Uneasy daily life

Hikigaya Hachiman: “?”

Someone saw themselves.

A terminally ill female protagonist, a world-weary male protagonist, love and life...

Shoko Makinohara was lost in thought, a gentle smile on her face that seemed beyond her years.

Haku really did give himself and Sakuta a very good answer.

Some people detected a sour taste.

Toyohama and Hana muttered to themselves, "I only have a few seconds of screen time..."

She does have screen time; she flashes briefly in the female lead's flashback, portraying her naive and inexperienced self when she first entered the industry, for about ten seconds.

They didn't feel there was anything wrong during filming, but after editing, Feng Bin and Hana felt something was off, especially the farewell kiss under the sunset, which was subtle and complicated. If they had to put it into words, it would probably be... that the other could be replaced?

Feng Bin and Hua imagined it for a moment.

...No way! I can't even imagine myself being so artistic and beautiful. All I'll do is drag the guy who's about to commit suicide back, punch and kick him, and tie him up like a dumpling!

If I had to say, Xiaoxue has a more artistic temperament, but she can't portray the gentle and tender feeling of her older sister. After all, she's a bit quirky.

Damn it! I'll find a chance to kick that bastard to the curb and make him reveal a movie script he can act in!

Some people feel it's a pity.

The story itself is decent, and the actor's performance was a breakthrough, largely breaking free from the typical acting style of youth campus dramas. The kissing scenes were exceptionally well-shot, making all those retakes worthwhile. I'd suggest the director use the kissing scenes on the poster. However, as an art film, it's difficult to leave a truly memorable impression.

As Mai Sakurajima offered her professional assessment, a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

So we need to squeeze more out of the haters, make them produce even more exciting stories, and together we can reach greater heights and leave behind more tales.

Unfortunately, Haruno and Yukino didn't come to the movie together... cough cough, that's a bit mean.

Someone is hungry.

Sigh... My reputation has been ruined again. I shouldn't have gotten involved in Miss Nian's movie for a little pocket money.

Angelina sadly left her seat, intending to buy some fries, cola, and popcorn to soothe her wounded heart and hungry stomach.

What? What do you think of "The Corner" starring Mai Sakurajima and the Commander?

I'm not a dog, so I'm not interested in dog food.

Some people are very subtle.

Tomoe Koga thought it was a pretty good movie, and it would have been even better if only she and her seniors had watched it, but she also felt that there were quite a few strange things about it.

It might be called a melodramatic story about a terminal illness, but it wasn't pure romance from the start. It carries a subtle sense of oppression, making the terminal illness seem less melodramatic in comparison.

It's supposed to be a romance drama, but it doesn't quite match my expectations.

And it's a tragedy, which isn't really my cup of tea... I hate sad stories.

Koga Tomoe sighed, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction, like she'd just finished eating dog food but a few pieces of cat food had been secretly stuffed into it.

Some people are very confident.

"Ha! No explosions, no fireworks, no action scenes, no monsters fighting Ultraman, no grand scale that's sure to impress, and it even lacks an interesting soul! The whole thing is artsy but incomprehensible, and the plot's main theme is divisive and fragmented. Young people who like love stories don't like the preceding discussions about life, while middle-aged people who like philosophical reflections don't like love stories. Different viewers will have different ways of getting themselves killed!"

With a carefree wave of his folding fan, Nian confidently declared, "We've used real explosives, and with Big Brother as the action director, the idea of ​​Godzilla and Ultraman fighting each other is brilliant. We'll definitely crush them!"

Ling asked with a smile, "What if you lose? You have to write another film review praising the movie, no less than three thousand words?"

Nian said solemnly, "The word 'lose' has been removed from our dictionary!"

We're going to win anyway!

The diverse characters in the movie theater faded away with the curtain falling.

"Xiao Bai's writing is really...why not just write a happy and fulfilling story?"

Yui Yuigahama quipped, "Always writing tragedies, be careful you don't turn into a gloomy person like Hachiman!"

"A tragedy?" Bai Ying said seriously, "Think about it carefully. According to the plot, the male and female protagonists were originally planning to commit suicide, right?"

Yui Yuigahama nodded subconsciously.

"The female lead was terminally ill and wouldn't have survived anyway, but she saved the male lead's life, giving him meaning to continue living through her own death," Bai Ying said solemnly. "Isn't it a good thing that instead of two people dying, only one person dies?"

Yui Yuigahama nodded hesitantly: "But..."

Bai Ying clapped her hands: "Good means fun! Fun means joy! Joy means comedy! Without a doubt, this is an excellent comedy film!"

That seems to be the case... my ass! It's all written by newbies!

Just as Yui Yuigahama realized what was happening, Shiro suddenly pulled out her phone, glanced at it, and hurriedly turned and left, giving her no chance to refute.

Another day of being baptized by Xiaobai's tragedy!

Yui Yuigahama sighed habitually, then noticed Azusagawa Kaede sleeping on Sakuta Azusagawa's shoulder: "Huh? Kaede, why are you asleep?"

"Shh." Sakuta Azusagawa gestured and whispered, "She's probably tired of playing."

"Hmm..." Yui Yuigahama said understandingly, "This movie might be a bit boring for Kaede."

Sakuta Azusagawa smiled and shook his head: "Kaede really liked this movie, she's just a little tired..."

Hachiman Hikigaya asked subtly, "You really liked this movie?"

"What? You don't like it?" Toyohama and Hana walked over with Sakurajima Mai. "Your acting is amazing!"

“Well, how should I put it…” Hachiman Hikigaya hesitated, “I’m curious about what she likes about the movies.”

Mai Sakurajima smiled and said, "For Kaede, love is still a rather vague thing, isn't it? It's quite surprising that you could win her affection."

Feng Bin and Hana blinked, then asked casually, "Is love clear to you, older sister? You acted so well, and even gave your first on-screen kiss..."

“Of course…” Sakurajima Mai paused, then smiled and pinched Toyohama Kazuka’s cheek. “This is just an actor’s job. How about Kazuka tries to transition into an acting career?”

"Hey, aren't you shy about filming kissing scenes with other people?"

Toyohama Kazuka rubbed her arms with a look of disgust, then, not hearing a response, instinctively turned her head to look at Sakurajima Mai: "Sister?"

Mai Sakurajima snapped out of her reverie: "Ah? Sorry, I was thinking about work."

"My sister is such a workaholic..."

Perhaps because of the noise around her, the little girl who was sleeping next to Azusagawa Sakuta slowly opened her eyes. She propped herself up with her hand, rubbed her eyes, looked around, and couldn't help but let out a big yawn: "Ugh... what time is it? Hmm? Bro, where are we?"

"This is a movie theater, of course," Yui Yuigahama said with a friendly smile. "Is Kaede still half asleep? This is the first time I've heard you call Kosaki 'brother.' Has Komachi ever called you that before?"

“If Komachi suddenly calls me ‘brother,’ it means she’s very angry,” Hachiman Hikigaya casually replied. “She usually calls me ‘brother,’ but when she’s upset or complaining, she calls me ‘garbage-chan.’”

The little girl looked at them blankly, a puzzled expression on her face: "Huh?"

What's going on? Where am I? Who are these people? Hmm... what happened? Where am I...?

The little girl felt a headache coming on. She rubbed her forehead and looked at her family members beside her.

With a gentle smile, Sakuta Azusagawa placed a hand on her head. His eyes were unusually complex, completely unlike the lazy and carefree older brother the little girl remembered. In the end, a gentle concern emerged in his eyes, with a sense of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

"Hana Maple, welcome home."

"what?"

Azusagawa Kaede was completely bewildered, and subconsciously looked around: "This...is a movie theater?"

Yui Yuigahama was stunned. The others had different expressions, especially after hearing the name 'Kaede' from Sakuta Azusagawa.

"Let's go home first, you probably have a lot of questions."

Sakuta Azusagawa broke the tense silence with his voice.

The group left the movie theater, each with their own thoughts.

"Big sister, the movie I directed perfectly portrayed your character—heroic spirit, her love of poetry and wine, and her open-mindedness! It truly captured the essence while discarding the dross! In comparison, the second brother—cough cough, I mean the second brother—is just a gloomy, cynical, and reclusive guy. That's enough to show who we're closer to! So, this film review..."

While the New Year was chattering away, I turned around and found my eldest sister already fast asleep in her chair. I was stunned: "Big sister, is it really necessary to drift off into a dream? At least let me explain!"

They grabbed the other person and shook them, but there was no reaction.

It's obvious they've decided to make me write a movie review! Maybe if I don't see my review when I wake up, I'll just go back to sleep!

If my older sister could make such a torturous request, and I were to enter her dream... I'd probably be tied to a wooden stake in my dream, watching helplessly as my movie collection is thrown into a hail of bullets—one by one!

Nian sighed sadly, picked up the order, and prepared to go back to write a film review.

It's so difficult to find fault with our movie. Isn't this just nitpicking? Oh well, I'll just borrow some content from the uninformed audience and put it into a 3,000-word essay.

……

……

At the entrance of the cinema.

"Thank you for completing my request. Please help me deliver Xiangzi."

After thanking them, Sakuta Azusagawa said goodbye and left with Kaede Azusagawa. The others, watching their retreating figures, already knew more or less what had happened.

"Cure Xiaofeng's illness..." Yui Yuigahama said listlessly, completely lacking her usual energy. "So this is how it turned out... Where is Kosaki...? What about us..."

Her face darkened, and she suppressed her jumbled words and emotions, saying, "I'm sorry, I'm going home now."

Yui Yuigahama walked away, jogging as she went.

Hachiman Hikigaya sighed silently, when suddenly he was struck hard on the calf.

"Hey, what are you still standing here for?" Feng Bin and Hana put their feet down, looking annoyed. "Chase him!"

Hachiman Hikigaya said speechlessly, "What's the point of me chasing after him? This kind of thing..."

Toyohama Kazuya glared at him: "If you don't chase after them, I'll have Yukinoshita expel you from the club. Do you think that'll work?"

"..."

Hachiman Hikigaya twitched his eye and slowly turned to chase after Yui Yuigahama.

"Wa-Hana, mind your image," Mai Sakurajima sighed. "If a reporter catches you kicking someone, it's no joke."

"Tch, I don't just kick people randomly. Nobody wants to be kicked by me..."

Feng Bin and Hua pouted.

Mai Sakurajima squinted and smiled, "Oh? You've developed a bad habit of kicking people?"

"Uh..." Feng Bin and Hua scratched their cheeks, guiltily looked away, and forcibly changed the subject, "Makinohara, should we take you back to the hospital or home?"

Shoko Makinohara withdrew her gaze from Sakuta Azusagawa's retreating figure and said softly, "The doctor told me to get checked out when I get back to see how he is."

"Get some rest and recover. We'll hang out again next time." Mai Sakurajima smiled, then looked around. "Hasn't Angelina come out yet? Where did she go all of a sudden?"

Kazuka Toyohama guessed, "They probably went somewhere to look for food..."

Suddenly, a person rushed out of an alley ahead in a panic.

"Someone died!"

It was as if a nuclear warning had been issued, and pedestrians on the street panicked.

The three stood there, listening to the chaotic noise around them. The sirens blared and screams filled the air. The first person to run out was still sharing information with the others: there was a young girl with brown hair and pigtails in the alley, who seemed to be the murderer; there were scattered fries, popcorn, and cola on the ground, suggesting she had just come from a movie theater; and the body was that of a middle-aged man…

Toyohama Kazuka and Sakurajima Mai looked at each other, somewhat bewildered.

Soon, people started to deduce that the girl and the man went to the movie theater, had a fight, and argued in the alley. In the end, the man was killed on the spot by the emotionally charged girl. This was a case of being kept and murdered in a love triangle!

The reasoning quickly turned into a lively discussion, with some people moving to the outside of the alleyway and peering inside.

Mai Sakurajima and her two companions still ran to the alley entrance to take a look.

Angelina sat motionless on the ground in a duck-like position, her back to the alley entrance. Snacks and cola were scattered all around her, and next to her lay a middle-aged man who looked somewhat familiar...

"A fortune teller?" Toyohama Kazuka exclaimed in surprise, "Angelina! What's going on?!"

Seemingly awakened by her own name, Angelina turned her head to the side, her face unnaturally pale, large bumps appearing on her forehead. Her breathing was somewhat rapid, but her eyes appeared extremely chaotic and blank, as if her consciousness was not in her body.

Feng Bin and Hua rushed in and helped her up, feeling as if they were supporting a still-soft corpse, her hands were ice-cold.

"Angelina? Angelina!"

"what……"

Angelina reacted slightly, murmuring in a daze, "Grow...grow...A?"

"Ah? What did you say?"

Feng Bin and Hua looked completely puzzled.