I really just want to grind for entries related to crossover anime/manga.

"Hey! Genkawa, you can't be serious, can you? Is Kureha 8? You don't actually want to be... a jerk, do you?"

In fact, after several drinking sessions and conversations, Yamazaki Haruto had already made this guess. After all, there were just too many outstanding women around Genkawa Yu, and judging from his appearance, if he were to express his feelings to someone, that person shouldn't refuse.

Therefore, the next step might be...

He... really wants to have his cake and eat it too.

“Ιi林依柒吴湿司揪7嘶...”

Could it be... that Sakurajima-san found out he was two-timing her?

This guess flashed through Yamazaki Haruto's mind, but he didn't say it aloud, after all, there were still many people here.

"Yaoren, please stop asking. I will handle these matters."

"..."

As Yamazaki Haruto looked at Genkawa Yu's "stubborn" appearance, the shock on his face gradually turned into a mixture of utter disbelief.

Then, a hint of worry and a sense of admiration, which he himself was unwilling to admit, flashed through his mind.

He rubbed his face vigorously, as if trying to make sure he wasn't still dreaming.

"This is insane, absolutely insane..."

Haruto Yamazaki muttered to himself, as if speaking to Yuu Genkawa, or perhaps stating the fact to himself.

Then, as if he had suddenly remembered something, he leaned close to Genkawa Yu's ear and whispered something in a tone that was half envious and half teasing.

"But you're really something! I don't even have a stable girlfriend yet, and you've already started planning this kind of 'blessing with two women' without making a sound! It's really infuriating to compare yourself to others!"

To ease the tension, Yamazaki Haruto nudged him with his shoulder again, "If you succeed, remember to teach me a few tricks!"

Upon hearing this, Genkawa Yu responded with an even deeper, more oppressive, bitter laugh, then raised his hand and patted Yamazaki Haruto's shoulder forcefully, everything understood without words.

All explanations and promises seem pale and powerless in the face of cold reality and worldly perspectives.

All he can do is to walk steadily down the thorny and unknown path he has chosen, using the heights he may reach, his strength, and the "facts" he can create in the future to support that seemingly impossible, criticized "greed" and persistence.

Just then, the door to the lounge was pushed open from the outside by a staff member, and the on-site director poked his head in, clapped his hands, and spoke clearly.

"Everyone, get ready! We'll be going on stage in five minutes! The fans in the front are already impatient!"

The cheers and applause, growing clearer and clearer like a tsunami, emanating from the front desk, foreshadowed the imminent start of a noisy spectacle.

Genkawa Yu took a deep breath, concealing all his personal emotions, struggles, and burdens behind his deep eyes, and once again put on the professional smile befitting an actor like Genkawa Yu.

"coming."

Volume 2 Tokyo Love Story: Chapter 36 I Just Want to See You Defeat! (Combined 5.5k)

Inside the Tokyo theater, nearly a thousand seats were already filled with enthusiastic fans, and the air was thick with barely suppressed excitement and anticipation.

A huge backdrop themed "Alice in the Land of the Dying" stood at the back of the stage. Under the dim lights, exciting trailer clips from the series played on a loop on the screen. Every time the camera switched to a close-up of the lead actor, it would elicit a low cheer from the audience and a slight sway of the light sticks.

Suddenly, all the lights went out, plunging the venue into darkness. The fans' clamor also ceased abruptly, leaving only suppressed, excited breaths.

Then, a spotlight shone down on the entrance on the side of the stage.

A middle-aged man, dressed in a well-fitting dark suit and with a very friendly smile, walked confidently to the center of the stage, microphone in hand.

He is Shinsuke Shimada, a well-known Japanese variety show host, known for his quick wit and ability to create a lively atmosphere.

"Good evening, fellow inhabitants of the Land of the Dying! Welcome to this wondrous yet dangerous night!"

Shinsuke Shimada's powerful voice resonated throughout the theater via high-quality sound systems, instantly igniting the enthusiasm of the entire audience.

"Aaaaaah—!!!"

He was met with a deafening roar of screams and applause from his fans.

"Looks like everyone's itching to jump into the game, right?"

Shimada skillfully interacted with the audience, eliciting another round of applause and cheers. "But before we begin the game, let's give a round of applause and screams to welcome the most important 'players' who will lead us to survive in this world! First up is our protagonist, a man of both wisdom and courage—[Arisu Ryohei], Genkawa Yuu-san!"

As the rousing background music began, Genkawa Yu walked steadily out from one side of the stage.

His tall figure stepped out from behind the curtain, a refreshing and friendly smile on his face. As he walked to the center of the stage, he waved to the fans in all directions below the stage.

His appearance instantly triggered the loudest screams, especially from female fans, whose voices almost lifted the roof off the theater.

"Yu-kun! Yu-kun!"

"Yu-kun! Look here!"

"Yuanchuan-san, Ershan Wuqi Jiushan'er, keep it up!"

Next, Shinsuke Shimada introduced the other three lead actors in turn.

"Next up is the agile, calm, and reliable [Usagi Yuzuha], Sakurajima Mai-san!"

Mai Sakurajima walked out with elegant steps, her white suit gleaming under the lights. She maintained a perfect smile, waved to the audience, and exuded a queenly aura, earning a large number of cheers of admiration.

"And also, our generous and righteous [Karibe Daikichi], Yamazaki Haruto-san, is our source of joy!"

Haruto Yamazaki then jumped out energetically, making various poses, which drew bursts of laughter and responses from the fans.

"Finally, there's the indispensable [Anri Tsuruna], Arima Kana-san!"

Kana Arima ran up shyly, bowing repeatedly. Her well-behaved appearance aroused the fans' protective instincts and good-natured laughter.

The four lead actors stood in the center of the stage, forming a beautiful scene.

Although they weren't wearing the costumes from the show, their individual, exquisite attire made them seem real and approachable.

Countless cell phones and cameras lit up in the audience, the sound of shutters clicking like a dense rain.

Meanwhile, the official live stream cameras precisely captured close-ups of everyone, transmitting the grand occasion to countless viewers who were unable to attend in person.

After a brief self-introduction and some small talk about the drama, host Shinsuke Shimada brought the atmosphere to a small climax.

"As everyone knows, Alice in the Land of the Dying is a world full of deadly games."

"So today, at our 'Land of the Dying' theater branch, we have also prepared three special games for everyone!"

"They respectively test 'tacit understanding,' 'deciphering,' and 'trust'!"

The names of three games were displayed simultaneously on the large screen, accompanied by dazzling special effects.

"And today, our game participants are these four outstanding 'players' on stage!"

Shimada Shinsuke abruptly changed the subject, a mischievous smile spreading across his face. "However, the team formation for the game will be decided by you—all the residents present!"

"Now, please pick up the voting devices next to your seats and vote for the four people on stage to choose the game partners you want to see!"

"Three minutes allotted for voting to begin!"

The moment the rules were announced, almost instinctively, Yu Genkawa's gaze drifted uncontrollably toward Mai Sakurajima, who was standing diagonally opposite him.

Almost at the same moment, Mai Sakurajima seemed to sense something as well, and her cool gaze also lifted up.

Their eyes met briefly and silently in the air filled with cheers and lights.

In that instant, time seemed to stretch out.

Yuu Minakawa could see the fleeting surprise in her eyes, while Mai Sakurajima saw the momentary searching and anticipation in Yuu Minakawa's eyes.

However, they quickly looked away and glanced at the fans below the stage.

Sitting in the front row of the lucky zone, Yuki Natsukawa gripped her voting device tightly, her heart pounding.

Looking at the radiant Yu Minakawa on the stage, she was filled with excitement.

As a core fan of "Aiyuto", she is currently the core administrator of the "Yu-Aka" CP party (Yu Minakawa x Akane Kurokawa) fan group, which was created because of the dating reality show. She has also infiltrated the "Asa-Yu" (Toru Asakura x Yu Minakawa) group for a long time.

As for Mai Sakurajima, she felt more admiration for her as an excellent actress than any particular affection for her.

She subconsciously wanted to vote for Yu Minakawa and Mai Sakurajima as a pair, since they were the male and female leads, which fit the usual promotional logic.

However, just as she was about to press the selection button, the excited conversation of two girls who looked like college students sitting next to her drifted into her ears.

"Hey, let's pair Yu-kun and Haruto-kun together! A handsome couple is pleasing to the eye!"

"Haha, I agree! Just imagine the two of them playing games together, it'll be so much fun! They might even get all flustered!"

"Exactly! Male-female pairings are too ordinary; we want to see male-male combinations!"

Upon hearing this, Yuki Natsukawa's eyes lit up immediately.

Yes! How come I didn't think of that?

Seeing the stark contrast between Genkawa Yu's composed and handsome demeanor and Yamazaki Haruto's lively and cheerful personality on stage, she also wanted to see what kind of chemistry would occur if her favorite "Yu-kun" teamed up with someone of the same sex.

This unconventional team formation seems more interesting and better at creating entertainment value.

Almost without hesitation, she smiled and pressed the option to pair up Yuu Minakawa and Haruto Yamazaki, her heart filled with even more anticipation.

After the three-minute voting period ended, a bar chart of vote counts began to be displayed in real time on the big screen.

The votes for Yu Minakawa and Haruto Yamazaki suddenly began to climb steadily. Finally, when the bar chart stopped moving, their combination received the most votes, while Mai Sakurajima and Kana Arima automatically became the other team.

"oh--!!!"

The moment the results were announced, the entire venue fell silent for a moment, then erupted in deafening cheers mixed with laughter and jeers.

This result was clearly unexpected for many, but it also accurately tapped into the fans' desire for novelty and fun.

The reactions on stage varied.

Haruto Yamazaki was stunned for a moment, then burst into exaggerated laughter. He put his arm around Yu Genkawa's shoulder, made a victory sign to the audience, and shouted loudly.

"In that case, let's work together! A real man should forge ahead! We're going to win this game!"

Genkawa Yu smiled helplessly, patted Yamazaki Haruto on the back, and made a gesture of "please go easy on me" to the audience, which drew another round of good-natured laughter.

On the other side, Mai Sakurajima maintained her perfect smile. She clapped her hands gracefully, as if congratulating her opponents on their successful team formation, and then looked gently at Kana Arima beside her, offering soft encouragement.

"Let's do our best together, Mr. Arima."

Faced with Mai Sakurajima's gentleness, Kana Arima visibly relaxed and nodded vigorously.

"Yes! Sakurajima-senpai, I will do my best!"

"Alright! Teams divided! Girls' team: Sakurajima and Arima, Boys' team: Genkawa and Yamazaki!"