Sitting on a black folding chair, Yuan Chuan You had a black notebook open on his lap, the tip of a ballpoint pen scratching across the page.
He was revising the fourth chapter of Love Letter—the part where the female Fujii Itsuki finds the book In Search of Lost Time in the snow.
"Hey, did you hear? The premiere viewership ratings are out!"
The slightly hoarse voice of the script supervisor drifted from behind a case of equipment, his excitement palpable.
"Our drama... broke 10% on its premiere! The director will probably treat us all tonight."
"Really?"
Hearing this discussion, Yuan Chuan You stopped writing and pulled his phone out of his pocket.
He had spent the last couple of days getting the hang of Twitter. As Japan's most popular social media platform, its combination of trending topics and exclusive content posted by various celebrities made it incredibly engaging.
No wonder some people could scroll through it for half the day.
"Huh? My follower count has grown this much?"
When he opened his personal page, the young man's hand trembled slightly. The follower count displayed had jumped from 102 before '49' aired to 33,357.
It went straight from three digits to five—a truly astonishing increase.
Not only that, but within the exclusive hashtag for the drama '49', two topic tags related to him had hit the trending list, with comments flooding in one after another.
#BlondInoueSatoshi#
#YuanChuanYou#
Clicking on the topic, the top post was a GIF of him leaning against the rusty chain-link fence on the rooftop: the handsome, blond young man glanced down at the envelope in his hand, a roguish smile playing on his lips.
The comment section under this GIF had already amassed over two hundred replies and seemed to be growing.
"[Where did this wild pretty boy come from!]"
"[Wow! Such a handsome high school boy, but why is he just a supporting character? He has way too little screen time!]"
"[Besides being handsome, his acting is amazing too. I feel like Yamada-kun was completely overshadowed when they had scenes together.]"
"[Yuan Chuan You! Yuan Chuan You! Yuan Chuan You!]"
After reading the comments for a while, Yuan Chuan You smiled faintly.
In any case, even though he was only playing a minor supporting role, the fact that more people were paying attention to him meant he could get more work in the future.
Just then, the fresh scent of citrus suddenly wafted to the young man's nose.
"So this is where you were."
Looking up, Yuan Chuan You saw Sakurajima Mai standing against the light. She was still in her high school uniform from the show, the hem of her black pleated skirt swaying gently as she bent over.
"Congratulations, Yuan Chuan-san. I just took a look at Twitter. You're very popular."
"If we're comparing followers, there's no way I could beat you. Please don't tease me, Sakurajima-san. I've only just barely popped up."
Sakurajima Mai debuted as a child star and had been in many TV dramas. Yuan Chuan You had glanced before; her Twitter follower count was in the millions.
"So modest, Yuan Chuan-san."
After saying this casually, Sakurajima Mai noticed the notebook in his hands. Her eyes narrowed slightly. "What chapter are you on?"
"I just got to chapter four..."
Seeing the anticipation in the girl's eyes, Yuan Chuan You sighed. "How about I let you read it once I'm halfway through the story, Sakurajima-san?"
"Deal."
Just then, a tall girl with long, blue hair also walked over. It was Kurokawa Akane.
"Yuan Chuan-san, congratulations! Your name is all over Twitter, and you even have your own hashtag!"
"It's just luck. I have the production team and the director to thank for it."
Yuan Chuan You waved his hand dismissively. Looking at the two girls before him, he was suddenly reminded of the time they were eating bento boxes for some reason.
Hiss... why do these two always show up at the same time...
Upon seeing Kurokawa Akane approach, Sakurajima Mai quickly adjusted her expression and said with a smile.
"Kurokawa-san, don't you have to go to the theater troupe today?"
"Mm, I happen to have the day off."
Kurokawa Akane nodded with a smile and turned to Yuan Chuan You with a joke.
"Yuan Chuan-san, it looks like I'll have to choose the location carefully next time I treat you to a meal. After all, you're quite famous now. I'll have to find a restaurant with fewer people."
"Oh, stop making fun of me."
At these words, Sakurajima Mai, who was standing nearby with her arms crossed, immediately furrowed her brows.
A meal?
For some reason, this topic bothered her, but it wasn't a good time to ask directly. So she could only stare blankly at Yuan Chuan You's face.
After the three of them chatted for a bit, Kurokawa Akane seemed to get a work-related call and quickly left the set.
After she left, Sakurajima Mai finally spoke.
"You're certainly popular, Yuan Chuan-san," Sakurajima Mai said with a soft smile, but there was no warmth in her eyes. "Have you and Kurokawa-san become good friends?"
"I suppose so."
Yuan Chuan You admitted it freely. "We have a lot of scenes together, after all. Kurokawa-san has a great personality, so being friends with her is very easy."
"Is that so."
Sakurajima Mai glanced again at the notebook in the young man's hand. She had wanted to ask about the meal, but on second thought, she realized it would be strange to bring it up.
The girl's hesitant expression did not escape Yuan Chuan You's notice, and he spoke up directly.
"You and I, Sakurajima-san... we can be considered friends too, right?"
"..."
The girl's eyelashes trembled. A moment later, a faint blush rose to her lovely cheeks.
"Mm... I think so. After all, I am your loyal reader, Yuan Chuan-san."
At this thought, the girl nodded emphatically as if she had convinced herself, her soft black hair swaying with the movement.
"Mm, that's good."
Their eyes met, and they both laughed softly.
------------------------------------------------------------------
The Johnny & Associates building, in an office on the 28th floor.
Yamada Shu stood respectfully to the side, his posture exceedingly humble. No matter how arrogant he was outside, he automatically became a little lamb upon entering this office.
Behind the desk sat an old man with a full head of silver hair. The godfather of the entertainment world, who had single-handedly built Johnny & Associates, was seventy years old this year, yet his face showed no signs of fatigue. His aged eyes were still full of vigor.
"The premiere ratings for this drama broke 10%. Your performance was decent, Yamada-kun."
"Thank you for your praise, Johnny-san! It's all thanks to the agency's support!"
Yamada Shu bowed a perfect ninety degrees.
The old man was born overseas and had given himself a half-Japanese, half-English name after returning to Japan—Johnny Hata-gawa. That was why everyone at the agency respectfully called him Johnny-san.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in."
The door opened and a middle-aged man in a sharp suit walked in, holding a document covered in dense data analysis charts.
"Mizushima, read the information you've gathered for Yamada-kun."
Johnny-san steepled his hands and glanced lightly at the somewhat nervous Yamada Shu.
"Yes, sir."
The man began his report, holding the data sheet.
"After the first episode of '49' aired, Yamada-kun's Twitter account gained 110,000 followers in two hours, secured 7 trending topics, and had 9 fan-created hashtags."
Upon hearing this, Yamada Shu's expression changed instantly.
"Yuan Chuan You had a total of 5 minutes and 11 seconds of screen time in the first episode. After the episode aired, his Twitter account gained over 30,000 followers in two hours, secured 3 trending topics, and had 3 fan-created hashtags."
"..."
"Yamada-kun, you were on screen for a full 32 minutes in the first episode, almost six times more than Yuan Chuan You, yet the data doesn't reflect that."
A faint smile appeared on Johnny-san's face, making Yamada Shu's scalp tingle.
After all, the drama '49' had three investors. Aside from the NHK television station and an advertising company, the rest of the funding came entirely from Johnny & Associates.
But now, Yamada Shu, the male lead with the most screen time, had been outshone in the data by a supporting actor like Yuan Chuan You. It was difficult to justify.
He looked at the old man, trembling, afraid of facing a thunderous reprimand.
"...Johnny-san, I'll definitely work harder on the rest of this drama. I absolutely won't disappoint the agency's expectations, you..."
"Don't be nervous, Yamada-kun. I'm not blaming you,"
The old man waved his hand, then looked at the man in the suit. His name was Mizushima Ryo, a director in the artist management department at Johnny & Associates.
"Mizushima, tell him your thoughts."
"Yes, sir."
Mizushima Ryo nodded and said to Yamada Shu.
"I want Yuan Chuan You to join our agency. Based on the data analysis, he has the potential to become a huge star."
"But..." Yamada Shu was stunned. "I already invited him last time, and he turned me down."
"Heh, an invitation requires the right approach. Why would he take a casual offer at a party seriously?" A sly smile appeared on Mizushima Ryo's face. "You and I will go see him together tomorrow, Yamada-kun."
"Okay."
After a moment, Yamada Shu recalled Yuan Chuan You's indifferent expression and couldn't help but ask.
"What if he's really a tough nut to crack?"
At these words, Johnny-san, who was sitting over there, let out an extremely hearty laugh.
"Hahaha, a tough nut is even better. Mizushima is best at dealing with tough nuts."
The old man instructed Mizushima Ryo, his tone as casual as if he were disposing of an object.
"Mizushima, try inviting him first. If he really refuses, then just use other methods. Handle it with discretion, and don't disappoint me."
"Yes, sir."
Mizushima Ryo gave Johnny-san a deep, exceedingly humble bow.
He had been with Johnny & Associates for over a decade and had recruited countless artists for the company. There were rejections, of course, but no one could withstand his methods.
After all, an actor's career is inextricably linked to their level of exposure. No one wants to experience being 'blacklisted.'
Unfortunately.
And Johnny & Associates, with its connections to all the major television networks, happened to have exactly that power.
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