Note: I have nothing to do with Here is Greenwood and its characters except to be a fan who enjoys the OVAs a lot. This story is my extrapolation of the storylines as seen in the OVAs. I apologize if this story doesn't quite fit in with the manga.
A sharp rapping echoed through the room.
Tezuka Shinobu, former student council president but still influential member of Ryokuto Academy's student body, frowned and shut the textbook he'd been studying. He wondered who was at the door. His roommate, Ikeda Mitsuru, wasn't due back from band practice for at least another hour, and their neighbor, Hasukawa Kazuya, was at the field with the track team. He concentrated briefly to get a sense of his visitor.
It wasn't Hasukawa's roommate, Kisaragi Shun. He could easily sense that exuberant personality in the room next door. The person waiting outside was someone he knew but wasn't quite so familiar to him. He sighed and turned his chair to face the door. "Come in," he called.
The door opened and a bespectacled boy stepped inside hesitantly. "I'm sorry to bother you, senpai." He stopped a few feet away, plainly hiding something behind his back.
Shinobu nodded. "Tochizawa. Hasukawa mentioned when he stopped in to change clothes that you wanted to talk to me about something."
The younger boy nodded. "I wanted to talk to you about this." His left hand emerged from behind him and held out a flyer of some sort.
Shinobu took it. He studied it carefully, then nodded. It was an announcement of a contest for aspiring film makers, something Tochizawa was definitely interested in. He'd been the producer and director of Greenwood's festival-winning movie, "Here is Devilwood." It was understandable that a film contest would catch his eye.
"I assume that you want to enter this contest," Shinobu said calmly, handing the flyer back to Tochizawa.
"Yes, senpai," the other boy said. "I don't know if you've ever heard of it, but this contest is one of the most prestigious competitions available for aspiring filmmakers and scriptwriters in the nation. There are entries from across the country, and the judges are the heads of some of Japan's biggest studios. And the grand prize--"
Shinobu held up his hand. "I read all that on the flyer, Tochizawa. I'm not entirely certain why you need my help, though."
Tochizawa sighed. "I was hoping that you could help convince everyone in Greenwood to help me produce another movie. Everyone worked so hard and so well together making 'Here is Devilwood' that I thought we'd do a good job on a second movie. I've already written a script, so all I need now are actors to fill the roles. It's a modern drama, not a fantasy film, so we won't need quite so many of Aoki's special effects."
Shinobu thought for a moment. "The entry deadline was May 1, wasn't it?"
The other boy nodded. "It needs to be postmarked by May 1. If I deliver it personally to the studio the deadline is a week later, May 8."
"That gives you about three months to make the movie. Would you be able to do it without interrupting anyone's studies?"
Tochizawa frowned. "The only people who might have problems would be the two leads. They'd need to give up a lot of their free time to do the movie, but the two people I have in mind for the roles are both hard workers and shouldn't fall too far behind." He was silent for a moment. "Actually, only one of them might have problems, but he managed to catch up with the rest of us even after starting school late, so it shouldn't be too bad."
"I gather you want Hasukawa in one of the lead roles," Shinobu said quietly. "Who did you have in mind for the other?"
"You."
Few things caught Shinobu off guard. This was one of them, but even so, the only sign of surprise he allowed was a single blink. "Me?"
"Yes, senpai," Tochizawa said eagerly. "I wrote the role specifically for you, so you'd be perfect for it! And Hasukawa's role is specifically for him as well, so he shouldn't have any problems with it at all."
Shinobu frowned. "Have you used our lives in your script the way you did before?"
Tochizawa flushed. "Uh, I may have. Just a little, though." He suddenly looked away.
Shinobu sighed. "The characters you have in mind are really me and Hasukawa, aren't they? That's why you want the two of us specifically to star in your movie, isn't it?"
"Hai," Tochizawa said in a small voice.
"I assume you're hiding a copy of the script behind you." Shinobu held his hand out.
"It's only a synopsis," the other boy said, handing over a sheet of paper.
Shinobu scanned it quickly, his jaw tightening after the first few words. He read through the entire sheet quietly, but when he looked up he glared steadily at Tochizawa. The other boy flinched.
"It sounds like a good story, Tochizawa," Shinobu said quietly, but his voice was hard. "My only concern is that you've made my character too much like me. However, I have decided to participate in your film."
The other boy heaved a huge sigh. "Thank you, senpai. I was sure the other part would--"
Shinobu cut him off with a gesture. "That part is of no concern to me. It will, however, be of great concern to Hasukawa. Remember, this time you won't be able to bribe him by promising to set him up with a girl. He wasn't very pleased with the way things turned out last time, and this time he already has a girlfriend."
Tochizawa nodded quickly. "I realize that. I was hoping you could convince him to participate. He listens to you."
Shinobu nodded. "I will speak to him about it tonight after he comes back from the track. However, I will do this only on one condition."
"Of course, senpai. Anything."
"When you win the contest, any money that isn't used to cover expenses is to be turned over to me to determine the spending of it."
Tochizawa gaped. "Senpai! We're talking about--"
"20,000,000 yen," Shinobu said. "Or rather, 10,000,000 yen, since the other half constitutes the prizes for the runners-up. However, you will do this or neither Hasukawa nor I will participate in this film."
"But that's--"
"Tochizawa, I already know how we'll spend the money. After expenses, everyone who participates will receive a small portion of it--say about 10,000 yen--and the remainder will be used to pay for renovations to Greenwood." He stopped as a loud crack penetrated the thin walls. "Such as building a shed for Furusawa's motorcycle or at least reinforcing the steps he uses to take it upstairs. Everything will be used to benefit the dormitory."
The other boy flushed. "I'm sorry, senpai. I misunderstood your intentions."
Shinobu nodded. "Please ask everyone to meet in the dining room an hour after dinner. You can make the announcement about the movie then."
"And Hasukawa?"
"Leave him to me," Shinobu said calmly. "Just leave him to me."
Tochizawa stared at him, then bowed and quickly left.
Shinobu turned away from the closing door and looked down at the synopsis he still held. Tochizawa's characters were dangerously close to actually being their models, and he would win no favors with Hasukawa by designing the other boy's character the way he had.
Still, he mused silently, the roles might actually be helpful. To Hasukawa, at least. His own role...well, he'd long since resigned himself to having a dysfunctional family, and nothing Tochizawa wrote into his script could help that.
Shinobu sighed. First things first. How should he convince Hasukawa to participate?
Get your own Free Home Page