Crossing over, and then being blocked by a rich JK.

Chapter 452 Aftermath [3K]

[Breaking News! The person who provided the theme song for director Yokota's film is...!!]

[Her and His Secret Story: Mr. Nagano, Why Did You Keep It a Secret for So Long?]

"A prestigious lineage? Jay! You bastard!"

It was six o'clock in the evening, at the Watanabe family's dining table.

Holding Ryoko's phone, Watanabe Yu glanced through the evening's headlines and couldn't help but sigh instinctively.

The charm of journalism is the same no matter where you are in the world.

The headlines are so dramatic, you'd think he'd done something drastic.

Especially the second one, byd wrote it like a tabloid news article. Just looking at it made him afraid, for fear that the content he clicked on would be "The Unparalleled Abnormal Love Between an Older Master and a Younger Disciple".

Damn it! This is clearly fabricated out of thin air!

"So, wouldn't this be considered a breach of your contract?"

Seeing Watanabe Yu's sighing expression, Hamabe Ryoko unconsciously frowned and asked a question.

"Not counting."

Watanabe Yu shook his head, took a few deep breaths to compose himself, and then handed the phone back.

"The confidentiality clause in the contract does not include the information he disclosed. As for the news headlines, it's perfectly normal for media people to exaggerate."

Then he added this explanation.

He could tell that Ryoko's frown and displeasure stemmed from being influenced by the media headlines; she assumed it was at Yokota Yu's behest.

In fact, let alone a seasoned veteran like Yokota Yu, even an ordinary office worker would not say such misleading things at a press conference.

This is clearly a sign that they don't want to work in the industry anymore.

Because this isn't just your problem, it's about what happens to the other directors if you're being so shameless.

You've lowered everyone's standards. How are we going to organize future press conferences and film release events?
And this hasn't even mentioned the business partner you've been spreading rumors about.

So even if Yokota Yu's head got caught in a door or kicked by a donkey, as long as he wasn't possessed, he wouldn't say such misleading things at a press conference.

Even if you're just creating a scandal to boost a movie's popularity, you still need the consent of the parties involved.

Not to mention, if you want to generate buzz by creating a scandal, it's best if both parties involved are present at the press conference.

"And if I had to say something, the media hype is nothing to worry about; what I care more about is the impact of his mention of it."

Watanabe Yu picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of scrambled eggs with tomatoes into his bowl.

The good news is that he helped himself generate some buzz, but the bad news is that he also took on additional responsibility.

If a movie becomes bad, he will definitely be affected to some extent.

Moreover, the 'size' of this impact will likely be quite subtle, because from the moment he topped the charts, a considerable number of people have viewed him as a thorn in their side.

The reason is simple: you are not a singer of any music company, but you firmly occupy the top three of the hot song charts, and you do not accept recruitment. That uncontrollable object is dangerous.

So far, every song he has uploaded has been of high quality; otherwise, given their commonalities, they would probably have already formed a group around him.

"I believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages."

The young lady placed a piece of Mapo Tofu into Ryoko's bowl.

The Mapo Tofu they make tastes completely different from the Mapo Tofu sold in Chinese restaurants on the street.

The latter has a slightly sweet taste, while theirs is a standard Sichuan-style Mapo Tofu.

At first, she couldn't accept it, since the Mapo Tofu she remembered didn't taste like this. But as she ate it more often, her taste changed.

To be honest, spicy Mapo Tofu is definitely more appetizing.

"Thank you," Ryoko Hamabe said, then asked with some confusion, "Why?"

Theoretically speaking, Yu had no intention of pursuing a career in music; in other words, she wanted to avoid as many complications as possible along the way.

The more things are involved, the greater the corresponding risks become.

Since Yu released "First Love" some time ago, there has been a lot of speculation online about the relationship between 'Jay' and Yu. However, due to the lack of substantial evidence, such speculation gradually subsided after spreading for a while.

Isn't Yokota Yuzoe's latest move just making things hot again?
"Some things, as long as you don't admit them and there is no substantial evidence, no matter how much outsiders talk, there is no way to definitively say it."

As if she could read her mind, Ayana Amamiya blinked and gave a direct answer.

“But isn’t this just walking on the beach?” Ryoko Hamabe paused. “The waves can wash onto the beach countless times, and people can dodge them countless times, but if you make a mistake just once, your shoes will get wet.”

She felt there was no need to increase this risk that could have been avoided.

"But some things, after developing to a certain stage, need to rely on external things to develop further."

The young lady picked up a piece of rice with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

There's one thing she didn't say explicitly: You actually doesn't dislike posting songs online; in fact, he enjoys it to some extent.

So in other words, the day when our shoes get wet will eventually come.

It's just a matter of how long it will take.

Of course, it's also possible that she's a little pessimistic.

"But Yu..."

Ryoko Hamabe opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she swallowed her words back.

Putting aside emotions and analyzing it rationally, Yu simply likes that song; otherwise, she wouldn't still be uploading songs now that her economic problems have been largely resolved.

And there's one more thing.

Given Aunt Naoko's temperament, or rather, given her expectations of Yu, it seems there's really no way to avoid Yu uploading songs. "I was just mentioning it casually, let things take their course," Watanabe Yu said, trying to smooth things over. "Besides, if we're really going to worry, there are plenty of things to worry about."

"for example?"

The young lady picked up the bowl, winked at him, and asked a question out of curiosity.

"For example, the complete collection of 'Journey Under the Midnight Sun' is about to be released, and the discussion on related forums has already started."

As Watanabe Yu spoke, he used his chopsticks to shovel tomatoes, eggs, and rice into his mouth.

"What's there to worry about? They won't associate 'Watanabe' with 'Jay'."

Ryoko Hamabe muttered something under her breath.

"Uh……"

Watanabe Yu put down his bowl, his expression becoming subtle.

"You don't actually mean that people have made these connections, do you!?"

Ryoko Hamabe raised her eyebrows and looked at him in astonishment.

"No, I just suddenly realized that I forgot to cook one dish today."

Watanabe Yu shook his head.

He had planned to cook a spicy chicken dish today, but he seemed to have forgotten because he was too busy.

Oh well, I'll make it up tomorrow!
"I'll just say it."

Upon hearing this, Ryoko Hamabe breathed a sigh of relief.

“No, there really is.” The young lady took out her phone, her fair fingers tapping the screen a few times before handing it to Hamabe Ryoko. “Some people are guessing that ‘Jay’ and ‘Watanabe,’ who used to sing at the bar, are the same person. Then someone else said, ‘If it’s ‘Watanabe,’ then it’s the same person.’”

"This sentence was originally intended to satirize the person who posted it, but after thinking about it, everyone realized that it seemed to make some sense, so they started discussing it back and forth."

As she said this, she couldn't help but purse her lips.

In a sense, the person who can continue to explore this topic is also a genius.

Because that's what it is.

Fortunately, most people thought this idea was unrealistic and did not participate in the discussion too enthusiastically, instead focusing their attention on reckoning.

It's been a while since the last chapter of "Journey Under the Midnight Sun" was serialized, but the process of settling accounts hasn't stopped.

The author who hasn't deleted the post yet has already been thoroughly "team-building" (a form of discipline or punishment).

However, from her perspective, the reason that person didn't delete the post was, frankly, because that group had used him as a shield.

It's better for one person to be scolded than for a whole bunch of people to be scolded because of the incident.

"Really?!"

Watanabe Yu was somewhat surprised.

He really didn't expect it.

"What else?" The young lady blinked, then waved her hand, indicating that Ryoko should keep her phone safe for now and give it back to her after she finished eating. "Do you think there's not much discussion about 'Jay' and 'Watanabe' right now?"

In fact, at the beginning of this year, someone compiled a list of the top 50 most discussed topics of the past year, and there were as many as 6 topics related to 'Jay' and 'Watanabe'.

It's important to know that this only counts if it has some element of going viral.

As for this year, barring any unforeseen circumstances, there will be several...
—Based on what Yu Yokota said at the press conference, regardless of whether the movie is good or bad, Jay-related topics will definitely generate buzz.

Not to mention that 'Nagano' was also included.

That aunt is quite a figure of discussion and influence in the piano world.

"So Yu was already a big celebrity?"

Ryoko Hamabe turned her head, her short hair swaying gently with her movement.

Her pretty face was as bright and charming as ever, but the teasing tone in her voice was quite obvious.

"Yes."

The young lady smiled and nodded, joining in the discussion.

"Thank you."

Watanabe Yu picked up the bowl again and lowered his head to eat.

There's a saying that goes, "As long as I only tell the truth, there's no possibility that you'll make fun of me."

"Hey, it's boring."

Seeing his expression, the young lady shook her head.

Sometimes that's what happens when you've been together for too long; you both figure out how to break down each other's routines.

However, it's fine as long as the topic is diverted.

She picked up her chopsticks and continued eating.

“Oh, right.” Hamabe Ryoko suddenly remembered something. “Yu, do you know? Until the start of the sports meet, each class would set aside the last period of the afternoon every day for those who were going to participate in the sports meet to practice.”

"what?"

Watanabe Yu was taken aback for a moment.

"In other words, it's a lesson in 'compliance while slacking off'!"

Ryoko Hamabe raised an eyebrow, a hint of eagerness in her expression.

(End of this chapter)