Watamote ch204-1: Since I'm Not Popular, It's Almost Time For the School Festival (Part 1)

p1
>At last, the filming begins.

p2
>Joy.

>Smiling practice.

>The next day.

>...

>Did something good happen this morning?

>Not in the slightest.
>What does that mean!?

p3
>Stylist

>Alright, today's the day we start shooting for real.
>Tomo-chan, could you wait just a little bit longer?

>I'm almost done with my makeup.
>Ah, sure. When you're finished then.

>I guess the schedule should be something like this?
>>Filming 1-7
>>Editing 8-9
>>Reserve 10-11

>By the way, Koto, you haven't been talking about baseball lately.
>Ah, yeah, I'm done with that for this year.
>Okay, I'm done.

>Ahahaha! It looks just like her!
>Could use a few more bags under the eyes, though!
>What's so funny?

p4
>Katou-san's the only one who's really standing out,
>so should we have her mess with our hair too?
>Hmm...
>Your eroge hairstyle stands out enough already, Nemo, so you're good.
>Eh?

>You're too much like your usual self, Yuri-chan, so why don't you try it?
>Should I add some freckles?
>Yuri...
>No, I mean your hair.

>Ooh~ That's actually pretty good.
>I tried to make her more like Tanaka-san.

>Shall I do yours too, Komiyama-san?
>Eh?
>No, I don't really...

p5
>You seem different from usual, Koto.
>I think I like it.
>Eh? R-Really?

>...I'm gonna go to the bathroom. For about 30 minutes.
>That's too long. You spend that long pooping and we'll run out of filming time.
>Alright, fine. 20 minutes.

>4:30 already. We should get started.

>Hey, look! Cat ears! Cute, right?
>Ah, cat-ear hair doesn't seem all that cat-earish in real life compared to anime.

p6
>What do you think, Senpai?
>Ah, yeah... It's really cute.

>I'm not even in this. Do you really need to do mine too?
>You've got pretty hair, Tanaka-san. It'll just be a moment.
>...

>I'm sorry, Tomo-chan. Even though we had a tight schedule, we couldn't do anything because of me.
>Ah, well, it's fine. We've still got plenty of time.

p7
>Stage

>Kuroki-kun is in the classroom rehearsing for the play we're doing for the festival.

>Okay, let's go over Iguchi-san and Kuroki-kun's scene one more time.

>I'm so happy we could meet again.
>You came all the way here?

>Heey!!

p8
>Eh!? What? Was someone shouting from the hallway!?

>Ah, I figured it was you, Senpai...
>What are you doing?
>That's my line...

>I heard you were doing a play, but I didn't hear anything about Tomoki-kun being the lead.
>Hah...
>Well, that's cos I didn't tell you.

>For starters, whoever cast Tomoki-kun as the lead has no taste.
>He clearly doesn't have the face of a prince.
>His face totally belongs in the scenery, right?
>Harsh but fair...

>And what's more, you're playing as his partner, Akari-chan?
>I didn't think you were the type of shameless pig who would nominate herself for the role of a bitch.
>Neither me nor Tomoki-kun wanted these roles in the first place.

>Sayaka's the one who nominated us.
>What if we made Tomoki-kun and Akari hug each other during this part?
>It's that bitch's fault, huh...

p9
>So basically, both Tomoki-kun and I are playing these roles against our will...
>That won't matter to the audience.
>If this were a porno, would they believe you when you say you're doing this reluctantly?
>Eh? What are you talking about?

>Even if it's just an act, people are watching you engage in romantic acts with another person.
>Just like a porno.
>Eh? What are you talking about?

>Tomoki-kun can handle it just fine since he's always playing in public soccer matches,
>but aren't you embarrassed, Akari-chan? Everyone will be watching you doing it, y'know?
>And you're not embarrassed by your way of thinking, Senpai?

>Well, it's fine if you're just making your porn debut. It's a job, after all.
>But there are things between a boy and girl on the stage of romance that I personally will never forgive.
>I'm not making my debut.

p10
>Y'know how romantic films often have the actors come on stage for a behind the scenes talk session?
>The co-stars will often have pointless discussions about what they did in private.

>What really surprised me during filming
>was how much of a glutton Akari was.
>I didn't eat that much!

>She shoved the provisions the staff gave us straight into her face
>and kept going "this is delicious~" to all of us...
>But it was delicious, wasn't it?
>That did help liven up the set, though. (Director)

>That murderously boring flirting is being watched by us, who spent both money and time on this.
>It's a murder far beyond what mere violence can achieve. It's a murder of our very souls.

>What are you talking about?
>What I'm saying is I'm a baseball lover who couldn't care less about how shitty people's private lives are so long as they get results.
>Being unable to understand what my friend and senpai are talking about is suffering...