Watching Ako, who was a master of acting, Seiya slowly picked up a long, wavy strand of hair from his desk and smiled. "Yuko has straight hair, and I have short black hair. So whose hair do you think this is, Ako?"
Seiya sighed and decided to explain the situation to his two foster mothers to avoid any more misunderstandings. He told them he was going to be in a reality show called "SeriKoi" and that his relationship with Kana Arima was just for the show. He couldn't tell them about his deal with Aqua and his plan to find the killer. He didn't want to bring up the past and upset Ako, who had finally gotten her life back on track.
The next morning, Seiya went to the designated location given by Katsuya Kaburagi. "SeriKoi" was a school-themed show, so it was filmed at a school in the same city. To avoid disturbing the students, the filming was done on weekends for a month, with two episodes airing every week. It was a dating reality show, so no acting was required. The cast was made up of mostly unknown actors and actresses, so they had arrived at the location before the production crew. They knew that as newcomers, they had to be punctual.
When Kana Arima arrived, she was surprised to see two boys and three girls already there. She thought she was early, but it seemed like they were earlier. She was impressed by their professionalism. She thought to herself that if she had been so professional when she was a child, she wouldn't be where she was now.
When the group saw Kana get out of the taxi, they smiled politely. They knew she was a cast member since she was their age and a beautiful girl. They also found her familiar but couldn't remember her name. A girl with short purple hair suddenly exclaimed, "Kana Arima!"
"Oh, I remember now! The genius child star!" someone else said.
"Yes, that's her! I used to listen to her song 'The Great Green Pepper.'"
"Is Kana Arima a guest on 'SeriKoi'?"
When Kana heard the words "Great Green Pepper," her eye twitched. In the past, she would have lost her temper, but she had learned to control her emotions. She forced a smile and greeted them. She quickly learned their names through their conversation.
Yuki Washimi: a girl with wavy blue hair, a first-year high school student, and a fashion model.
Nobuyuki Kumano: a handsome boy, a second-year high school student, and a dancer.
Kengo Morimoto: a handsome, intellectual-looking boy, a third-year high school student, and a band member.
MEM-Cho: a playful, cute, and small girl, a third-year high school student, and a famous YouTuber.
When Kana looked at the last girl, the short-haired purple-haired one, her fake smile almost disappeared.
"Akane Kurokawa, a second-year high school student, and a stage actress. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kana Arima."
Kana's face twitched as she shook Akane's hand. "Kana Arima, a second-year high school student, and an actress. It's a pleasure to meet you, too."
"Oh, are you still an actress, Kana-chan? I thought you had retired," Akane said with a feigned look of surprise.
Akane's words were a low blow to Kana. But Kana was no longer a pushover. "My popularity may not be what it used to be, but my acting skills are much better than some unknown stage actress."
The others knew something was wrong. These two were not on good terms.
"I think I've arrived at the wrong time," Aqua said as he walked toward them. He introduced himself as well.
"With Aqua, there are now three boys and four girls. According to 'SeriKoi's' rules, there must be another boy coming. Who is it? The production team is already here. Is he a big deal?" Yuki said to change the topic and to satisfy her curiosity.
The entertainment industry is all about hierarchy. They were all beautiful and talented, but they were still nobodies. The fact that they were in this show was a big deal. Punctuality was a basic courtesy. Even Kana, who was a child star, had arrived early. They wondered who this last person was and if he was a big enough deal to be late.