I live my life in Tokyo

"Classmate, you just stay where you are." The staff marked a route for Kaede Sakakibara. This time his position was reversed from last time, and even when the camera zoomed in, only his back could be seen.

Halfway through the filming, Director Aoyama shouted "NG" twice again, and he looked very dissatisfied.

"What are you acting? You..." Director Qingshan paced back and forth angrily, hitting the palm of his other hand with the manuscript in his hand, "Your acting skills have been stereotyped. You are no different now than when you just graduated. You are no longer playing the shy and innocent boy style, but the cold and dull style. How terrible it is for an actor to have a stereotyped style. Do I need to tell you again?"

"Teacher Aoyama, I'm sorry."

The young male No. 3 gritted his teeth and lowered his head, his back covered in cold sweat. His acting style has been finalized, which means that he can only take jobs in the style of shy and innocent little boys in the future. But can he really compete with his predecessors who have been honing their skills in the entertainment industry for several years?

Not to mention now, when his appearance matures in the future, will anyone still want him to play this type of role?

He probably needs to go back to school and be retrained, otherwise his future will be doomed.

"Take a five-minute break."

Director Aoyama scratched his short beard and his eyes were fixed on Sakakibara Kaede's face as she was chatting with the old man.

"...Sakakibara-san, I have always believed that some people are born to be on the stage, and I believe you are one of them."

"So, do you want to try acting?"

Chapter 4 I want to shine brighter than anyone else in the world

"I?"

Sakakibara Kaede pointed at himself with a surprised look.

The old lady next to him was still strongly recommending her granddaughter. When she heard what Director Aoyama said, she smiled and covered her mouth and walked away.

"Yes, I see that you performed well in the camera, there is nothing weird or out of place."

What can reflect acting skills? Lines and actions. The precise grasp of lines allows actors to say lines in any tone, whether it is a cry of despair or a confession before death, which is difficult to master.

The novice's performance is like reading from a script, the tone is empty and boring, without any feeling.

Action practice is more difficult. Sometimes certain actions can enrich the role played by the actor, such as Chow Yun-fat's signature action in God of Gamblers, which is stroking the ring on his finger, and Lam Ka-tung's graceful and smooth flip over the guardrail in Harmony Is the Most Important.

Of course, some actions were done unintentionally, such as when Leo, who played Jack, was about to draw Rose in Titanic, he said to her: "Go to the bed... on the sofa." The original line in the script was "lie on the sofa", but Leo got excited and said the wrong thing. Later, the director thought that this line and the slightly nervous action accidentally performed the immaturity of the young Jack, so this part was left in the movie.

"Of course, as I said just now, classmate, your face is born to do this job - here are your lines." Director Aoyama handed the manuscript in his hand to Sakakibara Kaede without hesitation, "My request is very simple, even if you can't remember the lines for the time being, you can make them up on the spot, I want you to act naturally."

Sakakibara Kaede looked at the manuscript. The character he played was named Kitahara Hiroshi. He and the third female character, Nishida Orange, were childhood sweethearts. They were separated for a while because Nishida Orange went to study abroad in junior high school, but the two still talked about everything and had a very good relationship.

This time the script is set in the winter before the two enter high school, which is why it is no wonder that Mai Sakurajima has to wear a scarf.

"Is there a problem?"

"Have."

Director Aoyama became interested and nodded to Sakakibara Kaede to ask a question.

"It's not made clear in the plot or the lines, what is Kitahara Hiro's attitude towards Nishida Orange? Is it a pure childhood sweetheart relationship? Or is he secretly in love with her? Or is he being secretly loved without knowing it?"

Sakakibara pointed at the lines. It was just a normal conversation, talking about their expectations for high school, what they wanted to do in the future, and finally about their hope to be in the same class. The tone of voice used in these lines was intriguing, and the tone used would naturally be different depending on the situation and occasion.

"Hehehehe."

Director Qingshan laughed from the bottom of his heart, "Student, you are very professional. You must have watched a lot of movies, right?"

Ahem... I have watched it quite a lot indeed.

"The character setting is the soul. This is the same as novels and animations. Some movies use actors with sky-high prices, but they turn out terrible movies." He raised a finger and added, "In the daily settings of our high school students, the male lead has a crush on the female lead, the male and female second roles bicker and show affection every day, and the female third role has a crush on the male third role. I won't mention the sweet and sour daily interactions. In the first episode, Nishida Cheng, who returned from studying abroad, asked Kitahara Hiro to meet. Although the two hadn't seen each other for several years, Nishida Cheng had always had a vague affection for Kitahara Hiro, but his attitude was ambiguous..."

"You're afraid that a sudden confession will destroy the relationship between the two of you, and that you'll never be able to be childhood sweethearts again, right?" Sakakibara Kaede's eyes lit up and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. He looked familiar with this person, not too familiar with her.

Which galgame features childhood sweethearts who don’t have this attitude?

“You know a lot!”

Director Aoyama patted Sakakibara Kaede's shoulder and laughed, "Get ready, we'll start working soon. Remember what I said, be natural, natural."

"Director Aoyama, do I need makeup?"

"Hmm..." Director Qingshan pondered for a while and shook his head, "Let's shoot it without makeup first, and then we can talk about it if there are any problems."

"it is good."

Sakakibara Kaede was scanning the lines, and at some point, Sakurajima Mai sat down next to him - keeping a polite distance.

This kind of distance will hurt a man's self-esteem.

But Sakakibara Kaede is different. His self-esteem has long been squeezed out by Party A and the capitalists.

"Sakakibara-senpai, are you serious? Mr. Aoyama is just acting on a whim. You don't need to get yourself involved, right?"

"How much do artists earn?" Sakakibara Kaede asked in a low voice.

Sakurajima Mai was stunned, and pointed her finger at her chin. "If you are a famous actor, your annual income is about 15 million yen. I remember that an ordinary actor earns 10 million? This is just the average income. If you don't get any work or have no job opportunities, it will be even less... No, why change the subject?"

"Being an actor is my dream. Being able to be a part of a movie or TV series is like saving another possibility of myself into the tape. This is a sense of detachment, but also a sublimation and spiritual satisfaction. It is a very happy thing to be able to experience the life of someone else, because you can experience the joys and sorrows, ups and downs of that person's life." Through Kaede Sakakibara's eyes, Mai Sakurajima saw the stars shining brightly. "To sum it up in one sentence, this is the kind of life I love."

"If I hadn't been born, the world would be as dark as a night."

Mai Sakurajima was frightened by Kaede Sakakibara and couldn't speak for a while.

The break time was over quickly. Kaede Sakakibara put on the school uniform provided by the costume department and walked slowly to the park gate with Mai Sakurajima.

"How well do you remember the lines?" Sakurajima Mai asked in a low voice.

“I have finished reciting it.”

Sakakibara Kaede said it was easy, without exaggeration or slander, he remembered it after reading it once.

Director Aoyama looked at the scene from a distance and gestured to the filming crew.

"Get in position...action!"

"You're so slow, Hiro-chan~"

Mai Sakurajima put her hands behind her back, walked in front step by step, leaned over and gave Kaede Sakakibara a cute smile.

Sakakibara Kaede scratched the side of his face with a headache, his tone revealing a hint of impatience, "Orange... We are already in high school, don't call me chan anymore."

"Eh? Why?" Sakurajima Mai turned around and poked Sakakibara Kaede's cheek, leaning close to Sakakibara Kaede, her eyelashes plucking people's heartstrings under the street lights, "Hiro-chan is Hiro-chan~"

"...you are absolutely not allowed to call me that at school"

"You call me Orange, why can't I call you Hong-chan?"

"No means no!"

Mai Sakurajima hung on Kaede Sakakibara's arm like a sloth. Kaede Sakakibara dragged her into the park with a frown on his face. "Stop it. Didn't you call me out in the middle of the night? I haven't even finished my study plan yet. What's going on?"

The staff of the photography and makeup teams all had smiles on their faces, and the interaction and actions between the two were slightly magnified by the camera. Kitahara Hiroshi is cold and afraid of trouble, while Nishida Orange is cute and loves to act like a spoiled child, which is fully reflected in these few short sentences and the expressions of both parties.

Director Qingshan stared at the screen, not daring to miss any details. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly. Next, there would be a turning point for the third female lead.

The pulling action was interrupted. Sakakibara Kaede walked in front with her hands in her pockets, her back straight. Sakurajima Mai lowered her head, her view blocked by her beautiful bangs. She took a deep breath, raised her right hand slightly, and closed her fingertips, as if grabbing something in the air.

It sounded like a drowning person's cry for help.

She hesitated for a moment, gave up the decision to grab Sakakibara Kaede's clothes, and let go of her hand.

"Hiro-chan..."

"what happened?"

"Do you hate the way I look?"

Sakurajima Mai's soft smile gradually disappeared, her indigo eyes blinked slowly, and her raised eyebrows gradually calmed down.

She smiled, but this time her smile had a hint of... cold politeness.

"No, no matter which one it is, it's you, it's Nishida Orange."

Sakakibara Kaede rested her head on the pillow and looked at the starry sky. "Have you made up your mind? In school... put on this mask and live with a smile you don't like."

"Well, because I want to be useful, and I also want to make a lot of friends. This is the high school life I've been looking forward to for a long time, the high school life with Hong-chan."

This time, Sakurajima Mai's smile was like an invisible barrier, protecting herself and preventing others from getting close.

She patted her cheeks, and the complicated smile flashed for a moment. The expression on her face softened again. She slowly walked to Sakakibara Kaede's side and looked at the starry night like him.

"Hong-chan... What kind of person do you want to be in the future?"

“Hmm…” There were reflections of stars in Sakakibara Kaede’s eyes. He pondered for a moment, scratched the teardrop mole at the corner of his eye, and his cold face thawed slightly.

He gradually opened his arms, as if he wanted to embrace the entire night sky.

"orange."

Sakakibara Kaede turned his head. Did he smile? Or didn't he?

His eyes were clear and transparent, with a warm light.

Mai Sakurajima stared blankly into his deep blue eyes. She saw fear and anticipation of the unknown in those eyes.

“I want to shine brighter than anyone else in the world.”

Chapter 5: Success

"Director Qingshan, what was wrong with that part just now?"

After the shooting of this small scene was completed, Kaede Sakakibara and Mai Sakurajima came in front of the camera, and Director Aoyama was replaying it silently.

"Sakakibara, you don't actually have to look back at Sakurajima-kun in the last scene." Director Aoyama said, weighing his words carefully. "What is the reason why the character of Kitahara Hiro is so suitable for Nishida Orange?"

"Kitahara Hiroshi is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, while Nishida Orange is warm on the outside but cold on the inside. During this period of time, Kitahara Hiroshi's feelings for Nishida Orange were only the symbol of friendship, and that smile when he looked back was too deliberate... Do you understand?"

Sakakibara Kaede suddenly realized, "This will make the audience think that Kitahara Hiroshi and Nishida Orange were already in love with each other at that time."

"That's right!" Coach Aoyama snapped his fingers excitedly. What a teachable young man! "At that time, Nishida Cheng was silently gazing at Kitahara Hiroshi's profile, watching the ordinary boy talking nonsense under the starry sky. This scene was also the beginning of Nishida Cheng's heartbeat."

"Remember, you and Nishida Orange are just childhood sweethearts, ordinary friends. Her affection is one-sided, and you just need to play the role of a friend."

Sakakibara nodded, "I understand."

There is nothing wrong with Mai Sakurajima's acting skills. Compared with Kaede Sakakibara, she has much more experience. She is very skilled in controlling the tone of voice and looking coquettishly.

The change in style in the middle of the film also stabilized her character, allowing the audience to realize that Nishida Orange has an unknown side, and only Kitahara Hiroshi knows this side.

"Sakurajima-kun, keep it like this, keep that look, the audience likes to see this."

"Remember, you are all ordinary people, ordinary students, without family, background, or money. You are just freshmen entering the first year of high school. Ordinary Kitahara Hiroshi and ordinary Nishida Orange, shining with your own brilliance in each other's sight... I hope you can maintain this state until the end."

Someone once asked what is the difference between Korean dramas and Japanese dramas.

In Korean dramas, the domineering, handsome and rich male protagonist, who shines among everyone, only takes a fancy to the female protagonist. The female protagonist loves him because he is good to her.

Japanese dramas focus more on the heart, or human nature. You love someone not because he likes you, nor because of his face, but because you find the part you lack in him. Try your best to fill the empty struggle, inner satisfaction, or character perfection... You and I are ordinary people in the vast sea of ​​people, ordinary people who can no longer be mediocre, but we shine in each other's eyes.

This light is the brilliance of humanity.

"Sakakibara, you are an ordinary person. You don't even need to smile. You just need to tell the audience that Kitahara Hiroshi is an ordinary student who is cold, afraid of trouble, dull, and a bit nerdy, but when he talks about his dreams, his eyes shine."

"Camera crew, don't give a close-up of their faces for a while. Turn the camera to their backs." Director Qingshan looked at his watch. "Hurry up, lighting crew, change the foam reflector."

"Makeup team, put some light makeup on Sakakibara-san. Hmm... the type that looks decadent and not waking up from sleep."

The gears started turning again, and the makeup lady happily pulled Sakakibara Kaede into the makeup room nearby.

The faint dark circles under her eyes were deepened by the makeup artist. Her short black hair was messed up and slightly frizzy, making her look like she had been staying at home all day.

Finally, he put on a pair of black-framed glasses, and the image of a taciturn nerd suddenly became more complete.

He gives people the feeling that he can instantly transform into a handsome man, like a cartoon character, as long as he takes off his glasses and changes his hairstyle.

"Hmm~ Let me see in the mirror."

Sakakibara Kaede stood up and looked at his image. Now he was no longer Sakakibara Kaede, but Kitahara Hiroshi who had just entered the first year of high school and was still a little confused about the future.

The makeup artist added a few strokes to his eyebrows and reluctantly let him go.

Kaede Sakakibara's face is like a flawless work of art. The makeup artist's hands were shaking when she was applying makeup, fearing that the next stroke would be a flaw.

Along the way, he held his chin up, thinking about Director Aoyama's views on Japanese dramas, and met Sakurajima Mai outside the park.

This... may be the reason why Japanese dramas are so tear-jerking.

Behind the sour, passionate and calm daily life lies the purest connection between people.