Translator: Flowingcloud Editor: Arocks141
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Theater 4: Horror Actress’s Friend From the Old Days!? – Scene 1
Sorahoshi Tsugumi stands on a forest path.
Fixes the position of her hood low over her eyes.
The sunlight shone through the gaps of the dense forest, shining into the wooden school building. The filming of Private Shikidai Affiliated Elementary School, where the story takes place, was shot at an elementary school that the crew borrowed in a rural area. In other words, this is my first film shoot in the sticks in this life.
After the camera rehearsal and the run-through (acting out a series of scenes without taking a break just as if it was the real thing) was finished, my body and soul had been warmed up and my burning passions for acting was raging hot. After all, even if I was reincarnated, I will never forget that sense of adrenaline. I firmly held back my body that was screaming, “Hurry, hurry up!” with my reasoning.
My current outfit is a duffle coat with the hood pulled up over my eyes. Since the silhouette of my body is not visible, I can make myself look more androgenous with my actions and vocalization.
“We’re finally about to start. Are you ready, Tsugumi-chan?”
“Yes! I’ll be in your care, Mizuho-san!”
Aikawa Mizuho-san called out to me smilingly. She is the main character of the story—Mizuki Sana, a new teacher. If this sort of person is the protagonist, the atmosphere around the child actors softens and it saves a lot of trouble… Wait, I’m a child actor too, aren’t I?
The first scene is where Mizuho, dressed in a suit, gets lost on the school grounds. As for my outfit, I’m wearing a duffle coat over my Hiiragi Lily outfit, but my coat is designed to make my outfit not visible. Even so, I suppose it’s the director’s pickiness to have me specifically wear the outfit over the coat.
“First off will be Camera 3. The timing?”
“We’ve got it down!”
As I watched the director giving instructions energetically, little by little, I slowly became submerged in my own self. A mysterious girl named Lillia. An unidentifiable person who guides, sometimes helps, and sometimes is helped by Mizuki Sana.
The actions of the cameraman, sound recordist, lighting technicians, and timekeeper checking the script. Gradually, the staff in the area faded away and disappeared out of my consciousness, and the world became just the director, Mizuho-san, and me.
Then.
“It’s time for the real deal.”
Even the director’s appearance faded away, as if falling deep into darkness on the other side of the fog.
“All right, let’s do this. Lights, camera—”
Finally, even the clapperboard had vanished.
“—Action!”
Well, it looks like someone has wandered in.
They seem nice. If that’s the case, they shouldn’t be in a place like this.
Let’s call out and help them.
Before that girl—Lily—hurts anyone more than she already has.
Director Hiraga issues instructions to the cameraman.
In the forest, the performance begins at my signal. We conducted elaborate rehearsals, however, I don’t think that this is enough to bring out her true potential when her switch is on.
“Camera 3.”
“Camera 3 here.”
As if revealing herself from the forest, Tsugumi appeared in front of Aikawa who was lost. When Aikawa was startled by Tsugumi’s silent appearance, her words came out as if her unprepared reaction caused the words to jumble up. The location of the school building and the staff room. A courteous interaction. All according to the script.
“Over there are demons, the dwelling of evil spirits.”
“…Eh?”
“If you don’t pay attention, you’ll be eaten by a sca~ry ghost.”
“—”
There was only one thing I told Tsugumi: “If there’s a performance you want to give, I don’t mind if you try doing it.” This was decided after consulting with Producer Kuramoto and Producer Urabe-san. Then, Tsugumi said that she wanted to get as close as possible to the audience and talk to them in this scene.
During the rehearsals, she looked as if she was walking normally, but her ankles—covered by her duffle coat and the grass—displayed one of her wonderful skills. She moved, literally gliding across the ground. She said a few words, as if weaving in between the moment Aikawa was surprised, and then, she was really gone, as if she had vanished into the woods.
“Huh? What on earth…”
The camera moved away and was replaced by drone footage. The goal was to depict the entire school building in an eerie fashion.
As she checked the footage, Tsugumi watched the video recording with sparkling eyes. Once she took off her duffle coat and tidied up her hair, the other side of her double role—Hiiragi Lily—appeared. Braiding her hair made her elegant and rich atmosphere stand out even more.
The uniform of the elementary school section is a white dress for girls and a black gray ‘tsume-eri’ for boys. For setting’s sake, the boys and girls had different school buildings. Rin, who was also changing into her school uniform for the next scene, also looked like a rich young lady during the performance together with her clever appearance. However, she did not look so cool right now, as she warmly watched Tsugumi tug at Rin’s hem and get excited. 1
“Look, Rin-chan, they’re filming it with an unmanned aerial vehicle! And the image is being relayed back!”
“Yeah, yeah, it sure is. But, you know that’s called a drone.”
“Drone????”
“…Tsugumi, you really are a boomer, aren’t you?”
“Ugh… T-T-T-That’s not true, you know?”
“Yeah, yeah, it sure isn’t. It’s not true at all.”
Looking at her like this, she looks like a normal girl. However, I heard that her family were filthy rich, but she doesn’t know what a drone is? She acts too well for a shelter rich young miss though…
“Director Hiraga, the next scene.”
“Ah, yeah. Well then, let’s move locations.”
In the staff room, the new teacher, Sana Mizuki, gave her greetings and her colleague, Kurose Kimihiko, was chosen as her mentor. The principal, Kinukata Kouzou, anxiously looked over at them. This was the sort of scene we filmed. As one would expect from the famous actor, Kakinuma Souzou-san. His performance was far more refined than during the script reading and was overwhelming.
The scene now moves to the classroom scene. In this scene, the madness of the character Hiiragi Lily is depicted for the first time. Looking at the entire story, this is no more than just a prologue.
“Your bow is crooked, Tsugumi.”
“W-We’re like newlyweds when you act like this.”
“Do you want to marry me, Tsugumi?”
“I don’t think we can get married, Rin-chan…”
This scene introduces the main characters except Natsukawa Akari, performed by Asashiro Juria. The setting is that she’s taking a break from school due to a cold on the first day. As a result, she was waiting at the side so we could film other scenes.
The other people are child actors playing classmates who don’t have much dialogue. Until the teacher arrives, the students turn a blind eye to the bullying led by Hiiragi Lily.
“All right, it’s time to get down to business. Get into your position.”
“Yes!”
“Yes.”
“Y-Yes.”
The children took their starting positions. The first scene is one where the audience zeros in on a classmate being bullied and a Harukaze Minaho, performed by Yuugao Mimi, musters up her courage and swoops in to help her.
The three of them were talking happily with each other until the very last minute, but I wonder if they’ll be all right. They seem to be having a lot of fun.. Well, I guess I can only believe in them.
“Lights, camera—”
Mimi took a deep breath, Rin wrote the character for “human” on the palm of her hand and swallowed it, and Tsugumi was the same as usual. 2
“Action!”
Only a few words came out of Tsugumi with her usual expression on.
“Haa. Do you remember what I told you?”
Tsugumi warned the girl who didn’t say anything, as if she was admonishing a mischievous child. She’s a girl named Nana.
“T-That’s…”
Trembling. The scene where she looks at Hiiragi Lily as if she was trying to figure out her expression. However, Nana originally should be looking away, but Nana was staring at Lily as she couldn’t move. Was this a NG? No, it’s still too early. Let’s keep going.
In the script, “Look away due to fear” was written. I see, Lily right now wasn’t scary. She was smiling calmly, only prompting for her to continue.
“It can’t be helped. Well then, shall I tell you one more time?”
An amiable smile. A sweet voice. Beautiful gestures.
“I told you to write “go die” on the blackboard.”
All of these reversed instantly. 3
“Eek!”
Nana looked away. I would be surprised if someone told me they could look down without carrying any emotion in their eyes. The child actor playing Nana also passed the audition and she was not a bad actor. However, they fell behind Tsugumi as expected. They were no match for the person who possessed techniques that could evoke a scene or create an influx of images, a technique amazing enough to be called a great actor.
Nonetheless, Erin, who plays Nana, is still a child. That is natural, and it’s fine. Only a portion are extraordinary, and there are few actors like her even among adults.
“Why didn’t you listen?”
“I-I can’t write, something like that.”
“Hey, you’re just writing it. Are you afraid of getting the white chalk dirtying your skirt? Are you afraid of being judged by the teacher? Ahh, or are you perhaps afraid that your father, who you love so much, will be angry with you?”
Her words pressed her for an answer. One after another, she spoke her lines as if thwarting every response, and gradually, Nana’s self-esteem was being crushed.
…As if she were carefully plucking off a spider’s leg one by one.
“That’s…”
Tsugumi brought her hand near her cheek.
—When she felt Nana’s trembling, a sadistic smile appeared.
Tsugumi’s nails dug into her skin.
—Fear won over her pain, and the trembling extended to Nana’s legs.
“Is it more scary than turning me into your enemy?”
Empty eyes. Those eyes, void of any color, similar to glass beads, seized Nana.
“Poor thing.”
“Eh?”
“You won’t be together with your favorite daddy any more, won’t you?”
Keyword: Daddy. The embodiment of Hiiragi Lily, the one who possessed the power in this class. Imagine when you return home, you see your precious father hanging his head with a look of despair.
What if he found out that it was her fault? Nana clenched her chattering teeth with immeasurable fear. ‘Ahh, what would happen to me if she didn’t obey at this moment?’ Akemi Kaede, played by Rin, watched from the side and held back the hand she wanted to hold out to her. Everyone in the room was a reluctant supporter of Lily. Then, if someone, if someone doesn’t step in and help—
“—S-Stop it already, Hiiragi-san.”
A remark. A few words filled with courage. Mustering up her shaking legs, Harukaze Minaho stood up. Then, Hiiragi Lily released Nana and turned to face Minaho without sparing a single glance to Nana.
“…Hey, Nana-chan.”
“Eek…”
“Hit Minaho-chan. If you do so, I won’t bully you anymore.”
Nana’s trembling legs hesitated. Minaho had saved her. However, above that, it would be agonizing for her father to be hurt.
“S-S-Sorry. Sorry!”
Her tears did not stop, and the hands she lifted up were pale. Even so, Minaho closed her eyes firmly as if responding, then Nana’s small hand struck Minaho’s cheek. There was no force put into it. Even the sound was like one crushing a mosquito.
Even so, the fact that she had done it was too heavy.
“H-Hehehe.”
The person who created the hellish scene put on a sweet smile. It was amusing from the bottom of her heart and as if she couldn’t help it.
“Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!”
She raised her voice and laughed.
“—Cut!”
I think it would be good to end it here. Nana, who was only a new child actor now, was indeed a bullied girl living in that world. It was truly a lifelike performance.
A serious performance that even she couldn’t pull off. Perhaps, for the girl who played the role of Nana at that moment, that world was real.
(Does she also make those around her into great actors?)
If that was the case, wouldn’t that be beyond our control? That sentiment started to sprout within me.
If you are reading from a pirate or aggregator site, please read from the translator’s site: yado-inn (dot) com I have to put the link like this or else the bots will remove it, sorry 🙁
- Flowingcloud: “Tsume-eri” is the classic male Japanese school uniform you see in manga/anime.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_uniforms_in_Japan#Gakuran - Flowingcloud: Standard anime/manga stuff. Writing the character ‘人’ (human/person) on your hand and pretending to swallow it is standard practice to reduce your nervousness according to Japanese cliche #1425.
Arocks141: Wait, Japanese Cliche #1425 is having your protagonist be indifferent to female leads’ plight/problems and still have the girls falling in love with him. The writing ‘人’ on your palm and swallowing it comes after that, at #1426 - Flowingcloud: UNO REVERSE CARD!
Arocks141: Flowingcloud used ‘cringiness’. It was super effective. Arocks141 fainted.
Man I’d love to be stepped on by Lil- I mean what?