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On his second week at the orphanage, the bullies had broken his glasses.
Eight-year-old Himekawa Taiki hugged his wobbly knees close to his chest as he huddled in the corner of the children's common room. He wondered if he should just have endured the abuse of his relatives instead of being shipped off into an orphanage. At least his relatives did not break his glasses in the three years they starved and hit him.
Outside, the kids were running and screaming while playing. The lone television in the common room was blasting nursery rhymes and other children's songs on repeat. Taiki covered his ears and closed his violet eyes tightly, trying to drown out the noise. The superintendent's angry voice still echoed loudly in his mind— 'Idiot! Piece of shit! Do you know how fucking expensive glasses are?!'
Because everything was his fault. No one believed him anyway that there was no point defending himself.
It was too troublesome to continue living. His parents should have taken him with them.
'If you eat bell pepper, you'll be Superman!'
Slowly, he raised his head, drawn to the happy voice singing from the television.
'If everyone dances along, you'll be Peter Pan!'
He crawled near the low television set, his nose almost touching the screen as he tried to focus on the blob of color red and green— which turned out to be a young girl in a green bell pepper dress, enthusiastically dancing.
His eyes widened as the surrounding noise quieted, and he could only hear her cheerful voice, 'If you eat bell pepper, you'll be Superman!'
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Taiki sat for days huddled in front of the television, waiting patiently for the video of the girl with the cheerful voice. And a week later, when the orphanage's superintendent finally handed him his repaired glasses, he was awestruck to see clearly, at last, the girl's face.
She had a pair of bright crimson eyes and a very warm smile.
Ten-year-old Himekawa Taiki's jaw dropped as the man, Kindaichi Toshirou, offered to take him in.
"I manage a theater group," the older man explained. "Do you want to be an actor?"
It was the first good news he had received in a long time, coloring his world blue with hope. Being an actor would bring him closer to her— to Arima Kana. "Yes," he croaked. "Please take me in!"
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She was a genius child actress, and he was an orphaned, no-name, beginner actor. But Taiki persevered, throwing himself into acting, dissociating from the painful reality of his pitiful life.
One day, he hoped to stand in the same stage as her, to bask in her golden smile.
Sixteen-year-old Himekawa Taiki counted the small amount he received from his theater role. He smiled. Subtracting the amount he needed for food, clothing, his phone bill, and changing his prescription glasses, he would have enough extra money to spend.
Thus, after his classes, he bought Arima Kana's CD and went to the fan signing event. Through the years, he had watched all her dramas and listened to her songs, but this was the first time he could show her his support. It made his heart thump in excitement.
Taiki did not have to wait for a long time for his turn because the place was empty.
Still, Arima Kana smiled warmly at him as he handed her the CD. "Thank you for your support!" Her voice was still as cheerful as he remembered even though her crimson eyes concealed her sadness. "What's your name?"
"Taiki," he responded, as he swallowed the lump in his throat. This was unacceptable. Why was someone as radiant as her wasting away like this?
Her penmanship was elegant compared to his chicken-scrawl writing. She handed the CD back, her smile never wavering. "Thank you for coming today, Taiki-san!"
"Please don't stop acting and singing." He readjusted his glasses and looked down, unable to face her straight-forward gaze. "I love your work."
Tilting her head, her lips broke into a wide grin. "I'm glad I still have a fan left. Thank you so much!"
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In the dim backstage, Taiki sat in front of the monitor to watch Arima Kana's music video. No one would disturb him here, as everyone had gone home after practice, and the kind guard had promised not to snitch on him as long as he locked up properly when he left.
The video ended, and Taiki hit the replay button.
Arima Kana looked the most radiant in her white dress and hat, contrasting with her red hair and red umbrella.
"Oh, I didn't know someone was still here."
His head snapped up as he acknowledged the woman with short black hair who entered. "Hana-san."
Hana was a year older than him and belonged to another theater group whom they were collaborating for a play. She had a delicate and beautiful face, making her popular among the male members of the troupe. "What are you doing here, Himekawa-san?" Her black eyes flitted to the monitor curiously. "Oh, you're watching Arima Kana's video? I love that song!" Her smile was serene. "Full moon, was it?"
"I love this song too," he confessed, excited to find a fellow fan.
"Then let's watch together!" she said happily as she sat beside him.
On the third replay of the music video, Hana grabbed his cheeks to turn his head away from the monitor and kissed him fully on the lips.
His heart pounded loudly against his chest as she climbed on top of him, her hands roaming. And he was a young, warm-blooded male who would be stupid to decline the advances of a beautiful, widely desired woman.
She broke the kiss and caressed his cheek. "You're very handsome, Himekawa-san."
Besides, Hana had the same short hair, and when hit by the light reflected from the monitor, it almost glowed dark red.
Amidst their heavy breathing, Taiki could only concentrate on the voice from the monitor.
'Like a dazzling white color that steals your heart, I want to be that light.'
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Afterwards, Taiki had stopped listening to 'Full Moon.'
He had also blatantly stopped caring about his appearance.
Nineteen-year-old Himekawa Taiki's eyes widened as he read the casting list his adoptive father handed him for 'Tokyo Blade.' Arima Kana was going to play as his sidekick, Tsurugi.
His heart fluttered in excitement at the prospect of acting with her.
When he saw her at their first rehearsal, she was as cute and cheerful as he remembered, but not as radiant. It irritated him.
He encouraged her not to hold back, and she did not disappoint, painting his vision in vibrant orange with her enthusiasm. She matched his passion blow by blow, which made his heart pound loudly against his ears.
He wanted to get to know her more, so he asked her out for dinner. In response, she invited Narushima Melt to join them. No problem, he was a patient person.
She was a beautiful woman madly in love, her cheeks flushed as fiery red as her hair, her crimson eyes sparkling, and all her moves captivating.
She was passionately in love with acting.
Also, she was deeply in love with that newbie actor, Hoshino Aqua— who revealed himself to be his half-brother.
Taiki ran his fingers through his unkempt black hair, his heart clenching, weary and gray.
The End