Masking Emotions - Oshi No Ko

Chapter 7: A new opportunity

By the time the night was in the sky, Nagisa had recorded an audition tape for all 3 kids. Herself, Hajime and Kokoro...

As the adults watched the tape, they were shocked.

What they had just seen... It was amazing!!

Nagisa gave the most incredible performance. She didn't just play the role of the "Creepy Kid" -- she BECAME the "Creepy Kid".

Hajime was good, too, but Kokoro just stood out. She had so much expressiveness in her eyes, so much emotion. She made them care about the character-- about HER, the "Creepy Kid".

"Wow, this is AMAZING!"

Hajime's mom cheered, hugging her son, as Miu, Kokoro's mother ruffles her daughters hair.. But Nagisa's parents only gave her a nod, of acknoledgement, and their eyes basically said: "It was good, but you could've done better."

Nagisa sighed slightly as she received congratulations from the adults. The other kids parents were gushing over their performances, giving them praise with smiles and pats on the back. But Nagisa's parents were more restrained in their reactions. They weren't mean or anything, just... professional and aloof, as if they had seen this same brilliant performance a hundred times before.

It didn't seem fair to Nagisa. She had worked so hard and done such an amazing job, so why couldn't her parents celebrate it like the other parents did?

"We must get going, we have audition tapes to send."

Nagisa's mother said, pulling Nagisa out with them as the Ogawa family walked out the door.

"A-Ah, Oh dear, little Minato must be worried sick! We gotta go, bye Miuu!!"

Hajime's mom said, grabbing Hajime and guiding him out gently.

Kokoro's mother looked at her daughter for a moment after the adults left.

"You did good, Kokoro," she said, nodding slightly, "I'm proud of you."

Kokoro looked back at her in surprise.

"You are?"

"Of course. You made me care about that character, Kokoro!"

A blush crossed Kokoro's face, she didn't realize it, though.

"B-but Nagisa was so much better.. She deserved to be praised!"

"True. But you were good too."

Her mother replied.

"...Okay."

Kokoro says, nodding as she then heads to her room, and sits on the edge of her bed.

"What if that tape.. actually makes it through? And.. What if I end up... Becoming an actress in such little time? Hmm.. this is so confusing."

She muttered, she could feel anything, any feeling about this situation.. And she couldn't even feel all that frustrated..

Kokoro had never thought she'd be an actress-- certainly not at the age of five or six. But now that she had seen the tape they made, and received feedback... part of her wasn't against the idea.

She went over all the scenes in her head once more, playing each one back. How she had acted. The dialogue. The lines she had to deliver.

She had to admit-- it was kind of fun. She could see the appeal of acting. Playing a character and pretending to do things, it was an interesting concept. It was something she was good at, acting... It's the thing that changed her life...

After a few moments of thought, Kokoro jumped up from her bed and went downstairs to speak to her mother.

"Mama, can I ask you something?"