Me and Ai

Chapter 50: Script

"Okay, I understand what you mean. Can we try it one more time?"

"Sure. Let's try this part where your friend, Sasaki, visits you at the family store. Are you ready?"

"Yes."

Tokiya-san cleared his throat.

"Tsu-chan! How's business today?"

I took a deep breath and then I imagined that I was in my character's shoes.

"Saki-kun, you came by again today."

"Of course I did. It's like part of my life to come by to see you."

"Haha. You sound cheesy there! You'll never get a girlfriend with lines like that and if you always spend your days here!"

"Whatever Tsu-chan, you'll never nab a boyfriend if you stay here all the time too."

"I'm not interested in that. Besides, no one will be interested in a girl like me. I'm better off here and in my music classes!"

"How's your singing by the way?"

"It's alright. I'm not that good but I'm not bad either."

"You've got to let me hear you some time then; I really want to hear Tsu-chan sing."

"Whatever. So what do you want to order?"

"The usual of course!"

Tokiya-san and I continued thru the script. I enjoyed the practice and learned a lot from Tokiya-san especially about getting into character and in delivering emotions.

"That was good, Yamashita-san; It was better than the first run. Just practice some more and I'm sure you'll get it perfectly."

"Thank you very much, Tokiya-san. I owe you for this."

"There's no need for that."

Tokiya-san looked at his watch.

"It's already this late? I've got to go now; I have a drama shoot to go to. Do your best and practice."

"Okay, I will! Thank you for your time. Take care and good luck on your shooting!"

Tokiya-san left and I continued to practice. I have to get into character; I have to become the character! I flipped to the page wherein Sasaki confesses to Tsukasa. How will I deliver the lines here? What would Tsukasa be feeling at this moment? It's not like I've been in love with someone yet; I can't understand these feelings. Suddenly, someone's face came into mind out of nowhere.

"Hold on! What was that just now?!" I said in surprise.

Why did his face come to mind?! ...there's that feeling again! I don't like this...it hurts but somehow it makes me feel...happy. I tried to calm down but my heart refused to listen to me; it slowed down but it was still faster and stronger than usual. I brushed it off and went back to the script. Maybe...if I would imagine that this person was Sasaki, maybe I would be more comfortable? I wasn't sure about the idea but I went on and did it anyway. I imagined that he played as Sasaki and I was Tsukasa. Strange enough, I was able to actually deliver the lines for that scene and I felt pretty good about it; I'll just have to do the same thing during the shooting of this scene. I'll just pretend that he's Sasaki and that I'm Tsukasa.

...

After practicing that scene for about two or three times, I was too tired to continue; I didn't know that acting would take up so much of my energy. I put the script down and looked at the ceiling for a while. I was still a bit hot and I could tell that my face is probably slightly red. No one was around the lobby and in the silence I could hear my heart beating. I picked up the pillow beside me and buried my face into it; I could still hear my heart.

I thought about what made me feel this way and I was wondering if perhaps I've grown fond of the person somehow. I became afraid of that thought. I lay down on the sofa as if it was my bed with the pillow in my arms.

I'm scared of what I'm feeling and what it could mean; I'm scared of the possibility of what I'm thinking right now may be what I really feel. If that's the case, then I'm scared to face that person; I don't want to see him. But...that's not possible is it? I'm scared...of falling in love.

My eyes felt heavy and I slowly surrendered to my drowsiness.

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*knock knock knock*

""Kaori, are you there? Haruka asked as she knocked on my room's door.

"She's not answering. Maybe she's out? Maybe Syo and Natsuki might know where she is; I'll go ask them."

Haruka was on her way to Syo and Natsuki's room but sees Masato and Kurosaki-senpai at the corner of the lobby. Curious as to what they were looking at, she goes over to them.

"Hijirikawa-san, Kurosaki-senpai, what are you two doing?"

"Shhh." Kurosaki-senpai then pointed to the sofa at the corner.

I looked at what he was pointing at.
"Kaori?!" I said softly.

"Kurosaki-senpai and I saw her here when we came from work. We didn't want to wake her up because she looked like she was having a nice dream. So I got this from our room for her."

Masato had a blanket and put it over Kaori.

"Kaoru was probably working on this."
Kurosaki-senpai showed Haruka a notebook that had a title "An Ephemeral Dream".

Haruka takes the notebook and looks at its contents.

"Kaori is going to star in a drama series."

Masato smiled as he looked at Kaori.

"I'm guessing that she got tired after practicing for hours. Ichinose told me that he helped her practice during the morning before he went to work in the afternoon. That would mean that she's been practicing since early morning."

"Let's leave her to sleep. It wouldn't be good for her to wake up now. Knowing her, she would get back to practicing right away. Kaoru just doesn't know when to rest." Kurosaki-senpai said as he left.

"We should go too. It's getting late. Good night, Nanami."

"Good night Hijirikawa-san."

Haruka places the script on the table and then looks at Kaori.
"Good night, Kaori."

Haruka then leaves and goes back to her room.

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It was the middle of the night when I turned in my sleep and fell off the sofa.

"Wha...WHAAATTT—"

Oh my back...that hurt quite a bit! I looked around and found myself still in the lobby. I fell asleep while I was practicing. Huh? A blanket? I wonder who lent it to me. I must thank the person and return this tomorrow. I covered myself with the blanket and picked up my script; I then went on my way back to my room. I feel like a little kid dressing up as a ghost for Halloween. I reached my room and I was so happy to see my bed.

"My bed, how I missed you."

I put my script on the side table and just fell onto my bed with the blanket still on me and went back to sleep. I look like a cat wrapped in a blanket and buried in pillows. Why do I have to wake up early and miss this comfort? I bet Mikaze-senpai doesn't know how to enjoy sleeping like this!