Inside the villa, all six people were now present.
Kurokawa Akane's incredibly natural 'Michiya-kun' was like a stone tossed into a lake, sending ripples through the minds of the other four.
MEM-cho's eyes twinkled with the light of gossip, her gaze darting back and forth between them. Although Asakura Toru's expression was calm, she still stole a few extra glances at the last arrival, Kurokawa Akane.
As for the two boys on the other side, Kumano Nobuyuki sat up straight, his fingers unconsciously tapping his knees. Morimoto Kengo sat very upright, his usually cool gaze now holding a hint of inquiry, but he only glanced at the young man's position before retracting his gaze.
By now, Michiya Gōshin had recovered from his initial shock. He glanced helplessly at the blue-haired girl beside him, who wore a constant, gentle smile, making no effort to hide her familiar attitude toward him.
So be it.
If this was how it was going to be, then I'll just have to deal with whatever comes my way.
Just then, as if on cue from the production team, MEM-cho stood up and walked to the front of the sofa, clasping her hands with a bright smile.
"Heeey, since everyone's here now, let's go with my earlier suggestion and do self-introductions, including our professions, to get to know each other better."
"Okay."
No one had any objections, and soon, the lively MEM-cho took the lead to start the introductions.
"I'll go first then!"
She blinked her large, sapphire-blue eyes, the corners of her cat-like mouth curving into a mischievous arc. "My name is MEM-cho, and I'm a YouTuber~"
"My main content is JK-themed love advice and daily life vlogs. To put it simply, I help high school girls with their relationship problems and expose guys' tricks!"
MEM-cho proudly held up her phone. "This helps a lot of girls see things clearly."
"I've seen your videos, MEM-cho-san. They're really popular on YouTube," Kumano Nobuyuki said supportively, and the others chimed in with praise.
"Alright, next up is..."
There was actually no set order for the introductions, but MEM-cho blinked and turned with a grin toward Kurokawa Akane, who was sitting next to Michiya Gōshin. "Kurokawa-san, please introduce yourself."
"Me?"
Though surprised to be called out, Kurokawa Akane showed no signs of stage fright.
"Um, I'm Kurokawa Akane. I currently work mainly as an actor in stage plays. I've only been in one TV drama, but I've done many plays. If anyone's interested in theater, I can give you some recommendations."
The girl stood up and spoke to everyone calmly.
"Um, the one drama Kurokawa-san was in... that must have been 49, with Michiya-sensei, right?" Kumano Nobuyuki interjected, wanting to probe the relationship between Kurokawa Akane and Michiya Gōshin.
"Yes, it was quite a fateful encounter," Michiya Gōshin spoke up before Kurokawa Akane could. "Kurokawa-san's acting is excellent; she gave me a lot of inspiration."
"Not at all. Michiya-kun was the one who took care of me on set."
"Alright, alright~"
MEM-cho noticed the blush on Kurokawa Akane's face, a look of understanding dawning on her. "Then, may we please have Michiya-sensei's introduction next?"
"Of course."
Michiya Gōshin smiled warmly, stood up, and gave a slight bow. "Michiya Gōshin. My professions are actor and author. I've only been in one drama so far, as you all just heard."
"And I wrote a book called Love Letter..."
"That book is super famous, Michiya-sensei," MEM-cho said with a fan-like smile. "A lot of my followers have been recommending it to me."
"So, have you read it, MEM-cho-san?" Michiya Gōshin asked with a smile.
"Hehe, I read a little bit, but I thought it was a bit sad, so I didn't finish." The girl with the pudding-top hair stuck out her tongue. The gesture seemed a bit like a deliberate attempt to be cute, but she pulled it off so naturally that it wasn't off-putting.
"My best friend loves this book, Michiya-sensei."
Just then, Asakura Toru, who had been quiet for most of the time, suddenly spoke up, her eyes fixed on Michiya Gōshin's face. "She thinks the depiction of emotions in it is incredibly delicate."
"Thank you, and please thank your friend for me, Asakura-san."
"Mm."
After nodding, a faint smile appeared on Asakura Toru's beautiful face, but she said nothing more.
"Okay, next up..."
"I'll go next!"
Kumano Nobuyuki shot up from his seat with a cheerful smile.
"Kumano Nobuyuki, I'm a street dancer, specializing in breaking! I won second place in the national championships!"
As he spoke, he struck a freeze pose, the muscles in his arms tensing instantly. "When I'm not practicing, I'm watching dance videos. My dream is to open my own dance studio!"
"So cool!"
As the group's mood-maker, MEM-cho was complimentary toward everyone's introduction. "I've seen your dance videos, Kumano-san. You have almost half a million subscribers on YouTube. That's really amazing!"
"It's nothing, really!" Kumano Nobuyuki scratched his head and laughed bashfully. "I've broken my arm practicing before, but the feeling of being on stage is incredible!"
"That must have been tough."
After he finished, Morimoto Kengo slowly stood up as Kumano Nobuyuki sat down.
He tugged at the collar of his black jacket, his voice a bit raspy. "Morimoto Kengo. Lead singer and guitarist for a band."
His introduction was brief and to the point. It was clear he wasn't very talkative—a typical artist who prefers to let his music speak for him.
"Hehehe, I'm a big fan of your band's music, Morimoto-san."
Having just confirmed the relationship between Kurokawa Akane and Michiya Gōshin, Kumano Nobuyuki had decided to get on good terms with the band's lead singer first. He'd just made a friendly overture, which he was sure the other had understood.
However, Morimoto Kengo just nodded, glanced at everyone, and offered a short "Thanks."
The last person to introduce herself was Asakura Toru. She rose slowly, her short, light purple hair swaying gently with the movement.
"Asakura Toru, a member of the idol group 'noctchill'."
Her voice was soft but carried a unique rhythm. "I hope I can get along well with everyone during this variety show."
"I'm sure we will! I think you and I will get along great, Asakura-san."
Due to her past experiences, MEM-cho was a huge fan of idols. Since Asakura Toru was the only idol here, she immediately won her over.
"Mm."
After everyone had finished their introductions, Director Aoyama's voice suddenly came through the living room speakers.
"Welcome, six guests, to Love is a Required Course in Life! Next, we will announce our core rules. Please listen carefully."
"This show does not force pairings, does not use the 'must-go-on-a-date' gimmick, and has no pressure of 'failure and elimination'."
With the exception of Michiya Gōshin, the 'wolf' who already knew, this statement stunned the other members.
The director's voice continued, "The most precious thing about love is 'natural growth,' so we only provide the stage, not the script."
"Today is the first day you've all met. I have two questions for you to think about seriously."
Director Aoyama's tone grew slightly more solemn as he revealed the key task for the first day.
"Love at first sight versus love that grows over time—which is closer to the true nature of love?"
"Is the origin of love attraction, or is it understanding?"
"Please consider these questions carefully. Once you have an answer, you may say it out loud. We will record your responses as they are."
"I believe... that after you've answered these questions..."
"Each of you will form your own judgment of the others, which will help you all grow closer."
"Now... begin thinking. You have ten minutes."
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