Chapter 67: The Rock-Paper-Scissors Secret

After Watanabe Shuichi left, Seiko and the others returned to the film set.

“Aiko-chan, you went to sneak some food again.”

Seeing Aiko return, Otake Shinobu first couldn’t help but smile dotingly, but then she composed herself and put on a serious expression.

“No, I didn’t!”

Aiko shrank back in fright, attempting a little lie.

“You say you didn’t,” Otake Shinobu pointed at Aiko’s little mouth, “look at how shiny your lips are with grease.”

“No, they’re not!” Aiko quickly covered her mouth.

Otake Shinobu said helplessly, “I’ve reminded you, to play a child like Rena who doesn’t get enough to eat, you can’t have a little potbelly. Look at your tummy, all puffed out. How does that look like someone who’s starving?”

Aiko quickly sucked in her breath to hide her little belly.

Otake Shinobu was amused by Aiko’s self-deceiving act and waved her hand, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “Forget it, go get your makeup done. It’s time to film the next scene.”

“Okay.” Aiko scurried off to the dressing room.

“Ms. Otake, how has Aiko been doing recently?” Seiko asked.

“She’s very gifted,” Otake Shinobu praised sincerely. “She learns things incredibly fast. I’ve seen many child actors, and Aiko is one of the smartest I’ve ever met. And she’s especially well-behaved. No matter how tiring or tedious filming gets, she never cries or fusses. I’d be happy if my own son were half as sensible as she is in the future.”

Comparing Aiko to her own son was probably the highest praise a mother could give.

It was clear that Otake Shinobu was genuinely fond of Aiko.

The set became busy again, and Seiko and Saori stood by the side, watching for a while.

“Big Sis, Big Sis, let’s play rock-paper-scissors!”

During a break, Aiko seemed to remember the important plan she had nearly forgotten and ran over again, tugging and shaking Seiko’s hand.

“If I win, you have to promise me one thing.”

“And if I win? If I win, you have to promise me one thing too,” Seiko asked in return.

Aiko thought about it.

Considering she was a rock-paper-scissors master who had dominated her kindergarten for three years, she felt her chances of winning were high, so she raised her little fist. “Okay! Come on, rock-paper-scissors!”

Seiko threw paper.

Aiko threw rock.

“I win.” Seiko smiled and held up one index finger. “One request.”

Aiko’s mouth hung open as she stared in disbelief at her little fist and her sister’s open palm, but in the end, she accepted her defeat. “What’s the request?”

“Hmm…” Seiko thought for a moment, then asked, “What chores does Aiko know how to do?”

“I… I can wash socks!”

“Then you’ll help me wash socks for one day.”

“Okay!” Aiko nodded solemnly, indicating she would absolutely not go back on her word. Then she continued to pester her sister, “Big Sis, again, again, let’s play one more round.”

“You want to go again?” Seiko said. “If you lose, you still promise to grant one request?”

“Mhm.”

“Then… rock-paper-scissors!”

Seiko threw scissors.

Aiko threw paper.

“I win again,” Seiko chuckled. “Aiko, you can wash my socks for two days.”

“Okay! Again!”

“I win again, three days.”

“Again!”

“Four days.”

“Again!”

“Five days.”

Round after round, Aiko kept losing until she was due to wash her sister’s socks for thirty days. Her eyes turned red, and she was on the verge of tears.

“Do you still want to play?” Seiko asked with a smile.

“Yes!” Aiko said, her voice choked with tears.

It was far too easy for Seiko to win at rock-paper-scissors against Aiko because Aiko always liked to hide her hand behind her head, form the gesture she wanted to make, and then swing it out.

Seiko was much taller than Aiko, so she only had to look down to see what Aiko was preparing to throw.

And just now, Seiko had already seen that Aiko was planning to throw rock again.

However, this time, Seiko chose to throw scissors.

“Yay, yay, yay! I won!” Aiko jumped up in excitement.

Seiko helplessly admitted defeat. “Alright, I lost to Aiko. What’s Aiko’s request?”

“Big Sis, can Rika play one of the children’s roles too?” Aiko looked at Seiko with hope in her eyes.

“So that’s what this was about.”

In the drama Mother, besides the protagonist Rena, there were other roles like Rena’s classmates in kindergarten and companions at the welfare institution, all played by children.

Since they were all minor supporting roles with few lines, the requirements for the child actors weren’t high.

The production crew usually just recruited randomly from nearby schools, so it didn’t matter who played them.

However, for the sake of her friend’s role, Aiko had paid the heavy price of washing her sister’s socks for thirty days, so Seiko naturally had to give her the full emotional payoff.

“Oh my, not just anyone can be an actor, you know. But…” Seiko put on a troubled expression. “Sigh, what can I do, I lost to Aiko… Alright, let’s have Rika play one of the children.”

“Yay!”

Aiko was, as expected, overjoyed. She bounced around for a bit, then tilted her head up and asked her sister curiously.

“Big Sis, why are you so good at rock-paper-scissors?”

“Of course, it’s because I have a secret technique,” Seiko said.

“Ooh!” Aiko’s eyes immediately filled with admiration. “What secret technique? Can you teach me?”

“I can’t. This is a secret technique that only I can cultivate. If you want to become the king of rock-paper-scissors, you must find your own path,” Seiko said with a straight face.

“Ooh!”

“Aiko, your big sister has been undefeated in the realm of rock-paper-scissors for far too long. I hope that one day, you will find your own path, surpass me, and reach the true peak!”

Aiko became solemn, her little body standing perfectly straight, her eyes filled with even greater reverence. “Yes, Big Sis!”

“Boss!”

“Boss!”

Suddenly, three voices shouted in unison.

“Hm?” Seiko followed the sound and saw it was the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. “What are you three doing here?”

“Chō,” Nishida Jun, had eventually been accepted into the Tokyo University of the Arts Junior College, but he hadn’t gotten into the directing program and could only major in cinematography.

There was still some time before the junior college term started, so it was normal for Nishida Jun to come to the set to work and learn during the summer vacation.

But for the chubby Nakagawa Shuta and the tall, skinny Baba Yoshiteru to still be on set was a bit strange.

In Seiko’s memory, Nakagawa had said he was going to inherit his family’s promising wagashi shop, and Baba was supposed to have become a pet shop clerk.

“Yoshiteru lost his job,” Nakagawa said, pointing at Baba beside him. “We came to keep him company.”

“You were fired that quickly?” Seiko asked, surprised. “How many days did you even work?”

Baba looked utterly devastated. “I was in the hospital for half a month.”

“What happened?” Seiko asked, puzzled.

“I’m allergic to animal fur.” Baba tilted his head up at a forty-five-degree angle to keep the tears from falling.

Working at a pet shop while being allergic to animal fur.

Seiko didn’t quite know what to say to that.

“Then what are you doing on the set?”

“Director Omori has me doing odd jobs and running errands,” Baba said.

Seiko nodded, understanding in her heart. It was likely that sycophant Omori Ryo knew Baba was an acquaintance of hers and had forcibly created a job for the unemployed Baba.

Seiko thought for a moment, then looked Baba up and down.

Baba was skinny and tall, a recent high school graduate. His appearance wasn’t bad; although he was a bit thin for a boy, compared to the rough-looking yakuza members, he was well above average.

Thus, after some consideration, Seiko said, “Do you know Oshin-ya over by Urawa Station?”

“The new video rental store?” Baba nodded. “I know it. My family even got a free VCR from them.”

“That store is hiring clerks right now, preparing to open new branches,” Seiko said. “Go apply. Tell them I sent you.”

“Yes, Boss!” Baba Yoshiteru was suddenly overjoyed.

Although being a rental store clerk wasn’t a high-paying job, he was just a high school graduate, so having a stable job at this point was pretty good.

Watching Baba Yoshiteru happily high-five his two best friends, Seiko added a warning, “But I have to say this upfront, I’m only recommending you for the position. If you don’t perform well and get fired by the manager of Oshin-ya, I won’t plead your case for you.”

“Don’t worry, Boss,” Baba immediately stood at attention. “I will definitely treat this job as a great undertaking!”

The corner of Seiko’s mouth twitched slightly.

She didn’t know what great undertaking there was in being a video rental store clerk, but she decided to let it go, too lazy to say anything more.