A week later, back at Itsuki’s apartment:
“So here’s the script me, Kanikou, and Haruto worked together to produce. It’ll be the greatest film ever, and it’s called Lord of the Shark Zombies: I Was Reincarnated in Another World, So I Boarded a Gundam and Destroyed Armies of Psychic Monsters!”
Itsuki looked incredibly smug as he handed copies of the printed script to everyone.
“Hee-hee-hee… I think I’ve really outdone myself this time.”
Nayuta was all smiles and confidence. Miyako, meanwhile, was all tension and nerves.
“The title’s already giving me a bad feeling… But what do you think of it, Fuwa?”
“…At first,” a haggard-looking Haruto replied, “I was just trying to keep this reined in. But I couldn’t stop Itsuki and Nayu’s stampede—and in the end, not even I’m too sure what I was writing exactly… But maybe it really is a masterpiece, so just go ahead and read it…”
“All right…”
For now, the group decided to read through the script.
“Oh…wow…”
“Whoa…”
Miyako and Chihiro visibly winced as they pressed on. From zombies and sharks to tear-jerking scenes, psychic powers, fantasy, and (yes) a Gundam, it was a chaotic mix of everything that people had requested. Just reading it made their heads hurt.
As for the reaction of Ashley, the director:
“Hee… Hee-hee… Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee…”
A thin smile appeared on her face as she read. She was no longer willing to hold back her emotions.
“Um…Ashley?”
Just as Chihiro looked at Ashley’s face:
“It’s wonderful! So wonderful! This is exactly the script I was looking for!”
“Are you crazy?!” Chihiro couldn’t believe her ears.
“Ha-ha-ha! Isn’t it? Isn’t it?!” Itsuki couldn’t be prouder of himself.
“Well, if we have the okay for the script, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty!”
And Nayuta was just as excited as those two.
✦ ✦ ✦
Three days later, the gang arrived at an uninhabited Okinawan island for shooting. Itsuki, Nayuta, and Miyako had visited this deserted place a long time ago; it was the perfect backdrop for the first scenes.
“Look at that ocean!” Nayuta stretched out her arms, shouting at the sea.
“This project sure is unfolding fast…”
“I feel like we’re just going on sheer momentum right now…”
Haruto and Chihiro already looked a tad exhausted.
Ashley hurriedly gave out instructions. “Okay, all of you, get ready to start shooting. Itsuki and everyone else are gonna serve as our cast, too.”
They’d started with six members, but Makina Kaizu and Ui Aioi had also joined the staff for today. Kaizu was actually pretty good with electronic equipment, so he was the cameraman, while Ui knew a lot about makeup, so that was her job…not that she knew anything about horror makeup, but still.
“Sorry, you two,” Haruto said. “I didn’t mean to get you involved in something weird like this…”
“No, no, it’s an honor to be involved. I look forward to seeing which actress is going to provide my voice for this.”
Ui smiled after giving that rather enigmatic statement.
“I’m used to Ashley going off the rails,” Kaizu said as he took the camera out of its bag, resigned to his fate.
“Okay, let’s start with the opening scene!”
Itsuki, Haruto, Nayuta, Miyako, and Chihiro, fresh from changing into their swimsuits, headed off to the beach at Ashley’s command.
“I changed into this…but isn’t it a little too flashy? It’s kind of embarrassing…”
“Ngh… I’ve never worn anything so racy before…”
Neither Miyako nor Chihiro was too excited about this. Their wardrobes were provided by Ashley and Nayuta; Miyako was in a Brazilian bikini that was more string than fabric, and Chihiro was in an extremely low-rise two-piece. The suits in the main story this volume were bold enough, but they were nothing compared to these. No way you’d wear them in a pool at Nagashima Spa Land. There are children there.
“Kick off with a bunch of bikini babes for no reason! The classic shark film trope!”
Nayuta, meanwhile, was wearing a micro-bikini, one that looked like it could be ripped off at any moment—a far cry from the cuter swimsuits on the film cast.
“Well, I think the ladies look great,” an embarrassed Haruto said, “…but who’s ever going to enjoy watching me and Itsuki in these bikini briefs…?”
“These are riding up on me so bad… It’s gonna pop out…”
“What’s wrong with flashing a little dick?” Nayuta said to her fidgeting boyfriend.
“A lot!” he shouted back.
Ashley, meanwhile, surveyed the performers from her director’s chair. “All right, let’s start rolling. I want you guys to be a bunch of idiot normies on vacation in a south-seas island. Ready…and action!”
Kaizu began rolling, Ui sounding the clapboard as Ashley gave orders through a megaphone.
“Huh?! What, right now?” said Miyako, panicking.
Chihiro, a little reluctant, walked into the water. “Um, ummm… Woooo!” She gave a shy little yelp as she kicked at the water.
Haruto joined her in the water. “Woooo! Wooooo!”
“Wooo!” added Miyako, running around and adding to the chaos.
“Woooo! Woooo!”
Itsuki and Nayuta, posing as a couple, happily splashed water on each other.
“Woo! Woo-woo!” Chihiro said, trying to communicate solely through a single syllable.
“Woo?” Haruto replied. “Woo, woo woo, woo?”
“Woo woo woo,” added Miyako, “woo woo, woo?”
“Woo woo-woo, woo-woo! Wooo!”
“Woo woo, woo-woo woo, woo-wooooo!”
“Woooo woooo! Woo woooo!”
After getting a bunch of shots of the gang messing around and going “woo woo” a lot:
“Okay, cut! You guys were great. A lot of woo-nderful excitement.” Ashley gave them a satisfied nod.
“All we said was woo,” a bewildered Chihiro said.
“Party people can talk to each other with nothing but woos, you know. That’s how it works.”
“Really? Wow, that’s impressive…”
“And now for the debut of the shark zombies!”
“Um,” Miyako warily said, “what exactly are shark zombies?”
“Whoa,” interjected Haruto, “didn’t you read any of the worldbuilding? Shark zombies are terrifying mythical monsters who live on this island, zombies with a shark’s head. Anyone who gets bitten by one is said to become a shark zombie themselves…”
“Do we really need the shark element here? Aren’t regular zombies good enough?”
Miyako had a point, but Nayuta sneered at her. “What are you talking about? Shark zombies are good swimmers, so they can attack ships approaching the island!”
“Oh, they’re amphibious? Wow, like Z’gok robots!”
Chihiro, who had browsed through the supporting material, was glad to see that detail in action.
“Okay, guys, get ready. Itsuki and Nayuta, you’re making out behind a rock when the shark zombie attacks! Haruto, you’ll be playing the monster. Here you are.”
Ashley gave Haruto the tools he needed to become a shark zombie.
“A shark mask and… Ewww, what’s this?!” Haruto stared at the unrolled set of tights.
“It’s a form-fitting Lycra zombie cosplay suit.”