Uneasy daily life

As Mai Sakurajima puts away her phone and looks up, she sees her mother walking towards the film set, carrying a bag of cold drinks and a watermelon inside the bag.

Ugh……

Sighing inwardly, Mai Sakurajima quickly walked over to help carry the things.

"Didn't Mai go to film today?"

"Not yet. Mr. Bai asked me to study the role a little more."

"His acting skills are really amazing, you should learn from him."

“I’m studying hard… Mom, could you please reply to that interview with Ayaka Nanjo for me and agree to it?”

"Hmm? Okay, if you agree, let's do it tomorrow afternoon. And those announcements..."

"No, I need to focus on filming now."

"What happens after filming? You need to plan ahead for these things!"

"Let's talk about it later!"

The mother and daughter chatted back and forth, and soon the filming came to a halt, and it was lunchtime. The two of them skillfully served drinks to the crew members, one from left to right and the other from right to left.

"Thank you for your help in directing Mai's scenes." Sakurajima's mother handed a bottle of cola to Bai Ying. "If Mai has any shortcomings, please take care of her."

"You're welcome."

Bai Ying took the cola and responded with a smile. Only when Sakurajima's mother walked towards the next person did he catch a glimpse of Sakurajima Mai withdrawing her death stare.

Tsk, an overly perceptive and decisive warrior plus.

However, good fortune still smiles upon me! Reporter, interview... The Hero Plus has a certain plan... What is she planning?

A do-or-die determination, a slightly sorrowful resolve... If it weren't for the resentment and suppression like her older sister's, one might suspect she was going for a physical version of motherly love and filial piety. If it were just about preparing for a direct confrontation, based on the few mother-daughter conflicts she'd witnessed, these fleeting emotions were far too heavy.

The phone suddenly rang. Bai Ying looked down to check it. Could it be that Xiao Ma Zi was causing trouble in the group?

Private chat?

[Sakurajima Mai is the best: Who are you?!]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Bai Liang Bai Ying.]

[Sakurajima Mai is the best: I'm asking for your real name!]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Mai Sakurajima.]

There was a long silence on the other end. Could it be that I said something so shocking that I unplugged their network cable?

The white figure clicked its tongue in amazement. It seemed so close, but it was actually so far away. A single layer of network had separated people's hearts!

[Sakurajima Mai is the best: Impossible! Who are you?!]

[Bai Liang Baiying: Hachiman Hikigaya.]

[Sakurajima Mai is the best: Never heard of her before, are you lying about your name?]

Never heard of her...? She seems really excited right off the bat, and considering what's been happening lately...? Could it be that she actually recognized Sakurajima Mai from that photo on social media?

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Are you a pervert?]

[Sakurajima Mai is the best: You're the pervert!]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Then who are you?]

There was another moment of silence on the other end.

[Sakurajima Mai is the best: Okay, I won't ask your name—what exactly is your relationship with Ms. Mai?]

Miss Mai?

In general Japanese culture, calling someone by their first name is a sign of closeness, but adding the suffix "Miss" should reflect respect, right? However, this is just common sense and can't be applied to a specific person... I can't tell if this is a self-righteous pervert or someone Mai Sakurajima knows...

This kind of thing can't be solved by reasoning; you can only find a fortune teller, like a diviner.

Bai Ying pondered for a moment, then began replying with lightning speed.

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: You are a special fan of Sakurajima Mai.]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: The photo only shows Sakurajima Mai's legs and shoes, yet you can recognize her at a glance. This is something that ordinary fans cannot do.]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Although Mai has never discussed a similar character, considering the information above—are you still going to pretend? Let's all speak frankly.]

There was no reply from the other end for a long time.

After finishing her scenes for the day, Bai Ying gave Sakurajima Mai some more pointers, ate a piece of watermelon, and finished her Coke before her reply finally arrived.

[Sakurajima Mai is the best: You're bluffing me!]

The internet is so annoying.

Bai Ying sighed and added this guy, who was probably a die-hard fan of Sakurajima Mai, to her blacklist.

……

Inside a villa in Tokyo.

A blonde girl leaned back on the sofa and waited for a while without receiving a reply. When she pressed the send button on her phone, she discovered that she had been blacklisted.

Ah—! That bastard! He was definitely bluffing me!

What exactly is his relationship with his sister? Why would his sister be so close to him (?)? Judging from this account's past posts, he's clearly just a stupid hater who doesn't understand his sister's charm!

Ugh! I feel like I'm going to have insomnia!

Chapter Eight: The Reporter Encounters a White Shadow

Mai Sakurajima Fan Club

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Although Ms. Sakurajima's acting lacked some depth and nuance, her attitude was sincere and earnest. She remained rational and calm despite my criticism, which demonstrates remarkable composure.]

[Crow: Today's segment on Dong Xiangguo's great victory for our army.]

[Crow: Wait a minute? Prime Minister Dong is obsessed with Diao Chan? He's so happy he's forgotten all the other lords?!]

[Little Pockmarked Boy: This is abandoning darkness for light!]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Fans who only care about looks shouldn't be so self-satisfied; I'm just discussing the facts.]

[Wooden Fish: Discussing defection objectively? This administrator is probably no longer needed.]

[Insomnia: Has my account been hacked?]

[Want to be a Bunny Girl: That's not good for unity. I think you don't want your admin position anymore.]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: To be fair, Ms. Sakurajima's performance on set was indeed excellent. In her spare time, you could see her reading the script and studying her character. Regardless of the results, her hard work and ambition are quite rare. She radiates a light of striving.]

[Little Mako: Although your nonsense is outrageous, you're welcome to join the Sakurajima Mai fan group!]

[Crow: Have the number of followers in the group increased?]

[Wooden Fish: Yes, it's doubled.]

[Insomnia: What's going on?! Aren't we a hater group? Even if we ban the trash-taking thing, there shouldn't be any increase in followers!]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: I've already said I'm not a fan, I'm still a hater. I'm just speaking from my own experience, don't lump me together with those superficial fans—as the art of war says, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated! If you can't even understand celebrities, how can you talk about the responsibilities of a hater?]

[Crow: Dong Xiangguo has clearly understood the situation and has directly defected to the enemy.]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: I was an undercover agent infiltrated into the enemy ranks, and I simply praised Sakurajima-san for working hard.]

[Wooden Fish: Wake up! You've only been an administrator for a few days? Is your face the same color as your ass? Your face changes as soon as your ass changes.]

[Bai Liang and Bai Ying: I'm perfectly clear-headed. It's clearly you who aren't clear-headed enough; you're all obsessed with hating! You're probably not far from becoming mindless haters!]

[Insomnia: I think your obsession level is always at its peak; every day feels like you're in a dream.]

[Little Mako: Quickly form an alliance with me, and from now on, we will both respect Miss Sakurajima. All past grievances will be wiped clean! Everyone, come and support Miss Sakurajima!]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: How dare you! You mere fans who only care about looks dare to comment on me and point fingers? You fans with no substance should just disappear!]

[Little Ma Zi: You're fantasizing about acting alongside Ms. Sakurajima, and even criticizing her acting? You can fool your own people, but please, don't fool yourself.]

[Bai Liang and Bai Ying: Is there anything else you want to say?]

[Little Pockmarked Guy: International Friendship Gesture.jpg (Middle Finger)]

[Bai Liang and Bai Ying have muted Xiao Ma Zi for 30 minutes.]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Ha, vulgar fans.]

[Want to be a bunny girl? Choose between admin nerfs or a 24-hour ban.]

[Bai Liang Bai Ying: Ridiculous! I still criticized Sakurajima Mai today, only praising her for working hard! Former group admin, don't go too far!]

[Want to be a Bunny Girl? Bai Liang and Bai Ying are banned from commenting for 30 minutes.]

Unfortunately, no one believes what the hater says. From every angle, a hater who constantly rambles in a group chat about getting close to celebrities, talking about their amazing acting skills, and pointing fingers... has never tried to verify this with anyone else.

If we put ourselves in the hater's line of thinking, wouldn't he be planning to endure for a while, wait until he's completed his so-called "hater mission," and then release various photos and evidence to prove his "merit," forcing himself to relinquish his position as group admin? It feels like something the hater would do.

Mai Sakurajima rolled over on the bed, changing from lying on her back to lying down.

Once the news of my retirement from the entertainment industry spreads, will my haters mistakenly think it's their 'achievement'? Will they jump out in the group chat and try to take my place? By then, I won't be a celebrity anymore, and I can openly admit my identity... I'm kind of looking forward to seeing how my haters behave then.

Should I leave the group on the spot to preserve my dignity?

To call white black and make sophistry?

A desperate gamble, a rebellion?

Sakurajima Mai felt a bit of chest tightness and instinctively shifted from lying down to lying on her side. This was the first time since making the decision that she felt a sense of anticipation for that day to arrive. She hadn't expected her hater to praise her privately in the group chat… Well, what the hater disliked seemed to be the aspect she, as an idol, had to maintain.

and many more!

Mai Sakurajima frowned, recalling what had happened today—she thought the hater didn't know she knew he was a hater, but it turned out she had been tricked by him.

Do the haters in the group know that I am the group owner?

...Thinking about it carefully, it's still too absurd. Back then, I used a fake account to try and sabotage my mother's star-making plan, and that's how I met the anti-fan guy by chance. Later, it was through various coincidences that I pulled him into the group. The anti-fan guy knew that I knew he was an anti-fan, which obviously came from Anxinyuan. After all, I also learned that the anti-fan guy was an anti-fan from Anxinyuan.

As classmates who have spent a lot of time together, it's only natural that the hater would get the details from Anxinyuan.

Mai Sakurajima sorted out her thoughts, closed her eyes to rest, and prepared to continue filming tomorrow.

……

The next day, on the film set.

"Brave Plus, your acting skills aren't bad, but they're not great either—what do you mean? Mediocre."

Bai Ying paced back and forth, pointing and saying, "Do you know what mediocrity is? At the lower end, that's a popular idol who just reads lines in a flat tone and relies on their looks to maintain popularity, not to make movies or act. At the higher end, that's someone with acting skills and the ability to perform, worthy of being called a performer... You can portray the goddess-like scenes in the roles, but the real scenes are far from it. Your performance level can't be said to be inconsistent, but it's at least useless."

The intensity of this pointing and gesturing has increased even further compared to before!

Mai Sakurajima felt something was off, but couldn't quite put her finger on it, so she continued to try to understand the character's image.

"Ordinary high school girls shouldn't try to project some kind of 'school beauty' aura. That's just an artistic fiction. If there really were a school beauty in a school, it would be either a funny nickname or a ridiculous one. Even if the school were to hold a school beauty poll, the one who gets voted up might just be a boy."

Bai Ying described it this way: "You have to imagine that you have a few friends, talking about little things in your studies and life, complaining about teachers or other classmates. Sometimes when you take a nap, you drool on the table. When you wake up, you wipe the table and the corner of your mouth with your sleeve. Don't keep thinking about that youthful school beauty who's been marinated in shower gel..."

"Brother! Reporter Nanjo wants to interview you!" Okita led a brown-haired woman over.

"Hello, I'm Nanjo Fumika." The woman greeted her with a smile, then looked up at Sakurajima Mai. "Ms. Sakurajima, it's nice to see you again."

"Nanjo, my interview is this afternoon, please do not disturb my work."

Mai Sakurajima remained unfazed. As a well-known celebrity, she had previously received a lot of attention from reporters in every aspect. Fumika Nanjo, on the other hand, was a heavyweight clingy person, sticky and fickle.

“Of course.” Nanjo Fumika looked at the white figure curiously. “Little brother, you’re the screenwriter for the production team? And you also serve as the acting coach and a supporting actor?”

Bai Ying returned the curious look: "Is the old lady a reporter?"

"puff……"

Mai Sakurajima couldn't resist.

Fumika Nanjo said with a smile, "I'm still very young, I can't be considered an old auntie."

"People tend to dwell on what they lack most, and when they realize that dwelling on it is useless, they naturally stop."