Prologue

Koda's POV

It all started when I was 10 years old. I was forced to stay at home because I was sick. My dad was working in an office while my mom was buying groceries. While I was home alone, lying down on the couch covered by a blanket, I was watching TV.

I was watching a show where a kid around my age was the main character. He wasn't just some character that appears from time to time, but he's almost in every scene and has a lot of lines. At that time, I was impressed because he's a kid like me, and he's already in the industry. He was so good in the show and his acting was so good that I believed that he was his character.

Every day after school, I would always wait for 4:30 PM, the timeslot of the show he stars in. My mom sometimes scold me for it because I would watch the show so close to the TV.

One time, I caught him in an interview for being one of the best and most successful child actors in Japan. His name was Jun Kanno, 12 years old. It was a long time ago, but I remember that he was well-spoken for his age. He's bright and cheerful that he's a ray of sunshine. You can't help but smile when you look at him.

"The thing about acting is that it is a skill that takes time," He says with a smile to the person interviewing him. "I have been acting since I was 7 years old. After my first debut in the scene, I took acting classes that have helped me with what can I do now. All that I have achieved today is the fruit of my hard work and determination."

He then looks at the camera, still keeping the smile on his face. "If anyone out there wants to be an actor, no matter how old you are, don't be afraid to put yourself out there! Don't be scared that you won't make it. Failure shouldn't bring you down. It should inspire you to do your very best. If you fail an audition or receive a very minor role, don't be discouraged! Everybody starts somewhere."

And everything that he says hit me.

"There's no one stopping you from trying. Why don't you give it a shot?"

This was my calling. It feels as if he was talking directly to me, telling me to give acting a shot. This was the start of my journey as an actor.