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

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Everyone, let's eat, the food's getting cold."

Nobuyuki Kumano and Kengo Morimoto wisely stopped asking questions and, to lighten the mood, started talking about other interesting topics.

MEM also tried to cheer herself up, occasionally saying a few words to Asakura Toru.

Lunch continued, but the atmosphere around the table had completely changed after Asakura Toru asked a question.

The previous liveliness and ease have vanished, replaced by an indescribable subtlety.

Although everyone was still chatting, their tone became more cautious, and their eyes kept glancing at Asakura Toru unconsciously.

Asakura Toru ate his meal silently, rarely speaking again.

Lunch gradually drew to a close in this subtle and somewhat awkward atmosphere.

Everyone had almost finished eating, and Akane Kurokawa stood up and began clearing the table.

"Everyone, take a break first. I'll go tidy up."

Genkawa Yu immediately stood up: "I'll help you."

Nobuyuki Kumano and Kengo Morimoto also stood up: "We'll help clean up too!"

Asakura Toru remained seated, motionless, while MEM Chu, unable to bear seeing her friend upset, leaned over to offer a few words of comfort.

As soon as MEM held her hand, he heard Asakura Toru's voice.

"Tou-chan... are you alright?"

"I'm very good."

"you..."

Asakura Toru suddenly remembered a topic he had discussed with Genkawa Yu before.

It's easy for people to give up on what they're pursuing, but when you find something else to pursue, you might give up again if you encounter setbacks.

But for Asakura Toru...

Once she decided what she wanted to pursue, she basically never gave up.

No matter how hard or tiring it was to be an idol, I never gave up.

They studied and practiced acting skills, but never gave up, even when their teeth ached and their facial muscles swelled.

Therefore, 麇尔另z（二？）侕伊A?0?覇b.

“MEM chirp…”

"what happened?"

"I won't give up."

"..."

Volume 3: I Am the Knight of the New Era - Chapter 27 Premiere, Mai Sakurajima Decides to Go to the Front Line (2-in-1 5k)

Monday morning, in the conference room of the Star Engine firm.

The faint aroma of coffee floated in the air, intertwining with the data analysis reports scrolling on the projection screen to create a sense of rigor in the workplace.

With the pre-release promotion of "Love Like a Bouquet" nearing its end and the pre-sale box office exceeding 40 million yen, the meeting to promote the official release felt even more confident.

Beside the head of the long conference table, Kazuya Nakahara, dressed in a sharp dark gray suit, held a stylus in his hand, intently outlining the follow-up plan.

Today he is the host of this meeting. With the development of [Star Engine], he has become Yuan Chuanyou's "chief steward".

"The current pre-sale data has exceeded expectations, thanks to the momentum generated by the pre-release roadshow and various promotional activities. Our next goal is to ensure the screening rate after the official release, and at the same time, to expand the film's influence through the premiere and attract more audiences to the cinema."

Making movies is all about making money, so everything has to be geared towards box office success.

Moreover, this film is also aiming for awards, and it needs to be submitted to the Japan Film Association and the Japan Academy Film Prize this month.

After Kazuya Nakahara finished speaking, the projection screen behind him switched to display a map of theater distribution and a projected schedule curve, and Kazuya Nakahara continued his explanation.

"We have reached a preliminary consensus with major cinema chains such as Toho and Shochiku, and we aim to achieve a screening share of more than 18% on the opening day. The premiere will be held this Friday at 7 p.m. at the main venue of the Tokyo International Forum Building. More than 30 mainstream media outlets in the industry will be invited, and some seats will be reserved for the actors' relatives, friends and partners."

On one side of the conference table, Genkawa Yu was wearing a simple black shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his forearms, revealing his smooth wrists.

His gaze was focused on the projection screen, his fingertips unconsciously tapping lightly on the table, his mind simultaneously processing the plans of Zhong Er Yi Wu (Seven?) Jiu Liu San Yuan He Ye.

Akane Kurokawa, standing beside her, wore a beige long dress and delicate pearl earrings, exuding both professionalism and gentle charm.

As the female lead in this film, she cares more about its reception and reviews than anyone else.

Regarding guest invitations for the premiere...

Kazuya Nakahara's gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Yu Genkawa and Akane Kurokawa. "As the lead actors, if you have any friends or relatives you would like to invite, please let me know in advance, and we will arrange the invitations."

Upon hearing this, Akane Kurokawa raised her head, a gentle smile appearing on her face.

“I want to invite my parents to attend. They have been looking forward to this movie and would be very happy to see the finished product at the premiere.”

"No problem, I'll arrange it."

Kazuya Nakahara nodded in agreement, then looked at Yuu Genkawa, "Where's Genkawa-kun?"

Genkawa Yu withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "As for my side... I'll reserve seven or eight tickets for now, and I might invite some friends."

He had just thought about it, and since he was currently filming "Kamen Rider Fox" and was also familiar with his friends from the dating show, he could invite Sato Masashi, Masahiro Kazuto, and Asakura Toru to attend the premiere.

Moreover, when filming "Alice in the Land of the Dying," they even reserved a ticket for Haruto Yamazaki.

When faced with his boss's request, Kazuya Nakahara naturally agreed immediately and readily.

"Okay, I will count the number of people and make the invitations as soon as possible. Also, I need to confirm the issue of remuneration and profit sharing with the production company."

Kazuya Nakahara glanced at the group of people sitting on the other side of the conference room. They were representatives of the "burning" genre, as well as the production company and distributors. This film essentially borrowed resources from the "burning" genre, so their opinions had to be taken into consideration.

"First of all, Kurokawa-san, your agency contract has been officially transferred to [Star Engine]. However, your appearance in 'Love Like a Bouquet' will be before the transfer. I have already contacted your previous agency, and it will be a fixed salary system. The amount has been confirmed beforehand, and the money will be transferred after the film is officially released."

Akane Kurokawa nodded. "I understand, no problem."

The next moment, Kazuya Nakahara's tone became more serious, after all, Yu Genkawa's side was the main concern.

"Genkawa-kun is the male lead of the film and also the sole writer of the script. His previous contract was based on a revenue-sharing system."

"According to the contract, after the film is no longer in theaters, 16% of the remaining net profit, after deducting the theaters' share and the costs of the investors and producers, will belong to Mr. Yuan Chuan. The pre-sales results are very good so far, and if this trend continues, the subsequent revenue sharing will be quite considerable."

A 16% commission means that this will be a huge sum of money that ordinary people can only dream of.

However, Genkawa Yu did not show much surprise on his face, but simply nodded calmly.

"I understand, thank you for your hard work, Zhongyuan Sang."

This revenue is very important to him, as it will be crucial for the development of [Star Engine] once the funds are received.

The representatives of the "burning" genre and the production team present had no say in this, since it was a result that Yuu Genkawa and Hayato Suo had discussed beforehand, and their opinions were useless.

About half an hour later, the meeting came to an end.

Yuu Genkawa noticed his phone vibrating slightly under the table. He calmly took it out, and a text message popped up on the screen. The sender was Mai Sakurajima.

The text message was brief: "Today's recording is finished. I'll be waiting for you in the TV station's underground parking lot."

Genkawa Yu's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. He quickly replied, "Okay, I'll come over as soon as my meeting is over," and put his phone back in his pocket.

Ten minutes later, Kazuya Nakahara announced the end of the meeting.

"That concludes the content of this pre-meeting meeting. Subsequent tasks will be handled by designated personnel. Thank you for your hard work."

Everyone stood up and left their seats. Genkawa Yu walked to Kurokawa Akane's side and said in a low voice.

"Akane, I'll take you home first. I have some things to take care of later."

Akane Kurokawa knew her boyfriend was very busy, so she nodded and gave him an understanding smile.

"Okay, I understand. Just let me know if you need my help with the premiere."

Yu Minakawa dropped Akane Kurokawa off at their apartment building, watched her go upstairs, and then got back into his car and drove towards the TV station.

Soothing music played from the car stereo, and sunlight streamed in through the windows, casting soft shadows on his profile and gradually relaxing his tense nerves that had been on edge all morning.

Meanwhile, in another studio at NHK television, the recording of "Scatteredism" had just finished.

This is a highly popular talk show hosted by three experienced hosts (two men and one woman). The guests are usually celebrities who are currently very popular. They share their daily lives and insights about life through relaxed and humorous conversations.

As the main guest of this episode, Mai Sakurajima's performance was nothing short of perfect.

During the recording, she wore a wine-red velvet dress that accentuated her graceful figure. Her makeup was exquisite and bright, yet approachable.

She handled all the host's questions with ease, eliciting constant laughter from the audience.

About two hours later, the recording was successfully completed, and the audience burst into enthusiastic applause.

The three hosts stepped forward and shook hands with Mai Sakurajima, exchanging pleasantries.

With a warm smile, the female host, Nao Yamada, said enthusiastically, "Sakurajima-san, today's recording was wonderful, and it was really enjoyable chatting with you. Do you have some time later? How about we go out for dinner together?"

Mai Sakurajima gave a polite smile and then shook her head at Nao Yamada.

"I'm sorry, Yamada-san, I have some things to take care of later, so I'm afraid I can't have dinner with you. Let's make plans another time."

"I see..."

Nao Yamada looked slightly disappointed, but quickly regained her smile.

"It's okay, it's okay, work is the priority."

Mai Sakurajima nodded, watched Nao Yamada leave, and then turned and walked towards her private lounge.

As she entered the lounge, her professional smile faded, and she leaned wearily against the sofa, gently rubbing her temples.

Her assistant quickly handed her warm water and a towel. She took the towel, wiped her face, and said...

"Please prepare some things for me to touch up my makeup. I don't need a full face of makeup, just a little touch-up."

The female assistant was a little confused. Usually, after the recording ended, Mai Sakurajima would remove her makeup as soon as possible, change into comfortable casual clothes, and wait to go home.

Why do I suddenly need to touch up my makeup today?

Although she was puzzled, she didn't ask any further questions and immediately nodded in agreement.