Chapter 41: Is This Even the Acting of a Five-Year-Old?

The camera was still focused on him, and the snarling “Wolf” continued slowly approaching.

Seeing the director and others waving thumbs up from afar, Shengzai naturally understood this was an opportunity to add extra scenes.

But these adults, who didn’t explain anything beforehand and left it to his improvisation—had they really considered that he was just a five-year-old boy?

He regretted refusing payment earlier; such a strenuous performance deserved extra compensation afterward—it was simply unreasonable not to pay more.

Watching the “Wolf” slowly advance, Shengzai could only brace his bamboo sword against the ground and then “struggle” to rise again.

Soon, the director and the entire crew witnessed what true childhood swordsmanship genius looked like.

A five-year-old child was actually wielding a bamboo sword, maneuvering against a police dog dressed as a wolf.

Whether dodging or striking, every motion was natural—especially when Shengzai blocked the wolf’s fangs with his bamboo sword, leaving everyone present breathless.

They were the ones filming the movie, yet for a moment, they felt the scene before them was utterly real.

Shengzai’s original screen time in the film was supposed to be about one minute, but this fight sequence was extended to over five minutes.

According to the director, this fight scene alone could elevate the entire film.

As for runtime concerns, there was no need to worry—just cut out some irrelevant plot points.

“Kid, my name is Okawa Sōichirō. I apologize for underestimating you earlier. Here’s my business card.”

“Your talent and potential far exceed my initial expectations. If anyone can become the brightest child star, it might just be you.”

After filming ended, Director Okawa not only sought out Shengzai but also paid him 30,000 yen as filming compensation.

Although Shengzai had originally declined payment, his performance was exceptionally outstanding, and his screen time had increased significantly, so he ultimately received compensation.

Staring at the envelope filled with ten-thousand-yen notes and the business card in his hand, Shengzai stood frozen for a while, then couldn’t help but smile.

Being an actor really is profitable—here he was, a complete unknown, just playing himself for a few minutes, and he earned 30,000 yen.

Yūko, at home, drew manga day and night, yet her monthly income was only around a few hundred thousand yen.

Even that income already placed her among the upper-middle class among her peers.

“Hmph, you never told Kana you could do swordsmanship like that!”

“Damn it, now everyone on set is praising you—no one’s talking about Kana’s acting anymore. I’m just a newcomer, my acting is amateurish, so why did I lose…?”

For his first attempt at acting, Shengzai was quite satisfied with his performance today.

Though not officially debuted, he had at least entered the industry—and earning payment on his first job made him genuinely happy.

Yet while he was pleased, a certain little girl beside him was not.

As a child prodigy, Ma Kana—ignoring adult actors—was unquestionably the top child star.

She couldn’t accept that, as a senior, she had been upstaged by Shengzai, a complete newcomer and amateur.

This was the second time Kana had tasted defeat against someone her own age.

The first time was against a boy named Hoshino Akua; now it was Shengzai again.

Both Akua and Shengzai were her age, yet as a child prodigy, she had lost—this filled her with bitter resentment.

“Relax, Kana-chan. I only overshadowed you because this role matched me perfectly.”

“An actor is someone who can embody any character. Compared to you, the genius child star, I’m nowhere near your level.”

“Besides, I think you acted wonderfully—I could learn so much just by watching you.”

There was no way Shengzai would have gotten this opportunity without Ma Kana fighting for him—he was deeply grateful.

So now that the moody little girl was upset, Shengzai naturally had to soothe her.

“Hmph… at least you know how great Kana is. Becoming an actor is hard.”

“But… your performance just now… was pretty good. Of course, compared to the genius child star Kana, you’re still far behind.”

Even the most stubbornly prideful, Kana was still just a little girl—praise and affirmation made her glow with delight.

Shengzai’s words of praise as a “mature junior” quickly erased her earlier annoyance, and she skipped happily back to her mother.

When Shengzai returned home with his 30,000 yen, Yūko was clearly astonished.

She had assumed he was just tagging along with the crew for a sightseeing trip, never expecting he’d actually earn “payment.”

Especially when Yūko heard Ma Kana’s mother say Director Okawa had high hopes for Shengzai, she stared at his childish face in disbelief.

Yūko didn’t take the 30,000 yen Shengzai earned—partly because it was negligible for their current situation.

More importantly, she felt it would be humiliating for an adult to rely on a child of a few years old to support their livelihood.

So, at Yūko’s suggestion, Shengzai’s 30,000-yen payment was spent on a full day of outings, and on the movie’s premiere day, they went to the theater together to watch it.

It was Shengzai’s first film, even if only a minor role—yet Yūko believed it held profound meaning and must be supported.

Moreover, since she had been too busy to accompany him to the set, she had always felt regretful about missing it.

If she missed the filming, she wouldn’t miss the premiere.

She was also curious how Shengzai had performed so brilliantly that he earned the director’s admiration.

The film “Protecting You From This Moment On” was adapted from an anime; due to its low budget, the audience was sparse.

When Yūko brought Shengzai into the theater, they saw only a few scattered couples and one diehard fan of the original anime.

As for parents bringing children—there were none, since this was a romance film, utterly unsuitable for kids.

(End of Chapter)