Uneasy daily life

"Cheer, chew, chew... Others may not know, but how could the director not know? That's how creation is. Although you may not have experienced it or be in the mood you are in now, there are no limits to thinking and imagination."

What do you mean by that?

"The director is single, but hasn't he also directed family dramas?"

"Haha, it's all artistic embellishment. Screenwriter Uesugi is the same way, which is why he was able to create the plot of a high school girl giving an umbrella to comfort a salaryman! His work on 'The Taste of Love' is completely about a high school student's first love! Case closed!"

The scene was somewhat indescribable.

The middle-aged man had a stern face, looking like he was plotting something. His expression was deep, and he would occasionally glance at the person in the middle of his eyes. The pretty and youthful female host was conducting the interview with a smile, mostly about some behind-the-scenes stories, anecdotes and future plans from the filming of "Night Food".

The person sitting in the middle, holding a skewer of meat, might savor it slowly, chew it heartily, or, with a good set of teeth, literally slurp the skewer into their mouth.

[Insomniac: Damn! Bringing barbecue to the show at this hour and eating it like crazy! Doesn't she know how hard it is for girls to control their weight?!]

[Crow: There's a kind of beauty in Sakurajima Mai that's less attractive than barbecue.]

[Little Ma Zi: Miss Mai is the prettiest!]

[Seven-Colored Radish: Wow—who's that celebrity next to Sakurajima Mai? So handsome!]

[Insomnia: Uh... he really is quite handsome?]

[Crow: Probably, indeed, possibly... is that so?]

[Seven-Colored Radish: Of course he's handsome! I never expected that randomly clicking on a show late at night would lead to encountering my destined favorite!]

[In the Name of the Father: Ha, what a boring preference for good looks; this person is all show and no substance.]

[Seven-Colored Radish: So you're rotten inside and out, not even worth airing?]

[Wooden Fish: This person isn't a celebrity, just a talented but immoral screenwriter!]

"Does the hater ever miss his hometown?"

Mai Sakurajima asked with a smile.

"No, not at all." Bai Ying happily ate a skewer of grilled tofu. Judging from her expression of enjoyment, she must be a mukbang (eating broadcast) expert.

San Chuanmu smiled slyly: "Screenwriter Bai is really carefree. Doesn't he miss his parents and relatives, or long for the familiar hometown scenery?"

"The evening breeze asks me about my sorrows, and just right, I drink a cup of clear wine. A grand dream of a thousand autumns, a world without turning back."

Bai Ying showed a regretful expression and earnestly advised, "Director, if you insist on creating works based on orthodox theories, you will end up with inferior results, because there are counterexamples everywhere in the world. As the saying goes, 'Where the heart finds peace is home.' Why must you turn your hazy feelings into the mundane world of right and wrong? The world needs a little romance. You can't shoot good shots with your unromantic ideas."

"?"

San Chuanmu frowned slightly and gave the reprimand in return: "Minors are not allowed to drink alcohol, so screenwriter Bai should be careful with his words."

"Oh, then let's change it to..." Bai Ying smacked her lips twice on a beef skewer, her face full of enjoyment at the satisfying chewiness of the meat, "The director asked me about my worries, and offered me cups of bitter wine..."

"?" San Chuanmu was bewildered. "Hey! You can't just say things like that, or I'll be the one breaking the law?!"

"Ha, should we say that Black Fan is easygoing or open-minded?" Mai Sakurajima smiled and glanced at the white figure, then coughed slightly. "After asking the director so many questions, Black Fan should also answer the audience's questions and letters. Many people are very interested in Black Fan."

Bai Ying mumbled, "Mmm, go ahead and ask."

"The third episode was really good. I've already packed my things and am using my saved-up vacation days to go back to my hometown for a while," Mai Sakurajima said softly, flipping through the papers. "Will the guest screenwriter be involved in the filming again?"

Mikawa Mu chuckled inwardly. Audience questions and letters? Of course, they had gone through layers of screening before being brought to the show—in other words, they had passed through his hands! If Bai Ying answered yes, he could bring the crew back to fight the other screenwriter, allowing him to reopen his own fiefdom!

"This involves the allocation of time and resources," Bai Ying said eloquently. "Of course, I still have many ideas about what to film next, such as 'The Taste of Family'—a story about a wanderer returning home, where the first day features nationally protected animals, the second day features common animals, and the third day features harmful animals, to illustrate the theory that distance makes the heart grow fonder..."

"This is really a very naive screenwriter," Mikawaki said in surprise. "But what do you mean by time and resource allocation?"

Bai Ying returned the gaze with innocent eyes: "It depends on how much the director pays."

Mikawa was startled: "I have to pay more?"

Bai Ying was even more startled: "You don't mean to deduct it again, do you?"

Mikawaki smirked: "More money!"

"Then let's see what kind of script the hater writes," Mai Sakurajima joked. "Of course, let's forget about 'The Taste of Home,' at least give your fans some positive feedback."

"Rest assured, everyone! I will do my best to write the most touching and soul-stirring story!"

The white figure gave a thumbs-up to the camera.

"Shatter hearts, tear apart souls?" Mikawa sneered. "Can't you learn from screenwriter Uesugi? Use your warm and clear words to depict one heartwarming story after another."

"A story without tragedy brings no joy to the world." Bai Ying bit into a piece of tofu and sneered, "A mere screenwriter like Uesugi will sooner or later point fingers and take his place!"

"The script discussion has come to a temporary end; next up is the live performance."

Mai Sakurajima clapped her hands: "Next, we will randomly select letters from viewers on various platforms. If you have any questions, you can send them via text message or the internet, and we will answer them here."

A surge of public sentiment in every sense of the word!

Mikawaki and the staff outside the venue exchanged a glance—Take it! Take the kind of pointing and whispering stuff; we're going to make this guy pay!

"Okay, firstly, the first question..." An off-site staff member picked up a megaphone, "Why does Ms. Sakurajima call the screenwriter Shiro 'Black Fan'? The screenwriter Shiro also calls Ms. Sakurajima 'Hero Plus.' Are the two of you very close? This is a question from a netizen suffering from insomnia."

Mai Sakurajima: "Very good."

Bai Ying: "I'll never forgive you."

Mai Sakurajima smiled and glanced sideways, then solemnly said, "Thank you, hater, for always paying attention to my every move, caring whether I've released any work, arriving at the scene as soon as possible, trying your best to hear news about me from anywhere, and even actively spreading my name in other social circles, discussing me passionately and sincerely with others, not hesitating to argue, debate, and spread my every move..."

Bai Ying: "You plagiarized!"

"It wasn't used for commercial purposes, so it doesn't count," Mai Sakurajima said jokingly. "Anyway, this statement perfectly describes my personal relationship with Hater-kun, and Hater-kun probably thinks so too, right? After all, it's all true."

“Indeed.” Bai Ying recalled, “I still remember that epic keyboard battle, where I single-handedly took on eight million fans of the ‘Brave Plus’ team…”

Mikawaki seemed a bit confused: "What exactly is your relationship? Celebrity and hater?"

"Well..."

Mai Sakurajima pondered.

"She likes me."

Bai Ying made a startling statement.

Step on my foot!

Mai Sakurajima raised her hand to smooth her sideburns, and under the table where she couldn't see, her left foot precisely stepped on the white figure's right foot, instantly feeling a familiar struggle—like the black-faced guy seemingly wiggling his toes, tickling himself through two layers of shoes.

"That's a common illusion about life."

Mai Sakurajima smiled and clasped her hands together apologetically, saying, "I'm sorry, Black Fan, you're a bad person."

Bai Ying asked, puzzled, "Is it possible that the 'friend card' you gave me doesn't match what I just said?"

"But I'm giving out bad guy cards."

碾！

Mai Sakurajima twitched the tips of her shoes.

[Insomnia: Does this count as admitting to a relationship?]

[Little Pockmarked Boy: Absolutely impossible!]

[Crow: The scent of infidelity is practically emanating from the screen... Dong Xiangguo's dedication to being a hater to this extent is truly awe-inspiring.]

[Little Pockmarked: It's just for the show! Do you even know what "business" means? This is just normal communication and interaction at work!]

[Seven-Colored Radish: That's right!]

[In the Name of the Father: I agree, but it's just a cheap trick to pander to the audience and boost the show's ratings!]

[Radish Commando: Damn! Is this guy Bai Liang Bai Ying, the one who wrote those perverted essays for Sakurajima-san?!]

"So, the second question." The off-stage staff member felt that the program had reached its full potential and interrupted at the right time, asking, "Writer Bai is very talkative, often making witty remarks, and is also very handsome and elegant. Does he have any plans to debut as an idol in the future? I must become your number one fan! This question comes from a netizen named Seven-Colored Radish."

Mikawaki frowned, a sense of foreboding creeping over him—what kind of look was that? Why did he think this guy was handsome?

He subconsciously took a closer look.

Stray hair fell loosely across his forehead, and his dark eyes seemed to speak volumes, holding a profound depth and silence that spoke volumes. Each of his features was handsome on its own, but together they were even more striking. His neat, healthy white teeth bit off a piece of cartilage from a wooden skewer, making a rhythmic crunch as he chewed. The slight sheen of oil on his lips didn't make him look dirty; instead, it accentuated his clean-cut handsomeness.

Huh? You're actually somewhat attractive?!

Mikawaki was shocked. He realized that his impression of the other person was that of a traitor who pointed fingers at Uesugi Taro every day, occasionally doing some shocking things, and even gossiping during his filming. He wished he could just grab a knife and kill this guy on the spot...

"When did you become handsome? Did you secretly get plastic surgery?!"

Bai Ying, who was eating kebabs, and Sakurajima Mai, who refused Bai Ying's offer to sell kebabs, both looked at the director who had suddenly uttered the strange words.

Mai Sakurajima, however, understood and smoothed things over, saying, "Aside from the first meeting and suddenly remembering this setting, Black Fan is indeed... well, someone whose actions surpass his appearance."

"Isn't this all about personal aesthetics?" Bai Ying asked, puzzled. "Director, do you think you're handsome?"

"?"

Mikawaki cautiously replied, "Normal."

Bai Ying pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth, raised his hand to cover his face, then opened his hands to reveal crooked eyes and a slanted mouth, his face crinkled with wrinkles, and his eyes radiating an astonishingly intelligent look: "Who is more handsome, the director or me?"

"The director is a regular type, but as for the hater..." Mai Sakurajima observed carefully for a moment, then said with a smile, "Please come to bed number three at the Ami Dormitory."

"I'm not good enough to be a star?"

"Turn 180 degrees to the left, the door is over there, don't fall."

[Seven-Colored Radish: Ahhh! Don't do this kind of thing with such a handsome face!!]

[Wooden Fish: I sense the enemy's strength.]

Bai Ying's expression changed, and he regained his handsome look.

Mikawa still felt that the previous explanation was more in line with the specific situation. He gave his staff a wink—what was the story behind that letter? Give me something sensational, something that will embarrass this guy and make him a laughing stock online!

"The third question..."

The staff member gave a nonchalant look and read aloud, "Screenwriter Bai seems to have a deep understanding of tragic literature. Could you give us a demonstration on the spot? A question from a Tokyo socialite."

"Oh dear, let's forget about that. Writing takes time," San Chuanmu said, feigning concern. "Writing a tragic story on the spot is too difficult for screenwriter Bai. The environment isn't right, and besides, the show's time is almost up..."

"Wow! That's one of my specialties!"

Bai Ying tidied herself up a bit, looked intently at the camera, picked up a skewer of grilled meat, put it in her mouth, chewed and swallowed it with satisfaction, and then spoke.

"You must be very happy."

Simple and straightforward, yet profound in meaning.

It's as if they said something, but it's also as if they said nothing at all.

"Thank you, I've already thought of all sorts of unhappy things."

Mai Sakurajima rolled her eyes at someone: "You hater, you'd better not be a celebrity. All you're good at is attacking your fans."

Bai Ying perked up: "Now that you mention it, I'm actually quite interested. Just thinking about having passionate online debates with my haters every day..."

"What if the agency doesn't allow it?"

"Then I'll retire on the spot and eat all the company's stock of potato chips."

……

After the recording of the program ended, Sanchuanmu solemnly opened the chat software on his phone.

Night food fan group, Have you eaten tonight?, TV series enthusiast group...

Although there was a vague sense of foreboding, since the other person had indeed stepped into the trap he had set, it wasn't the kind of feeling where he slipped and accidentally fell into a pit. Instead, it was a joyful exclamation of "There's a pit here! Watch me do a backflip into it!"... It felt like everyone was watching how he fell into the pit!

But what if?

If a netizen can't stand it and casually comes up with a creative nickname, that person will be nailed to the cross of shame for using that nickname!

After carefully browsing through the comments, Mikawaki found that most of the group's reviews were things like "genius screenwriter," "show effect," "young and promising," and "a dark magician with maximum attack power." If he had to find any negative comments, they would be things like "a scoundrel who dared to seduce Ms. Sakurajima," "started with looks, ended with talent," and "a late-night poisoner"...

Too scattered, too ordinary, too lacking in highlights, it's clearly not a word that can become a popular internet meme.

Mikawa sighed regretfully.

Browse social media sites online...

[As expected of an ordinary single director.]

"?!"

Mikawaki's eyes widened. What kind of scoundrel came up with this nickname?!

and many more……