Chapter 77

After watching the fireworks, the small boat began to turn around.

After the mushroom soup came some desserts.

But perhaps due to the alcohol, the music in his head didn't stop until they returned to the dock.

It made Naoki Nagayama feel as if he were in a virtual reality game,

with the environment providing its own background music, and only he could hear it...

Feeling dizzy and hearing the BGM, Naoki Nagayama didn't think much about it.

Based on his past experiences, these memories from his previous life would soon fade.

Although this time it turned into a brainwashing loop, he still needed to write down the melody in his head.

Using the notepaper and pen provided on the hotel table, Naoki Nagayama transcribed the melody of the instrumental piece:

The name of the piece is — "On the Night When Fireworks Flicker"

It's not the famous "Fireworks" by Hachigatsu no Yume, but rather an instrumental piece.

Although the title is in Japanese, it turned out to be an original Chinese composition.

The composer is Yu Chong, a mysterious creator whose several instrumental pieces are often used by Naoki Nagayama as background music for work and study.

After transcribing the score, Naoki Nagayama's drunkenness completely wore off, and the persistent BGM in his head gradually faded away.

It must have been due to the alcohol.

Outside the window, it was already pitch black, but it was only 7 PM.

Naoki Nagayama had boarded the boat around 5:30 PM, so the entire cruise lasted only about an hour and a half.

What a surprise, emotionally it felt like he had experienced so many ups and downs, but it was all just an illusion caused by the alcohol...

Feeling a bit sweaty, Naoki Nagayama took a shower and changed into a yukata.

After that, he felt completely refreshed.

Most people who have had a drink know that

when you start to sober up after being half-drunk, you become particularly clear-headed and have no desire to sleep.

He wasn't interested in watching TV, but since it was a high-end hotel, there were other amenities available for entertainment, such as a swimming pool, bar, sauna, and massage services. With this in mind, Naoki Nagayama decided to go out and have some fun.

Before leaving, he called for dry cleaning service for his dirty clothes and then, wearing his yukata, went to the fourth floor.

The swimming pool, sauna, and massage services were all on the fourth floor. The rectangular pool had three lanes, and along the long side by the window were a row of lounge chairs. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, you could see the night view of the Sumida River.

There were only a few people in the pool at night, and two of them were chatting by the side. After taking a shower, Naoki Nagayama bought a pair of swimming trunks at the pool management office and immediately got into the water.

Growing up by the sea, swimming skills were deeply ingrained in his body. Naoki Nagayama swam back and forth in the long pool with ease, his pale skin giving him a striking appearance.

After a few laps, Naoki Nagayama was resting by the side of the pool when

suddenly, a splash was heard from the side, and a beautiful woman swam past in the adjacent lane, her freestyle very smooth.

Why is she beautiful?

Well... you know... no need to explain...

Although it was a public pool, staring at others wasn't quite right.

Naoki Nagayama didn't pay much attention, got out of the pool, and walked to the lounge chair by the window,

enjoying the view outside and taking a short rest.

But the more you try to avoid something, the more it comes to you.

He hadn't been sitting for long when the chair next to him made a noise.

Turning his head, he saw that the swimming beauty had also come to the lounge chair.

Naoki Nagayama felt that her face was somehow familiar,

especially her crescent-shaped eyes, which looked like single eyelids but were actually double.

Who is she? Do I know her? Where have I seen her?

He was momentarily lost in thought but couldn't recall who she was.

However, staring at someone for a long time clearly annoyed her. If she hadn't seen a young but handsome guy, she would have been furious.

"Hey, young man, have you had enough of staring?"

Naoki Nagayama was interrupted by her words,

seeing the beauty sitting up straight on the lounge chair, wrapped in a bath towel, staring at him.

"Hey, young man!" She called out again when she saw that Naoki Nagayama didn't react.

A scene immediately flashed in Naoki Nagayama's mind, the phrase "Ani-san~~"

He blurted out excitedly, "You're Yoko Tanaka!!!"

This shout startled Yoko Tanaka,

who, as an actress with two films to her name, was often recognized,

but this young man's sudden outburst was strange. Was there something wrong with his mind?

In the spacious pool hall, this shout drew the attention of many people.

Yoko Tanaka quickly huddled in the lounge chair and said in a low voice,

"Hey, young man, don't get so excited. Do you want to cause a disturbance? It will disturb others!"

Naoki Nagayama realized his rashness,

"Sorry, I got a bit excited when I recognized a celebrity."

"Ah, are you a fan of mine?"

"Um..." Denying it would be awkward,

but thinking back, he knew very little about this beauty from the Showa era besides that one "Ani-san."

He seemed to have played Empress Dowager Cixi?

Although he hadn't watched the movie, he had seen many clips on Bilibili,

mixed in with various strange videos.

He hadn't watched any other related movies.

After the misunderstanding caused by pretending to be a fan of Seiko Matsuda, it took a lot of effort to smooth things over with Minako.

Naoki Nagayama had experienced the pain of having to cover up one lie with more lies.

This time, after some hesitation, he decided not to lie,

"Actually, I'm not really a fan, just someone who occasionally watches Yoko Tanaka's movies."

Then, realizing he hadn't introduced himself, he added, "Excuse me, my name is Naoki Nagayama. Nice to meet you."

Not being a fan made the atmosphere a bit awkward,

"Nice to meet you..."

Yoko Tanaka wanted to know which movie the young man had seen,

"Which work did you see, Mr. Nagayama?"

But, hadn't "The Mystery of the Tensho Gorge" not been filmed yet?

He had been careless, not realizing that he had already stepped into a pitfall.

What should he say? Waiting for an answer online!

...