There was something very peculiar about comparing Sato with Keita.
Were they really that similar and, if they were, what exactly made them so? As far as personality goes, they couldn't be more different.
Keita was an introvert, who didn't have any qualms in stating his mind briskly. It always caused people to feel stunned by his contradictory personality.
Meanwhile, Sato seemed to be a tender person, someone who enjoyed smiling and laughing very much. Yet, he also appeared to have somehow forgotten how to do it.
Indeed, the former appeared to be a sharp-clawed cat, while the latter was a meek, fluffy bunny.
With this image in mind, Asakura felt the knot in his heart tightening even further. It wasn't that Sato was similar to Keita, but that Sato had also made a powerful impact in his mind.
Nevertheless, the feeling was different from the one he had fifteen years ago. This time he didn't want to run away and hide. If anything, he wanted to search for Sato and find him as soon as possible. But he didn't want to force the other party into making a decision either. That was the most baffling thing among all this.
Try as he might, Asakura couldn't understand why exactly he was acting in this unusual manner. Perhaps he was really beginning to change?
~~~
The day of the audition finally arrived.
When Asakura got to the avenue where the tryouts were held, he saw a big crowd gathered in the lobby.
Despite being quite a spacious room, it proved to be insufficient in the face of so many people. Young actors and models were either sitting or pacing around, trying to relieve their nerves.
In order to make it easier for the team to find the best suited actors for playing the characters, the company decided to split the audition into two sections.
Individual interviews with the actors were going to be held during the morning, while the afternoon was reserved for the actual tryouts. The latter section was the most important one. The actors were given a part of the script and asked to enact a scene.
While the first half of the event was going to be held individually, the second part was going to be organized in groups. This way it made it easier for the team of judges to witness the actors interacting with each other as they interpreted their roles.
As per their initial agreement, Masato Keita was also going to attend this second part of the audition. Being the original author of the book, there was a lot of pressure hanging on his shoulders during this event. He was expected to watch the young performers during the tryouts, and also give his opinion on who might be the best suited actor and for which role.
At 9 a.m. the audition was officially declared open and the actors were invited inside the conference room one by one.
A couple of hours passed smoothly like this. By the time almost everyone had been interviewed, Asakura was already bored to death. Sure, there had been some interesting people among those he'd seen so far, but the one he really wanted to see was nowhere in sight.
He was just about to go out for a smoke, when he heard voices right outside the door.
"Ah, it's you! You're late, you know! Hurry up and get inside!" The assistant was ushering someone.
A second later, the door opened and a young man stumbled inside.
The first thing Asakura could see of that person was his overall appearance, casual and clean. His light brown hair wasn't styled, giving him a more youthful vibe. He was standing in the doorway with his head lowered. From that position, the light in the room cast several shadows on his face, making his white complexion stand out even more.
When he finally looked up, the young man's eyes met Asakura's, causing the latter to feel utterly thunderstruck. He froze on the spot and even forgot how to breathe for a moment.
There, in front of him, stood none other than Imamura Sato, the person whom he had thought of all this time.
Sato appeared to be just as shocked by the encounter as Asakura. His clear eyes widened and he gaped soundlessly at the other man. Surprise, disbelief and a small trace of joy were all mixed in that gaze of his.
Before either one could react, the assistant followed Sato inside. Then, showing a professional attitude, she quickly introduced the young man to the judges.
"This is Imamura Sato. He applied under HoshiAkari Entertainment."
"Right, right." Producer Fukuoka Shintarou said with a nod. "Director Kyota from HoshiAkari Entertainment called me early this morning to let me know he was going to send one of his prodigies. So you're him, huh."
Sato struggled to recover from his earlier surprise and gave a polite bow.
"Y-yes. I'm Imamura Sato. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
Although there was a slight stutter in his voice due to nerves, Sato's voice was both crisp and pleasant. He spoke neither too high, nor too low, and also managed to sound nighter too polite, nor too arrogant.
"Please take a seat and let's talk for a bit." Director Mayama Kenta calmly gestured towards a chair.
After sitting down, Sato was startled to realize that he was now facing an entire line of people, who were all gaping at him with interest. Apart from Asakura, the director and producer, there was another person whom Sato guessed to be the scriptwriter.
After the initial shock caused by Sato's unexpected appearance wore off, Asakura gradually regained his senses. That's when he finally realized that he was standing in a rather odd position.
His body was half-risen from his chair and bent forward in an awkward angle.
With a light cough, he quickly sat back down. All this while, though, his eyes were staring fixedly at Sato's face, taking in every change in the young man's expression.
Thus, Asakura could easily see the flickers of emotion flashing in those clear eyes. Like two pools of limpid water disturbed by ripples, Sato's vibrant eyes trembled with nervousness. He looked anxious, but there was also an underlying determination in the thin line of his mouth, and the way he kept his back straight.
Seeing him like this, Asakura couldn't hold back his smile and even his heart felt warm. This young man was truly impressive. He had come to battle a fearsome enemy, while having so little courage. But, at the same time, he refused to show any apparent weakness to his opponent.