Uneasy daily life

"It needs to convey that feeling of sadness from being dumped, not a strong, outward expression of self-abandonment, but a silent, restrained, and profound sorrow. Sakurajima-san, tone it down... No, this isn't sadness, this is just putting on a stern face... It needs to convey that feeling of profound sorrow beyond words..."

The director tried his best to bombard the lead actors with his ideas, hoping they could have the same tacit understanding as college roommates, where one of them would just get off the chair and the other would call out from the bed, "Dad, bring me some food." They would understand each other without saying a word, work together, and achieve perfect results.

The lead actor stood still, yet processed all of the director's ideas one by one. One moment too obvious, the next not obvious; one moment too sad, the next not too sad—are you trying to nitpick?

This is what the wall of the heart looks like.

"Phew, let's take a break for now. The next tram won't be here for a while."

The director paused filming: "It's getting a bit too hot. The production crew will go buy some drinks and popsicles so everyone can cool off before we resume filming."

As a mature member of society, one can distinguish between priorities and will not argue or shift blame with the lead actor on set.

After all, the client is the heaviest burden, followed by Mai Sakurajima, and oneself is the lightest.

What? Film crew? They're the kind of people who clock in and out, not involved in the distribution of power yet.

Break time.

Sakurajima Mai (Wahana) was a little sullen and didn't even have the energy to chase after the white figure to kick her: "Sister, how exactly should we act, according to the director?"

"This one……"

Yukino Yukinoshita (Mai) pondered for a moment and said, "To express that feeling of unhappiness and gloom, think about those unhappy things from the past?"

“I’ve thought about it.” Mai Sakurajima (Wahana) glanced at the white figure. “The director said the emotions were too obvious. Rather than the sadness and melancholy of being dumped, it was more like wanting to take a knife and die together with her ex-boyfriend.”

"I meant, think about some other unhappy things," Yukino Yukinoshita (Mai) said casually, "Like Aunt Toyohama?"

"so?"

Mai Sakurajima (Wahana) slightly raised her eyebrows, pressed the corners of her mouth down, her chest heaved noticeably, and her eyes held a mixture of disdain and annoyance. Her brows furrowed slowly without her realizing it, clearly a far cry from the performance required by the script.

"It's like going from a stick figure to a powder keg," Bai Ying commented. "It's very much like being pointed at and gossiped about, but unable to vent for various reasons. The emotions are bottled up inside, but can't be hidden on the face, until they cross the threshold and explode with a bang..."

Mai Sakurajima (Wahana): #!

"Like now?" Yukino Yukinoshita (Mai) rolled her eyes, realizing she didn't have a good solution. Acting with someone like Hana, who wears her heart on her sleeve, definitely required a certain level of skill. "What can I do, Haku-kun?"

“That’s easy. A fanatic like her is most afraid of being rejected and ridiculed by her idol.” Bai Ying pushed up her non-existent glasses. “Yukino can sacrifice herself and scold her a few times, like ‘You’re a parasite that only drags down the box office,’ ‘I don’t have a fan like you,’ ‘Don’t contact her again, I’m afraid my idol will be blamed for my fan behavior.’ In this way, the stick figure will definitely be greatly affected and turn into a salted fish immersed in sadness and self-pity. Doesn’t that meet the requirements?”

Mai Sakurajima (Wahana) scoffed, "That's not true at all."

"Putting aside whether such a thing actually happened, if you say something like that in front of Kazuka, even if I play along, Kazuka is unlikely to fall for it, right?"

Yukino Yukinoshita (Mai) crossed her arms, already getting used to the solid, substantial feeling between her arms.

Mai Sakurajima (Wahana) immediately chimed in, "That's right, that's right."

Even though I've tried to figure out the situation, seeing 'myself' looking at Yukinoshita with such obedience still feels a bit strange... It would be interesting if Kazuha became Yukinoshita... Wait, is this some kind of inexplicable infection from the hater?

As Yukino Yukinoshita (Mai) was feeling complicated, a sentence suddenly came from the side.

"Stickman, your portrayal of Sakurajima Mai is completely unrecognizable." Bai Ying lowered her voice. "Not just the kind of unrecognizable acting that's not good enough, but the kind that's so bad it's practically nonexistent."

"what?"

"Your sister wasn't the kind of popular, outgoing person she was in school. To put it simply, she didn't have any friends her own age."

"Climb up, you're trying to lie to me again."

Sakurajima Mai (Wahana) pouted.

Bai Ying said logically, "Use your brain, which is only a hair's breadth away from being smart, to think about it—your sister started as a child star, and she had to be busy with work and learning professional skills. She didn't have much time to stay in school. Plus, with the star aura, where would she find the time to make friends?"

"hehe."

Mai Sakurajima (Waka) succinctly stated: You don't understand Mai Sakurajima at all, yet you dare to make such a rash judgment? You're nothing but a worthless scoundrel.

“There was once a younger sister who thought her older sister was an all-around superwoman, always positive and enterprising, always perfect in ability, able to do things that she didn’t want to do, and able to do things that she wanted to do even better. Her own low status was just to highlight the other’s height.”

The white figure pointed at Yukino Yukinoshita (Mai) and said earnestly, "Stickman, look at her—her acting skills were completely crushed and ridiculed by me, she was once deeply mired in family problems and couldn't extricate herself, and occasionally she would have the amusing thought of 'what if Yukinoshita bowed down and surrendered to me'..."

Yukinoshita Yukino (Mai): "..."

Sakurajima Mai (Wahana) yawned dramatically and gestured with her chin: "You continue."

"Hmph! What a foolish fan!" Bai Ying directly presented compelling evidence, "If your sister were perfect, how could she have puberty syndrome?"

Mai Sakurajima (Wahana) looked slightly stiff.

Bai Ying pressed her advantage: "Let me tell you, you were exposed after only two days of pretending to be your sister. Your sister is aloof at school, focusing all her energy on work and life. She goes with the flow when it comes to school social interactions and has never taken the initiative to engage with anyone. This is similar to your life at school."

Mai Sakurajima (Wahana) was still not convinced: "My older sister said I acted very well..."

"Son, don't be sad. Being silly is cute too."

Mai Sakurajima's voice came from the white figure, full of kindness and comfort: "Although you expanded my social circle and made some friends I had never met before, it caused some trouble in return, but it's okay, I know you didn't mean it."

Bah.

Yukino Yukinoshita (Mai) couldn't hold back any longer. She stomped on the white figure's toe and said irritably, "Alright, alright, shut up first. Kazuha, listen to me..."

Mai Sakurajima (Wahana) clearly believed Shirokage's words and was somewhat dazed.

White Shadow finished off the enemy.

"Leave the group! You shameful fan!"

……

……

The second scene is very well completed.

Empty eyes, a silent sorrow greater than a dead heart, wandering aimlessly on the river of the soul, expressing untold melancholy.

vivid!

The director exclaimed that she truly had impressive acting skills, able to deliver a flawless performance after only a short rest, no wonder she held a higher position than him.

Alright! One last scene. Let's strike while the iron is hot and finish shooting all the footage today!

"Watch the train disappear into the distance, a smile on your face, a sense of relief in your eyes... Sakurajima-san, Smail! Smail!"

"That's too fake. It's a smile, not a wide grin... Stop it, stop it..."

"There's absolutely no sense of relief! It should have that feeling of... suddenly turning around and finding that person in the dimly lit place! Your eyes aren't relieved enough, your smile isn't sweet enough, and your demeanor isn't fresh and charming enough! This is clearly your forte—acting. You can't even do this properly while eating? Do you even know how to eat?"

"Let bygones be bygones. You need to have that feeling—not an indifferent feeling! What kind of feeling? Being unable to let go is called being indifferent, being able to let go is called being at peace and letting go!"

The chemistry between the director and the lead actor is undeniable; there's simply no room for it to diminish.

One person desperately wants to cram all the images in their mind into the other's, while the other desperately wants to open the other's mind to see what's inside.

"Cut! Let's take a break! Hey you, go buy some more cold drinks and ice cream!"

After reassessing the priorities, the director, exhausted, took a step back and announced an intermission, giving Mai Sakurajima (Wahana) an expectant look—"I already said I'm taking a break, you'll definitely be able to get it right in one take, right?"

Mai Sakurajima (Wahana): "..."

In short, find your sister and that jerk!

Ugh! Just thinking about the friends she made for her sister made made Mai Sakurajima (Wahana) shuddered. Not only did she not act well, but she also caused trouble for her sister!

Let's put aside the situation caused by that bastard for now, get through the commercial shoot first, and then kick that bastard into the river after we're done.

Sakurajima Mai (Waka) sorted out her thoughts and hurried to a corner of the set, where Yukino Yukinoshita (Mai) and Shirakage were watching her deadly sixteen-card move with their arms crossed.

What is this bastard up to now?

The thought flashed through her mind, and Sakurajima Mai (Wahana) quickly asked, "Sister, how did you act that kind of smile?"

“This…” Yukino Yukinoshita (Mai) frowned and pondered, “Wahana, you should have taken some basic acting classes. Variety show interviews and similar jobs also require some acting skills… You might not be suited to learning techniques. You could try method acting…”

"White, Black Fan." Bai Ying rolled her eyes and sighed, "Don't make things up if you don't know. It would be best to finish work today. Smile naturally, not too much or too little. Since it's a shot of gazing into the distance, don't look at the camera unconsciously. Control your sensitivity to the lens. Being an idol makes you develop the habit of trying hard to perform in front of the camera, which is a bad habit for acting..."

Bai Ying explained the key points in a simple and easy-to-understand way, but Sakurajima Mai (Wahana) frowned and interrupted, "Wait a minute! What's wrong with you now?"

"Adolescent syndrome," the white figure said helplessly. "I am Sakurajima Mai, and Black Fan is now me—Black Fan. It's not because you kept complaining about unfairness that we switched bodies, is it?"

Mai Sakurajima (Wahana): "?"

What the heck? In the blink of an eye, my sister and that bastard swapped bodies? No, wait, it's Yukinoshita's sister and that bastard who swapped bodies?

"Ha." Mai Sakurajima (Wahana) scoffed, "You're so eloquent, you're clearly a bastard."

“That’s right.” Yukino Yukinoshita (Mai) nodded seriously. “I am Sakurajima Mai. The hater is getting more and more arrogant, actually lying to my face!”

"That's right...?"

Sakurajima Mai (Wahana) interrupted her words, glancing suspiciously at Yukino Yukinoshita's body, wondering whose heart was inside: "...I wrote you a letter before, do you remember the contents of the first letter?"

"of course I remember."

I'm not going to play along with the haters anymore; I'll improvise and change the script as I please.

Yukino Yukinoshita (Mai) immediately recited a passage, then said helplessly, "Wahana, you're so easily fooled by bad people."

If you get scammed, it's definitely the scammer's fault!

Sakurajima Mai (Waka) glared at the white figure, only to meet the latter's helpless yet doting gaze... Sister?

"Kazuka, have you forgotten that back then, I gave the letters to Black Fan and asked him to show them to you? He has already read those letters."

Bai Ying crossed her arms and said self-deprecatingly, "I don't have the same outrageous memory as Black Fan. You've written so many letters that I can't even remember the contents of all of them. I only know that there are still people in the world who support me and are happy because of my performance... For the first time, I felt that the relationship between people brings not only pain and confusion, but also support and comfort."

"elder sister……"

Sakurajima Mai (Wahana) hesitated and wavered, following her heart's choice, and pierced Yukino Yukinoshita (Mai) with a suspicious and sharp gaze.

Yukino Yukinoshita (Mai) raised a hand to smooth her hair, her eyebrows slightly parted as she chuckled softly: "Wahana, the first step in deceiving someone is gaining their trust. The more you believe in something, the more likely you are to be fooled by the hater's act..."

Her movements were very feminine.

Sakurajima Mai (Wahana) immediately took a cautious step back and pressed herself against the white figure.

Yukinoshita Yukino (Mai): "..."

"Alright, hater, stop making things worse. Using Yukinoshita's body to do weird things, be careful she doesn't come after you with a knife." Shirokage warned with disdain, then turned and said earnestly, "Kazuka, don't worry about you making friends with me, because that's what the 'older sister' in Kazuka's heart would do. I can't be the older sister in your heart, and that's not your problem—I'm actually happy that you're trying to play 'Sakurajima Mai,' it shows that you want to become a better version of yourself, which is why I didn't correct you."

"Ahaha..." Sakurajima Mai (Waka) was a little embarrassed, "Well, at school..."

“When the formation was formed, didn’t we already make a promise? You don’t need to become me.” Bai Ying revealed a gentle and tolerant smile. “I don’t object to you pursuing a better version of yourself, even if that version is like me, so you acted very well, there’s no problem at all.”

"As for the potential chaos after the body is switched back, it doesn't matter. Your friends are still your friends, aren't they?"

Sakurajima Mai (Wahana) opened her mouth, bit her lip lightly, and after a long while, she managed to say, "Sister, after we switch back, I'll get to know them again and let them know that there's also an idol named Toyohama Wahana, who is Sakurajima Mai's sister!"

"come on."

Bai Ying nodded encouragingly, watching as Sakurajima Mai (Wahana) walked back to the film set with slightly quick steps and fluctuating emotions.

Yukino (Mai) gazes into the distance.

Hmm... it's worth it.

Act Three begins filming.

The tram rolled along the tracks, disappearing into the distance with a humming sound.

The girl stood on tiptoe, leaning slightly forward, and smiled as she watched the tram disappear into the distance. Her eyes were bright and clear, reflecting not only the tram but also the receding past.

As if guided by divine inspiration, the girl's smile widened. She raised her left hand and waved vigorously, bidding farewell to the distance.

The past has gone far away with sadness, turning into laughter and sighs in memories.

"Pass!"

The director clenched his fist and exclaimed, "No wonder he's the lead actor, whose weight is greater than his own!" This brilliant addition of a scene, that expression, that look, that change from a smile to a carefree one! It's like a young girl who has been beaten down by life, recognized its imperfections, yet still embraces it with open arms and boundless enthusiasm!

Wonderful!

"Filming is finished, thank you everyone for your hard work! I'm a guest today, so I'll treat you all to a meal!"

“Wuhu——!”

……

……

"elder sister."

"Stickman".

"—! You're an idiot?!"

"You're a stick figure!"