The day Kogoro Mouri was invited to the station to record a program.
On the way to the station, Kogoro Mouri was extremely nervous. Although he didn't say it, Lin Yi noticed that his fingers were frequently tapping the manual gear shift.
"Didn't Ran come?"
Seeing him so nervous, Lin Yi had no choice but to start a conversation to ease his tension.
"Ran? I thought you would notify her."
That's when Kogoro Mouri remembered that he still hadn't informed his daughter.
"Things like this, of course, should be communicated by you, Uncle Mouri."
Lin Yi sighed with some resignation. "You're the guest, not me."
"Ah... that's true. Ran is a fan of Miss Yoko..."
Kogoro Mouri slapped his forehead, somewhat frustrated. "Well, I'll bring her next time."
...
When they arrived at the station, Kogoro Mouri's tension finally began to dissipate.
When he was silent, he managed to project an air of calm and confidence. Moreover, Mouri, who was physically in good shape, had maintained his fitness, so in his maturity, he still appeared as an attractive man.
Unfortunately, his tendency to behave casually turned that image of a handsome man into that of a funny uncle.
Upon entering the station, it was necessary to have an ID card to access the internal areas. Therefore, Kogoro Mouri had to call the program editor who had invited him to come down and receive them.
When the elevator doors opened, Okino Yoko stepped out and warmly greeted the two: "Mr. Mouri, Lin-kun!"
"Miss Yoko!" Kogoro Mouri was surprised; he hadn't expected it to be the same Okino Yoko who came to greet them.
This excited him so much that he couldn't help but adjust his clothes and smile confidently. "Miss Yoko, you're more beautiful every day!"
Lin Yi wasn't as exaggerated as Mouri. He just nodded slightly without showing much emotion.
"Mr. Mouri always knows what to say."
Okino Yoko smiled in response to Mouri, while Lin Yi's somewhat indifferent attitude didn't go unnoticed by her.
"Let's go, we'll talk upstairs."
With the ID card in hand, Yoko led both of them through the entrance and up to the elevator.
Inside the elevator, Yoko started the conversation. "Mr. Mouri, during the recording of the program, we'll ask you some questions related to deduction cases... Do you trust yourself to answer them?"
"Of course!" Kogoro Mouri, filled with confidence, patted himself on the shoulder.
"And... Lin-kun?"
Yoko turned the conversation toward Lin Yi.
"I won't participate in the program. I'll stay in the audience area."
Lin Yi responded, "Uncle Mouri can handle everything on his own."
Mouri nodded, clearly pleased that Lin Yi praised him in front of Yoko, making him feel more important.
"This is Mr. Mouri's first time recording a program, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Let me explain briefly. During the recording, if you make a mistake, we can re-record... so don't worry too much."
"Also, you don't need to intentionally look for the cameras; they will focus on you automatically."
Yoko explained the details to Mouri, though from time to time, she glanced at Lin Yi, trying to include him in the conversation.
Lin Yi quickly picked up on that attitude.
From what he had observed, it was clear that Okino Yoko was still interested in him. Evidently, the night of the incident at his house, Lin Yi had made a very deep impression on her.
This was a good start.
Realizing this, Lin Yi knew exactly what actions he needed to take.
Before this formal meeting with Yoko, Lin Yi had been observing her for a long time, even coming up with several plans to get closer to her.
Given the current situation, the most suitable strategy was to maintain an attitude of "neither too close nor too distant."
This meant that he didn't need to be overly proactive in approaching Yoko, but he shouldn't seem too cold either.
Why?
Because Okino Yoko, being a popular and very attractive idol, was surely accustomed to many people trying to get close to her.
The more people approached her, the more normal it seemed to her, and she might even think it strange if someone didn't.
Therefore, if Lin Yi wanted to leave a deeper impression, he had to be "the different one."
When the elevator arrived on the third floor, Yoko took Kogoro Mouri to meet with the detective program's scriptwriter.
Meanwhile, Lin Yi curiously observed the workers coming and going. Occasionally, he even saw some presenters or famous guests who regularly appeared on television.
Most of the celebrities were attractive men and women, though there were also a few with exceptional talent.
However, those who relied on their skills were fewer compared to those who succeeded due to their appearance.
After all, in these times, a pretty face was a passport to success anywhere.
Although, of course, the concept of beauty depended on personal tastes.
But Lin Yi was different. He possessed exceptional charm.
His charisma wasn't limited to just physical appearance; it was something unique that made him stand out and captured the attention of others.
Without doing anything at all, Lin Yi made both the employees and celebrities instinctively look at him as they passed by.
"Lin-kun."
At some point, Okino Yoko approached Lin Yi. After giving a small bow, she said, "Thank you for your warning last time. It saved us from making a big mistake..."
"...a wrong decision."
She referred to that night when Lin Yi had warned them not to hide information about the deceased from the police.
"You don't need to thank me. In the end, the decision was yours," Lin Yi replied indifferently. "Although, Miss Yoko, facing the risk of ruining your public image to tell the truth was very brave on your part."
The compliment made Okino Yoko smile joyfully. "Honestly, I've never liked that public image... but the agency insists that I maintain it, so I have no choice. I don't want to keep carrying the label of 'pure and innocent star.'"
When mentioning this, Yoko twisted her lips in a gesture of disgust, making it clear that her agency had intervened, and her intention to break that image had been unsuccessful.
A celebrity's public image has both advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, it helps quickly gain followers; on the other, it limits the star's personal and professional freedom.
For example, with Okino Yoko's pure image, she cannot afford to have a romantic relationship.
If she started dating someone, she would face the cancellation of advertising contracts and, consequently, a large amount of compensation.
Given the level of exploitation that Japanese agencies subject stars to, Okino Yoko would have no way to pay those sums.
"..."
Okino Yoko wanted to get to know the young man in front of her better, but she didn't know how to start the conversation.
Although she had been trained as a presenter, which should make her an expert at initiating conversations, she seemed to have lost all her skill in this instance.
She didn't know why, but she couldn't find a topic to talk about. She couldn't even maintain eye contact with him for more than three seconds without averting her gaze and feeling her heart race.
The atmosphere wasn't uncomfortable, but rather peculiar, filled with a subtle tension.
However, that feeling didn't last long, as Okino Yoko's assistant interrupted the moment.
"Yoko, it's time. You need to go to the makeup room to prepare," said the assistant.
"Okay..." Yoko nodded and then waved goodbye to Lin Yi. "See you later on set."
"Alright," Lin Yi replied.
When Yoko and her assistant walked away, the assistant couldn't help but express curiosity. "Yoko, is that handsome guy a new talent? He's incredibly attractive! What's his name? I want to support him."
Upon hearing the praise for Lin Yi, Okino Yoko, for some reason, felt very happy. She responded, "He's not a new talent, he's just a student... he came with Detective Mouri."
"Eh?" The assistant was surprised. "Isn't he a celebrity? What a shame that someone so handsome isn't an artist!"
"Right? I think so too." Yoko nodded, fully agreeing.
In the back of her mind, she thought that if Lin Yi became an artist, maybe they would have more opportunities to interact and deepen their relationship.
------------------------
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