Although Edward felt that Tomie: Unlimited was rather boring, he still wanted to watch the movie.
The audience around them were all full of curiosity, and many even held up signs with Tomie's name on them.
Fortunately, Edward had the foresight to ask Zoroark to wrap Tomie in a layer of illusion beforehand.
Otherwise, if Tomie appeared in her true form here, the theater would probably explode from the sheer influx of people, so much so that Officer Jenny and her colleagues might personally come over to "greet" Edward for the disturbance he caused.
After all, whenever there was a large crowd, all kinds of troublesome little problems tended to crop up. And if an actual stampede were to occur, that would truly become a shocking incident across the entire Pokémon League.
Thankfully, with the illusionary veil concealing Tomie's real appearance, none of that embarrassment happened.
At this moment, Edward entered the theater with Tomie and Zoroark, found their seats, and the screening officially began.
"Tomie-chan! Tomie-chan!" The one sitting beside Edward was a very handsome young man, who was visibly excited. He was even wearing a graphic shirt featuring Tomie's charming side glance—a shot that had become an official piece of merchandise. The shirt's quality was quite good, and it only cost 20 pokedollars.
While that price was still higher compared to some cheaper shirts, it was remarkably affordable when compared to other licensed character apparel. As a result, many fans had eagerly purchased it.
Edward's lips twitched slightly. He could only hope that this young man wouldn't have his heart broken later. But to minimize the emotional blow to the audience, Edward had thoughtfully added some behind-the-scenes footage at the end of the film—hoping to soften the psychological impact a little.
Sure enough, as the movie began and Tomie's storyline took its grim turn, the audience quickly realized that something wasn't right.
By the time the film ended, many viewers were angrily cursing the director for being heartless, while others were visibly disturbed. The film's twisted narrative and eerie atmosphere made many feel sick to their stomachs. A number of people even stopped eating their popcorn halfway through, finding their appetites gone completely.
"I have a feeling our phone lines are going to explode tomorrow," Edward muttered with a yawn. Premieres like this were always held at midnight, and if the movie ran long, it genuinely gave people the feeling of pulling an all-nighter.
"Yeah, boss," Zoroark also yawned. It managed to stay alert during the film, but once they stepped outside, drowsiness hit it hard. Still, Zoroark knew itself well—it would probably scroll through its phone for a while after getting home before actually falling asleep.
"This film turned out quite good, boss. I didn't expect your directing to be this impressive," Tomie said with a satisfied smile. Watching this movie had clearly put her in an excellent mood, even making her recall the thrill of tormenting humans back in her own world. But for now, she had no plans to return—her old world was dull and lifeless compared to this one, which was far more entertaining.
Everything here was so new and fascinating to her. Until that novelty faded, Tomie wouldn't feel bored.
"It's nothing special," Edward waved dismissively. He hadn't expected too much from the film anyway—it was mainly meant to introduce Tomie to the public. Still, if it hadn't been for the deceptive beauty in the trailer, the box office might not have done so well. Now, however, opening day projections were already surpassing two billion.
The next morning, Edward found out—he had indeed gone viral.
The film's reputation had exploded.
If people's anger could manifest physically, the Ghost Film Company would probably be up in flames by now. Even so, the opening day box office figures were terrifyingly high—so high, in fact, that by noon, they had already made headlines everywhere.
[Tomie: Unlimited Reviews Polarized, Yet Earns 30 million in 12 Hours!]
[Will Tomie Become the 34th Actress in Film History to Hit Three Hundred Million in Box Office?]
[Overnight Sensation: A Deep Dive into Tomie's Life Story]
"…This is ridiculous. I don't even know Tomie's full life story, yet some blogger does?" Edward grumbled as he clicked into one of the articles. Sure enough, it was filled with the usual meaningless self-media fluff—"The editor is also curious," "The editor wants to know," "The editor feels that…" and so on.
An endless string of circular nonsense—pure filler literature, without a single useful sentence.
"Thirty million already? By tonight, that means it'll hit forty million easily," Edward clicked his tongue in astonishment. It seemed he had underestimated the sheer hunger of perverts for beautiful women.
Tomie's stunning beauty had lured countless fans into the theater. After all, her allure transcended gender—though she primarily bewitched men, many women also found themselves consumed by jealousy toward her perfect looks.
"Tsk tsk… if I had known, I would've released The Handsome Boy at the Crossroads from Junji Itō Collection instead," Edward sighed, suddenly remembering that interesting story. In the same horror universe where Tomie existed, there was also the legend of the "Handsome Boy at the Crossroads," another of Junji Ito's fascinating tales—one where the beautiful boy was, in fact, truly a boy.
And just as Edward was thinking about it, somewhere in Tomie's haunted house, Tomie rested her chin on her hand and looked playfully at the building before her.
"Well, well… I didn't expect you all to come on your own," she said with a sly smile, before slipping inside.
Moments later, she appeared at a familiar intersection shrouded in mist. The eerie fog gave the place an unsettling aura, though Tomie was quite accustomed to such scenery—the climate here was always like this.
This particular crossroads was infamous in local folklore. The legend said that if one stood there with their face covered, and stopped a passerby after counting a certain number of people, they could ask a question—and receive an answer.
Recently, however, rumors had spread of a mysterious handsome boy who would appear during this ritual, offering responses that were both unexpected and strangely fated.
"Eh? Is this a new project?" Wendy and Fiona were curiously looking around. They had come intending to experience the "Hanging Balloons" attraction, but somehow ended up stepping into this new side scenario.
"Wendy, look! Here's the setup!" Fiona had already found the lore description for this ghost house game. The two girls read the legend together, intrigued by the premise, and decided to follow the ritual described—to seek guidance from the Handsome Boy at the Crossroads.
As night fell, silver moonlight washed over the intersection. The surroundings grew so quiet that it felt eerie. Hand in hand, Fiona and Wendy stepped slowly into the center of the crossroads, their eyes filled with a mix of tension and anticipation.
The mist thickened. Watching from the side, Tomie's eyes gleamed with curiosity.
In this game version, the "Handsome Boy at the Crossroads" had two forms—if players were lucky, they would encounter the White-Clothed Boy, whose words were always blessings, bringing peace and hope to the listener.
But if they met the Black-Clothed Boy, he would speak with mockery and cruelty, crushing people's spirits completely.
This duality made sense—the Black-Clothed Boy was, after all, a cursed being. If not for a certain human's interference, he would never have been suppressed in the first place.
"Do you really think we'll meet the handsome boy?" Wendy asked nervously, her voice trembling slightly as if an invisible hand was gripping her throat.
Fiona squeezed her hand gently in reassurance. "We should. Legends always have some kind of strange magic in them."
What she didn't say was that, well—it was just a game. How bad could it really get?
Just then, a faint breeze swept through, and the air around them began to shift. From within the fog, a figure gradually emerged—a beautiful boy dressed in pure white.
Both girls froze at the sight. The unease in their hearts melted away instantly, replaced by confusion… and awe. The boy's ethereal beauty was enough to make them forget their fear.
He stood quietly before them, as if waiting. Fiona quickly recalled the rules—they had to ask him a question.
"Hello… we've both been having troubles in love lately," Fiona said after exchanging glances with Wendy. She took a deep breath and spoke to the boy.
At first, she had planned to ask something silly, maybe even a joke—but when she saw his face, all those thoughts vanished. Instead, she found herself asking a real, heartfelt question.
"I've always liked someone, but he's always hot and cold toward me. I don't know if he truly cares… And Wendy—she's been arguing a lot with her boyfriend over little things. She doesn't know if their relationship can still last," Fiona confessed softly.
The beautiful boy listened quietly, then replied in a calm, soothing voice, "His uncertainty does not mean indifference—he's simply struggling with his own feelings for you. Yes, he does care for you. As for the quarrels between you and your boyfriend, they will soon come to an end. Your relationship may yet turn for the better."
His tone was gentle and steady, making them instinctively believe every word.
Fiona and Wendy listened intently, almost forgetting that this was only a game.
"But… can this really solve our problems?" Wendy asked, still doubtful.
"It can," the boy said with a serene smile. That smile alone made both girls blush to the tips of their ears.
After that, he turned and slowly walked into the thick fog. His silhouette faded beneath the moonlight until it disappeared completely, leaving the two girls standing there dazed.
"Wait… weren't we just playing a game?" Wendy blinked in confusion. Fiona was equally baffled, while Tomie looked utterly bored.
These two had been lucky enough to encounter the White-Clothed Boy, who could glimpse fragments of the future and respond with positive omens. If they had met the Black-Clothed one instead, that would have been far more entertaining.
"When did you become so easily bored, Tomie?" a cold voice said. Tomie turned around to see both the Black-Clothed and White-Clothed Boys standing there, their powers clashing as they glared at each other.
"Behave yourselves. You two are only here thanks to me," Tomie said smugly, crossing her arms. Her usual charm didn't work on either of them, which was rather frustrating. Still, most urban legends like them usually minded their own business, maintaining a sort of uneasy coexistence.
Now, though, Tomie finally had the upper hand.
"Huh? What's this? The amusement park added a new haunted house attraction—the Handsome Boy at the Crossroads?" Edward said in surprise when he heard the news. He honestly hadn't expected Tomie to actually bring that story to life.
Of course, Edward was familiar with this classic tale. Among Junji Ito's works, The Handsome Boy at the Crossroads was considered relatively mild—nowhere near as grotesque or horrifying as his others.
It told of a strange urban custom in a small town, where people would stand in an alley with their faces hidden behind a book, waiting to stop the nth passerby to ask them a question—like a form of fortune-telling.
Except, instead of asking gods or spirits, they asked strangers.
Then came the appearance of the Black-Clothed Handsome Boy, whose cruel words drove many girls insane and led them to suicide. Soon, the town became shrouded in mist, and bodies began piling up. To change this, the protagonist walked the foggy streets every day, answering questions with kind and hopeful words.
Eventually, the vengeful spirits turned on the Black-Clothed Boy, and the protagonist himself became the White-Clothed Boy wandering the misty crossroads.
All in all, it was one of Ito's gentler, almost heartwarming stories—especially when compared to his more gruesome works.
Edward had even planned to make the Handsome Boy his next lead character, but it seemed Tomie had beaten him to it. Still, he found it amusing.
While the anime version didn't look particularly impressive, the character's concept was everything—just like Kokomi Teruhashi in The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., who might look ordinary to viewers, yet within her world was considered the ultimate beauty.
The Handsome Boy at the Crossroads was exactly the same kind of "conceptual existence."
If the story said he was beautiful, then he was beautiful—no questions asked.
"How interesting… I think I'll go have some fun myself," Edward said with a grin. He didn't have much to do at the moment. Devon Corporation was busy, but most paperwork didn't require his direct attention. He had just finished his own tasks anyway.
Rather than sit in the Ghost Films Company surrounded by gloomy customer service reps, he might as well go out, visit the amusement park, and enjoy this new attraction for himself.
With that thought, Edward grabbed Zoroark, left the office, and drove off toward the park.
Meanwhile, a certain middle-aged movie critic uploaded his long-awaited review—finally fulfilling the promise he had once made.
(End of Chapter)