[CH.52] Filming of Piano Performance and Returning to the Dorm
**TL Notes: So as not to confuse you all, I made a list of the characters that get mentioned in this chapter that you may have forgotten before. Sumire Matsuda: MC Yoko Ando (Yoko-san): Sumire's manager. Azusa Oshima: Sumire's mentor. Hana-san: Senior Actress Ms. Ogata: piano instructor Director Kanzaki: Antagonist. Yumiko Kurita (Yumi): Sumire's senpai at the dormitory. Ai Shinonome: Sumire's senpai at the dormitory. Maho Iida: Sumire's senpai at the dormitory. Natsumi Shirakawa: Sumire's senpai at the dormitory. Nao, Fumika, Touka: Sumire's close. |
The soft sound of the electronic piano resonated within the studio. Rehearsals went smoothly, and once the staff had finished their preparations, it would be time for the actual shoot.
Within the set designed to resemble a cluttered living room, an electronic piano was placed on a stand. Seated on the chair prepared in front of it, I idly observed the bustling staff members moving about. From the perspective of a performer like me, this was the front, but I wondered if it might be the back from the view of the camera capturing the scene. Well, it didn't really matter.
The film shoot was coming to a close, and today's scene involved the protagonist, who had been tasked by his father to perform on the piano, showcasing the results to his family. After that, they would shoot some smaller follow-up scenes, and then a month-long filming journey would be completed. Despite the ups and downs, I had become close with the other actors and staff, and observing various performances had expanded my own acting skills.
Apart from filming hours, the director had treated me to dinner several times, and we went out to eat with everyone. On one occasion, they even organized a fireworks display for me, as they were concerned about me being a child. On our days off, we went sightseeing and shopping with the other actresses, leading to a life that was part work and part play. Yoko-san joined us when she had the time, but it seemed like she had accumulated a lot of work-related tasks, such as administrative work and client communication. When she couldn't make it, Hana-san stepped in as a guardian, accompanying me and taking care of me.
In reality, I don't really need a guardian since I'm an adult on the inside. But it seems that appearances have a strong impact and can overshadow one's inner maturity, leading to an experience of being treated as an overly protected child after a long time. The people around me are usually not that worried, likely due to my past achievements, except for Yoko-san, who has always been overprotective.
The other challenge, swimming, was already shot yesterday. I had visited the pool a few times for the shooting of practice scenes, and I had gradually become friendly with the schoolchildren who served as extras. However, the boys around my age would occasionally avert their eyes when they saw me. I'm not sure if it's because of the swimsuit I wear, which is different from the others, as it's supposed to be the school swimsuit that the protagonist's sister would wear, or if there's some other reason. It's a bit lonely to feel like they might not like me, even though I'm not particularly appealing with my flat body.
Setting that aside, the swimming task was to swim 100 meters, which I achieved by swimming two laps in a 25-meter pool. Now, I can handle it without much difficulty, but I need to make sure I act out the character of Toru-kun, who is not only supposed to be unskilled in swimming but is also using an unfamiliar girl's body to swim.
In my past life, I was good at swimming, but in this life, I had a hard time just floating. I drew on that experience while swimming, and when the scene was wrapped, the people around me complimented me on how the awkward swimming added a lot of realism.
"Sumire-chan, it's time for the actual shoot!"
Recalling yesterday's shoot, I responded to the staff member who called my name with a "Yes." The actors playing the parents and Hana-san, who played my sister, entered the set and took their positions. Hana-san clenched her fist and mouthed, "Do your best!" in encouragement, so I smiled and nodded in response.
I was wearing a pastel-colored two-piece pajama set, and the scene was set in a living room of a typical household, not in a concert hall. The piece I was about to play was not like the previous "FĂĽr Elise," but a beginner-level practice piece. Honestly, I could play it with my eyes closed now, but for the character Toru-kun, it wasn't that simple. Just like with swimming, I had to remember how it felt when I first started learning the piano and act accordingly.
Yoko-san was quite annoyed that I had to practice swimming and the piano at the director's request. But I didn't see it that way. Thanks to the director's guidance, I was able to make my swimming scene more realistic. As for the piano, my experience from playing in a concert made me better equipped to handle the nerves and nuances of playing in a completely different setting.
"Action! Ready, set, go!"
With a loud "clink" and "clink-co" of keys, there was a brief pause before I ran my fingers across the keyboard. Although it was an exercise focusing on fingering and rhythm, it was challenging for someone who had never touched the piano. When the director asked me to practice the piano, I considered two scenarios for the character I was portraying: one where the character was already skilled and another where they were not. If I chose the latter, I knew I needed to remember the emotional journey of struggling to learn the piano, where I stumbled, and how I felt when practicing. So, I kept detailed notes in a diary-like format to aid in my performance.
Even as I became proficient in playing, I continued to revisit my notes, never letting go of the image I wanted to convey. The somewhat unsteady performance that reached my ears had a synergistic effect, making my mental image even clearer. I played the piece attentively from beginning to end, leaving a lingering echo, and as per the script, I gazed anxiously at my father.
He met my gaze, hesitated for a moment, and then smiled softly.
"Well done, Toru. You passed."
Upon hearing those words, I stood up from the chair, and my mother and sister rushed over, hugging me with shouts of joy. As I felt the tears of accomplishment welling up at the corners of my eyes, I couldn't help but smile. A few moments later, I heard the director's satisfied voice saying, "Cut! Okay, we got a great scene!"
Feeling a sudden release of tension, my knees wobbled and nearly gave way, but I managed to stay upright.
"Wow, Sumire-chan, are you okay? Great job!"
Supported by Hana-san, I managed not to fall. I had been working hard at piano and swimming for this film since last October, so the pressure was finally lifted. There was no helping the exhaustion.
As Hana-san supported me and we descended from the set, I approached Yoko-san, and standing next to her was Ms. Ogata, the piano advisor. When they noticed me, they each greeted me with a hearty "well done" and offered words of encouragement.
Deliberately playing poorly as an experienced pianist is surprisingly challenging, and it seems that Ms. Ogata was deeply moved by my piano performance today. She explained that while it might sound unsteady, it conveyed a lot of emotion.
"It's not always essential for conveying emotions to people other than oneself to play perfectly. Of course, I think technical skill and a better performance are crucial, but I feel like I learned something again today."
Ms. Ogata is typically surrounded by highly skilled pianists in the professional world, so having to deal with a young elementary school student with skills that are akin to a beginner would have been somewhat trying for her. To receive such praise made me very happy, and when I expressed my gratitude, Ms. Ogata shared a surprising story.
She mentioned that she had been in a slump for the past few years. Although her performance quality and other surface-level attributes hadn't changed, she felt like he had lost her way with her emotions toward the piano. During this time, she was offered the opportunity to provide musical guidance and supervision to an elementary school girl, a role she usually doesn't take. She accepted it as a change of pace. While we can't be certain how or why, it seems this experience had a positive impact on her. If my piano playing contributed even a little to that, I'm genuinely pleased.
"By the way, Sumire, will you continue playing the piano after this filming?"
As Ms. Ogata and I exchanged thanks and bowed, I was asked this question by Yoko, who was standing nearby. Of course, I had practiced diligently, and it would be a shame to let my skills rust away. Letting the electronic piano I received go to waste as a mere decoration in my room would also be equally wasteful. So, I don't plan to become a professional, but I want to continue it as a hobby. I'll be using the money I earn from working to cover the monthly tuition fees, so it's okay to indulge myself a bit.
While thinking about these things, I puffed my chest slightly and answered, "I'll continue!" For some reason, both Yoko and Hana took turns patting my head. The stylist, who quickly noticed that my hair was slightly disheveled as a result, rushed over and gave a light scolding to Yoko and Hana. Seeing the two of them getting scolded and looking a bit down, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"I finally made it back. It's been about a month since I was last at the dorm," I muttered to myself.
I had taken a taxi from Tokyo Station to get here and after leaving the hotel I was staying in during the filming, I had sent most of my unnecessary belongings by courier, so I intended to return almost empty-handed. However, when I stopped at the station building and saw some delicious snacks and tea leaves, I couldn't resist the temptation to buy some as souvenirs for everyone. As a result, I ended up with my hands full.
"Thank you for your hard work, Sumire. You've done a great job," Yoko said.
"Thank you, Yoko-san. You've been with me for a long time, even though you have work to do. I appreciate it," I replied, bowing my head slightly.
Yoko-san had an indescribable expression on her face, similar to when she usually hugged me tightly. However, she seemed to realize that both of my hands were occupied with bags and tried to hide her feelings with a wry smile.
For now, I decided to leave my bags and passed through the wooden latticed gate before heading to the dorm as usual. When I opened the dorm's front door, I was immediately embraced by something soft, without even having the chance to say, "I'm back."
"Welcome back, Sumire! Good job on the long filming... wait, Sumire, your hair is shorter!"
Ah, I recognized the voice; it was Maho. She kept me in her embrace, repeatedly touching my hair, which was now just past my shoulders.
"Why? Why? I raised it with all my love!" Maho seemed genuinely shocked.
I explained the situation to Maho, feeling a bit apologetic for her genuine shock. But isn't it strange? It's my hair, and what's wrong with cutting it when I want to? True, we took baths together, and she helped me wash my hair. After bathing, she brushed it, and she even helped me trim split ends. But still, it was inexplicable.
I greeted Natsumi, who had come from the back of the house, and left Maho, who was still lamenting, in her care. The person with a longer history of dealing with Maho would probably know how to handle the situation better. It seemed like the right decision because Maho clung to Natsumi like a spoiled child. Natsumi's expression was somewhat complex, but we took off our shoes and proceeded to the living room with Yoko.
I greeted Yumi, who was sitting on a chair at the kitchen table, and headed towards the back of the house. To my surprise, Toyo and Ms. Azusa were sitting on the living room cushions. Azusa rarely ventured into the residents' spaces, unlike Toyo. Perhaps they had been waiting for me since I had messaged them from Tokyo Station, saying, "I'll be taking a taxi home."
"Welcome back, Sumire... So you did cut it after all."
Ms. Azusa stood up and came to me, gently caressing my shorter hair. I suddenly recalled that Azusa was the one who reluctantly granted permission for the haircut, wasn't she?
"Yes, I thought it was worth it if it could make the movie better."
"For this time, that's fine. But remember, you don't have to undersell yourself. If you don't want to do something, don't hesitate to say no."
Ms. Azusa said with concern and then moved away from me. Toyo, who was the oldest among us, also expressed regret at my shorter hair. On the other hand, Yumi, the youngest in the house apart from me, was rather nonchalant about it and said, "The change lightens your look, doesn't it?" It somehow made me feel the generation gap within our household.
After sharing the souvenirs I had bought and talking about various experiences during the movie shoot, I enjoyed a relaxed time with the people I felt comfortable with, my second family in the dorm. I hadn't thought much about it during my stay at the film studio, but living in an environment with so many unfamiliar adults made me realize that I had been a bit on edge. Being with the dorm members was comforting.
As we all savored tea and the snacks I had brought, the impromptu tea gathering was starting to wind down. Everyone began to rise, clearing their cups or carrying the souvenirs I had brought to their rooms. Just as I was about to check on my own room, which I had left untouched for a month, Ms. Azusa called my name.
"It was your first movie shoot, wasn't it? Did you learn something from it?"
"Well, yes. The performances by the senior actors were amazing, and I learned a lot about how movies are made. I even chose filmmaking as my science project for this year."
I wanted Ms. Azusa to see it as I had put a lot of effort into it, but unfortunately, it's in the items I left with the courier service. I asked her if she could take a look when it arrives, and she gave a nod with a smile.
"I'm looking forward to it, your first movie. It'll be exciting to watch."
Satisfied with her response, Azusa returned home with Toyo following her. You're right, the journey doesn't end with the filming. Of course, I'd love Azusa to watch it, but also my family, Nao, Fumika, Touka, and others. After putting in so much effort, I really want this movie to reach as many people as possible. I truly feel that way.
(I have a few days off now, but once they're over, I'll work hard on promoting the movie.)
I was slightly worried that I'd experience burnout after filming, but it turned out not to be the case at all. Instead, I clenched my fists at my chest, setting my sights on new, small goals.
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