Chapter 46

For the umpteenth time, Ryo surveyed his reflection on the full-length mirror before him. His stylists stood around looking at him, waiting for him to say something. The tailored tuxedo fit him like a second skin. The top half of his dark hair tied in a neat man bun at the back of his head while the rest brushed his shoulder. He looked fresh and gorgeous, like the true heartthrob that he is.

Only when Ryo gave his smile and nod of approval did his stylists release their breaths. They’re already pressed on time and could not afford a wardrobe, makeup, or hairstyle change.

As if on cue, Miyagi entered the room and signaled it’s time to leave. He turned around and walked out of his hotel room down to the parking where his team’s limousine waited. His eyes trained on the scenery outside the window. They’re on their way to the venue for the Academy Awards.

The movie where he was the top billed had several nominations for tonight. It was a frontrunner for best foreign language movie, best screenplay, best actor, best director, and best picture. The nomination alone has already made history. It’s rare for a foreign language film to get best picture, actor, and director nominations. They’ve already made history. He still could not believe it.

When the director Miyagi Nakamura approached him to play the lead actor, he turned him down. Twice. Heavy drama was not his cup of tea. But then Nakamura convinced him to read the story. He agreed, and it blew him away. The story tugged on his heart, and he only read act one. It’s rare for him to feel so affected by a story. As an actor, he knew he had to make this movie.

And he’s glad he did it. The movie has earned him awards both in the local and international arena. And now, he’s on his way to the Academy Awards. The Oscars. It’s the dream of every actor to earn an Oscar. It’s his too.

He has not felt the flutter of the butterflies in his stomach for the longest time. Yet here he is, sitting in the limousine with his colleagues. He’s keeping a cool facade, but he’s feeling the drumming of his heart against his chest. It would be great to win an award tonight but he’s up against Oscar-awarded actors. His idols. The nomination alone is already the highest point of his career. Winning is already asking for the moon.

Their limousine stopped where the red carpet began. And one by one, they alighted the vehicle. They’re all present for the awarding ceremony except for the screenplay writer. It’s a pity. All this would not be possible if not for the brilliant story she created. They knew little about this writer apart from she’s a woman. She only communicated with Nakamura and did not visit the set once.

“Ryo…” Hiroshi Nakamura broke Ryo’s concentration.

“Yes, Director?” he asked, turning his head away from the window and focused to the person who called his name.

“There’s something I want to ask.”

Ryo looked at him but did not utter a word. So he swallowed his saliva and continued. “If we win best original screenplay, are you fine meeting the screenplay writer in person?” Hiroshi wiped the sweat on his forehead. Serious Ryo is tough to deal with. He could not read his face at all. His heart pounded his chest like he’s having a heart attack.

“Of course! Even if we do not win, I would love to meet her. If not for her beautiful story, I would not be here.”

Hiroshi heaved a sigh of relief at his answer. “That’s great. I will let Na—I mean, I will let her know.” Ryo gave him a smile and once again looked out the window.

He and his colleagues walked the red carpet, talked to reporters along the way and posed for some photos. Once inside the theatre, he could no longer contain the movie fan in him. It’s a once in a lifetime experience to breathe the same air as your idols and so he took advantage. Ryo gathered all his courage to approach and ask all his favorite actors, actresses, and directors for a selfie. He’s so starstruck he no longer cared about perceptions. All he wanted was a keepsake of this marvelous event of his life.

When it’s time for the show to start, they all took their respective seats. Since this year’s venue is a theater, instead of sitting around a round table, they sat on a row of chairs. In front of them were Hollywood greats, like Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson.

Ryo’s goal for the night was to enjoy the moment. Bagging an award was not in his mind tonight. All he wanted was to take in as much as he could of the moment. He does not know when he’d be part of this ceremony again. He’s up against the entertainment industry’s pillars, so he put winning an award to the back seat. Although he poured his best on this project, he also knew the caliber of his opponents. It would be fun to bag an award, but at the very least, he will have “Academy Award nominee” prefacing his name for the rest of his career. That’s rewarding enough.

The stage darkened, and the spotlight pointed to the presenter who walked up to the center of the stage. The first award of the night is Best Original Screenplay. Their movie is a nominee. His eyes looked at the paper plastered on the seat beside him. It spelled the name of the nominee. Diwa Malaya. That’s all he knew about him. Her name, which he believed, was a pseudonym. She’s an enigma even to them who brought her work to life. She had not set foot on any of their shoots. If there were clarifications or modifications, only Hiroshi spoke to her.

His heart pounded to the beat of the drumroll. It’s not his nomination, but he felt nervous. Perhaps because it’s their movie. The spotlight shone on the seat beside him and heard the host call the winner’s name. Diwa Malaya. Their movie won the first award!

Their director, Hiroshi Nakamura, accepted the award for her. As Hiroshi walked up the stage to accept the award, the voiceover gave a brief background of the winner. Turns out this is the second Oscar for Diwa Malaya. The first one was for best live action short film almost ten years ago.

Hiroshi accepted the award and read the winner’s prepared speech. They listened to their director read through the names of the people she wanted to thank. Then Hiroshi cleared his throat and his baritone voice sounded more serious. “When I wrote this story,” he began. “I wrote this with a single person in mind. The person for whom my heart beats. I wish I could say these words to him in person, but I do not have the courage to.” Hiroshi cleared his throat. “I am me and you are you. We could not change it. I wouldn’t change it.” Ryo recognized the words. Those were his lines from the movie. He said this when he and the lead actress separated.

“Our paths were not meant to cross, but they did. That must mean something, right?” Hiroshi looked at the camera before continuing.

“Now, I am putting us at another crossroads.” Ryo’s brows frowned. Director Nakamura’s words were no longer part of his dialogue. It piqued his interest, and so he listened. His heart thumped against his chest as he waited for the director’s words. He remembered the director’s words when he’s asking him to make the movie. This movie was written for him. And only when he agrees to take on the movie would the writer give the rest of the story to Nakamura.

“We could spend one unforgettable night today and have a lifetime of certainty apart. Or we could have a lifetime together, making each uncertain night unforgettable.” Once again, Hiroshi made a dramatic pause and his bespectacled eyes focused on the camera. “Ryo Matsuda, what does your heart tell you?”