Night enveloped the dating show's villa, quietly washing away the clamor of the day and the glamour of the evening reception.
A black van pulled up silently, and the six lavishly dressed cast members disembarked one by one, their faces showing hints of fatigue and the lingering, faint flush of the reception.
Upon entering the living room, Director Aoyama clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Everyone, thank you for your hard work tonight. You all did an outstanding job!"
His face beamed with the joy of the show's immense success. "Before you all turn in, I have an important announcement about our upcoming schedule."
"The second individual date outing has been scheduled for the day after tomorrow. This time, we'll continue with the rules from the first one, but the boys will be setting the plans, and the girls will apply to join."
"Once a boy accepts an application, he and the girl will be successfully paired up for the second outing."
Everyone basically knew the rules, but the timing was a bit of a surprise.
"The day after tomorrow?"
MEM-cho was a little surprised. It had only been five days since they first gathered at the villa.
After all, the entire dating show was only scheduled to film for two weeks. After three dates would come Confession Night.
The two male participants, Kumano and Morimoto, both perked up. They hadn't had any dates last time, so now that it was the boys' turn to make the plans, both were naturally eager to make a good impression.
Asakura Toru tilted her head slightly, her long, curled eyelashes fluttering for a moment like a butterfly's wings in the moonlight.
Her expression still held that hazy, distant quality unique to her, making it impossible to guess what she was thinking.
Kurokawa Akane was already mentally prepared for this. She simply glanced in MEM-cho's direction before her gaze locked onto Michiya Gōshin's face.
A faint, gentle smile hung on Michiya Gōshin's face, as if this were just an ordinary announcement that had little to do with him. After all, he already had someone in mind.
Besides, once the footage of the second date aired, the "controversy" that Director Aoyama wanted would be created through editing: despite having had such a pleasant conversation with Asakura Toru last time, he would be switching partners for the second date.
On a typical dating show, male cast members usually pick a direction and stick with it; after all, no one wants to be branded a "jerk."
But Michiya Gōshin couldn't care less about that. He was indifferent to what internet users thought of him.
After the director finished his announcement, everyone was lost in their own thoughts.
They wished each other goodnight and went upstairs to their respective rooms.
Back in his room, Michiya Gōshin took off his expensive suit jacket and undid the top two buttons of his shirt, allowing the nerves that had been tense all evening to relax slightly.
He was about to wash up when two extremely faint knocks came from the door.
It was already very late, and the cameras wouldn't be filming the cast members while they rested.
"Who is it?"
Michiya Gōshin asked as he got up and walked to the door.
The moment he opened it, he saw Kurokawa Akane standing outside. She was wearing a light blue long-sleeved shirt with a thin, matching knit cardigan. Her soft, blue hair was scattered casually over her shoulders, with a few strands framing her cheeks, further accentuating her beautiful features.
But a complex emotion flickered in her eyes, as if she had many things she wanted to say.
"Michiya-kun, it's so late. I'm not bothering you, am I?"
Kurokawa Akane bit her lip slightly, her voice soft and a little cautious.
"You're not bothering me, but I am curious about what you're planning to do."
Michiya Gōshin quickly stepped aside to let Kurokawa Akane into the room.
Once inside, she walked over to the sofa by the window and slowly sat down, her hands unconsciously clasped together as if she were hesitating on how to begin.
After a moment, the girl looked up at Michiya Gōshin and said softly.
"Michiya-kun, do you remember what I said to you last time?"
"I remember."
Hearing her say that, Michiya Gōshin immediately understood that their midnight hug had signified their hearts growing closer.
"At the reception today, I noticed you and Director Aoyama talking, and it felt like you were discussing something very important. So I paid extra attention, and I've come up with a few guesses."
"Kurokawa, you're really... something else."
Michiya Gōshin shook his head with a smile. It was only now that he realized Kurokawa Akane was no ordinary girl.
If anyone ever tried to deceive her, they'd probably be found out immediately.
The next moment, Kurokawa Akane's expression turned serious, and she spoke with a tone of certainty.
"Michiya-kun, our last conversation ended with my declaration. I won't pry into your secrets; I will only help you."
Michiya Gōshin sighed but still asked, "If that's the case, then go ahead and tell me. How much have you figured out?"
"Are you trying to see what I'm capable of, Michiya-kun?"
"Just curious."
"Alright then, I'll give it a try."
After spending so much time together, Kurokawa Akane could already sense the shifts in Michiya Gōshin's emotions. She knew he wasn't angry.
After a moment, the girl used her 'profiling' ability to review everything in her mind before speaking slowly.
"First, you're the person generating the most buzz on this show, Michiya-kun. I'm sure Director Aoyama considered that when he invited you. You're different from the rest of us; the level of attention on you is clearly a tier higher."
"So, your actions on the show will inevitably be watched by many people. From the moment you chose the quiet Asakura-san for the first outing, I suspected that you wanted to interact with all the girls to create a unique narrative for the show."
"For example?"
Michiya Gōshin approved of Kurokawa Akane's logical abilities. It seemed she had other strengths besides acting.
"We've watched a lot of dating shows together before. Generally, dating shows end with romance blooming. Regardless of the number, someone always ends up as a couple."
"However, the name of this show is Love is a Required Course in Life. Analyzing the title, I don't think Director Aoyama's goal is for everyone to experience the sweetness of love."
"If it's a course, then a course is for learning experience or knowledge."
"So... the answer is already obvious."
Kurokawa Akane stared at Michiya Gōshin's face and said, enunciating each word.
"Michiya-kun, could it be that your goal... is to extinguish every last spark of romance?"
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