Chapter 163: Now Love? Minami Love! (4.1K words) (Patreon)

Some might say that if Minami Yuji really wanted to stay out of it, wouldn't it be simpler to just fade into the background—ignore everyone, engage with no one?

After all, given his current standing among actors in the industry, even if he really did fade into the background on the show, nobody would have much room to complain.

But in reality, choosing to play the so-called 'playboy' persona was a decision Minami Yuji had thought through carefully.

It wasn't a matter of simply playing himself.

It was because he was thinking about one specific thing.

Namely—the show's entertainment value. That's right.

There was a basic premise underlying his participation in the show: he was obligated to actually contribute to it.

Kaburagi Katsuya hadn't brought him on as a special guest just to coast along—he wanted Minami Yuji to genuinely use his popularity to boost the show's ratings.

As a seasoned actor in the industry, with Kaburagi Katsuya already arranging a lead-role opportunity for him, it would be downright ungracious of Minami Yuji to try coasting through the show as a mere bystander.

So, for the sake of LoveforReal's entertainment value, he couldn't afford to stay a background nobody in front of the cameras the whole time.

Which meant the 'playboy' role was, without question, the perfect fit for him.

First, it would guarantee maximum entertainment value, no question.

As the special guest, the playboy persona let him create moments with the female contestants and generate plenty of material for the show.

At the same time, the persona wouldn't damage his current public image, either.

Put simply—if he confessed to three girls all at once, even someone as scatterbrained as his sworn little sister Ruby Hoshino would realize he was just milking the show for effect.

If someone really did believe he was a genuine playboy revealing his true colors through the show, then honestly, there wasn't much Minami Yuji could do about it.

After all, in today's online world, you could never really argue your way out of something like that.

Simply put, the world was big enough that there'd always be a weirdo or two out there.

By the same logic, he didn't need to worry about kissing scenes, confessions, or any of that nonsense causing misunderstandings. It would be obvious at a glance that it was all just for the show.

For Minami Yuji, it was practically killing three birds with one stone.

So...

"Guess it's about time."

He glanced briefly at his phone, swept his eyes over his surroundings, and stretched.

As a show aimed at young people—specifically those between sixteen and twenty—LoveforReal had chosen an utterly ordinary high school somewhere in Tokyo as its filming location.

For filming convenience, they recorded one episode every Saturday, and Saturdays also made it easy to clear the school building of outsiders—no students ever showed up on weekends anyway.

As a result, the entire building held nobody but the camera crew and the handful of performers, Minami Yuji included, taking part in the shoot.

By his reckoning, it was about time for him, the mystery special guest, to make his entrance.

As if on cue with his thoughts, a winded voice called out from behind him.

"Yuji-kun, it's about time for you to go on."

"Got it."

Minami Yuji nodded politely at the production assistant standing before him, clearly out of breath from running over.

It really was about time for him to go on.

Opportunity. Buzz. Fame. A name for yourself.

Those were the things nearly every performer instinctively chased by appearing on LoveforReal. And that made perfect sense.

The people who appeared on the show were, almost without exception, rookies in the industry desperate for a shot at screen time. Likewise, it was only rookies who actually hoped for a spot on a variety show in the first place.

After all, a true heavyweight had countless chances to appear on screen without ever needing a variety show.

The same held true for Akane Kurokawa, hailed as a prodigy in the theater world.

As a fresh new-generation actress who had just entered the industry through the Lala Lai Theatrical Company, gifted though she was, she desperately needed an opportunity! A real chance to step into the audience's eye!

So of course she treasured this appearance on LoveforReal, an opportunity her manager had fought tooth and nail to secure for her. Which was why—

"That's exactly why I'm saying it—shouldn't the six of us be the ones the show's actually pushing? Why'd they suddenly decide to throw in a 'special guest'? I don't remember last season being like this."

Kumano Nobuyuki, a black-haired professional dancer and fellow rookie newly stepping into the industry, raised a hand and grumbled, eyes on the camera rig already set up across the room.

There was no real malice in what he said—he just genuinely didn't understand the production team's sudden change of plans. Everything had already been settled and discussed beforehand, so why suddenly tack on a so-called special guest? He honestly couldn't wrap his head around it.

"Well... I'd guess it's part of the production team's calculations. I mean, out of the six of us, aside from Mem-Cho over there who's already built herself up online, we're all pretty much rookies in the industry, right?"

On the other side, Morimoto Kengo, guitarist of a young band, spoke up thoughtfully.

"Aw... when you put it that way... that's kind of embarrassing to hear..."

The dyed-blonde girl called MEM curved her mouth into her signature cat-like smile, scratching her pale cheek with one finger, looking a little bashful.

Morimoto Kengo paid it no mind, though. He just smiled, took a sip from the bottled water on the table, and carried on with his analysis.

"So it makes total sense the production team would want a high-profile performer to carry the buzz early on."

"Yeah."

The moment he said it, everyone in the room except MEM fell silent.

Because, just as Morimoto Kengo had said, aside from MEM, who was already a major YouTuber with 370,000 subscribers, the rest of them, however modestly well-known in their respective fields, however promising as up-and-comers—that was as far as it went.

A rookie was a rookie. Potential alone was no guarantee of ratings.

From the production team's standpoint, bringing in a current industry star to lead the newcomers along was an entirely natural call to make. There was just one thing—

"I just wonder what this 'senior' they brought in is actually like. Guy or girl? If it's the type who loves pulling seniority and snapping at people for no reason... I might actually cry."

Sumi Yuki, a print model, flopped face-down onto the table as she said it, unmistakably speaking for everyone in the room. (Her name is sometimes rendered as 'Yuzuki'; for simplicity, we'll stick with the literal 'Yuki' here.)

Because she had a point.

If the senior the production team brought in turned out to be difficult to deal with—someone who got angry and blew up at the drop of a hat—it would be their group of rookies who'd suffer for it.

After all, in this industry, seniors—especially popular actor-seniors—held absolute authority. As rookies, they'd have no room to talk back even if they got bullied.

Just imagining that scenario... how to put it... everyone in the room had grown inexplicably tense.

Even Akane Kurokawa, the Lala Lai Theatrical Company's new-generation actress, let out a nervous breath after hearing all this.

At the same time, though, she was a little curious.

Who could it possibly be... the person the production team had picked as their special guest?

Thinking that, she lifted her head and instinctively glanced toward the door.

And as if in answer to her curiosity—

the cameraman with the radio suddenly got some kind of signal and swung his camera toward the entrance.

The rookies in the room understood at once.

The special guest was finally about to arrive.

Gulp. Throats bobbed. Their expressions tightened slightly.

And then... no warning. No lead-up.

The man was simply there, already stepping through the door.

The instant they got a clear look at his face—

nearly every performer in the room shot to their feet, stunned.

Because—

those unadorned black hair and black eyes—no colored contacts, nothing—were unmistakably iconic among today's male performers, and everyone in the room recognized him on sight.

"M-Minami Yuji?!"

"Was this some kind of mistake?!"

Startled gasps burst out in an instant.

Every performer there wore a look of disbelief.

And besides... wasn't he just way too handsome in person?!

Even Sumi Yuki, a print model and something of a face connoisseur herself, was left staring in a daze.

As a rule, most actors and celebrities looked a notch less impressive in person than they did on camera.

After all, every shot was carefully chosen by editors and cameramen to capture their most flattering angle, all in service of showcasing their appeal.

But the black-haired young man standing before them was completely different.

If anything, he was even better-looking in person than he was on film or TV!

His handsome face carried an almost bewitching, indescribable charm.

And most crucially... gulp. Sumi Yuki swallowed hard.

As a print model with an innate, razor-sharp sense for the camera, she could feel it.

In an instant—just a single instant—

the entire room had fallen completely under the black-haired young man's control.

Idols. Actors. Even the cameramen.

Nearly every gaze in the room was drawn helplessly to him.

Everyone found themselves instinctively pulled into a gravity as deep and mesmerizing as a black hole.

Which begged the question—why in the world would the production team make them share a set with a monster like this?!

As a print model, she should have been perfectly in her element on a show that demanded camera presence.

But right now, all Sumi Yuki felt inside was a wail of despair.

She had zero confidence she could steal any attention away from someone on his level!

And what on earth were those two making faces like that for?

She turned her lightly made-up, pretty face to the side.

Sumi Yuki glanced over at Akane Kurokawa and MEM beside her—

Sumi Yuki had thought she herself was already struggling to keep her composure.

But who could've guessed?

The two beside her were even worse off than she was.

Hands clasped together, small head tilted up—

Akane Kurokawa's blue-green eyes lit up almost instantly with an indescribable brightness.

Her cherry-pink lips curved—even Sumi Yuki could tell it was barely contained excitement.

As for MEM over on the other side...?

Her reaction was, if anything, even more over the top than Akane Kurokawa's.

She burst into tears right there in front of the cameras.

Crystal tears streamed down her face one after another.

The sight left Sumi Yuki utterly dumbfounded.

She knew Minami Yuji was plenty famous, sure.

But what was with that "I've finally found you" look, like she'd just laid eyes on some childhood sweetheart she'd carried a torch for?

Sumi Yuki couldn't make sense of it.

More importantly—

wasn't the show only just getting started?

Could the two of them, as the female contestants on this show, please not wear such blatant 'already conquered' expressions right out of the gate?

And what were Kumano Nobuyuki, Morimoto Kengo, and the ever-silent Uehara Ritsu supposed to do about—wait, huh?!

Sumi Yuki, turning her eyes toward the guys' side, froze.

Because right there under her gaze, Uehara Ritsu—a male actor from the North Agency—wore, the instant he laid eyes on Minami Yuji, an expression of excitement and thrill on his handsome, easy-to-look-at face that was identical to Akane Kurokawa's?

Wait, no...? Hold on a second?!

Sumi Yuki was completely lost now.

As a girl, she'd admit to a certain small curiosity about cute boys paired with other cute boys—

but that curiosity was strictly limited to film, TV, and manga.

But...

if this scene actually played out in real life—on a dating reality show, no less—what on earth was going on here?

Wasn't she here to fall for a guy, not watch one?

Sumi Yuki no longer understood anything.

In that moment, she felt her entire worldview take a hit.

So. Here was the real question now.

Sumi Yuki turned her gaze back to Minami Yuji and let out a heavy sigh.

As a rookie, how was she supposed to compete against a monster whose charm worked on men and women alike?

But it wasn't just her, either.

On the other side, Minami Yuji himself was thoroughly baffled.

That Akane Kurokawa would be on LoveforReal—Minami Yuji had actually known about that.

After all, once the Kuro no Kuni run had wrapped, he'd exchanged phone numbers with his little fan.

Only, given her earnest personality, she'd probably worried about bothering him, so she'd barely reached out at all—just the occasional New Year's card or small gift for the holidays.

So Minami Yuji had been mentally prepared for Akane Kurokawa, already a fan of his, to react this way.

But...

watching MEM—who in the original storyline had been a member of the rookie B-Komachi lineup—stare at him blankly with fat tears rolling down her face, he was genuinely baffled.

Seriously... why was she crying?

He was pretty sure he'd never even met her before.

And besides... could everyone please stop making that same face?

He was about to build up a fake playboy persona here—the 'central air conditioning' type who charms everyone equally.

And here they were, all wearing dead-serious expressions...

What was that supposed to mean?

Don't do this to me.

Were they really going to turn him into the kind of playboy who flirts with every woman he sees?