Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093075629868223/episodes/16818792437857273169
A drama filming set is a place you rarely get to visit.
Honestly, I’d only ever seen them on short variety show segments, and the atmosphere was far more tense than I imagined, with so many people involved. It really brought home the harsh reality behind the scenes of the industry.
“Hey! Hurry up and bring the coffee——”
“Here you go, Director.”
“Huh? Who are you? First off, if it’s coffee, you should—”
“Two sugars, no syrup, right? I’ve got it ready.”
“Oh… you’re paying attention, aren’t you?”
I’m doing odd jobs.
I’d heard a bit about the work from Ando san, but it was still pretty tough.
“Hey, why do I keep getting retakes all the time… The director doesn’t really give specific feedback either.”
“Well… this is just my personal opinion, so don’t take it too seriously, but aren’t you overthinking the camera?”
“Huh?”
“It’s fine to be conscious of the camera work, but I get the impression you’re trying too hard to do it perfectly, making your movements stiff. Why not just go all in on method acting? Again, just my personal opinion.”
“…I see.”
“More importantly, drink some water. It’s sweltering in here, you’ll pass out.”
Always mindful not to get in the way,
“Irie-kun, the cast seems to want to grab dinner after this—”
“It’s daytime, so just a regular lunch should be fine, right? That actress mentioned in her profile that she likes seafood—is that okay? I just saw this restaurant’s name listed in her profile, and since it hasn’t been deleted, I assume she hasn’t been there yet.”
“Hmm, let me ask her. Can you send me the link later?”
“Sure thing. Given the time of day, I think we can get a reservation right away.”
“Still, you really looked at their profile, huh?”
“Well, it’s part of my errands.”
For now, I’ll just do my best with the errands.
I’m getting paid… I mean, I’m a high schooler, so I have to work a little to not look like a fool—
“Hey, come over here for a sec.”
“A-huh?”
—That’s what I thought, but Kirishima grabbed me by the scruff and dragged me to the back.
“…What are you doing?”
Thud.
Pinned against the back wall where no one would likely come, her hands pressed against the wall as if to say she wouldn’t let me escape. From the outside, it looked like a “wall slam,” and my heart skipped a beat.
“Um… Didn’t you hear from Ando-san? Starting today, I’ll be working here for a few days doing odd jobs.”
“I saw you looking out for that difficult director, advising the cast, acting like a seasoned staff member.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“…Miscellaneous tasks?”
Miscellaneous tasks, I suppose. I’m basically not involved in the actual production at all.
Well, it does feel a bit different from the job description Ando san gave me.
“Hold on. There’s a deep reason for this.”
“I’ll listen, I guess.”
“A staff member was struggling, and an actor standing nearby sighed, so I just offered to help.”
“That’s a deep reason summed up in one sentence.”
It really couldn’t be helped.
I was quietly checking the work details sent beforehand by the wall when a staff member said, “We should bring drinks soon, or he’ll throw another fit,” and another replied, “But I’m scared to go…” So, as the lowest-ranking person, I just volunteered.
That actor sat down next to me, clearly feeling down, so I just listened while handing him his drink. When you’re feeling low, it’s tough unless you get it off your chest.
It’s a bit off from the odd jobs I was sent beforehand, but if it’s not causing trouble, I hope they’ll cut me some slack.
“Hey, where’d that high school kid go?”
“He’s super observant and never makes a sour face… That difficult director seems to have taken a liking to him.”
“Huh? This place… That high schooler found it for us!? How did he know… I’ve wanted to come here forever! Could he have… looked at our agency profile…?”
“I want to thank that high schooler. Do you know where he is? We didn’t need any retakes, thanks to him.”
I could hear voices from the set, probably because they were backstage.
Hearing that, Kirishima shot me a glare for some reason.
“…Just how high are your specs, anyway?”
“Oops, that doesn’t look like a compliment.”
Her chillingly intense glare and her words just didn’t match at all.
“Hmph… Fine. More importantly, hurry up and tell me what happened.”
“Well, I could tell you, but you still have filming left, right? I’ll explain properly, but why not focus on that first?”
“……………”
“Let me make this clear upfront: I came to help Kirishima, not to get in the way. So, for now, just forget about me.”
This was my genuine feeling.
I wanted to see Kirishima. But I didn’t come here to see her by interfering with her work.
That’s precisely why I looked straight into Kirishima’s eyes.
Then, Kirishima let out another deep sigh—
“Haa… I’ll be done in a bit, so make sure you listen properly then, okay?”
“Got it.”
She let go of my hand, turned her back to me, and started walking away.
I called out to that back, a faint smile playing on my lips.
“Do your best. I’m watching you.”
“…Mm.”
Her back disappeared from view.
Even though I’d urged her, Kirishima had work to do. I couldn’t just stand around here either.
I needed to lighten Ando san’s load even a little, and my part-time job had only just begun.
(Alright, time to get to work!)
I stretched up tall.
Just then, a staff member popped her head around the corner.
“Hey, could you come here? The director’s calling for someone!”
“Ah, sure, got it!”
I jogged over to where she was standing.
“Um, why did the director call me? I’m just doing odd jobs.”
“…You’re amazing, aren’t you? Are you really a high school student?”
“Why are you questioning that now?”
“Because that actor and actress asked for you. Stop by their place later too.”
“Um… I’m just doing odd jobs.”
I came to help Kirishima… right?
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