Time flew by as if months had turned into mere days. This year's summer didn't leave much of an impression on people. Although a faint trace of summer heat still lingered in the air, it seemed like in the blink of an eye, it was time to start wearing jackets again.
Tokyo.
Kitagawa Ryo was idly stirring the orange-flavored sparkling water in front of him with a straw, as if listening to the faint clinking sounds of ice cubes hitting the sides of the glass.
"This is my first time coming to a place like this."
In front of Hoshino Ai sat a fruit tea specially prepared for minors, but like Ryo, she showed no intention of drinking it. Instead, she curiously looked around.
"It's a members-only place, after all."
Ryo raised his head slightly, glancing at two men not far away who were toasting each other, already tipsy under the encouragement and cheers of several hostesses.
"As expected, business talks always end up like this."
"I should've known better than to come along."
Muttering softly to himself, Ryo took out his phone to send a message to Mr. Izaki while asking Ai:
"Ai, you must have the contact number for your agency president's home, right? You might want to give them a heads-up now. Those two probably won't be able to make it back on their own tonight."
"Oh, I have Mrs. Saito's number. But if she finds out, President Saito will probably get an earful when he gets home."
Ai nodded in response, sighing wistfully before quickly perking up again.
"Starting today, I can also perform on the stage of the LALALAI Theatre!"
"Congratulations, congratulations."
Ryo offered a half-hearted congratulations, biting on his straw as he took a sip of his sparkling water. He then pursed his lips toward the hostesses in the bar.
"Otherwise, Ai might've ended up working here someday… Oh wait, I think they don't hire minors here."
"I don't think you have any right to call me a minor. You're the youngest one in this bar right now."
Ai complained with a hint of dissatisfaction. It had been nearly a year since she was scouted by Ichigo Saitou to become an idol.
Girls around twelve or thirteen years old grow the fastest, and Ai was no exception. Her height seemed to change day by day. In fact, compared to six months ago, the height difference between her and Ryo had only increased.
But since Ryo brought up the topic, Ai also took an interested look around at the hostesses in the bar. Leaning forward, she whispered:
"Speaking of which… there seem to be quite a few idols working part-time here."
"That's because, apart from the very top tier, most idols don't make much money. And since their contracts are tied to their agencies, taking on any side jobs would be a breach of contract. So, they usually sneak into these members-only bars within the industry to work."
As Ryo spoke, he glanced at Ai.
"Originally, I called your agency president here today to discuss contract changes. Who would've thought they'd end up drinking together?"
"President Saito tends to drink when he's happy."
Ai stuck out her tongue sheepishly. Ever since the Hamlet tour, she had gradually stopped resisting method acting. After more than half a year of acting training, she had finally gained the approval of Ryo and Toshirou Kindaichi.
In other words, Ai was now ready to step onto the stage as a full-fledged actor.
However, as an artist under Berry Pro, she had previously been able to use acting training as an excuse to participate in theatre activities. But if she were to officially perform on stage, it would inevitably require Berry Pro's approval, as it would count as a commercial activity.
This was why Toshirou Kindaichi had arranged a meeting with Berry Pro's president, Ichigo Saitou, tonight. However, what caught Ryo's attention was how readily Saito agreed to let Ai participate in theatrical performances outside of her idol activities, while also making some additional requests.
For example, he hoped that Ai and Ryo could share the stage at least once every quarter.
Such bundled guarantees weren't uncommon in industry contracts. It was similar to how artists might stipulate in their contracts that they must receive a certain amount of screen time on variety shows, or how esports players might require their clubs to guarantee a minimum number of matches per season. Essentially, it was a way to protect the artist's interests.
But proposing such terms was one thing; whether the other party agreed was another.
Though, in this case, Toshirou Kindaichi had agreed quite readily. Otherwise, the two men wouldn't be over there, drinking and toasting like old friends.
In Ryo's eyes, Ichigo Saitou wasn't your typical businessman. While the idol group B-Komachi was steadily gaining popularity, they were still relatively unknown. In fact, any random hostess in this bar could easily overshadow them in terms of fame.
Yet, even when faced with an industry giant like the LALALAI Theatre, Saito hadn't chosen to sell Ai's contract outright for a quick profit. Instead, he seemed to value the fame Ai could bring while still wanting her to remain with B-Komachi.
Judging from his requests, it even seemed like Saito was hoping to leverage the LALALAI Theatre's influence to boost B-Komachi.
It was as if he firmly believed that B-Komachi—or rather, Ai—would one day become a huge success in the idol industry.
"By the way, President Saito told me a few days ago that B-Komachi is going to add a new member… I wonder what they'll be like."
Ai's eyes sparkled with anticipation as she brought up the new topic.
"Adding a new member already?"
Ryo was slightly surprised but quickly nodded.
"Well, it makes sense. After all, it's a middle school idol group. Freshness is important."
"That's what the president said too."
Ai twirled a strand of her hair, then took out her phone from her bag. After unlocking it with the password 45510, she flipped to a group photo taken in front of Ueno Zoo when B-Komachi was first formed. Her eyes lowered with a hint of sadness.
"In about six months, once your new member settles in, this girl will graduate."
Ryo reached over and pointed at someone in the photo on Ai's phone.
"I went to your live show last month. Honestly, she seems to have lost control of her daily routine and diet. Her face and figure have changed a bit. But that's just how it is with girls going through puberty."
"Middle school idols often attract fans who are into the 'raising' aspect. If the 'raising' goes wrong… they get discarded. It's like starting a new account when your main one gets ruined."
"In Tokyo, new idol groups debut every day."
Ryo pursed his lips, choosing not to voice another reason. He was well aware that Ai's relationship with the current members of B-Komachi was somewhat strained, which was why she had shown such anticipation for a new member.
She wanted to get along well with her groupmates.
But things didn't always go as planned.
To some extent, Ichigo Saitou was also to blame.
The entire B-Komachi seemed like a stage built solely for Ai. Everyone else was just a supporting act.
The other reason Ryo had concluded that the girl was about to graduate was that she had grown taller than Ai in recent months.
This would create an imbalance.
It would create a slight dissonance on stage, where Ai was the absolute center.
"Mr. Kindaichi, what do you think of this girl? Would you consider using her in your next play?"
A voice from nearby interrupted Ryo's thoughts and caught both his and Ai's attention. They turned to see a bartender eagerly introducing a hostess to Toshirou Kindaichi.
"If there's a suitable opportunity… hic… I'll consider it."
Toshirou Kindaichi let out a drunken hiccup and waved his hand dismissively. The hostess immediately took the opportunity to pour him another drink, leaning in close as she did so.
Ai, who was witnessing this scene for the first time, let out a soft "wow" of amazement.
"I think that sister has, like, 100,000 followers on Instagram."
"But everyone wants to get even more famous, make more money—enough to last several lifetimes, preferably."
Ryo continued sipping his sparkling water, completely unfazed.
"But speaking of which… Ryo, you're pretty famous too, right? Why doesn't anyone come to you?"
After watching for a while, Ai felt her face grow warm and her heart race. She quickly averted her gaze, taking small sips of her cold drink to calm herself.
Ryo gave her an awkward yet polite smile.
"Maybe because I'm a kid."
"It's just that you always talk like an adult… it's easy to forget that sometimes."
Ai shrunk back a little, muttering in her defense.
"I wish I were an adult."
Ryo sighed half-jokingly.
"But now that the contract's been revised, you can audition for roles in the theatre's new play next month. There's one role that should suit you well."
"A new play?"
"Yeah, it's a work by the Soviet playwright Lyudmila Razumovskaya, Dear Yelena Sergeyevna."
Here, Ryo paused before adding with a smile:
"But I prefer its other name."
"The Forbidden Game of Youth."
Ai, whose knowledge hadn't yet expanded to this area, hadn't heard of either title. She instinctively asked:
"Will you be in it, Ryo?"
"There's a role that's quite interesting. I've applied, but I still need to pass the audition."
Ryo shrugged. Even though he was the LALALAI Theatre's top star, every role in each production was carefully selected. Not even he could bypass the audition process and secure a role outright.
"If it's a role you're interested in, you'll definitely get it."
Ai seemed even more confident than Ryo. She quickly added:
"When we get back to the theatre, I'll sign up too."
"By the way, what kind of role is this 'interesting' one you mentioned?"
Hearing Ai's question, Ryo thought for a moment before answering:
"To put it simply, it's a character who looks perfect on the outside but is completely rotten inside."
Ai nodded thoughtfully.
"But if I were to audition for this role, I don't think I could use method acting. Not that I have any experience with that kind of thing, anyway."
"After all, Ryo's the two-time champion of the 'Child Star Most Want to Have as a Son' rankings. You're supposed to be a good boy—good, good."
Ai reached out with a smile, trying to ruffle Ryo's hair.
"I suggest not wasting your memory on such meaningless things."
Ryo deftly dodged Ai's hand.
Just then, his phone vibrated in his pocket. It was a call from his adoptive mother, Kitagawa Tomoko.
After excusing himself from Ai, Ryo walked to a quieter spot near the restroom and answered the call.
"Ruby's starting to speak full sentences now."
Tomoko's voice came through the phone.
"She's not even a year old yet, but she learns everything so quickly. She can already drink from a bottle by herself, and she doesn't cry when she falls. Yesterday, she even started trying to walk."
"That's great news."
Ryo responded coldly.
He rarely went home these days, and no matter how much Tomoko praised her daughter over the phone, the moment he stepped through the door, she would lock the child in her room.
She had probably imagined countless times that Ryo, out of jealousy, would do something harmful to her precious child.
But Ryo had no such thoughts about his stepsister.
To him, she was more like a stranger he had never met.
So, listening to Tomoko's stories about this "prodigy" felt like hearing about someone else entirely.
After two more minutes of listening to tales of this "genius," Tomoko casually added:
"Ruby really likes the behind-the-scenes footage from your last movie. Every time we play it for her, she immediately calms down."
"We're planning to create a personal social media account for Ruby when she turns one. You have another movie coming up later this year, right? Come home soon so we can take some photos together. Don't forget to share them online when the time comes."
Ryo frowned. While he had no particular feelings for the child, Tomoko's actions were becoming increasingly absurd.
"I'll come home in a couple of days."
"Good. After all, Ruby is your sister."
With that, the call ended.
Ryo tilted his chin up, looking at his reflection in the restroom mirror.
He suddenly found it all rather amusing.
The two-time champion of the "Child Star Most Want to Have as a Son" rankings.
In reality, not a child loved by his adoptive mother.
In a dimly lit room, the only source of light was the glowing computer screen.
A boy sat in front of the computer, expressionlessly scrolling through various web pages.
Websites and message boards filled with venting and suicide declarations—he had seen them all.
Forums for exhibitionists, cross-dressers, and homosexuals—though he didn't understand these interests, he had browsed them nonetheless.
Sites plastered with graphic images of corpses and crime scenes—he had meticulously gone through each one.
On the desk lay a script, its pages already wrinkled from frequent use:
The Forbidden Game of Youth.
He had his eye on a particular role, but unfortunately, someone else was also planning to audition for it.
Ever since that person joined the theatre, he had never once beaten them in an audition.
Volodya.
The boy softly uttered the name of the character.
The elements that made up this role included:
Coercion, deception, rape, bribery, violence…
Hikaru Kamiki didn't think he would lose.
Because—
He had already experienced it all.
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Volodya is a famous character in the Dear Yelena Sergeyevna.
It is a famous Russian drama/thriller movie.
Now the question is should I give it a English name or intact the russian name for authenticity.
What do you guys think?