Ai stretches forth her hand, feelingt the droplets in her hand.
"Oh, I forgot to bring an umbrella."
Ai runs into a Mall to take shelter. She looked at the rain from behind.
"How am I supposed to go back now?"
Ai looks around , gazing inside the mall, she found some cute pretty clothes. Ai looks around and went inside.
In the mall.
Ai went into the clothes store. Looking for the clothes she found earlier.
"I wonder where it is..."
Ai found the same clothes she's been looking for, she took it and raises it above her head. Her eyes sparkling.
"Oh my gosh! It's so....cute!"
She looks around to find the counter. But, instead, her eyes were caught by some set of clothes and a pair of shoes and hats again.
"Oh...."
Ai remembers Akira's words before she left lately.
LIVING ROOM – MORNING
Akira sits at his desk, facing his laptop once again. A steaming mug of coffee sits nearby. Ai walks in, fully dressed with her cute cap and tote bag, smiling wide like she's about to conquer the world (or a mall).
Akira (Without looking up)
"Your allowance is in the envelope by the fridge. Same as last week."
Ai snatches it gleefully
"¥150,000 again? You know, you spoil me more than the agency ever did."
Akira (Still typing)
"It's not spoiling. It's budgeting. Use half and save the rest."
Ai, waving the envelope like a fan
"Mmmhmm~ Totally saving it. Like... how I 'saved' last week's on arcade tokens and cat shirts."
Akira looks up, deadpan
"So I am funding B-Komachi's cutest little gremlin."
Ai sticks her tongue out
"Former cutest little gremlin, thank you very much. Now I'm a responsible grown-up… with five cat shirts and a new obsession for scooping gold fishes."
Akira sighs
"Just don't make me trace your location from a UFO catcher again."
Ai winks and heads for the door
"No promises!"
CURRENTLY.
Ai smiles mischievously, and took out her wallet. Chuckling.
"Forgive me Akira-sama, I'll definitely save money next time."
Ai brought the two pair of clothes, 1 pair of casual white/pink shoes and a cute cap, and a casual new pink cat t-shirt.
Sales clerk woman:
"Have a nice day ma'am."
Ai, holding her bags. Waved back at the clerk, smiling.
"Thank you! You too."
¥150k - 30k = ¥120k left.
Ai walking around the mall, looking for something that could take her attention once again.
While she was walking, she found an arcade, the noises of everybody playing, the noises of the announcers of the game, are all tempting for Ai.
Ai shook her head.
"No, not this time."
(She pouts and walks away.)
8 minutes later.
Ai receives tickets from winning a car racing game at the arcade.
She leaps at how many she received, smiling.
"Aha~! I'll make sure to get the prize phone for Akira with this. I hope i repay him with this."
Meanwhile at the House of Akira.
Akira (Typing and separating file documents.)
Akira stood up to drink some water at the Kitchen—Looking above the ceiling.
After he drank, he went back to the living room, and saw Ai's umbrella on the couch.
Akira sighed.
"She forgot her umbrella again."
Akira walks up to the door, checking the weather.
"It's stopping, any minute by now. You're blessed (you lucked out.) Ai."
He sighed and went back into his work, putting on a cool fever—Continuing his work.
"What could she be doing now?"
Meanwhile on Ai's perspective.
Ai singing one of her idol songs before (Star☆T☆rain.) She got a perfect score, all people behind her watches her from the door frame.
(People congratuled her for her singing.) Ai waves at them, smiling.
"Oh~ It's nothing."
Ai went into the ticket exchanger. And barely made it for a phone... Ai looks at her wallet still ¥110k left, she smiles and plays another game.
At the same arcade, on a dancing platform.
Mem-cho choosing a dance song. She ends up on B-Komachi playlists.
"Hmph? B-Komachi? Well, I guess I should"
She grins.
"Well, maybe I should try one." (Sign wa B)
Mem-cho warns up. Stretching her arms.
Meanwhile on Ai's perspective.
Ai looks around for another game to play, she saw a young woman, preparing for a dance, Ai takes a closer look and noticed it was one of her dances before.
Ai's eyes sparks in excitement and taps the young woman.
"May I join?"
Mem-cho (The young woman) turns around the woman (Ai) she smiles.
"Of course you can ma'am "
Ai's eyes sparks brighter and drops off her items first, and also warms up too.
After warming up.
Ai turns her head to the young woman/mem-cho with curiosity.
"What's your name?"
Mem-cho's eyes widen and smiles brightly.
"Ahh~ Mem-cho!"
Ai recognizes her name as one of those YouTubers.
"Oh, Mem-cho? The YouTuber?"
Mem-cho blushes and scratches her head.
"Ehe- well, yes. Oh, wait. How about you ma'am, what's your name?"
Ai eyes widened and starts sweating a bit.
"Oh... Me? Uhmm... A..I'm A- (pronounced like "Ah" but shorter)"
Mem-cho raises and eyebrow and leans closer.
"Oh.. A-san? Is that your real name?"
Ai scratches her head, laughing nervously.
"Oh... It's a nickname." (Hoping Mem-cho wouldn't question further.)
Mem-cho nods. She smiles, starting the dance.
"I see. Let's start, A-san!"
While Mem-cho and Ai were dancing, crowd began forming. They couldn't help but notice how A-san's dancing was so similar to Ai's, even Mem-cho starts noticing it. Her eyes, focused on the screen with a wide smile, her charisma was just as the same as Ai... She's like a dead brung to life.
The Dance Ended.
Crowd starts clapping and cheering for A-san, Ai couldn't help but smile back at them.
The people saw through her... Her charisma. Her smile. It's almost like Ai...
A-san took her bag's, and received her tickets from the dance.
Mem-cho turns to A-san, wondering.
"She really is like Ai."
Meanwhile at the exchanging rewards.
Clerk:
Congratulations ma'am, you have received a phone prize.
Ai smiles, looking at the phone, confirming it's authenticity. Her eyes sparkling.
Whisper: I earned this one for you Akira-sama!
She turns her head to the clerk and waved at her.
"Thank you ma'am, have a nice day."
The clerk smiles, waving back at her as Ai leaves.
Ai sighs, closing her eyes.
"That was a close one."
Ai leaves the mall, taking the exit. She looks up, seeing the sky is now clearer.
"I left just in time." She smiles.
Ai waits at a bus stop.
While she is waiting for a bus, she opens her phone and happily messaged Akira.
Ai:
Sends a picture of a new phone.
Akira:
"Where did you get that?"
Ai:
"I got it just for free with tickets at the arcade."
Akira:
"How much money did you spend for the games?"
Ai starts getting nervous.
"Well... Around ¥2300 yen... But, at least we got it 92% off it's price."
Akira:
"Just go home safely now."
Ai smiles replying back with a heart emoji.
"of course, I will."
Ai closes her phone as a bus approach.
She takes up her items and stepped in. The door, closing behind her.
Meanwhile at the filming set of "Sweet's today."
Aqua walks up closer to Narushima. Whispering:
"You know, you sure are ugly up close. That's all you've got without airbrushing, hmm?"
Narushima grabs his shoulder in anger
"What did you say!?"
Narushima realizes that he might've messed up.
The crew starts worrying and suggested to stop. But some are impressed.
Aqua continue's acting.
"Didn't you hear me? I said that girl's not worth protecting."
(Other crew's perspective.)
Crew member 2:
"That little punk... He's ad-libbing his marks and bits off the script..."
Crew member 1:
"Let him." He turns his head, facing the guy.
"Follow him with camera 2. Bring up the lights a bit."
Narushima:
She- she's my precious friend!
Kana's thoughts:
"Oh... this is getting good.This is just like in the manga."
Aqua's thoughts:
"This is the famous scene in the manga. Staging composition, tempo. It all means something. Ive'd always been good at situations where I'm asked to think about the creator's feelings."
Kana gulps.
Aqua's thoughts:
"If I interpreted a masterpiece accurately... I'd get a passing grade. There you go (Kana). I set it up for you. (Narushima talking in the background.) You wanted to do this, right?"
The scene changes into Kana's face.
Aqua's thoughts.
"Get serious, Kana Arima. The heroines tears are the high point of this scene."
Aqua takes out his prop knife and runs towards Kana.
Aqua's thoughts.
"I'll create darkness... And make that one spot shine."
Narushima punches Aqua.
Aqua laughs in a villain-likeness
"NOBODY NEEDS YOU. FIGURE OUT YOUR PLACE IN THE WORLD ALREADY. QUIT DREAMING. There's nothing good in your future. Your life is pitch-black."
(Aqua to himself)
"It's time for the finishing touch. If Kana Arima manages to cry—"
The scene changes to Kan , who starts crying.
"Even so... I have light."
That makes the final cut.
Narushima went to Aqua, apologizing.
"I'm sorry. I clipped you, huh. I was trying too hard..."
Aqua smirks:
" Don't worry about it, I got his on purpose.
The scene changes into Ai, looking at the bus window. Smiling.
Aqua:
"Acting's a lot better if there's feeling behind it."