"So, I'll be wearing this bunny suit later, right?"
After some initial training from Director Gotanda Taishi, Hoshino Ai had finally started to grasp the differences between fixed camera setups on a static stage and mobile camera setups in dynamic scenes. As she gradually got the hang of her movements, she took a short break and pointed to the three custom-made animal suits hanging nearby, asking Director Gotanda for confirmation.
Before arriving on set, Hoshino Ai had already read the script. Since the manufacturer was promoting three different flavors, even though the main focus was on Kitagawa Ryo's orange bear character, the other two flavors and their corresponding suits still had significant screen time.
"Yes, but don't put it on yet. It's a bit stuffy."
Gotanda Taishi glanced up, frowned as if noticing something, and pulled out his phone to call the production assistant. He immediately launched into a tirade:
"Where's Nanaki? Why isn't she here yet? Does she think she's a bigger star than Kitagawa? Kitagawa's been here for ages, and we're about to start shooting."
"Hurry up and contact her. If she's really late, just tell her not to bother coming."
After grumbling a bit more, Gotanda finally put his phone down.
"Is something wrong?"
Hoshino Ai asked curiously.
"Since you've read the script, you know that the three siblings have the most screen time in this commercial. You're the eldest sister, Kitagawa is the second brother, and the Nanaki I just mentioned is supposed to play the youngest sister."
Gotanda Taishi pursed his lips:
"It's normal if you haven't heard of her. She's a newcomer, and I don't know how she got the role, but the audience won't care. As long as Kitagawa's here, it's fine. He's the official spokesperson anyway."
He glanced at Hoshino Ai:
"Don't think I'm being harsh, but your role here isn't much different from Nanaki's. As a newcomer, just bringing some freshness to the screen is enough."
"I'll do my best!"
Hoshino Ai replied confidently.
Just as Gotanda was about to say more, his phone rang again.
"Director, we contacted Nanaki's agent. She can't make it due to an emergency."
"Apparently, she ate too much ice cream and got acute gastroenteritis. Even if she came, she wouldn't be able to shoot properly."
Gotanda Taishi shook his head in resignation:
"Fine, fine. Her part isn't that big anyway. Just find a quick-witted kid from the extras. We can't have dozens of people waiting around for her. We'll fix it in post-production."
After giving brief instructions, Gotanda hung up the phone and sighed:
"This is why I don't like working with child actors. Aside from Kitagawa, who's a bit of a freak, most of them are just kids. Some are completely controlled by their parents, others think too highly of themselves and are impossible to communicate with, and they have no self-control."
"Does this kind of thing happen often?"
Hoshino Ai had tried hard to suppress a smile when she heard about the ice cream-induced gastroenteritis, but seeing Gotanda's nonchalant reaction, she couldn't help but ask.
"I've seen stranger excuses. Last time, a child actor fell asleep during filming because they stayed up all night playing mobile games."
Gotanda waved his hand dismissively:
"Let's head out. We can't waste any more time on this. The extras are all around six or seven years old, so they should fit into the suits just fine."
"Hmm… is this okay?"
Hoshino Ai was wearing the bunny suit for the first time. The Q-style animal design featured oversized eyes that took up half the face, allowing the actor inside to see out through just one eye.
"Want some water?"
"You'll probably be in there for a while, so staying hydrated is important."
Kitagawa Ryo, who hadn't yet put on his bear suit, handed her a bottle of water. Since the suit's hands were round and clumsy, he had thoughtfully unscrewed the cap and inserted a straw.
"Oh, thanks."
Hoshino Ai slightly opened the vent under the suit's eye and took small sips through the straw.
"Seems a bit inconvenient," Kitagawa remarked casually, holding the bottle. The image of her sipping through the straw gave him a strange feeling, as if he were feeding a cute little bunny a carrot.
But before that thought could fully form, a child nearby shouted in alarm:
"The bunny's drinking water through its eye!"
The sudden outburst made Hoshino Ai choke a little, and she coughed for a moment before recovering.
The production assistants quickly herded the children away, lest more of their worldviews be shattered.
"This suit looks pretty good. Don't move, Ai, let me take a photo."
After feeding her half the bottle, Kitagawa stepped back and suggested with interest.
The bunny suit, representing the "Strawberry Bunny," was primarily a sweet pink color, with long ears supported by wire. It looked utterly adorable.
After snapping a couple of photos, Kitagawa was dragged into the dressing room by Gotanda Taishi himself.
"We're waiting on you, Orange Bear. Stop playing around."
"…Wait, why is the Orange Bear so bright? This isn't orange—it's practically gold!"
"Well, if we made it orange, Disney's lawyers might show up before we finish shooting."
"What about the Watermelon Kitten? I heard the actor couldn't make it?"
"I told the assistants to handle it. It's Nanaki's fault, so they'll cover the penalty."
Their voices faded into the distance as Hoshino Ai, still in her bunny suit, nodded thoughtfully and wobbled over to the other side of the set, where the assistants had gathered the child extras.
"Due to some unexpected circumstances, kids, would any of you like to play the role of 'Watermelon Kitten'?"
The assistant announcing the selection felt like he was playing the part of a kindergarten teacher, but he continued in an exaggerated tone:
"If any of you have acting experience, feel free to speak up. It'll increase your chances of being chosen."
"You'll get more screen time and a higher pay."
The children who had come to audition were naturally outgoing and eager to perform, but since the role required a girl, the boys were unfortunately out of luck.
After having the girls who volunteered run through a few lines, the experienced assistant narrowed it down to two who seemed more confident.
After having them try on the Watermelon Kitten suit, the assistant, still unsure, called over Gotanda Taishi for the final decision.
Kitagawa Ryo, now in his Orange Bear suit, followed along. The bunny, already on set, trotted over to the bear, seemingly to whisper something.
Ignoring a child's shocked exclamation of "The bunny and the bear are kissing!" Hoshino Ai quietly said to Kitagawa:
"I think the girl on the right is better."
"What did you notice, Ai?"
Kitagawa followed her gaze to the girl on the right. From behind, her shoulder-length hair seemed ordinary, but her posture was straight, unlike the slight slouch common in children.
"She's really good at enduring the heat."
Hoshino Ai spoke softly, having observed the entire mini-audition and noticed this small detail.
No matter how breathable the suit was, it would still feel stuffy inside, even though it wasn't yet summer.
For six- or seven-year-olds, wearing the suit for five or ten minutes might be manageable due to the novelty, but any longer would be torturous.
Most children are self-centered and don't bother hiding their true feelings, but acting requires precisely that—hiding one's true self.
Kitagawa nodded but didn't plan to intervene. On one hand, he had already gotten Hoshino Ai onto the set, and on the other, he trusted Gotanda's judgment. If Hoshino Ai had noticed the detail, Gotanda, with over a decade of experience, should have as well.
"You're the one. Your name is—MEM-Cho? Quite unique."
Sure enough, after asking a few questions and observing the two girls, Gotanda pointed to the one on the right.
"Thank you so much! I'll do my best!"
Whether from the heat or excitement, the girl named MEM- CHO blushed and repeatedly thanked the director.
"Alright, time's tight. Get into the suit and start preparing."
Gotanda didn't pay much attention. As he had told Hoshino Ai earlier, even in a commercial, the story's protagonist would always be the official spokesperson, Kitagawa Ryo.
As for the acting skills of this hastily chosen replacement, no one really cared.
If Gotanda had patiently taught Hoshino Ai some filming techniques out of respect for Kitagawa, his attitude toward this temporary fill-in was far more perfunctory.
But MEM- CHO didn't mind. For her, today's events were already a stroke of incredible luck.
If only she could get Kitagawa Ryo's autograph while she was at it.
As she put on the Watermelon Kitten headpiece, she sneakily glanced at the Orange Bear not far away.
Her entire family of four were fans of Kitagawa Ryo.
"Don't be nervous. Just relax and act naturally."
Just as MEM- CHO was lost in thought, Kitagawa suddenly walked over. He used his round bear hands to adjust her slightly crooked headpiece and smiled reassuringly.
He could tell this was her first time acting.
MEM- CHO hadn't been chosen for her acting experience but for her composure, courage, and endurance, which surpassed her peers.
She hadn't memorized her lines the fastest, but she didn't miss a word or stumble from nervousness.
People's love for child actors often falls into two categories.
One is for their childlike innocence, simply finding the little human adorable.
This type of child star is easy to create, often requiring nothing more than a short video or a meme.
But in the industry, such fame doesn't last.
What endures is the other kind.
The side of child stars that isn't "childlike." Just as a fifteen-year-old high schooler reciting ancient poetry leaves a different impression than a two-year-old doing the same, people are equally fascinated by children who exhibit traits beyond their years—be it in speech, acting, or even just looking mature beyond their age.
And MEM- CHO already had a bit of that quality.
Perhaps encouraged by Kitagawa's words, or because the crew wasn't focusing the camera on her, MEM- CHO's first shoot went smoothly. She completed her limited scenes almost without any retakes.
"Good work. Here, Watermelon Kitten."
For a moment, MEM- CHO couldn't tell if he was referring to the ice cream he handed her or to her. By the time she realized, she was already holding the ice cream Kitagawa had given her.
"Ah… thank you."
"It's from the sponsor. Might as well enjoy it."
Kitagawa, now out of his suit, licked his own ice cream. Nearby, Hoshino Ai seemed to be struggling to choose a flavor, picking up one stick and then another.
A couple of days ago, Takimoto Katsu had shared an interesting piece of information with him.
Within Hoshino Ai's group, B-Komachi, some members had grown resentful over resource allocation and had stolen her makeup. President Saito was investigating the matter and would likely have answers soon.
Internal conflicts within idol groups weren't uncommon. Kitagawa knew of many groups that appeared close-knit in public but were anything but behind the scenes, with backstabbing being a regular occurrence.
Thinking of his younger sister's recent declaration of wanting to become an idol, Kitagawa felt a headache coming on.
These days, idol groups had largely replaced solo idols as the trend. If Kitagawa Ruby were to debut as an idol in the future, she'd likely be part of a group.
And Kitagawa wasn't entirely confident about her ability to get along with others.
To avoid such issues, Kitagawa was more inclined to personally form an idol group for his sister in the future, by which time he'd have accumulated enough wealth and influence.
As he licked his ice cream, Kitagawa glanced at MEM- CHO, who seemed a bit restless. During the break, he had asked the assistants for her personal information and learned about her family situation.
Consider it planting a seed of kindness for the future.
After finishing his ice cream, Kitagawa stood up and walked over to a nearby staff member, whispering something before returning with a disappointed look.
"What's wrong?"
Hoshino Ai, who had finally chosen the Orange Bear flavor, was halfway through her ice cream and looked at him curiously.
"No prize, that's all."
Kitagawa shook his ice cream stick:
"Since the ice cream hasn't been released yet, the promotion hasn't officially started. So I had to ask the staff to check the database, and turns out I didn't win."
"It's not that easy to win."
Hoshino Ai rolled her eyes but then confidently declared:
"But I'll definitely win!"
As if to prove her point, she quickly finished her ice cream and set off with determination.
"Haha, third prize!"
Soon, Hoshino Ai returned, proudly announcing her victory.
"Really…?"
"Of course!"
Hoshino Ai pouted, looking down at Kitagawa:
"Hmph—I told you I've always been lucky."
The other children, having finished their ice creams, eagerly ran to ask about the prizes, but most, like Kitagawa, didn't win. Hoshino Ai watched with a smile, her metaphorical tail practically wagging.
Though, of course, a bunny's tail isn't that long.
"Congratulations, first prize!"
MEM- CHO's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Please fill in your home address. Once the promotion starts, we'll send someone to install your air conditioner."
The staff member smiled as he reminded her.
Since she was four, MEM- CHO had dreamed of being chosen for the TV show First Errand. But as she approached the age limit, that dream had never come true.
Now, she felt all that luck had been saved for today.
Watching the stunned girl from a distance, Kitagawa suddenly smiled.
If possible, he'd prefer his sister's future group members to be girls he knew and trusted, with good character.
Even if they might not still be in the industry a decade from now, even if it was just self-indulgence.
But helping others felt simple—it made him happy.
"One Orange Bear and one Watermelon Kitten, please."
Kitagawa Ruby handed the money to the store clerk.
"Ruby really likes these two flavors, huh?"
"The Strawberry Bunny is also selling really well."
The clerk handed over the two ice creams while trying to upsell.
"No thanks."
Ruby pouted, glancing at the TV in the store playing the ice cream commercial.
The bunny and the bear were trying to attract customers.
"I don't… like that one."
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