Uneasy daily life

Uesugi Taro straightened his posture slightly: "What do you mean?"

"A customer, exhausted and hungry after working late into the night, suddenly craved some delicious food. So, he splurged and ordered a deluxe seafood set meal at the restaurant," Bai Ying described enthusiastically and melodiously. "He devoured it, wolfing it down in three minutes, then continued eating with a tasty appetite. Finally, when he was almost full, remembering how much he'd spent, he forced himself to finish the deluxe set meal..."

At the height of his eloquence, he slapped his thigh and recited: "I came in search of delicious flavors, eagerly satisfying my hunger, chewing food numbly, swallowing the last bite painfully, only to find in the end that I did not know whether I had tasted the deliciousness—this is probably the flavor of life."

"Good!" Uesugi Taro nodded immediately, satisfied. "You're hired!"

"?"

Mikawa emphasized, "I am the director! Mr. Bai's interview..."

"You called me 'Screenwriter Bai' before, and now you call me 'Mr. Bai.' Your change of attitude is ridiculous. Directors won't understand screenwriting; you just need to wait for the script to be released and filmed." Uesugi Taro retorted forcefully, then stood up and enthusiastically approached, saying, "Come, come, Screenwriter Bai, let's go to the room and discuss the script in detail..."

Miki was speechless. "I was obsequious at first and then arrogant, wasn't that ridiculous? And you were arrogant at first and then obsequious, wasn't that even more ridiculous?"

"You're too kind, Uesugi. Let's work together to make this drama even better."

Bai Ying responded enthusiastically, and the two chatted about topics such as 'plot structure', 'themes of life', 'using eating as a metaphor for life', and 'why people seek out suffering', as they walked towards the screenwriter's room as if they had known each other for a long time.

My authority as a director has been challenged!

Mikikawa's face was solemn.

"It seems there shouldn't be any risk of delaying the update," Sakurajima Mai said with a smile. "What do you think, Mr. Miki? Isn't the outside help I found quite good?"

Hmm? Can I say that I need to do another assessment?

Mikikawa froze slightly. With the popular main actors and the sole screenwriter of the production team all supporting the new screenwriter, the outcome seemed to be already decided. He suddenly found himself isolated and powerless?!

"It's alright..."

"But... there shouldn't be any unexpected problems, right?"

Sakurajima Mai muttered worriedly to herself as she got up and headed towards the screenwriter's room.

Mikikawa was somewhat puzzled, but followed curiously. Before the two of them could even enter the room to see what was going on, they heard the cheerful laughter and loud conversation of two screenwriters coming from inside, as they talked and boasted to each other.

"Taking food culture as a starting point, sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy are not only flavors, but also the flavors of life, inevitably involving synesthesia..."

“Uesugi’s use of the action and feeling of eating to metaphorically represent life is indeed quite clever.”

"Hahaha, you flatter me. Scriptwriter Bai's interpretation is a brilliant distillation of the entire story, condensing it into a single sentence. It's a pity that the second episode has already aired... Sigh, I really wish the director could film it again and add that line back in."

Traitorous officials, plotting to kill me?!

Mikikawa's eye twitched.

Mai Sakurajima tilted her head slightly. Hmm? The situation she had imagined didn't happen...

"The director could definitely reshoot it. The story of the third episode was really good, but the ending was mediocre."

"...Oh? Where is the mediocrity?"

"The customer leaned against the wall and slowly left the restaurant. That's not tragic enough, not heartbreaking enough, not enough to make one shudder!"

"Life is silent, occasionally punctuated by noise. Those who leave will continue to savor life. The story may end uneventfully, but its resonance lingers in the hearts of the audience..."

“A bit of misfortune should be added—for example, a guest who had never indulged in luxury and had no idea he was allergic to seafood, coupled with the physical strain of overeating and working overtime, would make his sudden death a perfectly reasonable thing.”

“Isn’t this too weird?!”

"Isn't the third episode called 'The Taste of Life'? Unexpected events are an indispensable part of life's flavors."

"Ridiculous! The dead have completely deviated from the theme of the TV series!"

"Ridiculous! There's no need to declare him dead! An ambulance, a stretcher, a few expressionless men in white, the ambulance siren fading into the distance... that's enough!"

"Your plot design is too unconventional. The main theme of the script is to start with an ordinary meal and naturally lead to stories of ordinary life—an old-fashioned snack shop, cheap yet shiny snacks; the numb yet fulfilling life after the stomach is satisfied; wandering far from home and eating a local specialty... Life is abstract, but it can be depicted in every meal. Every meal in life is just ordinary, and that is the theme of the TV series!"

"My plot design is very common sense; it happens every day. It's just that those who have experienced it can't speak out. It's a normal wear and tear in the operation of society, a reasonable indicator that everyone tends to ignore. The shining points of ordinary things should be polished even brighter, polished to reveal a sharp enough edge to pierce people's hearts!"

Mikawaki's expression was strange as he whispered, "They're not going to start fighting, are they?"

“It seems that all screenwriters are like that,” Mai Sakurajima replied. “When I was filming ‘Them’, the hater and director Okita often had debates and conflicts—well, director Okita also does screenwriting work.”

Mikawaki knew this, after all, a director who writes and directs his own films and carries a small dark room with him is quite a sensation in the entertainment industry.

"Debate is actually a good thing."

Mai Sakurajima said with a smile.

“That’s a bit extreme; it doesn’t fit the tone of the script.”

"What? Shouldn't the script match the screenwriter's tone?!"

"Mr. Bai, I am the screenwriter!"

"Mr. Uesugi, you're stuck and can't write anything, while I'm an outside screenwriter!"

"What? Do you think it's better to hear a stranger chanting sutras?"

"It's better than a mute monk."

"You talk as if you can recite scriptures."

"Grandpa, I can stay up all night to create, I'm not afraid of the darkness!"

"Young man, I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice!"

"So you're a patient with high blood pressure—now that we're at this point, it's up to you to see who's the best! Please!"

"Young man, it's not your time to take up the pen yet!"

Uesugi Taro strode out of the room with an imposing air, the door slamming shut behind him. His eyes seemed to be blazing with the power of an old lion, and he caught sight of Mikawaki and Sakurajima Mai.

The corridor was quiet for a few seconds.

Taro Uesugi said in a deep voice, "Director Mikawa, I will do my best to submit the script!"

Mikawaki paused for a few seconds, then hesitated before saying, "Uh... good luck, but what are you doing out here?"

Uesugi Taro frowned, then suddenly turned around and charged back.

"this is my room!"

The white figure stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Director! I'll try to get the script to you by next Monday—is there an empty room here? I can't wait to get started writing!"

Mikawaki: "There are no more empty rooms..."

“The room next to mine is empty,” Mai Sakurajima said with a smile. “Shall I take you there?”

"Let's go!"

The white figure, carrying a bag, followed in Sakurajima Mai's footsteps.

Mikawaki stood there, lost in thought, his expression gradually brightening.

If the two screenwriters hit it off immediately and became close friends, then the director himself would become insignificant, like a figurehead Emperor Xian of Han.

If the two screenwriters criticize and point fingers at each other, then the director becomes more important and has more say.

One screenwriter gets writer's block, two screenwriters compete... Brilliant! Is this the way to balance power?

……

……

Bai Ying placed her bag on the table, took out her laptop, and began to meditate.

"Hate fan, shouldn't you say something?"

Mai Sakurajima rummaged through the refrigerator, found a bottle of black coffee, and handed it to her.

"Say something?" Bai Ying took the cola, pondered for a moment, "Say that you invited me into your two-room house?"

Mai Sakurajima crossed her left leg over her right, her toes dangling from her slippers, swinging them back and forth idly: "Shouldn't you be blushing?"

"Not only am I blushing and my heart is pounding, but I'm also feeling hot all over, my blood is boiling, and the countdown to pinning the hero plus down on the sofa is already ticking away. Five more seconds..." Bai Ying said casually, then suddenly looked at the balcony and pondered, "If we're talking about the level of stimulation, the balcony should be greater than the sofa?"

Sakurajima Mai stepped on the white figure's toes with a forced smile: "Black Fan, if you keep thinking about your light novel ideas all day long, be careful you don't become a weird writer who writes everything with a 'flavor' about it."

"That's true. I always feel that thinking about erotic light novels is like staring into an abyss. Before you know it, the abyss has taken up residence in your mind. It's really terrifying."

Bai Ying sighed and said, "Brave Plus, could you please move your lewd feet away?"

"cough……"

Sakurajima Mai coughed lightly and withdrew her foot in advance, lest this guy blurt out something that would make her lose her composure.

She leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on her hand, her deep eyes filled with laughter: "It seems you still have no ideas, Mr. Hater? How about I lend you my hand?"

"Today marks the tenth anniversary of actress Mai Sakurajima's disappearance. Many fans have come to Chiba to commemorate her..." Bai Ying suddenly adopted a somber tone. "Ten years ago, the famous actress Mai Sakurajima mysteriously disappeared from a film set. Despite extensive investigations, the police were unable to find Mai Sakurajima or any clues. This is the famous unsolved case—the Mai Sakurajima disappearance case. Why did Mai Sakurajima disappear? Was it to escape the entertainment industry? Or was someone else involved? Among the many hypotheses, what is the truth?"

Mai Sakurajima sighed softly, rolling her eyes, and said, "That hater really knows how to spoil the mood..."

"That hater really knows how to spoil the mood..."

After the words were perfectly replicated, from tone to voice.

"As I watched the news on the screen, memories flooded back. I took a large block of ice from the refrigerator, and the ice encased a pair of familiar, slender hands. I could still faintly hear her last words to me..."

The white figure sighed wearily.

Mai Sakurajima stepped her foot back.

Bai Ying: "From a generally rational point of view, you should politely back down a bit."

“The hater’s acting is very convincing, and it’s possible, but what can I do if I can’t be scared?” Sakurajima Mai said this while putting her hands in her lap. “Since the hater doesn’t like this source of inspiration, then we don’t need to use it.”

After intimidating Sakurajima Mai, the white figure continued to ponder in front of the screen.

"Speaking of which, Soubu High School is going to hold a cultural festival, right? How about we put on a show together?"

Mai Sakurajima mentioned it casually.

"Hmm? How about we act out a fan idolizing a celebrity, making wild guesses about the celebrity's every move, and finally losing all their wealth and dying in a snowstorm in winter... You be the fan, and I'll be the celebrity!"

The white figure made no attempt to conceal its sinister intentions, and chuckled maliciously.

boom.

"Are you trying to start another online debate? Or are you afraid I won't get flamed? You're definitely a hater, no way."

"Oh dear, the story of the chaos in the entertainment industry is also part of the entertainment industry."

……

……

Did you take leave because you need to write a script on set?

Yukino Yukinoshita remained calm. Was this what Mai Sakurajima was thinking? Indeed, given Haku-kun's interests, hobbies, and abilities, he could certainly shine brightly in the entertainment industry…

I was a little unhappy, but another thought kept popping into my head.

What does Bai Jun think? He's not the type to be led by the nose; on the contrary, he'll bark and chase after others.

Yukino Yukinoshita hesitated for a moment, wondering if the cultural festival program might be an opportunity.

"Seriously, you guys are making a big deal out of everything..."

"Oh! Yumiko, don't be shy! Come here!"

Yui Yuigahama, unusually assertive, dragged the irritated Yumiko Miura into the activity room.

Yumiko Miura glanced at the person inside, her expression softening slightly: "Hmm? That bastard isn't here?"

"Are you that afraid of Haku-kun?" Yukino Yukinoshita asked in a slightly cold tone.

Miura Yumiko sensed the barb in his words and immediately retorted, "If you dislike it so much when people talk about him, do you like him?"

The air was silent for a moment.

Yui Yuigahama opened her mouth like a fish out of water, casting a pleading look at Hachiman Hikigaya.

Hachiman Hikigaya lowered his head, looking at the light novel in his hands with the same seriousness as reading comprehension.

"Shouldn't you ask yourself that question?" Yukino Yukinoshita sneered. "Trying to gain Hayama-san's attention and favor by imitating and defeating me is utterly absurd."

Yumiko Miura was caught off guard, her face turned bright red, and she almost turned and ran away—but she held on and even launched an extraordinary counterattack!

"Hayato is much better than that guy who's always acting crazy and even more nonsensical!"

"Oh? First of all, comparison is a stupid logic. Secondly, does what you like have any necessary relationship with what you are?"

To date, Miura Yumiko has never had the chance to face Yukino Yukinoshita in a direct confrontation. Perhaps she's gotten used to it. In her fury, she surprisingly had a calm and quick-thinking idea: "You still haven't said whether you like that weirdo or not, have you?"