After the outing with Asakura Toru, the next day came quickly.
Today was the official broadcast date for the reality show, but the cast members didn't have time to gather and watch it together.
Although they didn't have to clock in for a nine-to-five job, they occasionally had impromptu training sessions or work. After breakfast, Michiya Gōshin realized he was the only one in the villa who didn't have to go out.
But that was fine. It gave him a quiet opportunity to think about the story for which he already had some ideas.
Michiya Gōshin sat alone in his room. Although there were cameras, the director wouldn't film the specific contents of his laptop screen.
Having earned substantial royalties, Michiya Gōshin had now started writing his stories on a laptop.
The new story was titled We Made a Beautiful Bouquet.
His fingertips tapped lightly on the laptop keyboard, the screen's glow illuminating his focused profile.
Michiya Gōshin meticulously sketched out the opening.
Scene: Dim lights, a crowded place.
Yamane Mugi (the male lead) and Hachiya Kinu (the female lead) meet by chance after they both miss the last train.
They discover they wear the same white canvas sneakers, both like to use movie ticket stubs as bookmarks, and even have astonishingly similar books on their shelves.
A sense of surprise, of finding 'another me in the world,' filled the air.
The two quickly fell in love.
They holed up together in a small apartment reading manga, crying at the same scenes, sharing a pair of earbuds to listen to the same band, their heartbeats syncing with the rhythm.
They wandered aimlessly through the streets late at night, talking about things they could never finish talking about.
Love, in its initial form, was just like a perfectly arranged, carefully selected bouquet, each flower vibrant and dripping with dew, brimming with that first flutter of the heart and passionate warmth.
Writing up to this point, an imperceptible trace of regret flickered in Michiya Gōshin's eyes.
He knew this bouquet would eventually wither.
Meanwhile, just before the show officially aired, Natsukawa Yuki was waiting intently in front of her computer.
On the screen, the countdown for the dating show Love is a Required Course in Life was ticking down. The bullet comments in the bottom-right corner were already flooding the screen, filled with remarks like, 'It's finally airing!' and 'Looking forward to Michiya-sensei's first variety show!'
As the admin of the 'We Who Fiercely Love Yū-kun' fan group, Natsukawa Yuki had successfully joined the ranks of Michiya Gōshin's female fans thanks to the TV drama 49.
'Welcome to the reality show Love is a Required Course in Life, produced by the NHK television station! I'm your host, Sato Kenta!'
With the rousing opening music, the studio appeared on screen. Sato Kenta, dressed in a silver-gray suit, stood in the center and began introducing the four commentators one by one.
'This is actress Suzuki Nana-san, who won Best Actress for her role in Tale of the Late Cherry Blossoms. Next to her is music producer Takahashi Ryosuke, who has created many classic hits that have been performed at the Kohaku.'
'We also have accomplished screenwriter Honda Saori-san and actor Kitagawa Akira-san. Today, our four guests will be bringing everyone an exclusive analysis of the show from their own perspectives!'
Watching the guests, all of whom were regulars on television, Natsukawa Yuki instantly sat up straight. She recognized all four commentators.
In the studio, after the commentators finished their pleasantries, the screen switched to the main segment of the dating show.
In the villa's courtyard, Michiya Gōshin, carrying a suitcase, slowly pushed open the door, and the camera locked onto his handsome face.
'There he is! Yū-kun is so handsome!'
Natsukawa Yuki couldn't help but shout, and the bullet comments instantly exploded.
'Michiya-sensei's blond hair is to die for!'
'His profile is killing me!'
'If I were one of the girls on the show, my heart would be racing right now!'
In the studio, Suzuki Nana began to comment on the cast's assembly. Kurokawa Akane was the last to arrive and very naturally sat down next to Michiya Gōshin.
'I guess they're quite familiar with each other since they've co-starred before, right?'
'Yes, meeting an acquaintance on a dating show is indeed a special kind of fate,' Takahashi Ryosuke agreed with a nod.
'The other members look surprised. This is their first meeting, so they're probably wondering if Michiya-sensei will pair up directly with Kurokawa-san, aren't they?'
As a screenwriter, Honda Saori carefully studied the expressions of the other cast members.
'Let's keep watching.'
From the initial chat at the villa to the start of the first topic, Natsukawa Yuki grew more and more engrossed.
This was, in fact, the effect Director Aoyama had wanted. While previous dating shows featured handsome and beautiful non-celebrities, their looks were on a completely different level compared to real entertainers and internet personalities.
Even though no one had shown any romantic feelings yet, they were all so pleasant to look at.
Just as Natsukawa Yuki was lost in the show, the plot on screen reached the discussion where the members had to choose between 'love at first sight or love that grows over time' and 'understanding or attraction.'
Each member's answer represented their first impression on the audience. The post-production editing didn't apply any special treatment here. As the show's biggest draw, Michiya Gōshin was naturally the last to answer.
'I choose love that grows over time.'
'And understanding.'
After Michiya Gōshin's two answers were revealed, all six members' choices were displayed on the screen like stickers, instantly triggering another frenzy of bullet comments.
'Michiya-sensei doesn't believe in love at first sight?'
'Wow, MEM-cho is in the love-at-first-sight camp?'
'Morimoto-kun may be cool, but his personality is quite clear.'
Besides the biggest draw, Michiya Gōshin, fans of the other members also began analyzing the choices of their own favorites.
Natsukawa Yuki was also noting Michiya Gōshin's choices. Just as she realized his answers were identical to Asakura Toru's, a few discordant bullet comments suddenly drifted across the screen, causing the young high schooler to frown.
'Kurokawa Akane keeps looking at Michiya-sensei. Is she trying to lock him down right away?'
'I think she's just trying to ride his coattails for clout. So cheap!'
'Can she not follow a script from the very beginning? She's only co-starred with Michiya-sensei once, does she have to broadcast it to the whole world?'
Seeing these comments, the smile on Natsukawa Yuki's face instantly froze.
Because she liked Michiya Gōshin, she had repeatedly watched the episodes of 49 in which he appeared.
And Kurokawa Akane, who played the childhood friend [Yamada Marina] to his [Inoue Satoshi], was basically always on screen with him. As the saying goes, 'love me, love my dog,' so she had also developed a fondness for the pretty, blue-haired girl.
Seeing people slander her like this was unbearable for Natsukawa Yuki.
'This is too much!'
She immediately typed a rebuttal in the comments: 'Kurokawa-san and Yū-kun are friends who've co-starred. They're probably close off-screen too, so stop trying to stir up trouble!'
But as soon as her comment was posted, it was drowned out by even more malicious comments. Someone even sent her a private message calling her a 'shipper brain.'
'Damn it!'
A little angry, she indignantly opened a forum on her phone and typed 'Michiya Gōshin, Kurokawa Akane' into the search bar, hoping to find some evidence to fight back with.
Just as the page loaded, a post titled 'YūAka Ship Group - Recruiting New Members!' suddenly caught her eye.
Natsukawa Yuki clicked on it and discovered it was a group created back when 49 was airing. The group announcement still featured a photo of Michiya Gōshin and Kurokawa Akane in their school uniforms from the show.
'[Inoue Satoshi] and [Yamada Marina] are the most perfect childhood friends. Can't they just get married already!'
'Please let them co-star again!'
And the latest pinned post, made by the group admin after Love is a Required Course in Life premiered, read: 'We finally get to see Yū-kun and Kurokawa-san co-star again! Everyone, come get your new ship content!'
Natsukawa Yuki's eyes instantly lit up, as if she had found a new source of light in the darkness.
She immediately scanned the QR code in the post to apply, typing in the note: '49 drama fan + hardcore Yū-kun fan, want to protect YūAka together!'
A few seconds later, she received an approval notification from the admin, 'Sakura-Flavored Chocolate,' along with a private message.
'Welcome, new friend! Glad to have another fan on board!'
The moment she joined the group, her phone almost froze from the flood of messages.
The group members were enthusiastically discussing the sweet moments from the show: 'Kurokawa-san and Yū-kun interact so naturally, just like real childhood friends!'
'Yeah, and did you guys notice the look in Yū-kun's eyes when he saw the last member was Kurokawa-san? Hahaha, he must have been stunned, right?'
'Stunned or pleasantly surprised?'
Someone else posted a screenshot of the malicious comments with the caption: 'Already reported them! We can't let Kurokawa-san be wronged!'
Natsukawa Yuki instantly felt like she had found her people. Most of her earlier anger and frustration dissipated.
She took a deep breath and reopened the 'We Who Fiercely Love Yū-kun' group—the hardcore fan group for Michiya Gōshin she had been running for over a month, with several hundred active online members.
Natsukawa Yuki carefully composed a message and attached the YūAka ship group's QR code.
'Sisters, I just found a YūAka group that's been around since the 49 days!'
'Yū-kun and Kurokawa-san have reunited on the dating show, but some nasty comments are slandering Kurokawa-san. If you want to help protect the gentle bond that has carried over from the drama to reality, and if you want to ship the real deal, you're welcome to join!'
The moment the message was sent, the group responded immediately.
'I'm in! I've rewatched the edits of Yū-kun and Kurokawa-san's scenes from 49 countless times. I've wanted to ship them for ages!'
'I was so mad at the comments just now. Finally, we have an organization!'
'I'm joining now and will help spread the word!'
In less than ten minutes, dozens of group members messaged Natsukawa Yuki, saying they had joined the YūAka ship group and even offered to forward the QR code to other smaller fan groups.
Watching the lively activity in both groups, Natsukawa Yuki felt deeply satisfied.
She returned to the YūAka ship group and sent a message.
'Hi everyone! I'm Yuki, from the 'We Who Fiercely Love Yū-kun' group.'
'From now on, I'll work with all of you to collect sweet moments, report malicious comments, and protect Yū-kun and Kurokawa-san!'
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