A week could change everything, Mirae thought, watching the sunrise spill gold over the sea outside the hotel window. Seven days since the premiere—seven days of sleepless nights, wild nerves, and a public reception that had the entire cast riding high and low at the same time. The movie was out, finally. Headlines scrolled by on every phone, group chat, and cafe TV: LUNE's New Film Hits Screens to Record Crowds—always followed by a line that pricked at Mirae's pride: Second Only to EON's Blockbuster.
It wasn't a loss, not really. They'd done something remarkable—new studio, rookie cast, a tightrope walk of PR. But there it was, the shadow of EON looming over every conversation, every review. EON's film was everywhere, the billboards huge and gaudy, their stars smiling down from every intersection. Still, as Mirae stood in the pale morning light, she didn't feel defeated. Not exactly. She felt hungry. The whole set did.
