Half a month had passed since Sistina was scouted.
She had initially said, ‘If it doesn’t work out, I can just quit.’ but in the blink of an eye, she had joined the ranks of popular actresses.
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It seemed that she became a substitute for a TV commercial actress who had fallen ill with the flu.
Remarkably, the commercial was set to air the next day, and postponing it was out of the question.
I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of set it was, but that moment marked the turning point for Sistina, just one week after joining the agency.
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The commercial featured a new product from a major beverage company.
As soon as the commercial aired, the TV station was flooded with phone inquiries about the beautiful woman on screen.
The fact that these inquiries were made over the phone is a quaint detail from the pre-social media era.
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And so, I found myself riding in a taxi with Sistina, heading toward the agency.
Of course, the agency covered the taxi fare.
Permission had been granted for her to bring a friend along to observe the filming location, and somehow, I was the chosen one.
I didn’t recall expressing a desire to go, but I had been asked to accompany her.
It was her first time on a movie set, and she must have been feeling anxious.
Although there wasn’t much I could do, if my presence helped her relax even a little, then that was enough.
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The filming location was a studio in Tokyo.
Judging by the set, it resembled the interior of a Japanese apartment.
The staff were bustling around the set, their movements hurried.
While waiting for Sistina’s makeup to be completed, I stood there, somewhat abandoned.
「Isn’t this set just a recycled backdrop from another drama, you idiot?」
Seated in the director’s chair, grumbling away is…Director Minamino!
The maestro who garnered awards at international film festivals.
Even in this era, he’s more than sufficiently famous.
But can they just cast him like this out of the blue?
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And over there, is that actor Sorimura Hiroshi?
Oi oi, is this actually a set for an epic film or something?
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I glance over at the staff members nearby, flipping through the script.
It only takes a few seconds, but with my keen eyesight, I grasp the content fully.
It seems to be a story about a returnee high school girl who refuses to attend school.
The climax revolves around Sistina’s character, the high school girl, breaking out of her shell.
Hmm…?
The teacher burst into the room with a hammer, and then the heroine in sailor uniform will retaliate with a machine gun?
What kind of movie is this?
I’m starting to worry if she can play her role.
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As I kill time like that, the studio atmosphere suddenly changed.
The previous chaotic buzz momentarily fades, and everyone’s gaze converges on the studio entrance.
There stands Sistina in her sailor uniform.
Her otherworldly beauty leaves everyone breathless.
Although she’s age-wise a college student, no one seems to care.
「Guess it’s understandable they’d want to squeeze her in, you idiots…」
Director Minamino drops the megaphone he was holding onto the floor.
「The real challenge lies in her acting.」
Sorimura mutters. But his anxiety is quickly dispelled… and yet, he’s met with resounding applause.
Sistina, your acting skills are uncanny, aren’t they?
During the snow mountain event, I thought the same.
Perhaps there’s hidden talent within her, even without memories—perhaps her skills are deeply rooted since she’s still in Italy.
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