No Acting

-a few days later-

We're in trouble.

After the project was completed, Mom didn't receive much screen time. The reason behind this was Ai's remarkable performance, which overshadowed even the main character in the series, disrupting the delicate balance.

Naturally, Aqua couldn't accept this outcome, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. He used the business card he had acquired from the director and reached out to him for a conversation.

"Hey, Director! You didn't use Ai at all!" The moment the dialed party took the phone, Aqua exclaimed.

It was answered calmly by the director, "Oh that? Yeah, it came out great. It's a real shame."

"Then why!??" (Aqua)

"The production company is promoting the lead actress as 'too cute to handle.' So, what happens if somebody who's cuter is in the same frame? In terms of image strategy, that's a problem. Ai was too cute for that scene" The director explained thus.

"So the higher ups asked for some changes they shaved down her appearances to the bone during editing." (Director)

"What the heck?" (Aqua)

"The power balance between companies tends to determine the amount of screen time. Think of it as an unfortunate accident." (Director)

"I can't settle for that..."

During the discussion, a few arguments were thrown in, but then the director himself had an idea:

"This won't exactly make up for it, but...I'd like to send a job Ai's way, but on one condition, though: You have to be in it."

-flashback ends-

The conversation went exactly like that, but I truly can't comprehend how I ended up in this situation.

"AQUA! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" I exclaimed, my words dripping with anger.

Currently, we find ourselves in a secluded and remote location designated for the filming of the movie. Within the confines of a private tent, Aqua, myself, and the director engage in what can best be described as an intense "discussion."

Somehow, Aqua managed to contact the director, Gotanda Taishi, and got our mom a job... But this whole situation is still utterly unbelievable!

"Well, you see... Your brother sold you out," Director Gotanda Taishi said, his shoulder-length brown hair swaying as he lifted me up like a pet caught in his grasp.

"I already know that without you telling me!" I hissed back at him like an angry cat, while Aqua nervously watched from below.

The room had only the three of us. We were discussing acting when suddenly the topic of me being in the movie came up.

Aqua said, "I told him you can act better than me, so please bear with it since we need Ai to get the role."

"Then YOU do it, you blue-eyed white dragon brat!!" I raged, while making a reference to a certain card game from my previous life.

"Hmmm..." The director set me down after a few scratches from my nails. With an unimpressed face despite the scratch marks, he voiced his thoughts in a disappointed tone, "Oi, prodigy... I haven't exactly seen her in action, so I can't really judge properly. Rather... I'd rather you be in it, seriously."

And with that, he made his decision.

Aqua wore a frown, asking, "You haven't seen her yet, so shouldn't she get a chance?"

"Well, do you think she wants to have the chance?" That silenced him.

And finally, with a reluctant sigh, he said, "Haa, fine... But remember, if things don't go as planned, it's not my fault."

"Haha, Don't worry... I have faith in you. Nothing will go wrong."

And with those words of encouragement, I knew it was the perfect moment to make my escape.

I slowly walked away, my footsteps deliberately hushed, as they were deeply engrossed in their lively banter, completely unaware of my departure.

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Having successfully slipped away from the duo of the child and the director, I entered another room to find Miyako-san there. Ruby greeted me warmly and inquired, "So, what were you guys talking about?"

With skillful finesse, I skillfully dodged the question, not wanting to divulge the details of our conversation. Instead, I addressed Miyako-san as "mom," a term of endearment we used in public settings, and requested, "Can I have my laptop, Mom?"

"...Yes, you can... But what are you going to do with it?" Miyako-san inquired, curious about my intentions.

"To play with it, of course!" I replied with a playful grin, skillfully masking my true intent from Miyako-san.

For some reason, Miyako-san convinced Mom to give me a laptop as a birthday present. I mostly used it to learn hacking and coding, and it became a central hub for gathering information for the future.

After Miyako-san handed me the laptop, I excused myself, mentioning that I was going to find a bench or some suitable spot. Once I found a comfortable place, I opened the laptop and got to work.

There I sat on a bench, working on my laptop while dabbling in stocks and trading cryptocurrencies. Mining Bitcoin alone wasn't enough, as it could lead to inflation in its real value despite being designed to resist it.

Trading seemed like a better option, especially when I had a large sum of money in my bank account.

But my main focus was gathering information.

[Thought acceleration (C) is active]

[Wisdom: 215.5 (+5000)]

(A/N: the special effect grants you 0.5 WIS/day. 0.5 × a year + 32 + 1, 1 comes from the fact this chapter is not a new year)

Thanks to "Thought acceleration (C)," my Wisdom increased to a whopping 5215.5, which made understanding complex topics effortless.

Having high Wisdom also had another benefit-it improved my EP regeneration rate. This, in turn, made me stronger while minimizing side effects like headaches.

I'm telling you, Wisdom is broken.

Certainly, there were times when I used Thought acceleration without having any chocolate bars or sugar nearby, and it led to quite a headache as a consequence.

Which then the system notify me:

[Pain Resistance (C) is active]

I've lost the ability to taste spiciness too. It's not actually a taste; rather, it's the sensation of pain that arises when the tongue gets burned.

"Phew..."

After successfully hacking into a neighborhood's CCTV, I finally obtained the crucial information I needed. The CCTV belonged to a wealthy individual and provided a clear view of their front yard connecting to the street.

I had been searching for the face of a murderer, and now I had found it-exactly what my client had hired me to do.

Next, I just needed to transmit the evidence to the client, who would pay a third party for laundering the money and take a 50% cut, considering the nature of my actions. While I never met this third party face-to-face, I trusted his expertise and knew he wouldn't betray his clients. Moreover, I had some leverage over him, so I felt confident about the arrangement.

*Click*

With everything completed, I closed my laptop. Almost unconsciously, I raised my right hand to my face. It was then I realized...

"Ah, right... I stopped smoking already."

I uttered it aloud, reflecting on the fact that I used to rely on nicotine to stay focused. I had quit smoking, but now I craved some form of stimulation. Maybe coffee would do the trick later...

"Smoking is bad, you know? Were you some kind of thug in a past life?" Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me, causing me to jump in surprise.

It was my brother, Aqua. He had finished his discussion with the director.

"... How long have you been standing there?" I nervously asked him.

"Since you were exporting a video with explicit murder content and sent it to someone via email."

Ah, that's bad...

I realized it was entirely my fault for engaging in such risky activity out in the open. I need to be more careful and aware of my surroundings.

Maybe I should find a way to activate Magic Perception passively later.

"I see you're working hard... But you haven't answered my questions before. Were you some famous hacker or millionaire in your past life?"

Urk... His questions are annoying.

Since I couldn't use thought acceleration anymore, I had to come up with a quick response.

"Well, what about you then? I suppose you were some kind of doctor?"

"Yes," he answered flatly, without any delay.

Aqua's communication skills were, without a doubt, questionable, further deepening my skepticism about his claim.

A doctor's profession demands the ability to communicate effectively, and his abrupt and unelaborated responses seemed incongruent with the nature of that occupation. This made me wonder if he was genuinely truthful about his past as a doctor.

Doctors should be mindful of their language to educate patients after gathering medical history and making a diagnosis.

They often explain medical conditions using simpler terms to help patients understand. Education is always crucial in healthcare.

"... are you serious?" I couldn't believe what he was saying.

"I am," he responded calmly, meeting my skeptical expression head-on.

"..."

"..."

"..."

" Haaa... Fine, I was... A soldier."

"As I thought."

Wait, what?

"I see you having nightmares every night, you look a bit scared at a simple table knife, and sometimes you looked depressed as if reminiscing the past... You're showing signs of PTSD."

That's---

I turned away from him, asking, "And are you here just to state your diagnosis?"

I didn't want to talk about it. That was precisely why I had avoided answering their questions.

Despite not fearing death, I feared losing someone else. All of my comrades who had fallen during the war were individuals I had trusted my life with.

The memories of the days when we would fool around as a special squad were something I could never forget... No, I DIDN'T want to forget.

"I just want to help you... I am not a therapist, but a doctor. Thankfully, you're not hallucinating, so you're not bipolar... If I were to put it into words, you're... Just depressed."

"Just... Depressed?"

"Yes... Just depressed."

Wow, thanks, Doctor Obvious.

"So how do I stop being depressed?"

He thought for a moment, and...

"Here, have some coffee... It'll turn your depression into anxiety instead" (Aqua)

"Were you really a doctor?" (Ame)

"You know I was joking right?" (Aqua)

"Bruh"

The more I talked to him, the arguments took on a comical tone, making the situation quite amusing.

Haa... Why is it so awkward talking to him?

"Nii-san," I suddenly called him by that name for the first time.

"I will be alright, so don't worry too much," I stated, avoiding direct eye contact. Despite the awkwardness of our discussion, I could sense his concern for me and his unease about my attachment to my past life.

I could read him like an open book.

Phew, that's precisely what he wants-to make me forget about my previous life. But using that simple term of address (Onii-san) seemed to be enough to convince him... Of course, I carefully calculated that probability beforehand.

It's as if I've been doing this kind of thing so often-using my words strategically to make others act in a way that aligns with my desires.

It almost feels like I'm manipulating them.

*Ding*

[You have learned 『Thought Guidance』(D) ]

Huh... Neat.

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In the end, Aqua assumes the role of a creepy child who meets the protagonist at the entrance of the village.

The story revolves around a woman lacking confidence in her appearance, who undergoes plastic surgery at a suspicious hospital deep in the mountains.

Although Aqua acts alongside another child actor, Arima Kana, his performance is not an act. He channels his mature self and speaks formally to the main character, creating a chilling effect on the viewers due to the mismatched personality between the child body and adult soul.

This eerie portrayal leads Aqua to step into the world of entertainment.

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• [Magic Perception] (C)

• Overview: sense fluctuations in both light and sound waves. These sensory inputs can be processed and transformed into understandable data, enabling the user to see and hear their surroundings effectively.

• Special Effect: -

• Additional Effect: enables the user to comprehend and express the meaning behind spoken words by decoding sound waves that contain intentional information, even if the language spoken by their conversation partner is unfamiliar to them.

• Acquisition: Repetition

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• [Pain Resistance] (C)

• Overview: lessens the sensation of pain in the physical body up to a specific threshold, providing relief and reducing the intensity of discomfort experienced.

• Special Effect: Grants (+10) Def

• Acquisition: Repetition

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• [Thought Guidance] (D)

• Overview: The power granted to the user enables them to conceal and control their intent in spoken words. They can manipulate the emotions of the target to a certain extent, depending on the user's proficiency and ability to guide those emotions.

• Special Effect: Grants (+5) Dexterity

• Acquisition: Repetition

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To be continue.

(A/N: 2158 word count)