"DXD: Transfer Student"Chapter 183: Just Say I Gave You That Confidence
A car pulled up precisely on time—Mai Sakurajima's new manager had arrived, clipboard in hand and efficiency in her stride.
After a quick huddle to iron out the last details, the director clapped his hands.
"Alright, let's get started."
"Okay," Nodoka Toyohama replied, almost automatically. She couldn't help glancing at Long Yi, who sat quietly off to the side—so still, so invisible, it was as if no one else in the room could even see him.
Makeup and wardrobe happened in a blur. Before she knew it, the set was buzzing, the camera crew orbiting around "Mai" like she was the sun.
Long Yi watched the commotion with mild amusement. No wonder so many people wanted to be stars—high income, endless attention, the addictive rush of being at the center of it all.
Then it was time for Nodoka to perform.
She barely made it through her first few lines before the cameraman called a halt.
"Hold up—Mai-san, your expression seems a little… off."
Long Yi wasn't surprised. Nodoka's acting experience was close to zero; it was inevitable.
He knew all about faking smiles, having done it himself for years. But compared to Mai, he was a rookie showing off in front of a master.
The failed first take ratcheted up Nodoka's anxiety. Sweat prickled at her temples. The makeup artist darted in, powdering her cheeks, but the pressure only grew. Every movement felt like it was wasting everyone's time, burning through trust she'd never realized came with the "Mai Sakurajima" name.
Now that trust pressed down on her, heavier than she'd ever imagined.
Her breathing quickened, heart thudding. Panic clawed at her chest.
Long Yi watched, then snapped his fingers.
Snap.
Suddenly, everyone on set froze. Stood stock-still, eyes glassy—puppets with their strings cut.
Nodoka didn't even notice; too lost in her nerves. A moment later, the crew snapped back to life.
"Perfect, Mai-san! That's the look we want—hold onto that expression!" the cameraman called out, catching Nodoka off guard.
Wait, that was good? She'd been sure she'd messed up.
Her bewildered look made Long Yi smile. He could practically hear her thoughts: If I know I blew it, why does anyone else need to tell me?
But she was too rattled to think it through. Since no one called cut, she pushed on, sweating and stumbling, her nerves fraying with every take.
She muddled through the rest, convinced her performance was a disaster. Yet the director never stopped them.
When filming finally paused, Nodoka instinctively glanced at Long Yi. He gave her a knowing smile, sipping iced soy milk through a straw—completely unfazed.
"Mai-san, great job with the ad! How about we shoot it again from the top?" the director said cheerfully.
…If it was so great, why reshoot?
Nodoka blinked, confused. But she nodded and reset, filming the scene again.
"Fantastic! Really excellent work. Let's try one more time from the beginning, okay?"
Nodoka: "…"
More praise, no approval. If she didn't know better, she'd swear the director was just buttering her up.
She wasn't stupid. The crew's attitude reminded her of people under Long Yi's "common sense alteration"—their reactions were all backwards.
So… "great job" really meant "you bombed."
She almost laughed. She shot Long Yi a look—was he shielding her feelings?
Long Yi just sipped his drink, pretending not to notice.
But somehow, Nodoka felt lighter. For all his tough talk, Long Yi was helping her after all.
Having someone in your corner—yeah, that felt pretty damn good.
She failed twelve times before finally finding her rhythm and getting through the shoot.
"Let's see… pretty awful. That expression is just terrible. Well, that's enough—we're done here," the director said, stone-faced, reviewing the final footage over and over, muttering about how bad it was.
Long Yi finally walked up.
"Not bad. Only thirteen tries—I thought you'd need more."
"It was twelve!" Nodoka huffed.
"Tsk, you're actually proud of that?" Long Yi teased, lips quirking.
Nodoka could only pout. "I know I only managed because you helped…"
"That was nothing," Long Yi waved off. "But here's what matters—you finished the ad. If Mai can do it, so can you. Stop selling yourself short."
"…Really?"
"That's what Mai would say, too. She's not some unreachable genius. You should have more faith in yourself."
"But without you, I'd have crashed and burned. I was about ready to faint…"
Nodoka's voice was small. "So on my own, I'm still useless…"
Long Yi tilted his head, then reached out and tugged her cheek.
"So all that effort just doesn't count, huh?"
"Ow…" Nodoka stared, stunned.
"You think I went through all this trouble just to show you how helpless you are? That's not the point."
Long Yi's tone softened.
"Mai's got talent, sure, but she's worked harder than you can imagine. Even if you're not as gifted, you still pulled it off today. Keep working, and you'll nail it in one go next time."
"…You really think so?"
"It's not about what I think. You already proved you can."
Long Yi looked her straight in the eye.
"Nobody ever praised you before. Nobody gave you confidence. Now you've got it. If anyone asks where it came from, just say I gave it to you."
Nodoka was silent—but her eyes shone, just a little brighter.
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