Shiratori Seiya hadn't expected Hōjō Shione to bring her sister today. Normally, if someone bothered him about work, even if he didn't say anything outwardly, he would quietly start deducting points from them in his mind. However, his cold had blunted his usual sharpness, and Hōjō Suzune seemed to have genuinely just come to say hello, which kept his mood from souring too much.
Without time to ponder the individual schemes in everyone's minds, Shiratori Seiya took this audition—or rather, this screen test—very seriously.
There are many theories about whether a drama will be successful. Some believe the script is the core, others believe the actors are the soul of the script, and still others think the director and screenwriter are of paramount importance. Shiratori Seiya didn't care about the question of who was ultimately the soul; he knew clearly that only by doing well in all aspects could he truly feel at ease.
Feeling at ease didn't mean being certain the drama would be a massive hit, but rather having done his best, with no further room for improvement through his own abilities. As the saying goes, "Man proposes, God disposes," and Shiratori Seiya believed that was how it should be. He could control his own efforts, but not the whims of the audience or the fickle nature of the industry.
It was his first time as a screenwriter at an audition, and although he didn't show any apprehension in such a small setting, he still couldn't make a judgment based solely on his own experience and understanding when deciding whether an actor fit a role in the drama.
This was especially true when two actors had similar temperaments, looks, and abilities, making it particularly easy to feel conflicted. In fact, it wasn't just him; even Director Sakei Taji, who had several years of filming experience and had shot over a dozen dramas, would find it difficult.
Sakei Taji stroked his wrinkled forehead with a thick index finger, staring at the application forms for the male lead's second role, lost in thought. After a long pause, Sakei finally looked up.
His gaze first fell on Fujikawa Shunpei, who was sending messages. He opened his mouth but decided not to disturb him. Then, he looked at Shiratori Seiya beside him, thinking of asking him first to draw Fujikawa Shunpei into the discussion.
"X-Sensei, what do you think about the character of Tsukumo Akio?"
As he spoke, he pushed the list in his hand towards Shiratori Seiya, his pair of slightly cloudy eyes fixed on the young man in front of him. As an experienced director, he naturally couldn't stoop to asking a new screenwriter like Shiratori Seiya for reference opinions on his own dilemma between two people. He just found Shiratori Seiya a bit peculiar.
Peculiar in every way.
First, there was the speed of writing scripts. Generally, screenwriters write scripts with great difficulty, like constipation. If the deadline was 5 PM on the 25th, they would absolutely not submit the draft in the morning. Sticking to deadlines could almost be considered an occupational hazard. But Shiratori Seiya was completely different. He started by writing the entire novel for the drama, and then completed the script for the remaining half within two weeks.
When he first received the second half of the script, Sakei Taji initially felt that he was just messing around. So, with a critical attitude, he casually glanced at it, ready to tell Shiratori Seiya to take it back and rewrite it.
In fact, making Shiratori Seiya rewrite it was only part of the plan.
He was too young, only nineteen. Although Producer Fujikawa said he used to write lyrics and compose music in the music industry, different fields were like different mountains. He had some understanding of the Hōjō Shione concert incident that had caused such a stir recently, but ultimately, Shiratori Seiya was just a young man still in school, entering a new field without the backing of successful experience.
Sakei Taji thought he would definitely show apprehension. At that point, he would have the confidence to personally modify the script in his hands.
However, after receiving the script, Sakei Taji's plan died in its cradle. It was professional and complete, showing no signs of shoddy work or rushing. It didn't look at all like a script that a new screenwriter, just starting out, could write.
This made Sakei Taji suspect for a time whether he had written the script long ago, or, thinking more aggressively, he even doubted whether Shiratori Seiya had written the script at all. But such suspicion was meaningless. Even if Shiratori Seiya hadn't written the script, he was listed as the copyright holder. He could only convince himself that Shiratori Seiya might truly be exceptionally talented.
But thinking that way made it even more terrifying. Sakei Taji had looked into it earlier; the time from Shiratori Seiya's disappearance from the music industry to now was only half a year. To be able to write such a mature script in just half a year...
Based on his many years of professional experience, this script and novel would at least win a second-place award in a competition. By "at least," he meant it would most likely win a first-place award. If this was truly written by him, then he couldn't be called a genius; he was an absolute monster.
The more Sakei Taji thought about it, the more he felt that the young man sitting beside him was somewhat peculiar. He simply put away his arrogant thoughts and didn't object when Shiratori Seiya internally recommended the female lead.
Of course, Takahashi Mio was indeed excellent, with outstanding looks. Among all the actresses who came for the audition, she stood out like a crane among chickens.
More importantly, her acting, whether in expressions, movements, or line delivery, could be called superior. He also assessed her understanding of the character and the entire drama, which was actually somewhat unnecessary. But judging from her answers, she had definitely studied the script in advance. Her portrayal of the character was so insightful it wasn't an exaggeration to call it "penetrating."
His previous worries about the female lead were completely thrown out the window.
Perhaps because of this, Sakei Taji found himself in a difficult position when it came to casting and particularly wanted to hear Shiratori Seiya's opinion, as well as to probe his depths. Sakei Taji didn't say which two people he was struggling with, but the photos of Shinya Yuma and Mutō Kashiwa were circled in red pen. However, Shiratori Seiya glanced at them and understood his thoughts. He had been observing for so long that he naturally noticed Sakei Taji's prolonged hesitation over this role.
Although it was the male lead's second role, its plot weight was significant. In the drama, Tsukumo Akio was the father of a kidnapping victim, deeply immersed in the pain of losing his son for twenty years. He was a crucial character in driving the entire case investigation, and he also had a twist at the end.
As for Director Sakei Taji's dilemma, it wasn't hard to guess. Of the two auditioning actors, Shinya Yuma had been in the industry for many years. Although he didn't have any famous representative works, he had accumulated a good number of fans. If he were chosen, he could bring in some traffic, and in this era where traffic was king, choosing someone popular would definitely not be wrong; even if he acted poorly, people would still watch.
The second candidate, Mutō Kashiwa, had a very interesting resume: thirty-five years old, laid off by his company a year ago, previously working in broadcast logistics, and also had experience as an extra. He had the weathered, world-weary look of a man who had seen too much, carried too much—an expression that couldn't be taught in any acting school.
Shiratori Seiya first scanned the documents, then pushed the list back to Sakei Taji, cleared his throat, and said, "Sakei-Senpai, don't test me on this. Everyone can see that Mutō Kashiwa is clearly more suitable to play Tsukumo Akio. After all, the most suitable is the best..."
Shiratori Seiya stopped mid-sentence, looked up, and called out to Fujikawa Shunpei, who was smiling and sending messages, "Right? Producer Fujikawa?"
Hearing this, Fujikawa Shunpei looked up.
Although he had been sending messages, he somewhat knew what the two were talking about. He reached out, grabbed the cast list, glanced at it, and then looked at Sakei Taji. He didn't beat around the bush like Shiratori Seiya, and said directly, "Sakei-san, what are you struggling with?"
Sakei Taji adjusted his glasses, smiling as he explained, "Actually, I think both of their acting skills are similar. However, it's true, as Screenwriter Shiratori just said, Mutō seems more suitable, but Shinya's fanbase is quite stable..."
"Oh."
Fujikawa Shunpei nodded thoughtfully. After two seconds of hesitation, he narrowed his eyes at Shiratori Seiya and said directly, "Then let's go with Mutō. As for traffic, Utsunomiya Kōzō's popularity is enough. This is a drama that tests character acting, so focusing on quality is better."
Utsunomiya Kōzō was the male lead Fujikawa Shunpei had scouted.
Hearing this, Shiratori Seiya instinctively frowned. He had already prepared how to explain, but he hadn't expected Fujikawa Shunpei to side with him so strongly. He naturally hadn't made his judgment randomly; he had specifically bought a script character compatibility appraisal card from the system.
Unlike the lover cultivation appraisal card, the system's script character compatibility appraisal card became available for purchase only after exchanging the corresponding script. Each card cost fifty thousand yen. Mutō's character compatibility was 76%, while Shinya's was 61%, a difference of fifteen percent. The choice was obvious.
As if noticing the doubt in Shiratori Seiya's eyes, Fujikawa Shunpei said directly, "X-Sensei, you wrote the script yourself. You should know what your characters should be like, right? Moreover, I trust your judgment."
This was clearly a direct show of support. Shiratori Seiya looked at him, their gazes meeting in the air. "No problem, I agree with Sakei-Senpai."
He smiled, giving Sakei a way out, but he felt something was off in his heart.
An unsolicited favor indicated ulterior motives.
Furthermore, given Fujikawa Shunpei's status, what could he possibly gain by showing favor to him?
Shiratori Seiya remained wary but said nothing more, continuing with the casting. They had lunch and didn't rest for long. In the afternoon, Fujikawa Shunpei simply didn't come back, finding Producer Ono to cover for him, and disappeared somewhere.
It wasn't until 6 PM that Fujikawa Shunpei finally appeared. He knocked on the door and said with a smile, "Everyone, you've worked hard. Shall we all go out for dinner?"
A cheer immediately erupted in the room. Shiratori Seiya glanced at the message Hasegawa Saori had sent him on his phone. She said she had just returned to school and had asked if he wanted to pick her up today and if he was still providing dinner, adding a panda rubbing its belly and sighing emoji. Looking at her message, Shiratori Seiya couldn't help but feel like he had a pet.
Normally, he would have to consider whether or not to go to the gathering. Generally speaking, taking advantage of such an opportunity to integrate into the crew's atmosphere was perfect, but today there was no need to hesitate.
As the last few left the room, Shiratori Seiya found Fujikawa Shunpei, coughed twice, and said, "Producer Fujikawa, I've had a cold these past two days, and I'm really not feeling well."
"Hmm, it's alright." Fujikawa Shunpei nodded, pulled a cigarette from his pocket, put it in his mouth without lighting it immediately, and then intimately put his arm around Shiratori Seiya's shoulder, saying, "You rest well. When you're better, I have a collaboration I want to discuss with you..."
"?"
Hearing this, Shiratori Seiya instinctively narrowed his eyes and glanced at him.
"Haha, don't be so tense, it's as if I'm going to harm you." Seeing his wary expression, Fujikawa Shunpei took the cigarette out of his mouth and let out a hearty laugh, then returned to normal, saying seriously, "It's a profitable business, legitimate business. We'll have a good talk when the time comes."
With that, he gave Shiratori Seiya a deep look and turned to leave.
In the cafe, Hōjō Suzune sat by the window, her slender arm propping up her chin, staring out the window with eager eyes. The waitress had looked her way several times already. Hōjō Suzune naturally noticed, probably wondering how soon she would leave and if she could wash a few fewer sets of cups later.
Speaking of which, she seemed no different now than when she was in Kyoto; she was still staring out the window in a daze, wondering when she would see Shiratori Seiya. However, compared to before, the distance between them was much closer now.
The GPS on her phone showed that she was only a few hundred meters away from him, unlike in Kyoto where they were thousands of kilometers apart, which was painful just to think about...
Now, she felt better, but the pain seemed to have transferred to her body.
From 1 PM until now, she had ordered three cups of coffee. Although she wasn't sleepy, her bottom, lower back, and shoulders all felt a bit sore. She had traveled for half a day yesterday, hadn't rested well last night, and then sat here all afternoon. It was false to say she wasn't tired. But when she thought of Shiratori Seiya's sick and haggard appearance, she still felt heartache.
Yesterday, when she learned he was sick, she was a little sad, but she hadn't seen him. When she finally saw him, she felt as if her heart was torn into eight pieces. She held back her tears with great effort.
Buzz, buzz.
As she was thinking, the phone on the table suddenly vibrated. Hōjō Suzune immediately reacted, her eyes showing a joyful expression. She had set the location app to vibrate automatically when they were within 110 meters of each other. Her small bottom slid off the chair, and she grabbed her handbag before running outside.
"Seiya!"
She called out, running to the young man's front, a joyful smile on her face, a hint of charming blush appearing between her eyebrows.
Shiratori Seiya vaguely heard someone calling him, instinctively stopped, and turned his head to look back. In his line of sight, under the clear yellow streetlights, Hōjō Suzune was like a sika deer, skipping and jumping to his front, her hands behind her back.
"Suzune?"
Looking at the young girl in front of him, Shiratori Seiya was stunned, and couldn't help but ask, "Suzune, why are you here? Where's your sister?"
"Hmm..." Hōjō Suzune opened her mouth, then pulled out a bottle of heat-clearing and detoxifying syrup from her handbag and looked at Shiratori Seiya, saying, "Seiya, I know you're sick today..."
Watching her pull out several packets of medicine in paper bags from her pocket like Doraemon, Shiratori Seiya pursed his lips and asked, "Where's Shione? Isn't she with you?"
Hōjō Suzune shook her head, "I told her I wanted to see you, so..."
Hearing this, Shiratori Seiya unconsciously frowned and asked, "Didn't she say she would pick you up tonight?"
"She... said..." Hōjō Suzune's words paused, then she blinked her moist eyes, smiling cheerfully as she stared at Shiratori Seiya's face, saying, "But, Seiya, can you take me home?"
"..."
"Sigh..."
The girl's voice gradually faded into the air, but Shiratori Seiya's sigh was enough to explain everything. It was no different from a refusal.
Her smile first froze, then she tried her best to form an arc and whispered, "I was teasing you, Seiya. Actually, my sister is nearby. I'll just have her pick me up."