Chapter 311: Akina's Greatest Stumbling Block

The morning sky in Tokyo was a pale blue, draped in a thin layer of clouds. Warm sunlight filtered through, as if passing through a filter; the radiance that should have been golden was covered in a white veil, turning into a near-milky hue.

The weather had been very stable lately, with temperatures hovering around 15 degrees. One could head out wearing a long-sleeved shirt with a light trench coat or jacket over it.

However, Naoki Nagayama couldn't be so simple at this moment. He put on a low-profile gray jacket and added the blue-gray beret and light blue scarf that Yuko Tanaka had given him earlier to hide his orange hair. Beyond that, he wore tea-colored sunglasses and a large face mask that practically covered half his face.

Beside him, Tsuruko Nagayama frowned as she watched.

"Nii-chan, are you going to rob a bank? Why are you dressed like a bandit?"

Naoki Nagayama offered a bit of popular science: "Tsuruko, this is an essential skill for a celebrity. If you're going to a place like Ginza, you naturally have to take precautions. You know that's a prime spot for paparazzi to stake out."

"Ah, I remember now! That's where you and Yuko Tanaka were photographed, right?"

"........" How could this little girl have such a good memory? She truly lived up to being a top student aiming for Waseda University.

Thinking of this, Naoki Nagayama couldn't help but ask one more thing: "Tsuruko, are you really okay after the exam yesterday?"

"Of course!" Seeing Tsuruko so full of energy, he knew she must have performed well. "Nii-chan, stop asking over and over like Mom! It's just one university!"

Naoki Nagayama wisely shut his mouth. Today was supposed to be a happy day; he couldn't let his little sister be in a bad mood so early in the morning.

【To be honest, I've been using a source-switching app to catch up on books lately. It has many reading voices and works on both Android and Apple.】

Still driving the Toyota Century, which looked like a giant black box, Tsuruko muttered in the back seat: "Every time I ride in Nii-chan's car, I feel like I'm going to attend some important national meeting."

This gave Naoki Nagayama something to think about. As his fame grew, should he buy a less flashy car? It would be more convenient for going to certain places...

After pulling out of the short side road and heading along the main thoroughfare, driving on a weekend without the morning rush hour was actually quite enjoyable.

The new green leaves on the zelkova trees lining the road weren't wide enough yet to block the sunlight leaking through the gaps, casting irregular spots of light on the sidewalks and the road.

A gust of wind blew, and the leaves danced along with the light spots, as if they were having a merry time.

On the low curbs, there were still traces of last night's dew, but in the green belts nearby, some impatient spring flowers had already begun to bloom.

Above the broad green leaves, the tiny, colorful petals grinned, showing off the tender yellow stamens in their centers, smiling as unguardedly as innocent children.

Just like Tsuruko in the back seat, looking here and there, very excited about the early spring scenery of Tokyo.

The previous times she had come to Tokyo, it was either late April, when pink cherry blossoms occupied all the attention, or mid-summer in August, when brilliant fireworks stirred the heart. This early spring in February was a very novel sight.

The car soon arrived in Nakano Ward. The small apartment building was right in front of them, but Naoki Nagayama stopped at a phone booth not far away: "Tsuruko, call Akina and tell her to come down~"

Nii-chan seems so experienced~

This thought flashed through Tsuruko's mind, but she quickly decided this was just an essential quality for Tokyo residents—notifying the host before arriving was just being polite~

After making the call, Naoki Nagayama drove the car down to the building.

Before long, Akina Nakamori, dressed much like Naoki Nagayama, came down. The wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and mask—the three-piece set was all there. Truly the essential gear for a celebrity.

Noticing the black Toyota Century, Akina walked over with practiced ease. Just as she was about to open the passenger door, she saw Tsuruko roll down the window and wave: "Akina, over here, over here~"

"Good morning, Tsuruko~~~ And Naoki-san is here too, good morning~~~" After opening the door and sitting in, she took off her glasses and mask. Akina saw Tsuruko first, then greeted the driver.

Seeing Akina's bright little face in the rearview mirror, Naoki Nagayama felt his mood brighten even more: "Good morning to you too, Akina-chan~"

But immediately, the two girls of the same age in the back seat began chatting happily, leaving the miserable driver to the side.

Naoki Nagayama didn't listen closely to what the girls in the back were talking about. The topics were very jumpy; one moment it was about this year's popular colors, the next it jumped to fun spots in Tokyo. It felt like there was no focus—they just talked about whatever came to mind.

It wasn't until Naoki Nagayama drove the car into Ginza that their conversation finally began to focus on what clothes were good and what styles were popular this year...

After parking in the small alley behind Sanmeiju, Naoki Nagayama led the two of them through the small path between the high-rises into the main street of Ginza.

"Nii-chan is really familiar with this place~ Truly a local expert!"

Seeing the view suddenly open up after turning here and there, Tsuruko couldn't help but affirm her brother. Akina also nodded with a smile, "Naoki-san is amazing~"

Naoki Nagayama pointed to Sanmeiju not far away and said: "That's my teahouse over there. I've done field research in the area, so I'm familiar with the neighborhood. I don't know about other places."

"Eh? A teahouse opened by Naoki-san?" "Is that the one?"

The blue-green roof and the detached ancient building with flying eaves were quite conspicuous in Ginza.

"Hai, let's go shopping first. We can come back at noon for tea and a rest~" Naoki Nagayama led the two young ladies toward the prosperous shopping street. "What do you want to see first?"

"Clothes!"

x2

As expected~ Women~

Soon, the two girls became the ones leading the way...

The shops in Ginza didn't change much; it was about the same as the previous times he had come. After all, those who could open shops here had some strength and wouldn't go out of business easily. However, the products in the shops had naturally been updated several times.

It was precisely because of the constantly upgraded products and the ever-changing fashion trends that this street attracted batch after batch of repeat customers, making it one of the most prosperous commercial streets in Tokyo.

Tsuruko and Akina walked into a fashion boutique arm-in-arm. Naoki Nagayama naturally followed with a bitter face. Fortunately, he was wearing a mask, so no one would notice.

Watching the two girls chattering away while checking out the latest clothing styles, Naoki Nagayama only felt it was noisy.

Tsuruko was feeling very flush because she had brought 100,000 yen in pocket money that Naoki Nagayama had left on the coffee table. It was the university reward money Naoki Nagayama had approved for her. She was very confident in her exam results, so taking it early didn't matter. As for Akina, although she hadn't started receiving her share of profits yet, her monthly salary of over 300,000 yen had allowed her to save up some pocket money.

"Nii-chan, how about this dress?" Tsuruko brought over a purple-black dress with floral embroidery to ask for his opinion.

"Tsuruko, how much do you like dresses... I remember you've bought many, right?" Naoki Nagayama scratched the corner of his eye, remembering that the last time he brought her here, she had also bought a dress.

"That one is out of style!" Tsuruko argued, "This is the most popular style this year!"

Sorry, Naoki Nagayama really couldn't tell: "Since you say so, doesn't the color of this dress look a bit mature?"

"Nii-chan, I'm about to enter university. Of course, I need a more mature style. Otherwise, the upperclassmen will treat me like a child!"

What kind of bizarre reason is this...

"Since you think it's good, Tsuruko, then there's no problem~"

Naoki Nagayama decided not to give his opinion. Facts proved that when girls buy clothes, they aren't actually asking for your opinion; they are just confirming their own thoughts.

Akina Nakamori, seeing Naoki Nagayama's helpless look, couldn't help but laugh: "Naoki-san and Tsuruko-chan really have a great relationship~"

Thinking of the situation in the Nakamori family, Naoki Nagayama asked: "Akina-chan, don't you have two older brothers? Isn't your relationship like this?"

"Eh............"

"Have you been back home lately, Akina-chan?"

"I've gone back a few times occasionally, but I can't stay for many days. I went back the night before last, too. But I just ate a meal and left." For children who have moved out, going home feels like being a guest.

But for Akina, who was not yet an adult, it was still a bit hard to let go.

Just as he wanted to comfort her, Tsuruko called out for Akina to help pick out clothes~

If this shop didn't have the most suitable one, they would go to another. If there was one they absolutely had to have, they would buy it. If not, they would wait until they had finished shopping the entire Ginza street before finally choosing the one they liked best.

"Aren't you going to buy some new clothes, Naoki-san?" Akina looked at Naoki Nagayama, who was already carrying several bags—they were all Akina and Tsuruko's clothes.

"For me... I probably don't need any this year. Because I have the Burberry endorsement."

Because he had signed an endorsement contract with Burberry, all the clothes he wore in "Hana Yori Dango" were from their brand. Afterward, during the endorsement period, they would send him a set of the most popular styles for the season, so he definitely wasn't lacking clothes.

"Are there no clothing brands looking for Akina to be their spokesperson?"

Akina Nakamori thought for a moment: "There are some advertisements for cosmetics, snacks, toys, and the like, but as for a spokesperson... Kao shampoo..."

Naoki Nagayama laughed out loud, looking at Akina's thick, smooth hair: "Hahaha, I can only say that this shampoo brand made a very correct choice~"

It seemed that until the later stages, Akina Nakamori's hair volume was always very thick. If she were a long-term spokesperson, that would definitely be profitable!

Akina touched her hair and laughed too: "That's true~ But I also really want an endorsement contract with a clothing brand. To have the most popular clothes to wear all year round~"

"You will have it in the future~"

Tsuruko came out of a snack shop nearby with a box of takoyaki. It looked steaming hot and gave off an enticing aroma.

"Akina, come eat takoyaki~~~ Open your mouth~~~ Ah~~~" She picked one up with a wooden skewer and put it into Akina's mouth... then turned and continued walking toward the next shop.

"Eh? What about mine?" Naoki Nagayama, who was waiting to be fed, was dumbfounded. "Tsuruko, your dear Nii-chan hasn't eaten yet!"

"If you want to eat, go buy it yourself. Who told you two to just chat when I was buying~" Tsuruko didn't look back.

"Then why does Akina have some?!"

"Can you compare yourself to Akina?"

What was left for Naoki Nagayama were the happy laughter of the two little girls and their lighthearted backs...

In the office of Warner-Pioneer, the atmosphere was a bit awkward.

Nobuo Tomioka, who had already submitted his resignation, was still presiding over the meeting, but the national tour section had gradually been handed over to the next person in charge, Yoshiaki Tanaka.

However, everyone was still working together for the time being. After all, no one wanted any problems to arise with a rising star like Akina Nakamori.

"Akina-chan is resting today, right?" Nobuo Tomioka asked Yoshiaki Tanaka.

"Hai, because the busy national tour is coming up soon, we are trying to let Akina rest a bit more during this time."

Having been music producers for so long, they naturally knew the principle of tension and relaxation. If they squeezed the artist too hard, the spring would break!

And as for Burning Productions, they regarded Akina as the apple of their eye; it was impossible for them to take away even her few days of rest.

Nobuo Tomioka nodded and didn't say anything else. The trend of "1/2 no Shinwa" was very good, and Yuzo Shimada had also begun preparing for the next album, but he seemed to have started preparing albums for other artists as well...

However, Yoshiaki Tanaka raised a question: "Tomioka-san, on the song list for Akina's concert, there seems to be a song called 'Kataomoi'. This song doesn't seem to be a song we released? And I haven't heard of other singers singing it? Is there a copyright?"

Singing other people's songs at a concert was fine; it was a very common practice, as long as there was copyright.

"Ah, that song. It's a song someone gave to Akina. It seems there's no plan to release it. It's no problem."

Nobuo Tomioka explained, but suddenly thought that this guy Yoshiaki Tanaka seemed to have never met Naoki Nagayama... and he didn't know that that guy was Akina's greatest stumbling block.

So he kindly reminded him: "Tanaka-san, you've heard of Naoki Nagayama, right?"

"Of course. Akina's 'SedLove' from before was created by him, right?" Yoshiaki Tanaka's brain was fast. "Could this one be his too?"

"Ah, they're all his~" Nobuo Tomioka said, "But regarding this person, Tanaka-san, you must be especially careful! You must try your best to stop him from having contact with Akina-chan."

"Eh... why?" Yoshiaki Tanaka was puzzled.

"Because he is very likely to ruin Akina-chan's idol career!" Nobuo Tomioka said it very frighteningly, and the consequences were very serious.

"Eh?!"

Yoshiaki Tanaka was startled. "Isn't that guy the one who produced very hot-selling songs for Akina? Isn't he giving her another song now?"

"That's exactly why..." Nobuo Tomioka sighed, "The relationship with Akina is getting closer and closer... I sometimes feel that when Akina is resting, she goes on dates with him..."

"Nani?!" Does that mean Akina might be dating in secret?

"So that's about the situation... We've tried several times, but we haven't been able to cut the fate between these two. From now on, it will be up to Tanaka-san..."

Yoshiaki Tanaka was dumbfounded: "What on earth is going on?"

..... ===== CHAPTER 312 =====