Chapter 1 – Really Bad Day

The moment Anya Petrova’s phone buzzed, she knew the day would get worse.

Her morning had started with a single misstep—a poorly timed joke on a live talk show—but the fallout had been swift and merciless. Notifications piled up: tweets mocking her, headlines declaring her “washed-up,” and Instagram threads dissecting every line of her face. Even her agency called, their voices tight with disappointment.

Anya stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, her usual calm façade cracking. The makeup she applied only highlighted the tension etched around her eyes. She used to step onto any set with confidence; now, every glance felt like judgment.

“Maybe this is it,” she muttered under her breath, letting the words linger in the stale apartment air.

Meanwhile, across the city, Kai Ito’s phone was buzzing for a very different reason. Notifications, headlines, and viral clips celebrated him as the “Viral Hero” who had saved a stranger from a burning car. Everyone adored him, everyone wanted him—but no one saw the quiet tension behind his smile. Fame had arrived uninvited, and the world expected him to perform as much as anyone in Hollywood.

When the invitation arrived—an email from the producers of Love Game—Anya hesitated. Reality dating shows were shallow, manipulative, and absurdly public. Yet… the words burned in her chest: “A second chance at stardom awaits.”

Kai, too, read his invitation and felt the familiar knot of anxiety in his stomach. He had never sought attention, yet here it was, dangling a promise of influence he wasn’t sure he wanted.

Neither of them knew that crossing paths on that show would change everything.

Because in the world of flashing cameras, scripted moments, and public expectation, some sparks are impossible to fake.