Chapter 1083: Rest? What rest? Young people should go party!

By the time Sachiko Kouchi arrived at the Tree Friend building, it was already nearing evening.

To be honest, coming to this Tree Friend headquarters today, she was slightly nervous..... because she was going to meet the highest authority of Tree Friend, Naoki Nagayama, that legendary figure.

Come to think of it, Naoki Nagayama and she had a first meeting that was like an idol story! But now that she had become an artist under Tree Friend, she didn't know what attitude to use to face him....

"Inada-san." Sachiko Kouchi asked her direct superior, "Is there anything I need to pay attention to when meeting Naoki-san?"

"Ah.... Naoki-san....."

Masami Inada was also stumped by the question, pausing for a moment before saying,

"It seems there's no need to pay too much attention to anything; Naoki-san is a very gentle person~"

"Eh?"

Generally speaking, aren't the bosses of big groups very imposing?

"Don't worry!" Masami Inada comforted her. "Of the three top executives at Tree Friend, besides Otomo-san who is slightly serious, the other two can be considered easygoing."

Masami Inada silently added in his heart, "As long as your meeting doesn't happen on a filming set or in a recording studio!"

Naoki Nagayama, the recording studio tyrant, was famous for making several singers cry in the studio, while Shuichi Itou was like other directors, being the final word on set, appearing relatively strong when directing.

"Then I'm relieved...."

Sachiko Kouchi followed Masami Inada into the building, greeted the pretty receptionist Xing Jiahua, and then rode the elevator all the way to the top floor.

Naoki Nagayama's office was the most luxurious in all of Tree Friend: Persian rugs, leather sofas, a low-key luxurious desk, wide scenic windows.....

Looking out from the window.....

The sun was setting, the evening glow dyed half the sky red, the afterglow scattered over the high-rise buildings, giving warmth to the originally cold steel and concrete. The city and roads gradually lit up, and pedestrians walked in a hurry......

Everything looked like a master's landscape painting~

And beside the desk, a handsome young man in a casual shirt had originally been leaning against the edge of the table admiring the view. Only after hearing the sound of the door opening did he turn his head, revealing a smile:

"Inada-kun and Sachiko-chan, you're here!"

"Naoki-san! I've brought Sachiko-chan over...."

Masami Inada greeted him first, but didn't hear Sachiko Kouchi's response. Turning his head, he saw the little girl looking a bit dazed...... Wasn't she quite sharp before? Why couldn't she speak when seeing Naoki-san?!

He coughed lightly, signaling Sachiko Kouchi, which finally made her react, calling out in a bit of a panic:

"Naoki-san!!!"

"??"

Two pairs of eyes looked over simultaneously, making Sachiko Kouchi's face flush red. Fortunately, it wasn't too obvious under the red light of the sunset.

Masami Inada explained helplessly:

"Naoki-san, Sachiko-chan might not see you often, she's a bit nervous."

"Hahaha, we've met many times...... and I don't bite~"

Naoki Nagayama laughed, signaled for the two to sit down, and then gently called Tomotomo Yoshimura from the office next door via phone.

Once Tomotomo Yoshimura also came over, the four of them sat down together.

"Sachiko-chan, has *Voice of Japan* finished recording? Did it go smoothly?" Naoki Nagayama asked.

"Hai, the final has been recorded, the recording went very smoothly, and it will air this Friday." Sachiko Kouchi nodded in response.

"That's good...." Naoki Nagayama asked with a smile, "So, how does it feel to be the grand champion?"

"This....." Sachiko Kouchi was a bit coy. "Happy, excited, and then a bit scared..... in short, it's a very complicated feeling."

"Hahaha, you'll get used to it; you'll receive more and more honors in the future!"

Naoki Nagayama encouraged her. After all, under Tree Friend's protection, she would definitely win awards in various competitions in the future.

"By the way, I chose a stage name for you before, Izumi Sakai. What do you think?"

Although Naoki Nagayama used a questioning tone, after Masami Inada's hint and her own thinking on the way, how could Sachiko Kouchi refuse:

"Thank you for the stage name, Naoki-san. Izumi Sakai, it suits me very well...."

At this moment, Tomotomo Yoshimura spoke up:

"Sachiko-chan, since *Voice of Japan* has ended, let's take advantage of this momentum to prepare for your debut...... This is the debut song Naoki-san gave you, *My Friend*."

As he said this, he took out a sheet of music and continued:

"Also, when our Tokyo International Film Festival committee met before, we arranged for you to be in the opening performance on October 8th, which is to sing this song.

This is a rare opportunity; you must perform well......"

"Hai!" Sachiko Kouchi, no, she should be called Izumi Sakai now, "I will practice this song as soon as possible!"

Although there was only a week left until the opening ceremony, there was absolutely no problem with practicing a song well!

Naoki Nagayama continued:

"After the Tokyo International Film Festival ends, I'll go to the recording studio with you to record this song and produce it as your debut song..... Your first album will also be planned by Tetsuya Komuro...."

"For the Japan Record Awards at the end of this year, we must also strive for the Newcomer Award!"

In Naoki Nagayama's office, Tree Friend's two bosses and the agency's director were planning the future development path for a newly debuted newcomer.

Such high regard was rare in the entire entertainment industry.

Izumi Sakai felt her shoulders grow heavy without realizing it, and thoughts like "What if I don't sing well" or "What if I let down Naoki-san's trust" arose in her heart.

But at this moment, Naoki Nagayama clapped his hands lightly:

"Alright, that's about it. Maybe it feels like a lot all at once, but this is the entertainment industry; Sachiko-chan will get used to it slowly."

"Hai, I understand!" Izumi Sakai nodded seriously.

"If there's anything, don't bury it in your heart.... you can communicate with Inada-kun, me, or Otomo-san....." Naoki Nagayama said, "We at Tree Friend are a loving family; everyone is your support behind the scenes."

"Hai!!!"

A communication session lasted for nearly half an hour.

By this time, evening had arrived, the city lights were already lit, and the nightlife of the city that never sleeps was about to begin.

Naoki Nagayama stood up, stretched, and said with a smile:

"It's getting late. Today Sachiko-chan just won the grand champion, so let go of the burden and have a good rest!

Ah.... rest? What rest? Young people should go party....."

"The original disco in Takadanobaba and the first KTV in Harajuku are shops I opened. If Sachiko-chan goes, just report my name; you can take friends and have a good time...."

"After the official debut, it will be more troublesome to go to these places~"

"......."

Izumi Sakai had been in Tokyo for so long, she naturally had heard of these two famous places for fun; they had already become must-visit places for people coming to Tokyo.

It was said that these two places were packed every day, with celebrities visiting from time to time; without connections, it was hard to get in during business hours!

Who would have thought they were Naoki Nagayama's businesses?!

Just say Naoki Nagayama is a party animal!

"Hai.... Arigato~"

"Mm, go ahead, be safe~"

After the young Izumi Sakai left excitedly with Masami Inada, Tomotomo Yoshimura stroked his beard and said:

"What Naoki-san just said should have been my line....."

"?"

"The age doesn't match!" Tomotomo Yoshimura laughed. "Young people should go party..... isn't this what an old guy should say?!"

"Naoki-san, you are also a young person!"

"Hahaha...."

Naoki Nagayama shook his head,

"Now when dealing with people, who still thinks I'm a young person...."

In reality, with the rise of wealth and status, the importance of age in the eyes of others became lighter and lighter.

Now, the senior big shots dealing with Naoki Nagayama completely cast aside age, treating Naoki Nagayama as someone of the same level, and no one used age to say anything.

"Alright..... I'm going back to take care of Xia Hua. Otomo-san, go back early too~"

"This is also the style of a middle-aged person....."

Entering October, although the temperature hadn't dropped much, the weather felt a bit cooler.

However, the Japanese entertainment industry didn't cool down; instead, it became even more explosive.....

First, there was Akina Nakamori making a comeback with the new song *Passion*, the strong and brisk melody full of enthusiasm, making fans buy it crazily, and the record quickly climbed to the top of the Oricon charts.

Then there was another top idol, Seiko Matsuda, giving birth to a daughter early, attracting media attention while also making people look forward to when Seiko Matsuda would make a comeback?

In addition, taking advantage of the gap left by the retirement of the two former top idols, Yukiko Okada and Shizuka Kudo reached the top. One started promoting a new album without showing weakness, while the other started a national concert tour.

The popularity of these two was not inferior to the former top idols, and some meddlesome media even bundled the four together, creating a title of "Four Queens" of the idol world, known as "East Seiko," "West Shizuka," "South Yukiko," and "North Akina"...... one could tell at a glance that the editor had read *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*!

Although there hadn't been a wide-scale translation, those who paid attention to literature were very concerned about Hong Kong martial arts novels.

As for other idols, they were all at a level below these four!

"Haha~" Akina, who was also reading the newspaper, laughed out loud. "'East Seiko' is Seiko-chan, because..... then why am I 'North Akina'?"

"Because of *North Wing*?" Naoki Nagayama casually mentioned a reason. "Because *North Wing* was the beginning of Akina establishing her characteristics."

"Hmm..... that's right!"

Akina accepted it immediately, because it was starting from *North Wing* that her singing skills and style gradually shed the "rebellious" label and began to have more of her own characteristic style.

"The Four Queens are us few...."

Akina had a lot of contact with Naoki Nagayama and often asked Naoki Nagayama to translate when he was reading novels, so she knew more or less about some plot settings of Hong Kong martial arts novels, such as the Five Greats,

"Then who is the 'Central Divine'?"

"Of course it's Momoe Yamaguchi!" Naoki Nagayama leisurely tore a slice of bread and took a sip of milk. "Just like in the novel, she has been invisible from the beginning, everyone only knows that there was such a very powerful person in the past....."

"So that's it..."

Akina nodded as if she understood, then looked at her husband curiously,

"Naoki-san, if you were in a novel, what character would you be?!"

"Me?"

Naoki Nagayama was startled, not expecting to be mentioned. But thinking about it seriously, he, who was handsome, talented, and dashing, should be.......

"I am Xiaoyaozi!"

"??" Akina asked suspiciously, "Who is Xiaoyaozi?"

"He is the founder of the Xiaoyao Sect!" Naoki Nagayama said. "He's the guy who created the Heaven and Earth Longevity Art!"

"......"

Looking at Akina's dazed eyes that still had no impression, Naoki Nagayama had to popularize for her that *Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils* was the prequel to *The Legend of the Condor Heroes* trilogy, and the Xiaoyao Sect was a hidden sect within it.....

Xiaoyaozi was even more of a person not on the same level as the Five Greats!

"So he's a very, very powerful person!" Akina finally summarized.

"Hmm..... that's what it means!"

Akina suddenly laughed: "Haha, Naoki-san is really thick-skinned!"

"....... Isn't Akina the same.... haha~"

The two ended today's breakfast amidst laughter.

After feeding the baby and coaxing her to sleep, Naoki Nagayama and Akina went together to a nearby pottery interest class to start learning pottery.

"Just over an hour, we'll be back. Mari-san is watching her~"

Seeing Akina reluctant to leave the baby, Naoki Nagayama comforted her,

"Xia Hua sleeps for two hours during the day now; by the time she opens her eyes, we'll already be back!"

"Mm...."

Akina nodded and walked out the door with Naoki Nagayama, walking on the tree-lined path. The interest class wasn't far; it took about ten minutes to walk there.

The interest class was in a building similar to a family pottery workshop, which was also a common practice for small individual businesses to save on rent.

"Teacher, we are the Nagayama couple who signed up over the phone."

Naoki Nagayama knocked on the door and said to the female teacher who walked out wearing an apron.

"???"

Chishu Tsutsui, who ran the pottery interest class, stared blankly at the two people at the door. If her eyes weren't deceiving her, standing at the door of her classroom was one of the top idols making a comeback, Akina Nakamori, and the other was her husband, the great writer Naoki Nagayama!

In the eyes of ordinary people, Akina Nakamori's popularity definitely exceeded Naoki Nagayama's!

"Teacher....." Seeing the dazed teacher, Naoki Nagayama reminded her in a low voice, "Leaving students outside the door is a bit rude, you know!"

"Ah!! Sumimasen!"

Chishu Tsutsui immediately opened the door and let the two in,

"The phone said Nagayama couple, I didn't expect it to be the famous Akina Nakamori!!!"

Akina said with a smile: "It is indeed the Nagayama couple!"

"Ah.... yes...." Chishu Tsutsui hurriedly welcomed the two into the office, which was actually a study.....

"May I ask Nagayama-san, Akina-san...." she asked separately, "Are you here to learn pottery?!"

"Hai, because of the new movie, we need to understand the process of making pottery, so we found a pottery class nearby to familiarize ourselves....."

Naoki Nagayama explained simply, informing this teacher who was still surprised and excited about the reason, and then said,

"We are just here to understand simply, probably taking a few lessons, but we will pay for the entire course."

"How can I accept that...."

"Daijobu! This is compensation for the disturbance later...." Akina added from the side, "Also, I hope the teacher will keep our affairs confidential."

"Absolutely no problem!"

Chishu Tsutsui guaranteed it!

Then she introduced the course simply, offered the two aprons for the interest class, and led the two big stars to the pottery interest class that was currently in session.....

Inside the pergola were several elementary students, excitedly shaping clay. Hearing the teacher introduce that new students were joining, they just looked up once.....

They probably weren't familiar with Akina Nakamori, and knew even less about Naoki Nagayama; they were just curious that two adults were also joining the interest class to learn pottery with them.

By the time Naoki Nagayama and Akina Nakamori each occupied a pottery wheel and started working the clay, a child next to them asked in a low voice:

"Big brother, do you like playing with mud too?!"

"......."

"Mm!" ===== CHAPTER 1084 =====