Volume 5 Chapter 1 Shirogane Aqua, A Night Alone Together
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The Masked Driver’s shoot was going smoothly. However, on the other hand, the shoot for “Monday 9 PM Drama”, where I played the role of Sato Kazuya, a honor student, was reaching a deadlock.
”N-Nii-sama!?”
As I reached out my hand, Kohina Yukari-san, who played Sato Sayuki, my little sister in the drama, trembled like a frightened little animal. I gently touched Kohina-san’s hair, as if pampering my character’s little sister, Lapis, and slowly stroked her head. For a moment, Kohina-san blushed, her moist eyes shimmering, and her pale, natural pink lips slightly parted.
”Sayuki works too hard, so you shouldn’t overdo it.”
I smiled gently at Sayuki, my character, with a kind expression. But, I realized that it was too much, too soon. It was a mistake.
”Cut!!”
The voice of the filming staff echoed in the room.
”As expected, Kazuya, you still lack the maturity of a big brother. We want you to be the ideal big brother everyone looks up to, someone who even Sayuki can’t resist, with the embrace of an adult.”
The director’s words made everyone sigh in frustration. I, too, felt more impatient than frustrated because I couldn’t perform as Kazuya yet. Though there was still a little schedule flexibility, I couldn’t see myself delivering a better performance at this rate.
Unlike the Driver set, where the enthusiasm of the relatively young cast could make up for any issues, the Monday 9 PM Drama had a cast of experienced actors, including seasoned veterans, and even a minor acting flaw would be glaring on camera.
”It’s a bit early, but let’s call it a day for the shoot. Shirogane-kun must be tired, so instead of pushing further, take some rest and come back refreshed tomorrow for another try.”
”Yes, understood. I’m sorry, it’s my fault…”
I bowed to everyone in the room. I had stumbled due to my own shortcomings and inconvenienced the team. Everyone else had other commitments, and if we fell behind schedule, it would cause trouble for other shoots. So, I thought it was only natural to apologize.
”Don’t worry about it. Everything was going well until now.”
”That’s right. I once took a whole week to film the same scene and made the director furious, so you’re doing just fine, don’t worry.”
”You’re improving steadily, and I believe you’ll give a great performance after some rest.”
The staff and actors offered kind words of comfort. Their concern made me feel even more overwhelmed and pushed me further into a corner.
What should I do? The more I thought about it, the less I understood Kazuya. The more I thought, the more I felt trapped in quicksand, with my feet entangled, and my head troubled.
”Hehehe, young man, it seems you’re struggling.”
On my way to the place where I had parked my bike, Kohina-san ambushed me and called out to me. As the filming progressed, Kohina-san showed me repeatedly the vast difference in our acting skills and experience.
”I’ve noticed something about you, Aqua-kun… You’re warped.”
With eyes that seemed to see through everything, Kohina-san stared at me. Her occasional display of power like this made me break out in cold sweat, feeling the pressure she exuded.
”I’ve been watching you for a long time, but I still don’t understand that last part.”
Kohina-san slowly approached me. At first, I couldn’t understand what she meant, and I was frozen in place.
”Aqua-kun, where did you learn acting? You must have received proper training from someone, right? It’s weird, considering you recently joined the agency. I heard from Ako-chan that she hasn’t given you such guidance. Also, I don’t sense much hesitation from you when you interact with girls. Normally, even in acting, men tend to feel a slight aversion when touching women, but you don’t seem to have that.”
Kohina-san kept inching closer, one by one, probing my secrets. Under her small frame, her imposing pressure made me involuntarily step back.
”Aqua-kun, were you isolated from girls all this time? But you have a family, right… Oh, right! You had amnesia, didn’t you? Well, even with amnesia, the traumas etched into your body wouldn’t disappear. Aqua-kun, you just seem to appear suddenly in this world, it feels strange. Hey, are you really a human from this world?”
She found out, I can’t deceive her, what should I do? The pressure on my already overwhelmed heart made it impossible to even maintain a facade. Then, Kohina-san suddenly smiled, diffusing the tension she created.
”Just kidding! I must be overthinking it! This Yukarin-senpai read too much manga, but you should’ve played along, right?”
She patted my back lightly. She didn’t catch on… Or did she, but decided to let it go? I couldn’t even tell from Kohina-san’s expression, being outperformed in acting.
”Sorry…”
I replied a moment later.
”Hmm? You couldn’t come up with a comeback? Or is it because you’ve been asking for retakes in scenes with me only for the past five days?”
”… Both.”
Kohina-san peered into my face and smiled softly.
”Oh well, it can’t be helped. After all, Aqua-kun is still a virgin.”
”Huh?”
Feeling cornered, I got a little irritated and unintentionally blurted out. Looking at Kohina-san’s face, she covered her mouth, revealing a mischievous grin.
”Nice reaction! Thanks to that, this Yukarin-san also got to understand her dear friend’s precious junior a little better.”
I covered my mouth in disbelief. I regretted reacting poorly.
”Oh… How about we go to a hotel later? Both of us have free time. Let this big sister lend her body to help her cute junior.”
”What!?”
Kohina-san gently placed her hand on my chest. From her innocent demeanor earlier, she instantly transformed into a seductive, mature woman.
”You see, you’ve lost your composure.”
”Ahh…”
I realized Kohina-san was teasing me. She wore a composed smile and, in a tone one might use with a lover in bed, spoke to me.
”Hey, Aqua-kun, have you ever thought about what parts of a girl’s body to touch to make her feel good? Even when you’re just caressing her head, some girls like their crown being touched, while others prefer fingers gently stroking the hair behind their ear. Aqua-kun, have you ever thought that deeply about how to act?”
Kohina-san’s words left me speechless. I recalled the scene I messed up earlier. I had simply treated Sayuki’s hair as I would with Lapis, not even considering where Kohina-san’s Sayuki would appreciate being touched.
Despite being a character with a strong sister complex and prioritizing her brother, I turned Kazuya into a self-centered brother who understood nothing about his little sister, Sayuki, due to my poor acting.
”Yeah, that seems to be the case.”
Kohina-san extended her arm and lightly pushed my chest. She then wrapped her fingers around her long hair and smiled affectionately, tucking it behind her ear.
”By the way, I’m sensitive to my ears. I wonder what Sayuki-chan would like when her big brother touches her? Well, that’s your homework until tomorrow.”
I choked on my words at Kohina-san’s statement and looked down slightly. I carefully analyzed Sayuki based on the scenes, script, and setting, trying to understand her better.
”Okay, I think you’ve got a clue now. Well, I’m heading home now… Oh, unless you seriously want to go to a hotel? I’m okay with it, you know? Actually touching a girl might help you understand them faster. Of course, it’s just for practice in the hotel, so it’s fine.”
I realized I was being teased and returned Kohina-san’s gaze with a blank expression.
”Come on, don’t be so stiff. Aqua-kun, you’re being stingy. Anyway, you’ll still be practicing together with her later, right?”
Kohina-san averted her gaze and looked toward a nearby corner. It seemed like she noticed that Tsukimachi-san had overheard our conversation and blushed as she emerged.
”Well, then, Ayana-chan, I’m counting on you!”
Kohina-san said her usual lines, did what she wanted to do, and quickly disappeared somewhere. Left behind, a slightly awkward atmosphere lingered between Tsukimachi-san and me. Then, Tsukimachi-san cleared her throat softly.
”So, let’s practice as usual today…”
”Yeah, sure…”
I put Tsukimachi-san on the back of the bike, and we headed to a nearby nature park. The scenes for the honor big brother in the classroom were shot in part of a recently abandoned school building in the mountains. The nature park where we usually practiced was deserted at this time of the day.
Couples might come here later to see the night view, but for now, there was no one around. It was an ideal place for us to practice.
”Well then, let’s get started. Thank you for your help today.”
”Likewise, thank you for your cooperation.”
We always started our practice with a greeting. The practice itself was straightforward. For example, in scenes where I interacted with Kohina-san’s Sayuki, Tsukimachi-san would play the role of Sayuki. Of course, in scenes where we interacted with each other, I played as Kazuya, and Tsukimachi-san played as Rina, a third person to interact with.
The director suggested I go home and refresh, but after Kohina-san’s advice, I felt like I might be able to grasp something. So, I practiced the scene with Tsukimachi-san repeatedly.
”Sayuki, you’re still here?”
We began practicing the lines leading up to the difficult scene. When we reached the part where I was struggling, I hesitantly extended my hand towards Tsukimachi-san’s Sayuki.
First, I gently touched her hair near her ear with my fingertips. In response, Tsukimachi-san’s expression stiffened, and she tensed up like a startled cat. I see… Tsukimachi-san’s Sayuki doesn’t like being touched that way.
Next, I slowly brought my palm to the top of her head. This time, Tsukimachi-san showed a brief expression of fear. Yeah, it’s not easy. What other ways of touching are there? Well, let’s try various approaches. However, after practicing the scene for the tenth time, Tsukimachi-san’s Sayuki still didn’t respond positively to any touch. Moreover, I didn’t feel like I was fitting the role of Kazuya properly. Even something as simple as the way Kazuya touched Sayuki’s head felt unnatural for me.
Well, it’s challenging when it comes to actual practice, even if it sounds easy when you put it into words. I decided to give up on this scene for now and moved on to practice with Tsukimachi-san.
After repeating this a few times, I noticed that the surroundings were slightly darker than before.
”Should we call it a day for today?”
”The weather is looking suspicious, so yes, let’s do that.”
Having a bad feeling, we decided to end the practice. I placed Tsukimachi-san on the back of the bike, and we slowly started riding.
”Ah…”
Drops of rain started to fall, one by one. As someone who rides a bike, I know that when it starts raining, the road becomes the most dangerous. Although the road is paved, it’s in the mountains, and the terrain is not straight. I prioritized safety and rode cautiously.
However, the weather in the mountains changed rapidly from clear skies to a downpour. The light drizzle turned into a heavy rainfall, blocking my visibility. Even though the weather forecast predicted clear skies, nature’s power was not to be underestimated.
”Tsukimachi-san, we might have to turn back and take shelter at the filming location. There might be someone still there.”
”Oh, yes, that sounds like a good idea.”
Fortunately, the way to the nature park and the way back home were in opposite directions, and there was a former school building used as the filming location on the way. There was always someone around there, and worst case scenario, Tsukimachi-san could get a ride from someone’s car. I turned the handlebars of the bike towards the school building.
”Phew, we made it…”
Thankfully, we managed to return to the abandoned school building without any accidents. However, due to the heavy rain, my shoes were soaking wet, making me feel uncomfortable.
”It was pouring heavily. Shirogane-kun, thank you for driving.”
As I turned my gaze towards Tsukimachi-san, I was startled. Her drenched shirt revealed her Pastel Blue bra. I quickly averted my gaze; it was unintentional, and I shouldn’t be looking. Tsukimachi-san also glanced at me and immediately looked away.
”There doesn’t seem to be anyone left here. Let’s check and also change our clothes to avoid catching a cold…”
”Yes…”
Although the school building was still equipped with filming equipment, no one was there today. Tsukimachi-san and I changed into some clothes we found lying around. After contacting our families through our phones, Ako-san called me back immediately.
”Ah… yes… understood. We’re okay here. Yes… yes… I’m sorry for the trouble, and thank you.”
After ending the call with Ako-san, I turned to Tsukimachi-san.
”It seems the road downhill is blocked due to the rain. But around here, there shouldn’t be any danger of landslides, and it’s already late, so they’ll come pick us up tomorrow morning.”
”Okay, I understand. Thank you. I also contacted the agency, but they said it’s safe here, so it’s probably best to wait. Fortunately, there’s some food left, and spending the night here should be fine.”
Initially, we engaged in small talk to pass the time, but after dinner, the room fell silent. Only the crackling sound of the firewood in the wood stove, which we lit to warm our cold bodies, echoed in the room.
I needed to start a conversation, but I didn’t know what to say, making it even harder to find a topic to talk about. While searching for a conversation starter, I inadvertently looked over, and Tsukimachi-san’s underwear, which she had hung up to dry, caught my eye, making me more self-conscious than ever.
[Actually touching a girl might help you understand them faster.]
Kuh… Kohina-san’s words from earlier resurfaced in my mind, causing me to struggle with my desires. Just as I was preoccupied with my thoughts, Tsukimachi-san stood up suddenly.
”Hey… that scene you just described, you didn’t get it right yet, did you?”
”Ah, yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry. You helped me practice so much, but…”
In the end, I couldn’t grasp anything from Kohina-san’s advice that would help with the scene today. As I thought about it, Tsukimachi-san muttered softly.
”I wonder if what Kohina-san said is true.”
”Huh?”
Tsukimachi-san untied her sailor uniform’s ribbon and slowly approached me. Placing her hand on my chest, she leaned forward and pressed me down gently. My heart raced, and the sound of the wood stove intensified, drowning out everything else.
”Hey, why don’t we try it out?”
In the dim light of the wood stove, Tsukimachi-san’s seductive expression made my heart skip a beat. Although I had been intrigued since coming to this world, this feeling was entirely different, tightly squeezing my heart. Tsukimachi-san took my hand and placed it on her cheek.
”If it’s my body, you can touch me however you like.”
My hand, cool from the rain, grew warm as I touched Tsukimachi-san’s wet hair. The sound of the rain and wind pounding against the windows intensified, making it feel even more intense.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.