"What are you doing?"
"Ah, it’s you, Duanmu."
The crowd arguing stopped imdiately when they saw Duanmu Huai. Ru Xu hesitated for a mont and then spoke up.
"We’re reallocating roles because......"
Indeed, with a big star visiting their class, everyone wanted to capture the best shots, but no one wanted to bear the responsibility of a bad take, so they were all trying to pass the buck.
As expected.
Seeing everyone’s awkward expressions, Duanmu Huai’s lips curved into a slight smile.
"No need to reshuffle. Weren’t the previous roles already arranged?"
"Ah? That’s true, but......"
"We’ve said we’re not here to help you shoot a movie, just to offer so acting comparisons and guidance. Besides, how you decide to shoot is your own business, we won’t interfere."
"Oh, I see......"
"Alright, please hurry up; everyone’s ti is limited."
Hearing Duanmu Huai say this, the people from Class F could only grit their teeth and start. They knew that big stars like Arima Kana couldn’t afford a leisurely vacation. Besides, Duanmu Huai had only agreed to spend half a day with them. There was no more ti to argue and they had to stick to the previous arrangents.
The filming itself wasn’t much to talk about. As ntioned before, it was a pseudo-docuntary film style. In simple terms, soone just held a cara or even a phone at the back, shooting the people in front.
To be honest, Class F’s filming was unbearable to watch.
No lighting, no adjustnts, and sotis even the caraman needed Duanmu Huai to cue them to shift the cara. Fortunately, they were all professional actors, so improvisation was no problem for them.
Even Banai and Chitanda perford quite well. Banai was fine as long as she had food, indifferent to everything else. Chitanda seed to easily get into character, often forgetting she was filming while chatting with others, just nodding as if she was really just a student on an outing.
Which was good since a pseudo-docuntary needs that imrsive feeling.
Because the script wasn’t long and everyone was professional, they basically got it in one take. After filming the first scene with a dead body, the group returned to the school to finish the remaining shots.
"We have things this afternoon, so we’re leaving now."
After the filming, Arima Kana waved her hand, dragging the reluctant Hei Chuan Chi Yin away. Sakurajima Mai nodded at Duanmu Huai and followed them. Fortunately, it was Sunday and the school was mostly empty; otherwise, their presence would have caused a sensation.
"It’s my first ti participating in movie filming, feels pretty fresh."
Banai remarked while munching on so shrimp crackers. Chitanda unexpectedly looked at Duanmu Huai.
"Is this okay? eting in the classroom happened at the very start of the script, right?"
"For outsiders, filming in story sequence might seem sensible, but often filming is dictated by the situation."
Duanmu Huai shrugged and explained.
"For instance, certain locations are hard to get filming permits for. In such cases, it’s impossible to apply multiple tis for shooting in order. Thus, on set, people generally prefer to finish all the scenes required in one location first. So movies, after shooting the opening, imdiately film the ending, then move to other places to shoot different scenes. Films aren’t stage plays; they don’t prioritize continuity. A scene like this can be edited to the start later."
"Oh, that’s how it is......"
The three of them, one eating and two chatting, left the classroom when Ru Xu approached and bowed deeply to Duanmu Huai.
"I’m so sorry to trouble you all......"
"It’s fine, everyone’s considering it as a break. Don’t worry, I look forward to your masterpiece."
With that, Duanmu Huai smiled at Ru Xu and turned to leave with the others.
"......Xiao Ai, you’re really cool-headed."
That evening, sitting at the dining table, Sakurajima Mai unexpectedly comnted to Duanmu Huai.
By the way, Ruby had a recording to do today and hadn’t returned yet. When Duanmu Huai got ho, Sakurajima Mai was already in the kitchen with an apron, naturally preparing dinner.
Where did she get the key?
Incidentally, dinner today was beef stewed with potatoes.
"Is that so?"
"I understand your intention. You want them to realize how terrible they are, even with professionals like us involved. If the results are still awful, they’ll realize the issue is with themselves, despite their reluctance."
"Exactly, that’s it."
"But they might start avoiding reality even more, chalking it up to ’since they’re professionals, it’s natural that we aren’t as good.’"
"Indeed, that’s possible."
Duanmu Huai nodded.
"Maybe those students will never co back."
"I did say it’s just an experint, a hypothesis."
"......That’s why I said, Xiao Ai, you’re really cold."
Sakurajima Mai silently sighed.
"Even if it’s just a hypothesis, those are lives. If it were , I’d feel the weight of responsibility and couldn’t decide so easily."
"......True."
As a Judge, a life or two is insignificant. If necessary, even millions, tens of millions, or billions of lives can be sacrificed.
"But if puberty syndro is real, then the sacrifices won’t just be a few people."
Duanmu Huai spoke.
"That’s why a thorough investigation must be done beforehand."
"......"
Sakurajima Mai stared at Duanmu Huai, then frowned slightly.
"Xiao Ai, you seem very interested in this kind of thing?"
"Yeah, because I’m a supernatural enthusiast, otherwise why would I make horror films?"
"Is that so?"
"It is."
Duanmu Huai didn’t respond further, and Sakurajima Mai didn’t ask more. They finished dinner silently.
"I’ll head back now."
"Won’t you wait for Ruby?"
"I have work tomorrow too, planning to review so things."
Sakurajima Mai walked out the door and returned to her own ho next door. The place was usually empty, devoid of any vitality. Sakurajima Mai sat on the sofa, curling up.
It’s terrifying.
Xiao Ai was really terrifying just now.
Sakurajima Mai raised her hand, realizing it was trembling uncontrollably.
During the conversation with Duanmu Huai, Sakurajima Mai had keenly sensed it.
Why investigate such a thing?
It’s clear Xiao Ai was driven by a sense of duty, but that wasn’t the problem. The problem was......she genuinely seed not to care about others’ lives.
That’s right, Sakurajima Mai could feel it. Duanmu Huai genuinely wanted to save the missing students and resolve the strange events of Class F.
But he wasn’t concerned about ’how serious the consequences of failure could be.’ It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered it, but he simply didn’t care. It was as if those missing people, if dead, were just dead, and Duanmu Huai didn’t care about their fate.
That’s why he could make decisions and take actions so decisively, actions that would worry ordinary people. After all, such tightrope-walking tactics might exacerbate the situation. As Sakurajima Mai previously warned Duanmu Huai, their actions might erode Class F’s confidence, erasing everything. Consequently, those missing classmates might never return.
From a certain perspective, this could also be seen as burdening oneself with others’ lives.
But Duanmu Huai didn’t care.
For him, what’s important is resolving the matter, whether those people live or die seems outside his concern.
Like lab mice......once they die, just find new ones......this was the cold vibe Duanmu Huai gave Sakurajima Mai.
What has Xiao Ai gone through......
Curled up on the sofa, Sakurajima Mai found herself deep in thought.
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