I live my life in Tokyo

"Sakakibara-san, you should have been lying on the table and answering weakly, but why did you end up coughing and complaining at the same time?"

Kaede Sakakibara couldn't say anything to refute for a while. The road leading to the Private Toyonosaki Academy was a hill-like ups and downs. When he was reciting this line, the bus was bouncing on the steep slope. He couldn't catch his breath, so he coughed continuously.

Looking at Mai Sakurajima smiling and clasping her hands together with Enka Higuchi, Kaede Sakakibara felt as if she had been plotted against.

Mai Sakurajima had come here two days ago, and she knew the terrain nearby very well... Could it be that Mai Sakurajima had even calculated this?

Sakakibara Kaede looked up at the sky, recalling the dean who was separated from him by a wall that day. The bottle of yogurt then and the advance check-out now, how similar they were!

This is... not a crime of war.

Mr. Kimura, I'm sorry, Kaede Sakakibara... I lost again.

"Well, what should we have for dinner tonight?" Mai Sakurajima nodded her chin and leaned close to Kaede Sakakibara, showing off in a low voice, "My appetite will be much better if someone treats me~"

"As an actor, maintaining a good figure is the most important thing."

Kaede Sakakibara straightened his back again, and quoting Mai Sakurajima's original words, he delivered the final fatal blow.

"I've lost weight recently, and my agent advised me to pay attention to my nutrition."

Mai Sakurajima easily resolved the situation. She twisted her slender waist and sighed softly.

This round is evenly matched.

While the two were arguing about where to have dinner tonight, the filming crew was gradually entering the private Toyosaki Academy in an orderly manner.

I learned from Mai Sakurajima that Private Toyonosaki Academy wanted to recruit more students with the help of STARS to promote its reputation again, such as suppressing Private Shuchiin Academy. The board of directors really made a good plan. The filming time lasted for three months, and it was broadcast one episode at a time. It is estimated that many students who watched the TV series will choose Private Toyonosaki Academy in March next year.

STARS also wanted to use the reputation of the already well-known private Fengzhiqi Academy to spread its reputation. Obviously, this is a win-win situation.

Kaede Sakakibara followed the crew into the private Toyonosaki Academy and saw many students leaning out of the teaching building, craning their heads, wishing they could observe them up close.

The crew attracts attention wherever they go, and so do the actors.

"Let's talk about this week's shooting schedule."

Qingshan Yang was waiting for them in an empty classroom. After everyone sat down, he raised the microphone and spoke, "The introduction of the first episode has been filmed. There are two key points that need to be addressed today."

“Interactions during breaks and club activities after school.”

"You are all students. Although you have lines, your performance is still general and suitable for the camera." Director Qingshan raised a finger. "In this scene, except for the leading male and female characters, everyone else is a background. I once said in class that the most important thing for an extra is to act ordinary, just like you normally do."

"Whether it's dragging classmates to wash up, talking about the TV series we watched yesterday, or discussing which karaoke bar to go to after school, remember, I just want to be natural."

The fact that the actors had forgotten their lines that they had memorized for two days made everyone look at each other in bewilderment. They had rehearsed many times in private, but now they were allowed to perform freely.

It is much more difficult to perform as an extra in a classroom than on the street. The space in the classroom is very small, and it is not easy to stretch your movements freely. There is also the risk of affecting others.

What's more, the camera will more or less overlook the actor's face, and the awkwardness of the acting can be seen at a glance. Aoyama Hiroshi has always pursued perfection in his works, and it is very likely that there will be scenes where people shout "NG".

"For the after-school club activities in the second act, we plan to film the club activities of Private Toyosaki Academy as well. They will be the extras in this scene. The members of the sports club are classified as members in the script. They will hand over to the students of Private Toyosaki Academy before filming."

“We had to shoot our first scene by noon, and shooting in the afternoon with backlight was not ideal.”

Sakakibara Feng seemed to be lost in thought. He remembered that his manuscript was filled with four big characters.

Sleep after class.

Sakurajima Mai glanced at Sakakibara Kaede and said, "That's great. Someone spent the entire first day of filming sleeping."

"I think this is sweet first and bitter later. If there are no problems with today's filming, I will have to act out the scene where I am bullied by Uehara tomorrow. Sakurajima-senpai, remember to come to the bathroom to save me."

Kaede Sakakibara remembered the contents of the manuscript. If nothing unexpected happened, he would be dragged from his seat into the bathroom by the class leader Uehara tomorrow, pushed into the corner, and ordered to buy fried rice, bread and Coca-Cola for lunch today.

Seeing that Sakakibara Kaede was holding her chin in deep thought, Sakurajima Mai turned her gaze back to the manuscript and muttered to herself.

"Nishida Orange will naturally come to rescue Kitahara Hiroshi, but I don't know whether Sakurajima Mai will come to rescue Sakakibara Kaede who is playing tricks on the rules of the game."

Chapter 16: Naturally Entering the Play

The makeup team was waiting in the classroom next door. Only six main characters needed makeup. The makeup artist applied light makeup on their faces, making them look subtle and with a different temperament from others.

It was then that Sakakibara Kaede officially met the second male and female leads. They were graduates of this year, and their graduation results stood out among all the students, so STARS decided to give these two newcomers a chance.

The makeup artist who had done his makeup before paced back and forth in front of him, hesitant to put down the eyebrow pencil in her hand.

Compared to the confusion here, the makeup artist here made Kashima Yu's eyebrows thicker. She originally looked very Takarazuka-style, but now she has transformed into a beautiful boy with a charming look.

Where there is yin, there is yang.

The second male lead has a very masculine appearance. In today's scene, he needs to chat with Yu Kashima for a while, and then join the club activities of Toyosaki Academy in the afternoon - he is a member of the baseball club in the setting.

Seeing that the makeup artist was still wandering around and that everyone else had almost finished their makeup, Sakakibara Kaede suggested, "I think it should be similar to the first scene. Give me some dark circles."

"Yeah... OK! Don't worry, it won't be very obvious."

He added a few more touches on the original basis, and his hair was messy again, giving him a punk feel from the last era. With his dark circles under his eyes, people would probably believe that he was in a band.

After changing into the school uniform, Sakakibara Kaede put on the earmuffs around his neck in front of the makeup mirror. He couldn't help yawning due to lack of sleep yesterday.

Rubbing her eyes, Sakakibara Kaede walked towards Sakurajima Mai.

The makeup artist was applying foundation for her - that was enough. After all, this was not an idol TV series, and the protagonists represented ordinary people. Putting on too much makeup would appear unrealistic.

However, Kaede Sakakibara believes that Mai Sakurajima can perform without makeup.

"You got into the role so quickly?"

Mai Sakurajima raised her eyes from the mirror and looked at him. The tears that squeezed out of her eyes did not seem to be tears that were deliberately held back to show tiredness, nor did they seem to be eye drops that were used when one could not cry.

"It's okay. After all, my first act is to take notes in class and sleep after class, right?"

Holding back a yawn is a very difficult thing. Sakakibara Kaede tried to hold it in for a long time, but ultimately succumbed to the devil's groan.

A long yawn represents compromise. For animals, yawning is a way to hide roars, but for Sakakibara Kaede, he really lacks sleep.

"Okay, okay, I know you are dedicated." Sakurajima Mai waved her hand with disgust. She stood up from the chair and stood face to face with Sakakibara Kaede.

The overwhelming energy of the high school girls made Sakakibara Kaede take a step back.

"Have you gotten into the role to this extent?"

Sakurajima Mai held her chin and nodded secretly, looking directly into Sakakibara Kaede's eyes with a piercing gaze, "Since Sakakibara junior has shown me your awareness, then I will also go all out and let you see your acting skills."

Kaede Sakakibara watched Mai Sakurajima and Madoka Higuchi, who were inexplicably excited, rehearsing their lines together, and walked into the classroom yawning.

The other students in Class B were sitting in their seats chatting. Judging from the volume of their conversation, they were still a little reserved. For many of them, it was their first time facing the camera, which made them feel a little weak.

The male lead, Yu Kashima, is seated in the last row by the window, which is a default in the comics. She is treated like a proper protagonist, and her tall figure does not give the audience any sense of disobedience.

Kaede Sakakibara found his seat and stroked the slightly rough table top. He looked up at the blackboard, as if he could see an old professor mumbling something.

The blackboard was covered with dense mathematical formulas, and the students below the podium were copying the notes on the blackboard with bated breath.

Putting the props prepared in the desk - the first-year high school textbooks on the desk, Sakakibara Kaede took off his headphones, put on his glasses, and his eyes were hazy due to the luster of the lenses.

In a sense, he is Hiroshi Kitahara.

It's just that he doesn't have a childhood sweetheart who has been waiting for him, nor does he have friends or brothers who can rely on him.

Kitahara Hiroshi's future is to become a doctor and to get married to Nishida Orange. His childhood goal of talking loudly to the starry sky has become a reality.

Sakakibara Kaede narrowed his eyes, and he suddenly felt a little envious of Kitahara Hiroshi.

Not long after, the protagonists took their seats one after another, followed by an elderly gentleman holding a Chinese textbook in his hand.

Except for the students, all the actors are students of Toyonosaki Academy. The Chinese teacher only knows that he will teach the first-year high school class here, but what texts to teach is entirely up to his arrangements.

The actors from the other two classes except Class B gathered in another empty classroom and watched the screen. On this big screen, everyone's movements could be seen clearly. Outside the classroom, the lighting team and the filming team were already in place. There were two mobile cameras outside the classroom, and four inside the classroom. There was also a camera drone hovering outside the window.

Director Aoyama gestured to the filming crew, "Action!"

The red light of the camera began to flash, and the atmosphere in the classroom immediately became tense... just like in class.

"Um, students, please open your textbooks and turn to page 11. Today we are learning the Tale of Sumiyoshi..."

The old teacher's leisurely tone sounded, and Sakakibara Kaede opened the textbook, and took out his notebook and pen while suppressing his tiredness. He raised his glasses and squinted his eyes to stare at the blackboard.

If it's science, it's okay, but the articles on liberal arts really make people sleepy.

The camera zooms out to take in the entire class of students, with several eye-catching characters passing by the camera.

The drone outside the window accurately captured the profile of Kashima Yu, then it changed the angle and turned the camera towards Higuchi Madoka.

Sakakibara Kaede listened to the old scholar talking incessantly about the art works of the Kamakura period, tried hard to hold back a yawn, and forced himself to write down the key points of the painting.

"Jingle Bell."

The simulated bell for the end of get out of class rang, and the old teacher closed the textbook, assigned a book review assignment, and then leisurely left the classroom.

Sakakibara Kaede could no longer hold on, he pushed away the golden mountain, overturned the jade pillar, and hit his head on the soft textbook. He turned his head slightly, revealing his profile.

The get out of class usually ends in ten minutes, but in the case of filming, it is estimated that it may take about half an hour. Sakakibara Kaede calculated the time in his mind and closed his eyes peacefully.

The main event is coming.

Director Qingshan narrowed his eyes, and the manuscript in his hand tapped his palm unconsciously. To be honest, the performance of the class B in the class just now was just average, not good enough for him, and needed to be re-shot. The only thing that stood out to him was the six protagonists.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but sigh. He was indeed an actor he had found. Even without any introduction, Sakakibara Kaede could be spotted at a glance among the crowd, like a night pearl in the dark. Director Aoyama was amazed by the performance of listening to the class while resisting sleepiness. He turned to the crowd behind him and said, "Look at Sakakibara-kun's acting skills. When can you achieve this level? You can also become the leading actor."

"Pay attention to the look in Sakakibara-kun's eyes. The tired feeling comes straight to the face, and he can communicate directly with the audience." Director Aoyama switched the camera, and from this angle, he could see the students' notes. "And here, Sakakibara-kun's notes are crooked, as if... he was trying hard not to fall asleep. This highlights Kitahara Hiroshi's personality, a science nerd."

He leaned back in his chair contentedly, "Sakakibara-kun is in hot form, looks like we can film his scene this afternoon."

The extras stared at the screen, not daring to miss any frame.

The classroom instantly became noisy after class. Students could be seen chatting in different groups. Several students left the classroom together, while others stuck their heads out of the window to feel the breeze.

The camera gradually retracted, briefly passing over the profile of Kaede Sakakibara, and focused on the first and third female characters who were covering their mouths and laughing.

"Nishida-san, let's get along well."

Higuchi Madoka turned around and whispered to Sakurajima Mai who was sitting behind her.

"Um...can I call you Dong-chan?"

Higuchi Enka's character, Azuma Ruri, smiled as warmly as the spring breeze, "Eh, please call me that."

Chapter 4 Bullying is Everywhere (k)

"NG!"

Qingshan Yang shouted "NG" again. This was the third time he ordered this segment to be re-shot, and each time was worse than the last.

The 40-minute-long segment of class time and after class was shot many times. The actors all looked a little embarrassed and were called out one by one by Assistant Director Nakagawa to point out their mistakes.

Subtle changes in facial expressions are extremely clear on the screen, and seemingly smooth movements sometimes feel awkward on TV.

Director Aoyama narrowed his eyes and kept replaying the third segment he had just shot.

Kaede Sakakibara leaned back in his chair, stretched his sore arms, closed his textbook, and the shooting this morning was over.

Needless to say, the results of the shoot were not ideal.

"Sakakibara-san, how was your first day of filming?"

Sakurajima Mai left her seat and walked over to Sakakibara Kaede's desk. She leaned forward and rested her hands on her Chinese textbook. "You're more tired than you thought, right? Pretending to sleep is a skill. It's even harder to play a character who is extremely sleepy but stays awake."

"Hmm... not bad."

Sakakibara Kaede rubbed his eyes for a while, and his eyes became clear again. The result of his sleep was indeed good. However, he had to get up when reshooting, staring at the blackboard with bloodshot eyes and taking notes.

"Sakakibara-san, you must have performed well, otherwise you would have been called out."

Sakurajima Mai said meaningfully. At this time, there were less than seven or eight people left in the classroom. In addition to the six protagonists, there were only the bad boy group headed by Ajihara.

The next set was the turn of everyone who participated in the sports club. As for Kaede Sakakibara's set, it was the library after dusk.

In order not to disrupt the normal school life of students in Toyonosaki Academy, the crew did not step into the main teaching building. At the same time, they warned the actors not to cause trouble to others and destroy the STARS sign.

The same goes for lunch. They did not sit in the cafeteria of Toyosaki Academy and have lunch happily with the high school students of the school. Instead, they had boxed lunches delivered to their door.

Following Sakurajima Mai, they came to the empty classroom next door. The staff handed them lunch. The two of them randomly chose a seat and broke open the wooden chopsticks.

Began to eat!

. . .

"Nishida-san, you kept looking at that classmate, could it be that you know him?"