The rare few days of holidays were like the final calm before a storm.
Michiya Gōshin had shut himself in his apartment. With the curtains half-drawn, only the warm halo of the desk lamp isolated him from the outside world.
Since he had time off, he intended to seize the moment and immerse himself wholeheartedly in the creation of The Wind Rises.
The crackling sound of the keyboard attempted to construct a spiritual fortress far removed from reality's clamor, within that story permeated with sorrow and the dignity of life.
He was just writing the scene where "Setsuko," during a brief moment of clarity after her high fever subsided, spoke to "Me" in a weak but clear voice: "The maple leaves outside seem a bit redder than yesterday..."
This was a brushstroke capturing the embers of life in the subtlest of places, requiring extreme [Focus] and absolute peace of mind.
However, this fragile tranquility built of words was brazenly shattered by a sharp and persistent ringtone at nine o'clock on the second morning of his holiday.
Michiya Gōshin was yanked out of his immersive writing state. Frowning slightly, he saw the name flashing on the screen: "Suo Hayato."
He had just pressed the answer button, and before he could even say "Moshi moshi," Suo Hayato's usually calm voice, now carrying obvious urgency, assaulted his eardrums with rapid speed.
"Gōshin! Open Twitter right now, immediately! Look at the number one trending topic! You've been targeted by that pack of mad dogs at Shukan Bunshun! What the hell is going on?!"
As soon as these words came out, Michiya Gōshin's heart sank violently, and a bad premonition instantly welled up.
"Suo-san? I was still writing and haven't looked at my phone. What happened?"
"No time to explain, look for yourself! The top trend is you and Sakurajima Mai! They took photos and even wove a story line as complete as a script! Public opinion on the entire internet is completely out of control now!"
There was suppressed anger and a trace of imperceptible anxiety in Suo Hayato's voice. After all, Michiya Gōshin was the male lead of We Made a Beautiful Bouquet and was about to join the crew for filming. Now, such troublesome matters had arisen.
"I've already started preparing to launch public relations measures here to try and control public opinion, but you must understand the situation immediately, then contact your agency right away! Think of a way to solve this."
The call was hung up hastily, the busy signal beeping.
Michiya Gōshin held the phone, a slight numbness coming from his fingertips.
He took a deep breath and tapped on the blue bird icon that seemed to contain a storm at this moment.
After opening Twitter, he didn't even need to search manually. The number one spot on the trending list was like a scarlet brand, displaying a shocking topic.
# Michiya Gōshin Sakurajima Mai Secret Passionate Love #
Following it was a constantly pulsating, blood-red flame icon, as if mocking his momentary peace just now.
Seeing this, Michiya Gōshin was slightly stunned. He immediately tapped on the topic. The pinned content came from a reporter user known for accurate and ruthless exposés, accompanied by text that was extremely evocative.
[Exclusive Scoop! Hard Evidence! National Actress Sakurajima Mai and Actor Michiya Gōshin Return to Love Nest Late at Night, Kiss Directly Downstairs, and Spend the Night Together Until Morning!]
Several photos were attached below. Although they appeared somewhat blurry due to the lighting and distance, the facial contours and physical characteristics of the figures were clearly identifiable and extremely misleading.
The first one was at the entrance of that members-only restaurant. Sakurajima Mai was reaching out to support his slightly stumbling arm. The two were very close; she was looking up at him, a bright smile on her face.
The second one was downstairs at Michiya Gōshin's apartment. That damned forced perspective perfectly spliced their profiles, which were close due to the support she was offering, into a moment that looked as if they were kissing. The dim streetlights further added to the ambiguous atmosphere.
The last one was in the early morning. Sakurajima Mai walked out of the apartment gate alone and got into a waiting sedan. Although she was wearing sunglasses, that composure and confidence remained the same.
What was even more definitive was that a "Timeline Deduction," rich in detail and written as if by an eyewitness, was attached below.
[According to continuous stakeouts and observations by this magazine's reporter, yesterday evening, after the promotional event for Alice in Borderland concluded, Michiya Gōshin and Sakurajima Mai intentionally avoided the crowd and went to a certain high-end members-only restaurant in Ginza for dinner, behaving intimately.]
[Subsequently, the two returned to Michiya Gōshin's apartment in Sakurajima Mai's private car. Downstairs at the apartment, the two couldn't restrain their feelings, embracing and kissing passionately, before going upstairs together.]
[It wasn't until early this morning that Sakurajima Mai left Michiya Gōshin's apartment alone.]
[This is an exposed romance, confirmed with hard evidence!]
This set of "exclusive reports"—half-true and half-false, illustrated with pictures and text, and full of storytelling and impact—was like a stun grenade thrown into the ocean, releasing energy that almost overturned the entire internet sea!
Seven out of the top ten trending topics on Twitter were related to this scandal. The refresh rate of the real-time discussion area was so fast it was hard to capture with the naked eye.
"The sky has fallen!! Sakurajima-san and Michiya Gōshin?! How is this possible?! I don't accept it!!"
"Ahhhhh! My Sakurajima-san! How could it be this guy Michiya Gōshin?! How is he worthy?!"
"Hard evidence! The photos are so clear, and the timeline is so complete! If this isn't dating, what is it?"
"I could see it at the premiere last night! The way they looked at each other was definitely not right! Sure enough, something is going on!"
"Didn't they say they were just [good friend]s? Do [good friend]s kiss? So hypocritical!"
"Michiya Gōshin, you bastard! The movie with Kurokawa Akane has clearly been officially announced, yet now you come to provoke Sakurajima-san?! What a piece of trash!"
"Kurokawa-san is too pitiful! Encountering this kind of thing before the movie even starts filming! If the movie can't be filmed, how miserable would that be!"
"I felt long ago that he climbed up by relying on women! He milked the benefits of the love reality show dry, and now he's intentionally hooking up with Sakurajima-san. And he calls himself a writer? His character is truly atrocious!"
"Sakurajima-san must have been deceived by him! You can tell just by looking at that face that he bewitches people's hearts! Can HORIPRO agency act faster? Hurry up and save Sakurajima-san! Deal with a degenerate like Michiya Gōshin!"
"He didn't approach Sakurajima-san using his identity as a writer, did he? That would be too excessive!"
Public opinion on the internet was completely out of control, sweeping over everything like a tsunami.
As a nationally popular actress, Sakurajima Mai had a massive and complex fan base. It included not only male fans with high mobility and purchasing power but also some older mother fans, since she had debuted as a child star.
There was also a portion of female fans who were equally angry, saying things like Sakurajima Mai had betrayed their trust.
In short, all kinds of comments filled with anger, jealousy, disappointment, and abuse replicated and spread madly like a virus, instantly drowning Michiya Gōshin's Twitter comment section and personal account.
Even Sakurajima Mai's account was affected by this scandal, with many people leaving numerous bad comments.
At the same time, Michiya Gōshin's own massive fan base, especially the girlfriend fans and career fans that made up the core, fell into unprecedented shock, chaos, and immense unease.
However, after the initial panic, several core fan groups quickly stabilized under the leadership of a few experienced and highly prestigious big fans, displaying amazing organizational discipline.
In the Line group named "We Who Love Gōshin-kun," Natsukawa Yuki, whose ID was [Yuki-chan_Summer], issued an emergency announcement immediately.
[Everyone, please calm down! Let's not throw ourselves into confusion! I have reason to believe that this is absolutely a premeditated smear campaign!]
[Gōshin-kun's movie We Made a Beautiful Bouquet is about to start filming. For a scandal to break out at this time, it is definitely the work of a mastermind behind the scenes!]
[Look carefully at the photos everyone. The so-called "passionate kiss" is purely forced perspective, and the timeline is just one side's story without any third-party corroboration! We must continue to believe in Gōshin-kun. No one panic.]
[Now, everyone listen to my command.]
[Absolutely do not go to Gōshin-kun's Twitter to post any irrational comments. Do not add extra pressure to him!]
[Everyone can act immediately. Use hashtags like # BelieveInMichiyaGoshin and # MichiyaGoshinMaliciouslySlandered, and go to the trending topics to clarify and control the comments with reason and evidence!]
[Watch your language, present facts and reason, collect logical loopholes and suspicious points in the photos from their report, and make clarification image packs. Do not engage in senseless shouting matches with antis; it lowers our class!]
[Believe in Gōshin-kun, believe in Hoshino Talent Agency! They will definitely issue an official statement! Our mission is to protect, not to cause trouble!]
Under the efficient and powerful organization and guidance of these big fans, although Michiya Gōshin's fans endured immense shock and loss in their hearts, they did not fall into mindless madness like the opposing fans. Instead, they quickly transformed into a well-trained "army."
On the battlefields of major social platforms, they launched an arduous "positional warfare" against the surging dark tide and water army.
They wanted to strive to carve out a breathing space for Michiya Gōshin, waiting for the official response.
However, under the intentional manipulation and fueling by Takahashi, a subordinate of Suo Shogo, the storm of online public opinion presented an almost one-sided crushing trend.
Suo Shogo's subordinate, Takahashi, not only hired a large number of water armies to spread rumors and spam abuse but also cleverly guided those "passersby" who were already dissatisfied and jealous of Michiya Gōshin's rapid rise, overflowing talent, and complex friendships with the opposite sex, labeling him with various vicious tags.
# Michiya Gōshin Scum #
# Michiya Gōshin Two-Timing! #
# Michiya Gōshin Moocher Who Climbs Up via Women. #
# Sakurajima Mai is the Victim! #
# Michiya Gōshin Get Out of the Entertainment Industry! #
These topics filled with malice spread rapidly like a plague.
They tried their best to mold Michiya Gōshin into a despicable villain who relied on his handsome appearance and writing talent to play the field among women, deceiving feelings and using opportunities to climb up.
Sakurajima Mai, on the other hand, was portrayed as a naive victim who knew nothing of the world, was blinded by love, and might even have been PUA'd.
Under such a carefully woven narrative, Michiya Gōshin instantly went from a talented supernova entertainer to a "public enemy" condemned by thousands. He was thoroughly pushed onto the crater of public opinion, enduring an unprecedented torture of "internet firestorm."
Michiya Gōshin quickly browsed through the unbearable filth and malicious speculation on the screen, his expression gradually becoming calm.
After a while, he closed Twitter, took a deep breath, and dialed Kato Megumi's number first.
The phone was picked up almost on the first ring.
Kato Megumi's voice came through the receiver. It was still her signature gentle tone that seemed capable of isolating all noise, but if one listened carefully, one could detect a tightness beneath that calm that was more pronounced than usual.
"Michiya-san, I have already seen the news."
"Kato, the situation is more troublesome than expected."
Michiya Gōshin's voice remained calm. "The agency..."
"I understand."
Kato Megumi interrupted him, her tone decisive, carrying an unquestionable efficiency. "Please get ready. I will arrive downstairs at your apartment in fifteen minutes to pick you up. We must return to the agency immediately to hold emergency consultations with the President and the Manager to formulate a response strategy. Nenshi has already sent a communication."
Fifteen minutes later, Kato Megumi's low-key sedan parked punctually downstairs at the apartment.
Michiya Gōshin, wearing a black baseball cap and mask covering his face tightly, got into the car quickly.
The atmosphere inside the car was heavy. However, when the vehicle slowly approached the familiar building where Hoshino Talent Agency was located, the scene before them made both their hearts sink completely to the bottom.
Downstairs at the agency, it was already blocked watertight by media reporters who were like sharks smelling blood!
The dense crowd, the raised long and short lenses, and the flashing strobe lights turned the building entrance into a noisy battlefield.
The reporters had expressions of excitement mixed with morbid curiosity on their faces, pushing and shoving each other, trying to seize the best positions. Let alone entering normally, it was extremely difficult for even a vehicle to get close.
"The situation is worse than expected."
Kato Megumi observed the situation outside through the car window, her fingers gripping the steering wheel tightening slightly.
"A frontal breakthrough is impossible. Let's return to the apartment first and contact the agency through the online meeting system."
The vehicle turned around silently and reintegrated into the traffic flow.
Returning to the relatively safe apartment, Michiya Gōshin immediately turned on his laptop and logged into the encrypted video conference system.
On the screen, the beautiful face of Hoshino Talent Agency's President, Kato Arashi, soon appeared, though perhaps due to nervousness, she looked a little less flushed. His manager, Nakahara Kazuya, wore an expression of total worry.
"Gōshin-kun, what exactly is going on? Why did you and Sakurajima-san spend the night together?"
After all, Michiya Gōshin was now long established as Hoshino Talent Agency's money tree and top-tier artist. Although Kato Arashi had some complaints, her tone of voice was still as restrained as possible.
In the next moment, Michiya Gōshin stated the facts in the most objective and concise way possible: from dining at the restaurant to Sakurajima Mai insisting on driving him home, to staying overnight due to his drunkenness and her insistence. He emphasized that Kato Megumi was present the entire time and that the photo was absolutely a forced perspective shot.
"Even if that's the truth, we are very passive right now, Gōshin. You really weren't cautious enough. The movie is about to start filming."
Manager Nakahara Kazuya grabbed his own hair forcefully, his tone anxious.
"The 'evidence' provided by the other side is too deceptive! The general public will only believe the 'facts' they see with their eyes! Public opinion is completely one-sided now, and the pressure on HORIPRO agency must be huge too!"
Just then, Michiya Gōshin's phone on the table vibrated violently again. The name "Sakurajima Mai" was jumping on the screen.
He made an apologetic gesture to everyone in the video conference, picked up the phone, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room to answer.
"Gōshin-kun! Did you see the news? It's all because I was too willful. If I hadn't stayed overnight, this wouldn't have happened at all..."
As soon as the call connected, Sakurajima Mai's voice, carrying obvious panic and rapid breathing, came through. It was completely different from her usual effortless composure; one could even hear a trace of a slight tremble.
"I saw it, Mai-san. I'm fine, you don't need to worry. You were just worried about me, after all..."
Michiya Gōshin tried to make his voice sound steady, attempting to soothe the other party's clearly out-of-control emotions.
"How can I be calm! How can they write nonsense like this! It's not like what they wrote at all; this is complete slander!"
There was grievance in Sakurajima Mai's voice, along with an indescribable anger.
"Gōshin-kun, this matter started because of me, and I will definitely take responsibility! I won't let them hurt you like this! I... I will definitely protect you, no matter what!"
Through the receiver, Sakurajima Mai's tone suddenly became unusually firm at the end, even carrying a kind of burning-the-boats determination.
"Wait a minute, Mai-san, what are you planning to do? Don't do anything foolish!"
Michiya Gōshin was a little surprised. The current "internet firestorm" was basically aimed at him. If Sakurajima Mai actively said something at this time, it would only add fuel to the fire and might even cause her to receive more attacks.
Just then, it seemed another urgent call cut in on Sakurajima Mai's end. She spoke to Michiya Gōshin with rapid speed.
"Gōshin-kun, it's a call from my agency. It must be an emergency meeting! I'll take it first. Remember to stay in touch constantly!"
Before her voice had faded, the call was hurriedly hung up.
Thus, the online meeting here continued. However, faced with such surging public opinion and the "evidence" meticulously planned by the other side, conventional crisis public relations methods seemed somewhat pale and powerless.
Just as everyone was racking their brains for a countermeasure, Manager Nakahara Kazuya's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, and his face instantly became even uglier.
He covered the microphone and whispered to Michiya Gōshin and Kato Arashi on the screen: "It's HORIPRO agency's Senior Managing Director, Mr. Yoshida."
After a while, the call finished. Nakahara Kazuya looked at Michiya Gōshin and everyone on the screen with a grave expression, speaking in a dry voice.
"HORIPRO agency has formally made a request to us, hoping to have an emergency face-to-face meeting with us."
He paused, then added with difficulty, "The other party requires Gōshin-kun... as well as the agency's main person in charge, to be present this afternoon. They wish to discuss a 'clear and responsible' solution regarding this 'major sudden situation.'"
After all, HORIPRO was one of the three major agencies in the entertainment industry. With such a scandal breaking out, the other side would naturally deal with it seriously.
"Alright, then we'll go."
Kato Arashi glanced at Michiya Gōshin. Only after seeing him nod did she say to Nakahara Kazuya.
"Although our agency isn't big, we aren't easy pushovers either. Gōshin-kun, rest assured, we will help you fight for the greatest say."
"I'm fine. As long as a suitable solution can be discussed."
Michiya Gōshin waved his hand, having no objection to this.
After a while, the meeting time for both parties was urgently set for three o'clock in the afternoon.
After ending this mentally exhausting online meeting, Michiya Gōshin's phone seemed to turn into a hot potato, with messages and calls flooding in like a tide.
The first one to call in was Yamazaki Kento. His loud voice was extremely penetrating even through the receiver.
"Gōshin, you guy, are you okay?! I said the Bunshun Cannon might target you, and now it's really come true. Truly a bunch of bullshit-spouting bastards. Don't worry, your bro is absolutely on your side! I'm going onto Twitter right now to fight three hundred rounds with those haters!!"
"Don't make a scene. Your Twitter account is managed by your company too, right?"
"It's fine, buddy has an alt account."
Immediately after, partners from the love reality show also sent messages of consolation and support one after another.
Kumano Nobuyuki and Morimoto Kengo sent messages full of trust, stating that no matter how stormy the outside world was, they believed in Michiya Gōshin's character.
MEM-cho sent a long phalanx of voice messages. When played, it was her anxious and angry voice.
"Gōshin-kun! You must not be angered by those bad people! That photo is fake at a glance! Angles can't fool people! Do you need us to speak up in support of you on Twitter? We can prove that we were also at the scene after the event ended that day!"
Asakura Toru's message remained as concise as her style, with only a few words: "I believe in you."
Kurokawa Akane similarly sent a text message of support. Although her message contained only a few words, it represented a heavy weight.
"Gōshin-kun, are you at home? Do you need me to come over now?"
Everyone's unhesitating trust and support was like a basket of fire lit in a cold winter night, gradually calming Michiya Gōshin's mood, which had been somewhat unpleasant just moments ago.
He replied with thanks one by one, telling them he would handle it well and asking them not to worry too much, nor to get dragged into the vortex of public opinion because of this.
Finally, Suo Hayato's phone call came through again.
His voice had returned to its usual cold hardness and efficiency, like an unsheathed blade.
"Gōshin, I checked for you. The person who took the photos is Shukan Bunshun's ace paparazzi, Nakamura Satoshi. His methods are indeed seasoned, and he is very good at manufacturing these 'explosive hits.'"
Suo Hayato paused, then continued.
"However, Shukan Bunshun clearly knows you are my person, yet they dared to pounce directly. There must be someone instructing them from behind."
"How do you feel... is the best way to handle this? If you want this bastard to disappear, I still have people in my hands..."
Suo Hayato's voice was very cold, even carrying a thick intent to kill.
What did Nenshi rely on to start its family?
It was the Yakuza!
"No... don't let him disappear. I've thought of a better idea."
Michiya Gōshin thought for a moment; he already had a better plan in his heart.
________________________________________
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