I am the Entertainment Tycoon Chapter 982: Lake Party and a Decision is Made II

10 minutes later, the two girls walked toward the lounge chairs where Theo and two siblings were sunbathing.

"Hey, everyone! Sorry we’re a bit late," Vivian called out to greet them, adjusting her sunglasses with a smile. "Someone insisted on stopping for a premium iced latte on the way here."

"Hey, it was a hydration emergency," Aurora defended herself with a playful roll of her eyes, dropping her tote next to an empty lounge chair. "Good morning, big brother. Hey, Ay-chan! Shi-chan!"

"Welcome back, A-chan," Theo grinned, pulling out a couple of extra folding chairs into the sun for them. "How was the slumber party? Where’s the other girls?"

"Fun, but exhausting," Aurora said, sliding into a chair and letting out a relaxed sigh as she soaked in the warm, golden rays. "Umaru tried to choreograph a full dance routine in the middle of the living room at midnight. I’m just glad to be out here by the water. It’s so nice today."

"Oh, and the girls had some family commitments." Vivian added on.

Vivian sat down next to Aurora, thanking Theo as he handed them both chilled glasses of iced mint tea. "It really is beautiful out here. Honestly, we came over because Aurora and I couldn’t wait until Monday to share what happened at the big council meeting on Friday. We officially locked down the annual Summer School Trip."

Ayia leaned forward, her golden eyes wide with curiosity. "Oh, finally! Where are you guys heading?"

Aurora was Ayia’s beloved sister-in-law, and the purple-haired girl loved her new little sister, so she was extremely attentive to her affairs.

"There were some hiccups, but we decided on a destination," Aurora chuckled, taking a sip of her tea. "Forty-two percent of the school voted for Mystoria Theme Park over on the Vytral Continent. But when Carolla crunched the peak-season rates and international flight costs, the numbers were genuinely terrifying. It would have completely wiped out our treasury for the entire next semester."

"A very smart administrative boundary," Shizuka noted approvingly, swirling the ice in her cup. "A student council should never bankrupt its future projects just to chase temporary internet hype."

"Exactly what we thought," Vivian agreed, leaning back comfortably. "So, we looked at the second-place option, which was the Sapphire Coast. Because we can charter private train carriages through the school’s network connections, the transit costs dropped significantly. And that’s when Aurora dropped a massive, groundbreaking idea on the table."

Ayia tilted her head, a massive grin forming on her face. "Out with it, Aurora! What did you do?"

"Well, I just suggested we use the extra money wisely," Aurora explained modestly, though a proud smile played on her lips. "We took the financial surplus from the train discount, combined it with a bankruptcy liquidation discount from a maritime leasing agency that Carolla found, and we decided to bypass the standard beach hotels entirely. Yukihime High School is leasing a literal Private Island in the Sapphire Archipelago."

The backyard went quiet for a brief second as the scale of the plan registered. Ayia’s jaw dropped completely, while Shizuka paused mid-sip, her sharp eyebrows shooting upward in genuine surprise. Theo stared at his little sister, a highly amused, thoroughly impressed smile spreading across his face.

"A private island?" Ayia finally gasped, letting out a loud, ecstatic laugh. "Aurora, that is absolutely insane! A whole island just for your school? You guys are going to be legends!"

Although, her family was super rich, Ayia was still down to earth, so she knew how awesome it would be for these high schoolers to have a summer trip on a private island.

"We already mapped out a rough four-day schedule to make sure it’s worth it," Aurora nodded, standard teenager excitement finally bleeding into her calm demeanor. "Day One is an open-air welcome bonfire on the beach with local seafood. Day Two is a full beach sports tournament called ’The Sapphire Games’ where the winning homeroom gets a fully funded pizza party when the new term starts. And that night, Brenda is organizing a Test of Courage through the forested interior using bioluminescent trail markers and volunteers from the Drama Club."

"A Test of Courage in a controlled, isolated geographic location," Shizuka mused, her protective big-sister instincts instantly evaluating the layout before a rare, thoroughly impressed smirk formed on her lips. "Actually... from a safety and liability standpoint, that’s incredibly clever. The boundaries are natural, meaning containment and supervision are significantly easier than an open mountain range. Excellent logistical thinking."

"Thanks, Shi-chan," Aurora smiled, clearly relieved to have the older sister’s analytical backing. "And for the final night, we are throwing the ’Island Twilight Gala’ right on the shoreline and the main pier, perfectly timed with the local summer bioluminescent reef bloom. It gives everyone a chance to dress up casually and celebrate under the stars."

Vivian smiled, "A-chan completely saved our administration’s reputation. When we ran the final numbers, the entire four-day private island excursion actually came out to exactly four percent under our original basic budget for a standard hotel stay in Sakura City. The Principal is going to think we are absolute financial geniuses on Monday morning."

Theo laughed heartily, reaching over to playfully ruffle his sister’s silver hair, causing her to swat his hand away with a soft pout. "A private island excursion while staying under budget? I bet you guys are going to have a blast. You did great, little one."

"Hey, I just didn’t want the family name to look boring," Aurora replied sweetly, a warm smile returning to her face as she leaned back against her chair.

With the core elements of the girls’ grand island strategy laid bare for the group to admire, the remainder of the sun-drenched morning seamlessly transformed into a relaxed, intimate garden party. The five friends lounged alongside the glittering, glass-like water of the lake, the bright, infectious enthusiasm of the two high schoolers blending in perfect harmony with their calm conversation.

By the time the afternoon sun reached its zenith, their conversation was broken by the synchronized rumbling of everyone’s stomachs. Stepping up to their natural roles as the culinary backbone of the household, Theo and Ayia immediately headed over to the manor’s state-of-the-art kitchen to whip up a feast.

The process was an artistic collaboration in its own right. Working side-by-side with an effortless, almost telepathic rhythm, the two chefs decided to use the opportunity to test out several tropical seafood and marinade concepts they had brainstormed earlier. While Ayia expertly filleted fresh fish and prepared a vibrant, zesty citrus slaw, Theo manned the high-heat stone grill, searing skewers of giant spot prawns and glaze-brushed local seafood. When they finally served the meal under the shaded canopy of the backyard pavilion, the group descended into a joyous, lively feast, passing plates back and forth amidst a cascade of culinary praise and lighthearted banter.

A few hours later, once their lunch had settled, the energy shifted back into a playful competitive gear. The five of them migrated to the lake’s shallow waters for a highly chaotic, unstructured game of volleyball.It was a brilliant display of pure, unadulterated fun. Ayia’s athletic grace and quick reflexes were on full display, contrasted hilariously by Theo’s dramatic dives across the water, while Shizuka maintained a terrifyingly precise, authoritative serving game that kept everyone on their toes.

As Theo leaped into the air to execute a powerful spike, his eyes catching the bright sun, the spraying water, and the genuine, ringing laughter of his sister and his closest friends, a sudden wave of profound clarity washed over his mind. It was precisely during this fleeting moment of warmth and pure whimsical comfort that the answer he had been searching for finally clicked. He suddenly knew exactly which legendary Studio Ghibli masterpiece his animation house would adapt first.

He knew the world needed a film that mirrored this exact feeling—a piece of pure, uncompromising positivity that offered shelter from the cynical weight of modern life.

While the expansive Ghibli catalog possessed a handful of titles capable of delivering that specific brand of emotional sanctuary, Theo’s analytical mind focused heavily on a dual choice. It was a battle between two giants of the genre:

My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service.

Both cinematic blueprints focused entirely on the fragile beauty of childhood wonder, gentle pastoral fantasy, and the quiet magic tucked away in everyday life. One would offer the world an unforgettable, fuzzy forest spirit and a touching story of familial bond, while the other would tell a beautiful, soaring coming-of-age tale about a young witch finding her independent spirit in a sprawling, coastal town.

Both were masterpieces. Both would forever alter the landscape of the animation market in this reality.

Theo landed back on the sand, a brilliant, knowing smirk touching his lips as he caught the volleyball in both hands. The choice was made.

But which legendary film would he unveil to the world first?