With the last scene finished, Yuan Chuan You's filming for the day was complete.
Since '49' was a weekly drama that was filmed and aired concurrently, once the content for the first episode was shot, it would enter post-production and then be sent to the TV station for broadcast the following Monday.
This production model had its pros and cons.
The upside was that they could get immediate feedback on audience preferences and adjust the story accordingly. The downside was that it placed greater demands on the actors; due to the short filming cycle, an entire episode usually had to be completed in three or four days, with the remaining time reserved for editing and special effects.
Of course, for supporting actors, it didn't matter. This kind of pressure was only experienced by the lead actors, who had the most scenes and needed to be on set for long hours.
Yuan Chuan You had finished all his scenes for the first episode. He could rest for the next two days and would only need to return on Sunday for the script reading of the second episode with the rest of the cast and crew.
"Yuan Chuan-san..."
While the main scenes featuring the lead actors were being filmed in full swing, Yuan Chuan You, sitting quietly in a corner of the set, heard someone call his name.
Looking up, he saw it was Kurokawa Akane. It seemed her scenes were also finished for the day.
"What is it?"
Yuan Chuan You looked up at her, a faint smile playing on his lips.
The girl wore a long, light-gray coat that made her porcelain skin look almost transparent. She had on a scarf, loosely wrapped twice, its ends hanging on her chest and rising and falling gently with her breath.
"Um..."
Kurokawa Akane looked nervously at Yuan Chuan You's face. She had intended to ask to exchange contact information in the most casual tone possible.
But after the close contact during their scene earlier, faced with the young man's calm gaze, the words she had rehearsed in her mind suddenly wouldn't come out.
"Hm?"
Yuan Chuan You was very observant and quickly noticed her dilemma. He also noted that her gaze had fallen on his phone twice, and he immediately understood.
"Kurokawa-san, since we'll be working together more in the future, why don't we exchange Line contacts first?"
Yuan Chuan You took the initiative, feeling there was no need to let Kurokawa Akane remain stuck in such a difficult situation.
"Okay."
Kurokawa Akane pressed her lips together. Her nervousness was dispelled by Yuan Chuan You's proactive move, and she even felt a flicker of warmth.
"This will be more convenient," Yuan Chuan You said with a smile, taking out his phone. "If you have any questions in the future, Kurokawa-san, you can always send me a message. I'll be sure to reply if I see it."
The blue-haired girl nodded silently, brought up her Line QR code, and held it out to him.
"Beep!"
Scan successful, [Yuan Chuan You] has been added as a friend.
Staring at the notification that popped up on her screen, the corners of Kurokawa Akane's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.
Across from her, however, after adding her as a friend, Yuan Chuan You suddenly noticed a significant change on his system panel. The experience bar on the [Entry Production Station] had jumped by a large amount.
[Production Queue 1: Burst of Inspiration]
[EXP: 17/100]
[EXP: 37/100]
"Just adding a girl's Line contact was worth a full 20 experience points?"
Yuan Chuan You pinched the bridge of his nose. If this was also a form of gathering material, then the system's evaluation criteria were truly strange.
"Yuan Chuan-san, do you have a moment?"
Just then, an abrupt voice cut in, causing Kurokawa Akane's shoulders to tremble slightly. She quickly locked her phone and looked over to the side.
Sakurajima Mai, with her black hair, was standing behind them at some point. Her arms were crossed, her violet eyes were slightly narrowed, and her gaze swept back and forth between Yuan Chuan You and Kurokawa Akane.
She had just finished her scene and was wearing a large black padded jacket over her thin school uniform. Though her attire was simple, her beautiful and delicate face still possessed a heart-stopping beauty.
"Sakurajima-san, are you done with your scenes?"
Yuan Chuan You looked at her, a bit puzzled, since she had ignored his greeting that morning.
"I'm done. Are you..."
Sakurajima Mai glanced at Kurokawa Akane again, and the blue-haired girl, as if receiving some kind of signal, quickly spoke up.
"Since you have something to discuss with Yuan Chuan-san, Sakurajima-san, I'll take my leave. Yuan Chuan-san, we can talk next time."
"...Alright."
Watching a somewhat flustered Kurokawa Akane hurry away for the second time, Yuan Chuan You looked at Sakurajima Mai with some exasperation.
"Didn't I explain this to you last time? Kurokawa-san is a very serious person. Why did you have to give her that look?"
"Don't falsely accuse me. I just glanced at her a couple of times. Does that count as giving a look?"
A sly curve formed on Sakurajima Mai's lips. "Or... is Yuan Chuan-san blaming me for interrupting your good time?"
"What good time?"
"Heh heh."
The actress chuckled, then took out yesterday's manuscript from her bag. "The story Yuan Chuan-san wrote is very interesting. I finished it all in one go yesterday."
"Is that so."
"The protagonist in the story clearly has a cute girlfriend like Yukina, yet he goes and kisses Touma on the street. What truly scummy behavior."
Sakurajima Mai handed the manuscript to Yuan Chuan You, her comments clearly carrying a hidden meaning.
"I've heard that authors often project themselves into the role of the male lead when they write. Could this be Yuan Chuan-san's true inner thoughts?"
"..."
"I just thought of the story, that's all. I didn't mean to project myself into it."
Yuan Chuan You gently shook his head.
But just then, new experience gain notifications popped up on the system's light screen before his eyes.
[Production Queue 1: Burst of Inspiration]
[EXP: 38/100]
[EXP: 39/100]
[EXP: 40/100]
Wait, what's with this system?
"Are you sure you aren't projecting your inner thoughts? Yuan Chuan-san can be honest. I won't laugh at you." Sakurajima Mai's tone was coaxing, as if she had suddenly become a female police officer extracting a confession.
"No means no."
Yuan Chuan You put the manuscript into his bag. "More importantly, I think Sakurajima-san could be a bit friendlier to Kurokawa-san next time. After all, you're the same age and both active high school student actors. I'm sure you'd have a lot in common, right?"
"Are you asking me... to look after her on set?"
Sakurajima Mai was incredibly sharp and immediately grasped Yuan Chuan You's true intention.
"You could say that."
Yuan Chuan You's tone was frank as he recalled Kurokawa Akane's earnest and cautious demeanor.
"Then what's in it for me?"
Though they had only just met, in her heart, Sakurajima Mai had long considered Yuan Chuan You someone she could speak freely with.
In his presence, the girl didn't have to maintain her cool actress persona and could converse with him casually.
This feeling was new to Sakurajima Mai, who had few friends, and it even carried a faint, subtle thrill.
"Sakurajima-san is a kind person. I can feel that."
Looking into the girl's sparkling eyes, Yuan Chuan You lifted his head to gaze at her pretty face.
"Hmph, staring at me won't work. I don't like losing out."
Sakurajima Mai tilted her head up, a mischievous smile on her face. "Come on, Yuan Chuan-san, you'd better think of a benefit I can agree to. Time is of the essence, you know."
[Production Queue 1: Burst of Inspiration]
[EXP: 45/100]
[EXP: 46/100]
"..."
Staring blankly at the continuous stream of experience gain notifications on his system panel, Yuan Chuan You was momentarily at a loss for words.
________________________________________
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