Chapter 54

(Third pov)

Yoyogi Park.

As the sun barely rises on the horizon, it's freezing cold. Some people struggle to wake up and prefer to stay wrapped in their blankets. However, others think it's the perfect time to start their day by jogging around the park.

"Huff... huff..."

Panting heavily, a short girl with a cute, innocent face continues her run. Her shoulder-length, pinkish-reddish hair sways left and right as she maintains her pace, seemingly focused on building endurance.

"Damn it. It's so cold out here. I just want to go back and sleep," said the girl in a cropped sporty jacket, and black legging, named Arima Kana.

"On your left."

Swift as the wind, a tall guy in a gray tracksuit runs past Kana, moving incredibly fast.

"Um... got it, but what the heck?" Kana raises her left eyebrow. "Now, I remember this guy."

Kana frequently visits this park early in the morning because it's usually quiet. She enjoys the peaceful, freezing air; it feels like the park exists solely for her. However, she often encounters this same guy.

Despite meeting him frequently, she has never seen his face because he always runs too fast. Plus, he always gives her a warning as he passes.

"I can tell how ambitious this guy is."

She continues her run, but soon hears hurried footsteps approaching once again.

"On your left."

"Uh-huh. I'm aware."

Kana raises an eyebrow at the guy running past her yet again.

"What's wrong with this guy? I feel like an old lady taking a stroll in the park while he runs like he's escaping a zombie apocalypse. I swear, if he says that again, I'll give him a jaw-shaking uppercut." Now she's really annoyed.

After a while, Kana mumbles, "Here we go again," as those familiar footsteps approach. She says, "Okay, I heard that. Stop sayi—"

"On your left," said the guy.

"God damn it!"

Kana forgets her usual speed and tries to chase him. Slowly but surely, she almost catches up, running side by side. She manages to see the right side of his face, but because it's still a bit dark and she can't keep up with his insane speed, she gives up.

"Hah! Hah! I give up," Kana says, lying down beneath a tree. That guy was way too fast, but she's still annoyed. After sometimes, she notices the guy in the gray tracksuit again. Judging by his appearance, it seems he's finished his run.

'I won't let him go home! At least, I want to see this guy's face.'

Kana gets up and approaches him like she's chasing down someone who owes her money.

"Hey, excuse me!" Kana calls out, and the guy turns back slowly. She pauses for a moment.

"Yes?" he says, taking off his earphones. "Arima? Ah, fancy meeting you here!"

"Hold on! So you're the annoying guy who keeps telling me to move aside?" Kana asks, realizing it's her recent co-worker.

That's right, it's Makabe Masamune. He's the main lead, while she plays the heroine in a drama adaptation of the shoujo manga Sweet Today.

"What a strange coincidence. How are you doing, Makabe?"

Instantly, she forgets how angry she was before.

"I'm good. Sorry about that—I didn't recognize you, Arima."

Kana sighs. "It's okay. Though, next time, just tell me once instead of repeating it the whole time, Makabe."

Masamune hums thoughtfully. "Oh, right. Sorry again. I thought it was safer to warn you because it could be dangerous if we collided."

Hearing this, Kana nods and smiles. "Alright, let's forget about it. By the way, did you get the script for the next shoot?"

Masamune nods. "I did..." he sighs a little. "It's kind of annoying, right, Arima? I mean, personally, I feel like we're ruining a good story."

Kana widens her eyes. "So you feel that way too?"

He nods and chuckles. "Yup. I mean, the others agree. Did you see how people are criticizing this drama?"

Kana smiles helplessly. "Ah... yeah. The last time I checked, we had a two-star review." She then become depressed.

.

.

.

.

After a little chit-chat, they arrive at the park gate.

Kana thought that Masamune wasn't bad for a rookie. His acting was so-so, but this drama might put him in a bad light—the role he's playing could actually force him to retire early. After all, Kana expected he would feel a lot of pressure since the audience had high expectations, given the manga's reputation.

Surprisingly, Masamune worked better with the team than she had expected. Most rookies with main roles tend to be prideful and haughty, acting as if they're a big deal. As a senpai in the industry, Kana felt that Masamune was doing a good job. However, this project might be too tough for a newbie like him.

"Actually, I was wondering if you don't mind giving me some advice and feedback on my acting. Would you be okay practicing with me after school?" Masamune asked.

Kana tilted her head with a faint smile; she didn't expect this request.

"Sorry, maybe it's too sudden."

"No, no! Actually, I'm free after school!" Kana said, her face lighting up with excitement.

"Sweet. Then let's meet at this address. My manager already rented a place for me to train. Oh, I almost forgot—we haven't exchanged contact info."

"Ah, sure, here's my contact info."

Kana thought to herself, 'He's putting in this much effort for his role? Just what kind of agency is giving him this much support?'

In the afternoon, Kana arrived at the address Masamune had given her.

'This is nuts! This place is way too big for just three people!' Kana thought, bewildered.

There were already two people there when Kana arrived.

"Oh, Arima, you made it!" Masamune greeted her.

"Ah, yes. I was thinking there might be a joint rehearsal or something?"

"Oh, if you're asking about that, no. It's just going to be us here."

Kana tilted her head, confused. 'Why would they rent this huge studio? By the size alone, it could accommodate at least 50 people! Who the hell is he?' she wondered, closing her locker after changing out of her school uniform into her gym clothes.

"Kana-san, I was surprised he managed to convince you to come," said a familiar voice.

Kana glanced to her side and saw Chizuru, who she remembered from the filming site. She knew Chizuru was Masamune's manager.

"Haha, it's nothing. Actually, I was happy when he invited me. But on another note, he told me you've been training him this whole time?"

Chizuru smiled faintly. "Yes, but I'm still lacking. It's not worth mentioning."

"By the way, Ichinose-san, what agency is he with?" Kana asked, thinking Masamune must be affiliated with a big agency.

"Actually, he isn't affiliated with any agency."

"Huh? Really?"

Then how...?

Chizuru laughed softly, almost sounding resigned. "Don't worry, Arima-san. Masamune is just... a bored rich person."

Kana smiled faintly. "I-I see... that makes sense."

The truth was, Masamune was too wealthy to be concerned about Kana's trivial insecurities.

As they left the locker room, they saw Masamune looking at the large mirror mounted on the side of the room.

"Okay! Let's start our training!" Chizuru hyped herself up as she switched into coach mode.

"Oh, are you both ready?" Masamune asked, getting up after finishing his warm-up. He looked at both of them and said, "Okay, don't hold back on me. If my acting is trash, just tell me so. Alright?"

Chizuru and Kana exchanged a look, wondering where this guy got all his energy.

---

Earlier.

"Hey, you're Mizuhara Chizuru, right?"

In an empty lecture hall, Kazuya's ex-girlfriend, Nanami Mami, posed a direct question to Chizuru. At that moment, Chizuru was too shocked to respond immediately. She struggled to put on a facade, trying to calm herself down.

"Mizuhara? Excuse me, you must have the wrong person… Um, Nanami-san, right?"

Mami's smile was cheerful, but Chizuru could tell it was fake.

"Aha~ Please don't play games with me, Chizuru-chan. I remember meeting you at the beach in Izu, right? So, I couldn't help but notice that there's too much coincidence—the perfect girlfriend Mizuhara and a girl with glasses were both there. And how do I know about this? Well, I just happened to read a random testimony explaining why Mizuhara Chizuru is no longer a rental girlfriend."

Chizuru thought, 'I'm really busted.' There was no need to ask if Mami knew the truth about her relationship with Kazuya. After all, she hadn't been around him for three months since December. It was natural that his circle would know they had broken up.

"I'm right, aren't I? Is that correct, Ichinose-san?" Mami asked again.

Chizuru couldn't come up with an excuse, but she replied, "I don't have to tell you anything. Are you done?"

"Oh my, scary~ Don't worry, I don't have any ill intentions. I just wanted to invite you to a party I'm hosting at my dad's apartment. I mean, I wanted to celebrate that Kazuya and I decided to date again. I've invited everyone, including your friends, so please come, Ichinose."

Chizuru was taken aback. 'What does she want?' If it was to make her feel jealous, there was no way Chizuru would be affected.

Despite Mami's sweet tone, Chizuru sensed her true intentions.

"And also…" Mami continued, "You can bring your boyfriend too. I mean, he's polite and funny. I didn't expect you'd be dating someone like him."

"Ugh…" Chizuru sighed. "Okay… I'll come. Thanks for the invitation."

It felt less like an invitation and more like a veiled threat, as if Mami was saying, I know your secret, Chizuru.

Chizuru felt a pang of anxiety, wondering if Masamune would be willing to go with her.

However…

"Ah! That's it! I feel like you're really getting into character, Makabe!"

"Haha, I'm adapting. Let's do it again, Kana."

"Kana? You're quite smooth with girls, aren't you? It's Kana-san. I mean, you should be calling me with more respect since I'm your senior, right?"

"Yes, yes, Kana-sama."

Chizuru felt out of place. It seemed like Kana was taking over the practice session, just as she had expected from a former child actress. Kana was different from Chizuru, who had only started learning about acting in middle school.

Meanwhile, Kana was basically a genius who had become a pro at a very young age.

'What should I do?' Chizuru thought.

Meanwhile, Masamune could tell that something was off about Chizuru today.

---

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