The morning sun pierced through the villa's floor-to-ceiling windows, weaving a patch of warm light on the floor.
The living room was already bustling. MEM-cho, wearing a bright yellow hoodie, was adjusting her little devil hair clips in the mirror. Seeing Kurokawa Akane come downstairs, she immediately bounced over and linked her arm.
"Kurokawa-san, let's go to that popular influencer restaurant for our free activity today! I heard their cloud soufflé is super photogenic. It'll be a huge hit for my vlog!"
Kurokawa Akane was dressed in a beige trench coat, her long blue hair loosely tied up, revealing her slender neck. She smiled and nodded upon hearing the suggestion. "Mm, I don't have to go to the theater troupe today, so I'll go with you, MEM-cho-san."
"Great! With Kurokawa-san in it, the vlog is sure to get views."
MEM-cho grinned and looked over at Kumano Nobuyuki and Morimoto Kengo, who were sitting on the sofa. "What are your plans for today?"
Kumano Nobuyuki was sprawled on the couch, a look of utter despair on his face. "What plans could there be? As the rejected 'heartbreak duo,' I can only go with Morimoto to the band's rehearsal space to be a gofer!"
Morimoto Kengo leaned nearby, his tone a bit helpless. "You can stay here if you don't want to go."
"I'd rather not. If I go with Morimoto, at least I'll have someone to hang out with."
Neither of the two proactively asked the girls who had written the three plans from yesterday. After all, not being chosen was already embarrassing enough; pressing the issue would only make it more awkward.
Just then, footsteps sounded on the stairs.
Everyone turned their heads. The person coming down was, as expected, Michiya Gōshin, who was heading out for a date today.
Today, he had changed into a light gray turtleneck wool sweater paired with a sharply tailored, short black jacket. The hem was neatly tucked at the waist of his dark cargo pants, and the cuffs were tucked into fleece-lined combat boots.
His signature blond hair was styled to be fluffy but not messy, with a few strands falling across his forehead, making his features appear even more profound. The crisp air of winter intertwined with the gentleness in his eyes, creating a handsomeness that was hard to look away from.
"Wow! So handsome, Michiya-sensei!"
The first to speak was MEM-cho. "Your fashion sense is on point today! That blond hair with the black jacket, it's like a manga protagonist walked right into reality!"
The two guys were also surprised, as Michiya Gōshin hadn't really dressed up in the past two days.
"Michiya, dressing like this is practically cheating. You'll definitely attract a lot of attention from passersby."
Morimoto Kengo also smiled. "Very handsome! But you should still be careful, since you two aren't ordinary people."
Looking at the meticulously dressed Michiya Gōshin, a surge of fiery emotion welled up in Kurokawa Akane's chest. But she knew she wasn't the one who could walk by his side today. Forcing herself to suppress her feelings, she followed the others in offering a few smiling compliments, saying little else.
After a moment, another soft sound came from the stairs.
Asakura Toru wasn't wearing a scarf today. A silver star-shaped hair clip was tucked behind her ear. Her short, light purple hair was very smooth, with fine strands resting against the side of her neck, adding a touch of androgynous charm.
She wore a cream-colored chunky knit sweater with a light oatmeal-colored duffle coat over it, paired with a plaid wool-blend skirt and warm tights. On her feet were a pair of dainty brown leather boots. She looked both exquisite and fashionable, truly befitting the center of a girl idol group.
She walked to the center of the living room. Beneath her short hair, her eyes were incredibly bright, and a layer of light pink lipstick on her lips made her aura even more outstanding.
"Asakura-chan is also very pretty today, it's incredible…"
As an idol fan, MEM-cho's eyes lit up even more seeing Asakura Toru than they had for Michiya Gōshin, and she immediately went over to her.
"What a heart-fluttering outfit. You're a lucky man today, Michiya-sensei."
"I'm honored."
Michiya Gōshin smiled. He looked at Asakura Toru's face and noticed a sparkling light in her eyes, a breathtaking beauty.
The two of them waited for the director's crew to send a car to pick them up. Because they were both exceptionally good-looking, they looked very well-matched from a distance.
Seeing how compatible they looked standing together, a complex emotion flickered in Kurokawa Akane's eyes, but she quickly returned to her gentle smile.
"Be safe on the road. Remember to take lots of pictures and show us the scenery in Chiba when you get back."
"We will, we'll take pictures."
Asakura Toru nodded lightly, her tone polite and grateful.
A short while later, the director sent a text message. A dedicated car from the production team was parked at the villa's entrance, the driver already waiting.
Seeing the two of them approach, he smiled and opened the car door. "Good morning. We'll head to Chiba first. The drive should take about an hour."
The vehicle slowly pulled away from the villa. Michiya Gōshin and Asakura Toru sat in the back, the atmosphere quiet.
There were still cameras inside the car, and the film crew was in a vehicle behind them. This was the first date between male and female cast members, and Director Aoyama placed great importance on this shoot.
Michiya Gōshin thought for a moment and decided to start a conversation.
"Asakura-san, why did you choose a plan like a railway trip?"
Asakura Toru turned her head, a hint of anticipation in her eyes. "I saw it in a magazine before. It said you could see endless fields from this railway line, so I wanted to come and see."
She paused, then added, "Rehearsals are usually very busy, so I rarely have the chance to go to faraway places."
"Then you can relax properly today," Michiya Gōshin said with a smile. "I just checked, and the Isumi Railway one-day pass covers the entire route, so we can take our time exploring."
Asakura Toru nodded lightly, the corners of her mouth lifting into a very faint arc. "Let's start with the spots recorded in my notebook."
"Okay."
An hour later, the car arrived at the Isumi Railway station in Chiba.
There weren't many people on the platform. A vintage-style green train was parked quietly on the tracks, the words "Isumi Railway" printed on its body, giving it a particularly nostalgic feel.
Sunlight dappled the train, reflecting a warm glow. In the distance, the fields were a lush green, with a few birds occasionally flying past, creating a tranquil picture.
"It's beautiful."
Asakura Toru couldn't help but sigh. She took her phone out of her bag and started taking pictures of the train and the fields, her finger pressing the shutter button so lightly it was as if she were afraid of disturbing the peace.
Michiya Gōshin watched her take photos intently. He took two one-day passes from his pocket and handed one to her. "I've already bought the tickets. Let's get on board."
She looked down at the design on the ticket and said softly, "Thank you."
The train slowly started to move, the scenery outside the window receding. Michiya Gōshin and Asakura Toru had good seats, with a clear view of the tracks ahead.
"I've always thought trains were magical things."
Asakura Toru suddenly spoke, her voice as light as a sea breeze. "It moves forward on a fixed track and can take people to faraway places. Even though the scenery outside is always changing, it always moves forward and back along the same path."
She turned to look at Michiya Gōshin, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
"Sometimes I wonder, does the train ever get bored? After all, it can only repeat the same journey along the tracks forever."
"Bored?"
Michiya Gōshin was a little surprised. He had assumed Asakura Toru was trying to express the train's relentless forward momentum, but he hadn't expected her to land on this point.
"That's right."
A faint smile touched Asakura Toru's face. "Actually, joining this show was a sudden whim of mine."
"...Is that so?"
Michiya Gōshin pricked up his ears, his expression turning serious.
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