Chapter 1160

It was past nine in the evening, and little Xia Hua had already been put to sleep in the bedroom, but the young couple was still quite energetic.

In the living room, Nagayama Naoki and Akina were watching the prime-time program on TV—"Night Hit," which happened to be the debut show for Akina's new song "TANGO NOIR."

Watching Akina on the program in a golden fishbone tutu dancing a solo tango, moving with the melody, her posture light and her movements agile, she looked like a dancing fairy who had fallen into the mortal world~

Especially the 90-degree backbend that opened people's eyes, making the audience in front of the screen unable to help but worry if her waist would break.

Nagayama Naoki turned his head to look at his wife who was snuggling up to him, and couldn't help but reach out and stroke Akina's waist, feeling only that it was warm and delicate to the touch...

"Naoki-san... that tickles~"

Akina twisted her waist, looked up at Nagayama Naoki with a pout, and grabbed her husband's mischievous hand,

"Watch the show properly, what are you moving around for?!"

"It's just that I saw the backbend move on the show... so I got curious~" Nagayama Naoki was very thick-skinned at this moment, "Akina's waist is so thin, it makes people worry that you might sprain it!"

"...... No, I won't!" Akina in his arms said, "I've been exercising properly!"

"Roar oh~~" Another claw of the mountain-roaming hand reached over and pinched it~

The couple on the sofa started laughing and playing around, until Akina grabbed the other hand, controlling both of her husband's hands in her arms:

"Naoki-san! Watch TV properly!"

"Alright, alright~"

Now Nagayama Naoki was embracing Akina from behind, his touch full of softness, and his heart was very satisfied... so he turned his attention back to the "Night Hit" program.

After Akina, other artists performed, still the same old faces, like Shinichi Mori, Naoko Mori, Yoko Oginome, Mari Yoshimura, and so on... Compared to Akina, not a single one of them could compete!

"How come it feels like I haven't seen Seiko Matsuda for a long time?" Nagayama Naoki asked.

"What's wrong, does Naoki-san miss Seiko-chan?!"

Akina raised her head to look at her husband, a teasing look flashing in her eyes,

"That's true, after all, Naoki-san used to be a fan of Seiko-chan~"

"......."

Feeling Akina's full teasing intent, Nagayama Naoki applied a little force with his hand, not knowing where he pressed on a soft spot, which made Akina let out a low cry, and only then did he suppress his wife's momentum.

"It's just that it seems like I haven't seen Seiko Matsuda on TV much since I saw her at the Kohaku Uta Gassen."

"Seiko-chan has also participated in many announcements."

Akina said. As a perfect idol, Seiko Matsuda still followed the old way of being an idol, participating in various announcements, wanting to increase exposure and improve popularity...

However, for a woman who has given birth to a baby, even if the styling is similar, when she is on the same stage with other young idols, there is always a sense of disharmony. This is probably the natural change in temperament after becoming a mother.

Therefore, Seiko Matsuda's comeback path was somewhat unsmooth, and her popularity had not been able to recover.

Of course, Akina is different. She is now developing more towards the direction of a singer, no longer continuing the cute and rebellious idol path, and under the great popularity of "Ghost," her image transformation has also been very smooth.

"Seiko-chan seems to have gone to the United States... saying she wants to develop in the European and American music scene..."

"Developing overseas, huh~"

Nagayama Naoki sighed. This is generally the choice of artists who are going downhill from their peak. The domestic competition pressure is too great, and they really can't compete with those up-and-comers, so they can only find a way overseas.

However, artists who can become globally popular have always been rare, and generally, they have to rely on the influence of culture... Japan, perhaps only has a chance in Asia~

"Could it be that she saw she couldn't compete with Akina, so she avoided it~" He turned his head and said to Akina with a smile, "And ran away in a dejected manner~"

"Naoki-san!" Akina tapped her husband's chest lightly with her head, "You can't say that!"

"Alright, alright~"

Nagayama Naoki didn't continue to chat about Seiko Matsuda. Looking at the chorus on the screen, his mind thought of Japan's so-called ten-year idol ice age... At this stage, it seems that no excellent idol can stand out.

However, now, the idol echelon under Shu-You is very healthy.

There is the senior Junko Ito in the front, in the middle is the peak-period Shizuka Kudo, as well as other idol groups with high fame, such as Yuki Saito and Momoko Kikuchi, and in the back, there is the trainee junior Rie Miyazawa waiting to debut...

There are also artists developing towards acting or singing, such as Chikako Aoyama, Sakai Izumi, and so on.

Always the ten-year idol ice age, it seems it won't work on Shu-You?

"Akina-chan, the idol junior of Burning Production is Yukiko Okada... Do other agencies have any newcomers with potential?"

Akina clearly knows more about the junior idols in the entertainment industry, so Nagayama Naoki asked her.

"Newcomers with potential, huh~"

Akina pondered for a moment,

"Seiko-chan's Sun Music agency seems to have a newcomer named Noriko Sakai, who is highly regarded by President Hideyoshi Aizawa..."

"There is also a president of UP-FRONT named Naoki Yamazaki, who signed Chisato Moritaka, the champion of the first Pocari Sweat Image Girl Contest."

"Noriko Sakai and Chisato Moritaka, huh..."

Nagayama Naoki listened to these two very familiar names and felt some emotion... Sure enough, the profession of idol artist relies entirely on talent. If they want to become famous, they will definitely become famous from the beginning.

Even for someone like Akina, who debuted after participating in "Star Birth" three times, she was able to enter the final stage every time!

"Does Naoki-san know them?"

Akina asked.

"No... it's just that the names sound familiar. Maybe I heard them mentioned when I was chatting with Otomo-san and the others before~"

"Oh~"

The Shu-You agency naturally also wants to know more about the industry, so Akina didn't ask any more.

And seeing that "Night Hit" had ended, she seemed to suddenly remember something, straightened her body, turned to look at her husband, and made a coquettish sound:

"Naoki-san~~~"

"Stop! The sweetness is off the charts!" Nagayama Naoki felt a bit soft all over, "We're an old married couple, Akina, just say what you have to say!"

"Oh~"

Akina's tone seemed a bit regretful, but she still leaned closer to Nagayama Naoki,

"In order to continue promoting the new album, the agency is planning to shoot a short film for the tango... Naoki-san~~ shoot it with me!"

With Nagayama Naoki's fame, shooting a short film is simply a bit of a waste of talent~

"Shoot a short film? Dancing tango?" Nagayama Naoki was slightly helpless. He could dance some disco, but he wasn't very familiar with other dances, "I don't know how!"

"Daijoubu, I can teach you!" Akina got into the spirit, "And it's not a traditional tango; we will add many other elements! The choreographer will also design the moves..."

"Naoki-san, let's dance together!"

"......"

Nagayama Naoki hesitated slightly. He wasn't a dancer, and learning to dance in front of others felt a bit strange.

"Naoki-san~~~"

However... his wife's exquisite face leaned closer and closer, and her bright eyes made it impossible for him to say no...

"Alright, but don't blame me if I step on your feet!"

"Haha, it's a deal then!"

Akina showed a happy smile and was about to hook pinkies with Nagayama Naoki... but when hooking pinkies, her hand was grabbed by Nagayama Naoki.

"Akina... although I've already agreed to shoot the short film... but, as for the reward, shouldn't it be decided in advance?!"

"That... Naoki-san..."

Akina felt a hand reach into her clothes from her waist, and the fiery temperature made her whole body go soft, and her breathing started to quicken,

"Naoki-san, what reward do you want..."

"As for the reward..."

Stroking her soft waist, he leaned close to Akina's ear and whispered something, which made a blush appear on Akina's fair cheeks... Although she was a bit shy, under Nagayama Naoki's insistence, she finally nodded~

Not a word was spoken all night~

The Shu-You building in Ikebukuro was another day of people coming and going.

The guest room on the second floor was full of male actors and agents from the entertainment industry, some very famous and some not so famous, but today they were all candidates who had come for the audition.

Those who didn't know each other nodded and sat separately, while those who knew each other sat closer and chatted.

"I heard that 'Departures' was an inspiration Nagayama Naoki suddenly had when he encountered a funeral... But why is the protagonist from the perspective of an undertaker, instead of himself?"

"Maybe it's to look at it from a different perspective!"

"The male lead also needs to be a bit older... and the image requires a bit of melancholy..."

"Speaking of which, undertakers are generally middle-aged, right? Young people are rarely seen."

"Maybe, young people definitely don't like doing this kind of thing... Eh? This seems to be a very cold piece of knowledge..."

"......"

Everyone was discussing the audition, and the whole guest room was noisy.

And at this time, in the top-floor office, Nagayama Naoki was also talking to Otomo Yoshimura and Kijima Xu.

"Naoki-san..." Otomo Yoshimura spoke directly, "As for the female lead, can't you just choose her yourself? Why do you still have to come for an audition..."

"Look at the photos you picked out, Yuko Tanaka, Kanako Higuchi, Mieko Harada... aren't these all actresses you have an unusual relationship with?"

Hearing this, Nagayama Naoki immediately retorted:

"What do you mean by an unusual relationship with me?! We are just friends!"

"Hai hai hai... all friends, good friends!"

Otomo Yoshimura waved his hand and brushed it off casually. They were just friends and acquaintances you've had scandals with,

"Then why don't you choose directly?"

"......"

Nagayama Naoki sighed in his heart. It's not that he doesn't want to, but with his reputation, it's fine to decide on the male actor, but if he chooses the female lead casually, it will cause scandals!

Why give it to her? Is there any private deal? Speculations like these are very troublesome~

That's why he held an audition directly. In this way, at least there is a fig leaf. Even if interviewed, he can use the legitimate reason that it was selected after strict screening to get the female lead candidate to brush it off.

"Kijima-kun..." Nagayama Naoki handed the photos of the female candidates he had selected to Kijima Xu, "Help me notify the agencies of these actors to come and participate in the audition the day after tomorrow!"

"Hai!" Kijima Xu, who had been grabbed as a laborer, didn't say anything and went to do it immediately.

Even after changing the subject, Otomo Yoshimura still didn't mean to let Nagayama Naoki go:

"Naoki-san, you know... no matter which female lead you choose, you can't escape criticism! Who told you that participating in your movie has now become a shortcut in the entertainment industry!"

Nakamori Akina won one of the most important awards for actresses in the entertainment industry, Best Newcomer and Best Actress, with just two movies. How many people envy that~

And the actors who have worked with Nagayama Naoki have almost all risen a level in their status!

"Sigh... in the entertainment industry, there's no way around these things." Nagayama Naoki shook his head, "I can only try my best to do it well."

"If you ask me, why don't you just ignore the eyes of the outside world?!"

Otomo Yoshimura said with a smile,

"Just choose Yuko Tanaka! Her image as a virtuous wife and good mother is already deeply rooted in people's hearts!"

"Haha~" That's right, starting from "Oshin," Yuko Tanaka has been the image of the most resilient and perfect wife in the hearts of the Japanese.

"Let's see if she can spark with the male lead when the time comes..."

Nagayama Naoki said with a smile. After all, this movie "Departures" is a movie mainly from the male lead's perspective. Only after the male lead is decided can the most suitable female lead be decided.

"Let's go, let's go interview the male lead!"

"Alright~"

After arriving at another conference room that had already been prepared, Nagayama Naoki, Otomo Yoshimura, and Kijima Xu all sat behind the judges' table.

Yukika Suzuki outside was also ready to lead the actors in.

Holding the actor's resume and photo in his hand, Nagayama Naoki called in the first male actor who came for the audition...

"Ken Watanabe..."

Before long, a male actor under thirty, looking very serious, walked in.

"Director Nagayama, Director Otomo, Director Kijima... I am Ken Watanabe!"

"....."

Seeing this face, Nagayama Naoki's memory surfaced... Isn't this one of the Asian actors exclusively used by Hollywood?!

Whenever there is a big Asian boss character, it's either Ken Watanabe or Hiroyuki Sanada, as if there are only these two male actors in all of Japan!

"Hai, nice to meet you. But we have all read your resume."

Otomo Yoshimura took over the conversation and handed him a script,

"We won't waste time... Let's audition!"

"Hai!"

The scene Nagayama Naoki gave all the male actors to audition for was the same: the male lead's reaction after experiencing the encoffining ceremony for the first time and coming into contact with a corpse.

"And... action!"

Kijima Xu gave a start, and then he saw Ken Watanabe make the move of taking off his coat. However, when one hand touched the other, he suddenly paused, and then subconsciously threw it away... This hand was the hand that had touched the dead!

Then there was a look of irritation, and he started to make the gesture of washing his hands, washing his hands over and over again with soap, until his hands were washed until they bled!

"Cut!" Kijima Xu shouted cut at this time.

Nagayama Naoki also recovered. He had seen many "historical celebrities," and there weren't many that could surprise him anymore.

"Hai, arigato~"

He said to Ken Watanabe,

"What a vivid performance..."

"Thank you, Director Nagayama." Ken Watanabe also nodded to express his gratitude.

Nagayama Naoki looked him up and down and asked:

"Watanabe-san, can you try a quiet scene... the kind of feeling of playing the cello with melancholy."

After hearing the request, Kijima Xu moved the cello on the side to Ken Watanabe.

In fact, before Ken Watanabe came for the audition, he had been doing a surprise attack on the cello for a period of time, so playing the cello wasn't a problem.

However, his sharp facial features made him feel at home when playing the roles of big bosses, generals, or bandits, but when playing a melancholy musician, he seemed to be missing something...

"Cut!"

After seeing Nagayama Naoki's signal, Kijima Xu shouted stop.

"Hai, arigato... Watanabe-san's performance is very good..." Nagayama Naoki stood up and expressed his gratitude to Ken Watanabe, without giving a conclusion on the spot, "If you are selected, we will contact Watanabe-san later~"

"Hai... thank you very much for the opportunity given by Director Nagayama..."

The first actor's audition ended like this. After Ken Watanabe left, Otomo Yoshimura asked curiously:

"Naoki-san, what do you think?"

"The acting is very good, but the temperament is too sharp... The male lead of 'Departures' needs to be a bit softer..."

"Alright, I think so too..."

Two sentences actually decided that Ken Watanabe's audition this time was unsuccessful.

Next...

"Masao Kusakari..."

Another actor was guided in by Yukika Suzuki to the audition room...

The audition for "Departures" was neither fast nor slow. After coming in, they performed the first scene. If Nagayama Naoki was interested, he would add an impromptu scene. A very small number would even change roles and try more, which was to see if they could become supporting roles.

Among them, Muwa Takewaki and Shinichi Chiba, whom Nagayama Naoki had worked with, both came for the audition.

As time passed, there were fewer and fewer artists in the guest room...

"Next..."

Yukika Suzuki opened the door and said:

"Naoki-san, there are no more candidates!"

"Ah..." Nagayama Naoki looked up at the window, "Have they all been auditioned?"

"The morning ones have ended! The rest are coming in the afternoon..."

Otomo Yoshimura packed up the resume list,

"We also have to go eat and take a break!"

It's rare to have such a big audition, it's impossible to end in half a day, there's still the afternoon.

"It's already noon~"

"Where are we going to eat?"

"Let's just eat something casual~"

There are things to do in the afternoon, so lunch is just a casual meal... Nagayama Naoki didn't bring a bento, not because Akina didn't make it for him, but because he didn't really like the taste of microwave reheating.

Now that he has money, he naturally wants to eat fresh dishes~

"Among the actors who auditioned this morning, does Naoki-san have any favorites?"

Otomo Yoshimura asked while walking out with Nagayama Naoki.

Nagayama Naoki pondered for a moment:

"Actually, Muwa Takewaki is very good, and the image is also very gentle... But he has the temperament of a noble son, and there is some distance from the character..."

"Can't you cover it up with makeup?"

"This is temperament... it's a bit difficult to handle..." Nagayama Naoki shrugged, "Let's see if there are better actors in the afternoon!"

"That's all we can do..."

As the two were walking and talking, Kijima Xu suddenly spoke up:

"Naoki-san..."

"What! Who?" X2

Nagayama Naoki and Otomo Yoshimura were startled. After looking at Kijima Xu, they immediately complained,

"Kijima-kun, pull up your sleeves and show your gold watch!"

"Yeah... it'll scare people!"

"......"

Kijima Xu silently pulled up his long sleeves, revealing his gold Rolex... It's very cold in early spring, okay...

Nagayama Naoki then asked:

"Kijima-kun, what did you want to say just now?"

"Naoki-san, Shu-san... regarding the gentle and temperamental male lead... I do have a candidate..."

"What do you think of Tomokazu Miura?!"

"Tomokazu-san, huh~"

Nagayama Naoki recalled Tomokazu Miura's image. He is indeed very gentle... But his face is a bit square, full of righteousness, and his melancholy temperament is a bit lacking...

If he could be a bit thinner...

"Shu-san, is Tomokazu-san on the list?"

"Doesn't seem to be..."

"Then I'll call and invite him later..."

(End of chapter)