Some time ago, Sakurajima Mai had already departed for her film shoot.
Hozuki Nozomi had maintained contact with her throughout—video calls at odd hours when the schedules aligned, her voice soft through the speaker while she lounged in some trailer with the ocean sighing behind her. She shared stories from set: a cameraman who kept accidentally catching his own reflection, the catering chef who made surprisingly good onigiri despite being French.
Based on their conversations, Nozomi knew she was currently filming on a small island off the coast of Okinawa. The production demanded it—a deserted island adventure romance, the kind where the female lead and her closest friends wash ashore after a shipwreck and slowly fall for a mysterious lone survivor played by the male lead.
Because of Nozomi, Sakurajima Mai had refused to film the final kissing scene with her co-star. The director had argued, cajoled, threatened to replace her. She'd simply smiled and suggested they wait.
"Come pick me up when we wrap," she'd told Nozomi over video, her hair still damp from a sea spray shot. "And while you're here... help me finish the intimate scene properly."
Nozomi had booked the next ferry.
He couldn't let another man claim Mai's first on-screen kiss. Absolutely not.
The island smelled of salt and hibiscus as he stepped off the dock, the humidity immediately pressing against his skin like a warm, damp cloth. Camera equipment cases lined the path toward base camp, crew members in sweat-stained shirts hauling reflectors and boom mics.
A woman approached from the shade of a canvas awning—tall, elegant, wearing a black hip-hugging skirt that emphasized the curve of her hips and a silk blouse unbuttoned just enough to suggest cleavage without revealing it. Sakurajima Miu moved with the practiced grace of someone who had once commanded runways before pivoting to managing her daughter's career.
*Yes, image available for my Discord Peeps
"Nozomi." Her smile carried warmth beneath its professional polish. "You're finally here. For your sake, Mai has delayed this scene until the very end. You mustn't disappoint her."
"Don't worry, Miu-san." He matched her smile with an easy confidence. "I definitely won't hold Mai back."
His acting skills were solid enough. Besides—this was a kissing scene. Playing himself would more than suffice.
"Then go quickly." Miu gestured toward a white tent set apart from the others, its entrance flap embroidered with a single cherry blossom. "Talk to Mai first. Get a feel for each other again."
"Understood."
Nozomi walked through the scattered crew, aware of their stares—some envious, others curious. A few whispered behind clipboards. He ignored them, pushing through the tent's entrance with familiar ease.
Inside, the air smelled of jasmine perfume and fabric softener, cooled by a portable AC unit humming in the corner. Sakurajima Mai sat before a lit vanity mirror, her reflection showing the delicate process of applying lip liner. She wore the film's costume—a white sundress, strategically torn along the hem to suggest days of island survival, the fabric thin enough to reveal the silhouette of her body beneath.
Her waist was impossibly slender. Her dark hair fell in carefully styled waves past her shoulders. Even from behind, she radiated the magnetic presence that had made her Japan's most famous teen actress.
Nozomi approached silently, his footsteps muffled by the rug beneath the chair. He reached out, his palms settling against the curve of her waist, fingers pressing gently into the sundress's thin cotton—
"Mmm...!"
Mai's body tensed, a soft gasp escaping her painted lips. She turned her head, dark eyes flashing with mock annoyance even as a flush crept up her neck.
"Stop messing around. I'm touching up my makeup."
"Let me help."
"You?" Skepticism curved her brow.
"Heh." He leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear. "Mai. In this world, there's nothing I can't do except give birth."
"Disgusting." She rolled her eyes, but her body language betrayed her—she leaned back slightly, pressing her shoulder blades against his chest. "Fine. Here."
She handed him the lipstick, a shade of coral pink still warm from her grip.
"If you make me ugly, you're not allowed to touch me tonight."
"Deal."
He'd practiced on Mashiro countless times—her sudden interest in appearing 'normal' had demanded it. Those sessions had made him unexpectedly competent with brushes and powders.
Mai didn't need much. Her face was already flawless, skin smooth as cream, cheekbones high and striking. He traced the lipstick across her lower lip with careful precision, his other hand steadying her chin. She stayed perfectly still, but he felt her pulse quicken beneath his fingertips where they rested against her jaw.
"There."
She examined herself in the mirror. Her lips gleamed, fuller somehow, more inviting. Color sat perfectly within her natural lines.
"...You actually did it well." Surprise flickered through her voice. "Who taught you this? Be honest."
"Mashiro. She wanted to try makeup after seeing other girls wear it. I volunteered."
Mai's reflection pouted. "Always learning new tricks to seduce women."
"Ah, well—" He cleared his throat. "Your mother mentioned something about building chemistry?"
"Smooth subject change." But she was smiling now, rising from the chair to face him fully. The sundress shifted with her movement, fabric pulling taut across her breasts before settling. "Fine. Let's rehearse."
Her demeanor shifted—suddenly professional, commanding. The actress taking over.
"Put your arm around my waist. Like this."
She guided his hand to the small of her back, her own arms lifting to drape around his neck. Her fingers interlaced behind his nape, cool and delicate.
"Good. Now—" Her lashes lowered. "—slowly pull me closer. And kiss me."
Nozomi's hand tightened against her spine.
He drew her forward inch by inch, watching her expression—the way her lips parted slightly, the flutter of her pulse at her throat. Their bodies pressed together, her breasts soft and full against his chest, her hips aligned with his. The thin sundress did nothing to mask the heat of her skin.
When their mouths met, there was nothing rehearsed about it.
His lips caught hers firmly, tasting lipstick and something sweeter beneath. Mai exhaled sharply through her nose, her fingers tightening in his hair. He deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding past her teeth, and she made a soft, desperate sound—half protest, half plea.
He pulled her fully onto his lap as he sank into the makeup chair, hands gripping her waist to settle her straddling him. The sundress rode up her thighs, pale skin exposed against his slacks. Her weight pressed down against his groin, and she felt exactly what that did to him—her hips shifted, a subtle grinding motion that sent sparks racing up his spine.
"Nozomi—" she breathed against his mouth, her voice ragged. "We're supposed to be rehearsing—"
He kissed her harder in response, one hand sliding up her back to tangle in her hair, the other gripping her hip to guide her movement. She whimpered, her body rocking instinctively, creating friction that made them both shudder.
"Miss Sakurajima, Yukino sent milk tea—"
The tent flap parted.
A young man stepped inside, a carrier of bubble tea in his hands. He was handsome in a carefully cultivated way—sharp jawline, styled hair, the kind of face that sold skincare products. His smile froze, then shattered completely as he registered the scene before him.
Sakurajima Mai, Japan's most beloved actress, straddling a stranger's lap with her dress hiked to her thighs and her lips swollen from kissing.
"I—I'm sorry, I intruded—"
The words tumbled out breathless, pained. He turned and fled, milk tea sloshing in its container.
Nozomi released Mai's lips slowly, his thumb tracing the smudged lipstick at the corner of her mouth.
"Who was that?"
"Komatsu Takuya." Mai sighed, making no move to climb off him. "The male lead. Director's favorite—started young like me, has that pretty-boy appeal."
He thought he was going to be the one kissing me today, she mused. How unfortunate for him.
"An admirer of yours?"
"Obviously." She poked his cheek. "What, jealous?"
Nozomi smiled, leaning up to steal another quick kiss.
"You're already mine. Can't run away. Why would I be jealous?"
Mai suppressed a laugh, her fingers tracing idle patterns on his shoulder.
"He probably doesn't know about the casting change yet."
"No one told him?"
"Why would they?"
Her confidence had grown since they'd met—no longer the girl who worried about industry politics and unspoken rules. She'd invested in this production herself because she'd loved the script. Directors could complain all they wanted.
And she had Nozomi's protective charm tucked inside her bra, warm against her heartbeat, and Yukinoshita bodyguards stationed just outside the tent.
*****
GOOD NEWS!!!
My discord already has 14 advanced chapters for this book! The Kofi link is in the Author's Note below!
Also, you can join the general area of my server to view and request character images.
Here's the invite link to my discord:d1scord.gg /kT3MV6r6
Remove the 1 and the space.
Also, the books are in the form of epubs, let me know if you need help with the format.
And, my new project is available for free in the general chat, give it a go and share your thoughts please. As I said, it's a crossover mash-up like this one.