The interactive feature goes live—zero votes. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqVHxWaMA4v
Crew scramble into an emergency review meeting. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWOCh4QyxYo
The boss proposes casting a vote as self-rescue, 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJ4e8f2Kij
successfully stepping back into the audience.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8nt7cQScN6
The meeting room lights are stark white.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdgx1tbRxb
Cold-toned light reflects off the ceiling,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmwk5W0FIe
yet never reaches the hearts of those seated inside.
The director is seated at the long table,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxggdnkrlXW
holding the freshly printed reports in his hands.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzA9Xvyf7bO
He flips through them in silence for a moment,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuaJqKIoq9F
then, only then, slowly lifts his gaze.
“Today is already the day after the interactive mode went live.”
“Nearly a day and a half has passed…”
“We haven’t received a single audience vote.”
The air stills for a moment.
“Although the interaction was designed from the outset20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9sPFMPJxp
to enhance immersion and not to require voting—”
“since it was also meant to give the audience a low-barrier way20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzlrofC3MP
to take part in the creation,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjLSWqyuDl
we still need to talk about this phenomenon.”
As he finishes speaking, the manager opens a laptop20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhlBmQXvxW
and adds calmly,
“I’ve already gone back over the interaction flow with the tech team.”
"Across the platforms we’ve enabled,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Hju7lhefV
the form links on Penana and Vocus are set in blue,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEx0SMkvEc
in line with the common visual expectation for hyperlinks."
He opens the screen and displays it for everyone to see.
“But on CxC, the text is displayed in gray.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkORncugpnM
The system doesn’t support color changes.”
“For now, all we can do is emphasize it in bold.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf16rXeejRg
That limitation could be why some readers may have missed it.”
The art lead crosses her arms and tilts her head.
“So there’s nothing we can do on the technical side?”
“At the moment, that appears to be the case.”
The director lets his gaze fall from the projection back to the table,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAx7mUreFH9
a faint furrow forming between his brows.
“Then, looking at the content itself—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6qFJyANiU
did we set the timing of the vote in a way that was too hard to ease into?”
At that, the screenwriter adjusts his glasses。20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtG4XwfJA1
and flips open a draft of the script.
“In Episode Fifteen of The Hidden Moon and the Sea of Dawn,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNtm2CCFCd
Father Liu leads a rescue operation,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7B1OvpMgl
and despite being gravely injured, the rabbit insists on coming along.”
“The sequence builds to its final moments,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLKi4vwlIB
where the enemy resorts to a do-or-die gambit,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMBm3cegKJx
launching a covert strike against Liu Xiyu20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdC2ONIMyQZ
just before the rescue succeeds.”
“At the moment the rabbit senses something is wrong,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV0Yw4Npy8R
the line appears in the story—‘Her heartbeat cuts out for a beat.’”
“That’s the trigger point we designed for the interactive option.”
He then shifts his tone, and reads the passage aloud in a lower voice:
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUjvyJMTR8
“Xiyu! No—!”
“Uhh…”
The wind cuts like a blade.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ30DnMdyY6
Her claws can barely hold,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrBfx5ZV3Rb
yet her eyes remain fixed on the raised cuff—
Option A: I can’t let her get hurt… I can do this… I’ll make it to her… I can…!20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41cdarQBIg
Option B: My claws… really are almost out of strength… but if I don’t try… I’ll hate myself for the rest of my life.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNi33Y5OoCT
After hearing the passage, the art lead gives a small nod.
“Shifting into the character’s perspective at the peak of emotional tension,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSX5phr94BT
then using choices to push the story into branching paths of fate…”
“There’s nothing wrong with the story itself.”
The director sweeps his gaze around the room, his tone easing.
“It seems we had the script, the platform, and the timing all arranged in advance.
The audience may simply not be used to this kind of format yet.”
“But we never really discussed what to do20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFj5K7HT5H
if no one votes at all.”
No sooner have the words left his mouth20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUjSeCAjUhX
than the boss—who has spent the entire meeting tucked into the corner,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgxUTred7Q
radiating low pressure and near-total invisibility—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhMBfxESfxw
suddenly looks up, as if a keyword has switched him on,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZekoV3O0BI
and springs to his feet.
“Wait!”
He seizes everyone’s attention,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeD3MOajNL
his expression uncharacteristically serious.
“Listen to me, everyone!”
He takes a deep breath first,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5UA0ikAzVu
as if carefully weighing his words,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeCob8yjrw
before speaking cautiously.
“What I mean is…”
“Is there any chance that…”
“—if no audience members vote,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFbHnQk64X
does that mean I could… regain my voting eligibility?”
His words start coming faster,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxAEzRhZCR
his emotions rising with them.
“I wasn’t allowed to vote before, for the sake of fairness, right?20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqfBc5PHMs
But—”
“If nobody’s voting,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCMenOjrSl
what fairness is there to protect?!”
He thumps his chest,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ52v3wjlUev
as if rediscovering the meaning of life.
“And to avoid spoilers,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQHYzNRZN8
I didn’t take part in the story design at all!20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRA95xXSgLi
I have no idea what any of the choices actually lead to!”
“I am an audience member!20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Aj6nSxuFs
You can’t take even this chance away from me!”
As he says this,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOHldFMaWY
his voice begins to waver,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkYemM1mo0
a clear sheen of moisture gathering at the corners of his eyes.
The entire meeting room falls into silence.
The screenwriter is the first to agree.
“Actually… that does make sense.”
The art lead bites down on the end of her pen and mutters under her breath,
“True. At this point, the only person in the entire crew who doesn’t know what happens next20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbHSk7SQg8
is the boss.”
The director props his chin on one hand and looks toward the manager.
“We’ll need to check with the marketing team to see if this is feasible.”
“I’ll contact them right away.”
The manager lowers his head and sends a message.
The boss sits on edge,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4TPvFdoEOx
hands clasped and pressed tight to his forehead,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyACMypwlr0
as if waiting for a verdict to be read aloud.
Ten minutes later, the manager looks up.
“The marketing team says it’s possible—but on one condition:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjhiE0SL0b
only if there are truly no audience votes20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTceHNL9kdS
may the boss cast a vote as a supplement.”
At this, the boss reacts as if he’s hit the jackpot.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ91gpuhWuwI
He bolts toward the conference table in a single bound20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYK2KspFOp
and runs three full laps around it.
“I! CAN! VOTE! NOW!”
The director watches his back, a smile in his voice.
“Then tell me which option you want to vote for first.”
“If voting closes and there are still no audience votes,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIojp7Ar5Sa
we’ll go with your choice.”
The boss makes his decision without a second’s hesitation.
“B! I choose B!”
His voice trembles, emotion running high.
“Snff… A-Yue is hurt that badly—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRhM1vzrEtW
how could it not hurt…?”
Emotion surging, he squats back into the corner mid-rant,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyqY3MS5HRE
face flushed, knees hugged to his chest,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Fydd4BGQc
plunging into his own CP-fueled imagination,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALJ59rwjb2
muttering the characters’ inner monologues to himself.
The others ignore his usual meltdown mode,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEc7DmWOkG2
lowering their heads to handle the next set of assignments,20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClKUDtbfek
as if this interruption were just another part of the routine—20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNc2LezGg7I
because to them,
it truly is.
ns216.73.216.10da2
and then Add to home screen.