After the café segment, Don't Be Fooled by the Wolf cut to the cast shopping—where Male #1 and #3 immediately clashed over destinations.
Sixteen-year-old Male #1, who'd played the guileless high schooler all season, suggested handicraft and accessory stores—perfectly on-brand. Meanwhile, the smoother, more socially adept Male #3 proposed clothing boutiques.
Cue dramatic ding-ding-ding sound effects as the screen returned to the commentators.
"Ara ara~ Another tricky choice!" Yokozawa Natsuko scrunched her face in exaggerated sympathy. "Planning a date location is never easy. Since we've got one of each gender here—let's hear your picks!"
She clapped. "On three, say your answer: handicrafts or clothing?"
"Three, two, one—"
[INCOMING SYNCHRONIZED MOMENT]
The screen flooded with comments as Ryo and Ai answered in unison:
"Clothing store."
"Clothing store!"
Their voices overlapped perfectly—no prior discussion, no exchanged glances.
[TELEPATHY???]
[It's a 25% coincidence, shippers need to CHILL.]
[Let me eat my crumbs in peace.]
Ignoring the brewing comment wars, Ruby fixated on why they'd both chosen clothing. She scoured her memory—no shared clothing-store anecdotes between them.
The omission gnawed at her. It was as if they'd carved out a private history, leaving her stranded outside.
(We should have moments like that too.)
The fourteen days when Tendouji Sarina first met Ryo in the hospital—before Kitagawa Susumu's leaked footage trampled those snow-pure memories underfoot.
Onscreen, Yokozawa voiced Ruby's thoughts: "Wow, unanimous! Ryo-kun, why clothing stores?"
Ryo straightened. "If two people agree to a date, their rapport's already solid. Accessory shops suit acquaintances—cheap trinkets help gauge tastes without pressure. But clothing?"
He tapped his chin. "Accepting someone else's fashion choices? That's intimacy."
Yokozawa nodded. "So your answer assumes romantic intent. Ai-chan, your turn!"
Ai's eyes crinkled, as if recalling something sweet. "Ever heard 'a woman adorns herself for her beloved'? That 'adorning' isn't just makeup—it's outfits too."
She clasped her hands with a soft pat. "When you like someone, you want to look your best. A clothing store's perfect for that." Leaning in, she winked. "Imagine him waiting outside the fitting room—every time you step out in a new outfit, your heart races. Whether you boldly ask 'How do I look?' or shyly peek… you're etching yourself into his memory."
[MOM I'M IN LOVE]
[Ai gets me—she SPEAKS for us!]
[Low-key tho, guys get bored waiting…]
[RUINING THE VIBE MUCH?]
The cast ultimately followed Male #3's suggestion—perhaps swayed by the commentators.
Next segment: Female #1 meticulously applying makeup at home. Despite time-lapse editing, the sheer number of products was dizzying.
Yet upon meeting the boys, she giggled: "Sorry, I rushed out—my hair's a mess!"
[Calculated. Green tea vibes.]
[Says the single guy. She's adorable!]
[Reminds me of my ex…]
As comments debated, Yokozawa paused the footage. "Thoughts?"
Ryo chuckled at her comedic expression. "If someone spent an hour getting ready for me? I'd be touched." He left it at that.
Ai, however, lit up. "Ever read The Little Prince? The rose is exactly like this!" Her voice sparkled. "She prepares meticulously for their first meeting, then acts all 'Oh… I just woke up' when he arrives."
"Tsundere vibes!"
Ruby stiffened.
The Little Prince.
Buried in her most treasured memories—those fourteen hospital days—was Ryo reading it aloud. He'd do all the voices, performing a one-man play just for her.
(My private theater.)
Onscreen, Ryo seamlessly picked up the thread. "Ah, you're right. The book says—"
His voice softened into narration:
"She took great care selecting her colors, adjusting each petal. She didn't wish to appear rumpled like the poppies—no, she wanted to bloom in radiant beauty. After days of secret preparations, she unveiled herself at sunrise…
…only to yawn: 'Oh dear! I just woke up… forgive my appearance.'"
[RECORDING THIS FOR BEDTIME]
[Kidnap him as my personal storyteller!]
[That voice… ASMR material.]
Ruby wasn't the only one enchanted.
Pouting, she curled against Ryo's side.
"Sleepy, Ruby?" He bookmarked his page to ruffle her hair.
"Just… want to lean on you." Her whisper was barely audible.
"Go ahead. But no napping—you haven't bathed yet."
"Mm."
She slid down, resting her head in his lap—as if borrowing his strength to keep watching.
Fortunately, the episode wound down soon after. The final segment: guessing the Wolf.
"After today's episode, who's your prime suspect?" Yokozawa tapped chalk against a board of male contestants' photos.
Ryo delivered his usual analysis. "Still Male #1, though #3's sudden 'clueless' act around Female #2 is suspicious. That said—"
He launched into a spiel about "romantic idealism" and "soulful yearning over physicality"—verbatim from his manager Izaki's Bullshit Encyclopedia. (The man, nearing sixty and stubbornly single, denied these were personal philosophies.)
Just as Ryo wrapped up, Ai dropped a bombshell:
"I think… none of them are the Wolf. Or rather, all of them are." Her gaze sharpened. "If lying makes you the Wolf, then Female #1 qualifies too, no?"
She touched her lips, stars glinting in her eyes.
"Love is built on lies. We want to be perfect for those we cherish… yet also want them to love our real selves."
A playful tongue peeked out.
"So when you see the messy, stumbling version in between?"
Ai smiled at the camera—at Ryo—at herself:
"Do us a favor: pretend you didn't."
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