When Aqua approached Seiya to cooperate in taking revenge, he came with absolute sincerity.
If Seiya helped him find the culprit, Aqua would personally take on the role of executioner.
Simply put, Seiya could let Aqua bear all the blame. Aqua was already prepared to stake his own life for Ai's revenge.
All Seiya had to do was assist from the sidelines. Once everything was settled, Aqua alone would face imprisonment, while Seiya could return to his glamorous life as a star — that was the deal Aqua offered.
Aqua wasn't worried Seiya would refuse, since their enemies were the same.
The same people who indirectly caused his brother's death and left his guardian — Ako's sister — paralyzed from the waist down.
Even if Seiya had no intention of helping, Aqua was sure he wouldn't betray him. That was the real reason Aqua had chosen to confess everything.
And as it turned out, Aqua's gamble paid off.
When Seiya left that night, he asked for Takigi Katsuya's contact information.
Meanwhile, when Takigi received a call from Seiya, he was stunned.
Though Takigi was a fairly well-known producer and had built up some connections over the years, the young actors he knew were mostly rookies or those who had already faded from the spotlight.
To suddenly receive a call from Wenren Seiya, one of the hottest stars in the industry — that was beyond his expectations.
As soon as the call connected, Seiya stated his purpose directly: he said he'd been asked by his good friend Hoshino Aqua to participate in the latest season of From Now, Let's Seriously Fall in Love.
Takigi froze. He had only casually mentioned it to Aqua earlier, never imagining that Aqua would pull such strings — bringing Wenren Seiya himself into the mix!
From Now, Let's Seriously Fall in Love was a romance reality show aimed at young audiences. With Seiya, a top-tier celebrity, joining the cast, Takigi could already imagine the explosive publicity the show would receive once the trailer dropped!
"Takigi-san? Is something wrong? If this isn't convenient…"
Because Takigi was so stunned by Seiya's offer, he didn't respond for a long time. Thinking there was a problem, Seiya was already preparing to look for another route — until Takigi hurriedly said:
"Of course not! Having someone like Wenren-kun join our humble little show is more than we could ever ask for! It's just that From Now, Let's Seriously Fall in Love is a romance program, so the number of male and female participants needs to be even. We've already finalized three couples.
If you join, we'd love to have you — but we might not have a matching female partner ready on such short notice. Still, please trust us! Even if we only have one night, we'll find the right person for you."
A top celebrity like Wenren Seiya volunteering to appear on their show? Neither Takigi nor the entire production team could afford to let such a golden opportunity slip away.
However, the other cast members had already been decided.
Technically, Takigi could remove a male participant to make room for Seiya — but while he was ambitious and pragmatic, he still had a sense of professional ethics.
And besides, this was Wenren Seiya!
If they paired him with a random, lesser-known female guest, it would surely trigger backlash from Seiya's massive fanbase.
When Seiya realized that the issue wasn't about rejecting him, but rather about not having a suitable partner, he paused for a moment and then said, "If that's all, then how about I introduce a female guest myself?"
That night, Seiya returned home just before the Wenren family's 10 p.m. curfew.
Yuko and Ako, who were watching TV, immediately crept toward his room when they heard him come in.
They pressed their ears against the door, whispering.
"Seiya's learned to lie now! Just listen to that tone — there's no way he's talking to a male classmate."
"Kana? You mean Arima Kana? I remember they used to be pretty close."
"Yuko, what's going on? Who's this Arima Kana? Why don't I know her?"
"Don't you remember, Sis? The Arima family used to be our neighbors… oh, right — you hadn't woken up yet back then, so you wouldn't know that Seiya and Kana were good friends."
"Childhood friends?! Yuko, how could you not tell me something that important! So you're saying this Arima Kana goes to Yoto High too, and they reunited today — and even went on a date tonight?!"
Inside the room, Seiya had no idea two eavesdropping maniacs were listening from outside.
He really was talking to Arima Kana — because if he wanted to participate in From Now, Let's Seriously Fall in Love, he needed a female partner, and she was the perfect candidate.
Half an hour earlier, when Seiya had told Takigi he could bring his own female guest, the producer was thrilled and immediately agreed.
After the call, Seiya began considering possible partners. Several faces flashed through his mind — all young women he knew — but he eliminated them one by one.
The entertainment world was a realistic place. If possible, he didn't want to owe anyone favors.
Besides, most of those "friends" were just superficial acquaintances. Asking them to appear on a low-tier romance show like this would probably offend them.
The only restriction Takigi had given was that the partner also had to be high-school-aged, since this season's theme was "school romance."
After narrowing down the list based on all these conditions, Seiya was left with just three options:
Moriro Shiranui, Arima Kana, and Minami Sumiha — whom he'd only met earlier that day.
As for Hoshino Ruby? Forget it. Her brother would never allow it.
If Seiya wanted to guarantee the show's popularity, Moriro Shiranui was definitely the strongest choice.
A "superstar couple" would be the ultimate attention-grabber.
But unlike Seiya, Shiranui was under a management agency. Even if she agreed personally, her appearance fee would be far beyond what From Now, Let's Seriously Fall in Love could afford.
As for Minami Sumiha, if Seiya requested it, she and her agency "Great Cannon Launch" probably wouldn't refuse. She wasn't well-known yet, so this could be a good opportunity for her.
Still, Seiya felt it was a bit wrong to ask someone he'd just met today to pretend to be his girlfriend — even if it was only for show.
After careful thought, Seiya concluded there was only one suitable choice: Arima Kana.
(End of Chapter)