Chapter 1231: It

After spending the entire night soothing the little one and then the big one, even Naoki Nagayama found himself unable to hold up.

Although women are said to be made of water, how could little Xia Hua cry for so long once she started?

Was the effect of this novel, *I'm Sorry, I Love You*, perhaps a bit too potent?

"Akina, don't read any more today, okay?"

In the morning, seeing Akina's swollen, red-rimmed eyes, Naoki Nagayama could only offer this advice.

"I was worried about it being seen by others, which is why I hid the novel in Wang Wang's kennel. I never expected that dog to betray me!"

As he spoke, Naoki Nagayama gave the dog's head a rough rub!

Unfortunately, the thick-skinned Labrador just took it as a morning face-wash... its thick tail wagged furiously...

"It's not Wang Wang's fault."

Akina looked at the manuscript on the bedside table, feeling a slight sense of dread.

"Naoki-san, did you put a curse on this novel? Why does it make people so sad, yet they can't stop reading it?!"

"...... What kind of curse could I possibly put on it..."

"It's just like that videotape in *Ring*. Whoever watches it ends up..."

Akina looked at Naoki Nagayama with a hint of suspicion. Her husband was always so mysterious, always full of surprises... for instance, he would suddenly master some strange knowledge...

If she suddenly discovered Naoki-san knew how to cast spells, it wouldn't be entirely unacceptable.

"......"

Naoki Nagayama rolled his eyes.

"Sure, sure, I even know how to use love charms... the kind with little bugs that crawl into your body. Once they get into Akina's heart, Akina will only be able to love me alone for the rest of her life!"

"......" Akina wasn't scared; instead, she leaned in closer, curious. "Is there really such a love charm?!"

"...... Perhaps there is... I hear young women in the Miao region of China know how to raise them..."

"Then we must go to the Miao region someday! We have to buy one, okay?"

Seeing the gleam in Akina's eyes, Naoki Nagayama felt a shiver of fear.

"Akina... what are you planning to do?!"

"I want to put a love charm on Naoki-san too! To guarantee you'll never change your heart for the rest of your life!"

"......"

After some playful bickering in the bedroom, Naoki Nagayama headed downstairs first.

He still had to make a trip to the Tree Friend Building... it was the start of the month again!

Things were quite harmonious at the company; the release of *Departures* was proceeding in an orderly fashion.

The few discordant notes hadn't affected the general public's positive reception of the film... as the promotional efforts intensified, more and more people were walking into theaters to watch *Departures*.

Many people even grew fond of the cello, a rather niche instrument, because of the film, and the theme song, *Memory*, became a staple for orchestras.

"Naoki-san..."

Shuji Kijima walked into Naoki Nagayama's office with a smile.

"Why don't we host a special salon... focusing on *Departures*... to share the journey of the film's production..."

"?"

Naoki Nagayama was a bit surprised.

"Is Kijima-san still hosting salons?"

"Of course. The Tokyo Film Industry Association's Film Art Salon has almost become a regular activity for high society."

Shuji Kijima said with a smile,

"Every time we host one, we manage to invite quite a few people!"

Entertainment options in this era were scarce. These high-society types couldn't openly go wild at nightclubs, dance at discos, or sing karaoke... it wouldn't look good if they were photographed.

They couldn't always just gather for dinner and drinks, or attend serious art exhibitions or literary exchanges.

Film, as a form of mass entertainment that could also be framed as art, was the perfect blend—neither too highbrow nor too lowbrow—and everyone had something to say about it, making it perfect for high-society networking.

"It seems Kijima-san has become Tree Friend's social butterfly!"

Naoki Nagayama shook his head.

"Kijima-san... don't let high society brainwash you~"

"How could I!" Shuji Kijima sat down. "I understand perfectly well that networking with them is for the sake of this month's *Proposal*, and for the future development of the Association..."

"That's good!"

After signing off on the performance reviews for the previous month, Naoki Nagayama sat down on the sofa.

"I heard someone in the Association is trying to challenge your position?"

"Hmm..."

Shuji Kijima nodded.

"The people from the Ministry of Education and the television stations on the Standing Committee have been questioning the significance of the *Proposal* lately... saying that if they were the Chairman, they would consider this or that first..."

"And, didn't we agree that the next Chairman would be Ikuo Suo? There have been a lot of negative rumors about him lately..."

"Oh?" Naoki Nagayama was surprised. "People are bad-mouthing Ikuo Suo?"

"Yes, they're calling him a lackey for Koichi Hamada and things like that."

In front of Naoki Nagayama, Shuji Kijima didn't hide anything and laughed.

"During the last few weekly meetings, I've felt the friction between the standing members increasing significantly..."

"Also... someone suggested that the Standing Committee needs to increase its number of seats... saying the initial number of standing members was too small and that Tree Friend's influence was too dominant..."

"......" Naoki Nagayama rubbed his chin. "Something feels off."

"Indeed... it feels like someone in the Association is planning a coup!"

"Hahaha~"

Naoki Nagayama laughed.

"Don't worry. Didn't we already have a contingency plan for this?

As long as the Tree Friend Support Fund remains under our management... the Association's affairs will never be able to bypass Tree Friend!"

Ever since the Tree Friend Support Fund was created, the management bylaws had been set to ensure that the administrators were always people from Tree Friend Capital.

"Hmm..."

Shuji Kijima wasn't overly worried.

"Naoki-san... in any case, the most important thing for the Association right now is the Diet vote on the *Proposal* this month... once that passes, our layout in the film industry will be nearly complete."

With Tree Friend Group as the backbone, the Film Industry Association as a tool to influence the entire industry, and binding Tree Friend to thousands of film industry workers...

Then, by establishing companies to engage in cross-shareholding across entertainment, finance, real estate, forestry, and other fields, and reaching into the political arena to support parties that protect their interests...

A complex network of relationships was gradually covering Japanese society. This was the embryonic form of a *zaibatsu* (conglomerate).

"Then keep hosting those film salons!"

Naoki Nagayama nodded.

"If necessary, invite Momoe Yamaguchi and Tomokazu Miura to attend as well..."

"Understood!"

After accusing Naoki Nagayama yesterday, Akina had intended to go to work today... but somehow, a manuscript had slipped into her bag while she was packing.

"Akina-chan..."

Her assistant, Maki Ueda, was very surprised when she saw Akina Nakamori that morning.

"Why do you look so haggard? Your eyes are so swollen! And red... did something happen? Are you sick?!"

*Sigh... I cried for so long after reading 'I'm Sorry, I Love You', and then I couldn't help but read it again, and cry again... I didn't sleep well at all... *

"I'm fine, just read a sad story and my tear ducts are a bit fragile."

Akina explained to her assistant.

"I'll just use an ice pack later and cover it up with makeup."

Maki Ueda didn't think much of it, only assuming she had truly read something heartbreaking.

She certainly didn't suspect anything related to her family or marital life, after all... just a few days ago, Akina had been bragging about how her husband had set off fireworks at midnight on her birthday!

Riding in the agency's car to the TBS building, Akina walked toward her private makeup room at her usual pace, but along the way, she encountered many voices expressing concern...

"Akina-san? Why are your eyes so red?"

"Akina-chan... why do you look so haggard? Your eyes are all swollen?"

"Are you okay?"

"......"

Seeing Akina's state, everyone asked questions, and Akina could only reply with excuses like not sleeping well, reading a moving story, or being a bit fragile lately.

She also assured them that nothing was wrong and hoped everyone wouldn't worry.

However, the attention on a big star was too high. Many people had seen the issues with Akina's eyes—it was clearly the look of someone who had been crying—and whispers began to spread.

"Why would Akina be sad?!"

"It must be trouble in their marriage!"

"*Departures* is out, isn't there a rumor about something between Momoe Yamaguchi and Naoki Nagayama... tsk tsk..."

"That can't be true!"

All sorts of rumors spread like ripples, stirring up even more complex colors in the dyeing vat of the entertainment industry.

In the dressing room, Akina's eyes drifted involuntarily toward her bag, and her hand reached out to pull out the manuscript.

But considering the upcoming recording, she stopped, albeit reluctantly.

"Naoki-san is the worst! How could he write such a tragic story that makes people so sad yet unable to stop reading!"

Reading a heartbreaking novel was like eating spicy food; it was addictive.

That feeling of pain mixed with pleasure was often unforgettable.

Covering her swollen eyes with white foundation, Akina, even in her gorgeous stage outfit made of Hermès silk scarves, felt out of sync, appearing even more cold and distant.

Coupled with the lingering resentment and fatigue in her eyes, she was filled with a sense of brokenness that made the guests on the show feel a sense of pity.

"Akina-chan today... is very different~"

The show's host, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, said during rehearsals.

"Even in such a gorgeous outfit, you look like a fairy who has fallen into the mortal world..."

"Kuroyanagi-san, you flatter me~" Akina said with a forced smile. "I'm just not in the best state..."

"Is your health poor? Are you sick?"

"My mood is a bit low."

"No wonder..."

Kuroyanagi didn't press further; their relationship was strictly professional.

But in her heart, she was certain that Akina Nakamori must be going through some emotional trouble recently... otherwise, a young female star in her prime wouldn't have this kind of atmosphere.

Rehearsals for *The Best Ten* were held before the live broadcast, both to familiarize everyone with the flow and to prepare material in case of emergencies during the live show.

However, today's recording was troublesome because Akina kept appearing distracted...

Halfway through her performance of *BLONDE*, she actually missed the beat! For someone with Akina's stage presence, this counted as a stage accident!

"I'm so sorry, please let me do it again..."

Akina took a deep breath, adjusted her state, apologized to the lighting and music staff, and then stepped back into the recording.

During the recording, she didn't notice that one of the guests was watching her current state with great interest.

Tokiko Kato was a famous singer-songwriter who had contributed many well-known songs to various films. Besides singing her own songs, she provided a large number of tracks for other singers.

She was here as a guest to promote her new album.

And then she saw the broken-looking Akina Nakamori...

"I've long heard that Akina Nakamori's temperament is ever-changing. Sure enough, besides the rebellious young girl on stage and the charming urban woman, this wounded woman with a delicate exterior and a hurting heart is also very convincing!"

"This kind of temperament... if used to sing that song, it should be quite good!"

However, she wasn't very close to Akina Nakamori, so it was just a thought in her heart, and she didn't show it throughout the recording.

Until *The Best Ten* live broadcast ended and everyone began to disperse.

"Akina-chan, want to go get a late-night snack?"

Kyoko Koizumi invited her.

"You seem to be in a bad mood, want to go to karaoke and relax?"

"No thanks... I need to go back and be with Hua-chan..."

Married women and unmarried women generally couldn't make plans together. Moreover, Akina's desire to read, suppressed for nearly an entire afternoon, was becoming unbearable!

Finally, once the show ended, Akina, back in the dressing room, couldn't help but pull out *I'm Sorry, I Love You* and continue reading!

Then, after a short while... sure enough, she started crying again...

Assistant Maki Ueda saw this and asked,

"Akina-chan, what's wrong?! Did the makeup removal hurt?"

"No!" Akina wiped her eyes with a tissue. "It's because of this novel... it's just too sad!"

Japanese tragic romances were generally more restrained, even when emotions erupted, they were controlled, focusing on being moving.

Just like Naoki Nagayama's previous *Love Letter*, although deeply moving and tragic from start to finish, it only left people feeling nostalgic and touched.

Even a novel like *Koizora* (Sky of Love), while tragic, usually left people feeling sad and regretful.

Korean-style tragic romance was different; although slightly exaggerated, its sole purpose was to target your tear ducts... using all sorts of plot points to make you cry!

"It's all Naoki-san's fault!! Wuu wuu... how could he... write such a sad story!"

Akina looked at the male lead in the novel, who was constantly walking toward death because of the bullet in his brain... longing to be loved, returning to his hometown only to discover that the mother he thought had abandoned him because of poverty was actually a big star, and that he had another biological brother...

Sad plot points permeated the entire story, making one's heart break...

Maki Ueda leaned over and read a few lines. The title of the novel was *I'm Sorry, I Love You*... just hearing it felt sad!

She couldn't imagine what the plot inside would be like!!

"Akina-chan, can I take a look?"

Hearing this, Akina handed over a portion of the manuscript:

"I've already read the front part, Maki-chan can read that first... I haven't read the back part yet."

"Okay..."

In the parking lot.

Inside Akina's exclusive car sent by the agency, a scene that was hard to understand was unfolding.

The driver, who should have been driving after the show ended, was helplessly smoking outside... while in the back seat of the car, two women were crying uncontrollably...

It was Maki Ueda and Akina Nakamori!

"How could this be?!" "Why would the big star Akina Nakamori be so sad?!" "......"

The hidden camera show from TBS, which had been lying in ambush in the parking lot waiting to prank another star, never expected to capture such an explosive scene!

"Akina Nakamori crying in the car, accusing Naoki Nagayama?!"

The show's host suddenly felt he was about to become a viral sensation!

"Quick, quick, aim the camera at that car... don't miss a single second!"

"Find a lip-reading expert, we need to figure out what they're saying!"

"Oh my god, this couple is definitely heading for divorce!!!"

"....."