Chapter 645

"

Ah, like the flow of the river, flowing gently,

Generations have passed by,

Ah, like the flow of the river, never stopping,

Merging with the sunset in the sky,

"

Yasushi Akimoto heard this song officially a few days later.

The magnificent melody, combined with the simple and sincere lyrics, was filled with the weight of history and the reflections on life under Hibari Misora's rendition, leaving everyone who heard this song deeply moved.

Yasushi Akimoto was naturally listening to this song as well, and he couldn't help but have tears in his eyes:

"If I could write a song like this in my life, even if my life ended right now, it would be worth it!!!"

But while being moved, there was an inexplicable sense of unwillingness in his heart, as if that should have been his own work...

Realizing this, Yasushi Akimoto couldn't help but slap himself:

"Yasushi Akimoto! How can you have such thoughts because of jealousy!! Even if you are unwilling, this is clearly Naoki Nagayama's song!"

After saying this, a look of regret appeared on the face of this chubby guy. He had clearly put all his effort into wanting to surpass Naoki Nagayama, and had even gained a certain upper hand in the operation of *Evening Meow Meow*, and he had already started writing several beginnings for novels...

But he always felt that the gap between him and Naoki-san was getting bigger and bigger!

Yasushi Akimoto only felt that there was a huge stumbling block on his life path, and its shadow had already covered all directions ahead...

And at about the same time, the guy who was being envied, jealous, and hated was also sitting in the living room of Shanying Yuan with Akina Nakamori, watching the broadcast of *Night Hit*.

"I always feel it's a bit strange to watch my own performance on TV~" Akina Nakamori looked at her performance of *Jikkai* on the screen and felt it was a bit weird.

"Akina, why do you like to hold your head up and look at people with your nostrils?"

Naoki Nagayama smiled and pinched his girlfriend's delicate nose bridge. The lines were smooth, the root of the nose was natural, and the tip was slightly upturned; it was clearly a very delicate and beautiful look.

"Naoki-san!" Akina Nakamori shook her head to avoid her boyfriend's claws, fixed his mischievous hands in front of her chest, and became a bit shy and annoyed. "That's because the cameras are all below! And this song *Jikkai* needs to give people a sense of looking down from above!!!"

"Hahaha, so it's all the cameraman's fault?"

"That's for sure!"

The bickering between the young couple was becoming more and more intimate. Naoki Nagayama wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulled Akina into his arms, and the two continued to watch the program on TV.

When *Kawa no Nagare no You ni* appeared as the finale, Akina was also very fascinated.

"I felt this song was very shocking when I was at the scene... Listening to it on TV, I am still very moved..." The young girlfriend looked up at her boyfriend. "Naoki-san, how did you think of this song?"

"Ah... this..." Naoki Nagayama recalled the time he thought of this song. "It seems it was at the end of November last year... Ah, that time I was clearly out with Akina to buy groceries to prepare dinner, but then I found signs of paparazzi, so I returned to Shanying Yuan alone... I was a bit disappointed..."

"Then I saw the empty room... and saw the calendar, feeling that it was almost the last month of the year, and I felt very emotional... so the inspiration came..."

Listening to her boyfriend's account, Akina Nakamori had some strange feelings... So, she had a "contribution" to the song *Kawa no Nagare no You ni*...

"Is that really so?" The girlfriend lowered her head to think for a moment, then looked up with bright eyes, seemingly having thought of a good idea. "Then Naoki-san, if I leave Shanying Yuan now, will Naoki-san also be very disappointed, and then will you be able to write a song as good as *Kawa no Nagare no You ni*?!"

"..."

You really are a little clever ghost... Naoki Nagayama looked at his girlfriend speechlessly, sighing in his heart... After all, she was the one he chose; she was a bit silly to begin with~

"Naoki-san, are you saying I'm stupid in your heart?" Akina's eyes changed.

Is a fool's intuition so sharp? Naoki Nagayama was surprised~

Perhaps stimulated by Naoki Nagayama's expression, Akina Nakamori angrily started to play around with Naoki Nagayama.

Eitaro at his feet yawned and silently lay back down... The dog, having experienced this many times, was already used to it.

And Miaotaro, who had originally been lying on the sofa armrest, looked at the noisy two with disdain and silently moved to his cat tree...

After the laughter, Akina Nakamori's cheeks flushed with a hint of red due to the playfulness just now, and the white-and-red look made people want to take a bite~

Leaning back on her boyfriend, calming her breathing... At this time, Naoki Nagayama asked:

"Akina, for the filming in Kiyose tomorrow, are Fangze-san and the others going directly to the venue?"

After two weeks of preparation, the production team for *Music Station* was basically completed. They were currently waiting for data, but invitations for idol singers had already begun, and filming would officially start in early July.

However, before that, the interview and filming at the special guest's hometown had to be completed.

"Hai, we will gather in Kiyose." Akina Nakamori became energetic again when talking about tomorrow's filming. "In the park in the city center..."

"Kiyose is not a big place... It's inevitable that you will run into Akina's acquaintances, right?" Naoki Nagayama asked. "Is that okay?"

"Ah, I was a bit shy when I first debuted, but now it's completely fine!" Akina Nakamori said very calmly.

The baby fat on her face had faded a lot, and her well-defined jawline had a lot more maturity; she was no longer that little girl who had just debuted. She had experienced performances, activities...

She had met all kinds of different people, and now, at least in front of the public, she could guarantee an artist's face.

Naoki Nagayama didn't continue to ask about friends and neighbors, but there was one more point:

"Then... at home, do you want to film there?"

"Hmm... at home..." Akina Nakamori had actually already called her mother, Chieko. "Tomorrow, Mother has to go to work, Father is still watching the shop in Saitama Prefecture, and Meiho has gone to class... so there is no one at home."

Akina Nakamori's older brothers and sisters had already started families and all had to work, and the only minor was the youngest sister, who was still in high school.

Her parents were still working. Although Akina had given the funds to subsidize the family to her mother last time, she couldn't afford to support the whole family alone.

"Actually, the house is not big... there is nothing good to see inside..." Akina Nakamori said.

In a poor little home, it was of course impossible for the six siblings to have one room each. She had shared a room with Meiho since she was a child. After she started working and moved out, the traces of Akina left in the room became less and less.

"Then let's listen to Akina~"

"Wait, Naoki-san, didn't you ask for a signed record when you went to Hibari Misora's house last time?" Akina Nakamori suddenly remembered. "Tomorrow, I can just bring it back for Mom!"

"Ah, that's perfect~"

Naoki Nagayama was not panicked at all. Fortunately, the signed record had already been obtained from the Kobe Entertainment Agency two days ago!!

Far away in the Yamaguchi-gumi ancestral home in Shimizu, Shizuoka, Hayato Nagayama was watching a variety show for a change.

He used to like listening to the radio the most, as it was a hobby of more than half his life. Watching TV was just for news and the like, and his eyesight didn't allow it as he got older.

He specifically came to watch *Night Hit* today because he had been paying close attention to Hibari Misora recently. Before, Naoki Nagayama had asked Hibari Misora to intercede at the Yamaguchi-gumi headquarters, saying it was just a gift of a song...

The old man was very curious about what kind of song would move Hibari Misora to take the initiative to participate in Yakuza affairs.

In the previous preview, there was news of Hibari Misora's latest song, *Kawa no Nagare no You ni*, being promoted for the first time, which made the old man curious about variety shows.

When the magnificent melody of *Kawa no Nagare no You ni* rang out, Hibari Misora's voice was full of emotion:

"

Rugged roads and winding roads,

Not even recorded on the map,

That is also life,

"

With such singing, it evoked Hayato Nagayama's memories of his own life.

Looking back on half a life, there had been twists and turns, there had been unfairness... But an individual's life, in the great tide of world affairs, didn't even leave a trace...

"It really is just like life!"

Hayato Nagayama sighed deeply. After all, he could only be considered an ordinary person with a little bit of luck. The traces left after decades would at most be a spirit tablet with his name written on it...

But one of his grandsons was different; he was destined to leave a mark in history.

"Naoki is so young, yet he can write such a song?"

He no longer had any doubts about why Hibari Misora would agree to help with his family's business. Any singer would be moved by a song that could be passed down and endure for a long time.

"But this time it was thanks to Naoki's action... We can't let Naoki suffer a loss!" Hayato Nagayama began to think. After all, it was like this in the Yakuza; if rewards and punishments were not clear, then a group could not develop.

After thinking carefully for a while, Hayato Nagayama called the servant to call Kumahara Nagayama over and told him about this matter in detail.

Kumahara Nagayama scratched his head:

"But Father, what can we give Naoki now?"

"Naoki already said before that he only wanted ten percent of the KTV shares; as for money... Naoki's speed of making money might be faster than ours; as for the group, you don't let Naoki participate too much..."

Hayato Nagayama angrily slapped the table: "Isn't this why I asked you to discuss it?! We can't just watch the younger generation pay without showing anything!"

The burly Kumahara Nagayama fell into distress...

The old man also sighed helplessly. It was not easy when a grandson was too excellent; as a grandfather, he didn't know what to do when he wanted to give a gift... When he looked around, his eyes suddenly froze:

"Kumahara, what do you think about giving that 'Red Snow Left Character' to Naoki?"

Kumahara Nagayama subconsciously looked back and saw a beautiful short sword offered on the sword rack in the main hall... The blade was straight, with almost no curvature, and there were fine-brush color paintings and numerous gorgeous decorations on the sword mountings...

"..."

"Although I originally wanted to keep it for you as a family heirloom, a famous sword like the 'Red Snow Left Character' should naturally have a more famous owner. Although Naoki doesn't know martial arts, he has achievements in literature... Kumahara, don't be reluctant to part with this 'Red Snow Left Character'..."

Hayato Nagayama was talking continuously when Kumahara Nagayama slapped his own face:

"Father, please stop talking! Don't say anything more about the 'Red Snow Left Character'! Don't you feel ashamed?!"

When he was a child, Kumahara Nagayama was fooled by his father and really thought this sword was Toyotomi Hideyoshi's favorite sword, the 'Red Snow Left Character'...

But... this was clearly just something Hayato Nagayama took to offset a debt when he broke into someone else's house to forcibly collect protection money when he was young...

Although it could be considered an antique, it was at most just a replica.

"You unfilial son! How can you say that about your father!" Hayato Nagayama said angrily. "I remember very clearly, that person's family was very wealthy, and many things inside looked very historical! This sword was offered on the sword rack, and there was a painting of Toyotomi Hideyoshi on the wall..."

"When I snatched it away, the owner was still crying sadly, 'My Red Snow Left Character~~'" Hayato Nagayama was convinced of this. "This must be the missing 'Red Snow Left Character'!"

"No one knows what the 'Red Snow Left Character' actually looks like!"

"So this one must be it!"

Kumahara Nagayama was even more speechless... He had secretly asked someone to appraise it!

This old man wouldn't change his mind once he decided!

The key was that this sword was indeed made very beautifully, and it had a sense of history, so it was quite good even as a collectible.

"Then let's do it, you give the sword to Naoki..." Kumahara Nagayama didn't care much about samurai swords. The sword abolition edict had been issued many years ago; if you wanted to see blood in this era, a gun would do.

"However, don't say it's the 'Red Snow Left Character'!"

The first appearance of *Kawa no Nagare no You ni* caused a huge response. That night, countless calls were made to the Fuji TV hotline and the Kobe Entertainment Agency.

People were asking:

"It was so moving; I felt tears flowing down just by listening to this song! Please convey my emotion to Hibari Misora!"

"May I ask when Hibari Misora's latest album will be released?"

"Will *Kawa no Nagare no You ni* be released as a single record?"

"Hibari Misora's voice is so suitable for the new song!

The lyrics and music are also very touching. May I ask if it was really created by that guy Naoki Nagayama?"

Various audience feedback caught the TV station off guard, and on the side of the Kobe Entertainment Agency, in addition to fan calls, there were many program invitations and invitations from major city theaters, all wanting Hibari Misora to go there and sing this song.

At the same time, major record companies in the entertainment industry suddenly paid attention to Naoki Nagayama again.

They used to think that what Naoki Nagayama created were all lyrical pop songs. Although the sales were very good, the suitable singers were all on the younger side... But this Enka song, *Kawa no Nagare no You ni*, let everyone see Naoki Nagayama's creative ability...

It wasn't that he couldn't write songs other than love songs! And the songs he wrote were so excellent!

Consequently, many music producers rekindled the idea of requesting songs from Naoki Nagayama...

What? He doesn't create songs for idols outside of Tree Friends?

Then what about Seiko Matsuda? What about Yoshie Kashiwabara? What about Akina Nakamori? And what about Hibari Misora this time?

The first three young girl idols might be because of Naoki Nagayama's playfulness, but Hibari Misora definitely wasn't, right?! (Eh... no, that's also possible...)

So, it's just that the price wasn't high enough, right?!!

Just let Naoki Nagayama speak! Money, beauties, honor...

As long as he can name his price, our major record companies can still... not bargain? In short, both sides will definitely be able to reach an agreement in the end!