I really just want to grind for entries related to crossover anime/manga.

The fact that Yuu Minakawa received three text messages has not been made public yet because Akane Kurokawa did not receive a definite answer, which is why she brought it up herself.

"It's quite cold today. Since we're going to buy beef, why don't we just make a stew?"

"Sure, it's more lively when everyone eats together."

Akane Kurokawa agreed and walked with him toward the meat section.

Arriving at the refrigerated display case in the fresh produce section, Yuan Chuanyou bent down to examine the beef on the shelf. His fingertips gently brushed over the production date on the packaging, carefully checking the numbers.

Akane Kurokawa stood beside him, her gaze fixed on the young man's focused profile, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Besides buying beef, there were other ingredients that needed to be purchased for making stew. The two chatted while selecting the ingredients, creating a very warm atmosphere.

On one hand, it was because Genkawa Yu trusted Kurokawa Akane a lot, and on the other hand, Kurokawa Akane had delivered meals to him several times. The girl's cooking skills were not top-notch, but they were definitely presentable.

Their casual conversation was naturally captured by the film crew behind them, and this warm and natural atmosphere could easily be used as a key shot in the final cut.

After a while, when he noticed that the staff had been filming the changes in Kurokawa Akane's expression, the question that he had thought about yesterday resurfaced in Genkawa Yu's mind.

At the start of the program, Akane Kurokawa did not restrain her close relationship with him. Is this really a good thing?

To make this variety show a huge hit, director Aoyama used many methods to promote and lay the groundwork, which naturally attracted a lot of traffic and attention.

The drama "Love is a Required Course in Life" became a hit even before its release, and as a guest with the dual identity of "writer + actor", he has been the subject of much discussion online after the controversy surrounding his previous book signing event.

Yu Genkawa is almost 100% certain that once the show officially airs, his scenes will receive the most attention.

Whether it's fans or passersby, everyone's attention is focused on him, and any guest who gets close to him is scrutinized. From the moment the six-person group first gathered yesterday, Akane Kurokawa made no attempt to hide her familiarity with him.

This goes against the basic formula of dating reality shows.

Viewers of dating reality shows want to see six people go from complete strangers to gradually becoming familiar with each other, quietly developing romantic feelings, and finally successfully getting together.

This is the kind of content that everyone wants to see.

Although starting a dating reality show with acquaintances isn't a big deal, if the two people later announce their relationship, it can still attract a large number of CP fans.

However, Yuu Genkawa still has the "werewolf" mission to complete, so he won't only interact with Akane Kurokawa from beginning to end.

This is a very troublesome situation.

The young man himself may not care about the evaluation, because the director will release the previously recorded hotel conversation video later to create legitimacy for the "werewolf" action.

But Akane Kurokawa is different. From not using honorifics to address her yesterday to going grocery shopping alone today, if the girl were a popular celebrity with a lot of attention, it would be fine, it would just generate a different kind of topic of conversation.

However, she is still relatively unknown in the entertainment industry.

When the full episode airs, if a co-star continues to act close to you, it will likely trigger some viewers' sensitive topics.

For example, [Should we start by performing a script involving two people tied together?]

Or is it about riding the wave of popularity? Or simply wanting more screen time?

These speculations are sure to stir up a lot of discussion, since people on the internet love taking sides and judging others.

Given the show's current popularity, if this trend continues, it will definitely cause a lot of controversy.

Thinking of these three similar-looking companies (?8) and the girl who was picking out ingredients with her head down, Yuan Chuanyu glanced at her. Although she was wearing a mask, her eyes and brows still revealed her satisfaction and happiness at this moment.

"Could this be... something that Director Aoyama had already thought of?"

"Did you deliberately let someone I know in here so I would have to think about how to handle my relationship with her?"

"There wasn't even a hint..."

Genkawa Yu stroked his chin, seriously considering how to handle the matter.

Half an hour later, all the ingredients were purchased. Just as Kurokawa Akane was about to call Genkawa Yu to go back together, she saw the young man suddenly walk in front of the film crew at the back.

He gestured for the director to pause, "Um, Kinoshita-san, could we be alone for ten minutes? I have something personal to discuss, it has nothing to do with the show."

The director, wearing sunglasses, was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly remembered Director Aoyama's instructions and readily agreed.

He led his team away and waited at the far end of the road.

"Yuanchuan-kun, what's wrong? Why did you suddenly let the film crew leave?"

Akane Kurokawa, carrying shopping bags, was somewhat surprised. "She was perfectly fine at the supermarket just now."

Genkawa Yu glanced at the surroundings. "Kurokawa, let's go to a quiet place. We need to talk about something very important."

Akane Kurokawa paused, looked up at the young man's somewhat serious expression, and then nodded.

"it is good."

Book One: The Shining Morning Star: Chapter Fifty-Five - I Will Do What I Should Do

After separating from the film crew, Yuu Minakawa and Akane Kurokawa found a wooden bench together and placed the ingredients on it.

The two stood facing each other on the quiet street, the atmosphere somewhat awkward.

Akane Kurokawa glanced in the direction the film crew had left in the distance. "Genkawa-kun, what exactly are you trying to say to me?"

Genkawa Yu thought for a moment, his tone gradually becoming serious.

"Kurokawa, don't you think our interactions these past two days have been too natural? This wasn't in private; it was all recorded on camera."

Akane Kurokawa paused slightly, then said, “Isn’t it good to be natural? We’re already very familiar with each other. Pretending to be strangers would just seem more deliberate. After all, we co-starred in ‘49,’ and the audience knows that.”

"No...the audience for TV dramas and the audience for variety shows are not the same."

Genkawa Yu gazed intently at her pretty face. "Kurokawa, you should know who's currently the most talked-about person on this variety show, right?"

"Yes... Genkawa-kun, is that right?"

Akane Kurokawa was quite clear about the answer. After all, besides being an actor, Yu Minakawa was also a rising writer, and he had been the most talked-about person ever since the trailer for this romance variety show was released.

"That's right, but have you considered another perspective?"

Genkawa Yu slowly explained, "The highlight of a dating reality show is the process of a pair of opposite sexes going from being unfamiliar with each other to gradually becoming familiar with each other. Although we have known each other for a long time, if our initial interactions are too intimate, it would be a bit too much."

"What Genkawa-kun means is..."

"Aren't you afraid the audience will accuse you of using this for publicity or of riding on someone else's coattails?"

Yuu Minakawa certainly didn't dislike Akane Kurokawa; he felt very comfortable around the girl.

However, the audience won't empathize with him; they always love themselves.

Although the director has announced that the format of this dating reality show will be very different, the audience will not care about that. If they see someone constantly trying to get screen time, they will naturally want to stand up for them.

They don't even need someone to stand up for them; it could be Yuu Minakawa or someone else.

Upon hearing this, Akane Kurokawa's fingers tightened slightly, his knuckles turning white, but he still managed to maintain a calm demeanor.

“I had anticipated this, and my agent had also given me a heads-up.”

"Expecting and happening are two different things."

A look of worry appeared on Genkawa Yu's face. "Kurokawa, this dating reality show is just a program. I haven't asked you why you wanted to participate in this program yet."

"But you should know that if we simply exercise a little restraint and let intimacy happen naturally, then this problem won't arise."

"But..."

Akane Kurokawa suddenly interrupted him, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible grievance, "Genkawa-kun, do you think my behavior has bothered you?"

"Of course not..."

Genkawa Yu took a deep breath. To be honest, he was also thinking about his relationship with Kurokawa Akane.

The two are indeed good friends, but the "boundary" of this friendship is a bit subtle. This is a dating reality show, not a film set where actors are playing roles.

When filming, you can immerse yourself in the role and express your love and hate vividly according to the script.

But this is a reality show. Without acting, how can one choose what is truly in their heart?

How to handle the subsequent relationship is actually a very important question.

"Kurokawa, you should know about my past. I experienced online harassment orchestrated by Jenny's agency, and I don't want you to experience that feeling too."

Genkawa Yu looked into her eyes and said with utmost sincerity, "If we just pay a little attention, none of these things will happen."

This statement slightly surprised Akane Kurokawa, who hadn't expected the two of them to have such a deep conversation on the second day of participating in the dating reality show.

However... this might be a suitable opportunity.

The girl thought for a moment, her voice so soft it sounded like a sigh, "Yuanchuan-kun, do you see me as a very fragile person? Or is our relationship only at the level of 'being afraid of me getting hurt'? Can't we even be honest with each other?"

"of course not."

After receiving confirmation from the other party, Akane Kurokawa felt a surge of courage well up in his chest.

The dating reality show is a very special program format. Being in this environment made her unconsciously generate more profound thoughts.

She wanted to know an answer, both from the other person and from herself.

"Genkawa-kun, can you tell me why you came to participate in this dating reality show?"

Akane Kurokawa leaned forward, her tone very serious.

“I previously thought that Genkawa-kun might be looking for material for his book, but after our brief meeting yesterday, I realized that this guess doesn’t hold true. Your attitude seems very strange.”

Akane Kurokawa learned a skill called "profiling" at a young age, which allows her to piece together the truth of a matter from subtle details.

"Genkawa-kun, do you... really want to start a relationship?"

This problem came somewhat unexpectedly.

However, he definitely couldn't talk about the "werewolfs." Meeting Kurokawa Akane's expectant gaze, Genkawa Yu thought for a moment, and finally could only avoid her gaze and whisper.

"Of course not, I'm here to do something very important."

"Something important?"

Akane Kurokawa keenly caught the hesitation in his tone, "Is it so important that it can't be explained at all?"

"..."

Genkawa Yu fell silent. It seemed that his initial judgment was indeed very wrong.

The director's decision to have Akane Kurokawa participate in the program was essentially setting him up; he was definitely not the easiest person to deal with.

"...Alright, since you're having some trouble, I won't press Genkawa-kun for answers. After all, if it's really something important, the fewer people who know about it, the better."

Akane Kurokawa breathed a sigh of relief. She already knew the answer she wanted from Yu Minakawa's eyes—he wasn't there to talk about love.