Chapter 61

The cicadas chirping in the trees heralded the arrival of the hottest season of the year.

Ito Shuichi's filming was in full swing,

Sometimes even shooting several segments of different stories in a single day,

It was a mystery how he managed to arrange it all.

Yoshimura Daikichi was also actively expanding his network, not only with Fuji TV, but also with RB TV, TBS, Asahi TV, and Tokyo TV, all of which had some connections. Because the first two episodes of "World's Most Mysterious Stories" had received such positive feedback, these once high-and-mighty TV stations at least gave him some face.

Indeed, the surprising twist in the second episode, "Grandma," made countless young people shiver, and even sparked controversy among parents. Some conservative people even believed that such a plot damaged the affection between grandparents and grandchildren.

To these people, Nagayama Naoki only replied, "If a short drama can destroy the affection between grandparents and grandchildren, then that affection is nothing more than a false show for others."

Nagayama Naoki also offered his own suggestions during the filming and final editing, combining his impressions of the future.

...

On this day, not long after Nagayama Naoki finished work and returned to his apartment, the phone rang.

"Moshi moshi, this is the Nagayama household."

"Good evening, Naoki-san!" came the energetic voice of Nakayama Akina through the receiver.

"Ah, it's you, Akina-san~" Nagayama Naoki was quite pleased, "Long time no talk, how have you been recently?"

"Hi, thanks to the previous payment, things have been much more comfortable at home... Ah!"

Akina suddenly realized she shouldn't be telling Nagayama Naoki this, "Sumimasen! I accidentally said something irrelevant..."

"Ha ha ha, it's fine, I'm glad I could help the Akina family~"

After calming her down a bit, he asked, "Did you call to tell me something, Akina? Not just to say thanks, right?"

"Ah, hi~" Akina hesitated for a moment,

"Um, August 1st is my third time participating in the TV preliminary of 'Star Tanjou!'... I wanted to invite Naoki-san to come and cheer me on, no... watch! Watch!"

"Ah ha, third time already, you've passed the preliminary rounds so quickly~"

Sensing the nervousness in her voice, Nagayama Naoki replied firmly, "Of course I'll come! Don't worry, Akina-san, I'll definitely cheer for you!"

This was Nakayama Akina's third attempt, and after failing the first two times, she was naturally anxious and even a bit afraid.

As her first real fan in her mind, Nagayama Naoki's support at the scene would undoubtedly boost her confidence.

Understanding this, Nagayama Naoki agreed without hesitation.

"Hi, arigatou~" Akina was also very happy to hear this, "So, on that day, at 9 AM at the RB TV entrance, please come in with your family, Naoki-san!"

She was considerate, even worried that Nagayama Naoki might not be able to get in...

But with Yoshimura Daikichi's connections, getting into RB TV would be easy.

"Hi, I'll be there on time~"

...

With two days left, what preparations should be made for cheering?

Cheer signs? Merchandise? Fan T-shirts? Large banners?

For this idol who hasn't debuted yet, it seemed none of these were available.

After much consideration, Nagayama Naoki decided to make a banner for cheering. He still had the negatives of the photos he had taken before.

The colorful banner was found in a department store, and he asked the store owner to write "Nakayama Akina, cheer up!" in cursive, then attached an enlarged headshot. The banner was complete.

It was only slightly larger than a couplet, and Nagayama Naoki could easily hold it up over his head.

...

August 1st was a Saturday,

Nagayama Naoki arrived at RB TV 20 minutes early,

Carrying a bag with the banner, he watched various people enter and exit the TV station.

Before long, he saw the entire Nakayama family approaching from a distance.

Although Nakayama Akina had already entered to prepare, the remaining seven people were still very noticeable.

"Naoki-san!" Nakayama Akiko saw Nagayama Naoki at the entrance, "You came so early?"

"Hi, I promised the day before yesterday, so of course I'll be on time."

Since it was their third time, the family was familiar with the way into the TV station, and Nagayama Naoki followed silently.

The studio setup was familiar, like a university lecture hall, but with a larger stage instead of a lectern, a scoring platform instead of a blackboard, and the front row for the judges, all decorated a bit more elaborately.

The audience sat in the back, with invited actors and related personnel sitting together, and family and friends in another section.

Since they had already passed the preliminary rounds and were in the final TV selection, there was no worry about not having enough seats.

...

The mature program flow didn't require much explanation from the director. Under the host's introduction, contestants took the stage one by one, sang, and were scored...

Sitting in the audience, Nagayama Naoki felt as if he were in a production line, with the staff below like assembly line workers and the contestants like mass-produced idols.

But when it was Nakayama Akina's turn to perform, her chubby little face seemed to bring the studio to life.

This time, she sang "Dream Guide" by Yamaguchi Momoe,

Her deep voice matched the original, and with her long hair and white dress, she balanced the youthful innocence on her face, making people momentarily think they were seeing the first idol of the Showa era back on stage.

At the end of the song, the perfect performance earned applause from everyone in the audience.

Nagayama Naoki unfurled the banner, and with the support of the seven-member family cheering squad, the atmosphere of cheering was overwhelming, making Akina's eyes disappear in a smile~

Even the host was surprised: "But from the studio, Akina-san already has the aura of an idol~"

In the following scoring segment, the judges gave her high marks!

"There's really nothing to say! Perfect!"

They announced Nakayama Akina's victory!

The Nakayama family was almost overjoyed!

After the program ended, Akina ran to her family, first hugging her mother and spinning happily.

"Akina-chan, you finally made it!"

The family watched this with great satisfaction, and her older sisters and younger sister all gave Akina hugs.

After a while, the joy subsided.

Seeing Nagayama Naoki standing to the side, Akina felt a bit embarrassed: "Arigatou, Naoki-san, thank you for coming to cheer for me!"

"Ha ha ha, congratulations, Akina-san, you made it to the finals!"

Nagayama Naoki handed the banner to Akina,

"I didn't have time to prepare a gift, but this banner is a witness to Akina's success, so please keep it!"

Seeing such a meaningful gift, little Akina accepted it solemnly: "Hi, I'll definitely keep it well!"

Then she said hopefully, "The finals seem to be in December, can Naoki-san come to the scene then?"

She blushed again, "Because I feel very confident when Naoki-san is in the audience, it feels like good luck comes!"

Ha, she's treating me like a good luck charm, but of course I'll come.

"Of course I'll come, I'm looking forward to the moment Akina-san officially becomes an idol!"

Although it would take some time to debut, being selected by an agency in "Star Tanjou!" was almost equivalent to officially entering the idol industry.

"Hi, responding to fans' expectations, guiding fans better, like a life compass!

Akina will definitely become the idol that Naoki-san expects!!"

...

"Um, did I set the goal too high? What if this girl takes it seriously..."

...