Tokyo girls have a big problem

Chapter 330 Temporarily Changing the Female Lead?
On Saturday, September 24th, I saw Shang Ai coming downstairs, yawning.

Aoyama Riki happened to be running back.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning," I replied to Shang Ai.

"I've memorized the faces of all five classmates. Besides them, I've also memorized all the boys in Mizuki's class, as well as the boys from her choir. I guarantee I'll recognize them at a glance!"

Aoyama Ryo's tone was full of fighting spirit.

When I met Shang Ai, I only found him noisy.

"Let's try to finish filming as soon as possible today, and then we'll go to the drama club!" With that, Aoyama Risa went upstairs in a few steps and went back to her room to take a shower.

See above and cheer up.

She took the storyboard and confirmed the scenes she was to film.

The male and female protagonists meet in the library and walk around the campus together. The female protagonist has a changeable personality; she is quiet when reading and playful when laughing. She is very gentle, and she is just as beautiful as the male protagonist. She also likes the male protagonist.

The probability of meeting a girl like this is lower than the probability of starting life all over again.

"Ready." Aoyama Risa came downstairs, wearing a suit jacket in addition to a shirt, which was necessary for filming today.

“You’re quite bold,” said Jian Shang Ai.

"Hmm?" Aoyama was puzzled.

"Let's go to the cafeteria first." Jian Shangai stood up.

Aoyama Ryo didn't press the matter; he was already used to being humiliated by Aoi.

There's a scene in the cafeteria that needs to be filmed before there are too many people. The cinematographer is Yaeko Miyase, but she won't be here for a while.

The two went to the set to rehearse first.

It was 5:20 a.m., and in this country where the 'morning meeting' doesn't start until 8:45 a.m., all around was quiet.

Even the sun had not yet risen.

There were almost only two people on the dimly lit road.

Occasionally, students would pass by, each one either looking like a sleepy ghost or full of ambition, secretly studying while everyone else was asleep.

“To my classmate,” Aoyama Risa began, “you said—just chatting—you said, of those five people, who is the most likely?”

"What is the most important thing to you right now?" Jian Shangai asked rhetorically.

"I'm pursuing Mizuki."

"But for me, the most important thing is shooting the music video. It's work time now, and I don't have time to chat with you."

"I'm sorry, I was too impulsive, but I don't know why, although it's difficult, I believe I can succeed!"

"Good luck."

The two arrived at the cafeteria.

The dining area was dark and unlit, but the preparation area was bustling with activity, steam rising from the ceiling, as the chefs began preparing breakfast early in the morning.

Standing in the darkness, watching the busy figures inside the window, I had the illusion of watching a movie.

“Let’s go,” said Ai.

"Hmm? Aren't we filming this scene? What if we need to use it?" Aoyama asked.

After looking at it for a while and thinking about it, Shang Ai took out her camera and captured the scene.

While she was taking the photos, Aoyama Osamu stood to the side and said, "Although I think it's highly unlikely we'll need it, what if we do?"

The two turned on a light in a corner of the cafeteria and rehearsed their play there.

Location: Canteen

Characters: Female lead, Male lead

Event: The male protagonist is eating, and the female protagonist, whom he has only met once and is not very familiar with, sits diagonally across from him.

“The focus of this scene is you,” Ai Mikami said. “Your smile should make the audience see the lines and feel as if they can hear you saying, ‘What a beautiful morning.’”

“It’s a bit challenging. I’m a gentleman, and I’m not good at giving perverted smiles,” Aoyama Risa said with a smile.

"Imagine Mizuki agreeing to your request."

"Hehe~"

"ugly."

Aoyama Ryo changed his way of laughing.

"It'll do." He glanced at it twice.

“How about we add a scene of stirring natto? The stirring motion easily conveys a happy emotion,” suggested Aoyama Osamu.

"Take one set of photos for each one."

“When I used to work part-time, I needed to get up early or come back from a late shift, and Mizuki would help me mix the natto,” Aoyama Rie sighed.

“She will be stirring natto for other people from now on,” Ai Mikami said.

"That's not the future I want, and I will definitely stop it!"

Seeing that Shang Ai wasn't interested, he said, "Let's begin."

The two began rehearsing.

Having been given a second chance at life, Aoyama Osamu, who doesn't have many friends yet, eats alone in the cafeteria, his mood neither good nor bad.

Seeing that Ai was pretending to be carrying a plate, she sat down diagonally opposite him.

Aoyama watched her until she sat down, then looked away, smiling as he picked up the natto and began to stir it.

After filming, the two checked the lens.

There's not much to say about the angle, since the camera was placed on the table; it can only be considered 'recording,' not 'shooting.'

The key point is the acting skills of the two actors.

"Pretty good," Aoyama said admiringly. "However, when you meet me, your acting is a bit stiff. It's as if you approach me to remind me that I still owe you 10,000 yen."

He saw something he liked and fell into deep thought.

"Let's do it one more time." She stood up and walked out of the frame.

Aoyama Ryou began to "eat," and every move he made was incredibly realistic. There was no so-called superb acting skill involved; he was simply eating.

Love is brewing for a while.

As if on a picnic, a graceful young woman with a slight smile walked into the frame.

Aoyama Ryo glanced at it, then looked down, then looked up again.

Then, he lowered his head and chuckled as he stirred the natto.

"You acted really well!" he said, looking at the camera.

"Mm." Seeing that Ai also smiled, "We'll act out this feeling in the main film later."

"Send it to Meihua and Meiyue." Aoyama Rika picked up the camera and sent the clip to his phone.

Aoyama posted the clip in the group.

He couldn't help but laugh, not knowing what the Ono sisters said, and then typed a reply at lightning speed.

His smile now is very similar to the smile he showed in the footage just now.

After a while, Miyako Yaeko arrived and took photos of the two of them with a camera.

A number of people gradually arrived from the surrounding area. Because the student council president was there, no one dared to crowd around, but they all watched curiously from a distance.

Seeing someone you love and not minding it is also a form of promotion.

Miyako Yaeko followed behind Aoyama Risa and began filming from the moment he left the window with his tray.

Filming was quick, firstly because there wasn't much footage, and secondly because thorough preparation was done—storyboards, rehearsals, location scouting, and so on.

After filming, the three of them ate while watching the film.

“It’s better when there’s no rehearsal,” commented Osamu Aoyama. “When we were rehearsing, seeing my classmates’ performances helped me get into character, but I felt a bit lacking during the actual filming.”

"Reshoot?" Miyako asked. "If necessary, hurry up."

Aoyama Ri looked at Jian Shang Ai.

After carefully examining it, I found that there were indeed some subtle differences.

She thought for a moment and said, "Completion is more important than perfection. Let's leave it like this for now, and we can reshoot later if there's still time."

After breakfast, we filmed the morning scenes.

The male and female protagonists officially begin to get to know each other during this period.

The plot involves choosing a class monitor, and the whole class is present, including the little girl who erases the blackboard, Ono Mizuki.

"Welcome, welcome!" Aoyama Risa said with a smile.

"Oh, don't be like that, brother. I've already submitted my application to join the club, and I'm already a member of the Elegant Research Club." Ono Mizuki said happily.

In this way, she can keep an eye on Aoyama Risa.

“Read after me, it’s the Athens Philosophy Research Department, not the Athens Research Department,” Aoyama Osamu corrected.

"I'll go say hello to everyone." Ono Mizuki completely ignored him. She was a first-year student, and most of the people here were her seniors.

"Go ahead, go ahead," said Aoyama Risa.

After Ono Mizuki left, he whispered to Mikami Ai, "Don't think that just because Mizuki is here you can do whatever you want to her. I'll be watching you!"

“Not everyone is as despicable as you, always thinking of doing whatever they want.” Jian Shangai glanced at him indifferently.

"It seems your affection for Mizuki is far less than mine, Miyako!" Aoyama Risa said smugly.

Seeing that Shang Ai was rubbing her temples as if she had a headache.

"Kuse-sensei is here!" Aoyama Risa looked toward the classroom door.

Kusei Oto makes a guest appearance as the 'homeroom teacher'.

After everyone arrived, we rehearsed a few times before officially starting filming.

Under the "class monitor" column, Kuseon wrote the name of "female protagonist" and then pretended to ask "which boy would like to be the class monitor?"

Each class has two class leaders, one male and one female.

Aoyama Riki raised his hand.

At the same time, another boy also raised his hand.

Aoyama Ryo stood up, smiled, and said something to the boy, the whole class, and the teacher. Finally, the boy lowered his hand.

Kuseon wrote the name of the male protagonist next to the female protagonist.

In order to get closer to the female lead, the male lead took on the position of class monitor. The female lead, who was sitting in front of him, turned around and smiled at him. This means that when the male lead took a step, the female lead also took a step.

"How did the filming go?" Everyone was curious after the filming was finished.

Miyako Yaeko, this 'ex-wife', was also a member of this class, so she couldn't be filmed; instead, a student council member filmed it.

After handing over their cameras, the officers huddled in a corner wiping their sweat. However, one officer was quite confident, as he enjoyed playing with cameras and knew some basic angles, composition, and lighting.

Besides, with Aoyama Rika and Mikami Ai's good looks, they look good no matter how they're photographed.

Seeing Ai, Osamu Aoyama, and Mizuki Ono gathered together, checking the camera;
On the other side, Miyako Yaeko turned the classroom of Class 2-2 into her office and immediately began working.

“The cultural festival handbook needs to be prepared now,” she said.

"President, is the club ranking in the handbook still based on the Japanese syllabary?"

"In the order of reporting."

"Here! Here!" Aoyama Risa raised her hand. "First in the Athens Philosophy Research Department!"

The student council members remained silent, staring at him as if a food deliveryman had barged into a company meeting.

"Give him the form." Miyako Yaeko gestured with her chin towards her secretary.

"Mizuki!" Aoyama immediately walked to the corner near the door at the back of the classroom, where the student council had taken over.

"Here I am~" Ono Mizuki followed.

"By the way, I'm also a member of the Sunny Day Band Club. Can I register for the Sunny Day Band Club?" Aoyama Rika asked again.

This made Miyako Yaeko, who was pursuing 'exchange', somewhat uncomfortable.

So she said to the student council members, "You can also write down your clubs."

Thus, the 'exchange' is complete.

That's right, it wasn't Aoyama Risa who swapped with her, but rather she, Aoyama Risa, and a member of the student council swapping.

"Kuse-sensei, what do you think of the filming?" At the very front corner of the classroom, near the window, stood Kuse-sensei, asking questions.

"Aoyama-kun is very good, you're just average." Kuze-on's voice is pleasant, but it's only for admiring, not for truly falling in love with.

"From a psychological perspective, how can I perform better?" Jian Ai sincerely asked for advice.

Imagine Aoyama Risa as someone you like.

"I tried."

"Don't you like that person enough? Or do you dislike the fact that they took the initiative to become class monitor in order to get closer to you?"

After thinking for a moment, Jian Shangai said, "The former."

“You’re more rational, so just treat this as a task and complete it perfectly,” Kuze-on said.

Her tone suggested she wasn't very serious.

They seemed to be having a casual chat, and the topic turned to travel. She said something like, "Speaking of which, it seems like there are now ways to pay to go to the moon."

It felt like floating in the air.

Like a professional psychologist, they simply give formulaic and predictable replies to strangers who want free consultations.

She didn't care about seeing Shang Ai; she was used to thinking for herself.

After adjustments, I took four more shots, and it was finally barely usable.

After breakfast and the morning, it was lunchtime, and by then the two were sitting face to face eating together.

Not in the dining hall, but in the Department of Philosophical Studies in Athens.

“You probably wouldn’t believe it, but this footage was taken by your ex-wife,” Miyako Yaeko said with a smile.

Aoyama Risa smiled.

"Huh?" Miyako asked in confusion, "Ai, what's wrong with you? I wanted to make you two laugh and capture a more natural 'mutual smile,' why aren't you cooperating?"

“Boring. I can’t laugh,” said Ai.

“Even if it’s just pretending, you can still go along with it,” Aoyama Riki said.

“Say it again.” Mikami Ai looked at Aoyama Osamu.

Aoyamari shut up.

--horrible.

“Yaeko, I’m asking you to say it again,” said Mikami Ai.

"You probably wouldn't believe it, but this footage was taken by your ex-wife."

Looking at Aoyama Rin, Ishigami smiled.

"Aoyama, why aren't you smiling anymore?" Miyako Yaeko questioned.

"Can you laugh when Ai is staring at you expressionlessly?" Aoyama asked rhetorically.

“I’ll be laughing so hard, it’ll prove I’ve made her angry.” Just imagining the scene, let alone actually making Aoi angry, made Miyako Yaeko laugh.

Aoyama Rie dared not laugh anymore.

Did he upset Shang Ai? No.

"Can we continue?" See above for iAsk.

—Could it be that the sales target of 10,000 units is putting too much pressure on her?
Is she such a person?
The scene at 'noon' was relatively simple; it consisted of just exchanging a smile while eating.

In the afternoon, the male and female protagonists were already in a romantic relationship.

Miyaeko handles matters in the student council, such as the riddle club planning to 'block the road,' the camping club planning to 'camp randomly,' and the cooking club planning to 'barbecue.' She needs to confirm the specific details of each of these matters.

The two went to rehearse first.

On a stone-paved path resembling an open garden, I saw Ai and Aoyama walking side by side.

"Let's think of something funny so we can laugh during filming?" suggested Aoyama Osamu.

"What's so funny?" See above for more information.

"I have this feeling that you're provoking me. Let me think... funny things... honestly, right now just imagining 'Mizuki actually likes me' is enough to make me grin like an idiot."

"I'll just imagine that 'Mizuki actually likes me'."

“How could that be!” Aoyama Rido exclaimed.

“I’ll give you this same advice,” said Ai.

"Even if she doesn't like me, I'll make her like me!" As he spoke, Aoyama had an idea. "Wait, could you face me and walk backwards?"

After thinking for a moment, Jian Shangai said, "We can try taking a set of photos."

Aoyama Risa laughed: "I think the inspiration I got from Mizuki is very vivid."

"Is that so?" Jian Shangai said casually. "Have her take another set of photos later. If the results are good, we'll keep hers."

"Great idea!" Aoyama immediately agreed. "That way, she can come to the Athens Philosophy Department again and spend less time in the Drama Department! As expected of Jian Shang, she's smarter than me!"

“That way we’ll have two female leads,” Ai Mikami said.

"Too."

"Why not just cast Miyuki as the female lead? Maybe you two will fall in love on set," said Aoi again.

Aoyama Ryo did not object, but fell into deep thought, seriously considering this possibility.

"Take your time to think it over. Call me when Miyako Yaeko arrives." Mikami Ai sat down on a bench.

She closed her eyes to allow herself to regain some energy.

(End of this chapter)