Leo Vance had chosen Chloe Summers for three very specific reasons.
Firstly, the character design for Kaori Miyazono in the Your Lie in April script had been kept under strict embargo. None of the auditionees knew who she was, so they couldn't "act" like her. But Chloe didn't need to act. Her personality, her vibrant appearance, and even her tragic medical condition were identical to Kaori. She was a born "Kaori Miyazono."
Secondly, according to the System's evaluation, Chloe's compatibility with the role was a staggering S+. The highest rating Leo had ever seen previously was an A+. With his direct guidance, he estimated she could reach a SSS-level performance, a level of immersion that would make the audience forget she was an actress.
Thirdly, and most importantly, was the illness itself. Leo knew he could use the System to manage it. He wouldn't allow her to fall into a paralyzed state during production. He had learned through the System's medical database that Acute Neuritis, the condition where the immune system attacks the peripheral nerves was a relentless torment. In mild cases, it caused limb weakness and muscle atrophy. In severe cases, it led to full-body paralysis and respiratory failure. While not always immediately fatal, the psychological toll was, in many ways, worse than death.
In the story of Your Lie in April, Kaori Miyazono suffers from similar condition. She spends her life running from the shadow of the hospital, terrified of the 50% risk associated with the surgery that might save her. It is only because of Arima Kousei that she finds the courage to choose the gamble of life.
Chloe had explained her lateness to Leo and Frank. She had been in the hospital just hours before the audition, desperately trying to stabilize her tremors so she could make it on time. She was unwilling to give up on her one chance at a dream. Leo had accepted this without question, he saw the same fire in her that burned in Kaori.
The "Your Lie in April" Set. Burbank, CA.
The crew was assembled in record time. Chloe Summers was the lead, and Leo Vance himself took the role of the male lead, Arima Kousei.
A month before filming, Leo had deliberately gained weight, letting his face fill out to lose the sharp, "Strongest" edge of Gojo Satoru. With specific makeup effects and a slumped, introverted posture, he successfully transformed into the "Human Metronome", the broken piano prodigy.
Within days, the crew had bonded with the cheerful, energetic Chloe. When they learned of her terminal condition, she became the "Group Darling." Everyone watched over her with a protective, almost reverent care.
Though Chloe was a first-time lead, Leo's surgical guidance saw her get into character with frightening speed.
In one of the first major scenes, the meeting in the park Arima Kousei encounters Kaori Miyazono for the first time. Under a canopy of blooming cherry blossoms, Kaori stands on a playground structure, playing the melodica alone while surrounded by a group of laughing children.
The melodious, upbeat sound reached Kousei's ears, drawing him in. He stood frozen, staring blankly at the girl who looked like a vibrant, living painting amidst the falling petals. When she turned to look at him, a single tear unconsciously slid from Leo's eye.
The scene was so beautiful that the staff present were stunned. It was as if Kaori Miyazono had walked directly out of the script and into the real world.
The sound department had originally planned to dub the melodica in post-production, but Chloe surprised everyone. She had been a musical prodigy herself as a child, proficient in the violin, piano, and melodica. She had even won regional youth competitions for the violin before her health began to fail.
"Did Director Leo pull her out of a time machine?" one camera op whispered. "She's literally the girl from the story."
On-Set: The "Black-hearted" Boss.
As filming progressed, Chloe's condition remained a constant shadow. After one particularly long day of shooting the competition arc, she collapsed the moment Leo called "Cut." Her legs went numb, and no matter how Frank and the PAs tried to help her, she couldn't stand.
Fortunately, Leo had prepared for this. A medical-grade wheelchair and a stretcher were always on standby. After a night in the hospital, Chloe was, as always the first person on set at 6:00 AM the next morning.
"Coming so early? Did you get enough rest?" Leo asked, arriving at 7:30 AM to find her chatting happily with the lighting crew.
Chloe smiled sweetly at him. "It's nothing, Leo. I won't die today. Staying in the hospital is boring; being on set with you guys is way more fun!"
"Alright then", "But I'm telling you now, no matter how early you show up, I'm not giving you extra pay." Leo joked, though his eyes were warm.
"Hmph!" Chloe put her hands on her hips, pouting playfully. "Black-hearted boss! I'm reporting you to the labor board!"
Leo laughed, but internally, he was scolding the System. The System's "Disease Suppression" function only worked during working hours. It was a bizarre, cruel limitation that made him look like a corporate tyrant who only cared about her when the cameras were rolling.
"Seriously?" Leo thought. "You're making me look like a monster. Am I really that kind of guy?!"
However, the System had provided one piece of good news: if Chloe successfully completed the filming of this drama, the System could guarantee her surgery success rate would reach 100%.
Hearing that, Leo reluctantly forgave the digital voice in his head. Then, the System informed him that the cost of this "Miracle Surgery" would be 50,000 Prestige Points.
Leo's eyes twitched. "You were just waiting for a chance to drain my points, weren't you?"
Still, he agreed instantly. 50,000 points was nothing. With the way Hidden Inventory was performing, he would soon have millions.
Regarding Chloe's pay, Leo had offered her a 1% profit share of the project. Chloe had been hesitant, thinking it was too much. She estimated that a ten-episode drama might make $60 or $70 million, meaning her cut would be around $600k, a fortune for a first-time actress.
If Leo knew what she was thinking, he would have been speechless. According to his market analysis and the "Vance Factor," this drama was going to net a profit between $500 Million and $800 Million.
Chloe Summers wasn't just becoming a "Vance Maiden." She was about to become a millionaire before the last cherry blossom fell.
"Alright, Kaori," Leo said, checking the monitors. "Let's film the rooftop scene. Show me that lie."
The camera rolled, and for a moment, the Burbank studio disappeared, replaced by the bittersweet spring of a story that would break the world.
Plz Drop Some Power Stones.
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