On Monday at noon, Duanmu Huai learned about Class F’s situation from Banai.
"I went to see Class F today, the atmosphere was super heavy, it felt like a funeral."
Banai said while poking at the 380 yuan (Duanmu price) bento in front of him.
"Everyone was sitting solemnly in their chairs with their heads down, not saying a word. It was clearly break ti, but the class was silent. It made others hesitant to say anything when passing by. I wonder what really happened there... could it be that the filming went poorly?"
"Of course."
Duanmu Huai took a bite of his rolled olet and replied.
"A bunch of amateurs, it would be a miracle if they could film well."
"But Duanmu, you all participated. Even Hei Chuan Chi Yin and Sakurajima Mai were there, how could it not be good?"
"You underestimate filmmaking."
Faced with Banai’s thoughtless question, Duanmu Huai shook his head, then opened his computer and replayed the DVD.
"Actually, this DVD itself has a lot of technical problems, like strong shakiness, and here... In the middle of a cara transition, there is complete darkness, it’s simply a lighting issue. The fluctuating audio levels are a sound recording problem. In real film production, although you might see only two people talking on screen, around them are at least twenty staff responsible for different aspects. From lighting, sound recording, filming, to even manually creating wind and rain effects, it’s the responsibility of the crew. It’s not just pointing a cara and shooting. If it were that simple, why would directors even bother with big productions?"
"So there’s so much to filmmaking..."
Hearing Duanmu Huai’s explanation, Banai and Chitanda were both astonished.
"That’s right, in fact, many tis, other aspects are more important than the actors."
Duanmu Huai waved his hand.
"You know, sotis a big-na actor appears in a bad movie, why do you think they end up in such films?"
"Well..."
"The truth is, no actor wants to be in a bad movie. Everyone hopes to excel in their role and make a well-received film. But it’s not that simple in reality. What actors can do is perform as per the script, then it’s out of their hands. A film’s quality depends on not just the actors, but also editing, score, and more. "
Shrugging, Duanmu Huai continued.
"The problem is, these parts are beyond an actor’s control. What they think of as their best performance might not even make the cut. In the end, how the director will piece it together, the actors have no clue. That’s why even in poorly done films, actors often seem very confident during promotion. It’s not just a front—they genuinely believe the film might be good. But when it’s released—bam!—it’s nothing like they imagined, and that’s a disaster."
"So the crew is that important."
Chitanda clenched her hands, feeling moved.
"Of course, otherwise actors could just shoot with their caras, why bother with directors and crews? With a team full of amateurs, it’s hopeless, not even God can save them. If they can’t figure this out, it’s their own problem."
"That’s why the mood is so low."
"That’s how it is with amateurs."
Duanmu Huai smirked.
"It’s like writing a novel. Everyone thinks it’s easy, may even think ’I could co up with that idea’ while reading. But when it cos to actually writing, it’s a different story. The sa goes for being an idol, it’s not just about being good-looking and singing. Life’s not that easy. Of course, for a simple cultural festival, they don’t need professional standards, but they should at least realize this is what they could achieve."
"What do you think they’ll do, Duanmu?"
Chitanda leaned in, curiously and excitedly asking Duanmu Huai.
"I don’t know, all kinds of possibilities, it ultimately depends... on their majority vote."
Duanmu Huai spoke with a hint of malice, but unfortunately, neither of them noticed.
After school, Ru Xu returned to the Classical Studies Club.
"Duanmu!"
She bowed ninety degrees again.
"We have deeply realized our shortcomings and foolishness. We will use your performance as a benchmark, practice hard, and strive to make a decent film at the cultural festival!"
"As long as you’re happy."
"Yes, Tanaka and the others are also happy. Witnessing your acting was enlightening for them too."
"Tanaka?"
"Ah, sorry."
Upon Duanmu Huai’s inquiry, Ru Xu looked up and smiled apologetically.
"He was the actor in the mystery film we did earlier. After seeing your performance, we realized we oversimplified filmmaking. So, we’ve unanimously decided to change the the, at least avoiding such challenging projects..."
"Oh... then I wish you all the best."
"Thank you!"
Watching Ru Xu leave, Duanmu Huai squinted his eyes, and Chitanda breathed a sigh of relief beside him.
"That’s really great, now everyone should be able to rest assured. It was indeed the right decision to ask Duanmu."
"...Banai."
Duanmu Huai glanced at Chitanda, then looked at Banai, who was holding a shrimp cracker and stuffing it in her mouth across the table.
"Do you still rember why Ru Xu ca to us?"
"Huh? Isn’t it because Class F wanted to make a movie, but felt their acting skills were too poor, so they asked you to guide them?"
So it has turned out like this.
Neither Banai nor Chitanda rember the mysterious disappearance incident at all. For them, the whole matter started with Class F wanting to make a movie but couldn’t reach their expected standard, so they asked Duanmu Huai for acting guidance... Hmm, quite a frivolous setup.
"...So, this is what happened?"
After returning ho, Duanmu Huai explained to Sakurajima Mai, who showed the sa expression.
"It’s really strange. In my mory, I also rember Xiao Ai saying you asked us to go because Class F had no self-awareness about their abilities and you wanted us to give them a small professional shock..."
"As expected, even your mory has altered like this."
Although he anticipated it, Duanmu Huai still furrowed his brow upon hearing Sakurajima Mai’s answer.
"If I hadn’t experienced it myself, I’d think Xiao Ai was joking, but... wasn’t it true that Class F experienced a Teenage Syndro incident?"
"Perhaps this is why Teenage Syndro has always been just a legend."
Duanmu Huai furrowed his brow. Everyone’s mories, except for his own, had been rewritten without any sign. If Duanmu Huai weren’t strong-minded, he might even doubt if his mories were wrong. After all, if the entire world recognizes history differently from oneself, is it oneself who is crazy or everyone else?
"Anyway, I’ll believe what you say. After all, you saved , and those missing students from Class F are back now, right?"
"Yeah, the blank spots on the class photo have disappeared, aning they should all be back. But it really is surprising—group consciousness can produce such... no, this effect is precisely because it’s a group consciousness."
At this, Duanmu Huai couldn’t help but think of the Four Vendors. Wasn’t the Obsessive Sin born from the Spirit race’s endless indulgence?
Wait a minute, does this an that if enough people have similar thoughts, sothing like Obsessive Sin could appear in this world?
Damn, this isn’t sothing to joke about!
"What’s wrong?"
Seeing Duanmu Huai’s serious expression, Sakurajima Mai asked inquisitively.
"No, it’s nothing, um... just thinking about so things."
Tomorrow, I’ll ask around about what stuff young people are into these days.
During lunch break the next day, Duanmu Huai visited the Classical Studies Club and posed the question to the two of them.
"What’s popular among young people these days? Duanmu, you sound like an old lady."
Banai laughed so hard she leaned back while holding a three-hundred-yen (Duanmu price) bento, and Chitanda tilted her head, thinking for a mont.
"Sorry, I’m not very knowledgeable about trends..."
"Then let , this fashion-forward woman, give you a good explanation!"
Banai gulped down her olet, proudly puffing up her chest.
"The trendy nail colors girls are into lately, makeup, fashion styles, and gourt spots! These are essential for fashion-savvy girls ahead of the curve!"
"Ah... I was hoping for a survey that’s at best a public scale level, not just trends favored by girls."
Duanmu Huai reckoned nail art shouldn’t trigger Teenage Syndro. As for the last one, only Banai might care.
"Public scale level? Duanmu, we’re the Classical Studies Club, chasing trends isn’t right."
This doesn’t concern you.
Just then, Chitanda raised her hand.
"Urban legends...?"
"Urban legends?"
"Yes, regardless of whether they’re guys or girls, quite a few people enjoy urban legends..."
"I see."
Upon hearing this, Duanmu Huai nodded thoughtfully. Indeed, urban legends are sothing teenagers tend to like, and there have indeed been many popular rumors, the most famous being Hanako in the toilet, the Eight-foot Master, Mary in the phone booth, and the like. To call it trendy is indeed accurate.
If this world is truly as I think, then if the public believes those urban legends exist, do they indeed exist?
Looks like this deserves investigation.
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