[14] Between the Lines

I stepped out of the shower, toweling off my hair. The hot water had eased some tension in my muscles, but my mind was on the lines from the script. Tomorrow's shoot loomed large.

"Marin, I'm heading to bed early," I called out, wrapping the towel around my waist.

"Aww, already?" Marin's voice drifted from the main room. "But I just started this new anime!"

I padded into the room, grabbing a clean t-shirt and boxers from my drawer. "Yeah, got an early meeting. Need to run lines with my co-star before the shoot."

Marin perked up. "Ooh, who's your co-star? Anyone famous?"

"Kana Arima," I said, slipping the shirt over my head. "We're meeting at 7 AM."

Marin's eyes widened, and she nearly dropped her phone. "Kana Arima? No way! She's in my class at Youtou High!"

I paused, surprised by this revelation. "Really? You know her?"

"Yeah, we're both in Class 1-F in the performing arts program," Marin said, bouncing on the futon. "She's pretty quiet in class, but super talented. Did you know she was a big child star?"

"No, I didn't. Tell me more."

Marin tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, she's not in any major roles right now, but she does a lot of smaller gigs. Commercials, mostly. But apparently, she was huge when she was younger. Like, everyone knew her name."

I nodded, filing away this information for later. It explained Kana's professional demeanor during the read-through. "Interesting. Any other insider info you can share?"

Marin grinned mischievously. "Well, there's a rumor going around that she's got a crush on someone. But don't tell anyone I told you that!"

I chuckled, amused by Marin's gossip. "Your secret's safe with me. Now, I really should get some sleep."

"Okay, okay," Marin said, waving her hand. "But you have to tell me all about working with her tomorrow!"

I nodded, settling onto my side of the futon. As I closed my eyes, my mind drifted to thoughts of tomorrow's meeting with Kana. Maybe Marin's insight would help me connect with her better on set.

The alarm blared at 5:30 AM, jerking me awake. I groaned, fumbling to silence it before it woke Marin.

I dragged myself out of bed, careful not to disturb Marin. She clung to my arm, mumbling something about parfaits in her sleep. I gently pried her fingers off and replaced my arm with a pillow. She hugged it tightly, burying her face in it.

The cold floor shocked my feet as I stumbled to the bathroom. I splashed water on my face, trying to wake up fully. In the mirror, I saw the bags under my eyes. This early meeting better be worth it.

I threw on some clothes and grabbed my script, shoving it into my backpack. As I headed for the door, Marin's sleepy voice stopped me.

"Akira?" she mumbled, lifting her head. "Where you going?"

"Meeting Kana, remember? Go back to sleep."

She yawned, nodding. "M'kay. Good luck. Knock 'em dead."

I chuckled. "It's just a line reading, not a performance."

"Everything's a performance," she said, already drifting off again. "You taught me that."

Her words stuck with me as I left the apartment. The streets were quiet, most of Tokyo still asleep. I breathed in the cool morning air, feeling more awake with each step.

I arrived at Café Leblanc at 6:45 AM. The small shop had a cozy, lived-in feel, with the rich aroma of coffee filling the air. I picked a booth near the back, giving me a clear view of the entrance.

A man with messy black hair approached, a black cat perched on his shoulder like it belonged there. He had an easy-going smile, but there was something in his eyes that hinted at more beneath the surface.

"Welcome to Leblanc," he said. "Can I get you anything?"

I shrugged, aiming for casual. "Surprise me. Whatever roast you recommend."

His smile widened. "One Leblanc special coming right up."

As he turned to prepare the coffee, the bell above the door chimed. Kana walked in, looking far more put-together than anyone had a right to at this hour.

The man behind the counter waved. "Welcome back, Kana. How's the acting going?"

Kana's face lit up with a genuine smile - the first I'd seen from her. "Hey, Ren. It's going well, thanks. Where's Makoto today?"

Ren chuckled, shaking his head fondly. "She stayed up too late last night, so she's getting some rest before heading to college."

Kana nodded knowingly before spotting me. Her expression shifted, becoming more guarded. "Morning, Akira-san. Hope you haven't been waiting long."

I stood, gesturing to the booth. "Just got here myself. Shall we?"

As we sat down, Ren brought over two steaming cups of coffee. "Enjoy," he said with a wink, before retreating to give us privacy.

I took a sip, eyebrows raising at the complex flavor. "Damn, that's good coffee."

Kana nodded, wrapping her hands around her cup. "Ren knows his stuff. Now, about these lines..."

She pulled out her script, all business now. "I've been thinking about Miyu's character arc. The way they've written her, she comes across as pretty one-dimensional. I want to add some depth, but I'm not sure how without deviating too far from the script."

I leaned forward, intrigued. "I've been having similar thoughts about Kanata. The manga version has so much more going on beneath the surface."

She nodded. "Of course. It's always good to know the source material, even if adaptations often... diverge."

I snorted. "Diverge is one way to put it. This script feels like they took everything interesting about Kanata and Miyu and tossed it out the window."

Kana sipped her coffee, studying me over the rim. "So what do you propose we do about it?"

I hesitated, weighing my words carefully. This could be a trap, or it could be the start of a valuable alliance. "Well, I've been playing around with some of Kanata's lines. Trying to keep the basic structure the producers want, but injecting more of his actual personality."

To demonstrate, I recited my revised version of Kanata's first interaction with Miyu. Kana listened intently, a small crease forming between her brows.

When I finished, she was quiet for a moment. Then, "That's... actually not bad. It fits better with how I've been envisioning Miyu's reactions."

She flipped open her script, pointing to one of her lines. "See here? Instead of just being flustered by Kanata's supposed charm, I was thinking Miyu could show a bit more backbone. Something like..."

Kana straightened, her entire demeanor changing as she slipped into character. "A stray cat? Well, you certainly look the part. But if you need help, I suppose I can spare a few minutes."

I grinned, impressed. "Nice. Keeps her kindness, but adds a bit of sass. I like it."

We spent the next hour going through the script, tweaking lines and discussing character motivations. It was... surprisingly fun. Kana clearly knew her stuff, and she seemed genuinely invested in doing justice to these characters.

As we wrapped up, Kana fixed me with a piercing look. "You know, Akira-san, you're not what I expected."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what did you expect?"

She shrugged. "Most newbies are either overeager puppies or arrogant jerks who think they know everything. You're... neither, somehow."

I chuckled, ignoring the twinge of unease her observation caused. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Kana nodded. "We'll see how it plays out on set. Just remember, subtle is key. We want to improve the characters, not rewrite them entirely."

"Understood," I said, standing. "Thanks for this, by the way. It's good to know we're on the same page."

As we left the café, Ren called out a cheerful goodbye. I couldn't help but notice the way Kana's shoulders relaxed slightly once we were outside, like she was letting go of a persona.

Interesting. Seemed I wasn't the only one playing a role off-screen.

"See you at the shoot," Kana said, already turning to leave.

I nodded. "Looking forward to it."

I arrived at the building for our first shoot, the morning's coffee still buzzing in my system.

As I stepped inside, I noticed a cluster of people surrounding a woman I hadn't seen before. She had a bob-cut hairstyle, light blonde hair, and circular glasses perched on her nose. The production team seemed to be hanging on her every word.

Might as well introduce myself, see what all the fuss was about.

"Excuse me," I said. "I don't think we've met. I'm Akira Hoshino, playing Kanata."

The woman turned, her eyes widening slightly as she took me in. "Oh! Hello there. I'm Yoriko Kichijouji, the mangaka of 'Sweet Today'."

I froze for a split second, my mind racing. The creator of the manga, here on set? This could either be really good or really bad for our plans to adjust the characters.

Recovering quickly, I bowed slightly. "It's an honor to meet you, Kichijouji-sensei. I'm a big fan of your work."

She smiled, but there was a hint of something - uncertainty? disappointment? - in her eyes. "Thank you, Hoshino-kun. I'm looking forward to seeing your interpretation of Kanata."

I nodded, choosing my words carefully. "I've been studying the manga closely, trying to really capture Kanata's essence. He's such a complex character."

Kichijouji's eyebrows rose slightly. "Oh? I'm glad to hear you've been so... thorough in your preparation."

Before I could respond, Kaburagi appeared, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "Ah, Akira-kun! I see you've met our esteemed creator. Kichijouji-sensei has some... concerns about the adaptation, but I've assured her we're in good hands with our cast."

I caught the tension in Kaburagi's voice, the slight narrowing of Kichijouji's eyes. There was definitely some conflict here, bubbling just beneath the surface.

"Well," I said, trying to lighten the mood, "I hope we can do justice to your vision, Kichijouji-sensei. Kanata and Miyu's story is so powerful in the manga. We'll do our best to bring that to life on screen."

Kichijouji studied me for a moment, then nodded. "I appreciate that, Hoshino-kun. Perhaps we could chat more later? I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on Kanata's character."

"Of course," I said, ignoring Kaburagi's slight frown. "I'd be honored."

As Kichijouji moved away to talk with some of the other staff, Kaburagi leaned in close. "Remember, Akira-kun, we're making our own version here. Don't get too caught up in the manga's interpretation."

I nodded, keeping my expression neutral. "Of course, Kaburagi-san. I'm just trying to give the best performance I can."

He pat my shoulder, not quite hiding his relief. "Good man. Now, go get ready. We'll be starting Miyu's scenes soon, but I want you on standby."

I watched from the sidelines as Kana took her place on the set. The room was meticulously designed to look like a trash-filled apartment, empty food containers and crumpled papers strewn about. Kana sat in the middle of it all, her posture slumped, eyes downcast.

"Action!" the director called.

Kana's demeanor shifted instantly. Her eyes, once bright and alert, now held a dull, almost lifeless quality. When she spoke, her voice was low and bitter.

"I really hate people. After all, everyone only thinks of themselves."

She paused, letting the weight of those words hang in the air. Then she continued, her voice growing more intense with each sentence.

"They smile and pretend to care, but it's all fake. Every kind word, every offer of help - there's always a catch. Always something they want in return. And when they don't get it? They throw you away like yesterday's garbage."

Kana gestured at the mess surrounding her, her movements sharp and angry.

"Just like this. Used up, tossed aside, forgotten. That's all people are good for. Using each other until there's nothing left."

She stood slowly, her eyes scanning the room as if seeing it for the first time.

"But you know what? I'm done. Done being used, done caring about people who'll never care back. From now on, I'm looking out for number one. Me. Because in the end, that's all anyone really has."

Kana moved towards the makeshift door, her hand hesitating on the handle.

"Maybe out there, in that big, uncaring world, I can find a way to matter. Even if it's just to myself."

She pulled open the door, light flooding into the dim room.

"Cut!" the director shouted. "Great work, Kana-chan! Let's go ahead and move to the next scene."

I blinked, shaking off the intensity of the scene. Kana's performance had been... raw. Powerful. Nothing like the hesitant, toned-down acting she'd shown at the café. This was Kana giving it her all, bringing Miyu's pain and bitterness to life in a way that felt almost too real.

As the crew bustled about, I turned my attention to Kaburagi, who was conferring with the director. The director looked pleased, nodding and gesturing enthusiastically. Whatever changes had been made to the script, Kana's performance seemed to be hitting the mark they wanted.

Well, at least I now know the bar I need to clear.