Late at night in the Heartbeat House, the screens in the monitoring room still glowed with a cold light.
Director Aoyama rubbed his tired eyes, staring at the data statistics on his computer. Beside it were several trending topics from Twitter.
# Love is a Required Course in Life is a huge hit from its premiere #
This hashtag was firmly pinned to the top of the trending list. In less than twenty-four hours since its morning premiere, the show had already surpassed thirty million views. The volume of discussion was triple what was expected, and five or six trending topics on Twitter were related to the show. It had definitely fired the first shot successfully.
The man looked at the comments under the official account—"This show is so good!" and "When's the next episode coming out!"—and couldn't help but smile.
"As expected, having celebrity guests creates more buzz than a dating show with regular people."
The assistant director next to him nodded, but still looking a little concerned, she took out her phone and showed him a related topic that hadn't trended but had already garnered quite a few clicks.
# Kurokawa Akane Clout Chasing #
"Director, the controversy around Kurokawa-san is a bit more than we anticipated. Her agency just called, asking if we could adjust her screen time in future episodes."
"Heh, no need to be so nervous. Kurokawa-san's agency is a subsidiary of Nenshi. We're all family."
"But I heard Kurokawa-san had to work hard and beg her manager for this opportunity. I also heard she made a promise that if her reputation suffers, it might affect her future career."
The assistant director was a kind woman; she didn't want to see a female entertainer's future ruined because of her show.
"This is only the first episode. We can adjust the footage appropriately later. Besides, I trust that Kurokawa-san is a smart person. She won't act completely recklessly."
As a shrewd observer of people, Director Aoyama had noticed from the very start of filming that Kurokawa Akane had feelings for Michiya Gōshin. It wasn't an act; it was genuine affection.
"Besides... don't we still have Mr. Wolf?"
"Director, are you referring to Michiya-sensei?"
The assistant director was slightly taken aback. "What will he do?"
"Heh, I trust my judgment. Michiya-kun is a very responsible man. He'll do what he needs to do."
Director Aoyama picked up his phone, forwarded the # Kurokawa Akane Clout Chasing # topic to Michiya Gōshin, and then nodded in satisfaction.
"Let's look forward to the rest of the filming."
"...Alright."
---
In Michiya Gōshin's room, the clatter of a keyboard sounded incessantly.
He was hard at work creating the script for We Made a Beautiful Bouquet, carefully outlining the subtle trajectory of Yamane Mugi and Hachiya Kinu's relationship, from soulmates to being worn down by reality.
After a while, the young man finally felt his eyes grow dry and realized it was already late into the night.
Looking at the dense blocks of text, Michiya Gōshin let out a long, satisfied sigh before temporarily closing his laptop and rubbing his throbbing temples.
"Hm, the director?"
After glancing at the topic sent over, the young man fell into a brief silence.
This situation was indeed about what he had expected. Fortunately, he had spoken with Kurokawa Akane in advance. Once the later episodes aired, these comments would likely die down a bit.
Michiya Gōshin stood up and stretched, deciding to go downstairs for a glass of water and let the cool night air clear his mind.
The villa's surroundings were utterly silent. Holding his glass, he unconsciously wandered into the moon-drenched courtyard.
Soon, a figure in a corner of the courtyard caught his attention.
It was Kurokawa Akane.
She wore a long, black trench coat, its hem flapping in the wind. She stood with her back to the villa, clutching her phone tightly, her shoulders trembling slightly as if she were suppressing some emotion.
"...I already know about the topic, but I don't think it's gotten too much attention, has it?"
The girl's voice was very low, but in the quiet of the midnight hour, it still reached Michiya Gōshin's ears.
"This is only the first episode. Things should get better later on."
He couldn't hear what the person on the other end said, but Kurokawa Akane's shoulders slumped even more.
"...Okay, I'll keep a close eye on public opinion and try to keep my distance from Michiya-kun. But... the show has three rounds of matching outings. At least let me complete the whole process."
"Yes, I'll work hard to get more positive attention."
After hanging up, she dropped her hands limply, standing motionless in the courtyard.
Understanding the gist of the situation, Michiya Gōshin couldn't help but sigh. He then lightened his steps, walked over to Kurokawa Akane, and spoke in a particularly gentle voice.
"It's so late. Kurokawa, what are you still doing outside? The wind is so strong, you'll catch a cold."
The next second, Kurokawa Akane looked up abruptly. Seeing a familiar face, the vulnerability in her eyes was instantly replaced by panic.
The girl quickly wiped her face, trying to hide the redness at the corners of her eyes, but she wasn't quite fast enough.
"Michiya-kun? Why are you..."
"I was tired and came down for a glass of water."
Michiya Gōshin walked to her side, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her.
"It seems my earlier worries have come true. Good thing we've already made adjustments for what's to come." The young man didn't hide the fact that he had overheard her call. Instead, he asked with concern, "What happened between you and your agency?"
"Well..."
"Aren't we friends? Can't you tell me?"
She bit her lip and finally couldn't hold back anymore, pouring out everything—her manager's reprimand, the agency's resource trade-offs, and the malicious comments online.
After voicing what she couldn't tell anyone else, the girl's heart finally felt much lighter.
Michiya Gōshin listened quietly, his brows gradually furrowing. After a moment, he raised his hand and gently patted her on the back.
"Don't blame yourself. You're not the one at fault. The ones to blame are those who hide behind screens to spread rumors, and your agency for threatening you with resources."
He paused, his tone very solemn.
"Kurokawa, this show has a total of three matching dates anyway. Once the online comments die down, let's plan for the third date."
"We'll design it well, pick a location that can showcase your true personality, and film something that will really impress the audience. We can turn the 'controversy' into 'approval.' I believe that once you have positive buzz, your agency and manager will be satisfied."
Kurokawa Akane thought for a moment, then looked at Michiya Gōshin with some surprise.
"Is that okay?"
"There's nothing not okay about it. No matter what, you're the person I'm closest to here."
Michiya Gōshin smiled gently. "Whatever happens, I'll be by your side."
Looking into the young man's earnest eyes, the pent-up grievance and anxiety in Kurokawa Akane's heart suddenly dissipated, like a popped balloon.
She recalled all the little moments she had spent with Michiya Gōshin, and a surge of courage suddenly filled her.
"Um, Michiya-kun, there's still some time before the third date. I think I might need some courage for the wait."
"Can you give me courage?"
"Huh?"
Just as Michiya Gōshin was a bit stunned, the girl before him suddenly lunged forward and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.
After embracing him, Kurokawa Akane pressed her cheek against his chest, as if she could hear the young man's heartbeat.
"Thank you, Michiya-kun."
Her voice trembled slightly, yet it was filled with fiery emotion. "With you here, I really can find courage."
"Is that so? Well, that's good."
Though Michiya Gōshin's body had stiffened at first, he soon raised his hands and gently returned her hug, his movements very gentle.
The two held each other like that. After two minutes, Kurokawa Akane slowly loosened her grip, but she didn't pull away from Michiya Gōshin. Instead, she kept her head down against his chest and spoke.
"For the third date, no matter where we go or what we do, I'll be with you."
A smile unconsciously graced Michiya Gōshin's lips.
"I'll prepare for it well."
"One more thing..."
Looking at the girl who was slowly raising her head from his embrace, Michiya Gōshin asked, "What is it?"
"If you choose me for the third date, does that mean you'll choose MEM-cho-san for the second one?"
"...Heh, why do you ask?"
"I think I've already figured out a little something... about your reason for joining this show."
"Hey..."
Michiya Gōshin met her gaze with a helpless look and gently patted her back. "I was just comforting you, you know."
"Don't worry, I'll always be on your side, Michiya-kun."
Kurokawa Akane stared intently into Michiya Gōshin's eyes, her tone sounding like she was taking an oath.
"No matter what you want to do, I will help you."
"...."
"Mm."
________________________________________
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