Suguru Geto smiled helplessly as he leaned against the blood-stained brick. "At least curse me a little at the very end...."
"Cut! Perfect!"
"Amazing! Director Leo, that scene was... wow." David and Sydney both had teary eyes behind the monitors. They were veteran directors, but the raw sincerity in the performance between Leo and Robert had moved them to their core.
It wasn't just the directors. Every actor on set - Lydia Chase, Audrey, Jade, Ava (Riko), and even the young Olivia Margaret (Rika), had gathered around. The Jujutsu Kaisen fandom now spanned from five-year-olds to eighty-year-old grandmothers, and even the cast was obsessed.
Will Smith, standing by in his Miguel costume, looked genuinely curious. "Director, what did Leo just say? I couldn't catch the audio from here."
"Yeah, I didn't hear it either," Audrey added, leaning in. "Leo, come on. The secret is killing us."
David P. smiled mysteriously. "Oh, he said it. You just didn't hear it."
"David, do you know the line?" Ava asked, sensing a loophole.
David only grinned and stayed silent. The cast immediately turned to Sydney, but she gave the same silent, knowing look. As the co-directors, they had to know the script, but they weren't talking.
Lydia Chase patted her chest, trying to look persuasive. "David! Tonight, the hotpot is on me! Just tell us!"
David P. let out a wry laugh. "Hotpot again? I've had the runs for three days, Lydia. My stomach can't take another round of spice."
The set erupted into laughter, breaking the heavy tension of the death scene.
Leo Vance walked over to the monitor, still adjusted his Gojo blindfold. Robert Sterling followed him, his eyes still red from the intensity of the scene. Seeing everyone chatting, Robert asked, "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," David said, changing the subject. "Just wondering what Leo's line was."
Robert glanced at Leo. Leo looked at the circle of eager, expectant faces and nodded. "Go ahead, Robert. No point in hiding it now that the take is in the bag."
Robert took a breath and spoke slowly: "What Gojo said to Geto at the very end was... 'You are my only best friend.'"
The atmosphere on set dropped to absolute zero.
It was a knife. A jagged, emotional knife that twisted in their chests. The lively chatter vanished instantly. Everyone present had the same thought: "We are so stupid. Why did we ask?" If they hadn't asked, they would have just been curious. Now, they were going to remember that heartbreak for the rest of their lives.
"What? What was that line?" Will Smith asked, having been slightly out of position to hear the quiet delivery.
Robert repeated the words for him. Will Smith stood frozen for two seconds, then raised his hands toward the California sky. "Oh my god! That is a tragedy! Why would you do this, Leo?!"
Then Will laughed, shaking his head. "But hey... at least I'm officially the first one in the industry outside this crew to hear the secret!"
The Bidding War.
Filming for Jujutsu Kaisen 0 progressed steadily, wrapping up in about a month. On the final day of post-production, Leo received an unexpected call.
"Is this Mr. Vance? My name is Doyle. I am the new CEO of Netflix."
The voice was mature and carried a hint of professional nerves. In his office at the Netflix headquarters, Doyle gripped his phone tightly. His predecessor had been forced to resign because he had failed to secure the JJK phenomenon, allowing it to go to Leo's independent app. Doyle knew that the first thing he had to do to save his job was to win over Leo Vance.
"How can I help you, Mr. Doyle?" Leo asked, his voice smooth and melodic.
"Mr. Vance, it's a pleasure to finally connect with you," Doyle started with some flattery. "I have a proposal. We want the global distribution rights for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2. The terms will be... unprecedented."
"I'm listening," Leo said.
"For the copyright fee of Season 2, Netflix is prepared to offer $1 Billion USD. Plus a 70/30 revenue split in your favor. You take 70% of all ad and subscription revenue tied to the show."
Leo had to admit, Netflix was going all out. $1 billion for a single season was a record-shattering offer. However, he didn't hesitate.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Doyle. I have to refuse."
"Why?!" Doyle nearly choked. "You haven't even seen the marketing budget! We'll put Gojo Satoru on the moon if we have to!"
"It's not about the money," Leo said. "I simply won't sell."
"Is it some domestic loyalty to Skyline Media?" Doyle asked, his voice rising in disbelief. "They pay you peanuts compared to this! Is it because you're determined to stay under their banner? Or... do you have a relative running that company?"
Doyle meant it as a joke, a desperate, incredulous jab. He didn't expect the reply.
"Mr. Doyle... congratulations. You guessed it. My mother runs Skyline's parent group."
There was a dead silence on the other end of the line.
"Mr. Doyle? Are you still there? If not, have a great day."
Leo hung up. In his office, Doyle stared at his phone for five minutes. Finally, he whispered, "What the fu-!"
June 1st. The Wrap.
"I officially announce... that Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is wrapped!"
The soundstage erupted into cheers. Leo looked at his cast and crew. These two months had flown by. The final scene, Geto's final moments in the alley reminded Leo of a "wrap-up" meme from his previous life involving Gojo. It was a dark, meta-joke only he understood.
"Director Leo, how was my final take?" Robert Sterling asked, walking over with a tired smile.
"Excellent, Robert. With the depth you brought today, I'd be shocked if you weren't nominated for Best Actor," Leo said.
"Coming from the 'One-Take Man', that's a huge compliment," Robert laughed.
One week later, amidst global anticipation that had reached a fever pitch, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 officially premiered in theaters. The story of "Pure Love" was about to meet the world.
Plz Drop Some Power Stones.
For Advance/Early Chapters:
patreon.com/Shadownarch_