Chapter 221: What a rude young man!

Even in 1982, the greenhouse effect seemed very serious.

In Tokyo in July, the weather was getting hotter and hotter. Lying on the bamboo mat would make you sweat all over, making people not want to sleep a little longer in the morning.

Naoki Nagayama took a cold shower and changed into a loose and breathable T-shirt and shorts before he felt a little refreshed.

It looks like I have to turn on the air conditioning starting tomorrow~

He made a bowl of oatmeal with cold milk for himself, and also made a bowl of dog food for Eitaro. The two guys started breakfast on the floor of the corridor without any sitting posture.

The lush leaves of the cherry tree brought shade to half of the courtyard, and the bamboo in the outer circle was already higher than the wall. In the breeze that blew from time to time in the morning, it brought a light rustling sound, making the courtyard filled with a quiet and reassuring atmosphere.

Suddenly, a cicada's chirping came from the cherry tree. At first, it was a soft probe, and after a few times, it began to chirp wantonly, causing the two people in the corridor to look up.

Eitaro barked a few times curiously, then weakened the sound a little, and then felt that there was no movement, and it became loud again.

"Haha, Eitaro, it looks like our cherry tree has an uninvited guest~"

Naoki Nagayama didn't feel noisy. The chirping of cicadas was one of the characteristics of summer. After having this sound in the courtyard, he felt even more calm.

The preview is in two days, and there is no arrangement today. Naoki Nagayama also flipped through the morning newspaper leisurely.

Israel has invaded Lebanon for more than a month. Sigh, first the Falklands War, then the Fifth Middle East War, some part of the world is always at war...

Naoki Nagayama flipped through this kind of news casually, and then looked at the entertainment section. There is actually news from Hong Kong?

In the corner of the newspaper, there was a report on the First New Talent Singing Contest in Hong Kong, as well as the first champion, Anita Mui, a song and film superstar who influenced an era of the Hong Kong music scene in the future.

"She actually debuted at this age?"

Naoki Nagayama was a little surprised looking at the pure black and white photo. "This look, I can't think of it together with the royal sister style later~"

Naoki Nagayama, who had already experienced many historical moments, was not particularly excited about this news, just like an ordinary person seeing a celebrity's gossip news.

However, this report made Naoki Nagayama feel a bit interesting. Since he was free, he took scissors and a blank picture book, cut out this article and stood it on the picture book.

"If you cut out all the interesting reports and make them into a booklet, it should be very meaningful decades later~"

"If you accumulate the major news of Shizuka Kudo, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Rie Miyazawa, etc. in the future, can you make a Showa Beauty Record..."

Naoki Nagayama, who was thinking wildly, was awakened by Eitaro's small claws.

This little guy actually brought his dog leash over, and then his front legs were scratching Naoki Nagayama's trouser legs.

"Hai, I know, I know. Speaking of which, you still want to go for a walk in this hot weather, aren't you hot?"

"Wang wang, wang wang wang"

The morning sun was not too strong. Naoki Nagayama led Eitaro and tried to walk in the shade.

Before long, he passed the Aoyama shop, and Eitaro followed the open shop door and walked in.

Coming here often, he already knew that this place was a place where he could rest halfway.

The person at the counter today was not the strange Aoyama Shin, but a cool girl who had changed out of her school JK uniform and was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with a floral dress, showing youthful vitality.

After seeing Naoki Nagayama, she waved and greeted happily:

"Naoki-san, ohayo~"

"Ohayo~" Naoki Nagayama replied reflexively before reacting. "Eh? Chikako-chan, why are you here?"

"Haha, Naoki-san, summer vacation is here, summer vacation!"

"Ah, so that's it!"

For office workers without children, school holidays and the like are actually not particularly sensitive, and he didn't think of this time for a while.

"Then Chikako-chan, are you going to help Old Man Aoyama watch the shop starting today?"

"Sigh... yeah, Grandpa said he would give me wages, so it's a part-time job for summer vacation." The girl looked very angry. "Clearly, he just changed pocket money into wages..."

"Hahaha, Old Man Aoyama just wants to see Chikako more~" Naoki Nagayama turned around. "Where is he?"

"He just went out, saying he wanted to buy something." Chikako said a few words and then turned back. "By the way, I haven't had time to thank Naoki-san for the gift. That 'Love Letter' is really well written!"

"Haha, thank you for Chikako-chan's recognition~ The version given to you is a collector's edition with the author's autograph~"

For the praise of this novel, he had heard it too many times during this period.

"How is it? After reading it, did Chikako-chan find her 'Fujii Itsuki' in class?"

Chikako Aoyama blushed when she heard this, and her face full of collagen turned red visibly. "No... Naoki-san, don't make fun of me."

Seeing the girl shy, Naoki Nagayama felt like bullying a child and couldn't help but add fuel to the fire:

"How can this be a joke? Chikako-chan is at this age, it's just the golden period of love~ Why, is there no one you like?"

Just at this time, a loud voice came from behind: "What love and what? And what do you like? Naoki, what do you want to do to my Chikako!"

Aoyama Shin walked into the shop with a pack of cigarettes and said aggressively to Naoki Nagayama.

"Old Man Aoyama, why are you pulling it on me again? I'm just asking Chikako-chan about her thoughts on the novel in a very friendly way~"

Caught in the act of teasing someone's granddaughter, Naoki Nagayama had to explain weakly, and then began to think about changing the subject.

"Speaking of which, Old Man Aoyama, starting to smoke in the morning is not good for your health~"

"Don't talk nonsense, my body is very good!" Aoyama Shin didn't seem to intend to let Naoki Nagayama go.

"And that novel of yours, called 'Love Letter', is written in a mess, making students who are studying seriously think wildly all day! Making students not study well, do you know that is a crime!"

Chikako Aoyama on the side coughed heavily: "Cough cough cough, Grandpa, this is not right. Naoki-san's novel is actually very excellent!"

And when Aoyama Shin heard it, his eyes crossed Naoki Nagayama: "Look, it taught the child bad. My originally cute Chikako-chan, how could she refute her dear grandpa in front of outsiders..."

Chikako's little face turned even redder: "Grandpa!"

Seeing that Aoyama Shin seemed to want to continue with a long speech, Naoki Nagayama hurriedly said: "Hahaha, Old Man Aoyama still needs to pay attention to his health. I have something to do, so I'll go first~"

"By the way, Chikako-chan, the 25th is the preview of my new movie, remember to come and watch it~"

"Ah, hai, thank you Naoki-san~"

Aoyama Shin was still muttering something like "It's all for deceiving children," "What's good to watch," "Students should study hard and not read novels."

Until Chikako Aoyama said: "When Grandpa first read this novel, wasn't he also moved to tears?"

Aoyama Shin's face also turned red immediately: "Chikako, what nonsense are you talking about!"

Naoki Nagayama, who had just gone out, paused. Oh ho ho, it seems he heard something incredible~

He walked to the pet store in the morning and cut Eitaro's hair that was too long, so as not to drop it everywhere at home.

Looking at the scorching sun outside, Naoki Nagayama decided to stay at home all day today and not go out. Anyway, there was nothing special to go out for at the moment.

In this weather, isn't it good to watch TV and blow air conditioning at home?

At the same time, Masaki Kobayashi of Shochiku Pictures was looking at the invitation in his hand.

"Preview? Another one from Tree Friend Pictures?"

"Yeah, remember that we just attended their 'Convenience Store Robbery Incident' preview three or four months ago, right." Masahiro Shinoda said on the side, "This speed is really too fast."

Masaki Kobayashi nodded: "I remember that the previous two films were low-budget films, and this one should be too, so it's possible to shoot so fast."

Masahiro Shinoda smiled: "It looks like this film company just likes this kind of popcorn movie. By the way, Kobayashi-san, that young man you were very concerned about before, what was his name?"

"Naoki Nagayama."

"Ah, Naoki Nagayama, it looks like this guy just wants to make money quickly."

"Shinoda-san can't say that. This young man is still very spiritual, and the films he shot have merits." Masaki Kobayashi disagreed with his friend's opinion.

"I don't think so. From these one or two films, I can only see little cleverness. In the fast-paced films in a short time, he is not sincere about the cause of film, and I can't feel the love. He is destined not to shoot classic films."

Older people, after having prejudices about something, are generally very stubborn. Masahiro Shinoda seems to have such an idea.

Especially the suspense thriller "Evil Spirit Island" he directed last year, which couldn't compare to the "rough and shoddy" "Paranormal Activity" in his eyes, made him very unconvinced by this young man.

Masaki Kobayashi knew his old friend's temper and didn't refute him: "If you want to know if it's a good movie, you'll know after watching it. Does Shinoda-san want to go and see it?"

"Go, of course I want to go, and I'll call my friends from the Tokyo Film Press Association to go together!"

Masaki Kobayashi frowned: "Shinoda-san, is it necessary? Naoki-kun is just a young man."

"And a rude young man!" Masahiro Shinoda snorted, "He never attends gatherings in the film circle, and never comes to watch other people's films. He clearly looks down on others!"

Naoki Nagayama's two films have been nominated many times in various film appreciation and evaluations in Japan, but these complicated activities are generally attended by Shuichi Yin Tang and Otomo Yoshimura. Naoki Nagayama finds it too troublesome and has no intention of showing his face at all. He is also not interested in the invitations for some film previews.

After many times, he was given the titles of "arrogant" and "eccentric" by some seniors with high qualifications.

In this society with strict hierarchy in Japan, in Masahiro Shinoda's view, as a junior in the film circle, one should naturally hold a respectful attitude toward the seniors' works, and in the internal gatherings of the film circle, one should show respect for the seniors.

But this guy doesn't care at all.

Masaki Kobayashi could only appease him slightly at this time: "There are also directors who are born not to like excitement~"

"Hmph!"

Masahiro Shinoda clearly couldn't listen. "If the movie is good, the Tokyo Film Press Association will naturally report it fairly."

And in the office of another magazine and newspaper,

Shinnosuke Matsuzawa, a reporter for "Weekly Bunshun," was also looking at the invitation he had been waiting for for a long time.

"Tree Friend Pictures, no, Naoki Nagayama, another movie?"

On the clue wall behind him, there were several more scandals about Naoki Nagayama, Kanako Higuchi, and Nana Okada.

He secretly made up his mind: "Naoki Nagayama, you escaped the scandal last time, this time I must ask you well!"

Disco Street in Takadanobaba ushered in a lively scene again.

With the name "Disco Rooted in the Future" spreading in the nightclub circle, young people in Tokyo once again paid attention to this earliest disco.

Disco Street was full of taxis again, and the queue at the entrance of the disco became very long again. The queue must have exceeded an hour.

A group of men and women at the front of the queue were chatting:

"Yagi, is the disco you mentioned really that interesting? We've been queuing for more than an hour."

Haku Yagi took a puff of cigarette, "I said big manga artist, aren't you looking for sci-fi inspiration recently? Let me tell you, this disco is at least 100 years ahead of the times!"

Katsuhiro Otomo, who was wearing a denim T-shirt next to him, didn't believe it:

"Just rely on these graffiti outside? Although it looks a bit interesting, it's not that attractive."

Their female companion, Tsue Shiraishi, also complained at this time: "Yeah, my feet are numb from standing... Otomo-san, if it's not fun, Yagi will have to pay for our consumption today."

Haku Yagi was full of confidence: "If Tsue-chan thinks it's not fun, I can understand; but after Katsuhiro Otomo, this manga artist, goes in, I guarantee he will be shocked!"

"Heh, then I'll wait and see." Seeing the security guard at the door make a gesture, Katsuhiro Otomo nodded with a smile, and then pushed the door and walked into the disco.

The cyber-wasteland style he had never seen before shocked him all of a sudden. The dazzling red and blue lights, the green guide signs, the high-tech electronic screens, the sparks of exposed wires, plus the punk rock played by the band on stage and the sexy dancing ladies, all made him feel a trance.

"Haha, Tsue-chan, look, Otomo-san is stunned~" Haku Yagi whispered in Tsue Shiraishi's ear, "It looks like I don't have to pay today~"

"How can that be? This style doesn't look very good either?" Tsue Shiraishi didn't understand. What's fun about being tattered? "The music is indeed novel."

Katsuhiro Otomo came back to his senses and said excitedly to his female companion: "Tsue-chan, this is the future!"

Then he walked toward the dance floor...

... ===== CHAPTER 222 =====