"Hmm?" Kate's usually composed face betrayed an uncharacteristically exaggerated look of surprise.
"Well, it's not exactly a date," Ivy muttered, twirling a strand of her hair and avoiding Kate's gaze. She kept her eyes fixed on her shoes, glancing up nervously every so often. "Think of it more as me taking this chance to learn from you… You did say you'd teach me something, right?" Her bashful manner was reminiscent of a delicate flower in bloom.
Kate quickly regained her composure, giving a simple response, "Alright."
The production team, naturally, caught wind of everything but had fully expected Kate to decline. So, they didn't intervene when Ivy initially made her invitation. But now, Kate had just agreed.
"What?!" The director scratched his already thinning hair with increased urgency, stressing an already sparse situation. The one-on-one invitation rule had only specified that if an invitation was extended, it couldn't be declined, without clarifying if it had to be male-female. Despite the increasing popularity of promoting same-sex pairings for media buzz, as a show primarily marketed as a dating series, the intent was to generate some sparks between male and female guests. Ivy's insistence on inviting the show's precious Kate Stone looked more like a wildcard than an intentional plan.
"Uh, Ivy…" The director walked over, clearing his throat. "Our show aims to reflect the core values of strength, democracy, and harmony in a modern society."
"Hm?" Ivy's expression was puzzled. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, no, I mean… Well, whatever your friendship might be outside of here, I fully respect it," he began carefully. "But, for the sake of the show, maybe consider inviting someone else?"
Ivy thought for a moment and replied, "Are you saying I'm not allowed to invite Kate?"
The director chuckled amiably, "You know, we've got some great guys here—Leon, Matthew, Lucas… and you seemed to be getting along well with Ethan?"
"Alright, I'll think it over," Ivy sighed, her head drooping. If she couldn't use the invitation for Kate, she might as well forfeit it.
At this, Kate stood up and declared, "I'd like to initiate my first invitation."
The director's eyes lit up, as if seeing a glimmer of hope. "And who would you like to invite?"
Kate glanced at Ivy, "You seem quite eager to go on a date with me."
"Wha-?" Ivy's eyes widened, then she pointed at herself, stunned. "Are… are you talking to me, Ms. Stone?"
"Indeed," Kate replied with a look that clearly said, "I'm looking at you; who else could I be speaking to?"
Ivy looked at the director, uncertain. She was still just a rookie, after all. Despite having won a popular selection competition, her girl group was barely hanging on, and she was lucky enough just to be part of a show. She wasn't in any place to make demands.
The director's brain raced. "So, about that harmony I mentioned…" But before he could finish, Kate's distinctly calm voice interjected, "This is just a friendly tea between two friends. Surely that's acceptable?"
Sophia, who had been sipping her drink and sneakily watching the exchange, nearly spat it all out. Sitting beside her, Annie closed her eyes as she felt the spray hit her face, slowly turning her gaze with a deadly look toward Sophia.
"Sorry, sorry, I swear that wasn't on purpose!" Sophia quickly grabbed a handful of tissues, wiping Annie's face as if scrubbing the hide off a hog, completely unaware that she was ruining a carefully crafted makeup look.
"Get lost," Annie growled, almost forgetting they were being filmed.
Sophia, still glued to the unfolding scene, was practically all ears, marveling that Kate, once dubbed "Ice Queen," even knew what "friend tea time" meant. It seemed she wasn't entirely out of touch with the world.
The director felt like he had swallowed a turtle, his face turning green with frustration. She had technically said nothing wrong, but this was a romance show, not a friendly vacation special! However, Kate wasn't one to bend to a script, so he had to adapt to her preferences.
"Fine, but this invitation will still count as Ivy's," he managed. "Perhaps Ms. Stone could consider extending an invitation to someone else as well?"
Kate glanced at Ivy, then gave a single, detached word: "Anyone."
"Perfect! Perfect!" the director's relief was almost palpable as he scurried off, fully prepared to let the audience decide who to cast as Kate's potential love interest after the first episode aired.
But Ivy's heart sank. Even a casual request for a "date" with Kate had required her to rely on Kate herself to negotiate with the production team. She was utterly helpless, and not for the first time, she felt an unwelcome lump rise in her throat. No, she reminded herself, this wasn't really about wanting a date with Kate—it was just to help her brother out. Yet in the end, Kate would still be on a date with someone else. If only she hadn't even asked in the first place.
With the director gone, Ivy remained, staring at her shoes as if they held answers.
"So, why did you want to ask me out?" Kate's voice sounded softly beside her.
Startled, Ivy almost leaped out of her skin. "Oh, sorry… I…" Unlike her usual reactions, Ivy's voice trembled with uncharacteristic uncertainty, and her nose tingled with an unexpected hint of sadness.
Kate gently took Ivy's sleeve, guiding her to a quieter corner, and asked, "What's the matter?"
"You… you're mad at me, aren't you?" Ivy's voice was no louder than a whisper.
"Why would I be?" Kate replied, genuinely puzzled.
"Since this morning, you've been cold to me," Ivy said quietly. "Even in the kitchen, you were so formal. You didn't even tell me who your date would be." The more she spoke, the more a dull ache crept into her words.
Kate, her gaze frosty yet tinged with a hint of unease, murmured, "That's because…" She paused, hesitating, then shrugged. "It's just who I am. I wasn't upset with you."
Hearing this, Ivy felt a faint sense of relief. If Kate said she wasn't lying, Ivy believed her. But beyond her worries about Kate's mood, Ivy was more troubled by her own inability to assert herself. If only she'd stood up for herself with the director like Kate had, then maybe Kate wouldn't have had to intervene on her behalf.
From the sofa nearby, Sophia stretched her neck, craning to see into the corner where Kate had led Ivy. "Hey, do you think Kate and Ivy had a fight? Things seemed tense at breakfast, and I swear I saw Ivy's eyes looking a little red when Kate took her aside." She poked Annie, clearly looking for someone to discuss the unfolding drama with.
"You really are an endless busybody, poking your nose into everything!" Annie grumbled but restrained herself from saying more since they were still on camera.
Sophia, too focused on the corner, silenced Annie with a hand to her face. "Shush."
Annie only muttered under her breath. If this makes it to air and your fans roast you, don't expect me to jump in!
Later, Ivy recalled her earlier outburst to Kate and cringed, covering her face with her hands. Why had she said anything at all, much less questioned Kate's manner or her decision not to share her date plans? Not even considering they weren't really close enough to even talk about such things!
She let herself fall back onto the sofa, grabbing a pillow and curling up like a turtle. If only she could hide under a shell and avoid her embarrassment.
"Here," came a voice behind her.
Without warning, Kate placed a bag of snacks beside Ivy and then, without another word, turned and walked up the stairs.
Ivy peeked inside the bag. It was filled with treats—her favorite bite-sized cookies, yogurt drinks, and a small box of chocolate milk.