Chapter 956: The news began to ferment

Generally speaking, when Naoki Nagayama was working at the filming base, no one would come to disturb him.

However, today was rather strange. In the afternoon, the head of the distribution department, Tomohiko Sugiyama, came to the base and went straight to find Naoki Nagayama.

"Naoki-san, there's a small problem!"

"...... Sugiyama-san, generally speaking, 'small problems' don't require coming to find me..." Naoki Nagayama had the crew take a temporary break, then went to the side with Tomohiko Sugiyama. "Tell me, what exactly happened?"

"Many friends in the media circle called me today to inquire about Naoki-san and Akina-chan..." Tomohiko Sugiyama didn't hide it either, spilling it all out at once. "Someone is probing whether Akina-chan is already pregnant, implying that the two of you are pregnant before marriage, a shotgun wedding..."

"I checked with a few acquaintances, and it seems everyone is secretly asking around... There are even people at Burning Productions who have already bribed the agency's staff..."

"I see...... So it was discovered after all..."

Regarding the exposure of Akina's pregnancy, Naoki Nagayama wasn't particularly panicked. After all, in this era, being pregnant before marriage wasn't a major issue, and furthermore, the two had been dating for so long and were already getting married.

The problem was that the media seemed to want to use this scoop for another wave of hype. Small matters involving top idols and celebrities could be discussed for a long time, let alone a major event like a pregnancy.

Combined with the somewhat rushed wedding schedule, there was even more desire to probe...

Some people might even want to splash some mud on the two of them...

Having been in the entertainment industry for so long, there had always been people who didn't see eye-to-eye with Naoki Nagayama and Akina Nakamori.

"Naoki-san..."

Tomohiko Sugiyama had only just confirmed Akina Nakamori's pregnancy now, but as the head of the distribution department, he had already guessed it long ago, so he wasn't too surprised at this moment.

"Should we issue a gag order to the media we are familiar with? And put some pressure on the other media outlets as well?"

The most important thing right now was not to let this matter expand rapidly. Nowadays, the agencies under Tree Friends had many famous idols and artists; Shizuka Kudo even had the momentum to be Akina's successor. Added to the status of Naoki Nagayama and Akina Nakamori themselves in the entertainment industry, they had the ability to exert pressure on the media.

However, Naoki Nagayama shook his head.

"Let's forget about the pressure...... When we said we wouldn't let the media livestream the wedding before, we already offended quite a few people...... Even if we pressure them again, they won't necessarily listen!"

Back during the Gold Screen incident, because the wedding didn't accept interviews or livestreams, a chance for the media circle to revel had already been deprived... This time, them wanting to probe whether Akina was pregnant might just be their way of trying to make up for it.

"Sugiyama-san...... Contact Burning Productions. Let's jointly issue a statement that Akina and I have already registered our marriage..."

"?!"

Tomohiko Sugiyama received another piece of new information. What was going on with his own boss? Keeping major events hidden from his own media manager?!

"Ah, we're registering right after the press conference~" Naoki Nagayama saw Tomohiko Sugiyama's surprised expression and explained slightly. "I didn't want to publicize it again originally...... Releasing it this time is to pull the rug out from under them first!"

"You continue to monitor the tone of other media over these two days...... If they find evidence, release the news that Akina is already pregnant before they do!"

Getting pregnant after marriage is perfectly normal, right~

Journalism is like this; they don't look at the real timeline, but at the timeline released to the media...

By releasing the news of the marriage first and then the pregnancy, everyone will feel it's a very normal thing. Even if someone wants to hype up topics like pregnancy before marriage, they won't be able to stir up any waves because of the preconceived impression.

"After I go back, I will discuss it with Akina and come up with a few sets of talking points for the media...... We can use them in advance in the future..."

"Hai, I understand!"

Tomohiko Sugiyama nodded to indicate he understood, then continued to communicate with Naoki Nagayama about the promotional matters for *The Legend of Hayato*. He was the manager of Tree Friends' distribution department; how could he have come to the filming base personally just because of the president's private affairs?

As for showing concern for the boss's personal affairs as soon as he arrived, that was to show that he put the boss first. This was the secret to climbing the corporate ladder for a professional!!!

He was someone sent by Kadokawa to Tree Friends, and he was still able to hold a high position at Tree Friends!

If he didn't have a little bit of upward management skill, how could he have easily gained the trust of the big shots on both sides at such a young age!

The second wave of promotion for *The Legend of Hayato: New World* had already been released, and it had once again sparked heated discussion in the film circle. After all, it was a real interview with a yakuza big shot!

Just like when Hong Kong films were shooting *Lee Rock* and *To Be Number One*, they also interviewed real figures, which was what made the films full of legendary quality.

In Japan now, yakuza groups like the Yamaguchi-gumi were household names. It was impossible for people not to be curious about the past of the Yamaguchi-gumi boss!

After Tomohiko Sugiyama left, Feng Yongshan walked over:

"Naoki, did something happen?"

"Nothing, just film promotion stuff." Naoki Nagayama smiled. "Let's continue filming!"

Currently, the filming of *The Legend of Hayato* had entered the second half.

The first half of the film was almost entirely the history of Hayato Nagayama's struggle to build his fortune. Becoming the "Fierce Eagle" who integrated the underground forces of Tokyo's Sumida Ward was actually acting as a black glove for the upper echelons, and he also held evidence of the crimes of many upper-class figures in his hands... That was why there was an assassination attempt plotted by both the black and white worlds together.

Then the second half was Hayato Nagayama and his police friend Toshio Sato, played by Tomokazu Miura, taking revenge on the enemies who assassinated him and the corrupt upper echelons!

If there were any paparazzi in Tokyo with super strong initiative, then the two paparazzi who had once followed Naoki Nagayama and Akina Nakamori to Otaru Mountain and secretly filmed them shooting *Love Letter* were definitely among them.

Katsutoshi Kawano and Shodai Numata—at that time, the two of them dared to chase all the way to Otaru Mountain in Sapporo just after hearing a piece of information. So now, upon hearing the news of Akina Nakamori's pregnancy, they naturally took action immediately!

"Kawano, what are we doing here? This isn't the Chiyoda maternity hospital!"

Shodai Numata drove the van to the Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Shinjuku, looking at the pregnant women coming and going inside the hospital, feeling slightly confused.

"Baka!" Katsutoshi Kawano slapped his companion's head. "Have you ever seen a celebrity go to a regular district hospital!"

"If a celebrity like Akina Nakamori wants to come for a prenatal checkup, she definitely comes to a private hospital!"

"......" Shodai Numata was a bit unconvinced. "Isn't Momoe Yamaguchi-san at the hospital right next to her house..."

"The situations of the two are different!"

Katsutoshi Kawano rolled his eyes. Both were top idols dating and getting married, but Momoe Yamaguchi's pair only announced each other when they finally got married, while Akina Nakamori's pair openly announced it when they were in the heat of love...

The home address of Tomokazu Miura and Momoe Yamaguchi had long been discovered by paparazzi, and their hometowns would also be harassed by paparazzi. But on Naoki Nagayama's side, up until now, only one residence in Chiyoda Ward was known. As for the hometown, the paparazzi didn't even dare to show up at the door...

The confidence of the two pairs was just different, okay!

"Anyway, if it's a shotgun wedding, judging by the schedule of getting engaged in August and marrying in November, the pregnancy is now between two and three months...... The first prenatal checkup must have already been done." Katsutoshi Kawano continued to explain. "This hospital is a very famous private maternity hospital; there's a high possibility that Akina did it here!"

"........ Such a famous private hospital must protect privacy very well~" Shodai Numata paused and asked, "So we're going to stake out here?"

"Baka! Of course we're going to bribe the internal staff to ask!" Katsutoshi Kawano hated his lack of ambition. "Everyone has a price!"

"The price is very high, okay...... Private hospitals make even more money...... You make it sound like we're very rich..."

"What does the hospital making money have to do with the front desk nurse!" Katsutoshi Kawano was full of bitterness. "The ones making money are the doctors, the directors, the shareholders... The bottom-level workers are always just ordinary people..."

"Kawano, what you said is so heartbreaking...... and so sad!"

"... Sigh~" Kawano Katsutoshi seemed to have a story... but now was not the time to tell it. "Alright, let's go find the front desk..."

Bribing like this naturally couldn't be done openly... But the two paparazzi had been hanging around the entertainment industry for so long, so after thinking of a way, they got the front desk, Rio Osaki, to come to a small reception room with them.

"Two family members...... Is there any reason the patient herself cannot come?"

Rio Osaki asked with some surprise. Just now, these two men said there were some things inconvenient to consult in public...

After all, this was the gynecology department. Rio Osaki thought the two were male family members of a patient who didn't want to discuss the condition under the gaze of female patients, so she invited them into the reception room.

"Ah, yes......" Katsutoshi Kawano introduced himself directly. "Actually, we are practitioners in the entertainment industry...... so we are more cautious..."

"Practitioners in the entertainment industry......" Rio Osaki looked at the fat and thin pair, looking very funny. "Could it be comedians?"

"......." Katsutoshi Kawano paused and said stiffly, "We work behind the scenes..."

"Ah, sumimasen...... Please continue..."

"We came this time to ask, if our artist has a prenatal checkup here, will there be a risk of information leakage?"

"Of course not, rest assured. We keep the information of pregnant women absolutely confidential. Except for the attending physician, no one else will know!" Rio Osaki said confidently. "We have had quite a few celebrities here too!"

"Mm-hmm, Akina-chan said she had her prenatal checkup here..." Shodai Numata nodded. "We came here only after hearing her introduction..."

"Introduced by Akina-chan?" Rio Osaki looked at them with surprise, and her vigilance rose instantly. "Akina-chan would never say that...... You two, you're here to dig for information, right!"

"So...... Akina Nakamori did indeed have a prenatal checkup here, right!"

A smile appeared on Katsutoshi Kawano's face. No matter how this front desk lady answered, from her attitude, he knew Akina Nakamori had indeed been here!

This was the evidence they wanted! Sure enough, it was impossible for the hospital front desk not to have an impression of a big star like Akina Nakamori!

"You two guys, if you don't leave, I'm going to call security!" Rio Osaki said with some panic.

"Call security for what?! To make this matter known to everyone?" The smile on Katsutoshi Kawano's face became evil. "Ms. Rio Osaki, you wouldn't want the hospital to know that you leaked important private information about a patient, would you!"

"You!!!!"

Rio Osaki was still a young girl; where had she ever seen such shameless people? She couldn't speak for a moment.

"I didn't!"

"You did!" Katsutoshi Kawano pointed to Shodai Numata next to him. "We have the testimony of two people, two against one! So the hospital will definitely believe us...... Even if they don't believe it, they will fire you because of suspicion or to appease other patients!"

"......"

Being stared at by the young girl with hateful eyes, Katsutoshi Kawano didn't react much.

"I say, Ms. Rio Osaki...... why don't you tell me properly...... You've watched police and gangster movies, right? Don't worry, the police won't leak the information of informants, and naturally, neither will we...

Besides, we will also give you a very good reward...... at least a month's salary...... You only need to say a few words..."

The words of coercion and inducement came out of this guy's mouth... This trick of his was actually only effective on young girls with little experience. If it were an older nurse, she would have slapped him and kicked him out long ago~

However, the young Rio Osaki was seduced into being indecisive at this moment...

As the end of the year approached, the year-end plans of various TV stations were being actively recorded. However, today, due to the rehearsal of the NHK Red and White Song Festival, numerous idols were called away, causing the recording of other programs to be suspended for most of the day.

Only some variety shows that didn't rely on idol artists could still be recorded, such as the Annual Kanji planned by Naoki Nagayama, etc.

Come to think of it, one of the candidates for this year's Kanji of the Year actually has a connection to Naoki Nagayama—Marriage.

Mainly because the first half of the year was Seiko Matsuda's marriage, and the second half was Akina Nakamori's marriage. Both were wedding news that shocked all of Japan...... Even the Japanese advertising postage postcards released a commemorative postcard version called "Love House" (Wedding Hall).

Added to that were various other celebrity weddings, and the economy had been improving, so everyone seemed to think this year was a good year for marriage...... causing the support rate for this character to be very good!

However, at this time, Akina Nakamori, who was rehearsing at NHK, was a bit troubled.

The stage costume made a few months ago actually couldn't be worn now...... mainly because her bust had grown a lot without her noticing...

"This is prepared for the baby in advance~" Maki Ueda helped adjust the size while teasing her artist. "During this period, you've almost always been wearing loose clothes. This off-shoulder stage costume was made a few months ago~"

"......"

Akina was quite confident in her figure originally. When she first debuted, she had the label of "sexy," which fully explained this point.

But it had only been a few months since she got pregnant, what would happen in the future!

Maki Ueda helped tighten the tube top, then glanced slightly at the curves, and was suddenly a bit jealous...... This was already two sizes bigger than her own! At least D-cup!

Akina, who was focused on rehearsals and performances, naturally didn't know about the discussions about her outside. After putting on the stage costume, she went to the backstage and started waiting for her turn to go on stage.

In the huge banquet hall, the stage had already been set up, even the lighting and music had all been adjusted, and the cameras under the stage were all in place...... Except for the real audience, other aspects could be said to be completely the official Red and White Song Festival scene.

Even the hosts were guiding the process according to the full program flow. The entire rehearsal process would take at least four hours; it could be said to be the most official rehearsal before the song festival started. There was no room for talking in the backstage~

After Akina Nakamori went on stage, the lights on the field dimmed. When they lit up again, the exotic girl wearing a sequined gauze dress came into the light.

The program crew members watching under the stage all sighed in their hearts:

"Akina-chan really looks like she's glowing..."

At this time, Norinori Mingxing, who was outside the corridor, discovered the beeping sound of the pager and hurriedly found a public phone...

"What? Found the hospital for the prenatal checkup?"

"Isn't that a high-end private hospital? It would be a big deal if the patient's privacy was leaked!"

"Only the nurse? No evidence?"

"Hai, I understand, I will communicate with Akina later!"

"Mm..."

Norinori Mingxing, who hung up the phone, sighed. He had tried his best to avoid it in the morning, but it still attracted the attention of other media.

In fact, as long as there was suspicion that Akina Nakamori was pregnant, then as long as they probed in the three directions of Burning Productions, the hospital, and Akina's hometown, they would sooner or later be able to find evidence.

Next, it would depend on how the two agencies would properly calm this public opinion storm~ ===== CHAPTER 957 =====