Chapter One

TV STUDIO – NIGHT

Bright lights. Laughter. Controlled chaos.
Staff rush around a colorful TV set as HANA NAKANO (29) sits in the middle. Radiant, polite, professional.

HOST
"Hana-san, congratulations on your new drama! You’re trending again!"

HANA
(laughing, rehearsed)
"Ah, thank you! I’m just lucky people still watch me mess up my lines!"

(Laughter. Flashbulbs.)

HOST
"Come on, you never mess up! Everyone says you’re perfect!"

HANA
(smiling sweetly)
"If only my rice cooker agreed."

The audience laughs again.
Inside, Hana’s smile stiffens. Perfect, but hollow.

STUDIO MAKEUP ROOM – LATER

The mirror is surrounded by LED lights. Hana’s reflection glows. Skin flawless, eyes tired.

MAKEUP ARTIST
"You’re working three days straight again?"

HANA
"Yeah… sleep is a myth anyway."

MANAGER
"Hana! Quick interview before you leave!"

She sighs quietly, adjusts her hair.
In her head: I should be grateful. Grateful. Always grateful.

Cut to her leaving the studio.
Her reflection passes a billboard with her smiling face:

“HANA NAKANO – THE NATION’S SWEETHEART RETURNS!”

She mutters to herself.

HANA
(under her breath)
"Nation’s sweetheart my ass."

HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM – AFTERNOON

The bell rings. Students pack up, chatting loudly. REN TAKAHASHI (31), English teacher, calm and mild-mannered, is erasing the board.

STUDENT 1
"Sensei! Valentine’s is next week. Should we prepare chocolate for you too?"

REN
"Only if it’s sugar-free. I’m old now."

STUDENT 2
"You’re only thirty-one! That’s not old!"

REN
"Tell that to my back."

The class laughs.

STUDENT 3
"Sensei, do you even have a girlfriend?"

REN
"I have something better."

He holds up a book dramatically.

“Literature never argues back.”

The class groans.

STUDENT 1
"That’s tragic, Sensei."

REN
"It’s peaceful. There’s a difference."

Dry smiles, a little lonely.

Modern, expensive, spotless and lifeless.

Hana sits on the couch with half-removed makeup, eating convenience store salad while watching herself on TV.

TV HOST (V.O.)
"So Hana-san, what’s your ideal type?"

HANA (ON TV)
"Someone who can make me laugh!"

The Hana on the couch sighs.

HANA
(lightly mocking herself)
"Yeah, sure. If I can find one who’s not afraid of Google search results."

She scrolls her phone absentmindedly — endless fan comments, articles, rumors.

Her thumb pauses on a dating app ad:

“Find someone who likes the real you.”

She stares at it.
The real me, huh? Do I even know who that is anymore?

She hesitates. Then downloads it.
App: miiDate.

She types her name: Kanao.
For once, she smiles. A small, real one.

TOKYO STREET – NIGHT

Ren walks home, carrying a paper bag of groceries. His phone rings.

REN
"Hi, Mom."

MINA (Ren's Mother)
"Ren! How’s my handsome son? Eating well? Sleeping? Met anyone yet?"

Ren sighs but smiles.

REN
"Yes, yes, and… no."

MINA
"You’re not getting younger, you know! Don’t make me arrange something again."

REN
"Please don’t. The last one tried to sell me skincare products."

MINA
(laughing)
"Well, your skin is dry."

REN
"Thanks, Mom. That helps."

Pause.

MINA
"I just want you to be happy, Ren."

He softens.

REN
"I know."
(beat)
"Actually… I might be seeing someone."

MINA
"Really!? Tell me everything!"

Ren smiles faintly — guilty, amused.

REN
"I’ll tell you when it’s real."

He hangs up. The silence in his apartment feels bigger than before.

Ren jogs with his old college friend KENTA KANAMI (32). Loud, cheerful, annoyingly fit.

KENTA
"You run like my grandpa."

REN
"Your grandpa is probably dead."

KENTA
"Exactly. You see my point."

They laugh breathlessly.

CAFE – MORNING

They sit at a table with YUI ICHIKAWA (29), Kenta’s wife.

YUI
"Ren-san, I heard you’re still single?"

REN
"Wow. Straight to the wound."

KENTA
"He’s allergic to romance."

REN
"I’m not allergic. I’m just… cautious."

YUI
"You sound like a man who checks reviews before buying toothpaste."

Ren smirks.

REN
"That’s called being responsible."

Kenta and Yui share a kiss. Ren awkwardly sips his coffee.

REN (INTERNAL MONOLOGUE)
"Great. Coffee for one. Lovebirds for two. Perfect ratio."

KENTA
"You know how we met? Dating app."

REN
(skeptical)
"Oh, here we go."

YUI
"It’s true! I liked his profile because he said “looking for someone who laughs at my jokes.”"

KENTA
"And she’s been suffering ever since."

YUI
(sweetly)
"Worth it."

Ren groans.

REN
"You two are disgustingly cute."

KENTA
"Jealousy looks good on you, sensei. You should try the app too."

REN
"No way. Those apps are full of weirdos and catfish."

KENTA
"Then you’ll fit right in."

They burst out laughing. Ren tries to look offended and fails.

REN
"Fine. I’ll download it. Just to prove you wrong."

KENTA
"That’s the spirit! Love through spite!"

REN’S ROOM – LATER

Ren sits at his desk, downloading miiDate.

He scrolls through a few profiles. Glamorous, filtered, obviously fake.

Then he stops.

A woman with no makeup, soft expression, simple photo, sitting by a window, smiling faintly.

Name: Kanao.
Bio: “Just looking for something honest.”

Ren’s lips curve slightly.

REN (INTERNAL MONOLOGUE)
"She looks… normal. That’s new."

He hesitates. Thumb hovering.
Then he swipes right.

HANA’S PHONE

A notification lights up her screen:

“You have a match: Ren Takahashi.”

Hana blinks.

HANA (INTERNAL MONOLOGUE)
"Oh no. What have I done?"