At our destination.
This place doesn't seem very safe, maybe because it was far from the main road.
However, when I arrived at the place where I had followed Saara-san, there were a lot of people gathered around.
"What is it?"
From what I could see, there didn't seem to be anything particularly dangerous about the group.
After watching the group for a while, they seemed to be looking at the building in front of them.
I joined the group and looked at the building.
"Is that…a movie or something?"
It seemed that they were filming something, and there were various pieces of film equipment lined up there.
And because there was smoke, I thought it might be a fire, but it seemed to be stage prop explosives, and there was no sign that the building itself was on fire.
What were they filming? A play? Or a movie?
Either way, it's so flashy, unlike Japan…
"Yuuya-san, what is this?"
While I was watching the unusual scene, Saara-san asked me.
"Well, I think it's probably filming for a movie or drama."
"A movie? A drama?"
Ah… I see. So there were UFOs, but no TV or movies…
"Well, I don't know how to explain it… Do you know stage plays?"
"Of course. In my day, there were all kinds of theater companies doing all kinds of plays."
"It's like that. If there's one difference, it's that unlike stage plays, where the audience watches the performance as it happens, dramas and movies are recorded with special equipment so that people can watch them in different places."
"I see… so theater has developed that way. Anyway, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the gods…"
Saara-san said this and then slumped her shoulders.
However, perhaps because it didn't exist in Saara-san's time, she watched the filming with great interest.
I was also excited about this rare opportunity.
Well, I don't even have a TV at home, and I don't know any actors, let alone movies or dramas.
With these thoughts in mind, I looked toward the filming location.
It seemed that the filming was taking place on the roof of the building in front of me, and when I looked closely, I saw a woman standing near the edge of the roof.
I wondered what kind of scene it was.
Even if it's an act, I think it would be scary to stand in a place like that…
It looked like they had prepared things like mats to prevent people from falling, but I don't think it would be enough to save them.
By the way, there was smoke coming from the roof of the building in front of me and from the signs on the two buildings on either side.
I don't know anything about the scene from just watching it here, but judging from the number of ordinary people who came to watch the filming, it seemed to be a fairly famous work, or perhaps a popular actor was involved.
As I looked around the set, I could hear the director and the crew talking.
"How was the explosion test earlier?"
"Hmm… it's a little weak. Can't we add more gunpowder?"
"We left some room for maneuverability…"
"Then add as much gunpowder as you can. This is an important scene where the heroine is cornered and in a desperate situation. The more miserable the environment, the more desperate the heroine will feel."
"Understood."
I see. So that's how the story went.
Come to think of it, when I was working as a model with Miu-san, the staff had a difficult conversation.
As I looked around at the filming going on in front of me and thought back to my time as a model, the actual filming started.
It's hard to see clearly from here, but it looks like a pretty intense action scene, and for a while now, the sound of something exploding and gunshots have been echoing around.
"I can hear some really loud noises. Is everything okay?"
"It's all part of the performance, so I think it'll be fine."
"I see… but still, it's amazing that they use real explosives on stage these days."
I suddenly had a question for Saara-san, who seemed a bit impressed.
"What kind of stage shows were there in your time, Saara-san? If there were special powers like the ones you have, it seems like you could do something similar to that kind of production…"
"My powers were meant to be used against the gods, so there was no time for things like using them on stage. And now that I think about it, there didn't seem to be much entertainment during the war against the gods."
"Ah… I'm sorry."
In response to my insensitive words, Saara-san smiled wistfully.
Then, the filming seemed to be over for the time being, and they took a break.
"Okay, before the last scene, test the gunpowder again."
"Understood."
I overheard a conversation between the man who seemed to be the director and the crew.
I see, so the next scene is the final scene. It seems pretty flashy already, but I wonder how much more flashy they're going to make the final scene.
As I was thinking about it, I saw a woman standing on the edge of the roof of the building, just as I had seen her earlier.
The woman was looking down from the roof and waving to us, the audience.
From what I heard from the staff member earlier, she probably plays an important role in the next scene.
But more importantly…
"Kyaaa! She's waving at us!"
"Olivia is so beautiful when you see her in person!"
"This movie is definitely going to be a big hit."
There was a lot of cheering from the audience around me for the woman on the roof.
I see… she's a very famous person…
Unfortunately, I've never really watched movies or dramas, so I had no idea who the woman on the roof was.
But when I saw the woman waving from the edge of the roof, I couldn't help but feel nervous, but… well, I'm sure she'll be careful and everything will be fine.
That was the moment I thought that.
Suddenly, the loudest explosion I'd ever heard rang out.
Is this the gunpowder test the director was talking about?
I was surprised by the sound, which was louder than I expected──.
"Ah!"
"Wha?!"
To my surprise, the actress was so startled by the sound of the explosion that she slipped and fell from the roof of the building!
The movie crew watching this rushes to move the mat, but it looks like they won't make it in time.
"Kuh!"
I jump out of the audience and run up the side of the building, holding her in my arms in mid-air.
"Eh?!"
"Fuhh!"
I land softly, taking care to minimize the impact despite the startled look on the woman's face.
The audience and the movie crew were watching me.
But the trouble didn't stop there.
"W-watch out!"
To my surprise, the sign from the neighboring building fell toward us, probably as a result of the earlier explosion!
I judged that we would collide if I didn't do something, so I kicked the signboard away from us, protecting it with my back.
The signboard then bounced up with great force and fell to the ground in an empty area.
After confirming that it didn't seem to be dangerous, I took a deep breath.
"Phew… are you okay?"
"Ah, yeah…"
"WOOOOOOAAHHHHHH!!!"
"!?"
The next thing I knew, I heard loud cheers from all around me.
Surprised by the loudness of the cheers, everyone started chattering excitedly.
"Hey, did you see that?!"
"What the hell is going on? I thought a young man had suddenly appeared, but then he caught Olivia in the air and landed without a scratch!"
"On top of that, he kicked away a huge billboard that was falling down!
"That is no human feat! Could it be that this was all part of the filming?"
"But that young man, I've never seen him before… is he an Asian actor?"
"He's so sexy!"
"Did you get that shot?"
"I got it! Let's upload it to social media!"
"U-um…"
"U-uh.."
"Eh? I-I'm sorry!"
Amidst the pressure from those around me, I came to my senses at the sound of the woman in my arms and let her down.
The woman looked at me in confusion.
"What was that…? H-how on earth did you…"
"Oh, no, that's…"
The moment I realized that the woman in front of me was in danger, I had already acted without thinking about how to explain it afterward.
I tried desperately to think, but I couldn't come up with any good answers.
Oh, if only Merl were here in a situation like this…!
For a moment, I wanted to check if Saara-san had the same ability to manipulate memories as Merl, but since her star power wasn't at its best yet, even if she could do it, it would be difficult right now.
In a state of utter helplessness, I stared at the woman in front of me as if escaping from reality.
She had wavy brown hair that reached down to her shoulders and dark brown eyes as well.
She was tall, like a model, and I could feel the aura that only celebrities have, which naturally makes you want to look at them.
As I continued to escape reality in this way, a man who looked like the director rushed over to me in a panic.
"Olivia, are you okay?!"
"Oh, Director… I managed to get out thanks to this person."
As the woman named Olivia said this, the director looked over at me.
"Oh, I saw it. When Olivia slipped, I thought it was all over. But I never thought she'd be saved! Who exactly are you? Are you a real hero like in the movies and dramas?"
"No, that's not it…"
"No, that's for sure! Not only did you save her from falling off the roof of a building, but you also kicked away the billboard that was falling with her! What else can you call someone like that but a hero?"
The director comes up to me, looking very excited.
O-oh, no… there is no way I can get out of this…!
In the midst of all this, the words that came out of my mouth were…
"W-well… I have some experience in martial arts…"
That's just weird!
In fact, Olivia looked stunned when she heard my answer.
As I broke out in a cold sweat, the director's eyes lit up.
"Martial arts! I see, from the looks of you, you seem to be Asian… well, the world is a big place!"
Was he convinced?
The director seemed satisfied with my answer, which was strange no matter how you looked at it.
But if I stay here much longer, I'm going to get into a lot of trouble.
Even now, I am being filmed by the spectators gathered around, with their smartphone cameras pointed at me.
If this gets any more serious, it'll be a problem for my life as an exchange student!
"U-um… anyway, I'm glad you're okay! See you!"
"Eh?!"
"Hey, wait! You have to be in my movieeeeee!"
The director yelled something behind me, but I decided to leave the scene for now and quickly left.
＊＊＊
At the time when Yuuya was caught in the middle of a movie shoot.
Kaya enjoyed some rare time together with her two daughters, Kaori and Kasumi.
"But still… Joshua-sama to you."
When Kaya asked Kaori about the circumstances of the study abroad this time, Kaori sighed with a confused look on her face.
"The topic of your study abroad came up out of the blue, and it's not normal for there to be a party to welcome you who are just exchange students."
"I know…"
"I mean, Joshua-sama is too pushy. I never thought he would be like that."
Kasumi also remembered Joshua and mentioned him.
"I wonder why Kaori was chosen by Joshua-sama in the first place?"
"Well… I don't really know either. I only met Joshua-sama at a party at Kasumi's school…"
"That's right. Even at that party, we didn't have time to greet Joshua-sama."
"Yes. So I wonder how that happened…"
"I see… Is it the whim of the royal family? But Kaori refused, right?"
"Yes, I really refused."
"Whatever the reason, it's really annoying."
"Hahaha…"
Kaya's words made Kaori smile ironically.
Then Kaya realized something.
"By the way, why did Yuuya-kun end up coming with you? Judging by the way Joshua-sama is acting, it seems like you were the only one he wanted to invite as an exchange student, right?"
"Well, as Mother said, it was originally just me who was going to go, but I would have felt lonely on my own, so Father negotiated with Joshua-sama and we were able to get permission for another student to come as well. So we asked Yuuya-san, who has been contributing a lot to the school lately…"
"Heh, Yuuya-niichan!"
Kaya is surprised but agrees with Kaori's words.
"Sure… at that age, it would be unsettling to go abroad alone, but he just goes for a walk without any particular fear. I was surprised."
"Oh, Yuuya-niichan really went out alone?!"
Kasumi had assumed that Yuuya was relaxing in his room, so when she heard Kaya's story, her eyes widened.
"Yes. That's why I'm not too surprised to hear that he's doing well in school."
"That's true… but I feel more comfortable when I'm with Yuuya-san than anything else."
When Kaori suddenly looked at him with a peaceful expression on her face, Kaya looked at her with a surprised expression.
"Safe?"
"Oh, I know! It's so calming to be with Yuuya-niichan!"
Then Kaya was surprised when even Kasumi agreed with her.
"Come to think of it, Kasumi seemed to be attached to Yuuya-kun from the beginning, but… have you met him somewhere before?"
"Yes! It was Yuuya-niichan who helped me when I was kidnapped on a plane before!"
"Eehh?!"
Kaya was taken aback by Kasumi's unexpected comment.
"I-isn't that the story you told me about the mysterious woman and the young man? Are you saying that the real identity of that person is Yuuya-kun?"
"That's right!"
"Hey, Kaori? Was Yuya-kun really that amazing?"
"Uh-huh…"
Kaori, who knew about the other world, fully understood that Yuuya-kun was a remarkable person, but she couldn't explain it to the two of them.
"Kasumi, didn't Yuuya-san just say that you were wrong?"
"Yes, but I'm sure that once I see Yuuya-niichan, I'll never forget him!"
"Well… even if we leave out the circumstances of that time, Yuuya-kun has a distinctive appearance, so I don't think it's possible to have mistaken him for someone else."
"B-but I met Yuuya-san in Japan when Kasumi was kidnapped! It's impossible for Yuuya-san to appear on a plane flying through the sky."
"Well, when you put it like that, I guess you're right…"
Kasumi's face showed that she was somewhat unconvinced.
However, Kasumi could not deny Kaori's words.
Then Kaya seemed to have thought of something and opened her mouth with a smile.
"By the way, Kaori."
"Yes?"
"──How far have you gotten with Yuuya-kun?"
"Mo-Mother!?"
Kaori was stunned by her mother's unexpected question.
Then Kasumi leaned forward, looking very interested.
"Eh, what? Are you and Yuuya-niichan going out?"
"Huh?"
"Come to think of it, you and Yuuya-kun were always close! So when did you start dating?"
"! W-we're not going out yet!"
When Kaori answered confusedly, Kaya gave her a meaningful look.
"Hmm… 'Not yet,' huh?"
"Ah!"
Kaori instinctively covered her mouth, but her face gradually turned red.
"But from the looks of it, I'd say you have a thing for him, right?"
"U-um, that is…"
Kaori panicked as Kaya continued to press her.
Even without saying it, that was the answer.
When Kasumi saw her sister's reaction, she seemed to be deeply moved.
"I see… Nee-chan… but of course, Yuuya-niichan is cool…"
"Ara, Kasumi? It looks like Yuuya-kun and Kaori aren't going out yet, so maybe you have a chance?"
"Eh, really?!"
"Mo-Mother!?"
Kaori's eyes widened at the unexpected words of support for Kasumi.
"Isn't it good? From my point of view, it doesn't matter who you two go out with in the end."
"That's true, but!"
Kasumi looked pleadingly at Kaori, who was shouting.
"Nee-chan! Please give me Yuuya-niichan!"
"Wha… that's not allowed!"
"Eehh! Isn't it okay? Give me Yuuya-niichan!"
"N-no way! I won't give you Yuuya-san!"
Kaori shows her determination to refuse to give it to Kasumi.
However, Kasumi continues to beg, refusing to give up.
Watching the two of them, Kaya smiled gently.