"Seiya, Seiya! Look— even the original manga author of From This Moment On, I'll Protect You has spoken up online!
He said your portrayal of young Sōnya was exactly how he envisioned the character to be!"
Seeing all the glowing praise about Seiya flooding the internet, Yuko's face was full of pride, as if she deserved part of the credit for his talent.
Especially after learning that even the original author had publicly praised Seiya, she got so excited that she grabbed him, lifted him up, and planted a big wet kiss all over his face in joy.
"Ugh, the movie's rating dropped again… My acting career hasn't even taken off yet, and it's already been stillborn," Seiya muttered in despair, pushing Yuko's face away in disgust and wiping off her saliva.
This… was definitely not the result he had expected!
Originally, Seiya had thought that, with his mature mindset, the powerful physique he'd gained from the shared ability, and his naturally handsome looks, he could give showbiz a try.
At first, he hadn't even planned to take payment. All he wanted was a chance to appear on screen—to let people see his "talent."
And at the beginning, everything had gone exactly as he expected. His talent caught the director's eye, earning him extra scenes and even a lasting impression.
But what he never imagined was that once the film aired, the entire situation would flip upside down!
He had indeed made an impact—but he had gone too far, and now it was backfiring on him.
Director Ōkawa might have appreciated him before, but now, with public opinion turning against the film and the ratings plummeting, it'd be a miracle if the man didn't cut ties with him altogether.
"Looks like the acting world's a dead end… I'll have to find another way to make money.
I wonder how popular tennis is in this world? If I became a pro player, could I make money fast?
No, wait— even if it's profitable, I'm only five years old! With how tight our finances are right now, we can't wait that long…"
Just as Seiya was mumbling to himself, deep in thought—
"Riiiing, riiiiing—!"
"Hello, yes, this is the Wenren residence.
Yes, that's right, my name is Wenren Yuko. I'm the guardian of Wenren Seiya. May I ask who's calling—?"
While Seiya was still quietly pondering ways to make money besides being a child actor, the home phone suddenly rang, and Yuko hurried off to answer it.
"If nothing else works, I could always send Yuko an anonymous email," Seiya muttered to himself. "Give her some creative inspiration. I remember that, in my past life, stories about widows and single moms were pretty popular…"
"Who did you just say was going to send me something anonymously?"
Lost in thought, Seiya hadn't even realized Yuko was suddenly right beside him.
Startled by her curious question, he jumped a little—but after confirming she hadn't heard the whole thing, he let out a sigh of relief.
He quickly waved his hands and laughed awkwardly. "Ahaha, nothing! I was just wondering if, as a famous artist, you ever get fan letters or anonymous emails?"
"Anonymous emails? Hmm… actually, I do get some," Yuko replied absentmindedly, then suddenly blushed and changed the subject—apparently recalling what kind of emails some of them were.
"Anyway, forget about that, little Seiya! I have good news for you."
She smiled sweetly, leaning down toward him. "If you call me 'Mommy' right now, and say you'll love Mommy forever, I'll tell you what it is."
Seiya's young face twisted in disgust.
Who knew why this twenty-year-old woman was so obsessed with being a mom? Maybe she'd just drawn too many "motherly" doujin scenes…
Ignoring her ridiculous request, Seiya walked over to the phone and stood on tiptoe to open the call recording function.
Since Yuko's manga editor often called to discuss deadlines or give instructions—and since the airheaded Yuko tended to forget things—their home phone was equipped with a recording feature.
Playing back the recording, Seiya was stunned to discover that the caller had been none other than Director Ōkawa himself.
Even more shocking, the man had actually gone out of his way to contact Arima Kana's mother to get Yuko's number—just so he could personally offer Seiya a new role.
During the call, Yuko had asked the obvious question: why would Ōkawa reach out again, after Seiya's performance had basically tanked his film's reputation?
Her confusion was understandable. Seiya might've acted brilliantly, but he had also inadvertently ruined the movie's reception.
But the director only chuckled and explained calmly.
"In this industry," he said, "there are no eternal enemies—only eternal interests."
This time, even though From This Moment On, I'll Protect You was criticized to death online, every insider knew it had been a commercial film designed to promote a few pretty-faced rookies anyway.
No matter how bad the reviews got, it wouldn't affect Ōkawa much.
In fact, despite all the hate, both the movie's box office and public buzz had exploded.
Why make movies, after all? To make money.
And on that front, both the investors and the producers were more than satisfied. Even Ōkawa himself had earned a hefty bonus.
And as for the leading man and woman, who were getting roasted online? They were probably secretly celebrating.
Before the film, they'd been complete nobodies—bottom-tier, no-name extras.
Now, thanks to all the drama, their recognition was skyrocketing.
As the saying goes: there's no such thing as bad publicity.
Plenty of low-tier actors never even get the chance to have their names remembered.
And as for Seiya—everyone in the business could see it now: the kid was the real deal, a diamond in the rough.
Even if Ōkawa didn't reach out, someone else would've eventually tracked Seiya down.
Never underestimate the entertainment industry's ability to find talent.
Once they catch a whiff of potential, they're like sharks scenting blood in the water.
So rather than wait for someone else to make the first move, Director Ōkawa decided to act early.
After all, with how things were going, Seiya's rise to fame was inevitable—
and if he offered a helping hand now, Seiya would owe him a favor in the future.
(End of Chapter)
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