"I'm in Tokyo, and this is some kind of movie star comeback system?!"

Faced with the director's request, Sakamoto Yu hesitated slightly.

He certainly wanted the technical allowance, but it was clearly a hot potato.

During this period, the senior-junior culture was still prevalent in the Japanese entertainment industry.

"How to do it" is far more important than "what to do".

The core idea is that the sense of ritual is more important than the content.

In this respect, the "small life" and the "Korean" have something in common.

Given Sakamoto Yu's current ranking and seniority, he is currently the youngest junior member of the entire production team.

If you rashly give advice to others, you can easily be labeled as overstepping your bounds or being arrogant.

At the time, I only gave Asano Atsuko subtle pointers under the guise of acting together, and because of her generous and straightforward personality, I didn't leave a bad impression.

But that's not the most crucial point.

The guy who spread rumors about me is still on set. If he gets caught doing something wrong again...

After a short while, Sakamoto Yu finally decided to agree.

After all, he couldn't refuse the director's request.

Sakamoto Yu nodded politely in agreement:

"If it's just reading a few lines for everyone's reference, I'm willing to give it a try."

Upon hearing this, Katsuji Nakamura's face flashed with satisfaction.

"Then you should prepare well."

"Director, to avoid offending our seniors, I suggest you host the demonstration, and then I'll give the demonstration. This way, everyone will feel comfortable. What do you think?"

At present, Sakamoto Yu needs a plan to protect himself.

First, he needs to clarify his boundaries, distance himself from the situation, and minimize his presence.

All you need is the technical allowance.

Don't even think about getting any favors from big-name actors.

Secondly, it is also necessary to ensure that the director's objectives are achieved.

Upon hearing this, Katsufumi Nakamura began to seriously consider it.

Upon closer examination, this method is indeed quite good.

The way they handled it was also very skillful.

In this way, Yu Sakamoto's presence was greatly reduced. The director was responsible for organizing, while he only acted as a demonstrator and a "tool," eliminating the sense of overstepping his bounds in "directing."

Katsuji Nakamura couldn't help but glance at Yu Sakamoto a few more times.

She was able to withstand the pressure from rumors and gossip, calmly accept roles from several senior actors, play supporting roles well, help them get into character, and even gain recognition.

Don't be fooled by their nonchalant attitude; you'll know how difficult it is when you actually do it.

Is this really a newcomer?

If one lacked either mental fortitude or acting experience, they couldn't have achieved such a smooth performance.

In addition to the previous plan.

His tact, his acting skills, and his profound understanding of human relationships.

How come I've never heard of this person before?

Katsuji Nakamura pursed his lips. It had been a long time since he had encountered a newcomer like him. He was truly a force to be reckoned with.

"That's a good suggestion. I'll have the stage manager inform them later, so you can get ready."

"I'll have someone come and let you know when the time comes."

Sakamoto Yu nodded: "Okay."

Katsushi Nakamura has left; he still has a few scenes to film.

Just as Sakamoto Yu was about to go back to the rest room to prepare, a member of the costume team jogged towards him.

"Sakamoto-san! Your pager is ringing."

Sakamoto Yu took the pager and thanked him.

The message left behind was from Watanabe Mayumi.

His eyes flickered with surprise. News had arrived so quickly?

He had no choice but to leave the film set again and go to a landline phone booth.

After the connection was established, Watanabe's crisp voice came through:

"We found that guy."

Sakamoto Yu steadied himself and took a deep breath:

"What's his background?"

"Kenichi Okamoto is a member of the male fighting group under Johnny & Associates."

"He submitted articles to two magazines that specialize in exposing celebrity scandals and dirt. I got the information through a source at one of the magazines, and the content was roughly about how you got the role through 'backdoor connections' and have no acting skills."

Watanabe Mayumi paused, then asked Sakamoto Yu:

"You have a grudge against him?"

"Idols? None."

Sakamoto Yu recalled that the only idol he had any connection with was Shizuka Kudo, and that Shizuka Kudo was not yet famous.

Apart from that, he did not get to know any idols in the industry.

"I checked, he auditioned for the role of Kojiro with you, maybe that's the reason."

Sakamoto Yu was taken aback and asked, "He was rejected, so how could he still get into the group? Could it be that he's the one who got in through connections?"

"His agency has an agreement with the production team, and the production team has to select people from the agency. Perhaps they gave him a role with little screen time to get by."

Sakamoto Yu nodded in realization, "I see."

At that moment, Watanabe's soft sigh came through the microphone:

"Sakamoto-san, this kind of thing is very common in the industry. You haven't encountered it before because you haven't entered the industry yet."

"As your popularity rises, this kind of thing will only happen more and more often."

Upon hearing this, Sakamoto Yu frowned slightly. "You mean you want me to let it go?"

"That would be for the best, since this incident hasn't caused any actual damage..."

"That's because that report hasn't appeared yet," Sakamoto interrupted Watanabe.

"Sakamoto-san."

Watanabe's tone softened, which was unusual for him.

"The other side is Johnny's. You know our agency is newly established and we can't compete with them at all, not even Watanabe Productions."

"Johnny's has deep ties with five television stations: Fuji, TBS, Asahi, NTV, and Tokyo. If anyone offends them, they will use the excuse of preventing idols from collaborating with them to exert pressure."

"No one would intentionally offend anyone in this regard."

"Idols are Johnny's commercial assets, and any behavior they exhibit will be seen as a challenge to the agency's authority."

Watanabe's tone even carried a hint of pleading.

She had finally encountered a promising actor like Sakamoto Yu, and she didn't want to take the risk at all.

If Sakamoto insists on doing it, in order to avoid the office being in trouble, we may have no choice but to sever ties with him.

This is the influence of Johnny's in the contemporary era.

Sakamoto Yu took a deep breath, trying to clear his head.

Watanabe's words made sense. If he retaliated, Johnny's could easily find him by investigating.

This feeling of powerlessness made him feel extremely frustrated.

Holding the microphone, Watanabe could clearly hear his heavy breathing, and she softly comforted him:

"I know you're upset, but there really isn't a better solution right now."

At this point, she changed the subject, "However, there are also artists that Johnny's Entertainment can't blacklist."

"For example, national-level actors and world-class artists."

They are not subject to this restriction.

"If you really want to take him down, then work your way up."

I believe in your abilities; you definitely have the potential!

But the prerequisite is that you can't collapse at this time.

Sakamoto Yu fell silent, letting out a long breath to temporarily suppress his frustration.

At the same time, an ambition to not be restrained by anyone or any force quietly took root in his heart.

"I see."

"Don't worry, I won't act impulsively."

"Okay, if you have any questions, remember to let me know as soon as possible."

"Um."

After hanging up the phone, Sakamoto Yu did not leave immediately.

The deep winter wind blew in through the cracks, chilling to the bone.

Just as his emotions were reaching their peak, a familiar notification sound suddenly rang out.

Ding--

[Late at night, you begin to reflect on the first half of your life, and suddenly remember: when you were twenty-five, you impulsively spoke disrespectfully to an idol, causing public outcry and ultimately leading to a complete ban from Johnny & Associates, wasting five whole years of your life.]

[Task: Increase brand awareness to "public recognition" within 30 days]

Current progress: 0%

(Note: Popularity can be increased through media reports, recognition from seniors, audience feedback, etc.)

[Reward: Reduce most of Kitagawa's attention (passively triggered)]

[Reward: Affinity +20% (Passive Trigger)]

Sakamoto Yu's expression changed drastically, and his heart tightened suddenly.

Two rewards!?

Moreover, one of them was actually able to eliminate Kitagawa's attention from him.

But what does "the majority" mean?

It was triggered passively...

His first reaction was to have Kitagawa selectively forget his memories.

But how could that be?

Is this something that can be forgotten so easily?

He shook his head, thinking he was overthinking it.

Well... anyway, it's better than nothing.

Then, Sakamoto noticed the description in the title.

...a five-year ban.

"This is the power of Johnny's Entertainment—a five-year ban just for a verbal altercation?"

And not just now; judging by this, even in the future, Johnny's dominance will remain terrifying.

Sakamoto Yu felt a pang of fear, and a chill crept up his spine.

It was only at this moment that Sakamoto Yu truly understood the domineering nature of Johnny's Entertainment.

Unfortunately, the "he" in that timeline didn't die.

And he is not that future "self".

The situation has changed, sir.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his eyes were clear.

Sakamoto Yu rubbed his face, forcing himself to calm down.

Although the reward is generous, this task is not easy to complete and requires careful planning.

Okamoto's revelation might be a good opportunity.

If he takes "leaking information" as his entry point, he alone is definitely not enough; he must learn to leverage existing resources.

And this momentum has to start from the film crew.

Since the allegations concern his "backdoor admission" and "lack of ability,"

Then he would have to establish himself as a "powerful actor" on set and gain everyone's approval first.

As for what happens next.....

He already had a draft in mind, so he didn't linger and turned back to the film crew.

About three hours later, a production assistant found him:

"Sakamoto-san, Director Nakamura is looking for you."

"Okay." Sakamoto Yu replied casually and followed the production assistant.