With a jolt, Hiroshi wakes up in an unfamiliar room. Confused by the situation, he tries to remember what happened. Suddenly, a sharp pain strikes his head, causing him to groan. After a few minutes of suffering, the pain begins to subside, allowing Hiroshi to finally organize his thoughts and grasp the situation.
He is now a 5-year-old boy who, coincidentally, shares the same name as him, Hiroshi Takahashi. As he looks at his small, delicate hands, he realizes that not only is his name the same, but his appearance is also surprising. Hiroshi is now an extremely beautiful child, with features that border on the ethereal. His hair, a vibrant emerald green, shines like precious stones under the light, easily catching the attention of anyone who passes by. His large, expressive eyes, in the same shade of green, convey a purity and curiosity typical of his age, but with a hint of unusual wisdom. With soft and harmonious features, Hiroshi could easily be mistaken for a child model or even a rising young actor.
After the pain completely fades, Hiroshi begins to process the memories of the body he now inhabits. His parents are attractive and successful people. His father, frequently absent due to international business trips, is an imposing figure, while his mother, with a job that allows her to spend more time at home, is a warm and constant presence in the boy's life. The Takahashi family enjoys a comfortable financial situation, which guarantees Hiroshi a peaceful childhood without material concerns.
Although relieved to realize that his new life is safe and comfortable, Hiroshi is still curious about the world he has ended up in. This might be a place taken from some work he read or watched before. The mysterious voice he heard in the darkness before reincarnating also intrigues Hiroshi.
His first goal is to learn more about the world around him. After that, he plans to apply all his knowledge and strive to be the best—or even more than that, to be perfect. However, as a 5-year-old child, his possibilities are limited. Thus, he decides to let time pass while behaving as a good child.
With not much to do, Hiroshi decides to watch some TV. Turning on the device, he searches for something interesting. Noticing that the anime are different from what he was used to, he watches with curiosity, trying to identify what is trending in this new world. During the programming, a commercial catches his attention—he recognizes the child on the screen: Kana Arima.
Immediately, Hiroshi realizes which world he is in. With that in mind, he begins to plan his next steps. Deciding that this is the best path to take, he speaks directly to his mother:
"Mom, I want to take acting lessons."
Hiroshi had always been a quiet child, and seeing that her son had shown interest in something new, his mother quickly agrees to his request:
"Of course, Hiroshi. But not now. Let's wait until you turn at least 6, and then we'll look for a place where you can learn."
Although this wasn't exactly the answer Hiroshi wanted, he thanks his mother. Even so, he is genuinely happy. "It's really nice to have parents who care about you," he thinks.
After reaffirming to himself that this new life is an opportunity to grow and become what he never was, Hiroshi sets a new goal in his heart: "To be the perfect artist, in any field—music, dance, acting, or even modeling." He wants everything for himself; he wants to be the most perfect.
So, Hiroshi spends the next year doing everything within his reach to achieve his goal. He begins to get to know his new family better and discovers that they are extremely good people. Compared to his previous parents, who were always arguing, the Takahashi family's atmosphere is much more welcoming and harmonious than what he was used to.
One year of living a life of peace and love was much more than Hiroshi could have imagined. It was enough to make him slightly change his goal: "I want to be perfect for my family." Of course, he still wants to be the best artist, but now he also wants to make his parents proud.
———
A year had finally passed, and Hiroshi could finally take the first step toward his perfect future. He and his mother headed to a school that taught children the basics of theater and acting. Exploring the place, Hiroshi felt excited about making his mark in this world. Even though he didn't know much about acting, he was confident that he would be the best at it.
After taking care of the formalities, Hiroshi's mother finished enrolling him in the classes. By coincidence, a class was about to start in the next hour, so Hiroshi waited there to begin learning about acting.
As time passed, Hiroshi was directed to a room where other children around his age had also gathered to attend the class.
"Hello, everyone. I'm your acting teacher. My name is Miyuki Sakamoto, but you can just call me Miyuki-sensei."
Introducing herself and listening to others introduce themselves, the class began.
"Acting is like playing pretend! When we act, we're pretending to be someone else, just like when we play as superheroes or princesses. But to do it well, we need to use three important things: our imagination, our body, and our voice."
With language appropriate for children, Miyuki-sensei gave a good explanation of the basics of acting.
"First, we use our imagination to create the story in our heads. What is the character like? What does he or she like? How does he or she feel? Then, we use our body to show the character's actions. We can walk like them, make the expressions they would make. And finally, we use our voice to speak like they would, with the right emotions and tone."
"When we put all of this together, we can bring the character to life! And the most important thing: acting is fun because we can be whoever we want and explore many different stories!"
Listening to the teacher, Hiroshi couldn't deny that she was very good at her job.
So, what would an acting class be without some kind of acting?
"Now that we understand a bit about what acting is, let's play a fun game to put it into practice! I'm going to ask you to transform into an animal using your imagination, your body, and your voice. You can be any animal you want: a lion, a kitten, a bird, or even a dinosaur!"
Listening carefully, he followed the teacher's instructions.
"First, close your eyes and imagine the animal you've chosen. What does it look like? Is it big or small? Does it have feathers, scales, or fur?"
Doing exactly as he was told, Hiroshi thought of a penguin.
"Now, with your eyes still closed, think about how this animal moves. Does it walk slowly or quickly? Does it hop, crawl, or fly? When I count to three, you'll open your eyes and start moving like this animal around the room."
"Now that you're moving, think about what sound the animal makes. Does it roar, meow, chirp, or make some other sound? Use your voice to make your animal's sound while continuing to move."
"Let's begin! One, two, three… transform into the animal!"
Hearing the count, Hiroshi began to waddle like a penguin. It seemed a bit silly, but he was taking it very seriously and still having fun.
While practicing his acting, he heard a sound in his head like a bell.
"*Ding*"