Chapter 521: I will never understand the friendship between girls~

In the morning, when Ma Sai went out to walk Eitaro, he specifically checked the mailbox... Besides newspapers, there was nothing.

What kind of gift will she send?

Ma Sai, walking on the familiar street, was very curious in his heart. He was absent-minded when walking, and even Eitaro couldn't help but stop and wait for his owner several times.

When he came back from his walk, his pace clearly accelerated, wanting to see it a little earlier.

"Naoki-san, Merry Christmas!"

The newspaper kiosk owner, Yokota Kenta, greeted him happily. The small newspaper kiosk was also hung with colorful lights, and there were also decorations such as reindeer, snowflakes, and red hats, which were very festive.

"Ah, Yokota-san, Merry Christmas!" Ma Sai responded subconsciously, and then asked casually, "Is Tokyo still peaceful on Christmas Eve? Did anything big happen?"

"Haha, besides the news of the biker gangs bombing the streets, everything else is just plain entertainment news." Yokota Kenta also chatted casually.

"By the way, *Ring* is your movie, right? The entertainment section seems to have several reports discussing it."

"*Ring*?"

Ma Sai was curious. This movie had been released for almost a week, and it should have been commented on long ago. His side shouldn't have arranged any promotional articles during this time, right?

"Hai, it's in the entertainment section of the *Yomiuri Shimbun*. It is said that many moviegoers were scared to the point of fainting."

"Ha?" Ma Sai was a bit surprised. It stands to reason that there was such big news during the premiere, and everyone should have been mentally prepared.

Yokota Kenta asked in a low voice: "Naoki-san, is Sadako really that scary? Can she scare a director into peeing his pants?"

Ma Sai suddenly realized. *Ring* is a niche movie after all. Although its reputation began to spread among some young people, for the general public, the more famous one is still the scandal linked to Fukasaku Kinji.

However, it is already Christmas now. After tomorrow, the 26th, most people in Japan will be on year-end holidays, and then students and part-time workers will have time to go to the cinema... That is when this horror movie will break out of the circle!

"Ah, I think it's okay. Yokota-san can go and try it!" He said to the store manager.

"Haha, let my son go and see it first~"

Yokota Kenta handed over the newspaper, and Ma Sai paid subconsciously.

"Arigato, Yokota-san... Then I'll go back first~" Ma Sai took the newspaper and thought about going back to take a look, and hurriedly said goodbye to the store owner.

When he hurried to the gate of Sanyingyuan, Ma Sai reacted again that his home clearly ordered the *Yomiuri Shimbun*!

He actually bought an extra copy... "Yokota-san is really good at doing business!"

Sighing like this, Ma Sai bent down to check the mailbox, took out all the letters and newspapers, but there was still no trace of a gift... Did Akina forget?

"Wang Wang!" Eitaro suddenly barked twice, and then stopped immediately.

Ma Sai thought he wanted to enter the door, looked at the tail wagging hard, touched his head: "So anxious, is it hungry?"

Just at this moment, he suddenly felt dark in front of his eyes, and a pair of cold hands covered his eyes, almost making Ma Sai subconsciously perform a backhand grab... ahem, a king-like elbow strike!

"Guess who I am?"

The voice with a changed tone came from behind, and Ma Sai's muscles finally relaxed.

"Akina! Why are you here!"

Turning his head, it was indeed Akina wearing a trench coat, wearing a beret, wrapped in a dark blue knitted scarf, but her face was flushed by the cold wind.

Ma Sai happily held Akina's hand, felt the chill, and hurriedly asked, "Why are your hands so cold? Have you been waiting outside for a long time? Why didn't you go in?"

"Because I knew Naoki-san went out with Eitaro~ So I specifically hid here to give Naoki-san a surprise!"

Akina's face showed a childish expression. Sure enough, people in love will become stupid... Ma Sai just wanted to pull Akina into the house.

"Ah, by the way... Naoki-san, bend down."

"?" Ma Sai was puzzled, but still lowered his head slightly.

Then he found that Akina took off the scarf from her neck and wrapped it around Ma Sai,

"This is a gift for Naoki-san, a scarf woven by Akina-sama herself!"

The scarf just taken off from her neck carried the body temperature of his own girlfriend, and also had the faint scent of shower gel, which moved Ma Sai very much. He gently hugged the girl in front of him who was waiting for praise into his arms:

"Arigato, Akina~"

Although hugging between lovers is normal, it was early in the morning, and they were at the door of the house, and from time to time they could see pedestrians on the road not far away... This was a bit like a public execution.

Hugging gently for a while, Ma Sai hurriedly pulled Akina into the gate of Sanyingyuan,

"Akina, have you eaten breakfast?" He asked while walking toward the house.

"No..." Akina touched Eitaro's head and laughed, "I came over as soon as I woke up this morning~"

"Do you have work today?" Ma Sai opened the door.

"Because the gala ended in the middle of the night yesterday, I can rest in the morning, and there will be announcements in the afternoon..."

Nakamori Akina was explaining, but suddenly stopped her mouth, because she saw a pair of women's shoes at the shoe cabinet in the entrance!

For a time, all kinds of thoughts surged in Akina's mind. The scenes of urban dramas she had seen before appeared in front of her eyes: one-night stands, the male lead cheating, stepping on three boats...

"Naoki-san, whose shoes are these?"

"Ah?" Ma Sai had already changed his shoes and was helping Eitaro take off the dog leash. After turning his head and seeing the shoes, he suddenly froze,

"Yabai... forgot..."

"?" Akina only felt that her head was chaotic. Could it be that just because she didn't accompany Naoki-san on Christmas Eve...

At this time, both of them heard a female voice coming from the kitchen in front: "Are you back? Breakfast is ready."

Then, the sound of slippers came, getting closer and closer...

Then, a girl's face was revealed, staring at the two people in the entrance... For a time, Sanyingyuan fell into a strange silence.

Eitaro looked left and right, seeing that his owner didn't continue to untie the dog leash, he twisted twice helplessly, broke free from the remaining rope loop, and then trotted past the few people. He was going to eat dog food.

"... Ah, breakfast is ready..." Ma Sai reacted, looked at the two girls, and twitched the corners of his mouth. "Tsuruko, did you make extra? Akina hasn't eaten breakfast either..."

"...?!"

On the morning of Christmas in Showa 58, Nagayama Tsuruko discovered a big secret of her brother!

At the dining table in Sanyingyuan, Ma Sai, Tsuruko, and Akina were eating breakfast silently.

Although it was a traditional Japanese breakfast of white rice, miso soup, and side dishes, Ma Sai had already adapted to it.

There was definitely enough rice, and the dishes were originally only for two people, but if you spread them out a bit and add some pickles, you can almost eat your fill.

Ma Sai originally wanted to read the newspaper, but seeing Tsuruko at the dining table examining Akina with her eyes, while his own little girlfriend was scared and timid at this time, not even daring to look at Tsuruko...

Sigh, I can't bear to watch it anymore!

"I said Tsuruko... just eat your meal, why are you always staring at Akina..."

Tsuruko finally changed her target and asked Naoki: "Nii-chan, are you dating Akina-chan?"

"... Isn't this already obvious." Ma Sai didn't hide it. The girl came to the house early in the morning, what else could he say... "What's wrong, can't I fall in love?"

"That's not it either..." Tsuruko poked her rice bowl with chopsticks. "It's just that someone I always see on TV suddenly became Nii-chan's girlfriend... It feels unreal."

"Haven't you met Akina several times~" Ma Sai said. "You even went out to play together!"

"... It's also strange that someone I know suddenly became Nii-chan's girlfriend!"

"..." Ma Sai shook his head and could only let Tsuruko digest it slowly.

The breakfast was eaten very difficultly, but it was finally finished.

The three sat in the living room to rest for a while, but Nakamori Akina was a bit restless at this time. Seeing Tsuruko was actually nothing; after all, they were all people she knew, but this time it was added with the identity of her boyfriend's sister.

However, they were all young people who knew each other. After a stalemate for a while, she still spoke:

"Akina, your face seems a bit flushed. Is it an allergy?"

"Ah... maybe it was the cold wind blowing this morning. I have sensitive skin..."

"That won't do. You should protect it with face cream..."

Saying that, Tsuruko pulled Akina to the second floor to whisper, leaving Ma Sai in the living room shrugging his shoulders, and then he started reading the newspaper alone.

There were quite a few reports about *Ring* in the newspaper, but besides the praise, there were also some strange reports that compared *Ring* with other movies released this year, belittling the level of this movie in every word, as if saying that this horror movie was just for horror...

"Tsk... who is making trouble behind the scenes again." Ma Sai sneered. "If a horror movie isn't for horror, then I might as well go shoot an art film!"

"Besides, I already introduced Sadako-onee-san to you."

Such disgusting little tricks make people disdain. Ma Sai thought for a while and decided to let Otomo-san find his own people to fight back in the newspaper tomorrow, giving the public some Sadako impact!

Just as he was complaining, the two people who went upstairs actually walked down the stairs arm in arm. Suddenly changing from an awkward atmosphere to best friends, it didn't seem abrupt at all.

"What's wrong?" Akina asked looking at Ma Sai's surprised expression.

"You two... how is this... are you reconciled?"

Tsuruko said on the side: "Baka Nii-chan, we didn't quarrel! It was like this originally, okay!"

"..." Ma Sai raised his hands to surrender. "I will never understand the friendship between you girls!"

"Then let's go shopping now, how about it?"

Ma Sai felt that he couldn't understand the jumping thinking of girls.

This Christmas was actually very difficult for Fukasaku Kinji.

On one hand, he was really in treatment, and on the other hand, because of the scandal, he had to choose to temporarily isolate himself from the entertainment industry and recuperate at home.

So, there were no juniors flattering him in the company, no "friends" in the entertainment industry who spoke nicely, no pride and pleasure under the spotlight...

Even his affair partner, Matsuzaka Keiko, couldn't come to see him because of his wife at home, Nakahara Sanae...

He... had nothing left.

"Husband, there is a guest visiting. It's Ishikawa Fumio from the Japan Academy Film Prize Selection Committee." Nakahara Sanae knocked on the study door and then brought in a shrewd middle-aged man.

"Director Fukasaku, Merry Christmas~" Ishikawa Fumio bowed and greeted the old man in the seat.

"Ah, Ishikawa-san." Fukasaku Kinji was not too happy. He waved his hand to let his wife, who was pouring tea, go out. "How did Ishikawa-san come over?"

He and Ishikawa Fumio had only met a few times.

"I came on behalf of Chairman Tanaka Tomoyuki to visit the pillar of the Japanese film industry." Ishikawa Fumio flattered.

"Hahaha, pillar... shouldn't it be a laughingstock now?" Hearing the flattery, Fukasaku Kinji felt a little better, but still mocked himself.

"Where, where, just a small scandal." Ishikawa Fumio persuaded, "People in the entertainment industry will not deny Director Fukasaku's talent and achievements because of this, and Chairman Tanaka Tomoyuki will not either."

In fact, Fukasaku Kinji was often exposed for sexual scandals, which didn't count as anything in the entertainment industry. If it weren't for the fact that this time being "scared to the point of incontinence" hurt his dignity as a director and a man, he wouldn't have stayed at home for so many days.

"Hmm..." Fukasaku Kinji nodded. He had read today's newspaper and knew that during this time, Tanaka Tomoyuki had already taken action to suppress the spread of *Ring* in the media.

This time it was for the exchange discussed with Yamada Yoji last time: "Then thank Chairman Tanaka Tomoyuki for me. His works are also examples that we junior directors have always been learning from. I have already contacted some friends and am going to re-examine *The Makioka Sisters*."

"Chairman Tanaka Tomoyuki will definitely be very happy to hear this." Ishikawa Fumio nodded. Today's goal had been achieved, and he decided to continue chatting for a few more sentences and then leave.

Fukasaku Kinji sat up straight at this time, his face solemn: "Ishikawa-san, does Shuyu Film have any small movements lately? Did they use me to hype..."

"Shuyu Film... Director Yin Yin Tangxiu seems to have been in contact with that group of people from the film academy school lately, seemingly wanting to use *Crows Zero* to impact various awards." Ishikawa Fumio continued to think, "As far as I know, Shuyu Film did not actively use Director Fukasaku's scandal to hype."

"Is that so?" Fukasaku Kinji's face changed. If he were in their position, he would definitely use the opponent's scandal to achieve the greatest benefit.

Contacting friends in the small circle to impact the film awards, all directors would do this. Yin Yin Tangxiu's approach was completely fine.

It's just *Crows Zero*... This movie was also something Fukasaku Kinji had operated small movements on, and now, all resources were used to suppress *Ring*, so there was no way for that movie...

Fukasaku Kinji came back to his senses, saw the cup of tea in front of Ishikawa Fumio was finished, and said:

"Sorry to trouble Ishikawa-san to come over today, and thank Chairman Tanaka for me."

Ishikawa Fumio also understood:

"Hai, it's great to see that Director Fukasaku is alright. I believe I will see you at the film selection meeting soon.

Then, I will take my leave today!"

Fukasaku Kinji bowed slightly, and after watching his wife send the person away, he called out:

"Wife..."

"Bring me the phone book in my room. I want to call President Kido of Shochiku."

He still wanted to make *Crows Zero* fail to win an award!

Fukasaku Kinji was different from Shuyu Film. He still decided that if he treated an enemy, he must do his best and use any means!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 522 =====