"Ethan, these girls are AKB48—Mayu Watanabe, Yuko Oshima, Yuki Kashiwagi..." Yasushi Akimoto introduced the girls to Ethan.
Hearing their names mentioned by their boss, the girls nervously bowed to Ethan.
"Hello, Director."
Beyond those three words, they couldn't say anything else. Their throats felt dry, as if they were being choked.
Just a brief exchange of glances and a few words had drained all their courage.
Seeing their reaction, Ethan smiled and spoke in fluent Japanese, "I'm really sorry. I originally planned to meet you all yesterday, but an unexpected situation occurred. Today, you have an important task—do your best."
After saying that, he turned around and continued with the crew's work.
The girls, however, widened their eyes in shock as they stared at the young director. The Japanese he had just spoken was no less than an explosion in their ears—utterly shocking.
"Director? Chairman?" Yuki Kashiwagi murmured to herself.
"Norton... Chairman Norton is actually Director Ethan?" Yuko Oshima picked up on the implication in Ethan's words and covered her mouth in astonishment.
"Incredible!" Mayu Watanabe scratched her head. The three of them exchanged glances before looking at the other girls, who were just as stunned.
It felt as if the world's richest man had suddenly invited them to his house, only to reveal he was actually their biological father.
The girls never expected that Chairman Norton was the world-renowned Ethan, let alone that their company's top executive was so young!
While AKB48 was still immersed in shock, Ethan was reviewing the footage from the test shoot with the cinematographer.
Ethan massaged his temple, his expression unsatisfied. "I need a tracking shot that spans the entire dome."
Cinematographer Gilt Pedda looked at the stage's width and the dome's length, hesitating. "Maybe we could use a helicopter?"
"A helicopter could work, but the distance is too far. It can't maneuver back and forth inside the dome." Ethan frowned. "Let's try drones instead."
In 2012, DJI had released its first-generation Phantom drone, but at that time, Hollywood hadn't widely adopted drones for filmmaking. Many still doubted their stability and practicality.
However, Ethan knew these little machines would revolutionize cinematography. He had even invested a significant amount of money in DJI's stock.
"Drones? Can they really work?" Gilt was also skeptical about them. But to fulfill Ethan's request, he contacted DJI.
When DJI heard that Ethan's film needed drone shots, they immediately recognized the marketing potential. Without hesitation, they sent a manager, engineers, and a prototype drone to Tokyo Dome the next day.
By then, AKB48 had already undergone multiple test shoots inside the dome. The initial nervousness had gradually faded with each take.
Because of that, the girls secretly observed Ethan, wanting to see if he was really as domineering and short-tempered as the internet claimed.
But after watching him for a while, they realized Ethan was incredibly patient. He hadn't lost his temper even once, which left them impressed.
"See? I told you the internet was full of lies." Yuki Kashiwagi pouted and criticized, "Director Norton is actually super gentle!"
"Yeah, I saw him smiling the whole time. How could he be a tyrant?" Yuko Oshima nodded in agreement.
Mayu Watanabe clasped her hands together. "But Director Norton speaks Japanese so fluently—who would have thought?"
"Right? I heard he learned it when he was filming Memoirs of a Geisha." Yuki Kashiwagi shared some random gossip she had heard.
"Eh? Memoirs of a Geisha? Ken Watanabe was in that film, right? I watched it—it was breathtakingly beautiful."
"Yeah, I looked up Director Norton's films yesterday. Every single one is a classic!"
"Then… do you think our movie could become a classic too?" Yuko Oshima suddenly asked, making the girls' hearts skip a beat.
"Maybe it really could," Mayu Watanabe murmured as she gazed at Ethan, who was discussing drone modifications with DJI's engineers.
"Ethan, what do you think of this solution?" After hearing the engineers' proposal, Gilt asked Ethan.
"I think it's fine—let's go with this." The engineers planned to modify the drone to carry a camera for short flights.
However, whether the prototype drone could bear such weight needed to be tested first.
That meant the Tokyo Dome shoot would be delayed by at least another day.
Seeing this, Ethan could only proceed with the girls' scenes first. When he arrived at the monitors, the entire AKB48 group tensed up.
"I'm scared of messing up," Mayu Watanabe took a deep breath and whispered to Yuki Kashiwagi.
But she noticed Yuki's hands were already trembling—she seemed even more terrified.
"Don't be afraid, Yuki!" Mayu squeezed Yuki's palm to encourage her.
Yuko Oshima overheard and turned to Yuki with a playful grin. "Didn't expect you to be such a scaredy-cat."
"Who's a scaredy-cat?!" Yuki huffed. "Just don't drag us down!"
"Hehe." Yuko smirked knowingly. Then, the girls moved to the stage and stood in position, waiting for Ethan's cue.
"Action!"
With that command, the cameras started rolling, and the girls immediately began singing and dancing.
After finishing the performance, they panted slightly, having given it their all, fearing even the slightest mistake would disappoint Ethan.
Yet, all they saw was him shaking his head.
"Do it again."
Ethan didn't specify what was wrong. But in their minds, the girls picked out various flaws in their performance and corrected them during the second take.
"Rest for five minutes, then do it again."
Hearing the break call, the girls quickly found places to sit, guzzling bottled water. Though it was only two songs, they had exerted themselves to the point of exhaustion.
"What's Director Norton looking for?" Yuki Kashiwagi asked in confusion.
"Yeah, he didn't even give us a hint," Yuko Oshima added, equally puzzled.
Mayu Watanabe took a sip of water and guessed, "Maybe we're just not good enough yet."
"Probably."
Though they found it strange, none of the girls dared to question Ethan's decision, let alone complain. They trusted that such an accomplished director must have his reasons.
In reality, the reason Ethan made them redo the dance was because they were overexerting themselves, making the choreography look too forced.
But honestly, that small issue wouldn't affect the final film much. Their screen time was limited anyway.
The real reason he kept making them repeat it?
He was simply killing time.
After all, what could be more enjoyable than watching a group of energetic young girls dance?
So, after making them redo three more songs, Ethan finally felt satisfied and called, "Cut."
That night, the girls slept soundly.
On the third day, the engineers successfully test-flew the modified drone.
Filming at Tokyo Dome could finally begin.
"All departments, get ready. Let the extras enter in an orderly manner."
Since this scene required a large audience, Ethan had the casting director hire 600 extras to fill different sections of the dome. Though the seats weren't fully occupied, post-production would take care of that.
As the extras settled in, the dome's atmosphere became noticeably livelier.
Watching the scene, Yuki Kashiwagi and Mayu Watanabe clutched their chests in excitement.
"This is amazing… Are our dreams really coming true?"
Even though the crowd wasn't huge, it was still overwhelming for them.
When the extras received AKB48 light sticks and raised them in support, the girls' eyes turned red with emotion.
"Action!"
Ethan sat behind the monitors. While this wasn't his first large-scale shoot, it was his first time directing such a massive audience.
So he had ensured plenty of staff were present to maintain order. Thankfully, the shoot proceeded without any incidents.
At his cue, the girls began performing. The lights flickered, illuminating the dome's ceiling.
The drone, carrying the camera, soared over the audience, circling before approaching the stage.
Suddenly, in the center of the stage, Scarlett and her team appeared—followed by Arasaka Corporation's enemies. The concert instantly turned into a battlefield of superpowered combat.
But during filming, the actors were merely reacting to green screens and imaginary foes, making the scene look unintentionally hilarious.
After four hours, the scene was finally wrapped.
The girls finally breathed a sigh of relief, hugging and shaking hands to celebrate.
"It's finally done! That's great!" Mayu Watanabe jumped up, cheering with Yuki Kashiwagi.
"Yeah, I'm so exhausted. I just want to lie in bed and not move at all." Yuki Kashiwagi looked completely drained, as if she could fall asleep at any moment.
Seeing this, Yuko Oshima approached her from behind, reached around to her chest with both hands, and started tickling her relentlessly. Yuki Kashiwagi burst into laughter, twisting and turning.
"No, Yuko, not there!"
Mayu Watanabe watched their intimate interaction and couldn't resist joining in the fun.
After their playful scuffle, they followed the staff into the break room, where Yasushi Akimoto was already waiting.
He patiently waited for the girls to settle down before saying, "Tonight, Ethan has booked a Western restaurant for a wrap party. After changing clothes, you can take the transportation arranged by the crew to the restaurant."
"Wow!" The girls exclaimed in surprise, never expecting Director Norton to treat them to a wrap party.
And at a Western restaurant, no less.
"That must cost a lot of money," Yuki Kashiwagi muttered, swallowing a bit of saliva at the thought of steak.
"Greedy Yuki." Yuko Oshima teased her, but the next second, her own stomach let out a loud growl.
"Huh? Whose stomach was that?" Yuki Kashiwagi pretended not to know and looked around, making Yuko Oshima's face flush with embarrassment.
"Stop it, Yuki! Don't ask!"
To prevent everyone from finding out that it was her stomach making noises, Yuko Oshima grabbed Yuki Kashiwagi and started tickling her again.
"Hahaha! Stop, stop, that tickles!"
Meanwhile, Mayu Watanabe looked at the clothes she had brought and frowned slightly.
"What's wrong, Mayu?" A friend curiously leaned in.
"My outfit..." Mayu Watanabe sighed in regret. "If I had known, I would have brought a prettier dress."
She had only brought a simple casual dress, thinking she would head straight home after filming. She never expected a wrap party.
"It's okay, Mayu. You look full of energy no matter what you wear! Full of energy!" Her friend raised both hands, cheering her on.
Before long, the girls boarded the crew's rented bus and headed for the restaurant.
When they arrived, they were surprised to find that it was one of Tokyo's most famous Western restaurants. However, instead of its usual bustling crowd, the place was unusually quiet. Looking at the entrance, they saw a notice stating that the restaurant had been fully booked for a private event.
"This is really an unexpected privilege," Yuko Oshima marveled. Normally, getting a reservation here required booking well in advance, yet today, they had the whole place to themselves.
Inside the restaurant, all the tables were empty. Led by the staff, they split into groups and filled up the first floor.
About ten minutes later, other crew members and celebrities arrived one after another, but they were seated on the second floor.
This left the girls slightly disappointed, as they had been looking forward to chatting with Director Norton.
However, that disappointment quickly faded as the dishes were served.
"This is amazing!"
"So delicious!"
"So tender! Absolutely incredible!"
Mayu Watanabe savored the dish in front of her, feeling as if she had never eaten such delicious Western cuisine before. Although their salaries were decent and they earned additional income from performances, she had grown up in an ordinary household and understood the importance of saving money. Plus, with the company managing most of their schedules, she rarely dined out on her own.
This was her first time tasting such exquisite Western food.
The others were in a similar situation—some needed to support their families with their earnings, some spent their salaries on clothes, and others invested in their passion for anime.
But when it came to food, they usually kept their spending at a modest level.
Now that they had the chance to indulge in such fine cuisine, they couldn't help but get excited.
And since there were no senior executives or supervisors at their table, they could finally eat freely.
Of course, they still exercised restraint, as none of them wanted their figures to be affected.
For instance, even though Mayu Watanabe found the beef incredibly delicious with the black pepper sauce, she ultimately decided to eat it plain for the sake of her weight.
Time passed quickly as they enjoyed their meal.
Just as they finished eating, Yasushi Akimoto entered with Ethan.
...
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