Although Edward said that, Zoroark had already sent someone to make contact with the other party. After all, Ghostly Prodigy had clearly gone viral this time. And capital, by its nature, always follows profit—once it senses even a faint trace of opportunity, those investors will swarm like a pack of wild dogs, tearing at every loose piece they can find, trying to rip out whatever profit they can bite from the frenzy.
That's why, in the entertainment industry, when a small-time actor, director, or screenwriter suddenly rises to fame, they almost immediately receive a flood of offers and resources. What happens afterward whether they continue to shine or vanish into obscurity depends entirely on their own abilities.
Some, with talent and luck, manage to climb higher, even entering the ranks of A-list celebrities and continuing to do well. But others fade away, leaving behind a few mediocre or desperate works before ending up as livestream sellers or stage guests in small-town malls, performing just to make ends meet.
There are countless examples of that. The entertainment industry may seem like a gold mine where making money is easy, but earning the right to make money is extremely difficult. Even maintaining the strict self-discipline required—controlling one's diet every single day, training regularly just to keep a perfect figure—isn't something ordinary people can handle.
Naturally, Zoroark understood all this very well. That's why she decided to move quickly to settle the matter and make contact with these people before they were signed by rival companies.
Edward, on the other hand, didn't think too deeply about it. At the moment, his attention was on Kayako, who was typing away on the keyboard.
Perhaps because the story Edward had written about her earlier brought back painful memories, Kayako told Edward that she wanted to borrow his computer to write out her life story.
Edward agreed right away—after all, this might even become a new novel like The Grudge: The Life of Kayako, which could make some money while also enriching her character's backstory in The Grudge.
In horror movies, the ghosts and monsters are rarely given much explanation. Audiences generally come to see them kill and wreak havoc—not to learn their life stories. If a film spends too much time detailing a ghost's past, most viewers lose interest.
The Grudge was the same. Though it roughly explained Kayako's basic background, the description was only cursory. The rest of the movie was dominated by scenes of her relentless killing spree. That's why later American versions of The Grudge 2 and 3 added more scenes exploring Kayako's past—her origins, her powers, and even her family.
Edward had read some film reviews about it. Reportedly, Takashi Shimizu, the original creator, had wanted to include these backstory elements in the Japanese version, but due to time constraints and the producers' interference, he couldn't. So those ideas ended up being incorporated into the American remakes instead.
"Good afternoon, Uncle Edward!"
A young boy's innocent voice interrupted his thoughts. Looking down, Edward saw Toshio in his human form smiling up at him. He no longer looked eerie or frightening, but like an ordinary, cheerful child.
"Good afternoon, Toshio. I heard from your mother that you're going to school soon?" Edward smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. Toshio nodded eagerly, his face beaming with excitement.
Edward couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. He himself had helped Toshio get into school, a regular elementary school in Rustboro. For Toshio, this was a rare chance to experience normal life. Somehow, thanks to Kayako's mysterious intervention, Toshio had been allowed to attend school, though only within Rustboro.
Edward didn't question it too much. He wasn't too busy with films lately anyway; most of his time was spent dealing with affairs at the Devon Corporation. Though Fortune had been improving under his mentorship, handling those responsibilities alone was still beyond him. So, for now, Edward remained in Rustboro as well.
"Toshio, remember to behave and listen to your teachers, okay?" Kayako smiled warmly at her son.
Now that both mother and child could live peacefully in this world, they were doing well—except they didn't need to eat or drink, and ghosts could still see through their human forms. That last part, in particular, annoyed Kayako a bit.
Edward didn't mind it much. He recalled seeing something in the system's lottery: an item called [Evil Spirit Survival Card]. It could temporarily turn a vengeful ghost into a living human until that "human life" naturally ended. The spirit could also choose to break the effect early—but once they did, they'd need another card to regain human form again.
"Got it, Mom!" Toshio replied excitedly. Edward smiled again and patted his head. Poor kid—ever since he'd broken free from the curse of The Grudge, he was no longer a terrifying ghost who could slay victims single-handedly, but just an ordinary boy.
To make Edward's life easier, Kayako had even sealed away Toshio's supernatural powers.
Edward agreed with that decision. Children were emotional; they could easily lose control. If Toshio ever got too excited and accidentally revealed his true ghostly nature, Edward would be in deep trouble. Even though he now possessed two Medals of Valor, he preferred to avoid unnecessary problems whenever possible.
Standing beside Kayako, Edward watched her work with curiosity.
Kayako had begun writing from her childhood and indeed, her story closely resembled the background later established in official lore. Her mother had been a renowned shaman, known far and wide for her exorcisms.
People suffering from curses or possession would often seek her help. But her mother's method was cruel—she would feed Kayako blood tainted with curses, using her own daughter's body to absorb the evil energy.
The process brought Kayako immense pain, but her mother was cold and indifferent, focusing only on training Kayako's younger sister to inherit her craft and become a powerful shaman in the future.
Fortunately, Kayako's sister genuinely cared for her, which kept a spark of warmth in Kayako's heart. If her sister hadn't eventually turned on her, Kayako might never have raised a hand against her.
Kayako's father had died when she was still young, and her mother blamed her for his death, claiming she had cursed him. Growing up in such a hateful household, Kayako became quiet and withdrawn. Not until college did she fall in love for the first time—with a man named Shunsuke Kobayashi.
Her reason for liking him was heartbreakingly simple: he had simply spoken to her.
"Kayako, with your kind of personality, it sounds like all a man has to do is say 'I like you,' and you'd fall for him on the spot," Edward muttered, twitching his lips as he read her account. Kayako's naive nature was really something else.
If only she had met a kind, gentle man who truly loved her—perhaps none of the tragedy that followed would ever have happened.
"Yes… back then, that's exactly the kind of person I was. Sometimes I think I was truly foolish…" Kayako's tone darkened; the air around her grew heavy. The memories clearly stirred old pain. Edward raised an eyebrow—he could tell her discomfort wasn't really about Takeo Saeki at all.
"Mr. Kobayashi never really knew you, did he?" Edward said softly. "He only knew you as a classmate, not as someone who loved him. When you fell down the stairs that day, he just wanted to take Toshio and call the police."
Kayako nodded slightly. She knew Edward understood her heart. Her complete transformation into The Grudge had, in part, been triggered by Shunsuke's flight from her home that day.
As a vengeful spirit, she hadn't understood at the time. But Edward, as a director and observer, could clearly see the complex, repressed emotions she held toward Shunsuke—a mixture of love, grief, and betrayal.
"I know… but Kobayashi should still be trapped inside the cursed house, right?" Kayako smiled faintly. Back then, under the influence of the curse, her mind had been filled with nothing but vengeance. But now that she was calmer, she could think about things more clearly.
"You mean the curse still remains in that house?" Edward asked curiously.
Kayako nodded. She and Toshio had escaped, but The Grudge itself hadn't disappeared—it still lingered there.
"After we left, the residual curse in that world created another version of us—cold, merciless reflections of myself and Toshio to continue killing anyone who becomes tainted by the curse and absorbing them into it," she explained.
Edward finally understood. "So, the Kayako in the later films was basically a worker spawned by the curse itself?" he muttered, half amused.
"If you want to completely resolve the problem," Edward continued thoughtfully, "you'd have to seal the curse—and make sure no one else is present."
He sighed, remembering Kayako's sister, who had almost succeeded once, only to be undone by an unfortunate ally. Back then, Kayako likely hadn't had the power to face her sister directly, so she had instead used her own hatred to manipulate another man—someone who was then possessed by Takeo's lingering rage and let him do the killing.
Edward clicked his tongue. "That's why even exorcists should always carry some kind of protection of truth or faith, something that can defend them from forces that don't fight on the same spiritual level. Your sister really suffered for that."
Kayako smiled faintly. "Yes, and when The Grudge acts to protect itself, it uses whatever methods are left to it. Without me, it has become little more than an automatic mechanism—repeating its killings by instinct. As long as people don't enter the house and touch the curse, its power will slowly fade over time… though very slowly."
She sighed. "But in that world, there will always be fools drawn to their own doom."
After learning all this about The Grudge's future, Edward felt satisfied. He chatted a bit more with Kayako and Toshio, then left the company to return to the Devon Corporation's president's office. There were still matters waiting for his attention.
"President, regarding the NewHope Medical Hospital project—it's been largely resolved. The medical pods you provided were extremely effective," said Kennedy, who entered hastily as Edward arrived.
At the moment, Edward was busy tailoring new clothes for Q. The ghost-type Pokémon had grown significantly after absorbing large amounts of ghost energy, and its old outfit had become uncomfortably tight—like a bodysuit.
Though intangible, its energy form had become so dense that its "body" now had weight and mass. Since Q refused to part with its favorite outfit, Edward had no choice but to alter it.
"I see. And what about the other pharmaceutical companies?" Edward asked. He knew exactly what Kennedy was referring to—the invention of the medical pod had solidified Devon's position in the medical field. Even if other companies withdrew their support, it no longer mattered.
Most basic drugs weren't even proprietary; anyone could manufacture them with the right formulas. As for those protected by patents, Devon's medical pods could simply develop alternative solutions. That fact alone left Edward in a very good mood.
"Some have begun reaching out to negotiate," Kennedy reported with a faint smile. "Most others are still watching from the sidelines."
Edward smirked. "Typical. Those people never learn until they've been beaten down first."
"For companies holding important patents like medications hospitals truly need—fine, we can talk. For the rest? If they want to negotiate, fine; if not, forget it." Edward waved his hand dismissively.
His tone was impatient but confident. Kennedy didn't argue—Devon's core business wasn't medicine anyway, even if pharmaceuticals were notoriously profitable. If the boss wanted to play it tough, he could afford to.
After jotting down a few notes, Kennedy left. Edward glanced at his phone.
Before he knew it, it was already November 9th.
Almost Double Eleven—Singles' Day.
A smile crept across Edward's lips. "Perfect timing," he murmured. "This will be the perfect opportunity to promote our PokéCart shopping festival to expand our market and win some goodwill at the same time."
He gently patted Q's head while thinking it over. Done right, the event could dramatically boost Devon's visibility. But to pull it off successfully, he'd need to plan it carefully—the traps in such campaigns were many, and Edward preferred to tread smartly through all of them.
(End of Chapter)