Chapter 107

Good friends should understand each other.

Kiriwake Yayoi never understood Chu Yuanqing, just as Chu Yuanqing didn't understand her side beyond being an idol.

They don't know each other's strengths, hobbies, or dietary restrictions, let alone their family backgrounds, social circles, daily routines, or romantic histories.

Therefore, chatting became the only window for exchanging information.

Kiriwake Yayoi longs for friends.

During her high school years, she missed a rare school trip because she was busy promoting her music.

Even though I know that even if I go on that school trip, I won't encounter the endless good things that happen in manga, and even if I can soak in a steamy hot spring, there won't be a cozy pillow fight afterward, or friends to chat about trivial things before bed and look forward to tomorrow together.

She mostly just goes with the flow, visits tourist attractions, takes some photos, and then goes and comes back all alone, like a little snowman melting in spring, with no presence at all in the laughing crowd.

But what's missed is missed. You can't help but think that if you had gone on that school trip, you might have made some really good friends, seen scenery that you'd remember for a lifetime, and had a magical and tender encounter.

Even if you think this kind of delusion is incredibly stupid, you still can't help but keep thinking about it.

Youth is bleak: a dusty stage, a cramped practice room, a lonely reflection in the mirror, shadows lengthened by dusk in the classroom, and steps against the current amidst laughter and chatter.

Kiriwake Yayoi nestled on the sofa, her pupils reflecting the light from the television screen, earnestly describing to Chu Yuanqing the snow-covered Otaru Canal in winter.

She said there was a specialty shop nearby that made glass crafts, and that at the southernmost end there was a bridge called Asakusa Bridge, which was a perfect spot for taking scenic photos.

She said that the best night view can be seen from Mount Hakodate, where the dark sea and warm neon lights reflect each other along the two curved coastlines, which is very beautiful.

She said that the shores of Lake Toya are covered with cherry blossoms in spring, fireworks are set off on summer nights, there are sika deer on the islands in the lake, and the hot spring town on the south shore is always crowded with tourists.

But when she talked about these things, what came to mind was not the relevant scenery, but her gray and boring youth, and herself looking at those scenes alone.

As an idol Kiriwake Yayoi is strong.

She is willing to give up many things for her dream.

For the sake of the stage, she was willing to let her youth fade.

Stripped of her idol persona and stage persona, all that remains is an ordinary girl who laughs and cries, has worries, enjoys taking her younger sister to see the lantern festival in Hokkaido during the winter, and complains about how expensive konpeito (Japanese candy) has become.

Chu Yuanqing had never been to Island Nation, nor had he ever seen Hokkaido.

She showed curiosity and anticipation, and was a very good listener.

These small moments of happiness, which can only be obtained in Peaceful Era, are the best reward for those who have witnessed the world's devastation and the barrenness of civilization.

Just thinking about how many children like Yayoi are living happily in this peaceful era thanks to her and her comrades' efforts makes the pain Sea of Truth seem sweet.

Because... this proves that all the sacrifices were worthwhile.

Chu Yuanqing was in a good mood. She felt that the world was very kind. After filming this advertisement, she would be able to get enough money to support her daughter without having to resort to deception, and she could say goodbye to the child with more dignity.

There's nothing to worry about anymore, and I no longer need to be so tense, nor do I need to tell myself day after day not to die.

If she had any regrets, it would probably be that she didn't get to see her comrades from this era.

After the Worldline was corrected, the concept of the Calamity Beasts was removed, and history rose and fell, evolving into the present era. The comrades who sacrificed their lives were thus erased from their future of death and embraced the beauty of peace.

But it's a pity that I couldn't see their happiness in person.

Does Sister Ellie run her dream bakery?

Will Little Carol study hard this time and grow up to be an excellent adult?

Since Uncle Chen didn't have to personally kill his family members who had turned into Calamity Beasts this time, he should be enjoying a happy family life, right?

There are so many more people from the past, whose memories and names have been eroded, yet whose recollections still linger. Have they achieved their desires in this era?

Finally, there's the Doomsday Diva who stayed with him until the very end.

Charlotte, if your dream remains to become the world's number one idol, then... is there a chance I'll see you in other Flashdance competitions in the remaining time?

A smile touched Chu Yuanqing's lips, her heart filled with excitement at the anticipation. She asked:

"Yayoi, I've read the Hokkaido of Snow Country, but what impressed me most was Echigo-Yuzawa. Is it as beautiful as described in the book?"

--A wooden cabin in the countryside, a dilapidated tram, and a disillusioned and down-on-his-luck young painter.

In Kawabata Yasunari's writing, Echigo-Yuzawa, the setting of the story, is a pure, beautiful, and soul-stirring place. The beauty of nothingness, purity, and sorrow depicted in the text reach their peak through this stage.

Kiriwake Yayoi naturally remembered it, and she said regretfully:

"I think that's where we went on our school trip during my senior year of high school, but I was busy with group activities and didn't go with them."

Kiriwake Yayoi speaking, as if suddenly remembering something, the corners of her eyes turned slightly up, and her curled eyelashes, like frost-covered pine needles, blinked playfully in the light. A hopeful smile appeared on her lips as she said:

"But Echigo-Yuzawa is right there; it won't run away or leave. It can wait for us to come."

"Xiao Qing, when you have time, you can come to Hokkaido with me. My sister, Mom, Dad, and Mom will all love to have you. We can go to Echigo-Yuzawa together and see for ourselves if it's like the one described in 'Snow Country'."

Chu Yuanqing's expression faltered slightly, but he still smiled and said:

"Filming for 'Flashdance' will take a long time."

Kiriwake Yayoi counted on her fingers, saying seriously:

"It's alright, isn't it? Even if we all manage to debut in this region, we'll only stay for half a year. But when it comes to activities after the group is formed and competing against other regions, it does seem like the future is going to be indefinitely delayed."

The girl's smiling face was full of anticipation for the future; she optimistically and sincerely expressed her hopes:

"But we have a long life ahead of us, and we can't be idols forever."

"As for me, I will probably announce my retirement to the public and officially say goodbye to Kiriwake Yayoi as an idol when I decide to move on to another stage of my life."

"By then, you'll have fulfilled your dreams, lived only for yourself, and slowly awaited the blissful end of your life. Doesn't that sound amazing?"

Chu Yuanqing listened to these words, her smile gentle, and softly offered her blessings:

"Yes, it's a wonderful life. I hope Yayoi can achieve her wishes."

Kiriwake Yayoi blinked, and asked seriously:

"What is Xiao Qing's wish? When I go home, I will go to the temple and sincerely make a wish to the gods and Buddhas, saying that I hope our wishes can all come true."

Chu Yuanqing's eyebrows curved into a smile. She gently stroked the child's hair, as if looking at a cherry blossom that had not yet bloomed, her eyes filled with a tender joy. She smiled and said:

"My wish is probably that everyone can be happy?"

"What a cunning answer!"

This seemingly perfunctory answer brought the conversation about Hokkaido to a close.

Chu Yuanqing took the initiative to bring up some trivial matters, shifting the conversation to other things. Little Sakura, who was already looking forward to knowing more about him, was successfully tricked and didn't realize until she fell asleep that he had never directly answered the initial question.

--Hokkaido, Echigo-Yuzawa.

For her, who is about to reach the end of her life, this is a scene that she can only see through videos, words, and photos.

The next day, the sun shone brightly.

After connecting with the brand, Flash Dance assembled a high-caliber team including a director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, and art director to handle the promotional campaign.

Normally speaking, shooting an advertisement is not an easy task. Just renting a non-professional location on short notice and coordinating with the local person in charge is very troublesome.

However, for Flashdance, which has the backing of the state, these are obviously not problems.

The initial filming was simple; they simply filmed on location on the first floor of the villa.

All Chu Yuanqing needed to do was wear a wedding dress, radiate a joyful smile like a newlywed, walk naturally as directed by the director, and have a series of lifelike scenes captured by close-up shots.

Well, according to the plan, this is to imitate the feel of mobile phone shooting, increase the sense of reality and life, and make the most of the resources by highlighting the spokesperson's good looks from the start, thus grabbing the audience's attention.

During this sequence of camera movements, several frames will focus on the wedding dress and the necklace around her neck.

Although only ten seconds of video footage will ultimately be used, the entire recording took two hours, partly because Chu Yuanqing's smile wasn't natural enough.

The director suggested that she reminisce about her first love and imagine herself marrying him, using this as a substitute to enhance her performance.

Chu Yuanqing didn't use that method; instead, she won the director's praise by imagining herself successfully Withdraw from Competition and displaying a joyful smile.

The next shooting location was in front of a European-style red brick wall, which was neatly covered with A4 papers printed with the words "wedding today," signifying today's wedding and directly indicating the storyline.

Chu Yuanqing and Kiriwake Yayoi needed to stand one in front of the other in front of this wall, each holding up a balloon of a different color. Then, the two looked at each other, as if they themselves felt that their behavior was too childish, and couldn't help but laugh.

The requirement for this set of clips is to highlight the joy and playfulness of the young couple as they prepare to get married.

Well, since Chu Yuanqing is positioned as the top in this pair of female and male characters, she only needs to show a maternal and doting smile to fit the style. In addition, Kiriwake Yayoi is so into her role that this scene was filmed very quickly.

After the two walked hand in hand across the red wall, the next scene showed them cuddling together, sitting on the grass in the backyard of the villa. Behind them was a campervan with its doors open and potted plants stacked in front of its tires. The surroundings had been pre-set, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Several extras playing family and friends sat nearby.

Off-camera, Lin Jiu holds a bubble machine, responsible for blowing bubbles for the two of them and adding some simple special effects.

Chu Yuanqing and Kiriwake Yayoi each held a bouquet of flowers, their faces beaming with happiness as they interacted with their friends and family. The next shot showed the two of them and several friends leaning against a window, each holding a piece of paper with letters written on it.

When put together, it spells "you make me smile," meaning "You make me smile."

This sequence of shots, following the previous clips, seems to be boasting of one's joy to the whole world.

Next, the couple took wedding photos in front of a red cloth. In less than twenty seconds of footage, they changed into five different styles of clothes and poses, showing their affection in various ways before finally finishing the shoot, though they seemed reluctant to leave.

The camera then pans down to the transparent umbrella, where the two are seen cuddling and kissing.

Although a misaligned approach could have been used, for the sake of the camera effect, the dedicated Little Sakura decided to sacrifice herself. Chu Yuanqing, who was caught in the crossfire, had no choice but to kiss her more than ten times with light, fleeting touches to justify the exorbitant endorsement fee of six million, before the scene was finally filmed.

The arrival of this kiss seemed to symbolize the true arrival of happiness.

In the next scene, the two stroll hand in hand on a sunny beach. There are many tourists here, and seagulls occasionally take flight. A group of relatives and friends drive up a car full of roses and other petals, and together they fill baskets with petals and scatter them at the two of them.

Chu Yuanqing and Kiriwake Yayoi looked into each other's eyes. With the sincere blessings of the sea breeze and flower petals, they placed veils on each other's heads and pressed them against each other's foreheads. They closed their eyes, their smiles lingering, both hoping that time would stand still at this moment.

Unfortunately, both the camera work and the soundtrack changed simultaneously.

The fallen petals withered into dust before hitting the ground, the sound of the waves suddenly intensified, the laughter around us gradually faded away, the figures of relatives and friends disappeared, and even the seagulls in the sky broke their wings and fell, turning into pieces of broken and scattered paper scraps.

If you freeze each frame, you can see that what has been torn apart are "wedding today" and "you make me smile".

This technique almost implies that the couple's wedding actually lacked the support of family and friends, and the real process was not as relaxed and joyful as shown in the first minute. Coupled with the wedding date in the first few shots, one can immediately sense the tragic ending.

Because in that year, the Great Xia had not yet passed a same-sex marriage law. Not to mention a wedding for two girls, even a simple romantic relationship was destined to be unacceptable by society and the law.

Chu Yuanqing silently removed the veil from Kiriwake Yayoi's head, revealing a sorrowful smile.

--Parting ways.

A strong wind blew, and the clear sky turned gloomy.

The beach was deserted and empty, as the dark tide surged in.

Chu Yuanqing sat alone on a rock by the sea. Her wedding dress was revealed in its true form, stained with blood and filth, as if engraving the world's disgust and incomprehension of this choice. The soft and holy gauze was soaked with seawater, and her bare feet and ankles were stained with blood and mud.

The girl's long hair and the light gauze ribbon behind her neck fluttered in the wind. She lowered her eyes and hugged the black, sharp, dark, melancholic, flamboyant and rebellious guitar. Her fingertips skillfully plucked the strings and began to play a powerful sound that resonated with the tide.

The sound of the guitar grew louder and louder, and scenes of their past interactions flashed by like fleeting moments, grand with the rhythm of the tides. Pure white petals were born as the light gauze swayed, scattering in large swaths across the sea near the shore.

--Memories and love.

This cliché, seemingly defeated by reality, is reignited by the powerful sound of the guitar.

The heavy, dark clouds on the horizon gradually dissipated as my mood changed, revealing golden rays that symbolized hope.

The necklace on Chu Yuanqing's chest broke, symbolizing Mobius Ring. The endless double rings, like an ouroboros, fell down, seemingly implying that old and outdated rules were being changed by the new generation.

Distant,

It seemed like Kiriwake Yayoi had run for a long time before she arrived here. Her chest heaved, her breathing was rapid, and she looked extremely disheveled. She clutched her dusty, no longer pure white veil, looking just like a heroine in a Japanese drama.

The next moment, Little Sakura put on her slightly dirty veil, tears welling up in her reddened eyes, but she smiled broadly and opened her arms to Chu Yuanqing.

The guitar's powerful notes shattered.

The golden light shone from afar on the two people who were facing each other from a distance, but gradually drew closer.

Chu Yuanqing dropped her guitar, her bare feet stepping over the fallen Mobius Ring as she walked step by step. She smiled and pointed to the veil she had never taken off, her lips moving as if she were saying something.

The scene appears blurry and unreal at this moment.

A line of winding text appeared at the end of the shot.

[You have the right to love anyone.]

You have the right to love anyone.

Volume 1: Chapter 112. Little Sakura's Awakening, <Flash Dance>... There's a problem. (5K2 votes needed)

The afternoon sun shines down.