"He's a bit short, and his presence doesn't quite match mine. Why don't you step in and act with me for this scene?"
In the living room, Asuka Tsukitake, dressed in a light blue body-hugging dress with a white shirt draped over her shoulders, turned to Tetsu Fuyukawa.
Her words caught everyone off guard.
"She's got her eye on the team leader?!"
"So bold, just straight-up inviting him like that!"
"Damn it, I should've made a move first!"
Three high school girls from an idol group whispered excitedly among themselves. It wasn't just them—Kawaguchi, Nogi, and the others also turned to look at Tetsu. But the one with the most distinct reaction was Sayoko.
"What's she up to?" Sayoko muttered, her brow furrowing as she glanced at Asuka.
Kawaguchi, at 5'8", didn't quite match Asuka's 5'9" stature, and they did look a bit mismatched. But Surrounded by Beauties was shot in first-person perspective, with the camera positioned on the male lead's shoulder or head, so the male actor's appearance wasn't even in the frame. A slightly raised camera or a stool could easily fix the height issue. Yet Asuka was suggesting Tetsu take Kawaguchi's place.
"Is she into Tetsu-kun?" Sayoko wondered, her fists clenching unconsciously. A sense of urgency flickered in her eyes as she glanced at Tetsu, who was discussing the script with Kojirou Honda.
To be honest, it wasn't just the others who were surprised—Tetsu himself was caught off guard. But he brushed off the suggestion, simply instructing the crew to grab a stool for Kawaguchi.
It wasn't about playing coy; he was just swamped with work.
Surrounded by Beauties had taken a year and a half to produce in its original form. While market research and scriptwriting ate up most of that time, the filming process alone took over six months. Tetsu, however, had just three months.
The schedule was brutal. He'd shoot a scene, then immediately edit it into the game on his laptop. The script wasn't set in stone either—he was constantly tweaking dialogue and scenes based on real-time feedback and inspiration.
With no time to spare, Tetsu declined to act. Sayoko let out a quiet sigh of relief, unaware that Asuka caught the reaction, a glint of amusement flashing in her eyes.
The crew brought over a stool, and filming resumed. Tetsu stood to the side, arms crossed, script in hand, watching intently. But soon, he frowned.
"Cut!"
It was the fifth time he'd halted the shoot. Under Kawaguchi's nervous gaze, Tetsu walked up to Asuka, his brow furrowed. "You were great during the audition. Why can't you nail the vibe now?"
In the last five takes, Asuka's line delivery was flawless, but her expressions and body language were off. The character, "Hao Hao's Mom," was supposed to exude a sultry charm. Instead, Asuka came across as aloof, more like a cold coworker than a seductive mom.
In a scene like this, shot up-close in a closet, every detail was magnified.
Asuka responded, "I told you, his vibe is too soft. There's no edge to him. I can't feel that 'I'm hiding in a closet with a man' tension when I'm with him."
"…"
Tetsu glanced at Kawaguchi, who looked like he might cry, then scratched the back of his head in frustration. "Fine, fine, I'll act with you. Everyone, get ready!"
"Yes, sir!"
With production lagging, Tetsu's demeanor grew more serious. Kawaguchi, visibly shaken, scurried to help set up the scene, while Kojirou rallied the lighting crew.
"Surrounded by Beauties, Scene 9, Take 27—Action!"
The clapperboard snapped, and the closet scene began.
As the camera focused on Asuka, cinematographer Kojirou Honda immediately sensed a shift. So did the rest of the crew.
"Man, a guy in charge just has a different aura," one whispered.
"Yeah, Asuka-san seemed so haughty before, but now she's all soft and delicate."
"Too bad the team leader doesn't seem into me. Being his housewife might be kinda fun, though."
"Housewife? Please, you just want him to pin you against the genkan and teach you a lesson, you perv!"
"Not saying I'd mind. Did you see his abs earlier? A hot guy with muscles like that? Bet we could try some bento box action in the genkan."
"Oh my god, if your fanboys heard that, you'd be done for!"
"Who cares? They're just a bunch of useless guys."
Women's gossip can outscale men's any day, and the three idol girls kept their whispers low. But they weren't wrong.
Even with Kawaguchi on a stool, matching Tetsu's shooting angle, he lacked presence. Kawaguchi had a solid job at NTsoft with decent pay but was still single at thirty. His timid personality didn't cut it in a society that admired strength, and it certainly didn't hold up against Asuka's commanding presence.
No one cared much about Kawaguchi's love life, though. What mattered was that with Tetsu in the scene, Asuka's energy shifted.
The scene involved Hao Hao's Mom and the male lead hiding in a closet with Hao Hao (her son) during a game of hide-and-seek. With Kawaguchi, Asuka had overshadowed him completely, making him seem like the kid. But Tetsu? His natural intensity, combined with his frustration over the delayed schedule, gave him an almost aggressive edge.
"Don't move. It's cramped in here," Tetsu said.
In the half-open closet, Asuka shyly pushed against his chest.
Her coy demeanor was undeniably captivating, especially from the low-angle shot that gave Tetsu a clear view of the curves beneath her blue dress.
Feeling a bit flustered, Tetsu averted his gaze. "If Masao (Hao Hao) never finds us, are we stuck here forever?"
"You're the one who said we'd play with him. Backing out now?" Asuka teased.
"It's not that. It's just… standing here's kinda uncomfortable."
As Tetsu mentally rehearsed his next line, Asuka leaned in closer, her delicate face inches from his. Her breath was soft, her voice sultry. "Well then, want to switch spots with me?"
What the—?!
That wasn't in the script!
Caught off guard by her bold move and the suggestive look in her eyes, Tetsu froze.
Surrounded by Beauties was rated 15+, so Tetsu had avoided heavy physical interactions, focusing instead on suggestive camera work and flirty dialogue.