Chapter 14

In the following days, Naoki Nagayama led a rather decadent life, with the only exercise being his occasional strolls and visits to temples for blessings. As for his grandfather, his father only made a phone call to visit, and after leaving the yakuza family, it had been about 20 years since they last met in person.

However, after the izakaya reopened, only his mother and Tsuruko remained at home. Naoki felt embarrassed to continue loafing around, so on the fifth day, he boarded the train back to Tokyo.

Before leaving, he made a plan with Tsuruko, who would come to Tokyo in April to enjoy the cherry blossoms, and he promised to treat her well as her older brother.

......

The New Year's atmosphere was still present, but Tokyo had already shaken off its holiday laziness.

Pedestrians on the streets were in a hurry, seemingly unwilling to pause for a moment in their pursuit of life. Only the occasional child lingered, still reveling in the joy of the New Year, running around happily.

Exiting Waseda Station, Naoki Nagayama dragged his suitcase and merged into the bustling crowd.

As he approached the residential area, the number of pedestrians thinned out. Some snow still lingered in the small flower beds by the roadside, a stubborn remnant of winter in Tokyo.

In less than 20 minutes, he returned to the apartment he had been away from for a week. The room was not very dusty, and a quick wipe with a cloth was enough to clean it.

To be honest, he had only lived in this apartment for two days, but as soon as he stepped inside, it felt like home.

"Maybe I won't sell it even if I become rich..." Naoki sat in the living room with a cup of hot tea, thinking to himself.

Becoming rich was a certainty, never a doubt.

It was still some time before lunch, but his mother had prepared a bento. He could heat it up and eat it soon.

There was nothing particularly important to do.

He called Yuta Nakai, who was still at home.

Naoki Nagayama was about to turn on the TV and continue his lazy life from home.

"Beep~ Beep~ Beep~~~"

The phone in the apartment rang...

"Hello, is this Mr. Nagayama? This is Daikichi Mihara from Sun Music."

The benefactor was calling!

Naoki picked up the phone: "Hi, Mr. Mihara, Happy New Year~"

"Ha, Happy New Year to you too, Mr. Nagayama. I was worried you hadn't returned to Tokyo yet." After a brief exchange, Mihara got straight to the point, "Mr. Nagayama, the song recording is almost complete. There are still some issues regarding promotion and publicity that need to be discussed in person. Would it be convenient for you to meet?"

"Sure, no problem. I can meet this afternoon. How about 2 PM? Should we meet at the office?"

"Ha, I'll be waiting for you at the office. Thank you."

With a bit of anticipation, Naoki felt more energized, and his lazy mood vanished. Indeed, one should always have some goals.

He bought some vegetables, fruits, ready-to-eat foods, and drinks from a nearby store and stocked the apartment's fridge. Then he started heating up the bento to eat.

He used to eat his mother's bento every day before school, but this time it felt like it had been years since he last had it... Eating a bite of the bento and sipping a cola, his student-era dream was fulfilled.

There was still a long time before the afternoon meeting, so Naoki walked around the streets. The shops had already opened for business, and New Year's activities were in full swing.

Occasionally, he was drawn to items in the display windows and some photo magazines on the shelves, mainly to keep up with fashion trends, not at all for the pretty girls.

When he arrived at the office, it was still a bit early, but Mihara probably wouldn't mind. It seemed the office was holding a New Year's audition, and many young artists were waiting in the reception hall with number tags.

Naoki found the receptionist and greeted her: "Good afternoon~"

The receptionist clearly didn't recognize Naoki, as he looked quite different from the last time. She glanced at him and said, "Hello, are you here for the audition? Please provide your information. Here's your number tag~"

She was about to hand Naoki a number tag...

"Um, I'm not here for the audition. My name is Naoki Nagayama, and I have an appointment with Mr. Mihara."

"Oh, I see... I'm sorry, I'll take you to the reception room." The receptionist led Naoki to a reception room, served him a cup of tea, and then went to inform Mihara.

The walk was a bit cold, and Naoki sipped his hot tea while speculating about the New Year's audition.

"Knock knock, may I come in?"

Mihara entered with some documents and couldn't help but laugh when he saw Naoki: "No wonder Ms. Rina mistook you for an artist. You've changed a lot recently."

"Ha ha, I guess you could say I'm an artist. I had a chance to shoot a commercial recently~"

"Commercial? That's impressive~ You can write songs and shoot commercials. How about considering a career in the entertainment industry, Mr. Nagayama?"

"Ha ha ha, I'd appreciate your guidance, Mr. Mihara." "Of course~"

A few jokes later, the atmosphere became friendly, and they started discussing the main topic.

"Mr. Nagayama, the song 'Cherry Blossom' that you created has been recorded by Seiko. Here's the demo. Please listen and let us know if you have any suggestions. We'll take them seriously."

Sun Music's capabilities were well-known, and producer Ifu Matsumura, who had discovered Seiko, was a renowned producer. The song was light and sweet, perfectly showcasing Seiko's unique voice.

After listening to the song, Naoki praised it: "Mr. Mihara, it's really good! Seiko is amazing~"

"Thank you, Mr. Nagayama. I'm glad to hear that." Mihara was also very pleased. "The production of the album will take some time, but it's expected to be released in late January."

"That's great~" Naoki was happy, but he wondered why they needed to meet in person for this.

So he asked directly: "Mr. Mihara, is the purpose of this meeting just to inform me about the release date? Is there something else?"

"Ha, that's one of the reasons. There's another matter I wanted to discuss with you." Mihara paused for a moment.

"Actually, before the album's release, the office plans to promote it on TV."

"That sounds good."

"Ha, but as a fan, you created such a wonderful song for Seiko, and this story is a key part of the promotion plan."

"So?"

"I'm very sorry, but I was wondering if you could consider appearing on the show to share the story of a fan and an idol."

"Of course, we will also offer a generous fee!"

"Is that so~" Naoki didn't really care about appearing on TV. It was just a formal interview, and there was a fee involved.

"Sure, no problem. What show is it?"

Many people in the entertainment industry are reluctant to appear on TV, so Mihara was relieved by Naoki's quick response: "It's 'Night Hit Studio' on Fuji TV next week."

"Ah, I often watch that show at home." Naoki thought of Tsuruko sitting in front of the TV.

"Then it's settled, Mr. Nagayama!" Mihara relaxed and discussed the promotion schedule and Seiko's activities with Naoki. They agreed that he would be picked up to go to Fuji TV that evening.

Before parting, Naoki suddenly remembered the royalty issue.

"By the way, Mr. Mihara, will the royalties be settled in the same month after the album's release?"

"Ah, no, royalties are settled quarterly. The album released at the end of January will have its royalties settled in March."

"Really?!"

This was bad news!

So, there would be no cash flow in February and March!

Would the chain of wealth be broken...?

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