Yuan Chuan You wasn't the type to give up halfway.
Since he had made such a request, he had to convince Sakurajima Mai, so he stated his terms.
"So that's how it is. The manuscript Yuan Chuan-san showed me before was basically a draft, and you're planning to write the official story for submission later, right?"
"Yes."
"Can I be your first reader?"
Sakurajima Mai's eyes curved into a smile, and she seemed quite pleased.
"This is the only condition I can offer right now. What do you think, Sakurajima-san?"
Yuan Chuan You glanced at his system's light screen.
The experience gained from his previous daily activities hadn't been much, but oddly enough, his conversation today with Kurokawa Akane and Sakurajima Mai had resulted in a huge surge of experience. He had no idea what the system's criteria were.
"Hmm... In that case, I'll accept your offer, Yuan Chuan-san. I'll take good care of Kurokawa-san on set."
"That's good to hear."
"The show starts airing next Monday. Are you looking forward to seeing your scenes, Yuan Chuan-san?" Sakurajima Mai asked suddenly, looking at the crew staff packing up in the distance.
"A little, I suppose. After all, I don't know what the final result will look like."
Yuan Chuan You shrugged. Although many of the actors in the show were quite good, the acting of the male lead, Yamada Shu, was abysmally bad. His female fans might buy into it, but it was hard to say how the rest of the general audience would react.
Thinking of this, his mind drifted back to the party.
Although he had rejected the offer to his face, Yamada Shu hadn't had any extreme reaction on set today, as if that unpleasant encounter had never happened.
This was consistent with the director's guess.
After all, Yamada Shu had said what he did at the party because he was surrounded by industry insiders who wouldn't spread such things around. The film set, however, was full of extras and temporary staff.
No matter how arrogant Yamada Shu was, he couldn't completely disregard his public image, so the persona he projected on set was always one of humility and gentleness.
"If the show's ratings are good, Yuan Chuan-san will definitely get more exposure."
Sakurajima Mai turned to look at his handsome face.
"Do you... find being an actor interesting?"
"It's fairly interesting. If possible, I'd like to experience what it's like to be the lead."
This was the truth. Since he was already in this industry, becoming a lead actor was the only way to see a better view.
And, of course, to make more money.
"Becoming a lead is very difficult. It requires an extraordinary amount of effort."
Sakurajima Mai, who had debuted as a child star, looked at Yuan Chuan You with a serious expression. When it came to acting, the girl always gave it her all and never slacked off in the slightest.
"If you ever have any questions, you're welcome to come ask me anytime."
"If I consult you, Sakurajima-san, will you ask for another favor in return?"
Yuan Chuan You raised an eyebrow.
"Hehe, that will depend on your performance, Yuan Chuan-san. It's still an unknown."
"How exciting."
Replying nonchalantly, Yuan Chuan You glanced at his system panel. The experience points for gathering inspiration were still slowly increasing.
"Ahem, Yuan Chuan-san."
"What is it?"
"I am your senior in the entertainment world, you know."
As expected of an actress who debuted as a child star, Sakurajima Mai got into character incredibly fast.
Just a moment ago, her face had worn a gentle and approachable expression, but now she had her arms crossed in front of her chest, striking an arrogant pose.
"Respecting your seniors is very important. Do you need me to teach you that, Yuan Chuan-san?"
"...I do respect you, Sakurajima-san."
Yuan Chuan You looked up, and their gazes met mid-air. The atmosphere suddenly fell quiet.
The bustling noise of the crew filled his ears, and a faint chill hung in the air.
After several seconds of eye contact, Sakurajima Mai found she couldn't stand Yuan Chuan You's unruffled gaze and was the first to break the silence.
"Never mind. Let's leave it at that for today. Yuan Chuan-san, remember not to be late for the script reading on Sunday."
"Understood."
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The next day was Friday. Yuan Chuan You planned to visit his talent agency to see Nakahara Kazuya and ask him about his connections in the publishing industry.
After filming wrapped yesterday, the young man discovered that the experience bar on his [Entry Production Station] was already more than halfway full. He wanted to obtain the [Burst of Inspiration] entry as soon as possible and then synthesize the [Junior Novelist (Green)] entry.
[Production Queue 1: Burst of Inspiration]
[Experience: 71/100]
[Experience: 72/100]
"I hope I get a lot more experience points today."
After locking the door to his rented apartment, Yuan Chuan You went downstairs and headed to the train station.
His agency was called Hoshino Talent Agency, located in Dogenzaka in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo.
After a train ride of over half an hour, he arrived at the entrance of a seven or eight-story office building. The glass automatic doors slid open silently.
Stepping into the agency's lobby, Yuan Chuan You was immediately hit by a wave of warm air mixed with the faint scent of coffee.
The two female receptionists at the front desk wore professional smiles. When one of them, a woman with a ponytail, noticed the young man's tall and straight figure, she immediately recognized him.
"You're... Yuan Chuan-san, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Nakahara-san told us this morning. He said you should go directly to Meeting Room 3 on the fifth floor."
"Thank you."
Yuan Chuan You nodded in thanks. As he took the elevator and stepped into the fifth-floor hallway, he was immediately greeted by a rich variety of sounds.
"The ratings aren't high enough? Then have the screenwriter add a kissing scene!"
"Our talent never does late-night shows!"
In the glass-walled offices on either side, agents were shouting into their phones, haggling with producers. Assistants scurried about, clutching documents, and the hum of printers filled the air.
The atmosphere was thick with the smell of instant coffee, printer ink, and a subtle sense of anxiety.
It's certainly lively, he thought.
Arriving at the door of Meeting Room 3, Yuan Chuan You knocked. Hearing a 'come in,' he pushed the door open and entered.
As soon as he stepped inside, he noticed that besides his agent, Nakahara Kazuya, there was another person sitting there.
It was a middle-aged man with a beard, wearing a beret. In front of him was a stack of fashion magazines and a half-empty cup of coffee.
"Nakahara-san, you have a guest?"
"Oh, Yuan Chuan, you're here. Let me introduce you. This is our agency's photography director, Odagiri-san..."
Halfway through his sentence, the agent's eyes widened in shock as he stared at Yuan Chuan You's face. "You... why is your hair dyed blond?!"
"It was Director Asano's request. He said it would better fit the character design of [Inoue Satoshi]."
"Oh, so that's why. I thought you did it on your own... you really scared me!"
Nakahara Kazuya clutched his chest. Just then, the bearded man next to him shot to his feet, his eyes shining as he stared at Yuan Chuan You.
"Nakahara, who is this?"
"An artist under my management, Yuan Chuan You."
"Don't you think he's perfect to come with me and save the day today?"
"Eh?"
Nakahara Kazuya was stunned for a moment, but then a look of realization dawned on his face.
"Yuan Chuan, there's a job that just came up. I was wondering if you'd be willing to take it."
"What kind of job?"
"A magazine cover shoot."
"What's the pay?"
Yuan Chuan You didn't bother asking why he was suddenly being offered a job. As long as it paid, he'd do anything.
"The pay is very good, you can rest assured about that."
The bearded man beside them slapped his thigh and chimed in with a laugh, "However, you'll only be paid after the shoot is done. This magazine cover is very important. If it doesn't turn out well, it could affect the magazine's sales."
"I'll take it."
"Excellent. But I should warn you, I hope you're mentally prepared. It's a two-person cover shoot with a female model. The theme is 'Winter Lovers'."
"?"
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