A Field of Stars | Oshi no Ko x OC

Chapter 5

Ruby and I sat in the very back, while Aqua sat in the front with Miyako. The car ride mostly consisted of Ruby showing me cute TikToks of animals. "Look at this cat! It reminds me of you!"
"Haha, why?" I laughed.
"It's so mature in its movements! And the eyes are the same color as your hair!" Ruby proclaimed, nudging me with her shoulder.
"Oh, I guess you're right."
"We're here!" Aqua called from the front, "I'll introduce you both to everyone, I guess."
"Oooh, yay!" Ruby cheered, rapidly unbuckling and clamoring out of her seat. I followed suit, stepping out of the car. The street was sectioned off by tape for filming, and I saw the other members of the cast talking in the distance, under a willow tree. Aqua motioned for us to follow him with a bored expression, and Ruby tailed him, dragging me by the arm along with her. As we approached the cast, I saw them watching us.
"Hi everyone, my sister wanted to tag along to set today. This is Ruby, and her friend, Tamaki Yumena. They promised to not get in the way-"
"Actually," interrupted a man with brown hair and brown eyes, crossing over to the three of us. "We could use some more extras in the background to give a more natural feel to the setting. Would you two mind just hanging out by the fountain and talking quietly amongst yourselves?"
Ruby bounced. "We wouldn't mind at all! Right, Yumena-chan?"

I nodded awkwardly. It was a bit unprofessional of him to propose this to us like that, so I was wondering what he wanted. Ruby and I meandered over to the marble fountain taking up the middle of the street, creating a roundabout surrounding it, and we sat down amongst the angel statues.
"It was nice of him to be okay with us being here, and use us as extras!" Ruby said as we sat down, the roar of the falling water behind us.
"Yeah," I lied.
"So you've been dancing for a long time?" Ruby asked, abruptly shifting the topic.
I nodded. "Yeah, since I was four."
"Me too!"
"I've also been taking singing lessons since then."
"Wow, you must be pretty good at singing now!" Ruby enthused.
I shrugged. "I'm not amazing, but I can stay in key."
"I'm sure you'll get even better!"
"Thanks. How's your singing?"
"It's...not the best...but I'll improve!" Ruby confessed, an embarrassed look on her face.
"I know you will. You're going to be amazing, Ruby," I told her, squeezing her hand.
Ruby's face lit up again. "You're so sweet, thank you!" Her eyes danced in the sun.
"Of course."

"I'm so glad we met, and we get to become idols together," she murmured after a moment, "I was so scared I might not be able to get along with my future idol members, but after spending time with you, I think things will be fine." She grinned at me brightly, flashing her pearlescent teeth.
"I'm glad to hear that," I said in a soft voice.
She squeezed my hand back. "Let's be friends for a long time, okay?"
"Okay."
During breaks, we got up and introduced ourselves to some of the girls in the cast.
"Hi, I'm Kurokawa Akane," one girl said after peeking up from her notes, and her name rang within me. Akane. Of course. This was the arc of the story where she tries to kill herself.
"It's great to meet you," I said quickly, sitting down beside her. "You're really beautiful, you know," I added, smiling at her.
"Really? Thanks! So are you, actually... Like really..."
"Aw, thank you! Ruby and I are trying to become idols, and we have an open position. We could use talented girls like you in our group, if you're interested."

"Oh, wow, thanks so much for the offer, but I'm committed to my acting. Thanks again! I'll definitely keep an eye out for you two," Akane responded, smiling gently at me.
"I understand! Thanks anyway!" I caught a glimpse of her nails. "Those are amazing," I added, nodding to them.
"Oh, thank you! You're so nice."
"Just being honest. Be careful with them, okay?" I cautioned. "Sometimes they're sharper than they look."

"Oh, really? Okay. I'll keep that in mind!" Akane said, peering down at her nails as well.
Ruby came bounding up from a group of other girls from the cast. "Yumena! Looks like they're wrapping things up for today! Let's go!"