The clamor of the online world was like a relentless storm, washing over every corner of the public eye.
Negative news about Michiya Gōshin spread continuously on Twitter and other social media platforms. The online trolls hired by Johnny & Associates worked diligently every day, commenting and reposting to broaden the incident's reach.
Michiya Gōshin's Twitter account received countless abusive private messages daily, but these things didn't affect his mood in the slightest. The young man's life in his rented apartment was both disciplined and simple.
Morning exercises, cooking, and writing his manuscript.
He was meticulously putting the finishing touches on the story from his memory. Love Letter fleshed out under his pen, its delicate depictions of secret love and gentle reconciliations with regret becoming his shield against the outside world's clamor.
Time passed day by day like this, until five in the morning on a Sunday.
In the modest-sized apartment, only the desk lamp cast a warm, yellow glow.
Michiya Gōshin was carefully checking the manuscript before him, oblivious as the sky outside the window faded from inky black to a fish-belly white.
About an hour later, just as the sun was about to rise, he leaned back heavily against his chair and let out a long sigh of relief.
...
The ending of Love Letter was hidden in the aftermath of a late-falling snow.
Watanabe Hiroko stood on a hillside, shouting toward the snowy mountain, "How are you? I'm fine!" As the echo reverberated through the valley, she finally let go of her obsession with her fiancé, Fujii Itsuki, and turned to walk toward the person waiting for her in the sunlight.
Meanwhile, Fujii Itsuki, in the school's old storage room, received all the letters sent by Watanabe Hiroko.
When she unfolded the last library card and saw the sketch the boy had drawn for her on the back, and when she saw the box of cards filled with the name "Fujii Itsuki" that the librarian handed her, she finally understood the secret love the boy had hidden away in the annals of time.
The final scene lingered on her, smiling softly at the card, as the snow outside fell on cherry blossom branches—a gentle confession the boy had never spoken aloud.
The story didn't end with a world-shattering twist or a deliberately sentimental tear-jerker. Instead, it concealed the most moving sense of release within its simplicity.
The missed moments, the unspoken words, the love hidden in the details—all of it ultimately transformed into a warm reconciliation: a reconciliation with the past, with regret, and with one's own timid self.
...
After savoring it one last time, Michiya Gōshin reached out and caressed the words on the screen, his fingertips trembling slightly.
This novel was the key to winning himself a voice. Even though Johnny & Associates possessed immense connections in the entertainment industry, they had no relationships or influence with publishing houses. Therefore, this was a perfect path for a counterattack.
Glancing at the final three words written on the manuscript—"End of Book"—a smile of relief slowly spread across Michiya Gōshin's lips.
Picking up his phone, he dialed his agent, Nakahara Kazuya.
"Nakahara-san, I've finished Love Letter."
The young man's voice was hoarse from staying up all night, but it couldn't hide a hint of cheerfulness.
The man on the other end of the line was stunned for a moment, then burst out with an excited shout. "Really?! Say that again! Is it really finished?!"
The sound of a table and chair bumping could be heard in the background; he had clearly shot up from his seat in excitement.
"Yes, I just wrapped up the final chapter and read through the whole thing. There are no major issues."
Michiya Gōshin gently stroked the edge of the manuscript paper, his tone perfectly calm. "We can arrange for publication now."
"Of course!"
"I'll go report to President Kato right now!"
Nakahara Kazuya's voice was trembling. "Bring the manuscript straight to the agency tomorrow. We still need to contact Editor Machida and the business personnel at Fujikawa Bookstore, then schedule a time for negotiations."
"Okay."
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Johnny & Associates building. The atmosphere in one of the offices was tense.
Mizushima Ryo stood before the floor-to-ceiling window. Five days had passed since he announced the "blacklisting" of Michiya Gōshin, but the other party hadn't posted anything online, as if he had vanished completely.
His brow was furrowed as he asked the assistant standing beside him in an unfriendly tone.
"It's been almost a week. Why haven't we heard a peep from them?"
"Well... our public opinion monitoring team isn't sure either."
The assistant reported with his head lowered, "And besides Michiya Gōshin, Hoshino Talent Agency's actions have also been strange. We sent the email long ago, but their reply has consistently been that they are still considering it."
"Not only that, but during an interview yesterday, Kato Arashi stated outright that 'she believes in the character of her agency's artists,' making it clear she intends to fight us to the bitter end."
"Fight us? How laughable. Where does a mid-sized agency like that get the nerve?"
Mizushima Ryo sneered. He glanced at the tablet his assistant handed him. The screen displayed Hoshino Talent Agency's official website, and on their talent page, Michiya Gōshin's name was still listed.
No apology statement, no contract termination notice, not even a single clarifying post.
"Don't tell me they're planning to play dead?"
Yamada Shu, standing on the other side, took a sip of his warm coffee. He had also been following the matter closely. Today he finally had a day off from the film set and had been here all along, monitoring the online news about Michiya Gōshin.
"If playing dead could get them out of this, then I, the director of the artist management department, might as well resign!"
Mizushima Ryo's tone suddenly grew urgent. He looked at his assistant and said, word by word.
"Then keep turning up the heat. I refuse to believe they can actually sit still!"
"B-but... we've already used up all our material..."
The assistant's voice trembled. "We even dug up his hospital records from an accidental injury during middle school. We can use this medical report as proof that he was in a fight."
"Then fabricate something new!"
Mizushima Ryo's tone was ruthless. "Remember, this is not a trivial matter."
He gazed out at the city skyline, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority.
"In the Japanese entertainment world, no one has ever refused Johnny & Associates and walked away unscathed. If that were to happen, the image of a leading agency that we've cultivated for so long would be severely damaged."
"Do you think Johnny-san would accept such an outcome?"
His gaze swept over the others in the office. The name Johnny-san was like a great mountain, crushing them all until they could barely breathe.
"I understand! We'll keep at it!"
"Get to it."
"Yes, sir."
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