Vol. 1 Chapter 20 – Goosebumps

“Alright then… I came here expecting something pretty terrible, to be honest, so don’t worry. You’ve never acted before, right?” (Nagisa)

“Nope. Not at all.” (Yuuto)

Time passed, and it was Monday after school. We had gathered at Nagisa’s house after dinner. Initially, we planned to practice at my house, but when we saw Mom already in my room with a penlight before we even started, we quickly changed the venue to Nagisa’s.

“First, as a premise, there will be a lot of audience members, and you have to act in a way that reaches all of them. Unlike dramas and such, you don’t have to be conscious of the camera, so it might be a bit easier… Well, for now, I just want you to focus on making your movements look big.” (Nagisa)

She gave instructions to me, a beginner, while setting up her smartphone on a tripod.

“Are you going to record it?” (Yuuto)

“Well, yeah. It’s partly so I can teach you while showing you the footage, but…” (Nagisa)

She pressed the record button, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

“First, I need you to understand just how disastrous your acting is… right?” (Nagisa)

“…Please go easy on me, okay?” (Yuuto)

Imagining Nagisa mocking me as she watched my acting, my cheeks naturally tensed up. Seeing me like that, Nagisa smiled with satisfaction, approached me, and lightly patted my back.

“Don’t look so worried. Everyone’s pretty much just reading the script at first, so relax!” (Nagisa)

“You too, Nagisa?” (Yuuto)

“I had a knack for it from the start, though?” (Nagisa)

“As expected of a currently active actress, your talent is on a different level.” (Yuuto)

“Praise me more.” (Nagisa)

I gave a wry smile at her as she puffed out her chest proudly, and then, conscious of the camera, we both took our positions.

Nagisa reading the first line was the cue to start tracing the story. The moment we began, Nagisa exuded an aura as if a medieval princess had truly time-slipped into the present. No, she was creating that aura through her demeanor and speech.

“Hmm… Well, it’s pretty much what you’d expect from a beginner, I guess? It’s not hopeless, so if you work hard until the actual performance, you might be able to put on something presentable.” (Nagisa)

We went through the entire script, and she stopped the camera. Projecting my voice, moving my legs, swinging my arms, shifting my gaze. I had an image in my head, but actually doing it felt different. Moreover, I was constantly amazed by the high level of Nagisa’s skill.

“You’re really amazing, you know.” (Yuuto)

“Well, of course~” (Nagisa)

The noble image from moments before was gone as she sniffed proudly. It was truly like she was a different person.

“I could give you a bunch of advice now, but let’s watch the video we just took first, shall we?” (Nagisa)

Nagisa removed her smartphone from the tripod and moved to the sofa in front of the TV.

“Hey, you can’t see from over there, can you? Come over here.” (Nagisa)

Saying that, she patted the space next to her on the sofa. I sat down as prompted, but sharing the screen of a single smartphone meant we had to get quite close. Even though it was the end of the day, the gentle scent of soap, not perfume, wafted from her and tickled my nostrils.

“Hey? Are you actually watching?” (Nagisa)

Her words diverted my attention from my sense of smell.

“…I’m watching.” (Yuuto)

Though I hadn’t been concentrating.

“Could it be you wanted me to give you a lap pillow? Did you remember what happened the other day?” (Nagisa)

Looking at Nagisa, who was looking up at me with a grin as she said that, I felt my temperature start to rise.

“Just hurry up and let’s watch…” (Yuuto)

“Yes, yes.” (Nagisa)

I somehow managed to steer the conversation back to the main topic without her noticing, but judging by the smirk still on Nagisa’s face, she had probably figured everything out.

She rewound the video, which had advanced a little, and we both stared at the screen.

She’s good. Nagisa’s acting was so captivating I almost blurted it out.

And watching it through the camera from an objective viewpoint, I understood. She was accommodating me quite a lot. In our interactive scenes, she adjusted my slightly rushed tempo, and she corrected my somewhat messy positioning with terrifying naturalness.

And there was one more thing I understood. It was completely different. My own image of my acting and the movements I was actually making were completely different. In the first place, I hadn’t been conscious of the audience’s eyes. I had only been thinking about how to present myself from my own perspective. This was how it looked to others. I corrected the difference in my mind.

My image for acting was Hokujou Yuuya. My father’s figure, whom I’d watched since I was little. His personality, his food preferences, whether he was a dog person or a cat person. Instead of the communication a father and son would have, there was a one-way street of acting between us.

…Alright. I can do this.

“Can I try again?” (Yuuto)

Just like before, Nagisa’s line was the cue to switch my consciousness. It wasn’t just my own perspective I needed to be aware of. I had to be conscious of the audience’s gaze. My father’s expressions, the way he moved his eyes, the habits I’d seen so many times I was sick of them—I would imitate them.

When I finished acting out the entire script, I let out a huge breath. I hadn’t imagined it. Giving your all to something you present to others really takes a lot of energy. My usual lack of exercise might have something to do with it too.

I picked up the plastic bottle I’d left on the desk and gulped down the water inside. Nagisa, visible in my peripheral vision, was staring intently at me.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to stop the camera?” (Yuuto)

There was no sign of her going to stop the smartphone camera, which was still rolling just like before.

“You… what just happened to you? While you were watching the video.” (Nagisa)

“I tried changing the parts I was concerned about… How was it?” (Yuuto)

Nagisa’s eyes, as she spoke in a trembling voice, looked as if she had seen something unbelievable.

“…So this is probably what it’s like, for a producer who’s found a diamond in the rough.” (Nagisa)

After letting a smile escape the corner of her mouth, her expression became one of genuine excitement.

“Being in the entertainment industry, you see all sorts of talent. Acting, comedy, art, academics—there’s truly a diverse range of talents.” (Nagisa)

It was only then that I finally realized. I had probably stimulated something within Nagisa. Something that shouldn’t have been stimulated.

“But this is the first time. Something that gives me goosebumps…” (Nagisa)

It wasn’t the face of an actress appearing on variety shows or in dramas. It was the face of an actor genuinely pursuing the improvement of her skills.

“Let’s do it again, from the beginning.” (Nagisa)

It was about two hours later that I was finally released from Nagisa, who had become fired up with practice, and was able to return home…