Uneasy daily life

The Azusagawa family.

Kaede Azusagawa and Sakuta Azusagawa are both home today, but Sakuta is going to work later and is currently getting ready to leave.

Kaede Azusagawa and the three visitors unpacked the games and snacks brought by Yui Yuigahama.

"I'm going out now."

"Have a safe journey, brother!"

Azusagawa Kaede waved towards the entrance until the door closed.

The lively and cheerful ninth-grade girl suddenly became silent, reserved, and shy, as if she were not at home, but in someone else's house whom she was not very familiar with.

"What's going on? It's one thing that Xiaobai suddenly has something to do and can't come, but Xiaoxue also has something to do and can't come either."

Yui Yuigahama, muttering about the two who had released the pigeons, suddenly asked in a strange tone, "Hachi, what do you think they went to do?"

"Please don't ask questions with the answers already in mind."

"I'm so bored," Hachiman Hikigaya replied listlessly.

"Those two..." Yui Yuigahama muttered a complaint, then turned to Angelina, "Angelina, no cheating in the games today!"

"Cough cough, don't worry, it won't happen today! It's just that I'm used to using it..."

Angelina awkwardly scratched her short ponytail.

"However, today's game is a teamwork game, so it won't make any difference."

Yui Yuigahama couldn't help but retort, "You used to talk about superpowers all the time, didn't you? I've never seen you use your superpowers like this before."

"Uh... I guess it's because I feel that superpowered people aren't anything special, so I don't pay too much attention to them," Angelina said casually. "They don't change our lifestyles, nor do they bring about huge changes; at most, they're a bit more convenient at times. If we have to talk about what's special, isn't everyone special?"

"Have it?"

Holding the body pillow, Azusagawa Kaede couldn't help but ask, "Is there anything special about it?"

"Aren't there special features everywhere? Voice... that doesn't count, appearance... that doesn't count either... personality... uh..."

Angelina paused for a few seconds, then reached for a small cake from the snacks. After thinking about the packaging, she popped the cake into her mouth, chewed, and said, "Look! I ate this little cake, so the little cake that was eaten and me who ate the cake have become unique!"

"I suspect that Xiao An deliberately stole the snacks."

Yui Yuigahama said strangely, "So An really likes to eat, huh..."

Suddenly, her clothes were tugged, and when she turned her head, she met Azusagawa Kaede's somewhat timid gaze: "I... can I have a small cake?"

"Of course, no problem! I made this myself! Here you go—Little Qi! You have one too!"

Ah this...

Hachiman Hikigaya tried his best to control his facial expression and took a bite of the small, slightly dark brown cake.

It's amazing. It doesn't meet normal standards, but compared to the taste of the past, which could be used for interrogation and torture, it's now very much like a dessert. I really don't know how long this guy spent, or what kind of taste evolution that Yuihama's father, whom I've never met, went through.

Hmm, especially this very obvious sweetness, it really appeals to me... After all, how can a dessert not be sweet? Right?

But, unusually—does Azusagawa Kaede really care about this word? Why?

……

……

On his way to the shop where he was going to work, Sakuta Azusagawa was lost in thought.

If Miss Xiangzi is determined, then she, who knows nothing, will surely not encounter a certain misfortune and perish in it, allowing little Xiangzi to live on through her heart, right?

Miss Xiangzi seems to have made up her mind not to show up here at all.

Really...

"Woooooooo..."

Ok?

Sakuta Azusagawa looked up to the side and saw a little girl sitting on a bench in a small park, her head down, making soft sobbing sounds.

"Little friend, what's wrong? Are you lost and can't find your mom and dad?"

"Woooo..."

The little girl looked up and saw Sakuta Azusagawa squatting in front of her. Her suppressed sobs suddenly became louder: "Waaaaah!"

"Take your time crying, I'll talk to you after you've finished." Sakuta Azusagawa smiled. He always vented his sadness when others showed concern. Speaking of which, Kaede was the same way; after moving here away from the oppressive hospital, she couldn't help but have a good cry too...

"You human trafficker, what are you trying to do?!"

A righteous and stern shout came from behind, and at the same time, a strong impact hit his buttocks. Azusagawa Sakuta jumped up like a frog, his face contorted as he turned around, clutching his buttocks: "Wait! I was comforting her!"

A short-haired girl who was holding the little girl and about to protect her behind her froze and subconsciously glanced at the little girl.

The little girl was so flustered by the situation that she forgot to cry and could only nod blankly but firmly.

"...Red bean paste, a secret Marseille!"

The short-haired girl carrying a small bag quickly bowed and apologized.

"Can an apology solve the problem?"

Sakuta Azusagawa rubbed his buttocks, involuntarily gasping for breath, half of his buttocks was numb and he had lost all feeling.

"Tsk! It's really troublesome!"

The short-haired girl seemed very anxious, as if something was wrong. She decisively turned her back, grabbed the park railing with both hands, and urged, "Fine, I'll let you kick it back, okay?! Just hurry up, I have things to do!"

Faced with a girl who apologized by kicking her backside, at this moment...

That guy Bai will probably pretend to yell things like "Mighty Vajra Kick," "Attack that causes a comminuted fracture of the spine and coccyx," or "Precise kick with one butt bigger than the other" to put psychological pressure on him, right?

Sakuta Azusagawa thought to himself, "My friend is different. He'll just kick her back fairly and justly."

Look at the feet!

"Hurry up! Stop dragging your feet... Ouch! It hurts!"

The short-haired girl couldn't help but let out a cry of pain, underestimating the intensity of the pain.

Sakuta Azusagawa maintained a calm expression, inwardly chuckling to himself that his feet felt nice.

The little girl forgot to cry and stared blankly at the performance art.

The passing police officers had already drawn their batons.

"What are you doing? Don't run away, come here!"

……

……

Inside a ramen shop somewhere in Tokyo.

Bai Ying closed his eyes in deep thought, his brows furrowed, his face alternating between pale and flushed, his breathing varying from heavy to light. Before him lay a stack of scripts, as if he were comprehending some unparalleled martial arts technique, overcoming every difficulty and obstacle to gain invincible skills.

"Director! I felt it..."

The white figure suddenly opened its eyes.

Okita asked with concern, "An even more exciting plot?!"

"My friend is in danger and is calling for help!"

"Your distant relative is cured? Your grandparents in the flower field across the river aren't waving anymore? The house mouse that was locked in the closet and almost starved to death suddenly came back to life?" Okita asked several questions with a chuckle. "Brother, forget about those excuses. They're all tricks I've used before—anyway, there's no time like the present. Let's get things 80% done today, start filming tomorrow, finish filming in a week, and release it at lightning speed..."

"I really like the director's fast-paced combat style."

Bai Ying sighed and shook her head, saying, "But I really can't change it anymore..."

"Really can't be changed? I don't understand."

Okita said wistfully, "When I first met you, it felt like I met a god who could write the best scripts with ease! Later I realized that you are not a god, but a human being struggling in creation just like me... Gods are perfect, but humans have the potential to become gods! You still have life, don't you, brother?"

He reached out and placed his hand on Bai Ying's shoulder, saying sincerely, "As long as you put all your effort into thinking, you can become a god!"

Bai Ying grasped his hand, suddenly realizing, "That's right! Director, aren't you a creator too?!"

Okita Tadashi: "?"

……

……

When Mai Sakurajima received the phone call and invitation, she arrived at the ramen shop from her hotel and found that there were quite a few customers inside.

Hmm? Doesn't seem to be a customer. What kind of ramen shop would have customers pulling chairs to block the entrance, making it look like a gangster meeting, so that passersby wouldn't dare to or be able to enter?

"Bullshit! Change the characters' professions? What could convey a sense of status more directly, simply, and clearly to the audience than the professions of the male and female leads? Do you think that's reasonable?"

"No, that's unreasonable... Well, I have a lot of money for filming, so perhaps we can do some extended filming and film the stories behind the words."

"Nonsense! Are you trying to alienate your users by going to a late-night adult channel? Besides, I asked you to optimize the plot, not to talk about filming techniques. That's the director's job, it has nothing to do with the screenwriter."

"Aren't I the director?"

"What are you talking about, assistant screenwriter?"

It doesn't seem to be a meeting of gangsters, but just a film crew discussing shooting plans. The hater took the initiative to invite me, could it be that he has some... intention to prank me?

Surely the script didn't design a villainous character for me to play?

Mai Sakurajima gathered her thoughts, and with great interest, stepped aside the two employees at the door and entered the store.

"Director Okita, all is well."

Okita, who was being nitpicked by Bai Ying, was overjoyed. He quickly pulled over a chair and warmly invited her, "Ms. Sakurajima, you've come at just the right time—this is the general script for this project. I would appreciate it if you could give me some advice from an actor's perspective so I can urge the head screenwriter to make revisions!"

"Alright, I'll read Hater's new work."

Mai Sakurajima smoothed her skirt, picked up the manuscript paper on the table, glanced at the white figure staring at her with a smile, and then began to read the script.

Bai Ying blinked and observed his girlfriend, whom he hadn't seen for a while.

Her long, jet-black hair was as neat and tidy as ever, allowing the gaze to flow smoothly from the top of her head to the ends. The warm late spring weather had draped her in a beige long-sleeved top, and beneath a double-layered pleated skirt, black stockings covered her thighs, extending down her straight calves before disappearing regrettably into her shoes. The stockings, stretched taut across her thighs, were illuminated by the light, while the stockings tapered towards her calves displayed a fine, jet-black texture; both, coincidentally, pressed against her skin, appearing exceptionally smooth.

Her specially trimmed and styled sideburns curled towards her cheeks, paired with slanted bangs, giving her a delicate look as if her face was framed by her hair like a flower bud. Her already deep-set eyes were further enhanced with an air of intelligence and composure.

Hmm... it does feel a little different?

These black stockings are so round, these long sleeves smell so good, this hair is so lustrous, and these eyes are so beautiful.

Could it be that after being enchanted by the Hero's Hand, the changes in his body reversed his mental structure, resulting in a completely new change in his perception of things?

The white figure propped up his face with one hand, lost in thought.

Mai Sakurajima's brows were already slightly furrowed. Playing a prostitute? She played a drunken, artsy young woman in a film directed by a certain director, and now she's playing a prostitute in a script written by a hater... While it's good to gradually shed the label of 'leading lady in teen idol dramas,' isn't this a bit too much of a push?

Well, upon closer inspection, the identity is clearly just a label, giving the audience the preconceived notion of a 'loser in life,' and then using dialogue and camera shots to describe the story based on this preconceived notion, rather than actually making himself play the role of a prostitute.

It remains a challenging job in many ways, and you can still sense the teasing intent of the haters.

I'm not entirely satisfied.

"Hate fan, you're the male lead in this script..."

Mai Sakurajima reached out and smoothed her hair, then turned with a smile to meet Bai Ying's gaze. She was slightly taken aback, feeling that his gaze was somewhat unfamiliar and... made her heart beat a little faster.

"Don't worry about the male lead, I'll take the stage myself. Whether it's being melancholic, dejected, or middle-aged and elderly, as a professional actor, I can handle it all." Bai Ying patted her chest and boasted a few words, then shook her head and sighed, "As for the 'Brave Plus,' I have a big doubt about whether you can play the female lead well."

"You're playing the male lead? Oh..."

Mai Sakurajima blinked, then gave a meaningful reply. She carefully flipped through the script and asked with interest, "So, do you have any questions about me playing the female lead?"

“Of course,” Bai Ying said confidently, raising a finger. “There’s a scene in the plot where the female lead is in a bad mood and deliberately seduces the male lead, trying to make him look foolish so she can mock him—can you act that out?”

"What's so hard about this?"

Mai Sakurajima tilted her head slightly, folded her hands on the table, and buried her face in them. She gently tilted her head, her deep eyes flicking over her elbow as she looked at the white figure with a hint of a smile: "Hmm...like this?"

"What kind of temptation is this?" Bai Ying said disdainfully. "Are you acting out a pure and innocent youth romance story? Be a little more lewd, don't be so underage."

"The hater has too many unreasonable demands."

Mai Sakurajima straightened up and, holding the script, commented, "Director, I do feel there are some parts of this script that I'm not entirely satisfied with."

"Of course, I've always felt it's not good enough."

Okita immediately nodded and asked, "From the perspective of a professional actor, what are your thoughts, Ms. Sakurajima?"

Bai Ying declared in advance: "I reserve the right not to adopt any inappropriate suggestions!"