“Ready, start!”

Clack, a dry sound echoed through the mountain valley.

In the middle of untouched wilderness where even a phone signal wouldn’t reach, a log-cabin set had suddenly appeared. That was today’s battlefield.

First day of the grind.

What we were filming was the opening part of the story.

A scene of a father and daughter’s peaceful, quiet everyday life, the kind that would soon collapse.

“Hah!”

DOOOOOON!!

The axe I swung down struck the log dead-on.

It sounded less like splitting and more like bursting apart.

The thick log snapped clean in two and wood chips flew through the air like bullets.

From behind the camera, I heard dozens of female staff inhale sharply.

Some were even crouched down holding their noses to stop nosebleeds.

I can’t blame them.

In this world’s common sense, making a man do heavy labor like this was taboo to begin with.

A man raising an axe, muscles surging and sweat spraying.

To them, it was probably like being shown documentary footage of an unknown creature’s habits.

“Cut!!”

Kujō Hibiki’s voice, megaphone in hand, echoed through the forest.

“Perfect, Jō! Those veins! That back! Your pheromones are overflowing through the screen! Lighting team, shine more light on his sweat! Make it glow like a god!”

Hibiki was in rapturous ecstasy and the staff let out heated sighs like “Hahii...”

“...Hey, Hibiki.”

I stabbed the axe into the ground and breathed hard.

“How long are you planning to make me do this? There’s already a mountain of firewood.”

At my feet, the firewood I’d pulverized was piled high.

It looked like enough to last the whole winter.

“Not even close! This scene is an important introduction to imprint ‘this man’s strength’ and ‘peaceful everyday life’ into the audience... next is Alice-chan’s turn!”

At Hibiki’s cue, the set’s door opened.

“Papa!”

With a voice like rolling bells, the girl ran up. Himemiya Alice.

She wasn’t wearing her usual frilly idol outfit.

A faded checkered shirt and denim overalls.

Her hair was tied into two bunches and her makeup was a barely-there ‘no-makeup’ look.

She looked like any rural girl you’d see anywhere.

But the impact was devastating.

“Dinner’s ready, Papa... fufu, you’re sweating so much again.”

Alice came up to me, pulled a hand towel from her chest pocket and diligently wiped the sweat from my forehead.

Zero distance. The sweet scent of fabric softener tickled my nose.

“...Yeah, sorry.”

I sank into the role, brusque but fond, placing a hand on her head.

My role name was John.

A clumsy man who threw away his past and lived only for his daughter.

“You’re hungry, right? Today it’s Papa’s favorite stew.”

Alice clung to my arm and smiled up at me.

In those eyes was ‘real heat’ beyond acting.

‘...This one’s completely enjoying herself.’

I smirked inside. For Alice, this shoot wasn’t work.

It was a ritual to fulfill her twisted wish of ‘living alone with the ideal father.’

“Cut! Good, it’s the absolute peak of wholesome! Alice, keep that ‘I love Papa more than anyone in the world’ face!”

Hibiki gave a thumbs-up. Alice replied, “Yes, Director!” but didn’t try to let go of my arm.

“Next we move to the meal scene! Strike, move!”

As the staff bustled about, Alice dragged me along into the log cabin.

* * *

Inside the set was built with shocking detail. A worn wooden table. A soot-darkened fireplace. Old tools hung on the walls. Hibiki’s obsession reached into every corner.

“Take one, ready...”

Across the table, Alice and I faced each other.

In front of us were wooden bowls sending up steam.

“Start!”

Clack.

“...Thanks for the meal.”

I muttered shortly and took up the spoon.

Normally, meal scenes in film use cold tasteless soup or plastic food samples, that’s the standard.

The actor’s job is to act like it is delicious

But I can’t eat bad food and make a good face like it’s tasty.

I scooped the stew and brought it to my mouth.

A rich aroma.

A thick depth.

And the savory taste of meat overflowing with wildness.

“…………”

I chewed in silence and swallowed.

Delicious.

Even if I say so myself, it was perfect.

“...Papa?”

Alice looked at me strangely.

The same thing was in her bowl.

“Eat, Mary... it’ll get cold.”

When I urged her, Alice timidly brought the spoon to her lips.

Munch.

In that instant, Alice’s eyes flew open in shock.

In her mouth, the meat simmered until it fell apart melted and the sweetness of the vegetables exploded.

This wasn’t just stew.

It was a special ‘game brown stew’ made from wild boar I took down in the back mountain during downtime and root vegetables I haggled from a local farmer.

Red wine and hatchō miso as hidden flavors created a violent richness.

“Delicious...”

Tears naturally spilled from Alice’s eyes.

That wasn’t scripted acting.

It was an instinctive emotion, like her soul was trembling.

“Amazing... warm... it tastes like Papa...”

“Of course it does. I made it.”

I said it bluntly, tearing off bread and handing it to her.

“Here, dip it in the sauce... eat a lot and grow big.”

“Mm... Mm...”

Alice forgot to wipe her tears and shoveled stew into her mouth, completely absorbed.

Sauce smeared all around her lips, cheeks puffed like a squirrel.

Right now she wasn’t the national idol Himemiya Alice.

She was just a daughter starving for a father’s love, being filled and soaking in happiness.

Watching her, I ate my stew too.

Not a bad moment. The outside world’s noise, the harem agreement, none of that existed here.

Only the crackle of firewood and the sound of a daughter eating.

‘...I see.’

I thought.

Because there’s a daily life worth protecting like this, the anger when it’s stolen stands out.

This was Hibiki’s aim.

Burn this happy scene into the audience.

The deeper it goes, the more catharsis the revenge arc will produce.

“Papa...”

After finishing, Alice set down her empty bowl and looked at me.

Drowsy, feverish eyes.

“I’m happy... I want to stay like this forever.”

“...Yeah.”

I reached out and wiped the sauce at her lips with my thumb.

“But life doesn’t let you have it that way.”

Alice blinked, confused.

In the next scene, minutes later, an armed group would burst in.

This happy table would be shattered by bullets.

“...Huh?”

“CUUUT!!”

Hibiki’s scream tore through the silence.

“Wonderful! Perfect! What was that meal scene!? I’ve never seen anyone act eating that deliciously!”

Hibiki writhed while staring at the monitor.

“And Jō’s last line and the thumb wiping sauce! That was ad-lib, right!? You sinful man! That made every female audience member’s maternal instincts explode!”

In the corner of the studio, staff were biting handkerchiefs and sobbing.

“Uuuh... wholesome... I want a papa like that...”

“I want Jō-sama to wipe sauce off me too...”

“I want to watch a happy table like that forever... Don’t break ittt!”

Seems the daily life worth protecting depiction worked exactly as intended.

Alice snapped back to herself, blushing, “Ehehe, I got praised♡” but she was still dreamy, remembering the taste of my stew.

“Jō-san, that stew was really delicious... is there any left in the pot? Can I get seconds?”

“It’s for filming, don’t eat it all... well, later I’ll serve it as a staff meal.”

“Yay!”

Alice hopped. She sure is carefree.

“Alright, after a break, it’s finally the ‘sharp turn’!”

Hibiki shouted into the mic.

“Special effects team, are you ready!? Hurry with the explosive setup! Stunt team, prepare to breach! We’re going to destroy this happy home thoroughly!”

The set’s atmosphere flipped in an instant. From a cozy home drama to a battlefield reeking of gunpowder.

I stood up and cracked my neck lightly.

“...Alright, let’s go.”

From here on is my real territory.

I throw off the apron, put on the vest and take up the weapons.

Father time is over. Now it’s former special forces member time.

“Alice, you ready? We’re doing it big.”

“Yes! Be gentle, okay?♡”

“...Don’t say that line.”

I left the peaceful log cabin with a wry smile.

Outside, the black-clad armed group was already waiting, holding vicious firearms at the ready.

The festival begins.