To Awa Tendo, Tsuzuki Shifune was an old acquaintance with whom she had always had a strange, conflicting relationship.
The two had been high school classmates, but their dynamic had always been complicated.
After all, among the entire student body, they had been the two most popular girls—naturally, a sense of rivalry had developed between them.
Looking back now, it all seemed rather childish.
But back then, both Awa and Shifune had constantly compared themselves to each other.
Not just in looks or charisma—they had competed academically as well. Even after high school, when they entered different industries, they still measured their success against one another.
Of course, they no longer openly argued like they had in their younger years.
They had aged past the point of petty feuds.
Besides, after graduation, they had remained the only ones from their class who still kept in touch.
Somehow, through years of competition, they had developed an odd sense of camaraderie.
When Awa's granddaughter was born, she had invited Shifune to the banquet.
And when Shifune's granddaughter, Chihiro, was born, she had gone to see her as well.
Over time, they even began boasting about their granddaughters to each other—how beautiful, how talented they were.
But in the past few years, Shifune had suddenly stopped reaching out.
Awa hadn't gone out of her way to reconnect, either.
She wasn't about to grovel for her attention.
But fate had its own sense of humor—because now, by pure coincidence, she had run into that old rival's granddaughter.
And to her utter surprise, the girl wasn't following in Shifune's footsteps as a guitarist—she wanted to become an actress.
Well, that explains a lot.
But getting worked up over something like this would be childish.
If her own granddaughter, Subaru, ever told her she wanted to give up acting and start a band instead, Awa would be disappointed—but she wouldn't stop her.
After all…
As much as she had clashed with Tsuzuki Shifune, she had to admit the woman had taken music to an admirable level.
She had built her own name in the industry, transitioned into business, and opened several successful live houses.
At the very least, it was a viable career path.
"Subaru, fix your posture."
After leading the group of kids to a nearby café, Awa scolded her granddaughter while simultaneously sizing up Shifune's.
"Yes, Grandmother!"
"Haven't I told you time and time again to maintain proper posture? Look at little Chihiro—she sits far more gracefully than you."
"…Since when?!"
Momoka and Nina, sitting on either side of Chihiro, turned to look at her—
And their jaws nearly hit the floor.
Where did this aristocratic young lady come from?!
But upon realizing their own postures were less than perfect, they instinctively straightened up, trying to mimic Chihiro's elegance.
"Acting is shaped by everyday behavior—by every gesture, every habit."
"You must always maintain both physical and mental discipline."
"Yes, Grandmother!"
"If any of you three notice anything amiss, feel free to speak up."
As she said this, Awa glanced at Chihiro once more before excusing herself.
"I'll be stepping out for a moment."
She walked toward the restroom, but instead of entering, she pulled out her phone.
For a brief moment, she considered calling Tsuzuki Shifune.
But in the end, she decided against it.
She wanted to confirm whether that old rival's granddaughter was truly passionate about acting first.
Checking the time, she noted that there were still a few hours before the evening banquet.
Originally, her plan had been to take Subaru to dinner with a younger actress named Minami Mori, using it as a chance to evaluate her granddaughter's progress.
But now, she had a new idea.
Why not take this opportunity to assess Chihiro's skills as well?
If Chihiro's acting surpassed Subaru's, it might even serve as motivation for her own granddaughter.
"Posture."
"Ah… yes!"
Upon returning to their table, Awa immediately corrected Subaru's sitting posture before getting to the main topic.
"It's about time we head back. I'll need to see how your acting skills have developed."
"The three of you may join us if you'd like."
"Of course, Awa-san."
"Wait—what?!"
Momoka nearly lost it.
Chihiro was already sucking up to Awa, smiling way too politely, completely unconcerned about leaving Momoka and Nina to fend for themselves.
But at this point, there was no backing out.
The one silver lining was that Subaru actually did want to return to the band.
Although… judging by the situation, getting her back might be just as difficult as convincing her to ditch her boyfriend for the band.
The group returned to the acting school.
Since it was a specialized institution for actors, practice rooms were in abundance.
With Awa Tendo's status, securing an empty classroom was effortless.
"…Wait. What the hell is an improv skit?!"
The moment they entered the room and learned they were about to perform an improvised scene revolving around love and infidelity, the three band girls were baffled.
Technically, Subaru had some acting experience—but with Momoka and Nina dragging her down, she kept stumbling.
Chihiro, on the other hand?
She was completely in her element.
From the moment she had learned about Awa's connection to her grandmother, she had been playing along.
And for some reason, she felt zero pressure about it.
As for improv?
Nothing in life is more improvised than my own damn existence.
So even with two deadweights and one off-their-game actress, Chihiro delivered an exceptional performance.
At one point, when she turned to Subaru and dramatically confessed her love, she instinctively replaced Subaru's image with that of a sultry divorcée.
And then… she delivered.
With tears in her eyes, with a trembling voice—she gave an Oscar-worthy performance.
"..."
"Little Chihiro…"
Awa Tendo's eyes shone with admiration.
This girl—this girl was exactly her type.
"Would you like to study acting under me?"
"…Huh?"
Chihiro was stunned.
Momoka and Nina?
They were staring at her in absolute horror.
Sis, we came here to bring Subaru back—
How the hell did you end up digging a pit and jumping in yourself?!
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...
If you're reading this, then you've wandered all the way to the end. I'm impressed. Stories are like wine—meant to be savored, not rushed. So if you took your time? Thank you.
Of course, the real thanks goes to WiseTL—the one who turned tangled words into something beautiful. I just got asked to wrap things up with a ribbon. Hopefully this counts!
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Go on. Be generous. They've earned it.
Until next time—read well, rest often, and maybe come visit me at the Hostess of Fertility sometime.
– Syr ✨