"Does that mean I'm done here, Yukiko?"
Back in the dressing room, Shizuka Hiratsuka had already changed out of costume and into her own clothes. She glanced curiously at Director James, who was still buzzing with excitement while animatedly discussing something with the assistant director.
Although acting wasn't exactly her passion, Shizuka still felt a small sense of pride. She had put in the effort, and if others recognized that, she couldn't help but feel pleased.
"You were fantastic, Shizuka! Everyone was blown away by your performance." With a bright smile, Yukiko handed her a cold drink.
"Whether it was the fight sequences or the parkour scenes, you completely exceeded their expectations. Honestly, your movements looked even better than what they had imagined."
"Especially that wall flip you should've seen their faces. Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads!"
"Well, I've trained in that stuff since I was a kid, so I guess I'm just a little more used to it than they are." Shizuka scratched her head, embarrassed by the high praise.
"My master and the people in her village are the really amazing ones. No matter how much I practiced, I could never beat them. I always lost it was kind of frustrating."
"Oh right, you mentioned that before. Such a pity. I'd love to visit that village one day."
"Um… that might be difficult. Outsiders aren't allowed in without permission. Honestly, I only met my master by pure accident. If they say no, then I can't take you there either, Yukiko." Shizuka gave a sheepish smile. This wasn't the first time Yukiko had sounded regretful about it.
"I know, I know. I just can't help feeling it's a shame." Yukiko looped her arm around Shizuka's playfully, then waved toward the blonde actress standing nearby.
"What do you think, Chris? Didn't I tell you Shizuka would impress you?"
"Absolutely. Miss Hiratsuka's performance was flawless." Chris smiled warmly at Shizuka, her praise completely sincere.
"James is practically losing his mind over there. If it weren't for you and Yukiko both turning him down, he'd probably already be begging you to co-star in his next film."
"Oh, I'm not really interested in acting. I only came to the States to take a break. Watching is fun, but being part of it? No thanks." Shizuka gave a casual shrug, laughing softly.
"I used to hang around Yukiko's film sets back in Japan, but I never got involved either."
"Is that so? What a waste of talent." Chris's eyes glimmered with amusement. Suddenly, she reached out, and before Shizuka could react, Chris brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face.
"You really don't fuss over the little things, do you? Even after changing clothes, you didn't bother fixing your hair."
"Haha, I guess I just don't pay much attention to it. I've had long hair forever, so I usually just tie it up quickly and leave it at that." Shizuka chuckled. Having someone fix her hair didn't strike her as odd at all Yukino always used to do the same whenever they hung out.
"Well, since you've set the bar so high today, I suppose I'll have a tough time with my afternoon shoot. With such a shining example ahead of me, if I perform poorly, it'll be embarrassing."
"No way, Chris. You're an amazing actress. You'll probably outshine me. But if you need any help with stunts, feel free to ask."
"Oh? I'll hold you to that." Chris's eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly.
"Tell you what. Yukiko, if you're free this afternoon, why don't you hang around the set or explore the area a little? Once I'm done, let me treat you both to dinner tonight."
"We don't really have plans, so that works for us."
"Oh, no, you don't have to go through all that trouble." Shizuka waved her hands quickly.
"It's no trouble at all. Consider it settled." Chris smiled with confident warmth, brushing off the protest.
"After all, it's worth celebrating. Today's shoot went smoothly, and I met a new friend who's… unexpectedly charming."
With that, she excused herself and walked off to continue working.
"Whew…" Watching Chris's retreating figure, Shizuka gave a small shake of her head.
"She seems really easy to get along with. Way friendlier than the internet made her out to be. Wait… Yukiko? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Shizuka instinctively stepped back, a nervous chill running through her. Yukiko's wide eyes sparkled mischievously, one glowing with curiosity, the other with amusement.
"Yukiko…?"
"Hehe. It's just that little Chris rarely treats anyone that nicely." Yukiko's lips curled into a sly smile as she leaned closer, poking Shizuka's cheek repeatedly.
"Oh, come on. Sometimes you just click with people, right? That whole 'love at first sight' but for friends thing. Like, you just know you'll get along." Shizuka swatted her hand away, unimpressed by the teasing.
"Ohhh, you mean like 'the moment I saw you, I knew we'd be friends for life'?" Yukiko tapped her chin, nodding as if enlightened.
"Hey! Don't say it like that!"
"Ehehe. I browse the local forums too, you know. But I didn't expect you to know all about that, Shizuka. Aren't you supposed to be the respectable teacher?" Yukiko teased, her eyes narrowing playfully.
"What does being a teacher have to do with this?!"
"Well, you do know about it."
"I… Ugh, you're just an old woman trying to act cute!"
"Ohohoho~ Shizuka, you've said the one thing you should never say to me." Yukiko's eyes narrowed dangerously as she leaned in closer, her body pressing forward.
"Wait! Yukiko, where are your hands hey!" Shizuka yelped, scrambling backward, her face flushing bright red as she hugged her arms across her chest.
Never in a million years had she expected Yukiko to pull something like that.
"Hehe. We're both women. What's the big deal?" Yukiko laughed, clearly enjoying the sight of the normally cool and dignified Shizuka looking flustered and cute.
"It is a big deal! Isn't that weird?!"
"Oh? So it's fine if it's a man then?"
"No! Not even a man!"
"Really? So the only person allowed to touch you… is yourself?"
"That's right, only I—Yukiko!"