At the sound of Asakura Toru's singing, the little girl's crying stopped completely. She reached out and clutched the corner of Asakura Toru's shirt, her big, round eyes curiously observing the two people before her.
Michiya Gōshin took the opportunity to sit on the grass beside them and took a wet wipe with a cartoon pattern from the picnic basket. He offered it to the little girl, "Want to wipe your face? Your mommy and daddy will be sad if they see you like this."
Asakura Toru sat down as well and helped gently wipe the tear stains from the little girl's cheeks. "What's your name?"
"Shinonome Mitsuru. Mama calls me Mitsuru."
"Oh, so you're Mitsuru." The smile on Asakura Toru's face didn't fade. The wind tousled her short hair, but it did nothing to diminish her gentleness.
The two of them stayed with the child for about ten minutes when an anxious cry came from the distance. A woman in a cream-colored coat came running over. The moment she saw the little girl, her eyes reddened.
"Mitsuru! My Mitsuru!"
"You scared Mommy to death! Why did you run so far away!"
Seeing her mother, the little girl immediately let go of Asakura Toru's shirt and threw herself into the woman's arms. "Mama!"
The woman hugged her daughter tightly, tears falling into the little girl's hair. She turned and bowed deeply to Michiya Gōshin and Asakura Toru. "Thank you so much! I just went to buy some water, and when I looked back, she was gone! I was about to lose my mind!"
"It's okay, it was nothing. Mitsuru is very cute."
Asakura Toru nodded, and Michiya Gōshin waved his hand, saying gently, "We're just glad we could help. Make sure you don't get separated again."
After embracing her child, the woman's emotions gradually stabilized.
Only then did she notice that the man and woman in front of her seemed almost impossibly good-looking.
Especially the man on the left with the golden hair—he was even more handsome than the male lead in the drama she watched last night.
"Um, thank you again for taking care of Mitsuru."
The woman bowed once more, thanking them repeatedly before taking her daughter's hand and leaving.
After a few steps, the little girl suddenly turned back, waved at them, and called out in a tiny, sweet voice:
"Bye-bye, sister! Bye-bye, brother!"
Asakura Toru smiled and waved back, only retracting her gaze after the mother and daughter had disappeared down the path.
"I'm glad she found her mom. Otherwise, I would have been really worried."
"You're very good with children, Asakura-san."
Michiya Gōshin picked up the picnic basket, his tone filled with sincere praise. "That children's song just now worked like a charm."
"It's a song I learned when I was little. Sometimes I even sing it at karaoke."
Asakura Toru didn't seem shy about Michiya Gōshin's compliment; her tone and expression were very relaxed.
"Hearing you say that really makes me look forward to seeing you perform on stage, Asakura-san."
"Next time, I can invite you to our live concert, Michiya-sensei. I can get you a ticket for the front-row guest section."
"Should I prepare a gift for the dressing room, then?"
"I'll tell you what my teammates like, Michiya-sensei."
"Sounds good."
Carrying the picnic basket, the two followed the sign toward the picnic area.
After crossing a lush green field, a wide-open lawn appeared before them. A clean tablecloth was spread on a wooden table beside the lawn, and the shimmering surface of a lake was visible in the distance.
"Let's set up here." Michiya Gōshin spread out the picnic blanket and laid out the sandwiches, fruit salad, and freshly squeezed juice. "I prepared all this this morning. I hope it's to your liking."
Asakura Toru sat down, picked up a tuna sandwich, and took a small bite.
The bread was soft, the tuna filling was generous, and it had a faint aroma of wasabi that perfectly stimulated the taste buds.
"It's delicious." Her eyes lit up. "Even better than the ones from a convenience store."
"I'm glad you like it, Asakura-san."
While the two had their picnic, the nearby film crew watched the camera monitors intently. Although there were no overly intimate actions in this scene, the atmosphere was excellent—definitely a 'shipping' moment that audiences would love.
"Michiya-sensei, do you remember our first meeting at the villa?"
Asakura Toru suddenly spoke, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the texture of the picnic blanket.
"Before I came on this show, it was already public that you would be participating, Michiya-sensei. So when Madoka saw the news, she thought it was incredible that I would be able to live in the same house as a famous author."
Michiya Gōshin paused and looked up at her. Since Asakura Toru had already mentioned that the girl named Higuchi Madoka was her idol group teammate and childhood friend, this made him a little curious.
"Why?"
A faint smile touched Asakura Toru's lips. "She always says that someone who can turn everyday trifles into moving stories must be a very special person."
A trace of earnestness flashed in her eyes. "Actually, I never really had a concept of what authors were like before. I always felt they were far removed from my life. It wasn't until I started spending time with you, Michiya-sensei, that I got a more real sense of it."
Michiya Gōshin thought for a moment and said with a smile, "So, you started with a rough guess about my personality, and then when we first met at the villa, you just came right up and asked me if I had a favorite idol group?"
"Yes. I was thinking how embarrassing it would be if you thought I was being rude... Thankfully, you're not that kind of person, Michiya-sensei."
Asakura Toru took a sip of juice, her eyes curving into crescents, her posture completely at ease.
"Your personality is certainly unique, Asakura-san."
"Do you find that strange, Michiya-sensei?"
This was the third time she had used the word "strange." It was as if she didn't care about others' opinions, yet she was still a little hung up on it.
"Of course not. I don't think you need to worry too much about what others think. It's best to just follow your heart."
Michiya Gōshin looked at the distant blue sky. "If everyone had to learn to act like someone else, wouldn't the world be a very boring place?"
"That's what I think, too."
Asakura Toru seemed to strongly agree with this statement. She scooted closer to Michiya Gōshin. "Well then, we've found another thing we have in common, Michiya-sensei."
The previous commonalities were about "love that grows over time" and "understanding."
"Yes, we have."
A gentle breeze swept across the grass, and a comfortable silence fell between them, the air filled with a light and easy atmosphere.
Michiya Gōshin glanced at his system panel. The in-depth conversation with Asakura Toru was indeed increasing his experience points.
[Production Queue 1: All Living Things]
[Experience: 22/100]
[Experience: 23/100]
"So... what kind of story are you planning to write for your next work, Michiya-sensei?"
Asakura Toru stretched lazily and turned to look at the young man's handsome profile.
"It will probably still be about romance."
He gazed at the distant lake, the sea breeze rustling his golden hair. "But it might not be a novel. It could be a screenplay."
Michiya Gōshin knew this part would definitely be broadcast by the show, and it was a good opportunity to build some hype for himself.
He couldn't obtain the [Bestselling Author (Purple)] entry anytime soon, so he was preparing to try writing a first draft of a screenplay. He had the [Junior Novelist (Green)] entry to fall back on, anyway.
"A screenplay? Are you planning to write a movie script, Michiya-sensei?"
"Perhaps. I'll know once I've finished it."
Just then, as if suddenly remembering something, Asakura Toru took a white-covered book out of her bag and held it out to Michiya Gōshin.
"Actually, I brought this with me today for a reason."
"Madoka knew I was going out with you, so she specifically asked me to buy a copy of Love Letter for her. She said she wanted to ask you for your autograph."
Michiya Gōshin was taken aback for a moment, then took the book. His fingertips brushed against the familiar cover, and an unexpected warmth spread through his heart.
"Of course. Would she like a personal message?"
"Hmm..." Asakura Toru rested her chin on her hand, a cheerful smile in her eyes. "How about you write, 'Wishing Higuchi Madoka becomes a more talkative person.'"
"Alright."
"Hee hee hee, I think she'll be very happy."
Thinking of her childhood friend's reserved personality, Asakura Toru laughed happily.
"That's good, then."
________________________________________
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