Chapter 1174: Extra: Momoe Yamaguchi makes a comeback, the reason is actually...?!

With the sharp sound of brakes, various types of interview vehicles stopped at the entrance of the Tokyo Prince Hotel.

Without even going to the parking lot, reporters from various media outlets grabbed their cameras, video cameras, microphones, long booms, recording pens... and other tools they used for interviews and got out of the cars, then ran toward the banquet hall of the disclosure meeting~

Even if the time hadn't arrived, they had to occupy the most favorable terrain in advance... Large media outlets were generally arranged in the front by the organizers, but small and medium-sized media were not necessarily so, so it was first come, first served.

The front row not only allowed for photos at the closest distance but also had the greatest possibility of being chosen to ask questions...

This is what small and medium-sized media pursue. This century's hot spot, even the largest media in Japan, cannot let go!

"This time, even those big newspapers cannot let go!"

However, just after running to the venue carrying long guns and short cannons, they were blocked at the door by a group of tall and strong bodyguards:

"Sign in! Write down the media and personnel, and the questions you hope to ask! You can only ask one!"

"Eh?!!"

How is this different from previous disclosure meetings?!

This reporter from *Tokyo Daily*, Toshiyuki Tsuchiya, still wanted to fight for it, but then heard the bodyguard say:

"There are too many people this time... If you write it down, there is a possibility of asking; if you don't write it down, there is definitely no chance!"

"......."

Although Toshiyuki Tsuchiya was a bit resentful, he still quickly wrote down the question he wanted to ask...

"What is the main reason for Momoe Yamaguchi-san's comeback?!"

After writing and handing it in, he immediately walked toward the inside of the venue...

However, as soon as he entered, he found that several media outlets had already arrived first!

In front of the main background wall with the banner "*Departures* Production Disclosure Meeting" and the podium, the interview positions for the first ten people had already been occupied, and it should be the television stations; they had even set up long-arm video cameras.

"Damn it... Sure enough, the speed of big media is faster than ours... It could also be that Shu-You notified them first!"

Toshiyuki Tsuchiya complained in his mouth, but his body still honestly and quickly occupied the second-row position, set up his high-definition camera and microphone, and decided not to leave his position until the disclosure meeting ended!

As the time for the disclosure meeting drew closer, more and more media-related practitioners arrived at the venue. Under the direction of the staff on-site, they lined up in five circular rows around the podium, almost filling the original banquet hall!

In the bustling atmosphere, everyone was discussing today's events in low voices, and some were even writing manuscripts on the spot...

At this time, in the backstage lounge, Momoe Yamaguchi was letting the makeup artist make final adjustments.

Although she hadn't stood under the flashlights for a long time, after doing her hair and changing her makeup, the national idol star who was full of charm on the stage had returned!

"Nagayama-san, Momoe-san, Miura-san..."

The host was Masataka Komori, who had insisted on participating in the excitement after returning a few days ago,

"It's almost time... We are ready to go to the front!"

"Hmm..."

The three of them were not too timid, and after walking out of the lounge, they waited at the back door of the venue.

Listening through the crack in the door, Masataka Komori's voice was a bit distorted, but one could vaguely hear things like "Today is the production disclosure meeting for *Departures*...", "I hope everyone can restrain themselves a little", "Those who disrupt order will be asked to leave the scene...", and so on.

Then he heard:

"Next, please welcome: Director Naoki Nagayama, Mr. Tomokazu Miura, and... Ms. Momoe Yamaguchi!"

The door was pulled open, Naoki Nagayama walked in first, and Tomokazu Miura and Momoe Yamaguchi were behind him...

Then Naoki Nagayama felt a flashlight bomb like never before... The continuous flashlights were like there was no gap, accompanied by a continuous *click* sound, and the dazzling white light was like a high-power laser shooting straight at your eyes!

The white expanse in front of his eyes even had black spots...

Naoki Nagayama, who couldn't see the road under his feet at all, walked to the podium position almost by feeling.

And Tomokazu Miura and Momoe Yamaguchi were a little better; artists who had undergone professional training could still see their feet~

After sitting in the seats on the podium, the frequency of the flashlights decreased, allowing one to see the reporters filling the banquet hall... Most of them were so excited after seeing Momoe Yamaguchi that it made one suspect they were all die-hard fans of Momoe Yamaguchi~

"Next... we officially start today's production disclosure meeting for *Departures*!"

Masataka Komori said, holding the microphone,

"*Departures* is Shu-You's first movie this year. Its script was created by Director Naoki Nagayama, and the film production committee was established in March..."

Just as Masataka Komori was explaining the *Departures* film project, a reporter seemed impatient and shouted in the crowd:

"Momoe Yamaguchi-san... tell us why you made a comeback!!!"

As soon as these words came out, it immediately caused a commotion in the venue...

"......."

Masataka Komori held his breath in his throat, a fire suddenly rose in his heart, and he scolded loudly,

"Security? Security! Please ask that reporter to leave the scene!!"

Only to see two of the strong men who were originally standing on the side separate from the media crowd, walk to the reporter who had just spoken, and then each held one arm, dragging the person out of the media like a chicken...

Regardless of the reporter shouting "I am doing my job", "Freedom of the press", "Interviewing is not a crime", "......"

The reporters left at the scene discussed it, and seemed to be a little moved by his words...

However, Masataka Komori on the stage is not an ordinary host; he is also a well-known director of Shu-You, and he has plenty of confidence:

"Anyone else who disrupts the order of the scene next, leave together!"

"......."

Sure enough, when this sentence came out, the other reporters immediately quieted down~

Toshiyuki Tsuchiya in the middle even felt a little lucky; there was one less competitor...

"*Departures* is a movie that focuses on a profession that people often ignore in daily life, but is indispensable... From it, we analyze the attitude and feelings toward death in Japanese culture..."

Masataka Komori resumed his explanation and then turned the topic to Naoki Nagayama,

"Next, please welcome Director Naoki Nagayama to introduce this movie to everyone..."

Saying this, he handed the microphone to Naoki Nagayama and the others, signaling that they could start speaking~

Naoki Nagayama picked up the microphone, and just as he wanted to open his mouth to talk about *Departures*, he saw the anxiety in the eyes of the reporters...

"Hehe..." he laughed twice and said jokingly to the media reporters at the scene, "I suppose what everyone wants to hear most now is not what I have to say about *Departures*..."

"....." "!!" "Haha, that's right!"

The reporters were stunned for a moment, then laughed one after another, and some even nodded... A thought suddenly rose in everyone's heart: "He understands me"!

"Forget it, everyone is in the media industry... I won't spoil the fun! Let's talk about the points everyone cares about first..."

Naoki Nagayama said,

"However, after interviewing Momoe Yamaguchi, you must mention *Departures* in the report, okay? Promote my new movie well!"

Then he signaled that Momoe Yamaguchi could speak~

"Yes!" "No problem!" "Definitely will!" "Naoki-san, I love you!" "....."

Although he openly requested to promote his own movie, the reporters at the scene actually had a willingness, and even an impulse to say good things... Naoki Nagayama is indeed one of us! He understands us!

On the other side, Momoe Yamaguchi was a bit at a loss by such a change. The interviews in her era were all straightforward, and even the interview process and questions were reviewed by the agency in advance!

According to the order, she should have been the last one to accept the interview~

Holding the microphone in her hand, Momoe Yamaguchi didn't know what to say for a while... However, her encouraging husband was beside her, as well as the Shu-You personnel who had just forcefully driven away the reporter, which made her relax a little:

"Everyone... long time no see!"

Just saying one sentence, the flashlights at the scene flashed again. This was the entertainment industry saying to the former national idol, "Long time no see, welcome back!"

After a few breaths, Momoe Yamaguchi continued:

"I haven't picked up the microphone for a long time, and for a moment I didn't know what to say... I hoped to marry Tomokazu before, and then I retired willfully. This time, I made a comeback willfully again, causing trouble for everyone...

Please treat me well in the future!"

"*Click, click, click*..."

The flashlights and shutter sounds were the replies of the reporters at the scene. Because there was no microphone, everyone couldn't speak... and they were afraid that shouting would lead to being asked to leave like the previous reporter...

Amidst the shutter sounds, Masataka Komori took over the conversation at the right time:

"Momoe-san, actually everyone has many questions about your comeback this time, but it's impossible to answer them all... For the sake of fairness, we collected the question information from the reporters in advance... You will draw them yourself to answer..."

Saying this, the etiquette staff brought up a lottery box, which contained the small slips of paper that had been filled out in advance...

This novel form also surprised Momoe Yamaguchi... but she still followed the instructions and drew one from it.

"*Tokyo Daily* Toshiyuki Tsuchiya..." Masataka Komori read out, "Please raise your hand..."

Toshiyuki Tsuchiya only felt that the goddess of luck was shining on him today!! He raised his hand slightly trembling, and then took the

microphone handed over by the staff:

"Momoe-san... what is the main reason for your comeback this time?!"

"The reason... actually there are many." Momoe Yamaguchi smiled gently, "But the main reason... should be the script of *Departures*..."

"Because my husband Tomokazu was chosen for the role of the male lead, I also had the opportunity to see the entire script, and was attracted by the characters in the script... The characters inside are very vivid, and the plot is also moving... Connecting to my experiences over the past few years, it made me have empathy..."

"After acting out a few scenes with Tomokazu later, as an actor, I also had the idea of playing the role of the wife myself..."

Momoe Yamaguchi glanced at Tomokazu Miura beside her:

"Tomokazu was very supportive... and put forward the idea to Nagayama-san..."

"......"

Momoe Yamaguchi recounted her mental journey of making a comeback, making the reporters at the scene record quickly. For a time, the press conference was as quiet as a classroom.

After she finished narrating, the scene became more active, and reporters raised their hands to signal that they wanted to ask questions.

However, the next step was still to draw lots to answer questions!

"*Yomiuri Shimbun* Toshikazu Ozawa..."

"Momoe-san, after making a comeback this time, are you fully resuming work?! Music, film and television, and other aspects..."

"No... this comeback is a limited comeback, just because of this movie *Departures*..."

Momoe Yamaguchi explained,

"In the future, unless there is a good script, I will not star in anything, nor will I release records, or hold concerts again..."

"*Sankei Shimbun* Toshiyuki Ishihara..."

"Momoe-san, may I ask why there is no news about HORIPRO in this comeback activity? Have you transferred agencies?"

"Regarding this..."

Momoe Yamaguchi did not hide it and said,

"My contract with HORIPRO agency ended long ago. Since my subsequent promotional activities are closely related to the Shu-You Group, I have signed under Shu-You..."

At this time, Naoki Nagayama signaled that he had something to say:

"The IP copyright of Momoe Yamaguchi's stage name and related images has already been bought by Shu-You... Reporters can feel free to use them."

"That's great..." "That's a relief~" "....."

Large media outlets naturally didn't have to worry, and the small media outlets that were originally a bit worried were relieved.

"Next... *Mainichi Shimbun* Mitsuhiko Nakano..."

"Momoe-san, may I ask about this comeback, do you have anything to say about how to balance the relationship between career and family?"

"Career and family..."

Momoe Yamaguchi smiled gently,

"Most of my energy will still be spent on my family, and I have the help of my mother and my father-in-law and mother-in-law... I also have Tomokazu's support in my career, so I don't think there will be any problems!"

"Thank you..."

"......"

The subsequent interviews were conducted one after another, very orderly.

Masataka Komori continued to read the slips of paper drawn out:

"*Asahi Shimbun* Mitsuhisa Harada..."

Mitsuhisa Harada stood up, coughed strangely, but looked at Naoki Nagayama:

"My question is for Nagayama-san..."

"Oh?!" Naoki Nagayama was surprised, "Haha, I thought everyone was here for Momoe-san today! I didn't expect there to be one for me?!"

"Alright, alright, go ahead and ask!"

"Uh..." Mitsuhisa Harada looked at Naoki Nagayama and still asked, "Nagayama-san once said when he was on a program early on that he was a fan of Momoe Yamaguchi...

Does choosing Momoe-san as the female lead this time have anything to do with this? May I ask if you are still a fan now?!"

"......"

This question made the reporters at the scene curious, and even Momoe Yamaguchi and Tomokazu Miura looked over with smiles...

"....."

Naoki Nagayama scratched his cheek awkwardly and looked at the several video cameras that should be broadcasting live:

"This question is a bit awkward... I hope my Akina is watching the live broadcast..."

"Momoe-san was of course my idol in the past. Choosing her as the female lead this time naturally has this factor... But I am a fan of Akina Nakamori now!"

He turned to look at Momoe Yamaguchi:

"Momoe-san, I'm sorry... I defected a long time ago!"

"Hahaha~" Momoe Yamaguchi waved her hand and said with a smile, "It doesn't matter..."

The reporters at the scene also laughed, and the atmosphere of the interview became relaxed and harmonious~~~

Next, naturally, the interview continued around the topic of Momoe Yamaguchi's comeback...

"Do you want to continue the golden boy and jade girl combination by collaborating with Tomokazu Miura again?" "You haven't acted for a long time, do you have any psychological burden starring in such an important role this time?" "Do you have anything to say to your fans?" "...."

Because of Shu-You's advance greeting, the questions asked by the reporters at the scene were basically positive...

Momoe Yamaguchi found that the ugly questions that would appear when holding press conferences in the past, such as questions related to "father" and questions related to "black material", were all gone!

Even the questions that made her a bit embarrassed, such as her relationship with the former agency president, her life after retirement, etc., were not raised at all.

This made Momoe Yamaguchi fully feel Shu-You's strength in the media industry and also made her full of confidence in her comeback activities later.

The continuous interviews and questions lasted for more than two hours. Momoe Yamaguchi, Tomokazu Miura, and Naoki Nagayama were all asked questions, and even the slips of paper in the lottery box were used up. Later, they were completely asked in order...

The original production disclosure meeting for *Departures* completely turned into a comeback disclosure meeting for Momoe Yamaguchi!

It wasn't until Masataka Komori saw Naoki Nagayama's look that he slowly ended the interview session... However, this interview did indeed allow the media reporters at the scene to ask almost all the questions in their hearts, and everyone had no opinions.

"Everyone, it's almost time. Next, please welcome Director Naoki Nagayama to give the final speech."

"Alright, I also hate long speeches by leaders on stage. Let's end the disclosure meeting here!"

Naoki Nagayama said directly after taking the microphone,

"Everyone, you have asked enough questions today, but please remember what I said at the beginning, promote *Departures* a lot in your reports!"

"Yes!" "Definitely!" "No problem~" "....."

"Then I announce that the production disclosure meeting for *Departures* is over. Everyone go back and rush to write your manuscripts!"

After Naoki Nagayama finished speaking, he took the lead and walked toward the backstage with Momoe Yamaguchi and Tomokazu Miura.

And the media reporters in front, after confirming that it was over, also quickly packed up their things and left! Just as Naoki Nagayama said, they still had to go back and rush to write their manuscripts!!

If they were fast, the evening newspaper tonight could report the explosive news of Momoe Yamaguchi's comeback on the front page!!!

No, maybe there would even be an extra edition!!

Let's call it "Extra: Momoe Yamaguchi makes a comeback, the main reason is actually..."

Every minute and every second is an advantage!

Returning to the lounge, Naoki Nagayama asked the Miura couple.

"How is it? Is the pressure of the comeback press conference high?!"

Momoe Yamaguchi shook her head:

"It even feels easier than accepting interviews in the past..."

Tomokazu Miura also nodded:

"Yes, the media reporters this time are very friendly... there are no extreme questions..."

In their previous guesses, when Momoe Yamaguchi made a comeback, the reason for the comeback would definitely be asked if it was because of family financial distress, or if it was for money, etc., but this time there was none.

"Haha, of course it can't be extreme!"

Naoki Nagayama said with a smile,

"I have greeted the power brokers of various media groups these past few days..."

Then he looked at the two:

"In the future, there will be much less negative news about you, and the paparazzi who go to your house at will will also disappear... No one will want the photos they secretly took!"

"Naoki-san, thank you very much!"

Momoe Yamaguchi sincerely thanked Naoki Nagayama. The harassment of those reporters and paparazzi was definitely a big problem for their family!

"It's nothing, Momoe-san is now a member of Shu-You, so naturally I have to protect her well!"

Tomokazu Miura beside him didn't know why he suddenly felt a bit sour, so he said half-jokingly and half-seriously:

"Naoki-san, I am so envious... Can you let me become a member of Shu-You too?!"

"Haha, what is Tomokazu-san joking about? You are Momoe-san's husband, so naturally, we are one family!"

"......"

Tomokazu Miura was a little happy, but still had a strange feeling... One family, that only refers to the meaning at work, right?!

However, Naoki Nagayama didn't carefully ponder Tomokazu Miura's thoughts. He continued to say to the two:

"It's already noon now. After the fermentation in the afternoon, the evening newspaper and prime time will be the nodes where the heat explodes. By then, everyone should know that Momoe-san has made a comeback!"

"There may be some fluctuations during this period, so don't live at home tonight."

"We will have exclusive interviews with several large media outlets tomorrow and the day after..."

"After that, we will prepare to start the opening ceremony for *Departures*!!"

"Tomokazu-san, Momoe-san, we are about to start work! Be prepared! Filming a movie at Shu-You is very hard!"

"Yes! We will do our best!" X2

Regarding this point, Tomokazu Miura and Momoe Yamaguchi were already prepared... The efficiency of Naoki Nagayama filming a movie is as famous as his great achievements today!

?? It's May, everyone give some monthly tickets~~~

? (End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1175 =====