After the Alice in Borderland fan meeting concluded, the boisterous atmosphere slowly peeled away from the Tokyo Dome City Theater like a receding tide.
In the backstage area, the cauldron of voices had been replaced by efficient and low-pitched wrapping-up work. The muffled rumble of equipment box wheels rolling over the floor and the slightly weary conversations of the staff became the main melody.
Michiya Gōshin had already changed out of his exquisite stage suit. At this moment, he was wearing a soft-textured smoke-grey cashmere hoodie and casual trousers of the same color scheme. Although his face, now washed of makeup, carried obvious weariness, those deep eyes shone brightly due to the event's massive success, as if sparks were jumping ceaselessly within them.
He stood in the corridor, his gaze passing over the busy crowd to fix upon that graceful yet slightly lonely figure in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.
Sakurajima Mai had also removed the exquisite stage makeup applied for the intense lighting. Her clean face appeared to possess a jade-like gentleness and fragility under the somewhat cold corridor lights.
Michiya Gōshin adjusted his breathing, as if sinking some kind of determination to the bottom of his heart, and stepped forward to walk toward her.
When he approached within a certain distance, Sakurajima Mai's body paused almost imperceptibly. She did not look back, but she had evidently sensed his arrival.
The relationship between the two had produced an insurmountable rift due to that previous conversation. Although they had held hands on stage just now with the help of the lively atmosphere, everything had returned to its original state at present.
Michiya Gōshin stood still about a meter in front of her. He decided to use work to open the topic.
"Sakurajima-san."
"Director Aoyama just sent a temporary notice. He said there will be a coordination meeting for the subsequent series of promotional itineraries, so I came over to call you."
This reason was sufficient and legitimate, impeccable.
As the soul of the series and the guarantee of viewership, the subsequent intensive promotional activities were the top priority. Especially under the globalization strategy of the streaming giant Netflix, cross-border promotion was almost a certainty.
The coordination of schedules, the planning of activities, and so on—not a single one of these could do without the deep participation and precise deployment of the lead actors, the director, the production side, and the management teams.
After hearing these words, Sakurajima Mai turned back to look at Michiya Gōshin's calm, business-like posture. The impulse in her heart to continue maintaining her cold hardness and push him completely away ultimately did not harden enough to continue.
"Mn, we indeed need to clarify the content of these details as soon as possible. Where is the meeting to be arranged?"
"The conference room is already prepared. Director Aoyama and Producer Matsumoto from Nenshi are both there."
Michiya Gōshin turned sideways, making a "please" gesture with a composed posture.
Sakurajima Mai spoke no further. She simply nodded slightly and took the lead to step forward, walking toward the direction of the conference room. Michiya Gōshin maintained a distance of half a step behind her, following unhurriedly. His gaze swept over her back, which was straight yet inexplicably revealed a trace of loneliness, and a trace of elusive, complex emotion rose in his chest.
Inside the conference room, lights were blazing, illuminating the massive oval mahogany conference table until it was reflective enough to serve as a mirror.
Several people were already seated at the table. Director Aoyama Akihiro of Alice in Borderland had a flushed face of excitement from the event's great success; he was conversing in a low voice with the person beside him, his tone full of gratification.
There was also Mr. Matsumoto, the representative sent by the Nenshi production company, dressed in a well-fitting dark suit with sharp eyes that revealed the shrewdness and capability of a business elite. Michiya Gōshin's manager, the experienced Nakahara Kazuya, had a thick schedule book and an iPad screen flashing with messages spread out before him. And Sakurajima Mai's mother and manager, Sakurajima Sachiko, was lowering her head to quickly browse emails on her phone, her brows slightly furrowed.
Seeing the two arrive together, everyone stopped their conversations and cast their gazes over.
Director Aoyama spoke first with a smile, his tone full of unconcealed appreciation.
"Michiya-kun, Sakurajima-san, thank you both for your hard work today!"
"Today's event concluded perfectly. The on-the-spot reactions and final cooperation of you two were simply superb. The on-site effects and online feedback are surprisingly good!"
Mr. Matsumoto also pushed up his glasses and nodded in agreement, his tone carrying satisfaction with the market performance.
"Preliminary data shows that the topic popularity and audience expectation values have reached the expected peaks, making a good start for our subsequent publicity and distribution."
After the necessary pleasantries and affirmations, the meeting quickly cut into the substantive agenda.
Nakahara Kazuya and Sakurajima Sachiko respectively pulled up the electronic and paper schedules, which could be called complicated, and displayed them synchronously through the projection equipment on the desktop.
The subsequent promotional plan was indeed as dense and interlocking as expected.
Aside from continuously holding multiple rounds of fan meetings in several core cities in Japan such as Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka, a key highlighted overseas itinerary attracted everyone's attention.
Heading to "Xia Country," to hold a grand-scale offline promotional event and a press conference facing international media in its most internationally influential economic center, Shanghai.
"Xia Country?"
When Michiya Gōshin heard this arrangement, his expression stunned slightly.
He turned to Director Aoyama and Producer Matsumoto, his tone carrying a trace of astonishment and a burst of uncertainty.
"Aoyama-san, have I also accumulated a fan base in Xia Country worthy of holding an offline event?"
Hearing his doubt, Sakurajima Mai's gaze naturally turned over as well. As a child star with extremely high national recognition, her acting career had spanned many years with an endless stream of classic works. Among them, there was no lack of TV dramas and movies that had been widely imported within the Asian scope in her early years, so she had long possessed a massive and stable fan group in Xia Country.
Director Aoyama, hearing Michiya Gōshin's question, laughed heartily instead. He leaned his body back against the chair, crossed his hands in front of the table, and explained.
"Michiya-kun, you must absolutely not underestimate your attraction overseas, especially among the young audience in Xia Country."
"Although your debut time is relatively not too long, that previous phenomenal love variety show Love is a Life Mandatory Course achieved quite dazzling view counts and discussion levels on streaming platforms in multiple Asian countries, accumulating your first batch of highly sticky international fans."
"Moreover, hasn't your Love Letter also been published and distributed overseas?"
He paused, his tone deepening, carrying confidence in the project itself.
"The work Alice in Borderland has long been hot before airing under Netflix's forward-looking global pre-heating promotion. Major film and television discussion areas in Xia Country have all mentioned this work, so don't look down on your popularity."
Representative Matsumoto also followed up immediately, his tone carrying a trace of satisfaction on the market level and strategic consideration.
"Yes, Michiya-kun. Through data investigation, we found that your unofficial fan club has already appeared on DiliDili, the largest online video platform in Xia Country. There are also some subtitle groups and small communities; not only do they accurately translate your relevant news, but they also spontaneously produce various high-quality videos."
"This offline activity in Shanghai is, on one hand, to carry out important landing promotion with the aid of the series' own ultra-high global heat. On the other hand, it is precisely to actively respond to the enthusiastic support of these overseas fans over this long period, and at the same time to further deeply cultivate and open up this vast market with extreme potential."
Michiya Gōshin listened earnestly to the exposition of the director and producer, a genuine look of surprise gradually appearing on his face.
He had indeed never specially spent time searching for or paying attention to overseas fan dynamics. Knowing at this moment that there were actually people paying attention to him on that land he was once familiar with...
A wondrous kind of moved emotion quietly spread in his heart.
He subconsciously raised his hand, rubbing the bridge of his nose lightly with his knuckles, revealing a smile that carried some surprise but also came from the bottom of his heart, feeling warm and happy.
"So the actual situation is like this? Truly... I don't know how to thank them for this deep love and support."
Sakurajima Mai, sitting to the side, took this series of genuine reactions into her eyes. None of this looked like a deliberate performance; it was more like the most direct reaction of a young person suddenly receiving a surprise far beyond expectations.
This made her involuntarily dazed for an instant.
For the next few hours, the meeting entered a stage of highly focused and extremely tedious schedule checking and arrangement.
The screens of the electronic devices in front of everyone flashed with dense schedule entries, like complex circuit diagrams. Topics were proposed one by one, and all parties discussed and negotiated repeatedly based on their own standpoints, artist development, and overall interests, finally reaching a consensus or temporarily shelving them to seek better alternatives.
After more than three hours passed, Director Aoyama forcefully rubbed his temples, which were swelling from staring at the screen for a long time, and announced that today's meeting had come to a temporary pause. Subsequent execution details would be further communicated and confirmed in the later specialized manager meetings.
Everyone stood up one after another as if relieved of a heavy burden, packing up the documents and personal items scattered on the desktop, conversing in low voices as they prepared to leave.
Kato Megumi had already packed Michiya Gōshin's things and walked to the door, ready to leave with him. But at this moment, she saw that Michiya Gōshin actively leaned close to Sakurajima Mai's side again.
"Sakurajima-san, can we talk?"
His voice was not loud, but it still traveled clearly to her ears.
Sakurajima Mai's footsteps, which were just preparing to step out, halted abruptly. She did not turn her head, but her entire body obviously had a moment of stiffness.
Sakurajima Sachiko looked at the instantly tightened lines of her daughter's side profile and her slightly pursed lips, then looked at Michiya Gōshin standing not far away. A trace of understanding and imperceptible complex emotion flashed through her eyes. She gently patted her daughter's arm and spoke in a low voice.
"I'll go outside to confirm the vehicle arrangements. Come out when you're done talking."
After speaking, Sakurajima Sachiko picked up her handbag, left the conference room first with composed steps, and considerately closed the door gently, leaving the space to the two of them.
Instantly, only they remained in the room.
Sakurajima Mai slowly turned around. Her face still wore that tense attitude she struggled to maintain. "Is there anything else? Michiya-san."
Michiya Gōshin looked at her posture of full-body alertness and sighed silently in his heart.
He knew deeply that his nearly savage confession last time had indeed caused a massive mental blow to a proud and excellent perfect woman like her.
To melt this layer of hard ice was definitely not the work of a single day; it required great patience. He did not approach rashly but continued to stand in place, re-hanging a gentle smile on his face.
"Nothing particularly important. I just suddenly thought that we still have so many events to fight side by side later, especially traveling far to Xia Country together. Perhaps the coordination between us could still be improved a bit."
Sakurajima Mai raised her eyes. Her tone carried a trace of fragility, and a trace of anger.
"Coordination? I think our coordination is already high enough. Otherwise, how could we have won today? Michiya-san, you are truly worrying too much."
Michiya Gōshin met her gaze, which could almost cause frostbite, without dodging. His tone became even more serious.
"Sakurajima-san, are you unwilling to continue improving coordination with me?"
"If you really want to... then agree to my condition and cut ties with Kurokawa!"
Sakurajima Mai suddenly rebuked him angrily, a pair of beautiful eyes staring deathly at Michiya Gōshin's face.
"I cannot agree to such a condition."
Michiya Gōshin sighed. For Sakurajima Mai to want him to completely sever relations with Kurokawa Akane—this was absolutely impossible.
After a while, Sakurajima Mai inhaled forcefully, her voice carrying a slight tremor she couldn't completely suppress.
"Heh, so you have truly made up your mind to continue persisting on that path where no one gets hurt?"
"Yes. I know how absurd and how selfish this sounds, but I cannot lie to myself, nor can I continue to conceal it from you all."
"This is the only way I can think of to be responsible to you all."
Michiya Gōshin's renewed admission plunged Sakurajima Mai into a long silence.
The girl looked at his unevasive eyes, her heart filled with mixed flavors. It was like an overturned palette; all colors mixed together, leaving only a chaotic grey.
She was the proud Sakurajima Mai; of course she was unwilling to share her lover with others.
But as time passed day by day, she would sometimes suddenly think of some things, causing her heart to start wavering.
The entertainment industry was inherently a grotesque place with blurred moral boundaries.
She had been in it for many years and seen too many emotional relationships that were glamorous on the surface but chaotic behind the scenes. Those powerful, talented men having more than one woman around them was an almost commonplace occurrence.
By comparison, Michiya Gōshin, with his current rising momentum as well as his outstanding talent and appearance, had a private life that could be called "clean." To date, the only person with whom he had a defined relationship seemed to be Kurokawa Akane alone.
Although his "greedy" declaration was somewhat strange, compared to those truly chaotic relationships, it appeared very... honest?
Once this thought was produced, it began to entwine her rationality like a vine.
Sakurajima Mai thought of the next work the two were about to collaborate on—that pure love movie, Strobe Edge.
Back then, because she had already confirmed her heart, she had looked forward to enacting a pure and beautiful love story with him on the big screen. But now, the emotions in reality were so intricate, filled with struggle and unwillingness.
To tell the truth, Sakurajima Mai still loved him.
Love arose unknown, deepening as it went. Michiya Gōshin's figure had long since walked to the bottom of her heart and was deeply branded inside.
Ask her to directly give up on Michiya Gōshin?
How could that be possible.
Various thoughts clashed fiercely in her mind. Finally, as if she had exhausted all her strength, or as if she had finally compromised with some kind of reality, Sakurajima Mai's tense shoulders imperceptibly relaxed by a tiny arc.
"Then what exactly do you want to do now? Continue pestering me?"
"Of course not," Michiya Gōshin smiled gently. "I just want to let Sakurajima-san get used to having my existence by your side. After all, we have a lot of work collaboration later."
"...Alright. Since you want me to get used to your existence,"
A gleam flashed in Sakurajima Mai's eyes, and her tone suddenly became cold and hard.
"Then please perform well."
She paused, as if weighing her words, and then continued, her tone carrying a trace of warning. "Later, during the filming of Strobe Edge, I do not wish to see that 'girlfriend' of yours come to visit the set. I need you to be completely immersed in the character and not be disturbed by irrelevant emotions."
Hearing these words from her, Michiya Gōshin's expression stunned slightly.
This was... relenting?
"Okay! I will work hard to achieve this."
"During the filming period, I absolutely will not let unrelated factors affect my state and our work."
At the current stage, letting Kurokawa Akane and Sakurajima Mai have too much contact would be no different from pouring oil on fire. Such a condition was perhaps better for both of them.
Seeing the light that instantly lit up in his eyes and his unhesitating agreement, the inexplicable gloom in Sakurajima Mai's heart seemed to dissipate a little, replaced by a more complex emotion of anticipation.
She looked at him no longer; she merely gave a faint "Mn" as a response.
Michiya Gōshin knew to quit while ahead; it was not appropriate to say more at this moment.
Thus, he suppressed the excitement in his heart, restored a calm tone, and spoke.
"Then... Mai-san, there are notices tomorrow. Rest early. We will see each other tomorrow."
After speaking, he lingered no longer, turning to walk toward the conference room door. His steps were much brisker than when he came, as if he had unloaded a heavy burden.
Sakurajima Mai stood in place, not moving, nor looking back.
Listening to his departing footsteps, until the conference room door was gently closed, she finally turned around slowly. She gazed somewhat vacantly at that tightly closed door panel, as if she could penetrate it to see that gradually receding back.
Just then, the conference room door was gently pushed open again, and Sakurajima Sachiko walked in.
She looked at her daughter standing there alone, her face wearing a complex expression she had never seen before.
"Mai."
Sakurajima Sachiko walked to her daughter's side, her tone carrying concern and a trace of understanding.
"You've been acting weird today. Ever since the event ended, you've been absent-minded. Did... some conflict occur with Michiya-kun?"
As a mother and manager, she understood her daughter too well and had acutely perceived the unusual atmosphere between the two.
Sakurajima Mai snapped back to reality. She looked at her mother, shook her head gently, and pulled the corner of her mouth into a somewhat bitter arc.
"Not a conflict, Mom."
Sakurajima Mai paused, seemingly searching for suitable words to describe this complex relationship. "It's just that we both want to persuade the other, and now... we've temporarily fallen into a stalemate, that's all."
She omitted the specific details; after all, she couldn't really tell her mother the specific content of their quarrel.
Sakurajima Sachiko looked at the clearly visible affection and pain in her daughter's eyes and understood in her heart. She extended her hand, gently patted her daughter's arm, her tone gentle yet firm.
"Mai, your thoughts can't be hidden from me. If you really like him, really have decided on him, then no matter what choice you make, Mom will stand on your side and support you."
She paused, adding with implied meaning.
"In this circle, many things cannot be simply measured by right or wrong. What is important is your own heart, and whether you can ultimately obtain the happiness you want."
Hearing these words from her mother, the strength Sakurajima Mai had been struggling to uphold seemed to find an outlet. Her eye sockets suddenly became somewhat hot, but she quickly blinked forcefully, forcing that wetness back. Then, that confident radiance belonging to "Sakurajima Mai" resurfaced on her face.
She looked at her mother, her eyes gradually becoming clear and determined. She nodded, her voice light but carrying unquestionable power.
"Mn, I know. Thank you, Mom."
The girl raised her chin slightly, as if swearing an oath to herself, and added softly but clearly.
"I will find a way... to obtain the final victory."
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