After the room fell quiet, Michiya Gōshin leaned against the window, watching their figures disappear at the end of the hallway.
As the 'Wolf,' he needed to observe everyone's emotional trajectory, and this late-night talk had given him a clearer glimpse into the two guys' hearts.
Beneath Kumano's enthusiasm lay a naivety about romance, while Morimoto's cool exterior concealed a longing for sincerity.
The director had already stated that this reality show wouldn't force pairings or dates. As such, the tension between the guys wasn't as intense as on other dating shows, but competition was still inevitable.
'One step at a time.'
Having just finished the guys' night, Michiya Gōshin remembered his system panel. He opened it and saw that his experience points had indeed increased.
[Production Queue 1: All Living Things]
[Experience: 17/100]
[Experience: 18/100]
'I really made the right choice coming here. I'll keep it up tomorrow.'
-------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, the villa was awakened by the warm winter sun.
Pushing his door open, Michiya Gōshin immediately smelled the aroma of coffee wafting up from downstairs. When he reached the top of the second-floor staircase, he saw Asakura Toru standing by the window at the end of the hall.
She was wearing a light blue jacket, its collar zipped up to her chin, revealing a small patch of snow-white skin.
'Good morning, Michiya-sensei.'
Asakura Toru turned her head, her voice as soft as the morning mist.
'Morning. You're up early, Asakura-san.' Michiya Gōshin walked over to her and immediately caught a sharp, bitter-woody scent, which suited her quite well.
'Are you up so early because you have work today, Asakura-san?'
Asakura Toru nodded lightly. 'Yes, I have rehearsal for a performance today.'
Her voice was quiet but held an anticipation for the stage. 'This afternoon, at the agency.'
'Break a leg,' Michiya Gōshin said with a smile. 'I'll be waiting to hear all the fun stories from rehearsal when you get back.'
This show had another aspect that set it apart from other dating programs: none of the members were ordinary people. They were all figures from the entertainment industry or internet celebrities.
They were all 'freelancers' who didn't need to clock in for a nine-to-five job, allowing them to spend a lot of time in the villa. This was the fundamental condition the director was counting on to create different chemical reactions.
Michiya Gōshin had already guessed one of the director's objectives.
Since the questions of 'love at first sight' versus 'love that grows over time' were raised on the very first day, he surely expected someone to change their answer by the end.
When the two of them went downstairs together, the living room was already bustling with activity.
MEM-cho was wandering around the living room, a cup of coffee in her hand, muttering to herself, 'Kurokawa-san can actually make coffee! She's better than a professional cafe.'
Kurokawa Akane, dressed in cream-colored loungewear, was placing several cups of freshly brewed hot coffee on the coffee table. Her long blue hair was draped loosely over her shoulders, making her look less of the cool figure she was on stage and more gentle, as she was in everyday life.
'It's just something I do.'
Lifting her eyes and seeing Michiya Gōshin, the corners of her mouth immediately curved into an even softer arc. 'Good morning, Michiya-kun.'
Then she turned, picked up a glass of warm milk from the nearby counter, and handed it to him.
'I just warmed up the milk.'
'Thanks.'
Michiya Gōshin took the milk, a faint smile appearing on his face.
Seeing this, MEM-cho immediately let out a teasing 'Ooooh~'.
'Are we getting blinded by their [Special Friendship] first thing in the morning?'
She had talked with Kurokawa Akane yesterday. Since the two hadn't shown any romantic sparks yet, teasing was fine, but MEM-cho had cleverly changed her wording, showcasing her social savvy.
'It's just a glass of milk.'
Sipping the milk, Michiya Gōshin didn't offer any explanation. A short while later, Kumano Nobuyuki and Morimoto Kengo also came downstairs one after the other.
The former was in brightly colored sportswear, while the latter was dressed in his usual black attire. Both of them saw the interaction between Michiya Gōshin and Kurokawa Akane and wore knowing expressions.
Once all six members had gathered, the production crew delivered a task card from the director. It contained a single, simple line: 'For the next two weeks, meals are to be self-arranged. Grocery shopping and cooking are up to you.'
'Self-arranged?'
Kumano Nobuyuki scratched the back of his head. 'So besides no forced pairings or dates, they're just letting us run wild... Are there no tasks at all?'
He picked up the task card and examined it over and over, his expression a mixture of surprise and confusion.
Morimoto Kengo leaned back on the armchair, his cool gaze sweeping over the group. 'Doesn't matter.'
His words were concise but carried a casual 'I'm good with whatever' air. Asakura Toru, sitting in a corner of the sofa, nibbled on a piece of bread she was holding. 'Two weeks. That's a long time.'
Her few simple words hit on the heart of the matter—this wasn't a temporary one-day task, but a division of labor that would require long-term adjustment and cooperation.
Kurokawa Akane's gaze fell on the task card. She was quite smart and immediately grasped the director's deeper meaning.
'When the director says 'up to you,' he actually wants to see our initiative.'
'Even though there are no mandatory tasks, something like grocery shopping can't be done by one person. At least two people should go together.'
'Exactly.'
Michiya Gōshin immediately chimed in, slowly analyzing the situation. 'Going grocery shopping is, in a way, a chance for some alone time.'
He didn't spell it out completely, since no one there was a fool. They would quickly understand that this was already a form of competition. After all, shopping and cooking together was a key way to grow closer.
As the 'Wolf,' the young man needed to proactively guide their interactions and create opportunities for observation. The moment he spotted any budding feelings, he had to extinguish them immediately.
'Following that line of thought... '
Michiya Gōshin paused, then looked at the others. 'How about we first decide on the main people in charge of groceries? Since the director didn't set any limits, we could have a fixed pair handle it long-term.'
'A fixed pair?' MEM-cho immediately seized on the key point. 'Since you're suggesting it, Michiya-sensei, does that mean you have someone in mind to team up with?'
She waggled her eyebrows at Kurokawa Akane, her cat-like smile resembling a fox that had just stolen a fish. 'I bet someone wants to go shopping and cook with their co-star. They'd definitely have great chemistry~'
Kurokawa Akane didn't refute it, just smiled. 'When it comes to cooking, I can only make some simple home-style dishes. Shopping is fine, too, since I used to run errands for my mom all the time.'
After saying this, she suddenly turned her head and stared rather directly at Michiya Gōshin.
Everyone else immediately caught her gaze, and the atmosphere in the living room instantly became subtle.
Michiya Gōshin thought for a moment before speaking.
'If no one minds, I can take responsibility for the grocery shopping. I've been keeping up with my morning runs, so getting up early is no problem for me.'
He paused, meeting Kurokawa Akane's expectant gaze. 'Kurokawa, want to go shopping with me?'
'Yes,' the blue-haired girl nodded emphatically.
'Ooooh~~' MEM-cho drew out the sound. 'Is that a team-up? Is this the chemistry of the 'love that grows over time' group?'
'If you say so.'
Michiya Gōshin shrugged. At that moment, however, he suddenly noticed Asakura Toru seemed to glance in their direction. She looked like she wanted to say something, but ultimately didn't speak up.
'Then it's settled. Let's go shopping in a bit.'
'Okay.'
Kurokawa Akane gave a gentle smile, a look of satisfaction appearing on her face.
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