[35] Trust and Temptation

Marin leaned forward, her eyes bright as she swiped through a series of colorful sketches on her tablet. "So, I was thinking we could go for a magical girl vibe, but with a modern twist," she explained, tapping on a particularly vibrant design. "Like, instead of frilly skirts, we could do these cool holographic shorts."

Ruby clapped her hands together, her blonde hair bouncing with excitement. "Oh my gosh, yes! That would look amazing under the stage lights!"

Kana nodded thoughtfully, her pink hair falling over one eye as she studied the designs. "It's definitely unique. But what about comfort? We'll be dancing a lot, remember?"

Miyako, seated at the head of the table, smiled at the girls' enthusiasm. "These are great starting points, Marin. We'll need to work with our costume department to make sure they're practical as well as eye-catching."

"Speaking of eye-catching," Kana said, leaning back in her chair, "I wonder what Akira and Aqua are up to with their little project."

Ruby's face scrunched up slightly, and Marin's smile faltered for a moment.

"They're doing their show, but..." Ruby murmured, trailing off as she glanced at her phone.

Marin's fingers flew across her laptop's keyboard. She spun the device around, showing the screen to Kana.

Kana leaned in, her eyes widening as she read the webpage. "WHAT? AKIRA AND AQUA ARE IN A DATING SHOW?!"

The room fell silent for a moment before Kana exploded again. "How could Akira do this? Marin, did you know about this?"

Marin held up her hands, trying to calm Kana down. "Yeah, I knew. Akira told me about it before he agreed to do it. It's just for publicity, you know?"

Kana shook her head, her voice rising. "But still! It's disrespectful to you, Marin. How can you be okay with this?"

Marin shrugged, but there was a tightness around her eyes. "I trust Akira. Besides, it's a huge opportunity for him. For both of them, really."

Ruby chimed in, her voice soft. "Aqua said it's all scripted anyway. It's not real dating."

Miyako cleared her throat, drawing their attention. "Girls, let's remember that this is part of the industry. Sometimes we have to do things for publicity that might seem strange to outsiders."

Kana crossed her arms, still fuming. "I still don't like it."

Marin's fingers tapped nervously on the table. "Hey, the first episode already aired. Why don't we watch it? Then we can see what it's really like."

The others nodded, and Marin pulled up the streaming site. As the show's intro began to play, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety. She trusted Akira, but she wasn't naive. Being his girlfriend on the show would be a golden ticket for any aspiring actress or idol.

The opening scene showed a classroom with three people already seated when a girl with wavy black hair walked in.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, bowing slightly. "It's nice to meet you all. I'm Yuki Sumi, a freshman."

The video cut to a montage of Yuki modeling makeup and strutting down a runway.

Marin's eyes widened. "Wow, she's gorgeous! Look at how she walks - it's like she owns the catwalk."

"Her makeup skills are insane," Ruby added, leaning closer to the screen. "I wonder if she could teach me some tricks."

Kana nodded, impressed despite herself. "She definitely has presence. I can see why they cast her."

The scene shifted back to the classroom, where a young man with semi-long black hair that covered his ears introduced himself next. "I'm Nobuyuki Kumano. Dancing is my thing."

A series of clips showed Nobuyuki performing various dance routines.

Next, a girl with short blue hair and matching eyes stood up. "I'm Akane Kurokawa, a sophomore and actress."

The video transitioned to scenes of Akane in different roles, her expressions changing dramatically with each character.

Ruby tilted her head. "She looks kind of familiar, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, I feel like I've seen her before," Marin agreed, frowning slightly. "But I can't place where."

Kana shrugged. "Maybe she's been in some commercials or something?"

The final introduction came from a girl with aqua-colored eyes and brown hair dyed blonde. She flashed a cat-like smile and struck a cute pose. "I'm Mem-cho, a junior. I have my own streaming channel. Nice to meet you!"

The screen filled with clips from Mem-cho's streams, showing her playing games and interacting with her audience.

"Oh my gosh, she's adorable!" Ruby exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

Marin nodded enthusiastically. "Those little devil horns are so cute. I bet her streams are super fun to watch."

Kana rolled her eyes. "It's all an act, you know. I bet she's completely different off-camera."

The scene returned to the classroom, where the contestants engaged in small talk about school and their hobbies. Aqua and Akira were noticeably absent.

Kana leaned back, crossing her arms. "Oh, I get it. It's a show about high school students in the performing arts departments. They bond and interact through various weekend events, and we see if they become intimate by the end."

"They're all very good-looking," Ruby observed.

"No surprise there," Kana scoffed. "It is a Kaburagi show, after all."

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached the classroom door. The contestants turned towards it, curiosity evident on their faces.

"I told you we could get boba afterwards, Akira," a voice said from outside. "Now look, we're late."

"Only by five minutes!" Another voice retorted. "If it's not enough to chastise me for, then don't chastise me. Plus, that didn't stop you from getting one yourself, Aqua."

The door swung open, revealing Aqua with a bashful smile. He rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry for being late. I'm Aqua!" He glanced at the camera. "Man, I'm feeling really nervous."

Akira slung an arm over Aqua's shoulder, grinning confidently. "And I'm Akira. It's nice to meet all of you. How's it going?"

Both boys smiled down at the camera, their charisma practically radiating through the screen.

Marin's face lit up at the sight of Akira, her eyes sparkling with adoration. "Look at my baby!"

In stark contrast, Ruby and Kana leapt to their feet, shock evident on their faces. "WHO THE HELL IS THAT?!" they shouted in unison.

Ruby pointed at the screen, her mouth agape. "That can't be my brother! Where's his gloomy aura?"

"Yeah, this is way too far!" Kana agreed, shaking her head vigorously. "He looks like a completely different person!"

The camera panned to Mem-cho, her eyes wide with admiration. "You're both so striking! I really admire actors' abilities!"

Ruby snorted, rolling her eyes. "My brother is critical of these squeaky voice cutesy girls. She doesn't stand a chance."

On screen, Aqua's lips curved into a gentle smile. "You're cute too, Mem-cho."

Akira elbowed Aqua playfully, his grin widening. "Aww, you're making him blush."

Ruby jabbed the pause button, her jaw dropping. "What?"

Kana echoed her sentiment, her voice rising in disbelief. "Drop dead."

"What the hell's his deal?" Kana fumed, her fingers curling into fists. "He only calls me cute when he was trying to get me to join you!"

Ruby's eyes narrowed, her gaze fixed on the frozen image of her brother. "They must be in a good mood surrounded by all those girls. I'll give them a talking to."

While the others seethed, Marin remained transfixed on the screen, a dreamy smile on her lips.

Kana nudged Marin's shoulder, breaking her reverie. "What do you think of it?"

Marin shrugged, her eyes still glued to Akira's image. "They're playing a role. The show wouldn't work if they acted all aloof." Her smile widened. "Plus, look at my Akira!"

Ruby scoffed, crossing her arms. "In the end, they're just horny guys."

Kana nodded vigorously. "Look how they act the second they see an easy target."

Miyako cleared her throat, drawing their attention. "Girls, Marin is right. The show won't work if they don't act like that." She paused, her expression softening. "I can see how seeing guys you're close to flirting with other girls will tick you off though. But I'm surprised about how well you're taking this, Marin."

Marin's chin lifted, a hint of pride in her voice. "It's because Akira's and my relationship is that strong."

Ruby's eyebrows shot up. "Huh? How strong? Did you guys kiss or something?"

Marin scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. "We did much more than ki-" She clamped her mouth shut, her cheeks flushing red.

The room fell silent, all eyes turning to Marin. Ruby's mouth hung open, while Kana's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Miyako raised an eyebrow.

Marin squirmed under their scrutiny, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "I mean... we're just really close, that's all."

Kana leaned forward, her voice low and intense. "Marin, what exactly did you mean by 'much more'?"

Ruby chimed in, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Yeah, spill! Are you and Akira... you know...?"

Marin's blush deepened, spreading to the tips of her ears. She looked around frantically, as if searching for an escape route. "I... we... it's not like that!"

Miyako held up a hand, her voice calm but firm. "Girls, let's not pry into Marin's personal life. What she and Akira do is their business."

Kana slumped back in her chair, her arms crossed. "Fine, but I still think it's weird how okay she is with all this."

Ruby nodded, her gaze still fixed on Marin. "Yeah, if it were me, I'd be livid."

Marin took a deep breath, her composure slowly returning. "Look, I trust Akira. We've talked about this, and I know it's just for the show. He's not actually interested in any of those girls."

Kana rolled her eyes. "Sure, keep telling yourself that."

Miyako clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright, let's get back to business. We still need to finalize these costume designs."

As the conversation shifted back to work, Marin's phone buzzed with a text. She glanced down, a small smile on her lips as she read Akira's message: "Thinking of you. Can't wait to see you later."

Marin typed out a quick reply: "Miss you too. Stay in character, superstar ❤️"

She tucked her phone away, refocusing on the costume designs. Despite the others' doubts, Marin felt secure in her relationship with Akira. She knew the real him, beyond the charming persona he displayed on screen. And that knowledge was enough to keep her faith unshaken.