Falling into a heavy daze, Sato seemed to hear the other man continuing to speak. His voice, though, sounded as though it came from afar and Sato had to struggle in order to make out the words.
"Honestly, when I called you out today, I wasn't sure what you were going to look like."
Sato remained silent, lowering his eyes to stare at his hands for a long moment.
Suddenly, all his former cheerfulness vanished. As if it was sucked by a vortex, the light dancing on his face disappeared, and his previous sparkling eyes became dull. At the same time, his face expressed a deep pain, one that was beyond words.
Witnessing this sight, Kyota let out a deep breath.
"See? That's exactly what I was afraid of. You, showing exactly that expression. Haven't you had enough, Sato-kun? Even that bull-headed Kyosuke is doing something to fight his demons, albeit forcibly. So, how long are you going to run away from yours?"
"In his case, his demon is you and you're... Well, you're different, Kyota-san."
That was indeed true. Regardless of how mean Kyota acted towards Kyosuke, he never did anything to truly hurt him. Even when forcing him to do something against his will there was always a reasonable purpose behind it.
While Touma… Touma was...
Well, truth be told, not even Sato himself knew what exactly Touma represented to him anymore.
"Sato-kun, I heard of a good opportunity. Would you be willing to give it a try?" Kyota asked just as they reached the restaurant.
"A… good opportunity? You mean there is a company that doesn't mind the rumors about me?"
"You'd be surprised to see just how little those rumors matter in the face of pure talent."
"Kyota-san I… I don't know." Sato looked torn between the longing he felt towards acting and the fear of the past repeating itself.
"I won't force you to accept, but I want you to at least think about it. Afterwards, you can decide whether you wish to take a shot at it or not."
Kyota paused for a moment, before continuing to speak in a businesslike tone.
"Next week there is going to be an audition for a movie. I think you should attend."
"An audition? For a movie?" Sato blinked in surprise.
He had expected it to be an easier project. Something like modeling for an advertisement or something similar. Considering the long break he had taken from the entertainment world, as well as the reasons behind it, Sato hesitated. He felt it would be difficult to deal with something so big right from the start.
"Yes." Kyota nodded, continuing his explanation. "The movie is an adaptation of a well-received book and will be directed by Mayama Kenta. I am sure you've heard of him. The man is very famous in the industry, and almost all the projects he has picked up made huge waves. Whether it's due to luck or thanks to his amazing talent, the fact is that anything directed by him will get you famous."
Hearing this, Sato shrunk his neck, instinctively wanting to refuse.
"You know I don't aspire to be famous. I just… I just want to be able to do what I love the most, and that is acting. Even if it's a small production, I wouldn't mind. But…"
"As long as you want, there is nothing that's stopping you from trying." Kyota interrupted Sato.
He took a moment to try and find the best words to explain.
"Sato-kun, I know what you are afraid of." Kyota began slowly. "But you can't run away forever. If you wish to remain in this industry, you'll have to pick up the pieces and move on. It's true that what happened a year ago dealt a huge blow to your acting career. I still remember how difficult it was to control the media from doing articles about it. But now those rumors have almost entirely vanished. No one even remembers what happened at that time. Also, since you've been out of the spotlight for so long, no one will even recognize you."
"I really wish I could believe that. Unfortunately, things aren't that easy." Sato smiled sadly.
"That's true, it isn't easy. It wasn't easy to be stabbed in the back by the one you loved. However, one day you will have to face that camera and the people standing behind it. Or else you will be forced to give up the dream you've worked so hard to achieve. Do you really want that to happen?"
"I…"
Sato stared ahead blankly. His befuddled mind was unable to come up with an answer right away.
What was it that he really wanted? It's true that he wished he could act again. But, at the same time, he was also afraid of standing in front of other people. Furthermore, he was most afraid of ever showing his talent. All he could think about was hiding and avoiding being seen at all cost.
Behaving in this manner, Sato appeared like a person who had lost both his way and his confidence. Just like a star that's slowly dimming, until it finally becomes a dark spot in the sky.
Will that happen to him as well, if he continues like this? Will his light also fade away, never to return?
In the meantime, the car had stopped in front of the restaurant. Through his hazy thoughts, Sato heard Kyota speaking quietly next to him.
"As I said before, I won't force you to go. Nevertheless, I think you should at least think about it. If you decide to try, let me know. Here is the address where the audition will be held at."
After saying that, Kyota extended his hand and gave Sato a piece of paper. The small note had all the necessary information regarding the location and time of the audition.
As he stared down at it, Sato had a strange feeling rising in his stomach, like a foreboding premonition.
Was it just his imagination or was it caused by mental strain?
Sato would find out the answer to that question only later. It will be when his heart would beat differently than before, and when his soul would yearn for another's.