Oshi no Shugosha 7 (Patreon)

Oshi no Shugosha 7 - or ‘I refuse to kill this poor Idol, you heartless scum!’ (Oshi No Ko, Ryosuke!SI)

It was the end of the year, the kids had grown a fair bit and Ai had planned to go through a brief acting career to make some big cash really fast between the vlogs.

She had the guts and the acting skills down to perfection, if not for the fact that some strong emotions were missing from some scenes. The movie in question was called ‘That was the Start’ and-

“Absolutely not,” I replied as I stared flatly at the flat stare coming from the director, Gotanda Taishi.

Some called him a revolutionary mind, some an insane guy that was blessed by ungodly luck- I called him for what he truly was: a dickhead that was trying to compel me to take part in this move.

Me! Who has absolutely no acting preparation for this sort of shit!

“Look, Ryosuke-san, I wouldn’t ask if the actor meant for the role hadn’t gone missing, but we really need someone to do ‘Kijimura’.”

Who was the former boyfriend of Ai’s character that was meant to appear through flashbacks. I am quite sure that wasn’t part of the original script. Hell, the whole movie felt more like one of those dramas that was meant to revolve with the ‘show don’t tell’ kind of formula. The memories should be materialized not within flashbacks, but through gestures that would carry weight.

No, something about this request felt fishy. Like crow brat kind of fishy.

Still, I was cornered into it. It was unfair, I have to say, but I was spared from taking part in this movie until it was time for me to ‘shine’ as the flashback was meant to be recorded after the entire reel was delivered.

I sat with the twins, while Miyako and Ichigo-san were chatting animatedly about their view of the movie. It was clear that these two weren’t agreeing on the potential behind it, but I was more intrigued by another event.

And that was the twins meeting the child actor that had been hired for this role.

Arima Kana was a little bit too bossy for someone her size and age. I would blame it on her parents- actually, it was clear her mother was treating the girl as her gold mine. A temporary one considering that the investment put through into the girl’s potential was that she could ‘cry at will’.

It was indeed a wanted trait, even more so in films like this one, but I already knew Kana’s future was bleak without someone to guide her into the right path. She could either be an online idol or an actress- it was more of who was going to help her to either of those choices. And while part of me wanted to be that guy right in that moment, the situation itself would make it weird and dangerous for me to entertain.

She played a bit with the twins, and her performance was quite good considering how nervous she had been for a while. But as little Kana’s job was wrapped up and Ai had finished most of her solo scenes, it was time for me to prepare for my role.

Ai could play the role of ‘Nao’ without changing her outfit, but I was given a rich-looking suit, some hair gel and some fake ‘expensive watch’ and rings. I was not a thug, but a spoiled brat. Kijimura was akin to a delinquent, but still afflicted by a childhood that was rigid and unforgiving about love.

I wouldn’t say Christian Gray, but someone akin to him in terms of cynical cruelty. He wasn’t as broken, but he was depressed, his soul depleted, his capacity for affection destroyed from a young age as what mattered was power and control.

To Kijimura that was both through wealth, social status and even bold moves of domination over others.

Nao was the girl that wasn’t perfect to the damaged eye of someone like this creature, turning her into ‘the monster’ as she is unable to appreciate what many would call beauty. A tale of broken dreams mended in the most confusing ending possible about ‘learning to let go’.

Early on, I was following the script as strictly as possible, then the director wanted me to ‘improvise a bit’. A frustrating task, but considering that I was already in the role, I saw no point in ignoring.

Differently from how ‘Canon Aqua’ handled the role, I wasn’t using the real to create fiction, but rather starting with what was real to me. It was realism that the people desired just as if it was gold within acting. Fiction is fine, to lie is even better, but the ruthless reality was even more delightful.

So, Kijimura became real and Ai was, unpleasantly so, coerced into ‘becoming Nao’. It was clear that it was different. Gone was the cool and aloof looks shown in most of the movie as a more ‘innocent and unprepared girl’ is subjected to the cruelty of the modern day elite.

The tension, the crescendo between a dispassionate rich boy and a hopeful girl. A potential love story? No. The movie already showed it was not the case. For Kijimura proved to be too out of reach. And even as a most brazen and desperate Nao demanded validation, ‘Kijimura’ was unwilling to give her satisfaction through a rather telling proof.

“Hm? You seek my eyes and glance. Even though you are nothing special? Like an unwanted puppy, you seek attention. You were shy, and now you think that you’re better as bold? Tell me, Nao-san, do you think you deserve a kiss?”

That wasn’t on the script, and Ai was utterly caught off-guard by this. I had her by the chin, standing on her toes, eyes up, shock and awe mixing in a cascade of pure innocence that was ruptured by the kiss itself.

Ai froze in her spot, tense and stunned. Eyes wide open as she didn’t oppose it. She was mesmerized by the relentless drive behind the act. A mask that was more of a playful tease with a cynical accent of someone that didn’t understand true love.

A kiss, to this mask, was a given even to someone as ‘ugly’ as Nao- a cheap and token sacrifice to offer to those too weak to understand the source of his arrogance. Shallow and yet deep, strong and yet weak.

“And… cut!”

As if someone had cut the strings off my puppet self, I felt relief washing over me. Some chatted animatedly about what had just happened and I realized, as I looked at Ai, the consequences of my action. While she masterfully held back from showing much of her emotions, without the need existing, the girl had her hands rushing at her burning cheeks, squishing them as she stared intensely at me.

“A-Again.”

“No.”

She took a step forward. “I-I think it came wrong as a scene.”

“The scene came right-” The director tried to say, only to be silenced by a glare from Ai. “I think I will sit this one out.”

“Ryosuke, more kissing. It’s for the movie’s sake~.”

“Ai, no,” I rebuked, soon fending off from a rather ‘wild’ Ai in action.

The twins were sitting with Kana, the trio staring at the scene with mixed feelings.

“Your parents are weird. In a nice way,” Little Kana pointed out, causing Ruby to grin.

“Yeah, Mama and Papa are so silly at times. Right, Aqua?”

The boy stood up and- “Papa, kiss mama more!”

“You heard Aqua! Ryosuke, more kisses!”

“You need to chill, Ai! Chill!”

—-------d-d-d-d—---

AN

Ryosuke flips the switch, and Ai has a ‘foothold’ to exploit.