Chapter 40: Filming in Progress
On the second day in Miyazaki Prefecture, the production crew hit the ground running.
Gotanda arrived at a local elementary school for location scouting. After negotiating with the principal, he secured permission to film during two slots: after school on weekdays and throughout the weekends. The condition was that they must not damage the school property or disrupt the students' studies—terms Taishi Gotanda naturally accepted with a flurry of promises.
After completing the scenes in Miyazaki, a large portion of the plot would take place in an urban setting. The original script explicitly stated the story unfolded in Tokyo, so they would eventually return there for more location shooting. As for why they didn't film those scenes first, Gotanda put it this way:
"Filming Tokyo then Miyazaki is one round trip; filming Miyazaki then Tokyo is also one round trip, isn't it?"
He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Everyone found his logic surprisingly sound.
Since the kick-off banquet had already been held in Tokyo, there was no more time to waste. The second day happened to be Sunday, and Gotanda—not wanting to squander a single day—lugged his camera gear into the elementary school with a whirlwind of energy.
The Miyazaki shoot primarily focused on the "Child Group" arc. The leads were Aqua, Kana Arima, and Akane Kurokawa, while the extras were recruited from the local children.
The recruitment process went unexpectedly smoothly. The local kids didn't seem to mind acting at all; as soon as they heard the crew was looking for actors, they swarmed the area.
Delighted, Gotanda asked, "Why do you all want to be in a movie?"
With faces full of innocence, the children shouted in unison: "Because there's a Bell Pepper on the poster!"
Gotanda's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "What??"
The elementary schoolers suddenly dispersed and began performing movements in perfect synchronization.
"The Bell Pepper Exercise is starting now~"
"Eat your peppers and you'll turn into Superman!"
"Everyone dance and let's be Peter Pan!"
Gotanda began to question his life choices. Meanwhile, hiding in the shadows, Ruby let out a burst of laughter.
Aqua and Akane were also stifling their amusement, while Kana Arima puffed out her chest with pride. Not yet having experienced the harsh "beatings" of society, she was still in a phase where she was quite proud of her past works, rather than viewing them as "dark history."
Hikaru Hoshino, also lurking in the shadows, took the opportunity to snap a photo of the scene. "Dark History +1."
"Hikaru, secret photography is wrong," Ai scolded him, her hands on her hips.
"I'm preserving the children's innocent moments!" Hikaru argued righteously. "They'll thank me for this later!"
*Hikaru, the Warrior of Light—guardian of every child's dark history.*
After asking around, Gotanda realized these kids had only come for the Kana Arima featured on the posters. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but he quickly snapped back into professional mode and set up the camera.
"Actors, in position!"
"3! 2! 1! Action!"
The three leads appeared in the frame. Aqua stood facing Akane Kurokawa, the disgust in his eyes nearly piercing through the screen.
Beside him stood a cold-faced Kana Arima. Behind them was a dense crowd of other students, forming a dark, oppressive cloud that made it difficult to breathe.
Gotanda had underlined several key points in the script:
*Oppression, isolation, violence... children can sometimes be just as cruel as adults.*
Hikaru Hoshino handled the music. After reviewing the script, he ultimately selected "lvs," one of the tracks from his past life's movie *A Silent Voice*.
A film rated for all ages couldn't show excessive physical violence, nor was it beneficial for social values to show children engaging in too much brutality. Therefore, Gotanda used suggestion and metaphor, aiming to imply the oppression the heroine, Ai Kita, suffered in her youth through subtle details. Beneath the calm background music were the giggling children and Ai Kita, hiding in a corner.
A crying face, torn notebooks, tattered clothes, bruised arms...
Mindless sneers, ignorant parents, powerless teachers—the victim was consumed by silence, leaving not a single trace behind.
Naoto Anna is an ordinary key animator in Tokyo. He lives an incredibly busy life by day and returns to a cramped rental apartment shared with his girlfriend, Shizuna Ueda, at night, living a tight yet fulfilling life. Though the two seem harmonious, they both harbor the same secret deep in their hearts.
Together, they "killed" a person.
Years ago, in the countryside of Miyazaki (Kawasaki) Prefecture, the two were childhood sweethearts attending the same school and class. In that class, there was a girl named Ai Kita.
Ai Kita was soft-spoken and reclusive. Unknowingly, she gradually became the outcast of the class.
The group of girls led by Shizuna Ueda disliked her, and the group of boys led by Naoto Anna mocked her for being a "country bumpkin." It started with isolation, moved to simple pranks... but pranks only escalate, and violence was born from them.
When a victim does not resist, and when bullying carries no cost, evil becomes a habit. The perpetrators indulge in the pleasure, unable to extricate themselves.
If one does not explode in the silence, one perishes within it.
In the end, like so many children before her, Ai Kita chose the most cowardly yet bravest conclusion.
Like a butterfly with its wings pierced, Ai Kita collapsed before everyone's eyes.