Full Story Yui Yokoyama And Shota Uegami from Junretsu in Serious Love, Living Together in a Tower Apartment

Yuihan gently on the left arm of the person behind.

That day, a small dinner party was held at a hidden Asian dining spot located in a quiet residential area.

The central members were four people, two men and two women. The dinner, which began in the evening at a restaurant known for its owner’s carefully chosen décor and painstakingly prepared dishes, lasted for nearly four hours and finally ended just after 10 p.m.

The walk from the restaurant to the nearest station took about 10 minutes, but the group, in high spirits and filled with laughter, made the journey feel much shorter.

Among them, the one who seemed to be enjoying herself the most was the beautiful woman in a blue dress walking at the center—Yui Yokoyama (31), who served as the second-generation general manager of “AKB48.”

And closely accompanying the cheerful Yuihan was the big-smiley… guy in a T-shirt—Shota Gogami (37), a handsome, slender man from Junretsu. The unexpected combination of a super idol and an idol from a super sento (public bathhouse) left everyone bewildered as the group arrived at the station.

They were on the verge of heading to a second spot, but they parted ways in front of the station, with only Yuihan and Gogami heading into the station. They boarded a train that had just arrived at the platform, talking happily. It was just a few minutes later that an astonishing scene occurred. When they got off the train several stops later, Yuihan gently wrapped her arm around Gogami’s left arm on the escalator leading up to the ticket gate, and they headed into a convenience store before entering a high-rise apartment building.

Wait, are they staying the night together? What’s their connection?

“They co-starred in ‘Meijiza 9th June Junretsu Performance’ last year, which was Junretsu’s second lead performance. In the play’s two parts—acting and singing—Yokoyama played the young Hollywood actress Carol, and Gogami played the struggling actor Pat. Through their work together, they grew close, and their relationship began” (A veteran stage actor).

However, in the play, Carol falls in love with another member of Junretsu, Yujiro Shirakawa (47), and during the press conference, he jokingly said, “I want to seize this opportunity,” but it seems the one who actually seized the opportunity was Gogami!

 

 

Graceful Days

Before the surprising report by FRIDAY, Yuihan and Gogami reappeared two days later, after their encounter at the hidden dining spot. On a beautiful autumn afternoon, Yuihan, dressed in a New Era T-shirt and Nike training pants, and Gogami, fully in Nike, emerged from the aforementioned high-rise apartment.

They walked out without any bags, casually starting to stroll as if they were just going for a walk, heading to a gym a few minutes away. After about an hour of working out, they returned to the apartment with refreshed expressions—but quickly turned back. It seemed Yuihan had forgotten the apartment keys at the gym. She rushed back into the gym, returning with a sheepish smile. Gogami, waiting outside, greeted her gently.

Afterward, FRIDAY spotted the couple several times.

For instance, on a day when Gogami was away for a concert in the countryside, Yuihan, wearing sandals, walked to a nearby shopping street. Perhaps thinking of her beloved cat Bis-kun, whom she had brought from Kyoto, she paused in front of a pet shop before picking up ingredients for a hot pot at a supermarket and heading home. On another day, she was seen posting mail. It seemed that she handled the daily errands and chores.

Perhaps eager to reunite with Yuihan, Gogami, who had a concert in Nagoya until the evening, returned to the apartment by 8pm one romantic night.

Yuihan, who had upheld the ironclad rule of no dating and graduated in 2021 without any scandals, and Gogami, the only unmarried member of Junretsu, who had avoided relationships for years to prioritize his personal time, were both stoic and straightforward in their 30s. Some speculated that they might even rush to marry. When asked about their future, Gogami’s agency responded:

“As this is a private matter, we leave it to their judgment and refrain from commenting on it. We ask for continued support from fans and those involved.”

Yuihan’s agency also responded:

“We’ve heard from her that they met through their stage performance, but the personal matter is up to her.”

Neither agency denied that they were living together. From what has been observed in their graceful days, their future seems to be looking bright—perhaps even towards marriage.

From the November 1 and 8, 2024 issue of “FRIDAY