A few hours later
Beach

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

1

Crew Member

That's everything for today's shoot!
We'll be starting tomorrow morning around seven, so I'll see you all bright and early!
2

Rui

Listen

Thank you.
3

Nene

Listen

Phew...
We somehow managed to get through the second half of the day.

Sound Effect: Play

4

Rin

Listen

<Nice work, you guys!
Your beach shoot went so well☆>
5

Rui

Listen

Yes, and Bakuno did an excellent job of switching gears. Mr. Ohara sounded very happy about what we took.
6

Tsukasa

Listen

Yes, he did!
A lot of the scenes we covered today involved complex sets of emotions, but he just kept on being an amazing actor.
7

Emu

Listen

Yeah, Bakuno was so good!
I love how he's able to jump between completely unrelated scenes like it's no problem!
8

Nene

Listen

But we still have to keep doing our best tomorrow.
9

Nene

Listen

Not only do we have an early start, but we're doing that one scene again in the afternoon...
10

Rin

Listen

<You mean the climax scene you did during the day?>
11

Rin

Listen

<That looked really hard.
I sure hope things go better tomorrow...>
12

Rui

Listen

Me too...

Sound Effect: Play

13

Reki

Listen

...
14

Tsukasa

Listen

Oh...
There's Bakuno right on cue.

Sound Effect: Play

15

Reki

Listen

Oh, hello...
Nice work today, everyone.
16

Rui

Listen

We should be the ones telling you that. You had quite a long day. How are you feeling?
17

Reki

Listen

Oh, I'm actually okay.
My usual rehearsals run from morning until evening anyway.
18

Reki

Listen

Still...
Adapting to a new situation isn't easy.
19

Nene

Listen

Bakuno...
20

Rui

Listen

How about we go somewhere to take your mind off things? We haven't had dinner yet, so if you'd like to join us...
21

Emu

Listen

Oh, Rui, nice idea!
22

Emu

Listen

I read that the roast beef at the hotel we're staying at is supposed to be super yummy! I've really been looking forward to trying it♪
23

Reki

Listen

Oh, that sounds nice!
24

Reki

Listen

Unfortunately...
I'll have to pass.
25

Reki

Listen

I still need to figure out what to do for tomorrow.
26

Nene

Listen

Oh...
27

Reki

Listen

I hope you all have a nice dinner.
You can tell me all about it tomorrow.
28

Reki

Listen

Anyway, I'll be going now.
Have a nice evening, everyone.

Sound Effect: Play

29

Emu

Listen

There he goes.
30

Nene

Listen

I guess he's worried about that scene.
31

Tsukasa

Listen

I'd rather he didn't beat himself up over it...
32

Rui

Listen

(I've given that scene some thought since then, but I'm struggling to come up with an answer.)
33

Rui

Listen

(Even after talking with Mr. Ohara about changing camera angles or reworking certain shots, nothing really stood out.)
34

Rui

Listen

(What are we missing? What are we not see—)
35

Crew Member

Are you not having dinner, sir?
36

Ohara

No, I'm okay.
I need to start editing that scene right now, so don't call me unless it's an emergency.

Sound Effect: Play

37

Emu

Listen

He isn't having dinner because of that scene...
38

Rui

Listen

Sorry, everyone.
I need to go as well.

Sound Effect: Play

39

Nene

Listen

Huh...?
40

Emu

Listen

R-Rui?!
Several dozen minutes later
Work Area

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

41

Ohara

Hmm...
42

Ohara

I've tried switching things around, but the shots we've been using don't seem to be the issue.
43

Rui

Listen

Right... It seems that the feel of this scene remains the same regardless of which ones we use.
44

Ohara

Exactly.
Plus, I'd like to avoid fixing anything in this scene that doesn't actually need fixing...
45

Rui

Listen

I agree.
46

Rui

Listen

The characters in this scene undergo some big changes emotionally, so it seems best to keep things simple and let the focus be on the actors' performances.
47

Ohara

Hey, you're really starting to get the hang of things.
48

Ohara

Anyway, you should go.
We have to get started early tomorrow, so head back to the hotel and eat some—

Sound Effect: Play

49

???

Listen

Oh, look at you working in another cramped little setup.
50

Rui

Listen

Huh...?
51

???

Listen

Doing another low-budget film?
What is it with you and those, Tomomi?
52

Ohara

Hey, this isn't my choice!
Also, what are you doing here?! How did you find out where I was?!
53

???

Listen

Your crew tipped us off.
I was in the neighborhood, so I decided to pay you a visit.
54

Rui

Listen

(Are they friends or something...?
They seem to know each other pretty well...)
55

Ohara

Oh, Kamishiro, let me introduce you.
This is my friend from my university days that I just can't seem to get rid of.

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

56

Rui

Listen

I see.
57

Rui

Listen

It's nice to meet you.
My name is Rui Kamishiro. I'm working as Mr. Ohara's assistant.
58

Ohara

One thing led to another and I ended up taking him on. He's also a theatre director.
59

???

Listen

Hey, that's pretty cool considering how young you are.
60

Rui

Listen

(Wait... “Also”?)
61

Rui

Listen

(Is he also a theatre director...?)
62

???

Listen

Hey, is this the film you're working on?
Looks like another snooze fest.

Sound Effect: Play

63

Ohara

Shut up.
And quit touching my stuff.
64

Katsuyuki

Listen

“H-How can you say that...?
You show up out of nowhere, mess with my feelings and...”
65

Katsuyuki

Listen

“The truth is, I don't care about what's really going on with you... I just...!”
66

???

Listen

Hey, is that Reki Bakuno?
That's a nice catch. Won't this be his first film?
67

Ohara

Hey, don't start playing it...
68

Rui

Listen

(He's rather assertive.)
69

Rui

Listen

(But I suppose it only makes sense that Mr. Ohara's friend would have a similar personality.)
70

Hajime

“I'm sorry.”

Sound Effect: Play

71

Katsuyuki

Listen

“Hajime, wait!”
72

Rui

Listen

(Huh?)
73

Katsuyuki

Listen

“...
I'm guessing that's not even your real name.”
74

Katsuyuki

Listen

“I still don't know anything about you.”
75

Katsuyuki

Listen

“Absolutely nothing...”
76

???

Listen

...
77

Rui

Listen

(What happened there?
His expression suddenly changed...)
78

???

Listen

So, is this scene all finished?
79

Ohara

No, not yet.
It's still bugging me a lot.
80

Ohara

I thought it had something to do with Bakuno's acting at first, but doing more takes didn't make the problem go away. I'm starting to think that it's the cinematography that needs fixing...
81

???

Listen

Hmm...
82

???

Listen

Yeah, I can see why.
You'd never let anything like this see the light of day, Tomomi.
83

Rui

Listen

...
84

Ohara

How many times do I have to tell you to not call me by my first name?

BGM: --:-- / --:-- Play

85

Ohara

Anyway, how would you fix this...?
86

???

Listen

Hmm... Well...
If it were up to me...
87

???

Listen

I'd try to rethink this scene with Reki Bakuno in mind.
88

Rui

Listen

(Rethink it...with him in mind?)
89

Ohara

What? The film itself wouldn't exist in the first place without Bakuno. Right from day one, we...
90

Ohara

No, wait.
What if I—
91

???

Listen

Alright, there's no need to panic.
I was just giving you my two cents.
92

???

Listen

I mean, Tomomi, this is one of your films we're talking about. I'm sure it's gonna be fine in the end.
93

Ohara

Empty reassurances as usual...
94

???

Listen

Anyway, I've got an after-party to attend. I'll drop in some other time.

Sound Effect: Play

95

Ohara

Wait, hey!
Let me know you're coming next time!
96

Rui

Listen

“Rethink it with him in mind”...?
97

Rui

Listen

(But Mr. Ohara said himself that the film wouldn't exist without Bakuno, and that he specifically wanted him to play the protagonist.)
98

Rui

Listen

(Which means it's been created with him in mind right since the planning stage...)

Sound Effect: Play

99

Rui

Listen

(But that expression...
He must've seen something...)
100

Rui

Listen

(Something that we're still missing.)
Next Chapter: The Final Day