Chapter 12: The Prelude to the Dating Show
"Uh, it looks like I just got an invitation too."
"From Kaburagi as well?" Hikaru asked.
Ai nodded. "I was just wondering who the 'acquaintance' you mentioned was; I didn't expect it to be Producer Kaburagi."
Ichigo Saitou wore an 'as-expected' expression. "So it's him."
"We've collaborated before. It was Masaya Kaburagi who introduced Ai to the Lalalai Theatrical Company for acting training," Ichigo explained.
Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly erupted with a surge of resentment and began muttering under his breath: "If Kaburagi hadn't sent Ai to that troupe, she never would have met this Hikaru guy, and they wouldn't have fallen in love. It's all Kaburagi's fault!"
"Are you planning to participate, Ai?" Hikaru asked naturally. "I'm planning to join."
"After all, I'm quite free," Hikaru joked. "I don't have to film a movie, and I don't have much else to do lately. If there's a variety show invitation, there's no reason not to take it."
As an entertainer, basic work involved appearing on shows to maintain public visibility; many people would kill for invitations they never receive.
Hikaru then looked at Ai and asked seriously, "Are you going? The movie hasn't finished filming yet. If you participate, will your schedule be too tight?"
Ai lowered her head in thought, then widened her eyes. "Hmm... the movie is in its final stages, so it's not actually that busy. I feel like a variety show like this won't take up too much time, so it should be manageable."
Ichigo Saitou immediately objected upon hearing this: "Ai is an idol! How can she participate in a dating variety show?!"
Hikaru said gloomily, "B-Komachi has already disbanded."
Ichigo slammed both hands on the table and stood up with a *bang*. "Even if B-Komachi disbanded, Ai is still the idol of Strawberry Productions!"
Hikaru calmly stated his viewpoint: "The idol label is too restrictive. I hope Ai can be active in the industry as an actress and a singer in the future, ideally graduating from being an idol. Participating in this kind of show has certain benefits; it can serve as a test to see how the fans react."
Ichigo sat back down and fell into a long silence. After a few minutes, he raised his head and asked Ai, "Ai, what do you think? Do you still want to be an idol?"
"I really liked my time as an idol," Ai said with a smile.
At those words, Ichigo's eyes lit up.
"Decorating myself with lies on stage to receive everyone's love and applause... sometimes I thought, 'Ah, maybe I really am that person.' The idol version was my reality."
"But it's not," Ai's expression turned extremely serious. "I won't be a sparkling idol forever. The person I am now is the real me."
"I no longer have an obsession with being an idol, and I successfully completed the Dome performance."
Ai voiced her true feelings: "Yes, I like being an idol, but now I want to graduate from that role and live my own life."
"I hope that one day, I can walk out in public with Aqua and Ruby without hiding, and proudly tell everyone: 'These are my children!'"
Ai dreamed of such a future.
Ichigo murmured, "Is that so... then that's fine. That's fine." He let out a long sigh and slumped into his chair.
However, remembering something else, he immediately sat up straight again. "Participating directly in a dating show... isn't that too big a step? If the rhythm explodes, it could lead to a massive 'flame-up' (scandal)."
Hikaru suggested, "Why don't we ask Kaburagi what the format of the show is and if there's a solution?"
Ichigo picked up his phone, found Masaya Kaburagi's contact, and dialed.
"Kaburagi-san, it's me, Ichigo Saitou from Strawberry. I want to have a video chat about the variety show. Are you free now?"
The familiar, hearty laughter of Kaburagi came from the other end. "Of course, of course. I'll send a link over right now. Wait a moment."
In less than two minutes, Ichigo's phone received a message. He walked to the desk, opened the computer, and clicked the link sent by Kaburagi. The page redirected to a simple video conference interface.
After a brief connection delay, Masaya Kaburagi's shrewd face appeared on the screen.
Masaya Kaburagi looked a bit younger than Hikaru had imagined. His sandy-blonde hair was combed back neatly, and though his dark brown eyes weren't large, they sparkled with sharp intelligence. He didn't have many wrinkles yet, and he exuded a sense of vitality.
"Saitou-san, long time no see." Kaburagi waved at the camera, then noticed two other silhouettes behind Ichigo. "Oh? Are there others there?"
Hikaru and Ai stepped out from behind Ichigo, appearing together on screen. Seeing this, Kaburagi couldn't help but chuckle "ho-ho," his eyes crinkling into slits.
"I didn't expect you two to be together. Kamiki, Ai." Kaburagi's tone carried a hint of playfulness.
"You should know I've changed my name. Just call me Hoshino," Hikaru said with his arms crossed, his expression somewhat cold.
"Ho-ho, the entertainment world has gained another Hoshino." Kaburagi looked at the two with great interest. "It seems you're getting along quite well."
"Cut the small talk," Hikaru interrupted Kaburagi's teasing. "Ai is an idol; she shouldn't be participating in your reality show. You know perfectly well that idols aren't supposed to date, yet you invited her. What exactly are you thinking?"
Hikaru paused and continued, "And don't think I don't know—this dating show of yours usually loves inviting low-popularity newcomers. Inviting popular stars like Ai and me is just a way to leech traffic, isn't it? For people of our rank to join your show..."
"...You want more money, right?" Kaburagi's smile became even more profound. "Money can be discussed. As for how Ai participates, I actually have a new idea."
He gestured in front of the camera, describing it bit by bit: "We can change the format. We won't make Ai actually 'date' the male guests. Instead, the cameraman will go on dates with Ai, filming the process from a first-person perspective. That way, the true 'protagonists' will be all the viewers in front of their TVs."
Upon hearing this, Hikaru couldn't help but roast him: "In that case, you might as well rename it 'The Secret Life of an Idol.' The other guests would have zero value."
Hikaru quickly analyzed the pros and cons of this proposal. Such a move would further reinforce Ai's 'idol' label and cultivate more 'boyfriend-fans,' which went directly against his goal of de-idolizing her.
But on second thought, Hikaru realized the situation had changed. Ai had actually left B-Komachi and was no longer participating in traditional idol activities. Events like handshake meets and underground concerts hadn't happened for a long time. Since the final goal was to have Ai graduate completely, this was a perfect chance to test the waters.
The dating show was worth participating in, but not in the format Kaburagi proposed.
"Let's stick to the normal format," Hikaru decided. "But your production team needs to take the responsibility—it must be framed that *you* actively invited Ai to join the reality show." He continued, "Ai can post a tweet saying she's joining a dating show, but emphasizing that the production team reached out to her. She personally just wants to make more friends and has no intention of actually dating."
Masaya Kaburagi chuckled low. "Of course we can do that."
"What does President Saitou think?"
"...Fine, let's go with that," Ichigo Saitou agreed with a dark face.
For Masaya Kaburagi, he could accept this format. In fact, as long as Ai participated, he didn't care about the specifics.
To Kaburagi, this was essentially free hype. An idol of Ai's caliber joining his show meant ratings and social buzz would grow exponentially. The show would be a massive hit the moment it aired.
Hikaru continued to calculate in his head. Though Ai's excuse was flimsy, it was necessary. If Ai joined the show looking like she was actually seeking romance, the heat would be too explosive to suppress. Furthermore, if a scandal did erupt later, they could use this excuse to have internet shills flood the comments.
"Then it's settled." Hikaru reached out his hand toward the camera. "A pleasure doing business."
Kaburagi also smiled. "A pleasure doing business."
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