Chapter 48: There's Nothing He Can Do

Minoru was a little startled, but he quickly adjusted his composure.

"In that case, no need for introductions, I suppose," Minoru said, as Gotanda nodded at him. "If you've got some time, how about a drink while we chat?" However, Gotanda swiftly shook his head.

"Thanks for the offer, but there's still work waiting for me. Speaking of which, Ichigo-san mentioned a new project. They want me to direct the music video for the new song."

Minoru just nodded, not really sure about Ichigo's recent decisions, as he tended to delegate technical matters and decision-making. Being a busy man like himself, he couldn't oversee everything. For now, Minoru decided to play it cool, acting as if he knew everything.

"I see. I'm looking forward—"

"Not so fast," Gotanda interrupted with a smile. "I accepted on one condition."

Minoru squinted his eyes, while Gotanda reacted nervously to the intense stare, fearing he might have provoked Minoru in some way. Yet, it was merely Minoru's facial expression. Regardless, rejecting Gotanda wasn't a simple matter for Minoru, given his ties to Ai and her confidential information. He had to proceed cautiously.

"I'll hear it first."

Gotanda nodded and handed a pile of papers to Minoru.

"Ah?" Minoru took it and read the cover. "I see. Are you asking me to be your investor?"

"I wasn't," Gotanda shook his head with a smile. "It's for a reality show. I want you to be a cast member."

Minoru sighed, knowing that getting involved in such things could be troublesome. "I'll decline. Gotanda-san, take your time and think about the terms you want. I'll comply, considering your relationship with her."

Seeing Minoru's reluctance, Gotanda felt the need to convince him in some way.

"You should take it," Aqua suddenly joined the discussion. "Just open it, and you'll understand," Aqua said, crossing his arms.

"Okay," Minoru looked at the cover again.

The title was "We're About to Fall in Love for Real," also known as "LoveforReal." The summary described it as a reality dating show featuring a cast of teenagers with a high school background, bonding through various weekend events to see if they'd become intimate by the end of the show. Though it was a reality show, it could still be manipulated as long as the cast members' ages made sense.

"So, is this like some reality dating show where I'll have to dress up like a high schooler and flirt with chicks?" Minoru asked, eyeing Gotanda. "That's the problem. I already have someone, and I'm a teacher—"

As he spoke, Minoru flipped the page, widening his eyes. "Ai?" He looked at Gotanda again. "Why is she here as a cast?"

Minoru now understood why Aqua had told him to just look at the sheet. That was the problem. He couldn't let his wife be part of this kind of show.

"Well, the truth is, Ai signed the contract long ago, and we're starting this in the next 18 days. I decided to ask for your help to make the reality show a success, considering the trend, and let's not forget about her charisma. Her age also didn't matter since she's barely twenty this year," Gotanda explained, making Minoru smile.

"Then I'll pay the price for breaking her contract."

"I don't think so. You know, Ai isn't the type to break her promises," Aqua rejected the idea.

His smile faded away as he realized buying the company wasn't an option either. Also, Minoru couldn't risk being hated by his daughter after she had just started calling him Daddy. Most importantly, he couldn't call himself a man if he just stood by watching his wife flirt with other men, even if it was just a reality show—Minoru was not a cuckold. He decided that he should become part of the cast and be her shield.

Minoru sighed once again.

"Don't complain if I'm not aggressive and not flirting with the other cast." He looked at Gotanda sharply. "You probably know why I decided to join this show and don't do anything silly since I'll be there."

Gotanda gulped at the man's cold expression. "Ah, I understand. I'll be careful. But what about the school you currently work for?"

Minoru shook his head. "Don't worry about that."

He gave Gotanda a simple statement, as the CEO trusted him. She probably wouldn't think much about it as long as he didn't do anything scandalous.

Aqua nodded with satisfaction, pleased that everything unfolded according to his plan. Now, he could rest easy, knowing that there was someone like him to ensure nobody would get too close to his mom.

Gotanda looked at the man, wondering how old he was.

From his looks, Gotanda couldn't help but think he was too young to be this successful. Young, handsome, smart, charismatic, and lately, he had broken the internet by saving Ai from angry cows. Minoru was the person Gotanda needed, and he might exceed expectations for a mere reality dating show.

"Eh, sorry, but may I ask how old you are?" Gotanda inquired, trying to guess his age.

"I'm twenty," Minoru paused, "well, technically, I'm nineteen and ten months."

Gotanda was like, "Dude, seriously? The world's so not fair." His jaw dropped at how messed up things were. At least, he thought he was at 21 or 22. But he's still underage.

Meanwhile, Minoru read the list of the cast, genuinely interested.

Sasaki Eita.

Nakano Ichika.

Ogino Ko.

Shiranui Koromo.

Sakurajima Mai.

Ai.

Yanagi Minoru.

Minoru widened his eyes at the last name.

"Excuse me, did you meet Sakurajima Mai lately?" Minoru asked Gotanda expectantly. However, Gotanda seemed confused. "Who?"

Minoru shut his mouth, showing him the list. "Did you ever meet this person lately?"

"Ah? Why is there a blank space on the list? Sigh, sorry for that. If you're talking about Shiranui Koromo, then yes. She's amazing and very talented person," Gotanda nodded honestly.

Once again, it was strange that people didn't see her name. Minoru was sure this wasn't a joke, but he couldn't scientifically understand what was going on.

Aqua, looking at the dudes strangely, then asked, "Why are you guys talking about Sakurajima Mai and Shiranui Koromo at the same time?"

Finally, someone noticed Sakurajima Mai when Minoru was thinking he might be losing his his freaking mind. But it turned out Aqua noticed her name.

---

"So, you noticed her name?" Minoru said, not taking his eyes off the road as he drove the Agera while noticing some car spotters capturing his car with their cameras.

"You mean that famous actress Sakurajima Mai? Of course, who doesn't know about her?" Aqua said, looking at him. "Why?"

Gently turning the steering wheel to the left, he replied, "Let's talk about it later, since you also have a problem, young man."

Aqua chuckled, "Me? I don't understand, since I'm perfectly fine, and I'm not hungry right now. Can we just eat dinner at home?" He said as Minoru stopped the car at the McRonald drive-through.

"Unfortunately, your mom told me that I should talk to you, knowing that you're not perfectly fine at all. We're not going home until we finish talking about your problem," Minoru said, rolling down the car window. "Three cheeseburgers and two sodas. Thank you."

Aqua sighed, realizing it was Ai who wanted this conversation. It seemed he couldn't fool motherly instincts. Maybe she noticed the change since she almost died that day.

---

A/N:

Need some feedbacks, thanks.

*Cough! Stones?