Chapter 96: A Conversation with Azusa-san (Reincarnated as a Beautiful Girl and Aim to Become a Top Actress!)

 96—A Conversation with Azusa-san

“It’s delicious... eating vegetables after such a long time really hits the spot.”

That evening, I cooked dinner, and Aisan, Haruka, and I gathered around the table. I’d also been eating out a lot lately and was lacking vegetables, so I made nikujaga (meat and potatoes) and dashimaki tamago (Japanese rolled omelette). I also prepared spinach ohitashi and a hearty miso soup filled with napa cabbage, daikon radish, carrots, and other veggies. I even cleaned the dusty sink — it might have been the first time in a while that I concentrated on cooking like this.

After slurping the miso soup and chewing on the napa cabbage, Aisan said, “You really need to eat vegetables every day.” I gave a little reproachful smile. I had tasted everything during cooking, but sitting down to eat calmly gave a different impression. I might be biased, but I think it turned out pretty tasty.

We finished eating quietly, without much conversation, and quickly washed the dishes. Haruka helped, so I washed while she dried. Meanwhile, Aisan sat at the table drinking a can of beer and curiously watched us washing dishes. I thought if she wanted to help, she could at least put the dishes away.

Once the dishes were done, Haruka poured cold barley tea into glasses. I wanted something warm, so I brewed some sencha (green tea) using tea leaves in a kyusu (teapot). Haruka and I each took a cup and sat down at the table, joining Aisan.

Aisan probably hadn’t heard the full story yet, and Haruka didn’t know all the details either, but they both sensed something was going on. Still, they didn’t bring it up and kept the atmosphere light with casual chit-chat. I was really grateful for that.

In the evening, I got a call from Azusa-san. She said she’d be coming back today, finishing her work in Tohoku and coming to deal with the situation involving my sister. I felt sorry for the trouble my irresponsible sister was causing, but at the same time, Azusa-san said she might be late, but hoped I would wait for her to get home.

Aisan and Haruka went back to their rooms, and I waited for Azusa-san’s return, feeling like a prisoner awaiting a death sentence. In the late Heisei era, if a family member was a criminal or involved in trouble, people tended to lump you together with them, even if you had nothing to do with it. That stigma was even stronger in the early Heisei period where I’m living now. Even celebrities would be publicly shamed on the evening national news if their relatives committed crimes. The media would swarm the celebrity for an apology. My sister didn’t do murder, fraud, or theft, so maybe the backlash wouldn’t be that harsh.

Still, from Azusa-san’s point of view, having a problematic person so close, especially a student she had taken under her wing, was like having a lion inside her own body. If my sister caused damage, not only would I be affected, but Azusa-san’s reputation could suffer too. I wondered if she really wanted to keep me around under those circumstances. If I were training younger people and one of them was a risk, I’d probably want to cut ties.

I ran my thoughts in circles for a while, but bottom line: Azusa-san might tell me to leave. If she did, I would accept it, but it would be frustrating that my dreams might be crushed for something I didn’t do. If I left here, my first option would be to return to my parents’ home, which would mean being near Naoto and Fumika — that would be nice. But I’m worried, I might burn out, become unmotivated, and lose all my drive.

If that happened, maybe I’d stay with my grandmother on the island instead of going home. But if history repeats itself, the earthquake might happen there in two years. My grandmother survived, but the house was destroyed. I’d try to ensure she was away from the island if the disaster struck, but there are complicated tensions with my aunt and others, so living there would be stressful.

Honestly, I don’t even want to see my parents’ faces right now, so living alone here might be good. I thought about asking Yoko-san to be my guarantor for a rental apartment. Aisan is trustworthy, but since she’s an actress, the screening for renting might be strict. Not because I think Aisan is poor, but her occupation makes things complicated. I bet she has decent savings because the dorm covers rent and utilities.

Honestly, the thought of living alone made me a bit excited—where to live, what kind of place to rent. But the biggest issue is money. Since I’m still a middle schooler, if I can’t work as an actor, I’d have no income. Part-time jobs are limited—only newspaper delivery is allowed under special circumstances, and even that is not permitted for me. My parents are alive, so it’s natural to suggest I go back under their care.

If a relative owned a business, I could help out as an excuse to work. I wondered if Azusa-san would let me stay in this dorm and serve as a housekeeper if I lost my acting career. Maybe not, but it’s a nice thought.

Time passed as I drifted through these thoughts, and before I knew it, it was nearly midnight. When I checked the clock, I heard the front door open and quickly got up to meet Azusa-san. She wasn’t wearing her usual kimono but casual loungewear and looked a bit tired.

“W-welcome home. Thank you for your hard work, Azusa-san.”

“Sorry I’m late. Are you sleepy, Sumire? If this is tough for you, we can talk again tomorrow.”

“No, I’m fine. I’ll make some tea, please come in.”

Knowing it wasn’t a quick chat, I invited Azusa-san into the dorm and went ahead to make tea for two. I carried the tray to the living room and placed the cups on the table in front of her, then sat opposite her. After taking a slow sip, Azusa-san let out a big sigh, like releasing all the tension she’d been holding.

“…Sumire, it amazes me how you managed to grow up so well, surrounded by those adults. Maybe you had them as negative role models.”

“Um, I’m really sorry that my parents and sister caused you trouble.”

“You have no responsibility in this, so you don’t need to apologize. No matter what your family does in the future, you don’t have to say sorry. Understand?”

Her slight joking tone made me relax a bit. Seeing me ease up, she began to tell me what happened.

Azusa-san came to Tokyo not only with my parents but also my grandfather. The meeting was held at a temple where my sister stayed overnight. The head priest there was a close friend of Azusa-san’s and kindly agreed to help us out. I was struck by how extensive Azusa-san’s connections were.

She said she left my sister at the temple not out of concern for her future but because she considered how society at that time viewed people who got in trouble with the police—and how even innocent family members were stigmatized. Simply put, it was to protect my career as an actress.

Azusa-san had seen many people lose their careers because their family members messed up, and she didn’t want that to happen to me. Hearing her say, “I don’t want my family to cause Sumire such pain,” almost made me cry. But I had to focus on listening carefully now. I gathered strength and looked her in the eyes.

“At first, your grandfather and parents apologized to me, but this can’t be settled with just an apology. We had to calm down and talk things through with heads held high.”

The family of five — Azusa-san, the head priest, a lawyer, and my parents — sat facing each other. My sister wasn’t there because she was exhausted from resisting and was put through overnight meditation and spiritual training. They said she was now deeply asleep on a futon.

My parents blushed from embarrassment upon hearing this. It’s natural, since their child had caused trouble. I wondered if their shame came from losing face or from failing as parents. Probably the former, but maybe I’m reading too much into it.

“Yoko told me you don’t want much contact with your family anymore. Is that still how you feel?”

I nodded. When I said I wanted even more distance, Azusa-san pulled out a folded paper and handed it to me. I carefully unfolded it—it was a written agreement.

The agreement said my family wouldn’t contact me unless I wanted it, that if I wished to be adopted by Azusa-san, my wishes would come first, and that my family would refrain from actions harming my career. If they did cause damage, I could seek proper compensation.

“I’m sorry for not consulting you beforehand. I wrote this up myself, but if you don’t want to be adopted by me, that’s okay. But if you want to continue acting, they’ll likely become a burden. Think of this as a precaution.”

Normally, it would be unreasonable for a child to demand adoption to sever family ties, but I guess after today’s meeting, Azusa-san must have judged that my family wouldn’t improve. Maybe she sensed things from their words and behavior.

Under the agreement were signatures and seals from my grandfather, parents, and even my sister’s scribbled signature. Azusa-san intended to keep this document secret unless I chose to act on it, but since I was considering it, I was grateful she brought it.

The agreement was designed so I could legally cut ties with my family while still remaining part of Azusa-san’s household.

I realized that Azusa-san was not just protecting me but also giving me a chance to choose my own path.