Uneasy daily life

"Can't we...be friends?"

puff!

"You can definitely find someone better than me."

puff!

"I'm sorry, it seems you've misunderstood something..."

puff!

I cannot accept your feelings.

puff!

Hachiman Hikigaya raised his hand to his chest, as if a thousand swords had pierced his heart, and those painful memories that he had suppressed began to resurface!

"Little Qi—!"

Yui Yuigahama couldn't help but feel worried and cry out in sorrow.

“Hey…” Miura Yumiko mocked with a slight twitch of her cheeks, “Are you guys rehearsing your cultural festival performance in advance? It’s really funny, very much in line with your personas.”

Damn it! As long as we all die together...

Miura! I'm going to use you, Minister!

Despite his emotional trauma, Hachiman Hikigaya decisively asked, "Minister, why did you suddenly give me a card?"

Lacking in facial expressions and emotions, the acting is a disaster, highlighting only stiffness.

"Learn, imitate, then surpass and triumph!" The white figure spoke heavily, his hostile gaze piercing Angelina. "You just wait and see! It's too long to tell you!"

Angelina replied dryly, "Oh?"

Bai Ying paid no attention to the supporting actor's terrible acting. His tone was mournful yet resolute, full of deep affection. He paced back and forth, reciting: "If the one I love loves you back, I will be your mortal enemy! I will learn from you and surpass you, and I will surely win his love for me!"

"..."

Yukino Yukinoshita paused for a moment, suppressed her anger, and looked at Yumiko Miura with a slight frown.

Yumiko Miura didn't react for a moment, but when she met Yukino Yukinoshita's strange gaze... Hmm? Why are you looking at me like that?

"I will defeat you! I will conquer you! No, this is not enough to become the person he wants..."

The white figure bared its fangs and claws, closing in on Angelina step by step. Its resolute tone gradually became eerie and hysterical: "I'll take your face, win your heart, steal your name, and enter the secret forest in his heart—I will defeat you and become the you he loves!"

"Ahem?"

Angelina quickly stepped back and couldn't help but retort, "To defeat me while becoming me, isn't that just defeating yourself?"

"Shut up! Show me your face!"

The white figure chased Angelina so fast she had to jump up and down.

"..."

Yumiko Miura stood frozen in place, finally realizing what had happened. Under the gaze of others, her tone unconsciously softened as she protested, "I didn't have those kinds of thoughts..."

Yukino Yukinoshita countered, "Then why are you running for executive committee chair at the sports festival?"

"Anyway, it has nothing to do with you!"

Yumiko Miura left a single sentence and turned to walk away.

The white figure had already chased Angelina to a corner, and menacingly pressed down on the walls on both sides.

"Sir, calm down!" Angelina was intimidated by the realistic imposing manner. "Is it over? It's already over, isn't it?"

The white figure's expression quickly crumbled, and she murmured in pain and helplessness, "I know I'm not you. I just wanted to defeat you to gain some meager comfort..."

"Uh..." Angelina didn't know how to respond, and tentatively asked, "Then I'm sorry?"

Yumiko Miura left at three times the speed.

"The cause and effect relationship has gone round and round, and it's even come back to me." Yukino Yukinoshita sorted out her logic and looked up, saying, "So, you extras, why are you here?"

Hachiman Hikigaya and Angelina both pointed at the white figure.

"Shouldn't you thank me?" Bai Ying said, hands on her hips. "The essence of arguing is that you say yours and I say mine, which can't achieve a fatal blow at all. Look, I made Miura Yumiko flee in panic with just a few words, breaking her defenses on the spot. If you follow up and continue to attack, wouldn't the progress of the mission be greatly increased?"

"We really have to thank Mr. Bai for this."

Yukino Yukinoshita pondered, "It seems I need to adjust my impression of Miura... She's surprisingly weak, not as arrogant as she appears."

"Yes, yes! Yumiko is actually a very nice person!" Yui Yuigahama quickly said, trying to avoid another falling out between the two friends.

The Service Department continues to follow in Miura Yumiko's footsteps and advance the commission.

Bai Ying originally intended to visit her niece, Eru, in the Classical Literature Department and, incidentally, give her a piece of her mind when she suddenly received a phone call.

Brave Plus?

……

……

Lu Xun never said that.

Every creator is paying interest on their inspiration until the creditors come knocking on their door.

This creditor sometimes has other names, such as Party A, editor, or director who reads...the script.

Uesugi Taro was exceptionally calm, because he was over fifty years old and knew the meaning of fate, so he was at peace with himself.

"Where's the script?"

Director Sanchuanmu, who is approaching forty, is not so easygoing; he still wants to salvage the situation.

Taro Uesugi: "I'm writing it."

"Mr. Uesugi, the new episode is airing next week, but we don't even have a script for it!" Mikawaki said sadly. "Do you know what this means?"

"Director, don't be nervous. I've seen countless TV dramas since I entered the industry. They've all been canceled, rushed to the end, delayed, or disappeared without a trace." Uesugi Taro said calmly. "Now it's just my turn. The worst that can happen is a delayed update. The best that can happen is that we can start work tomorrow."

"Mr. Uesugi, I can find a screenwriter to help me."

As the lead actress, Mai Sakurajima suggested during the discussion, "If we pool our wisdom, perhaps we can write the script for one episode first?"

“Ms. Sakurajima, scriptwriting rarely involves collaborative brainstorming; it's more about pointing fingers and offering opinions on a theme.” Uesugi Taro slightly corrected the statement, then immediately agreed, “Finding a new screenwriter to fill the gap and write one episode to film is fine, but we still need to assess their skill level…”

"Hmm, I'll coax him over first and let him give it a try. I don't know if he can write anything recently."

Mai Sakurajima smiled and took out her phone, ready to dial.

Mikawa Mudo asked, "The screenwriter you mentioned... could it be the screenwriter of 'Them'?"

"Yes, he's in Chiba too, he'll be here soon."

……

……

Bai Ying arrived at the hotel where the film crew was staying, which also served as the filming location.

Is this really not an ordinary late-night hotel?

Bai Ying looked down to confirm the address, and when she looked up, she saw an uncle with graying hair, whose product was about to expire, strolling out of the restaurant with his hands behind his back.

"This is the crew of 'A Meal for Life'," the older man asked. "How can I help you?"

"I heard the scriptwriters are having writer's block, so I'm here to earn some extra money and lend a hand." Bai Ying raised an eyebrow and cupped his hands in greeting, "Are you the scriptwriter, sir?"

Uesugi Taro asked with slight surprise, "You know me?"

This young man is probably a social butterfly, but he lacks some of the sharpness of a creator...

“Because the uncle doesn’t look like he’s slept well, he’s in danger of the sun and moon being reversed,” Bai Ying said. “But it’s okay, because I’m here.”

When the old and the young met eyes, the atmosphere suddenly changed, becoming a smile hiding a knife.

"Oh?" Uesugi Taro's tone rose slightly. "So, do you have any particular thoughts or comments?"

"Is this an interview?"

"The interview is the director's job; this is just communication."

Bai Ying nodded and said, "The title of this drama isn't very good."

"A person's life cannot be separated from eating, drinking and excretion, and eating is the most important thing."

Taro Uesugi said with his hands behind his back, "Food reflects the times, and eating is a culture. Therefore, eating can also reflect life... When we were children, a little pocket money could be exchanged for a few pieces of malt candy to sweeten our childhood. When we were young, we were short of money and could only enjoy the delicious food we saw once a week or even less. In middle age, we lack energy and are busy with things, so our requirements for food are limited to survival. If the title of the drama is not 'A Meal of Life,' then what do you think it should be called?"

"A meal in the human world".

The white figure replied.

"Great! This name is more down-to-earth and fits the rhythm and setting of the story of a small shop, where each encounter is unique and each person is special. It's truly a stroke of genius..."

A middle-aged man suddenly popped out from behind the counter in the store, beaming with joy, "You must be Bai Ying! Congratulations on being hired!"

"Whether I'll be hired or not is another matter," Bai Ying said honestly. "I don't have any inspiration yet, and I don't know if I can write a script."

Mikawamu: "..."

What's wrong with you creative people?

Chapter 85 Two Screenwriters...

You can't just make a hiring decision after meeting them in person; you have to go through the interview process first.

He led Bai Ying into the house, made him sit down, and put down the bag he was carrying.

The director, screenwriter, and lead actor immediately took their seats in front, resembling a defense ceremony.

“I have also seen Bai’s film ‘Them’ in the cinema. Your participation is a real lifesaver.”

“Director Mikawa, we are conducting an interview.” Taro Uesugi frowned slightly. “Making a decision so abruptly is a bit too abrupt.”

"The new title that screenwriter Bai mentioned earlier already demonstrated his superb skills."

San Chuanmu spoke eloquently: "I always felt that the title of the drama, 'A Meal in Life,' was a bit off-putting, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what was wrong with it. But after what the screenwriter said, I suddenly realized that 'A Meal in the Human World' is more concrete than 'A Meal in Life,' which is more didactic and abstract, like an unpredictable cloud in the sky. It's like a stone in a stove, covered with ashes and scorched marks, and has a more human touch."

Uesugi Taro shook his head slightly: "The two are not so much different in terms of quality, but rather in their artistic conception."

"Objectively speaking, screenwriter Bai is talented," San Chuanmu laughed. "There's no need to nitpick about the interview."

"Heh." Uesugi Taro twitched his mustache slightly and said calmly, "Your opinion matches mine; it is indeed very objective."

"How dare you mock me?!" Mikawaki asserted his directorial authority. "Who's the one who can't write a script and needs outside help?"

Uesugi Taro was momentarily speechless, then changed the subject, saying, "Didn't Bai Bianying also say that he doesn't have any ideas for the time being? Whether the script can be produced or not, we'll have to wait and see."

"Gentlemen, please pause for a moment."

Bai Ying raised her hand to interrupt, asking in confusion, "Didn't you say that everything is up to me, and I can do whatever I want about what the crew shoots, how they shoot it, and who shoots it?"

Taro Uesugi: "?"

Mikawaki: "?"

The look in their eyes conveyed the same message—Are you awake? Are you the investor's father?

"Ahem." Mai Sakurajima, the lead actress who hadn't spoken until now, coughed slightly and said with a smile, "Mr. Bai may have misunderstood. This is my promise as the lead actress, and it has nothing to do with the rest of the crew."

Bai Ying waved her hand on the spot: "Alright! In the next episode, you'll be the one to unclog the toilet. If you can't pull out the toilet peg, then it's an NG!"

"I disagree! I'm the director!"

A string of black lines appeared on Mikawaki's forehead. As expected of a screenwriter who would debate with netizens online?

"Mr. Bai is here for an interview, so let's skip the small talk. How much do you know about this show?"

"Life's a Meal, a TV series starring Yuusha Plus. Japanese TV series are serialized and broadcast simultaneously. The script may be revised, actors may be replaced, and the ending may be rushed, depending on the broadcast effect and the response. Of course, there are also situations where filming is stopped in the middle, which may lead to the risk of overdue production."

Bai Ying immediately began to speak eloquently: "I don't know much about filming, but in terms of plot and performance, this drama adopts an episodic format with a single scene. The general flow is that the customer orders food - the food is prepared - the customer eats, and some fantasy elements are added to make it easier to explain that a late-night restaurant has a variety of dishes. Actually, this is unnecessary."

"Hmm? Why do you think it's unnecessary?" Uesugi Taro asked. "Wouldn't a little fantasy element make it more acceptable to young people?"

"Compared to the premise of 'this is a magical restaurant that can serve all kinds of dishes,' isn't the flaw of 'a late-night restaurant can serve anything' more interesting?" Bai Ying said. "Instead of demanding perfection in logic and setting, polishing the story into a smooth circle, it's better to leave obvious cracks at the edges. The audience will naturally know that this is a TV series and that it's not a mystery story. The interesting flaws that are not explained or arranged can become points of discussion and ridicule."

"Interesting little tricks."

Taro Uesugi remained noncommittal: "We can leave the minor details for later, when you have a better understanding of the main theme of the drama?"

"The story begins with food and unfolds through the interaction between diners and food. The series has aired three episodes so far: The Taste of Childhood, The Taste of Life, and The Taste of Hometown. Each episode has a different approach, and of the three episodes aired so far, I prefer the second episode, The Taste of Life."