The cold winter wind swept through the treetops of the villa area as Michiya Gōshin and Kurokawa Akane went out to buy groceries.
The girl walked by his side, a cashmere scarf wrapped twice around her neck, revealing only half of her face. Her beautiful eyes looked especially clear against the snowy landscape.
They maintained a comfortable half-step distance from each other, the production crew's camera following them steadily from behind. They were professionals, making no unnecessary sounds.
"Michiya-kun, I saw on the news that it might snow in a few days."
Kurokawa Akane spoke first, her voice slightly muffled by the scarf but still crisp, like an icy spring flowing over snow. "Do you think we should prepare for it at the villa in advance?"
"Should we buy umbrellas?"
Michiya Gōshin glanced at her and smiled faintly. "As long as it's not a blizzard, it might even add a bit of atmosphere."
"Is that so."
The girl nodded, seeming to think it was a good idea.
Leaving the villa area, the two made their way to a nearby supermarket. Since they were both entertainers, Michiya Gōshin put on a face mask before entering, and Kurokawa Akane followed suit.
Stepping into the supermarket, the young man immediately caught the scent of freshly baked bread wafting from the bakery section.
Strolling through the aisles, they saw shelves lined with various vegetables. A dazzling array of ingredients was available for purchase, each looking fresh. This was a high-end supermarket near the villa area, and the quality of the produce was excellent.
"Should we pick out the beef first?"
Kurokawa Akane skillfully pushed a shopping cart, a list dangling from her fingertips. "MEM-cho-san mentioned yesterday that she wanted to eat this. What do you want to eat, Michiya-kun? You never answered me yesterday."
She was referring to the text message she sent yesterday.
The fact that Michiya Gōshin had received three messages hadn't been made public, so Kurokawa Akane, not having received a definitive answer, took the initiative to bring it up.
"It's pretty cold today. Since we're buying beef, why don't we make a stew?"
"That sounds great! It'll be more lively if we all eat together."
Kurokawa Akane readily agreed and headed to the meat section with him.
Arriving at the refrigerated cases in the fresh food section, Michiya Gōshin bent down to examine the beef on the shelves. His fingertips lightly brushed over the production date on the packaging as he carefully checked the numbers.
Meanwhile, Kurokawa Akane stood beside him, her gaze fixed on the young man's focused profile, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips.
Besides the beef, they also needed to buy other ingredients for the stew. The two chatted idly while picking out items, creating a very warm atmosphere.
This was partly because Michiya Gōshin inherently trusted Kurokawa Akane, and partly because she had brought him home-cooked meals several times before. Her cooking wasn't world-class, but it was certainly commendable.
Naturally, the shots of their casual conversation were all captured by the crew behind them. This warm, natural atmosphere could easily be edited into the main feature as a highlight.
After a while, noticing that the staff were continuously filming Kurokawa Akane's changing expressions, the question that had occurred to Michiya Gōshin yesterday resurfaced in his mind.
Since the show began, Kurokawa Akane hadn't held back in showing her closeness to him. Was this really a good thing?
Director Aoyama had used many methods to promote and build up this show to make it a huge hit, naturally attracting immense traffic and attention.
Love is a Required Course in Life was already a hit before it even aired. As a guest with the dual identity of 'author and actor,' and after the recent book signing controversy, the online discussion about him remained consistently high.
Michiya Gōshin was almost one hundred percent certain that once the show officially aired, his scenes would receive the most attention.
The eyes of both fans and casual viewers would be focused on him. Any guest who got close to him would be scrutinized under a microscope, and ever since the six members first gathered yesterday, Kurokawa Akane had been openly displaying her familiarity with him.
This went completely against the basic formula of a dating show.
Dating show audiences want to see six strangers who gradually get to know each other, quietly spark a flame of romance, and finally end up together.
That was the kind of content everyone loved to see.
Although a dating show starting with acquaintances wasn't a huge deal, if the two of them were to declare themselves a pair later on, they could still attract a large number of 'CP' fans.
However, Michiya Gōshin still had his 'Wolf' mission to complete. He couldn't interact exclusively with Kurokawa Akane from start to finish.
This created a very tricky situation.
The young man himself didn't have to care about public opinion. After all, the director would later release the previously recorded hotel interview video to justify the 'Wolf's' actions.
But it was different for Kurokawa Akane. From dropping honorifics yesterday to going shopping alone with him today—if she were a highly popular entertainer with a lot of attention, it would be fine. It would just generate buzz from a different angle.
But right now, her position in the entertainment world was still that of a minor figure.
When the show officially airs, a co-star actress constantly displaying her closeness to him would most likely trigger some viewers.
For example: "Are they just acting out a pre-written script where they're paired up from the start?"
Or: "Is she clout-chasing? Or just trying to get more screen time?"
These speculations could definitely stir up a huge controversy. After all, the favorite pastimes of people on the internet are picking sides and passing judgment.
Coupled with the show's current popularity, if this kind of narrative took hold, it would undoubtedly cause a massive public outcry.
Thinking of this, Michiya Gōshin glanced at the girl who was looking down, picking out ingredients. Even with her mask on, her eyes still revealed her current satisfaction and happiness.
"Could this be... something Director Aoyama thought of in advance?"
"Did he deliberately put someone I know in here to make me think about how to handle my relationship with her?"
"He didn't give me any hints at all..."
Michiya Gōshin stroked his chin, seriously contemplating how to handle the matter.
Another half an hour passed, and all the groceries were purchased. Just as Kurokawa Akane was about to call Michiya Gōshin to head back, she saw him suddenly walk up to the production crew behind them.
He made a 'pause' gesture to the director. "Excuse me, Kinoshita-san, could you give us ten minutes alone? We have something private to discuss, unrelated to the show."
The sunglasses-wearing director was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly recalled Director Aoyama's instructions and agreed cooperatively.
He led his team away, keeping watch from a distance at the end of the road.
"Michiya-kun, what's wrong? Why did you suddenly ask the crew to leave?"
Holding the shopping bags, Kurokawa Akane looked surprised. "Everything was fine just now in the supermarket."
Michiya Gōshin glanced at their surroundings. "Kurokawa, come with me to a quiet place. We need to talk about something important."
Kurokawa Akane paused. She looked up at the young man's somewhat serious expression and then nodded.
"Okay."
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