Chapter 12
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Volume 1: First Performance: A Tragic Love Story Of A Young Lady And Spring Cherry Blossoms
Chapter 12: The Cross-Dressing Boy Is Summoned By The Young Lady
“Wow, she’s stunning… Could that be the ‘Onee-sama’ Honoka was talking about?”
The blonde gal said, her mouth slightly agape as she began to quietly stare at my face.
Seeing this, Honoka snorted with excitement, her breath quickening as she responded.
“That’s right, Hina-chan! This person is none other than my Onee-sama Kaede Kisaragi, who saved me from a molester this morning~~!”
“No way… Honoka said she was really beautiful, so my expectations were high… but she far exceeded them… The talent in the acting department must be through the roof, right? If someone like her is around, the other departments don’t stand a chance.”
As the gal girl said this, the bob-haired girl sitting next to her nodded slightly in agreement.
“…I strongly agree with the bitch on the right. If a beautiful girl of this level were in the voice acting department, even the usually gentle and kind Francesca would be infuriated. She would’ve stuffed a handkerchief in her mouth and gone ‘Kiiiiiii’. In the end, driven mad with jealousy, she would’ve summoned the Destroyer Dragon Bahamut. Dangerous, very dangerous…”
“I’m not a bitch! Seriously, this chunibyo girl…”
After letting out a big sigh, the gal girl turned to me with a smile.
“I’m Hina Kasuga! I’m a first-year in the Talent & Model Course! I’ve been friends with Honoka since middle school! Nice to meet you, Kaede-chi!”
With a peace sign under her chin and a cute wink, the blonde gal, Hina Kasuga, introduced herself.
Next, the bob-haired girl sitting beside her, holding a closed fan, began her introduction.
“My true name is Francesca von Roxane. I am the progenitor vampire princess. It is a pleasure to meet you, one with azure eyes.”
“Fr-Francesca…? Vampire princess…? Um, you look Japanese, but… are you from abroad?”
“Ah, there she goes again… Kaede-chi, her real name is ‘Hanako Sato’, but besides voice acting, she’s also a VTuber, and for some reason, she’s taken to acting out that character in real life too… Oh, do you know what a VTuber is?”
“Yes, I know. My younger sister is a fan, so I’ve watched them often. I see Hanako-san is both a voice actress and a VTuber.”
“…I’m not Hanako, I’m Francesca.”
“O-oh, I’m sorry, Francesca-san…?”
Hanako — no, Francesca — pursed her lips and glared at me from beneath her straight-cut bangs with half-closed eyes.
With a strained smile, I turned to Honoka.
“Well, since we’ve found your friends, Honoka, I’ll go and get my lunch now.”
“Oh, yes! I’ll go with you, Onee-sama!”
As I was about to head to the counter at the back of the cafeteria with Honoka, my smartphone, tucked in my skirt pocket, suddenly buzzed.
I quickly pulled it out and looked at the screen.
There, I saw a message from someone: “Come to the terrace.”
…Damn it, I didn’t remember giving her my Rain address.
After letting out a big sigh, I softly called out to Honoka, who was walking ahead.
“Honoka, I’m sorry, but something has come up… Could you go ahead and have lunch with your friends?”
“? Something came up? Alright, I understand.”
“Thank you. Excuse me.”
After bowing to Honoka, I exited the cafeteria and headed down the adjacent corridor to the terrace.
The terrace, connected to the cafeteria, was covered and had several tables and chairs arranged, allowing students to enjoy their meals while overlooking the courtyard.
It seemed like a popular spot on a day as pleasant as this… but for some reason, only one girl and a maid were there.
Bathed in the gentle midday spring sunlight, the black-haired girl sat at a round table, elegantly holding a teacup and savoring its aroma.
She turned her sharp eyes towards me and smirked.
“It seems you’re fitting in well here, Yanagisawa-kun. I’m glad to see you’ve made friends. This means we don’t have to worry about your true identity being discovered.”
“Ojou-sama Karen… Aren’t you being too careless just because no one’s around? Isn’t it risky to call me by my real name here?”
“There’s no need to worry. I’ve already cleared the area and stationed guards nearby… Now, sit across from me. As your employer, I expect a full report on your activities today.”
“Reporting, huh… I don’t have much to say… Ah, that’s right! You said this school lacked star quality, but a big name has enrolled here!! If she’s around, there’s no need for me at all!!”
As I sat down across from Karen, she tilted her head in curiosity.
“A big name?”
“Akane Tsukishiro! The rising star of Tsukikage Productions!!”
“Ah… She certainly is talented, especially in the acting department. But Akane Tsukishiro is not the kind of star this school is looking for. She’s not the type of talent the Hananomiya family is seeking.”
“Huh? Why? She’s a successful actress, isn’t she?”
“Yes, she is. She’s quite accomplished. But… her success has been limited to ‘villain’ roles. That’s far from the ‘national heroine’ image we’re looking for. To be honest, I preferred Akane Tsukishiro’s acting when she was a child. Her current performances are just like a wild, raging beast…”
After letting out a big sigh, Karen glared at me.
“Akane Tsukishiro’s acting changed at a certain point. Do you know when that was?”
“….”
“You have five seconds to answer. Tick-tock, tick-tock—”
“……Maybe it started when I quit acting?”
“Oh, that’s surprising. I thought you’d pull a clueless protagonist move. But you’re sharper than I expected.”
Karen started clapping her hands loudly, while I just clicked my tongue.
Seeing my reaction, Karen narrowed her eyes and gave a small smile, then quietly began to speak.
“Yanagisawa-kun, you know as well as I do… How many child actors who succeed actually continue to thrive as adult actors?”
“Well, of course, I know that. Most child actors lose their roles as they grow up. What’s required of a child actor and what’s required of an adult actor are completely different. That’s why most child actors end their careers when they outgrow their roles.”
“Exactly. So, in a way, Akane Tsukishiro is a rare case, someone who’s overcome the ‘child actor’s curse.'”
“….”
“Yanagisawa-kun, to me, Akane Tsukishiro’s angry, villainous performances seem like she’s desperately trying to convey something to someone. Her acting feels like a bird that’s lost one of its wings, desperately flapping in the air, searching for what it lost. I sincerely hope you realize what it is that she’s seeking, even after overcoming the ‘child actor’s curse’.”
“…Sorry, Karen. I’ll bring profit to the Hananomiya family as Kaede Kisaragi, but I have no intention of returning to the acting world as Fuuma Yanagisawa. No matter what threats you use, that won’t change.”
“…I see. That’s… quite a pity.”
After she muttered this, she let out a short sigh and lowered her eyes sadly.
