The emotions stirring in her heart were difficult to put into words.
Still, since she had already agreed to do this, Shizuka Hiratsuka wasn't about to back down even if the thought of acting in front of Yukiko made her cringe.
But Yukiko, seriously? Taking photos with your phone was one thing, but grabbing the staff's video camera and filming with that kind of enthusiasm what was that about?!
And the worst part was, she actually got away with it!
Taking a deep breath, Shizuka reminded herself that when Yukiko was excited about messing around, there was no point in resisting. She could never out-argue her anyway, and the woman was shameless enough to act cute even at her age.
"Well then, I start from here, right?" Shizuka walked to the center of the set, glanced around, and positioned herself where Chris had instructed earlier.
"Mm. Don't be nervous." Chris stepped to her side, smiling as she squeezed Shizuka's shoulder reassuringly.
"All you need to do is walk through the scene the way you imagine it should go. In terms of combat experience, you're the most skilled among us. What we want is to capture how a real martial artist would react in this situation."
"Alright then. Doesn't matter to me either way." Shizuka nodded knowingly. Looking over at the other actors already in place, she flexed her fists, steadying herself.
"When you're ready, you can begin."
The extras and unrelated staff left the set. Cameras and lighting were all in position, and through the lens, Shizuka's figure already looked strikingly photogenic. Director James, watching closely, nodded in satisfaction.
At first, he had only let her try this as a favor to Yukiko and Chris. But now, seeing how well she fit the role, he began to think it might not be such a bad idea to let Shizuka cameo as a character.
"I'm ready."
Blocking out the stares around her, Shizuka sank into focus. Years of martial training had drilled into her the ability to shut out distractions and center herself when it mattered most.
"Good. All departments ready? Begin!"
At James' signal, the crew sprang into action. The three actors playing the enemy thugs prepared themselves, scowling viciously in Shizuka's direction.
But what confused them was that instead of rushing in at once, Shizuka simply closed her eyes and stood still.
They exchanged puzzled glances. Was she nervous because it was her first time acting in such a scene?
Then, without warning, Shizuka's head snapped up.
Still as a statue one moment, swift as a rabbit the next.
Her long legs pushed off the ground with explosive force, and in a single breath, she had already crossed the distance, appearing in front of the three men.
"What!?"
The veteran stuntmen widened their eyes in shock. Each of them had legitimate martial arts training, but Shizuka's sudden burst of speed was beyond anything they expected.
"Hah!"
She didn't give them time to react. Following the instructions given earlier, she reminded herself: defeat the "enemies" as quickly as possible and move forward.
The faster, the better.
With a sharp exhale, she lunged at the first thug. Her palm shot upward, striking his jaw.
"Hm?"
The man didn't fall back as an actor should have. Frowning, Shizuka was forced to increase her strength still careful not to injure him and sent him sprawling backward.
One down.
Her body didn't pause. With a quick sidestep, she pivoted to the second opponent. Using her hands on his shoulders for leverage, she spun midair, her toned waist snapping as she whipped her leg across in a clean arc, knocking him back despite his attempt to block.
"Hah!"
Momentum carried her forward. She landed smoothly, hands still gripping his shoulders as she twisted behind him. With a sweeping kick to his legs and a firm push, she drove him hard to the ground.
"Stay down."
Sensing him trying to get up, Shizuka pressed harder, lowering her voice in warning.
"…" Realizing he had forgotten they were supposed to be acting, the man quickly closed his eyes and pretended to faint.
"Phew…"
Exhaling, Shizuka turned her focus ahead. Her long legs carried her swiftly across the uneven terrain. Crumbled stone and broken walls were no obstacle. She moved like a sleek panther graceful, fast, unstoppable.
After dispatching another small group with stylish efficiency, Shizuka came face to face with a stone wall nearly five meters high.
Her steps quickened. She ran up the wall, feet finding purchase on the rough edges, her gloved hands gripping firmly. In three seconds, she had scaled it and pulled herself up to the top.
The crew's eyes widened in disbelief.
She actually climbed it without wires!
And the way she stood at the top one hand on her hip, the other casually fanning herself was ridiculously cool.
Unaware that her offhand pose had just earned her a wave of admiration, Shizuka paused, wondering if she had completed enough of the scene.
"When she takes it seriously, she's absolutely dazzling. No wonder people can't take their eyes off her. But in private, she's such a mess… like a total old man." Yukiko sighed with both excitement and exasperation.
"If she'd just put some effort into her image, she wouldn't still be single right now."
"Don't worry. Someone like Miss Hiratsuka is bound to find a partner worthy of her." Chris chuckled softly, lighting a cigarette as her gaze lingered on Shizuka's figure.
"In fact… I think the real problem is that no man out there could ever measure up to her."