In crossover anime, who isn't a childhood friend?

As expected of the second young lady, she doesn't sleep in on her day off and works just as hard as I do. That's commendable.

In the chat interface where no one replied immediately, Yuan Qianye replied "Received" first, and then continued to jog briskly along the stone-paved road beside the highway.

Eight o'clock in the morning.

The group gathered at Zongwu High School.

The first to arrive were the Minamoto siblings, Yukinoshita and Chiya.

Eriri and Kazusa then arrived one after the other.

Next, there's a friend who's very close to Rikka and agreed to make a cameo appearance as a background actor.

There are also Chiya Minamoto's classmates, Miura and Kawasaki.

The two-day weekend shoot will cover most of the scenes in the later script that will involve other supporting characters.

And the key scene where the male protagonist, upon entering university, is shown around the campus by his classmates and is drawn to a beautiful piano melody, leading to his first encounter with the female protagonist.

In terms of the importance of the plot, the scene of the male and female protagonists' first meeting is undoubtedly of higher priority.

However, in reality, from the perspective of filming issues, that's not the case at all.

Because we have to take into account the situation of other students who volunteered to help.

It's true that others are offering their help voluntarily, but if one shamelessly accepts this kindness and takes it for granted, then it becomes a matter of personal character to rudely give orders.

Yukino shared the same thought.

Therefore, on this day's shoot, in order to share the burden with the director, Chiyo, she bought drinks for each of the other guest actors before the official start of filming.

It wasn't much money, but it showed my gratitude, and I'll consider it a token of my appreciation.

After everyone had gathered, Yukino followed behind Chiya and explained to the others their respective responsibilities during the filming process.

Everyone's tasks were roughly the same.

If it weren't for the fact that I was just casually walking through the background during the filming later, acting as a passerby, I would have been in trouble.

Or they would gather in groups of three or five in the classroom to chat, just like during regular breaks, mainly to highlight the authentic campus atmosphere.

In addition, within two days of Yuan Qianye's return, the role of the second female lead, which had been vacant in the film, was officially confirmed.

"I trust you more than other people I don't know."

It was only after Chiya Minamoto made the suggestion and said those words, and with Rikka and Eriri constantly persuading her, Yukino finally had no choice but to agree.

In the story, Yukino plays the second female lead who is attracted to the talented male lead. Later, due to various coincidences and misunderstandings between her and the male lead, she is misunderstood by the female lead, creating a crucial love triangle conflict in the drama.

This is a very important role, and the plot cannot be developed without her performance.

Despite Yukino repeatedly telling herself—this is just acting, it's just acting...

But one can't help but overthink because of it.

"Yuan, let me fix your eyebrows."

"Yuan, what do you usually like to do to pass the time when you have free time?"

"Yuan-kun, I heard that you and Busujima-senpai were quite close back in middle school..."

Saturday was a rather chaotic day, as it was the first time coordinating so many people for a shoot.

As the director, Yuan Qianye is undoubtedly the central figure. Unlike a professional film crew, he doesn't have assistants, so he needs to personally coordinate with everyone and guide the performances to achieve the best results he hopes for during the actual filming.

However, this also gave most of the girls who came to help today the best opportunity to strike up a conversation with him.

Actually, not everyone is so outgoing, but as long as one or two enthusiastic girls take the initiative to speak up, it will immediately inspire others to follow suit.

Therefore, it would be more appropriate to describe this day as a gathering of his female fans rather than a film shoot.

Yukino went from initially watching the spectacle to becoming an observer, and seeing how people would approach and chat with Minamoto Chiyo whenever he had free time, she began to feel tired for him.

Fortunately, although the scene was a bit chaotic, the day passed peacefully, and the planned filming was completed without any delays.

After finishing work at 5 p.m., Yuan Qianye escorted the others to the school gate, then went to a milk tea shop to order a cup of milk tea for each of them. He promised to treat everyone who helped him to a meal after the movie was officially completed. Finally, he was able to breathe a sigh of relief and return to the Service Department.

Upon returning to the Service Club, Gen Chiya rudely ripped open his uniform tie and began to breathe heavily.

"Thanks for your hard work."

She silently observed him, finding him rather sexy at that moment, and casually handed him a bottle of ice water.

"It's okay, it feels similar to my daily work, I'm used to it."

It's all about smiling, being patient, and being polite when dealing with customers, but today's session was indeed a bit long, and my face did get a little sore from smiling for so long.

Yuan Qianye unscrewed the cap and gulped down half the bottle, letting out a long sigh: "Just let me rest for a while. How are they doing over there?"

Kazusa turned around following his gaze.

Yukino and Eriri huddled together in front of the computer screen, while Rikka was rapidly tapping away on her phone.

"Yukino Eriri is checking the effect of today's filming, and Rikka is thanking everyone who came to help today."

"Really? Everyone's worked hard. Let's have a meal together later and go home to rest early."

"I'm a little sorry about this, but it's my turn to officially go on stage tomorrow, and I'm not very confident. I was wondering if you could accompany me to practice the scene a few more times in private."

"That's not a problem, but isn't there something wrong with the way you ask others for help? I don't mean to be obsequious, but at least be like when I asked you for advice before, with some respect."

Upon hearing this, Kazusa stared intently at Minamoto Chiya, then suddenly bent down, placed one hand on the back of the chair he was sitting on, leaned forward, and met his eyes at close range in a rather aggressive and condescending posture.

For a fleeting moment, Yuan Qianye's gaze involuntarily drifted downwards, as the bouncy object was quite dazzling. However, he quickly regained his composure, raised his head to look up, and suddenly burst into laughter.

This smile, unlike the friendly and polite attitude and the professional expressions when thanking others for their cooperation during the shoot, was a completely genuine smile.

What are you laughing at all of a sudden?

"I suddenly remembered something happy."

"What's making you happy?"

"When I first started learning piano, due to an unexpected situation, there was a period of time when the two of us were alone together."

"There's nothing funny about that."

"I have a low threshold for laughter, and also, the way we are now feels like a long time ago."

"You talk too much." Kazusa straightened up: "Do you want my help or not? I can practice in front of the mirror by myself if necessary."

"Of course I'll help. Practicing alone is definitely less efficient than practicing with a partner. Same as usual, I'll come to your place later?"

"Sure, and I can also let you hear the pieces I've revised. But let me make it clear, don't get your hopes up too high. When you gave me your original pieces, the structure was already quite complete, so I only modified some details and added some strings that I personally think will enrich the emotional expression." Her voice trailed off as she looked away.

Looking at her evasive eyes and slightly reddened earlobes, Yuan Qianye's smile softened, and he nodded gently: "Okay."

"Oh, by the way, why don't you invite them to come along too? They can come and listen and give their opinions." Kazusa turned to look at the three people who were busy with other things.

Yuan Qianye didn't answer immediately: "Why don't you speak up yourself?"

Kazuki hesitated for a moment, then finally gave a rather reluctant answer: "You are the director, the leader of the film production, and it is your responsibility to personally arrange the organization of everyone's affairs."

"So, as the director, I'd like to specifically ask you to organize and arrange this matter?"

Kazusa was taken aback.

Yuan Qianye couldn't help but laugh again.

Kazusa couldn't help but glare at him with her beautiful eyes, and then, as if unwilling to admit defeat, she walked directly to Rikka, who was relatively easier to talk to, and said something in a somewhat stiff manner.

Rikka's face lit up instantly, and she nodded immediately before quickly moving closer to Yukino and Eriri.

Seeing this, Yuan Qianye's lips curled up.

His real intention wasn't what he said; the main point he made was to help Kazusa integrate into the group more quickly.

Judging from the current situation, the results are quite good.

Around 6 p.m., the Service Department group arrived at the Touma residence at the invitation of the staff.

The Minamoto siblings had visited many times before, so they weren't strangers, but for Yukino and Eriri, it was their first time setting foot there.

Both of them were young ladies from wealthy families, and their upbringing was impeccable. When they arrived in the living room with their mistress, Kazusa, they were both very polite.

After dinner, Aunt Shibata tidied everything up and left.

Everyone got down to business.

Rikka and Eriri didn't play any roles in the movie, so they could sit on the sofa and relax as viewers, watching the three of them rehearse their scenes together.

The living room in the Touma family home is large enough to be used as a school courtyard and an old music room.

The female supporting character, played by Yukino, leads the male transfer student, played by Chiya Minamoto, on a tour of the school. Then, guided by a melodious piano melody, the male protagonist pushes open the door to an old music room, where he meets the female protagonist, played by Kazusa, for the first time. As their eyes meet, feelings begin to blossom, and they develop feelings for each other.

Soon, the rehearsal ended.

How did we do just now?

"Um……"

After a simple rehearsal session, Yukino's question made Eriri and Rikka hesitate.

“Speak your mind directly if you have any ideas. Don’t hold back. After all, it’s better to point out problems now than to embarrass ourselves on screen later.”

Since Chiyo had said so, Eriri and Rikka naturally had no more concerns.

"Well... how should I put it? Eriri and I just watched your performance. You were alright, but Yukino and Kazusa, we both felt a little... a little..."

Just as Rikka was racking her brains for the best assessment, Eriri chimed in, "Stiff."

Rikka nodded her little head in agreement: "Yes, it was stiff! Your performances just now all gave us a rather awkward feeling. Let's talk about them one by one, starting with Yukino."

Yukino nodded, temporarily putting down the script in her hand. She showed no displeasure or dissatisfaction, and instead appeared to be humbly seeking advice.

Rikka said, "Yukino, you delivered your lines very well, but according to the story, the character you're playing is a cheerful, smiling, and proactive girl. However, your performance just now was somewhat contrary to that character setting."

Eriri added, "They give off a cold feeling, somewhat like someone who has to show a new classmate around the school just to fulfill a teacher's assignment."

"Yes, yes, I just had that same feeling too!"

"So Yukino's problem is that she has to get into character and not let her own personality overshadow the character's attributes," Minamoto Chiyo concluded.

"That's it!" His insightful summary earned him a thumbs-up from both Rikka and Eriri.

"I understand. I'll pay attention to the rest of the performance. I'll think about it again by myself and try it again later." Yukino seemed to be thinking. She took the script and walked to the French window. In a voice that only she could hear, she moved her lips slightly and muttered something.

"As for Kazusa's problem..." Rikka tilted her head and thought for a moment: "...It's still that kind of tension that's visible to the naked eye, isn't it?"