Chapter 198: I'm too handsome, I'll steal the protagonist's limelight!

Naoki Nagayama seemed to have underestimated the influence of "Popeye." When he came to the studio this day, Otomo Yoshimura told him that many magazines, media, and even clothing brands had called the agency, wanting to invite him to shoot for magazines again.

However, Naoki Nagayama really couldn't raise any interest in being a model. He couldn't earn much money, and it took half a day to shoot. Either he had to pose, or he had to put on makeup. There was no fun at all, so he let the agency reject them all.

"Are you really not going to take any of them?" Otomo Yoshimura seemed to want to persuade him again. "Naoki-san, this can greatly increase your exposure. This is an opportunity that first-line stars need."

"Otomo-san, didn't I say it? I don't want to be a top-tier star!"

Naoki Nagayama appeared very firm, and Otomo Yoshimura could only tactfully reject them according to his will.

Even so, Naoki Nagayama had to wear a mask when he went out to eat at noon.

Because in the era without mobile phones, high-end hotel restaurants generally provided the latest fashion magazines or newspapers for customers in need to kill time while waiting.

And "Popeye" was one of the few magazines they kept in stock.

This morning, after arriving at the studio,

Naoki Nagayama originally wanted to exert his subjective initiative, but found that the film crew that was truly in action didn't need him to do anything at all.

Shuichi Yin Tang coordinated the whole situation and made the final decision; Masataka Komori was responsible for the preparation of filming, filming plans, script storyboards, etc.; Otomo Yoshimura was responsible for all external communication, finding actors, docking distribution channels; Masami Inada was responsible for other miscellaneous matters, such as extras, field affairs, etc.; and other staff were helping.

It seemed that everyone had their own tasks, and Naoki Nagayama wandered around the studio for a long time, wanting to see if he could help, but there was no place to intervene...

Shuichi Yin Tang looked at Naoki Nagayama, who was running around, and said with disgust:

"Naoki-san, don

What do you mean by hindering employees from working? Upon hearing this, Naoki Nagayama wanted to retort immediately—I am clearly trying to reduce the burden on the employees, okay!

However, looking at Masami Inada's hesitant expression, he silently put down the boom microphone in his hand, and then an unfamiliar employee deftly collected it into a box and quickly moved it away.

"If you're really that idle, you might as well go find a suitable lead actor!" Shuichi Ido sent another remark over.

"But I've already called all the actors I know... basically, none of them are free~" Naoki Nagayama said with a bit of grievance. Yuko Tanaka was currently filming "Amagi Goe" and "Oshin," so she really had no time; and Kanako Higuchi was filming a very strange movie called "Manji," as well as "Ayame no Fune," so she indeed had no openings in her schedule.

Generally speaking, for things like finding famous actors to star in a film, one has to inquire about filming schedules at least half a year in advance. For actors like them who are in their rising phase, their filming contracts might already be lined up until next year.

Shuichi Ido walked out: "Then there's really nothing to be done. By the way, doesn't Naoki-san intend to play a role?"

"I'll pass this time. I'm too handsome; I'll steal the spotlight from the protagonist," Naoki Nagayama said matter-of-factly. "The highlight of this movie is Hachiko the Akita dog."

Hearing such a matter-of-fact statement, Shuichi Ido was about to retort immediately,

However, upon seeing Naoki Nagayama's appearance, even wearing ordinary casual clothes, he could make people distinguish him from the dozen or so employees present at first glance,

He silently swallowed the words he was about to say... Indeed, if Naoki-san were in the movie, he would steal the audience's attention!

Damn it! He managed to show off!

However, for the casting this time, one could consider finding some washed-up actors; it's also an opportunity for our own artists to make an appearance. After all, the main focus is Hachiko, and everyone else is just a supporting role.

In the afternoon, Naoki Nagayama went to the Honma Architectural Office.

The night before last, Naoya Sakata had called to say that the new design for the disco was finished, and there was also a preliminary concept for the design of the Ginya Clock Shop, so he wanted to invite Naoki Nagayama to the Honma Architectural Office to discuss it together.

"Wouldn't it be fine just to look at the blueprints?" Naoki Nagayama had originally asked this, but Naoya Sakata said,

"Due to being inspired by Naoki-san, we have re-planned the three-dimensional space. Fearing that the flat blueprints might not be able to convey the full design effect, we specifically made a scaled-down 3D model."

"That's why we presumptuously invited Naoki-san to come to our office in person to take a look."

Since others had put it that way, and he had nothing else to do (this is the key point), Naoki Nagayama agreed.

The Honma Architectural Office was not very large; this was Naoki Nagayama's first impression.

Like other artists, Takashi Honma chose a bungalow in Ueno as his studio, but for some reason, as a designer, he didn't choose a larger house.

However, once inside, he realized that this studio was designed very reasonably; there was simply no space left idle. One would imagine this was a model room meticulously crafted by Takashi Honma and his team.

Naoya Sakata opened the door.

"Naoki-san, you're here!" And Takashi Honma inside also stood up.

"Takashi-san, long time no see!" The last time he saw Takashi Honma was last October; it had been almost half a year.

"Hahaha, there have always been this and that going on during this time~"

The two exchanged pleasantries and then got to the main topic. Naoya Sakata led Naoki Nagayama to the workbench in the middle of the studio. Pushing aside some unnecessary parts, Naoki Nagayama saw a miniature version of the disco.

It felt like a toy used by children playing house, but it was full of design sense.

"Naoki-san, this is the design after my adjustments."

Naoya Sakata introduced it like a tour guide,

"Through sinking and elevation, I have divided the entire disco into three parts: the sunken central dance floor; the looping booths and bar counter; and the separated upper-level decentralized stage and DJ console for lead dancers and performances, as well as some more private aerial booths."

Through such staggered levels, the central dance floor became larger, and the booths had a height separation from the sunken dance floor, making the influence between the two smaller. The aerial booths on the top level provided even better service for customers who didn't mind the cost.

"Naoya-san, the supports for the upper levels are all intended to be steel structures, right?"

Naoya Sakata nodded: "Hai, prefabricated special steel structures. The strength can support the weight of the stage very well, while also ensuring the smallest space is occupied."

Steel structures can have a rugged feel, which is one of the indispensable elements of cyberpunk. However, this seems to be missing something...

"Naoya-san, I hope these steel structures can be painted with that old, cold, and hard feel. Then, all the lighting needs to have a damaged feel, and the real wires should be hidden, but it is imperative to reflect the feeling of wires being chaotic and hanging everywhere in the decoration."

Naoki Nagayama made his requests based on the cyberpunk style of his past life. "The empty walls should have wildly styled graffiti; in short, there should be a sense of decadence after destruction."

"But it also needs to be able to show that this place must have been advanced and full of mechanical design in the past. It would be best to have some robot parts or something like that..."

Naoya Sakata kept recording Naoki Nagayama's requests in his notebook. He felt that this client had already begun to torture him, the humble contractor!

After quite a long time: "That's about it~ Bring out another version of the design! I'm counting on you~"

Takashi Honma, who had been listening quietly on the side, had the corner of his eye twitch imperceptibly, but he still gathered the courage to step forward.

"Naoki-san, regarding the Ginya Clock Shop, I would like to discuss it with you."

"Ah, that, just change it into a tea room. You look after the design!" Naoki Nagayama nodded indifferently. For areas he didn't understand, he still had to listen to the experts. He thought of the broken clocks inside the clock shop again. "By the way, Naoya-san, the broken clocks in the clock shop can also be added to the disco's decorations."

"......" Naoya Sakata listened to the completely different opinions between himself and Takashi Honma, feeling a bit like crying inside. "Why spare no effort for my design, but leave it entirely to Honma-sensei..."

Takashi Honma, however, was under immense pressure for a moment. A client who doesn't offer opinions like this is actually the hardest to deal with!

Returning home, Naoki Nagayama found a parcel collection notice in his mailbox.

It was the post office notifying him that there was a large parcel for him in the Chiyoda post office warehouse, and he needed to go pick it up.

A large parcel?

To avoid any accidents, Naoki Nagayama drove the convertible over directly.

What he saw at the post office was a parcel as large as a window. Outside the layers of protection, it was written "Oil painting, art work," and the sender was New York, USA.

At the same time, there was also a postcard with a few crooked words written on it: "to

my

friend!"

"The handwriting is really ugly~" Naoki Nagayama smiled looking at the postcard. The two actually had a feeling of being pen pals.

After hauling the painting back to Sanyingyuan, Naoki Nagayama unwrapped the packaging directly in the living room.

The revealed painting was indeed a graffiti work by Basquiat, with bold and novel color schemes. In the painting, one could vaguely see two people whose faces were indistinguishable, though one black and one yellow were easy to tell apart.

As for the messy lines and imagery on the outer circle, one could only guess. It was probably things the two had experienced?

To maintain the best effect, Basquiat had already nailed the frame of the oil painting; one only needed to decide where to put it.

"Eitaro, where do you think this painting should be placed?"

This kind of graffiti wouldn't look out of place on the street, and it might provoke deep thought in an art gallery, but placed at home, it seemed out of place.

Eitaro couldn't tell the quality of this work. He approached the painting and sniffed it lightly, and then actually turned his body and was about to lift his hind leg!

"Hold on!" Naoki Nagayama hurriedly grabbed the little thing by the neck and threw him into the yard. "Where did you learn such a bad habit! You go reflect on yourself outside properly!"

After such an interruption, Naoki Nagayama let it go. Basquiat was originally a casual person; where his work was placed didn't matter. Even at the foot of a wall on a street corner, it represented his art.

Naoki Nagayama nailed this painting at the corner of the stairs.

Met Basquiat at a corner, and now one could see his work at a corner; it was quite fitting.

Unexpectedly, in the evening, Naoki Nagayama began to receive phone calls non-stop. The first one was from Tsuruko, and it came while he was eating:

"Nii-chan, have you become the male lead on a magazine cover?"

Through the receiver, he could hear his mother scolding in the background: "Tsuruko, you can't make phone calls while eating!"

"Hai~ It's a photo taken last year. I don't know why it was chosen."

"Is it that amazing? Nii-chan is really too handsome! At school, many classmates are asking who this is. Can I tell them?" Naoki Tsuruko said excitedly.

"Better not... By the way, Tsuruko, are you really that idle at school? You have time to read fashion magazines?"

"That's of course..." Before Tsuruko finished half of her sentence, the receiver was snatched away by her mother, who roared, "Eat your meal properly!"

Then it was his mother's affectionate nagging for a few sentences, and then she hung up the phone.

Naoki Nagayama, who was halfway through his meal, was just about to finish the remaining dinner when another call came in.

It was actually Kanako Higuchi!

"Naoki-san, I saw you on the magazine cover! Congratulations~" Having just spoken on the phone two days ago, Kanako-san's voice sounded a bit hoarse.

"Haha, Kanako-san, I don't know why I was chosen either." Naoki Nagayama heard her voice was a bit hoarse. "Kanako-san, are you sick? Your voice sounds a bit different."

"Ah, I wasn't careful when the seasons changed and accidentally caught a cold~" Kanako Higuchi said, "It's nothing serious."

"That's good. Please take care of your health, Kanako-san~"

"By the way, Naoki-san, the movie you mentioned before, is it filming in May?" Kanako Higuchi brought up the previous movie again.

He had already said when talking to Kanako Higuchi on the phone before that he wanted to invite her to play the professor's wife: "Hai, Kanako-san asking so suddenly, could it be that you have an opening in your schedule?"

"Hahaha, yes~ I just heard from the director during the day that because another lead actor has hay fever, it caused facial trauma, and we need to wait for her to recover, so there's about two weeks of free time. I wonder if that's enough?"

"Of course it's enough."

As the professor's wife, the scenes she appears in can't be said to be few, but there aren't too many either. If filmed intensively, two weeks is definitely enough.

Naoki Nagayama said happily: "Then it's a deal!"

"Hai, I'm very happy to collaborate with Naoki-san again!"

"Hahaha, I have also been looking forward to collaborating with Kanako-san!"

After chatting about some other small talk, after Kanako Higuchi's call ended, the dinner had completely cooled down.

Naoki Nagayama smiled helplessly, hurriedly finished it in a few bites, and then looked at Eitaro, who had finished his dog food long ago: "Eitaro, do you want to make a bet? I bet there will definitely be another phone call tonight!"

"Woof woof!" Naoki Nagayama interpreted this as "Bet!"

"Okay, then whoever loses is a puppy!"

Eitaro looked at the master in front of him... He didn't know if the bet would be lost, but Naoki-san, you are really a dog!