrugged his shoulders and returned to his seat.
Honestly, that guy’s foolishness hasn’t changed since the old days.
But honestly, I was glad he’d stood out like that.
When I talk to that idiot, I feel a little better about the gloomy mood I’m in now.
… Maybe he noticed that the whole class was looking at me strangely because of my appearance, so he acted in a way that made the atmosphere lighter?
Well, I don’t think he’s that smart, but… I don’t mind being in the same class as that guy in high school, just like in middle school.
It’s not so bad that I’ll be spending my new high school life foolishly with that guy.
The fact that he’s the son of a priest, but an idiot full of worldly desires, is a negative point, though.
After muttering to myself and smiling, I glanced out the window.
Reflected there was a young man with blond hair and blue eyes.
His eyes were dark and sunken, looking dull and lifeless, like those of a dead fish.
I clicked my tongue lightly at the state of myself, then buried my face in my desk, closed my eyes, and went to sleep in a sulk.
