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These issues don't go away just because they've begun a romantic relationship, and in some cases are even exacerbated by the kind of emotional accommodations they make for each other.

I was really compelled by the conflict they set up at the end of Episode 3: Hayama and Shirasaki auditioning for the same role. For Hayama, this is the role he's been seeking to play his whole career, and a role that will allow him to show the industry and his peers that he can be a serious, dramatic actor. For Shirasaki, getting the part is aligned with his career trajectory, but it becomes clear in Episode 4 that "beating" Hayama for the role is important to Shirasaki because of his professional insecurities. He wants to "catch up" to Hayama so they can stand together as equals, which results in Shirasaki freezing him out in their personal lives.

Hayama is completely unprepared for how to balance his own professional desires with his unfortunate tendency to acquiesce to others, something he's been trying to unlearn. The pressure from his manager to accept the movie role presents a secondary conflict, because Hayama clearly nails his theater audition. He's so perfectly suited to play a character who wears different faces, who smiles to mask their true feelings. I have to give major kudos to the IRL actors who are able to perform their character's auditions in such a way that you can see how Hayama and Shirasaki each interpret the same character, and why the director responds more favorably to Hayama.

Shirasaki's growing resentment also makes sense, even if it's upsetting to witness. Hayama was originally attracted to Shirasaki because of his single-minded determination to be a serious actor, and that hunger has only increased the more he struggles to win the same parts and commercial spots that made Hayama a celebrity. It's interesting that this "serious" actor is upset because he was rejected for a modeling shoot, but Shirasaki clearly sees this as something he needs to do to ascend to Hayama's level. Meanwhile, Hayama's seemingly nonchalant attitude towards his own celebrity only exacerbates Shirasaki's feelings of inadequacy.

I knew exactly what would end up happening: Hayama "letting" Shirasaki have the role as a gesture of love, when in reality it's going to become a wedge to further divide them. Hayama only seeks to make his partner happy, to re-establish the comfort and intimacy he's found in their home together, but it's clearly a tactic of avoidance: he does not want to grapple with his own hunger, his own ambition, because it would mean competing with Shirasaki and ("selfishly") taking something for himself that Shirasaki wants. It would shatter their harmonious household. This is not tenable!! It also suggests to Shirasaki that Hayama does not take him seriously as a rival. Shirasaki ends the episode elated to have gotten the role, but it was Hayama's to lose and Hayama gave it up.

Shirasaki asks "is this really what you want?" knowing it's not, but he knows that Hayama's loss is his gain. It pained me to see Shirasaki then embrace Hayama and suggest they resume being physically intimate, because it drives home to Hayama that his current happiness with Shirasaki is conditional on Hayama putting his dreams back on the shelf.

This is really interesting conflict to me, because it feels realistic and understandable. In my opinion, this is the best case scenario for a Season 2. I want them to work through their problems and communicate their feelings, and I'm also really intrigued to see how the show will resolve their professional conflicts. I think the latter will be the true measure of this season's success.