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

Without the slightest raised eyebrow, twitch of the lips, or flicker of the eyes, her gaze remained calmly fixed on the cards, her movements steady and mechanical, like an emotionless card-drawing machine.

This almost cold "poker face" created a striking contrast with her exquisite and beautiful makeup tonight, exuding both the charm of an intelligent woman and a stubbornness that was both earnest and adorable, eliciting bursts of heartfelt cheers, encouraging laughter, and shouts of "kawaii" from the audience.

Wow! He really has no expression at all! That's amazing!

"Sakurajima-san is so cute! Her composure is amazing!"

"Genkawa-kun really knows Sakurajima-san! His prediction was so accurate!"

Yoshimi Tokui stood by, marveling at the sight, his tone filled with admiration.

Arita Teppei immediately chimed in, nudging Genkawa Yu lightly with his shoulder and making a face.

"After all, they are partners with a good working relationship."

As Ueda Shinya watched the battle unfold in the small window, it gradually entered the middle stage. The four players had fewer and fewer cards in their hands, and the tension was like a noose that was tightening.

The black Joker card in Sakurajima Mai's hand remained firmly in her grasp, like a persistent affliction, and she was unable to pass it on successfully.

Then Ueda Shinya asked again.

"Genkawa-kun, suppose that in the final third round of the ultimate showdown, you and Sakurajima-san happen to meet face to face in a final life-or-death battle, would you go easy on her out of consideration for your partnership and deliberately hold back?"

Upon hearing this, Genkawa Yu answered without hesitation, a sharp smile playing on his lips, radiating a strong competitive spirit and confidence.

"No, I believe that giving your all in this kind of game is the greatest respect you can show your opponent, and besides..."

He paused.

"Even if I lose, Sakurajima-san won't lose. I firmly believe that."

Volume 2 Tokyo Love Story: Chapter 57 Joker Battle, ratings explode! (2-in-1 5k)

In the program "Chatting 007", the first game, shown on the small screen, entered its final, heated stage.

The first round was about to end, and the atmosphere was so tense it was almost palpable.

It was Nagura Jun's turn to draw a card from Harada Taizo's hand. His fingers trembled as he carefully drew a card, and surprisingly, he managed to make a perfect pair.

Thus, Jun Nagura escaped safely, and the pressure then fell on Taizo Harada. Surprisingly, he managed to draw a pair from Ken Horiuchi's hand again.

Harada Taizo also narrowly escaped death.

In that instant, the situation on the field changed dramatically.

Of the four, only Mai Sakurajima and Ken Horiuchi remained, making it a one-on-one duel.

Mai Sakurajima has two cards left in her hand: a Joker and a Two of Hearts, while Ken Horiuchi has the last Two of Hearts that can be used to make a pair.

The air seemed to freeze instantly, and everyone's heart was in their throat.

The final draw that determined the outcome of the first round was Horiuchi Ken's turn to draw from Sakurajima Mai's hand.

Offstage, Shinya Ueda immediately handed the microphone to Yu Genkawa's lips, his voice rising slightly with nervousness and excitement.

"Genkawa-kun, this is the ultimate one-on-one duel. Do you think Sakurajima-san can create a miracle and turn the tide, or will he fall short?"

"I believe her."

Genkawa Yu nodded and looked at the large screen on the stage.

Inside the arena, Ken Horiuchi's face was filled with tension and struggle. His finger hesitated in the air for a long time before finally choosing the right side as if resigned to his fate. With a forceful pull, he drew the black Joker card that was as hot as a hot potato!

"Well..."

Horiuchi Ken's expression changed slightly. At this point, both of them knew what was going on and there was no need to act anymore. So, he shuffled the two cards behind his back and then handed them back to Sakurajima Mai.

"coming!"

"This is the move we're all waiting for!"

The audience outside the stadium was very excited, watching the screen intently.

Mai Sakurajima took a deep breath, and with her slender fingers, she decisively pulled away the card to Ken Horiuchi's left.

"Wow, it's the Two of Hearts!"

Make a pair! Discard!

Mai Sakurajima's hands were empty.

Meanwhile, Ken Horiuchi could only stand there, tears welling up in his eyes, holding up the Joker card alone, accepting the applause and laughter of the audience as a sign of "sympathy"!

"yeah--!!!"

"A reversal! A complete reversal!!"

The main stage and the audience erupted in applause like a volcanic eruption. In the first round, Mai Sakurajima, under immense pressure from an extremely unfavorable start and holding the Joker throughout, successfully passed on the curse of death with her unparalleled poker face and a bit of luck at the last moment, completing a classic comeback.

Seeing that Mai Sakurajima's expression remained largely unchanged in the small window, Yu Genkawa smiled with genuine approval and appreciation.

The host, Shinya Ueda, pulled everyone back from their excitement.

"Everyone, the game's wheel never stops! Now, let's hold our breath and prepare for the second round of the storm. The [Draw the Joker] life-or-death arena is about to begin!"

His arm pointed like a sharp sword at the team poised to go on the other side of the stage.

"Now, please welcome our warriors of the second round to embark on their journey! Genkawa-kun, and the other four heroes of our 'Chat 007' who will soon engage in a battle of wits and luck with him: Ueda Shinya, Arita Teppei, Tokui Yoshimi, and Fukuda Mitsunori!"

The rousing background music, like a battle anthem, suddenly blared, instantly igniting the fighting atmosphere throughout the venue.

Genkawa Yu and the four hosts who were called out stood up in response, like samurai about to head to the arena, and walked towards the soundproof duel room that would determine their "honor and disgrace".

This time it's a five-way battle, and the production team has ingeniously prepared a special pentagonal card table. The cold metal frame contrasts with the dark green velvet tabletop, ensuring that every contestant is in an equal visual focus, and making the psychological game and facial expression observation between them more direct.

As all the participants entered the room, the heavy soundproof door slowly closed, completely isolating the inside and outside worlds.

The commentary baton on the main stage was naturally passed to the victor of the previous round, Jun Nagakura, who is known for his composure and witty remarks.

He took the microphone from the staff member, his face bearing the gentle smile typical of a senior, and first focused on Mai Sakurajima, who had just created a miracle.

"Sakurajima-san was really amazing in that round of the game just now. It was a textbook example of psychological warfare."

Upon hearing this, Mai Sakurajima smiled humbly and charmingly, waving her hand gently, her voice soft yet clear.

“Mr. Nagura, you flatter me too much. To be honest, my heart was probably beating faster than anyone else’s the whole time. I was only holding on because of the belief that I absolutely could not be the first to lose. In the end, I was just lucky.”

Her response was both candid in revealing her nervousness, demonstrating authenticity, and cleverly attributed part of her victory to a stroke of luck, making her exceptionally sincere and endearing, instantly bridging the gap with the audience.

Nagura Jun nodded knowingly, and knowing the rhythm of variety shows, he timely turned the topic to the upcoming second round of the competition.

"So, as the victor of this match, Sakurajima-san, based on your understanding and observation of Genkawa-kun, what kind of strategy will Genkawa-kun adopt in this round? Will he draw on your successful experience and use the 'poker face' tactic?"

Upon hearing this question, Mai Sakurajima smiled slightly. She recalled an important topic that Yu Genkawa, his manager Kazuya Nakahara, and the core members of the team had repeatedly discussed at the strategy meeting before the show's recording.

How to effectively cultivate and enhance "entertainment appeal" and "approachability" in national variety shows.

Yu Genkawa has a clear understanding of himself and a well-defined plan. His current public image is that of a talented young writer and a highly popular and accomplished actor.

These halos inspire awe, but they can also easily build an invisible wall in the minds of viewers, especially ordinary viewers who are not core fans, creating the potential impression that "he is too good and not like us" or "he has a Curry vibe."

Top-tier national variety shows like "Chat 007" are precisely the perfect stage to break through this barrier and showcase one's "true self."

In the survival philosophy of the Japanese entertainment industry, even the biggest stars need to know when to "play dumb" to create laughs or to make precise "roasts" to set the mood.

This is not only necessary for the entertainment effect, but also an essential course for artists to develop in the long term and build a wide audience base.

This is precisely the most important personal goal that Yu Genkawa set for himself in addition to promoting the drama series when he participated in the program.

On the one hand, it's about achieving high ratings so that the production team and TV station will pay more attention to us; on the other hand, it's about gaining more attention, which is something we must do to move forward.

As her thoughts returned to their source, Mai Sakurajima's lips involuntarily curved into a meaningful smile.

She paused deliberately, then gently tapped her chin with her slender fingers, as if carefully considering her words, successfully whetting everyone's appetite.

"Hmm... I personally predict that Genkawa-kun will most likely not choose to simply repeat the 'poker face' in this round."

"Oh?"

Nagura Jun raised his voice at just the right moment, his sallow face filled with curiosity.

The other hosts, including Ken Horiuchi, who had just recovered from his defeat, and Taizo Harada, who had been observing quietly, all crowded around like cats that had smelled fish, their faces showing exaggerated expressions of curiosity.

Mai Sakurajima's smile deepened, and she softly uttered a few words: "He might... use the 'laws of acting'."

"The rules of acting?"

"What is that?"

"Is it acting skills you secretly practiced?"

The hosts immediately erupted in a flurry of questions, their curiosity completely ignited by this seemingly sophisticated and incomprehensible term.

The audience couldn't help but lean forward, craning their necks, eager to know what secrets this tactic, personally endorsed by Mai Sakurajima, held.

"Let's all look forward to the start of the competition to see how it works."

This subtle manipulation of tension instantly caused the anticipation for the second round of the competition in the studio to explode to its peak!

Everyone, from the host to the audience, stared wide-eyed, holding their breath, eager to see what this highly anticipated young talent's so-called "acting rules" would be.

Meanwhile, in the completely soundproof duel room, the second round of the competition officially began.

The high-definition camera lens, once again acting as the most loyal recorder, slowly zoomed in, giving close-ups of the hands of the five contestants.

The camera clearly showed that the pure black Joker card, which symbolized "misfortune," fell squarely into the hands of the host, Shinya Ueda.

"Wow—! It's Ueda-san!"

"A royal flush right from the start!"

"This is going to be really exciting!"

A wave of schadenfreude erupted from the crowd. Ueda Shinya looked down at the Joker card in his hand, which seemed to be mocking him, and a very complicated expression appeared on his face.

The competition began smoothly in a clockwise order.

The card-drawing process of the first two hosts had occasional minor ripples. Arita tried to distract his opponent by making winks and gestures, while Tokui maintained a poker face. Overall, the atmosphere was still under control and was a common state of the game.

However, when the third person to draw a card came up... that is, Genkawa Yu, the atmosphere in the entire duel room and even in front of the main screen suddenly underwent a stunning 180-degree reversal!

Genkawa Yu first lowered his head deeply, his brows furrowed into a deep "川" shape. His focused and determined gaze seemed not to be examining a few light playing cards, but rather to be deciphering some code.

His lips were pressed into a resolute straight line, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, perfectly conveying the tense atmosphere of "a storm brewing."