Chapter 30: An Ambiguous Invitation
It was yet another weekend, and filming for the dating reality show, LoveForReal, commenced once again.
Time flew by, and before anyone knew it, the show had already passed its halfway mark. Online discussions surrounding the program were snowballing larger by the day, with edited video clips and memes flooding social media. Ever since the initial announcement that Ai would be participating, public interest had remained consistently sky-high. When the episode featuring her being simultaneously confessed to by two different guys finally aired, related topics immediately shot to the number one spot on Twitter's trending list, dominating the charts for three consecutive days.
One had to admit that Masaya Kaburagi, that old fox, had crafted a highly sensational script, successfully capturing the attention of the entire internet.
Hikaru Hoshino had originally assumed that he and Ai would be the absolute focus of the show. After all, with one being a top-tier idol and the other a breakout singer, such a pairing seemed like a guaranteed recipe for high viewership. But reality had dealt him a swift reality check.
To put it bluntly, Hikaru had simply been too narcissistic. He had assumed that since the early plotline revolved around a shipping war–with multiple girls vying for his attention–he was bound to be the definitive main character.
However, he had forgotten a brutal truth: even in the most classic harem anime, the male protagonist is often merely a plot device. His sole purpose for existing is to showcase the diverse charms of the female cast, possessing very little actual presence himself.
And that was exactly how reality played out. Hikaru had acted far too passive on the show, failing to properly showcase his personal charm. Consequently, despite being a major cast member, online discussions regarding him remained lukewarm at best. The true code to driving internet traffic still belonged to the three girls.
Ai went without saying. As a top-tier idol, she possessed a massive fanbase; her every move tugged at the heartstrings of countless followers, making her the absolute center of conversation.
As for Koromo Shiranui and Emi Sai, though their initial fanbases couldn't rival Ai's, they had successfully amassed a massive following through their unique traits. Koromo's high-society elegance paired with her idol status won over an army of devoted boyfriend fans, while Emi's cheerful, lively, and occasionally eccentric behavior attracted a large crowd of netizens who just wanted to enjoy the entertainment.
The setting remained the classic classroom scene. Bright afternoon sunlight streamed through the window blinds, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow across the wooden floorboards. Since the majority of the cast members were high school students and the show's target audience consisted primarily of students as well, this familiar school environment allowed viewers to easily project themselves into the scenario.
Hikaru recalled a conversation he had with Kaburagi.
Right before filming began, Kaburagi had strolled up to Hikaru with a jovial expression, narrowing his eyes as he patted his shoulder.
"Hikaru-kun, your engagement metrics aren't looking too hot."
The corners of Hikaru's mouth twitched as he shot back testily, "A truly elite artist doesn't need to resort to cheap gimmicks to attract fans. Can someone who relies on variety shows to get famous even be considered a competent singer?"
Kaburagi nodded in agreement. "True, true. An artist like you doesn't need to depend on such methods, Hikaru-kun. But variety shows have their own intrinsic value. In fact, plenty of entertainers build their entire careers on them. Look, aren't the others fighting tooth and nail for screen time?"
He slowly voiced his thoughts, a meaningful smile curling the corners of his lips. "I have a suggestion–whether you take it or not is entirely up to you. Right now, Ai has rejected Takuya and Jin, while you've rejected Koromo and Emi. The dynamics are pretty obvious, aren't they? Those four will continue to interact and explore romantic possibilities. But what about you and Ai?"
Kaburagi finally revealed his inner fox, his eyes narrowing into slits.
"Why don't you try dating Ai? As long as you two break things off when the show concludes, there won't be any issues, right?"
Back in the present, the director was making final preparations, and the cameras were ready to roll. Multiple rigs were positioned at various angles, the audio engineers had calibrated their equipment, and the director was performing a final check at the monitor.
Hikaru murmured under his breath, *Should I give it a shot?*
While it would inevitably spark a wave of online controversy and potentially cause a public backlash, he wasn't the type to be easily shaken by such things. As a rare artist who almost never searched his own name online, Hikaru possessed immense confidence in his resilience under pressure.
Furthermore, as an industry titan, Xini Entertainment was hardly incompetent. Major agencies possessed an endless arsenal of strategies for managing online public relations, not to mention their dedicated in-house legal team.
Filming officially commenced as the red recording lights illuminated and the camera lenses began to roll. The cast members naturally drifted closer, forming a loose circle to share anecdotes from their past week.
"I forgot to mention this last week, but I actually went to watch the football match live. Your performance was wonderful, Hikaru-kun," Koromo Shiranui remarked, sitting atop a school desk while gently swinging her legs.
Takuya Taira chimed in as well, slapping his knee in excitement. "I watched the broadcast too! I was completely blown away when you stepped onto the pitch, haha!"
"I had no idea you were that talented, Hoshino. How about you come be the lead vocalist for our band?"
Hikaru scratched the back of his head. "Wait, that doesn't sound right. Aren't you guys supposed to be a lifelong band? Optimizing your members on a whim sets a pretty bad precedent, doesn't it?"
Taira burst into a hearty laugh. "It's only because you're so good that I can make a joke like that."
Emi Sai's eyes lit up, her body leaning forward slightly. "Where does your band usually perform, Taira-san?"
"We shift locations pretty often, but we're mostly concentrated around Shibuya," Taira stretched his arms. "Come to think of it, our audience turnout has shot up significantly lately. Being on a variety show really does wonders."
The two slipped into an animated conversation. Emi's eyes clearly betrayed her interest as she actively steered the topic toward areas where Taira excelled, occasionally using exaggerated gestures to complement her words. Meanwhile, Jin Fuyuno and Koromo Shiranui chipped in with a casual remark every now and then. It was glaringly obvious that Emi had taken a liking to Taira.
Watching this scene unfold, Hikaru felt like an outsider, prompting him to slowly drift over to Ai's side.
*Now that the show's direction has shifted, Ai and I have actually ended up as background characters. But this isn't a bad arrangement either; we can just quietly wrap up the remaining episodes of the reality show like this.*
Once again, Kaburagi's words echoed in his mind like a seductive whisper: *Why don't you try dating Ai?*
Hikaru gazed at Ai, who was seated at her desk. Her hands rested lightly on the surface, her profile turned toward him as she stared quietly out the window into the distance. The evening twilight filtered through the glass window, casting a subtle luster across her purple tresses.
Ai wore a standard high school sailor uniform, layered with a deep blue blazer. Her white shirt appeared exceptionally crisp under the sunlight, and her deep blue tie was neatly knotted around her collar, making her look incredibly neat and wholesome–the quintessential image of a youthful high school student.
*She really is still at the age where she should be in school,* Hikaru thought to himself.
He couldn't resist calling out to her softly, "Ai."
Hearing her name, Ai turned her head. The moment she realized it was Hikaru, her serene expression instantly melted away; her brows curved softly into a gentle arc, and her lips parted into a radiant, beaming smile.
"What is it?" she inquired curiously.
Hikaru drew a deep breath and adjusted his posture, turning his back completely toward the cameras while deliberately lowering his voice.
Since he had already gone through the trouble of participating in a dating reality show, walking away empty-handed would be an absolute waste.
He might as well seize this opportunity to stir up some romantic rumors, driving up engagement metrics for the both of them.
*Yes... this is strictly for the sake of public relations.*
"Let's date."
Hikaru looked straight into Ai's curious eyes, articulating each word with absolute clarity.
A look of sheer bewilderment instantly flooded Ai's beautiful eyes.
"Eh?!"
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