Had completely seized their attention.
Because now, they finally understood who Kurokawa Akane really was.
They wouldn't just believe in fragmented, misleading internet rumors anymore.
They would seek the truth.
And as long as they dug deeper, they would inevitably find the clarification video posted by MEM.
As someone directly involved in the flame war.
Sumi Yuki had long since forgiven Kurokawa Akane.
The two of them were even close friends in real life.
But that flame war had nearly pushed Kurokawa Akane to the brink of suicide.
Even under her suicide note post.
There were still countless cruel, mocking comments.
Many audience members seemed to realize why Bunny Girl Senpai's ending was left ambiguouswhether the male lead caught her hand or not.
The ability to save Bunny Girl Senpai was never in the hands of the male protagonist.
It lay in each and every person who had paid attention to the flame war this time.
If the flame war continued, then what if the hand was grasped this time?
What about next time? And the time after that? Eventually, there would come a moment when it couldn't be held onto.
On the first day of the Bunny Girl Senpai movie premiere.
The long-standing flame war had been completely overturned.
...
As they walked out of the theater.
MEM, like most people, was bowing her head, rapidly searching for information on her phone.
When she saw the tide of public opinion on Twitter completely shift.
The original attack posts were either deleted or torn apart by counterarguments.
MEM smiled sincerely.
"That's really great, Akane-chan!"
"Mm." Kurokawa Akane nodded slightly. "It really is."
Even as she said that, Kurokawa Akane wasn't paying any attention to what was happening online.
Her gaze remained fixed on Yukima Azuma's profile.
And she realized something.
Yukima Azuma was not the kind of person who would seek death.
In terms of acting, Kurokawa Akane had some talentshe could completely immerse herself in a character and portray their emotions.
And she had read something deep within Yukima Azuma's very corean unshakable confidence and an unyielding determination, one that would never back down, no matter what happened.
A person like thathow could they ever choose suicide?
Thinking back to that fleeting moment through the rain-streaked window that day
It was nothing more than a performance by a young actor.
Kurokawa Akane pouted.
She couldn't believe she had been fooled in her own area of expertiseacting.
Then again, her mind had been almost completely numb at the time.
But Kurokawa Akane didn't feel angry about being deceived.
On the contrary.
Yukima Azuma had extended his hand to her.
To pull her back, he didn't hesitate to use that kind of acting.
Not only was she not angry, but she was truly moved from the bottom of her heart.
However...
Even if what she saw that day was just acting, the loneliness she felt from itthere was no way that was fake.
Was that boy... a very lonely person?
Looking at him now, he didn't seem lonely at all.
Something must have happenedsomething that changed Yukima Azuma's fate.
Just like how Yukima Azuma had changed hers.
Kurokawa Akane suddenly recalled a quote from Haruki Murakami:
"A man's maturity happens in an instant, and it is almost always because of a woman."
Unfortunately, based on the timeline...
Kurokawa Akane knew very well that the woman who changed Yukima Azuma wasn't her.
But even so, she had no intention of giving up.
"It feels like... Akane-chan is on fire,"
MEM whispered to Sumi Yuki.
"Umu."
Sumi Yuki had the same feeling and nodded in agreement.
....
The reality show LoveforReal, which had been put on hold due to the storm and accident, was finally back on track.
With the flame war overturned and the hype from the Bunny Girl Senpai movie,
The number of viewers interested in this season of LoveforReal skyrocketed.
But with this explosion in followers...
Came the inevitable wave of criticism directed at the show's production team.
After all, the broadcast had been edited in a way that seemed intentionally manipulative.
Even so, the ratings had increased.
Though the show's reputation took a hit, after careful consideration, the LoveforReal team decided the trade-off was acceptable.
That was why they finally relented and allowed MEM to upload the clarification video on the official account.
For adults, it was never about right or wrongonly about benefits.
As long as there was profit, shamelessness wasn't a problem.
The director of LoveforReal was a young man in his early twenties.
A rising talent in the industry, known for his bold and daring approach.
That day, Yukima Azuma visited the LoveforReal set.
The young director enthusiastically invited him to appear as a guest on an episode.
If they could get a big name like Yukima Azuma on the show, it would undoubtedly create a sensation.
Unfortunately, Yukima Azuma declined immediately without a second thought.
Being rejected wasn't surprising, so the young director didn't push. Instead, he brought up something else:
"Oh, right, Yukima-san, I heard you're also a professional shogi player?"
Yukima Azuma raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
"That's right. But not many people associate my identity as a light novel author with my identity as a professional shogi player."
Hearing that, the young director's mouth twitched.
Of course, not many people did.
What kind of connection could there possibly be between those two professions?
A shogi genius. A king of the light novel industry.
It almost sounded like two completely different people.
The only reason he even knew about this was because he had been following shogi news recently for work.
— — — — — — — — — — —
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Chapter 174: Accidentally Entering the Film Set, I've Become the "Old Man Cheat" of the MC!
If it weren't for his recent focus on shogi news due to work, the young director would never have been able to associate the young shogi genius with the king of light novels.
The two didn't seem to have any relation at all.
And as for the recently released anime film,
This young director had heard about it too.
Upon inquiring, he found out that the well-known studio handling the film was hired for the project thanks to the young boy before him, who had invited them through the Shinomiya family's connections.
How could someone be this badass?
The young director thought to himself, feeling his legs tremble slightly.
Fortunately, when Yukima Azuma had approached him to discuss the correction video, the director had immediately agreed, hoping for more views.
If not, it was likely that the LoveforReal team would have been "exposed" in a disastrous way.
Clearing his throat, the young director wiped the sweat from his forehead and then got to the main point.
"Recently, there's been a project in the industry for a drama about shogi."
"The script is about a six-year-old boy who accidentally meets the spirit of a shogi master and then embarks on his journey into the world of shogi."
"After facing countless hardships, he eventually becomes the youngest Ryuuouan entirely orthodox coming-of-age story about reaching the top."
"It just so happens that the Ryuuou tournament is coming up soon, so we're casting for the show. I'm one of the supervising directors for this project."
"I've also had the chance to meet with the President of the Shogi Association, Tsukimitsu, to ask if there's a shogi player who fits the image of a young genius."
"And President Tsukimitsu introduced Yukima-san... To be honest, you are the true prototype of this script."
When he reached this point, the young director looked at Yukima Azuma with a peculiar gaze.
He started to wonder if Yukima Azuma had really been blessed by some kind of spirit.
Because, based on what President Tsukimitsu had told him about Yukima Azuma's entrance into the world of shogi, it was even more badass than the script of the movie.
It was absurd!
Yukima Azuma, on the other hand... his lips twitched in disbelief.
What kind of look was that?
How could he be accused like this?!
Everything he had achieved today was purely due to his innate talent and relentless effort!
There was no such thing as a shogi master's spirit!
No way...
No way...
...System, please add points! ( )
"So, does the screenwriter want to discuss the story with me?" Yukima Azuma asked.
The young director nodded... then shook his head.
"Actually, if possible, the production team wants to invite you to act in the film."
As he said this, the young director eyed Yukima Azuma from head to toe.
This image... it was perfect!
As long as it's released, with proper promotion and image management...
It would be strange if he didn't become famous!
Clearly, he could make a living off his looks, but this "young master" was adamant about relying on his talent.
And his talent was just... too unreasonable.
"Appear? You want me to play the lead?" Yukima Azuma pointed to himself.
If he really took this role...
The entire shogi community might suspect that a shogi master's spirit was behind him.
Plus, if he accepted the role, Yukima Azuma would definitely only be playing the adult version of the main character.
But what bothered him was whether the production team could find a child actor with similar charisma to portray the younger version of the main character.
Would it feel awkward if they switched actors?
However, the next words from the young director immediately dispelled Yukima Azuma's doubts.
"No, the team wants you to play the spirit of the shogi master."
Yukima Azuma: Oh, so I'm playing the "old man cheat" of the MC.
"Umu, I understand. I'll think about it."
Yukima Azuma replied.
The young director nodded.
But he didn't expect much from Yukima Azuma accepting the role.
After all, the person before him...
Was a genius whom countless people in the industry had begged to appear with scripts and money in hand, but he remained unmoved.
He was definitely not lacking money.
As for fame, as long as he appeared at the film's premiere and gave interviews...
This young master would be famous everywhere.
Unless it was out of personal interest, it would be hard for him to agree to a project like this.
Although, to others, this was a rare opportunitya leading role in a high-budget, quality film.
But, contrary to the young director's expectations
Yukima Azuma was actually seriously considering it.
Because President Tsukimitsu had personally introduced him to the production team.
That meant the President hoped he would take part.
There was no way he had just casually thrown Yukima Azuma's name out there for no reason, right?
If this was a personal request from President Tsukimitsu, then out of respect, Yukima Azuma was willing to participate.
As long as the filming schedule wasn't too long and he had some free time.
....
Just as their conversation wrapped up
The final episode of LoveforReal officially completed filming.
Even though the production team had been cursed at beyond recognition, the show could still be considered a success.
In this episode of LoveforRealnone of the couples ended up together.
MEM-Cho was just there as a mascot.
Her goal in joining the show was to win over audience affection and boost her YouTube channel's subscriber count.
As a JK (25 years old) working in social media operations,
of course, she had no interest in drama or romanceher main focus was maintaining her adorable mascot image.
And as it turned out, this was a very smart move.
When the scandal broke out, MEM wasn't dragged into it at all.
On the contrary, she gained even more love from the audience, causing her YouTube views to skyrocket.
MEM: Keikaku Doori! (With Yagami Smile) ( )
As for Kurokawa Akane
During the first half of the show, she was practically a background character.
In the second half, though she had more screen time, it was clear she had no interest in interacting with the male contestants.
Everyone on the production team was at least somewhat aware of the fact that Kurokawa Akane had attempted suicide after the scandal,
and was later saved by a genius light novel author, completely shifting public opinion online.
No one could miss the feelings Kurokawa Akane had for that author.
Sumi Yuki was probably the one with the highest chances of forming a couple.
During the early stages of the show, she was always at the center of attention.
She had good relationships with two of the three male contestants
and was even the focal point of the show's marketing campaign.
Although she had a natural presence on camera and knew a few small tricks, she was still considered a genuine person.
But when it came to the final confession round, Sumi Yuki still turned everyone down.
Even so, it didn't really matter that LoveforReal ended without any successful couples.
As long as the ratings skyrocketed, that was all that mattered.
A large portion of the audience watched just to see Kurokawa Akane happy and healthy.
After being left on a cliffhanger in the movie adaptation,
those tuning in to LoveforReal this time were basically just trying to climb back up.
As usual, after filming wrapped up, there was supposed to be a celebration party.
But in the end, all three female contestants declined
And escaped together with Yukima Azuma.
Leaving the male contestants and the entire production team standing there in stunned silence.
...
"I'm heading out first, don't mind me."
After leaving the set with everyone, Sumi Yuki said her goodbyes.
In truth, this was just an excuse to slip awayshe had no interest in attending the afterparty.
Even though she could chat casually with the male contestants,
after witnessing the scandal firsthand and meeting Yukima Azuma,
