My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 327

"Creating conflict... At this point, why still voice objections?"

"That's right, raise all objections and completely negate the other side. I'm telling you, don't try to solicit sponsorships."

"So that's the reason..."

Yuihama was taken aback by my reasoning, but what could I do? I just hated it. Besides, I also hated those kinds of fake decisions made at meetings.

However, these are just my personal opinions; the final decision rests with the student council.

"These are my suggestions. Isshiki, what does your student council plan to do?"

"Huh, I get to decide? Is that really okay...?"

When I suddenly asked him this question, he looked around at the other cadres with some uncertainty.

"What...what should we do?"

At this moment, the vice president spoke up.

"...I don't recommend creating conflict. Bringing up other opinions at this point seems like asking for trouble, especially since we didn't object at the time. Besides, outsiders might not have a good impression of us arguing..."

The vice president's thinking was quite clear, but it could also be described as conservative. Fortunately, there was someone in the student council to assist Isshiki.

"That makes sense."

Isshiki pondered for a while, then looked up and smiled at the vice president.

"However, I still decided to do it."

"what?"

She looked at the stunned vice president and explained her reasons.

"I still can't quite accept the thought that the event has to be scaled down."

Yukinoshita pressed her temples, and Yui could only manage a wry smile, but I was quite impressed. Although I didn't know if that was her true feeling, having the courage to bring up such a selfish reason on the spot meant that this person might not be to be underestimated.

Now that we've reached a conclusion, we need to consider other options. In the meeting with the Seaside Comprehensive High School, our side was outnumbered in terms of speaking time and core opinions. If we don't strengthen this area, we simply won't be able to compete with them head-on.

"So, let's think about what else we can do."

I stood in front of the whiteboard in the student council office and wrote the word "proposal" with a whiteboard marker. Hmm, even I thought my handwriting lacked any spirit. A first-year girl with glasses and a braid couldn't stand it anymore, let out a soft "ah," and got up to write on the whiteboard for me. She was probably the student council secretary.

After I sat back down, Isshiki looked at me with a troubled expression.

"Hmm—even if I wanted to do other things, there's nothing I'd like to do."

"...Yes, me too."

She sighed helplessly.

"That simply won't work..."

"It's fine. If we only do what we want to do, it's no different from playing. Work is all hard work and things we don't want to do, that's why it's called work."

Sitting across from me, under the snow, I gently tapped my temples a few times.

"...Putting aside your work values, that statement itself is indeed correct. The current planning is not based on the guests' perspective."

"Ah, I understand..."

Isshiki nodded in understanding. Indeed, when Tamaki and his team conceived the project, they were purely focused on what they wanted to do, rather than designing it specifically for the audience. Among the participants, there would undoubtedly be many elderly people who love music, but many others might not enjoy it, and kindergarten children would likely find it boring. Of course, the choice of music and the way it was presented would also have an impact, but they clearly hadn't considered all of that. They kept saying they were putting the customer first, but in reality, they hadn't considered that group at all.

It turns out that the problem arose from the very beginning, with the wrong overall direction. The key point was never "what we wanted to do".

Isshiki also understood this, but things still didn't progress.

"...So, what should we do?"

I thought about it.

There are many ways to work... but the ultimate goal is to avoid working as much as possible.

"It feels so contradictory..."

Yui, who lives next door, gave me a disapproving look. How rude of me…

"There's no contradiction. What I mean is, what should you do when you don't want to work but have to? Slacking off and running away will only make things more complicated, so you need to think about how to solve the problem in the most efficient way."

"The starting point was anything but proper, but the conclusion was quite correct..."

Yukinoshita had pressed her temples countless times already.

How can this conclusion be wrong? Just look at human history and you'll understand.

Technological progress stems from the human tendency to dislike trouble and avoid work. In other words, I, who dislike trouble and avoid work, am the most advanced form of human being. Especially lately, I feel incredibly troublesome.

Alright, now's not the time to talk about me. I have something more important to tell Isshiki.

"The first step in thinking about this kind of thing is to ask questions, but that step is too complicated, so we can just reverse the process and use the existing questions."

I took out the materials on making jade rope from my schoolbag.

"In this case, the goal is to point out the shortcomings of the plan as much as possible. Believe me, people don't find it easy to spot their own flaws, but they're very good at talking bad about others. You should be best at this, so keep it up."

"What kind of person does my senior think I am...?"

"Alright, enough talk, let's get to the discussion."

Iroha showed a displeased expression, but still obediently listened to me and discussed the assignment with the other cadres.

I glanced at Yukinoshita and Yuihama, signaling them to observe quietly.

Now that the initial problems have been identified, the student council members have begun to think about them seriously. Their willingness to solve the problems is definitely not low.

Once a topic is raised and an opportunity to speak is created, a dialogue gradually takes shape. They point out the shortcomings of the plan one after another, and smiles begin to appear on their faces.

This shows that the best way to get closer to each other is indeed to talk bad about others.

After they had asked almost all their questions, I said:

"Next, we can work backward from these shortcomings and revise the plan accordingly."

"I see." Yukinoshita murmured, arms crossed, as if she understood.

"...This method can indeed generate new proposals. However, issues related to budget, time, and manpower still exist."

"Now we can only look for the method that will use the least amount of budget and time."

"But if we don't spend money, won't the event be scaled down? I don't really want that either."

Isshiki's words were tinged with dissatisfaction. At that moment, Yui tapped her palm.

"Ah, I've got it! How about making some simple, handmade items that emphasize a homey feel?"

"Those should be comments from the audience, not selling points promoted by the production team."

The statement made by Yukino is entirely correct.

However, Yuihama's opinion is not without merit.

What we need now is a change of mindset.

Organizing an event isn't about spending as much money as possible. Just like those movies that claim to have cost hundreds of millions or even billions to produce, nine out of ten end up as box office flops. Especially live-action adaptations of animated films—who wants you making that kind of stuff?

The question now is how to transform the negative impression of being unfinished, incomplete, and shoddy into a positive impression of being handmade and elegant.

Ah, right—in the films specifically for adults, isn't there a series that calls itself "Amateur Actors"? The simplicity, naturalness, and authenticity unique to non-professionals make you feel like you can touch them—no, it's more like the non-ordinary, the hidden aspects of everyday life, or the "acting without acting," etc., full of contradictory literary qualities...

Phew. Okay, I think I understand.

"How about this, let's give it to elementary school students and daycare centers to perform? As long as it's children, the low price and amateurish feel can be an advantage."

"...I see, I'm amazed you thought of that."

Yukinoshita looked over with sparkling eyes. However, the source of my inspiration was a little... making me feel a bit guilty. I didn't dare to meet her gaze directly, and my voice involuntarily became shrill.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, that's right. Sometimes when advertisers can't come up with any good ideas, don't they switch to using animals as the main characters?"

However, she had already focused her thoughts on summarizing and no longer looked at me.

"If children perform on stage, the audience won't complain much, and they might even be popular with the elderly. This would limit the types of activities we can choose from."

While gathering her thoughts, Yukinoshita looked at the student council members.

"Yeah—it's like singing..."

"And acting."

"It's all thanks to the secretary with her braided hair," Isshiki replied.

"Singing would overlap with musical performances..."

The vice president eliminated one of the options.

Okay, that's roughly settled. I stood up, walked to the whiteboard, and wrote the word "acting".

"So, it's decided to act. The daycare often holds similar events, so they should have some props and costumes they can use."

Yukinoshita nodded.

"So, the only remaining issue is practice time."

"Memorizing lines is so tiring..."

That's strange. Yui isn't even going on stage, so why is she making such a pitiful groan... Well, she's not exactly good with her memory, after all. It's alright, this acting isn't an exam, so I can use a few tricks.

"...How about separating the actors on stage from the people reciting their lines?"

Upon hearing this, Yukinoshita immediately understood what I meant.

"You mean, doing voice-over work behind the scenes?"

"That's right, that way we don't have to memorize lines."

"You're really amazing. When it comes to being clever, your mind works the fastest."

Thank you for the compliment, I really don't deserve it... Please don't say such things to me with that bright smile.

Actually, I've heard that voice actors work very hard and have to put in a lot of effort, practicing repeatedly again and again. But this was more like a children's presentation, so it didn't need to be taken that seriously.

Having discussed this, we have a general plan, and the next step is to put it into practice.

"So, does anyone have any objections...?"

Isshiki looked somewhat uncertainly at the student council officers, who all nodded in agreement. Seeing this, a slight smile appeared on Isshiki's lips.

Yuihama also happily said to her:

"I finally have a plan, I really hope it succeeds!"

"Yes, it would be great if we could succeed!"

"We can simply divide the time in half and schedule both acting and concerts into the event. Let's propose this at today's meeting."

When they heard me say that, they looked at me with expressions that said they didn't understand. Hey, what's with that blank look...?

"...Would that be okay?"

"Who knows? But even if both sides jointly organize an event, there are many ways to cooperate."

"Oh—I see..."

Isshiki nodded absentmindedly, it was unclear whether he had truly understood what I was saying.

We can't please everyone, and some people will inevitably be dissatisfied with Yu Sheng's plan. If we cater to these groups and deliver performances that satisfy them, we can improve the overall audience satisfaction of the event. Of course, there will certainly be another group of people who are dissatisfied with our plan, and those people will likely be the responsibility of Yu Sheng.

It is precisely because of these opposing forces that this structure was able to take shape.

"Okay, use this time to plan out the details and give a briefing at the meeting later."

After I finished speaking, I stood up from my seat.

"Okay...wait, ah! Senior, where are you going? And, am I supposed to do the presentation?" Isshiki looked up in a panic.

Yukino then got up, patted her skirt a few times, and then rested her hand on her chin.

"No matter what, the student council should be responsible for the briefing. At most, we can only assist from the sidelines."

Yuihama also picked up the coat hanging on the back of the chair and smiled at Isshiki, saying:

"Don't worry, they will help if you encounter any difficulties."

"Aren't you going to help yourself... Anyway, good luck. I'll go buy the snacks today."

The three of us walked out of the student union office and headed towards the building exit.

With some time before the meeting, it's perfect to grab some snacks and drinks at the convenience store to kill some time.