Chapter 50: The Premiere
At 7:00 PM sharp, the Toho Cinemas Roppongi Hills branch was lit up brilliantly. The cinema's prominent sign stood out sharply under the lights, while its massive glass curtain wall reflected the neon glow of the bustling streets. A temporary red carpet area had been set up right outside the entrance, flanked by an array of powerful spotlights, where a massive crowd of journalists and photographers had long since taken up their positions.
A modest black Honda rolled up smoothly, coming to a steady halt in its designated parking spot. The door clicked open, and a blonde man wearing sunglasses stepped out from the driver's seat.
Hikaru Hoshino was dressed exceptionally formally today. His deep blue suit was tailored perfectly to his frame, accentuating his tall, slender silhouette. His hair had been meticulously styled back with hair gel–though if one stared a bit too closely, it bordered on looking a tad greasy. He elegantly slipped off his sunglasses, casually tucking them into his breast pocket as he strooped toward the venue entrance.
"You must be Mr. Hikari. Please come this way," a staff member greeted him deferentially, guiding him toward the starting area of the red carpet.
Upon reaching the staging zone, Hikaru noticed that Gotanda and Teppei Nishikawa were already waiting there.
"Good evening, Hikari-senpai. It's great to see you again," Teppei initiated the greeting. Though his facial expression remained composed, the excited quiver in his voice made it clear that his internal state was nowhere near as calm as his exterior suggested.
Hikaru glanced briefly at the suit Teppei was sporting–while the cut was decent, the fabric was visibly low-grade, likely sourced from a budget retail shop.
Without pointing it out, Hikaru simply offered a reassuring pat on Teppei's shoulder. "Of course I had to show up for the premiere. I need to see how the movie turned out with my own eyes, at the very least."
"The premiere day is finally here," Taishi Gotanda sighed with immense emotion.
If there was anyone who had been eagerly anticipating this theatrical release, it was undoubtedly the director himself.
To be completely realistic, Gotanda didn't actually expect this indie art film to become a massive box-office sensation. It was a rare phenomenon for a film to achieve both critical acclaim and commercial success simultaneously. The box-office charts were rarely a battleground where art house films triumphed; massive budgets yielding massive returns was the norm, while micro-budgets raking in high box-office numbers were few and far between.
Yet, art house films possessed a stage entirely their own. The major awards judges, who routinely favored a director's artistic expression, held a notorious soft spot for pretentious, technically flamboyant filmmakers. If a director paired that aesthetic with a script that cleverly and profoundly reflected societal realities, it would strike a chord directly in the judges' hearts.
"This production cycle was considered relatively short, wasn't it?" Hikaru asked out of curiosity.
"Exactly. Since it's a low-budget project, the shooting schedule wasn't excessively long, but it certainly wasn't short either–especially for a director like me who has to micromanage every single aspect from start to finish." Gotanda slapped Hikaru's shoulder. "Originally, I only intended to commission you for a single theme song, but you ended up handling the entire score for the movie. You should know that even veteran composers rarely score an entire film completely by themselves."
Hikaru's mouth twitched slightly. "If you had shared that piece of common sense with me a bit sooner, I wouldn't have been so impulsive as to take on all the work."
"The order of appearance tonight is going to be like this: I'll lead the way, you'll follow right behind me as our prominent musical artist, and then the rest of the main cast will follow. Teppei, you stick right behind this guy." Gotanda began organizing the queue, offering a serious piece of advice: "Considering that none of you really have any experience walking the red carpet, let me keep it brief."
"There's a media interview zone right in the middle of the red carpet. Journalists will definitely pop questions at you. Don't panic, and don't speak too much. Just remember: the less you say, the less chance you have of making a mistake."
"Walking the red carpet is strictly about making an appearance," Gotanda noted. "Its sole purpose is visibility. Just give the reporters something generic to brush them off."
"Understood!" Teppei nodded vigorously.
Hikaru arched an eyebrow. "Isn't the absolute essence of a red carpet to utterly outshine everyone else?" He lightly smoothed out a stray wrinkle on his shoulder, flashing a smug grin. "That happens to be my absolute specialty."
"Cut out those flashy antics. Today is not your turn to steal the spotlight," Gotanda shot him an annoyed glare.
Adjusting his own attire one last time, the director took the lead, stepping onto the red carpet and walking forward at a steady pace while waving pleasantly to the spectators on both sides.
Once he reached the midway point, a handful of journalists carrying microphones and camera rigs immediately swarmed him.
"Director Gotanda, what kind of underlying theme is Ghost Syndrome trying to convey to the audience?"
"You took a massive gamble by casting so many young actors this time. Are you satisfied with their performances?"
Gotanda came to a halt, delivering a concise answer directly to the lenses. "This is a movie with deep underlying meanings that reflects certain societal issues. The performances of these young actors completely exceeded my expectations. As for the finer details, I'll have to ask everyone to experience it for themselves inside the theater." Leaving it at that, he wasted no more time and strode purposefully ahead.
When it was Hikaru's turn to debut, he carefully straightened his collar, gave his attire a final once-over, and stepped onto the red carpet with his chin held high.
In an instant, the surrounding camera flashes erupted into a frenzied rhythm. The blinding white light made his eyes want to reflexively snap shut, but he adapted almost instantly. Crafting a flawless commercial smile, he elegantly waved to the spectators around him.
"Excuse me, you must be Mr. Hikari! You've been a massive trending topic lately. Did you truly handle the entirety of this film's score completely on your own?" a reporter asked, shoving a microphone toward him.
Hikaru gave a polite nod. "That is correct. I served as the music director for this film, and every piece of the score was produced by me."
"You recently dropped your personal album, while simultaneously writing theme songs for both the football championship and a hit television drama. Now you're even managing a full movie score–how exactly do you manage such a monumental workload?" another journalist pressed immediately after.
Hikaru paused in his tracks, flashing his most infectious smile. "When inspiration flows continuously, creation is actually an incredibly effortless process. However, the sheer volume of work is undeniable, so grueling, hard work is absolutely mandatory. I've essentially sacrificed all of my leisure time to deliver the results you see today."
The reporters desperately wanted to throw more questions his way, but Hikaru simply offered a casual, sweeping wave like a monarch inspecting his territory before sauntering off.
Meanwhile, back at the apartment, Ruby was curled up on the sofa with a bag of potato chips, her eyes glued intently to a YouTube live stream on her phone.
Witnessing that specific line, she couldn't help but criticize out loud, "What leisure time did he even sacrifice?! He wanders around the streets looking completely jobless every single day. I have no idea where his output even comes from!"
Back on the red carpet, Teppei Nishikawa quickly made his way across. Although he was visibly stiff with nerves, his overall execution remained relatively stable.
However, the exact millisecond Ai stepped into view, the entire atmosphere of the venue underwent a massive shift.
She was dressed in a deep purple, backless floor-length gown. The silk fabric radiated a soft, ethereal luster under the lights, her hem cascading down to the ground like a waterfall. She exuded an aura of elegant, mature charm.
Her long purple hair had been intricately styled into a sophisticated updo, with a few stray locks gently framing her ears. Those iconic purple eyes of hers sparkled with a star-like brilliance, making it physically impossible for anyone to look away.
The backless cut left her entire back completely exposed to the air, tracing down her slender spine to form a breathtakingly beautiful curve.
The gown featured a high slit on the side that extended just above her knee. With every step she took, her porcelain, slender legs played a subtle game of peek-a-boo through the fabric. Her pale skin appeared entirely flawless under the spotlights, gleaming with a pearl-like radiance.
It was as if someone had hit the pause button on the entire venue. The camera flashes stalled for a fraction of a second before erupting into an absolute frenzy, far more intense than any moment prior.
"Now *that* is what you call utterly outshining the entire room," Hikaru murmured, having already reached the end of the carpet.
Ai carefully marched forward in her high heels, treating every step with extreme caution. As she cruised past the media zone, countless microphones pushed forward in a desperate scramble. "Excuse me, regarding your character in this film–"
Ai merely maintained her picture-perfect, forty-five-degree smile, elegantly waving to the crowd without fielding a single question as she continued her march.
Following Ai, Shiranui Frill made a swift appearance, gliding across the carpet in a gown that looked astronomically expensive.
Shortly after, a premium black sedan came to a halt at the red carpet entrance. Aqua stepped out of the vehicle, quickly spotting Kana Arima and Akane Kurokawa waiting in the staging zone.
Aqua was likewise sporting formal wear today–a children's version of a dark suit paired with a miniature bowtie, making him look very much like a little adult.
Kana Arima had discarded her usual little hat, opting for a lavish, red ruffled gown styled like a puff-dress, complemented by an intricate hair accessory. Akane Kurokawa, on the other hand, wore a sky-blue dress adorned with layers of tulle and delicate lace.
One resembled a vibrant flamingo, while the other looked like an elegant black swan.
Aqua couldn't help but complain, "Why do we even have to walk a red carpet? Nobody mentioned this part of the itinerary to me beforehand."
"Japanese movie premieres usually feature a red carpet segment. Did you not know that, Aqua-kun?" Akane explained softly.
"Hmph, spoken like a true novice," Kana said, planting her hands on her hips. "Unlike a seasoned, distinguished veteran like myself who has spent years grinding in this industry, I've long since grown accustomed to massive spectacles like this."
"So how exactly are we walking this? Who goes out first?" Aqua asked, looking at the two girls who sported completely contrasting styles.
Akane took a step back, gently ushering Kana to the front. "Let Kana go first. She is the big industry senior, after all."
Kana immediately scurried behind Aqua's back, poking her head out with a look of dissatisfaction. "Oh, *now* you want to treat me like a senior?"
Aqua felt a headache coming on. "Stop arguing. Why don't we just walk out together? It's incredibly common for actors who get along well to pair up on the red carpet."
"That's true," Akane nodded gently. "Plus, we're just kids. Not many people will be paying attention to us anyway."
"Who says I get along with this girl!" Kana reflexively barked back.
Aqua put on an immensely wounded expression. "Are you saying we aren't even friends?"
*Well... I guess we are,* Kana thought to herself. She really only had these few peers her age whom she could actually talk to; most other child actors actively steered clear of her.
Feeling a bit self-conscious, she suddenly took off. "Since we're friends, you better keep up!"
The three children walked onto the red carpet side-by-side, with Kana and Akane flanking Aqua on either side.
Watching this exact sequence unfold on her screen, Ruby's eyes instantly went perfectly round.
*What on earth is this?* He had two girls his own age accompanying him, and they clearly got along like a house on fire.
Dying, only to be reincarnated as the child of a top-tier idol, possessing the most adorable little sister in the world, and having two childhood friends growing up right alongside him...
*He's literally living the life of some light novel protagonist!*
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