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

This question took Kurokawa Osamu by surprise.

He clearly hadn't expected that this young man would not only accept his question but also dare to ask it back so directly.

Immediately, a cold smile appeared on his tense and serious face, and he said in a sharp tone.

"In that case, I'll let you experience... the taste of the cold waters of Tokyo Bay."

"?"

Now it was Genkawa Yu's turn to be dumbfounded.

However, Kurokawa Osamu quickly chuckled, shook his head, and continued, "It was just a joke, Genkawa-kun, there's no need to be so nervous."

"Kid...you really dare to ask that."

He took a small step forward, and the oppressive feeling intensified again, but this time it no longer seemed like a mere scrutiny, but rather a weighing of opinions.

“Mr. Genkawa, I really hate those slick, pretty boys in the entertainment industry who only know how to talk sweet nothings and are fickle.”

Kurokawa Osamu's voice was deep, filled with undisguised disgust. "That circle is too chaotic, too tempting. I don't want Akane to get hurt in any way."

His gaze became piercing again, fixed intently on Genkawa Yu.

"But... I admire men who are responsible and have the courage to take responsibility. I've looked into your injury. I heard it was to save a female actress from the same production crew, not some random jealousy or accident. Being able to step forward in that situation shows that you have something I admire in you, which is very good."

Genkawa Yu was slightly taken aback, not expecting that this police inspector had actually investigated the cause of his injury in private.

Kurokawa Osamu continued speaking, his tone slightly softer, but still carrying a sense of caution.

"That Akane seems gentle and cheerful, but she's actually very thoughtful and stubborn. Once she's made up her mind, nothing can change it. Since she's so... humph!"

He snorted coldly, not finishing his sentence, but his meaning was already clear.

"If you, kid..."

Kurokawa Risa's gaze sharpened again, pressing down on Genkawa Yu as if it were a physical presence. "If that day ever comes, and you can guarantee to treat Akane with all your heart and not let her be sad or cry... then perhaps I can be willing to lend you my power."

These words may still sound tough, even conditional, but the underlying meaning is all too clear.

This is a father's awkward yet weighty recognition and initial acceptance.

This means: I'm just observing you for now. If you're qualified, I won't be an obstacle for you, and I might even become your support.

These were almost standard "prospective father-in-law" remarks, and coming from the mouth of this powerful police inspector, they carried a heavy weight.

Genkawa Yu was silent for a moment, then nodded solemnly.

"I understand, thank you, Kurokawa-san. I will remember your words carefully."

The atmosphere eased considerably afterward.

Kurokawa asked a few more simple questions about Genkawa Yu's recovery and future work plans, to which Genkawa Yu answered cautiously.

Although the conversation between the two was still not exactly lively, it was at least no longer a tense interrogation.

After a while, Kurokawa looked at his watch. "That's about enough. Let's go back, or Akane will be getting impatient."

As the two returned to the bustling main approach, Kurokawa Akane immediately jogged over, her face filled with tension and worry. Her eyes darted back and forth between her father and Minagawa Yu, as if she were urgently searching for any sign of discord.

"Dad! Genkawa-kun! What...did you talk about?"

Her voice trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Kurokawa glanced at his daughter, his face returning to its serious expression, but his eyes seemed to soften a little. "It's nothing, just a casual chat. I also asked about Genkawa-kun's recovery."

He casually glossed over the tense conversation that had just taken place.

Akane Kurokawa clearly didn't believe it and turned her questioning gaze to Yu Minakawa.

Genkawa Yu gave the girl a reassuring smile, shook his head slightly, and conveyed the message "It's okay, everything is fine" with his eyes.

His smile seemed to possess a magical power, and it had a special effect on Akane Kurokawa, instantly relaxing most of her tense nerves. Although she was still curious, she was at least at ease.

Haruto Yamazaki stood a little further away. He had just stumbled upon another juicy piece of gossip, and his heart was already burning with the fire of gossip. But on the surface, he had to try his best to maintain a calm expression as if he were just an observer.

At the end of their New Year's shrine visit, Yuu Genkawa and Haruto Yamazaki bid farewell to the Kurokawa father and daughter.

Kurokawa Risa nodded slightly to Genkawa Yu, then left with Kurokawa Akane, who kept turning back to look at her, her eyes still full of curiosity and longing.

"Wow! That really scared me to death!"

When only the two of them remained, Yamazaki Haruto immediately revealed his true colors, patting his chest and letting out a long sigh of relief, "Kurokawa-san's aura is terrifying! What did you two talk about? He didn't give you any trouble, did he?"

Yuan Chuan You smiled and downplayed the issue, "It's nothing, just a father asking his daughter what she's doing."

"Normal inquiry?"

Haruto Yamazaki gave him a "you're kidding me" look. "It looks like an interrogation room. Kurokawa-san, you don't actually work as a police officer, do you?"

Yuan Chuan You smiled and nodded, then shook his head. "Stop gossiping, let's go back."

After leaving Meiji Shrine, the two felt a bit hungry, so they randomly found a still-open oden stall, sat down, ordered some hot food, and two cups of sake to ward off the cold.

With the hot soup down his throat and the alcohol making him slightly tipsy, Yamazaki Haruka's curiosity swelled to its peak once again.

He leaned closer to Genkawa Yu, lowered his voice, and wore the inquisitive expression typical of men discussing such topics.

"Seriously, Yuanchuan, there's no one else here. Tell me the truth."

He counted on his fingers, "Sakurajima-san, a popular actress who debuted as a child star; Kurokawa-san, a highly skilled stage actress; and that Asakura-san who plays a puppet... she seems to have no emotional fluctuations, but I saw it clearly in the hospital room that day, the way she looked at you was definitely not right..."

"so..."

He drew out his words, staring into Genkawa Yu's eyes, "Who exactly is the real person? Can't you even tell your brother? I swear I absolutely won't reveal it!"

Genkawa Yu held a warm wine glass, gazing at the clear liquid inside and the flickering lamplight reflected in it. He remained silent for a moment, the evening breeze ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead, his profile appearing somewhat hazy in the darkness and lamplight.

After a while, he slowly spoke, his voice calm and clear, "So far... none of these are true."

"Neither?"

Haruto Yamazaki was so shocked he almost jumped up, but he quickly lowered his voice and leaned closer, asking with some surprise, "...How is this possible? Then you..."

"Relationships are not a multiple-choice question, nor are they a competition to determine a champion."

Genkawa Yu gently swirled his wine glass, his gaze suddenly drifting into the distance.

"They are all very outstanding girls, and I like, admire, and even appreciate them all. But this feeling is perhaps a little short of a clear confirmation of 'one and only love,' or rather, it needs a decisive moment."

He paused, then added, "Moreover, this involves many things, not just feelings."

Haruto Yamazaki listened with a mixture of understanding and confusion, and it took him a long time to process the information. In the end, he could only let out a long sigh.

"Sigh... You're really going around in circles. If you like someone, you just like them. Why make it so complicated?"

Haruto Yamazaki picked up his glass and clinked it forcefully with Yu Genkawa's, his tone becoming half-joking and half-serious.

"However, I need to remind you of something. When I first entered the industry, a senior figure with over 30 years of experience warned me... to be very careful of women in the entertainment industry!"

"Although they are all very charming, each of them has a quality that is a hundred times more dangerous than that of ordinary girls. Your body has just recovered, so don't go back to the hospital."

Haruto Yamazaki chuckled, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "But if you really do go back in, I'll definitely come back to take care of you, hahaha! I hope that day doesn't come too soon."

Yuan Chuanyu was amused by him, shook his head helplessly, and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

The first glass of wine of the new year, with a hint of spiciness, a hint of sweetness, and countless complicated thoughts waiting to be sorted out, was swallowed down together.

The tangled web of emotions is perhaps best left to time to reveal the answer.

The third day of spring break.

Tokyo's steel jungle remains bustling, but the New Year's Eve revelry has gradually subsided, and a semblance of normalcy has returned, with a lingering sense of holiday laziness in the air.

On a certain floor of a luxury apartment building, in a room decorated with a literary atmosphere and a girlish languidness, Kasumigaoka Utaha is engaged in a fierce battle—struggling with the plot concept of the fourth volume of "Love Metronome".

She sat at the large desk, her once smooth and shiny black hair now looking a bit frizzy, with a few unruly strands sticking to her slightly sweaty forehead.

The girl was wearing a slightly loose black nightgown, revealing her delicate collarbone and a small patch of fair skin at the neckline. Her exquisite face showed obvious signs of fatigue, and her bright wine-red eyes were somewhat dim, with undeniable dark circles under her eyes.

The poor sales of the third volume of "Love Metronome" haunted her like a nightmare.

The publisher's urging, the readers' expectations, and her own pursuit of perfection became heavy shackles, preventing her from writing a single word.

She had been sitting there staring at the blank document for a long time. Her fingertips were icy cold, but her mind felt like it was filled with scalding hot cotton, chaotic and sluggish.

Fragments of ideas flashed through my mind, only to be quickly shattered by the negations within.

House seemingly endless rain.

Perhaps due to her weakened immune system from staying up late for several nights in a row, coupled with the cold wind she accidentally caught when she returned from a meeting at the publishing house last night, she has been experiencing a dry and sore throat, dizziness, and chills all over her body since this morning.

At this moment, the temperature on his forehead was noticeably higher, and his cheeks were flushed with an abnormal redness.

She has a fever.

The physical discomfort exacerbated her mental anxiety and sense of powerlessness. Kasumigaoka Utaha irritably threw down the mouse, leaned back in her chair, closed her sore eyes, and let out a very soft murmur filled with pain and frustration.

Can anyone help me?

Even if it's just helping to come up with a starting idea.

Or, just pour me a glass of hot water.

Such a fragile, almost pleading thought rarely appeared in the proud Kasumigaoka Utaha's mind, but at this moment, under the dual torment of illness and pressure, it surfaced uncontrollably.

She finally felt a loneliness she had never experienced before.

Just then—

"Dong dong dong."

A clear and rhythmic knocking sound suddenly broke the suffocating silence in the room.

Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly opened her eyes, looking somewhat bewildered towards the door.

Who could it be at this time...?

Perhaps she was delirious from the fever, because she didn't think much for a moment and just relied on instinct to struggle to stand up from the chair.

A wave of dizziness washed over her, and she staggered, managing to steady herself by grabbing the corner of the table. With unsteady steps, she slowly made her way to the entrance.

Utaha Kasumigaoka, feeling dizzy, reached out and turned the lock.

The door to the room had already been opened.

Genkawa Yu, standing outside the door, seemed surprised that the door would open so quickly, and wore a polite smile.