𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐑, 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑, 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 ;; 𝑜𝓈𝒽𝒾 𝓃𝑜 𝓀𝑜

* 𝒜ᵟᵁᴬᴹᴬᴿᴵᴺᴱ ℋᴼˢᴴᴵᴺᴼ → 𝐹ᴵᴸᴹᴵᴺᴳ *

𝒩ᴼᵂ 𝒫ᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : ❝ 𝑀ᴬˢᵀᴱᴿᴾᴵᴱᶜᴱ ❞ 𝒷ᵞ 𝒥ᴱˢˢᴵᴱ 𝒥
↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺
ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇɴ'ᴛ ꜱᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴇ

ᴀQᴜᴀ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴅᴏ too bad after the first, and only, rehearsal. Despite how much he practiced, that was to be expected. The only reason he was so good when he was younger was because he used the fact that he was mentally a lot older than how he was physically. Now that his physical age was catching up, he was a regular actor.

He would change that. For Ai.

"So you can still act after all," Kana said when it was time for a break.

Aqua smiled at her. "I'm not as good as I was in the past. I'm just a regular actor now, but I guess that makes me fit in with everyone else here—everyone except you. You're still talented."

Kana smiled. "I have to say, I'm kind of disappointed. You were great back then."

"I was only using what I had." Maybe he should try using that skill again. If it worked back then, it could work now. Some of the rainwater that had leaked through created puddles on the ground. He could try to walk through them to add to the eerie setting. That would make the episode more watchable, wouldn't it?

Though, it wouldn't be possible to fully create a good scene if the actor for Aona Kanaka, Melt Narushima, wasn't the best at acting, to say the least. It was mean of him to think that—hopefully, Ai would forgive him—but it was true. Despite Kana telling him that it was natural for young people to act so stuck-up when first gaining popularity like she did, he still didn't like him.

"This is enough," said Kana, a smile on her face. "Your performance feels like it came from someone who's been putting effort in for a long time. I'm guessing you did."

Aqua smiled and let that answer for him.

"The finer techniques you used were well polished," she continued, "or maybe you suppressed your sense of self and became part of the story."

"I'm just following your lead."

Kana smiled. Talking this way with her was nice, even though he remembered clearly of wanting to kill her when they first met as children—or, Aquamarine was.

"Do you think you'll get more roles after this?" he asked. "I haven't seen you anywhere recently."

Aqua wanted to take the words back when Kana flinched. "W-Well, I...I had a very long dry spell. I couldn't get any work, and people online acted like my career was over."

"But it's not, is it?"

"No. I never stopped practicing. I didn't know why I was working so hard, and the thought of retiring was always on my mind. But look where I am now!" Kana gestured around them with open arms. "I'm finally being valued for my skill. It was a painful road to get here, but I'm happy I never gave up. So that's why, even if you aren't the best actor in the world, just knowing that you kept at it all this time makes me happy."