Chapter 3 End Roll - part 7

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─── Last Take

The location where Shunji Tokame’s rundown old house once stood was now occupied by a three-story building, so the actual filming took place in an empty lot by the river. The wind was fairly strong, causing the actors’ hair to flutter out of place. There was some discussion about putting up windbreaks, but the natural atmosphere was too good to disrupt, so they left it as it was.

Playing Shunji from his high school years through age twenty-five was a high schooler with no acting experience. Shunji had been surprised to hear that the actor was Ninomiya’s son, but after the camera test, he couldn’t imagine anyone else in the role. His acting was natural, and his presence lingered in a way that was hard to define.

To be honest, Shunji didn’t think the boy looked much like him, though Wakibuchi repeatedly insisted, “He’s got Shunji’s exact vibe.” Meanwhile, the actress playing Koharu had such short hair during initial rehearsals that her silhouette had looked just like Koharu’s from behind. Now, with a long wig on, she looked like a completely different person—her face even more beautiful than Koharu’s had been, with none of the freckles that Koharu had been so self-conscious about.

The actors walked through their positioning. A two-year-old child actress, bored, began crying. The script supervisor, Ichinose—though now she went by her married name, Isono—picked the girl up to comfort her. When that didn’t work, Isono from props brought over a stuffed toy that made noise, gently trying to calm her down.

The weather was slightly overcast, diffusing the light nicely across the entire set. With preparations complete, Shunji returned to the director’s chair.

“Alright, start!”

The command echoed across the set.

The scene began with a little girl playing in the empty lot where Shunji’s old house had once stood. The actor playing Shunji, now a young man, looked around several times before approaching the girl, crouching down, and asking, “Do you know who used to live here?”

“Mei!”

Startled, the girl flinched like a small animal. Koharu’s actress, with her long hair loosely tied back, stood at the side of the road. Noticing Shunji, Koharu rushed toward him. She grabbed both his arms, shaking him repeatedly before bursting into tears.

“Cut!”

The call rang out. Shunji checked the monitor. The shot composition and the performances were both fine. They skipped ahead to the next scene.

The following scene began with Koharu’s line: “The fire killed Kawase and Dad. Shunsuke and I ran away and… now we’re living in the next town over.”

Koharu’s dialogue continued: “Three years ago, I got married. Can you believe there’s a guy out there who said he’d take me, even as plain as I am? He’s not the most handsome man, but he works hard and he’s kind. This little one’s adorable too. Shunsuke’s going to a vocational school for programming after he graduates from high school.”

Koharu touched Shunji’s cheek. “Where did you go after the fire five years ago?”

“Tokyo,” Shunji replied.

“What were you doing in Tokyo?”

“Working in Adult Videos.”

Koharu’s eyes widened in surprise before she burst into loud laughter. Startled, the child actress clung tightly to her mother.

“What are you doing with your life? Honestly! But if you’re managing to get by, that’s fine. Still, if things ever get tough, come home anytime. I’ll always be your big sister.”

“Cut!”

The present faded away, and preparations began for the next scene. The moment was fleeting, but the images captured would remain forever.

“All that discussion paid off—it turned into a great scene,” Yoshida said from behind him.

“Yeah, it did,” Shunji replied.

The scene transitioned, with the younger Shunji heading toward the next moment in the story.

From here on, there’s only the future.

THE END

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