Wednesday morning.
Michiya Gōshin stood at the door of room 3027, straightening the cuffs of his shirt, a hint of curiosity coloring his thoughts about what was to come.
Two days prior, his agent, Nakahara Kazuya, had confirmed his participation in the dating reality show called Love is a Required Course in Life. Logically, since the show had already sent an invitation, he should have just been waiting at home for filming to begin.
But yesterday, the show's production team had suddenly called to inform him that there would be a special interview here today and that they hoped he could attend. This left him feeling somewhat puzzled.
But puzzles aside, if it was work, then he would do it.
Michiya Gōshin didn't have much of a problem with last-minute arrangements. After he reached out and knocked on the door, a male staff member immediately came out to greet him.
"Michiya-san, this way, please."
The male staff member bowed slightly and then ushered the young man inside.
The hotel room designated for the interview was simpler than expected—there was no fancy set dressing, just two sofas placed by the window. Beside them stood two black cameras, their lenses pointed silently at the seats like a pair of lurking eyes.
Two crew members stood in the corner holding soft light reflectors. Seeing him enter, they immediately adjusted the angle of the lighting. A warm, yellow glow fell upon him, dispelling some of the morning's chill.
"Michiya-san, you can sit here for a moment."
The staff member had Michiya Gōshin sit on the left sofa, directly facing the cameras, and then handed him a bottle of lukewarm water. "Director Aoyama was delayed by something urgent. We hope you can wait a little while."
"The materials are on the table. You can take a look first."
"Okay, thank you."
After the staff member left, Michiya Gōshin reached out and picked up a document from the table.
[Love is a required course in life.]
[On the long journey of life, perhaps everyone will encounter a love of their own. Whether it's a sweet romance or a sorrowful one, one can always gain a certain degree of growth.]
[This season's program brings together six members, each with a different profession and identity, living together in a closed environment. What kind of sparks will fly?]
[Will they leave hand-in-hand, or depart in sorrow?]
[We welcome you to witness this heart-pounding game.]
"The introduction is written quite conventionally. Not much different from the other dating shows on the market."
Michiya Gōshin had already watched many dating shows with Kurokawa Akane over the past two days. They basically all used some gimmick to attract viewers, put a group of exceptionally good-looking non-celebrities in a villa, and then waited for a chemical reaction to occur between them.
It was mostly boring.
If it weren't for needing to gather experience for his entry, he probably wouldn't have accepted this job.
Glancing at the [All Living Things] entry on his system's light screen, Michiya Gōshin still didn't know who the other members were, but he was already starting to look forward to it.
Time ticked by, and the hands of the wall clock moved from nine to ten. The only sounds in the room were the faint hum of the cameras and the suppressed breathing of the staff.
Michiya Gōshin drank half the bottle of water and read the proposal over and over again, but the director still hadn't arrived.
However, his expression remained calm the entire time, showing no signs of impatience.
Waiting for someone is an agonizing process, but the young man had his system. He had been busy examining the contents of his upgraded [Entry Library] and didn't feel bored at all.
Another ten minutes passed before the door clicked open.
A middle-aged man in a black trench coat walked in. He had slightly curly hair, his left hand was tucked into his pants pocket, and his right hand carried a kraft paper file folder. His stride was casual, yet he carried an air of authority that couldn't be ignored.
An assistant followed behind the man, jogging over to close the door and whispering, "Director, everything is ready."
"Director?"
Seeing someone enter, Michiya Gōshin stood up. Since the main character had arrived, it meant the show was about to begin.
"Michiya-kun, good morning. I'm Aoyama Akihiro."
His voice was low and raspy, with the unique magnetism of a smoker's voice. His gaze fell upon Michiya Gōshin, looking him up and down twice before suddenly smiling.
"Michiya-kun, you look much better in person than you do on video. Please, have a seat."
"Thank you."
Michiya Gōshin sat down again. He watched as Aoyama Akihiro sat on the sofa opposite him and tossed the file folder onto the table with a soft thud.
"Michiya-kun, this interview was actually scheduled for nine o'clock. The past hour was still part of the interview process."
"...Is that so."
Hearing this, Michiya Gōshin thought back to the rather 'long' wait he had just endured.
"Was this a test for me?"
"That's right."
Director Aoyama's way of speaking was incredibly direct, completely devoid of the superficial courtesies valued in the professional world.
"And the result of the test?"
"Very satisfactory. In fact, your performance genuinely surprised me."
Director Aoyama narrowed his eyes and said with a smile.
"During the wait just now, you showed no impatience, no complaints. You were remarkably composed. This particular quality happens to satisfy a certain role I have in mind."
"Please, go on."
"Although doing something like this is a bit strange, I must choose a special person to make this show more interesting."
"A special person?"
"That's right!"
The director balled his hands into fists, his voice becoming excited. "I want you to be the wolf in Love is a Required Course in Life."
"Wolf?"
Michiya Gōshin found the term rather novel. After all, wasn't a dating show supposed to be about pursuing sweet romance?
"Yes. When we first greenlit this show, we decided to make it something special. That's why I gave up the idea of choosing non-celebrity members."
Director Aoyama slowly explained, "The six members are all people who have appeared in the public eye."
"Whether they're idols or actors..." He looked into the young man's eyes. "...and you, a man with the dual identities of a bestselling author and an actor."
"So? What does that have to do with a wolf?"
"Michiya-kun, have you seen a dating show before?"
"I have."
"Then you know the general flow of one?" Director Aoyama asked with a smile.
"I do. It's nothing more than the progression of some romantic storylines. In the end, some people will become a couple, and others will leave alone."
"Exactly."
After snapping his fingers, Director Aoyama continued his explanation. "So, the general public is already very familiar with the formula of dating shows. Without something new, it's easy for viewers to lose interest."
"And that's why you need to set up a wolf?" Michiya Gōshin roughly understood what he meant. "But what I'm curious about is, Director, what do you plan for the wolf to do?"
"It's simple..."
Director Aoyama stared into the young man's eyes and stated, word by word.
"I want it so that before the final episode of this show airs, every single confession fails. Not a single couple can be allowed to spark a romance."
"That... is the job of the wolf."
"?"
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