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

As the blurry vision gradually focused, Sakurajima Mai's pretty face came into view, so close to his.

She seemed to have been leaning forward the whole time, standing guard by the bed, not even noticing the wrinkles in her school uniform skirt.

"Ichinose-kun! You're awake? How are you feeling? The doctor said you were extremely fatigued and had low blood sugar..."

Mai Sakurajima's voice trembled slightly, as if she had survived a disaster. Her acting was perfect. As an excellent actress, her clear eyes were filled with undisguised heartache.

The camera then focused intently on a close-up of Genkawa Yu.

His eyes were blank for a moment, then quickly cleared, and he recognized the worried face of the girl in front of him.

Then, Genkawa Yu struggled to sit up using his arms, but was stopped by a sudden wave of dizziness and could only fall back onto the pillow helplessly.

"I'm fine, just a little low blood sugar, it's an old problem, I'll be fine after a rest."

He paused, his tone becoming more distant and polite, as if he were treating a kind stranger.

"Thank you for bringing me to the hospital... I'm so sorry for the trouble you've caused."

Genkawa Yu's words were like an invisible wall erected between the two of them, carrying a clear intention to show off and draw a line, stubbornly maintaining the pride and dignity that was already teetering on the brink of collapse under the pressure of reality.

Hearing him say that, Mai Sakurajima felt a surge of complex emotions, a mixture of anger and heartache.

She opened her mouth, her pink lips twitching a few times, as if she wanted to say something more caring, but he blocked her with his cold and solid invisible wall, and in the end, she could only let out a barely audible sigh.

"Okay...okay, then Ichinose-kun, take care and get some rest. I'll head back now."

Mai Sakurajima got up, couldn't help but glance at him again, and then left the ward.

In this scene, both Yu Genkawa and Mai Sakurajima displayed textbook-level acting skills.

Yu Genkawa realistically portrayed the complex emotions of Ren, hidden beneath a mask of calm aloofness, and her unwillingness to accept sympathy, through her expressive eyes. Mai Sakurajima perfectly captured Ninako's instinctive worry and the subtle grievances and helplessness she felt after being coldly rejected.

Every glance, every subtle expression that seemed to hold back a word, was filled with a delicate and moving power, which greatly satisfied the director.

Next comes the second part of today's scenes, a scene with even more intense emotional conflict, focusing entirely on the inner world of the male protagonist, Ichinose Ren.

The scene shifts to a private room in a coffee shop located in an upscale commercial area.

Soft, warm light shone on the dark walnut wood table, where [Lotus] and his model girlfriend were having a crucial conversation.

To best fit the plot and create a realistic "older woman" feel and model image, the production team specially invited Rika Sakuramiya, a real model with outstanding temperament, to play the role of the "older woman girlfriend" who has few scenes but leaves a deep mark on [Ren's] growth trajectory.

Sakuramiya Rika was sitting opposite Genkawa Yu at the moment, but her heart was far from as calm as she appeared.

Although she was once a popular model and had acted in several TV series, she was never the lead; she was just a supporting actress with limited screen time.

But sitting in front of her now is Yu Genkawa, a super popular actor who became famous throughout Asia with "Alice in the Land of the Dying" and whose popularity is unimaginable.

Besides the pressure, Sakuramiya Rika also felt unprecedented excitement and nervousness. Being able to act opposite a handsome man of this caliber was an opportunity that countless actresses dreamed of but could hardly attain.

She secretly took a deep breath, constantly reminding herself that she must give it her all and not let her performance lower the quality of the scene.

We absolutely have to catch up with Yu Minakawa's performance!

"Action!"

The scene officially begins.

Looking at his girlfriend sitting opposite him, whose makeup was impeccable, Yuan Chuanyu's eyes showed a hint of weariness that was hard to hide, but even more so, an eagerness to prove himself.

"Marina, I know that I may not be mature enough right now and can't give you the sense of security you want, but please believe me."

Genkawa Yu emphasized his words, his gaze fixed intently on Sakuramiya Rika across from him.

"I'm already working very hard at my part-time job, studying diligently, and trying my best to improve myself. Can you give me a little more time? I will definitely grow up as soon as possible and become a man who can truly be worthy of you."

These words were very sincere, carrying the recklessness unique to young people.

However, Rika Sakuramiya, who played the model's girlfriend, did not show the slightest expression of emotion or comfort on her face.

She didn't even look into Genkawa Yu's eyes, but rather stiffly stirred the already cooled latte in her cup with a slender spoon, her gaze drifting somewhat to the bustling traffic outside the window.

"Lianjun, I've recently met with designers and photographers from several international brands, and I've gone to overseas fashion weeks with their teams a few times. I feel like my horizons are completely different now, much broader..."

She seemed to be talking to herself, or perhaps stating a fact that had nothing to do with the other person.

"You know, the modeling industry looks glamorous, but the competition is incredibly fierce. Opportunities are often fleeting, and once missed, they're gone forever. So you have to be extremely careful with every step, requiring... 100% of your energy, or even more, without any distractions..."

Her words seemed to be a casual sharing of her work experiences, but in reality, there were undercurrents, and every sentence seemed to be laying the groundwork for what was to come.

"if..."

The next moment, Genkawa Yu's face turned redder and redder, and his blood rushed to his head. He understood his girlfriend's subtext, so he asked her in a more intense tone, as if he were roaring.

"Do female models get more opportunities if they publicly declare that they are single?"

This question is like a sharp sword tempered with ice, piercing the core with precision and cruelty, stripping away all the pretense of warmth and affection.

"I..."

Just then, faced with Yuu Genkawa's intense gaze, Rika Sakuramiya suddenly found her heart starting to race uncontrollably.

Genkawa Yu's gaze and aura enveloped her, making her mind go blank, causing her to pause for several seconds and fail to continue her lines.

These few seconds, of course, did not meet the director's requirements.

"Cat!"

The director's voice immediately rang out.

"Sakuramiya-san, what's going on?"

"Sorry, I wasn't feeling well just now, please try again."

Rika Sakura, her face flushed, begged for another round, but it was then that she noticed Yuu Genkawa simply smiled and didn't say anything more.

"Then let's do another one."

"Action!"

Filming resumed, and Genkawa Yuya regained his composure, shouting out his line with all his might.

"Do female models get more opportunities if they publicly declare that they are single?"

"...You could say that."

Rika Sakuramiya's expression was indifferent, but she did not mention breaking up during the conversation. After a moment of silence, she said that she had work to do and then left.

Only Yuan Chuanyu remained sitting alone in his seat, his hand under the table unconsciously clenched into a fist, and his expression was extremely unpleasant.

At this moment, all sorts of emotions—his girlfriend's choice, his own resentment, and so on—were perfectly expressed through Yuu Minakawa's eyes.

"Card!"

Director Mizuki's voice came through the walkie-talkie, trembling with a sense of relief mixed with barely concealed excitement.

"That was perfect, Genkawa-kun, thank you for your hard work!"

With the director's approval, the tense atmosphere on set instantly relaxed, followed by enthusiastic applause.

"My goodness... Genkawa-san's eye acting is amazing..."

"Is this the power of an actor's performance? Even though he wasn't making any big movements, I felt like I was suffocating..."

"Ms. Sakuramiya was also great; she portrayed the reality and helplessness of adulthood very realistically."

Several young female staff members huddled together, excitedly whispering among themselves.

At this moment, a lively script supervisor laughed and teased loudly.

"Oh dear, isn't the screenwriter a bit too cruel? If you had a boyfriend like Genkawa-san in real life, what girl would bear to make him so sad? There's absolutely no way she would break up with him!"

These words immediately resonated with almost all the female staff present, and they all laughed and echoed them.

"Exactly! Genkawa-san is so handsome, so hardworking, and so devoted—he's practically the perfect ideal type!"

"If my boyfriend were even a tenth as good as Genkawa-kun, no, a hundredth, I'd be laughing in my sleep!"

"This plot is so illogical! It doesn't fit a girl's heart at all!"

Hearing their discussion, Sakura Rika, who had just come out of the acting atmosphere, couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle. With a blush on her face, she looked sincerely at Genkawa Yu and said.

"Yes, Genkawa-san's performance just now was so immersive that I almost felt like I was a wicked woman."

"If I were dating a boyfriend like that, I would definitely be willing to break up with him."

A burst of good-natured laughter immediately filled the room, and the atmosphere became relaxed and harmonious.

Genkawa Yu completely broke free from the "Lotus" state, smiled politely at everyone, and humbly stated that it was the result of everyone's joint efforts.

This crucial part of the show has finally come to a successful conclusion.

Back in his own temporary dressing room, Genkawa Yu leaned back wearily on the comfortable sofa, closed his eyes, and let the intense emotions he had been immersed in the role gradually calm down.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door of the lounge, which was then pushed open.

Having removed her makeup, Mai Sakurajima, whose natural beauty was even more apparent, walked in with a light step, carrying a steaming cup of black tea.

She walked over to the sofa next to Yuan Chuanyou and sat down, handing him the teacup in her hand. Her voice was less cold than usual, and more naturally concerned.

"You must have been emotionally drained during that scene, right? Have some hot tea to calm down."

Genkawa Yu opened his eyes, somewhat surprised, and took the teacup, saying, "Thank you, Mai-san."

Mai Sakurajima watched his slender fingers and slightly tired profile as he took the teacup, and a slight stirring stirred in her heart.

She remembered that he had left the film crew in a hurry a few days ago, saying that he was going back to the company to handle music-related matters, and that aroused curiosity surged up again.

"Speaking of..."

Mai Sakurajima casually brought it up, but her gaze fell on Yu Genkawa's face with a look of inquiry.

"What Genkawa-kun said a few days ago about going back to the company to handle music-related matters... Does that mean you're systematically studying music in addition to acting and writing?"

Genkawa Yu blew on the steam rising from his teacup, then looked up at her, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Yes, I'm trying to write songs and learning singing techniques."

"Songwriting?"

Mai Sakurajima raised her delicate eyebrows slightly, and a deeper interest flashed in her eyes.

Although Genkawa Yu's previous "greedy" remarks caused their originally close relationship to suddenly cool down.

But this production crew is Sakurajima Mai's home turf, and she doesn't want those complicated personal emotions to affect the final quality of the work.