Chapter 16

Chapter 16: 016, Akina: Who Knew You Were Such a Two-Faced Scumbag!

It was already after the New Year. Unexpectedly, it began to snow in Tokyo again, and once it started, it didn’t seem like it would stop. The snow fell steadily, sometimes urgently and sometimes gently.

Fine snowflakes drifted onto the city streets, slowly weaving a silver carpet. The hibernating shrubs stretched out their branches, donning white veils of frost. It felt as if all the clamor of the city had been hidden behind a white curtain, appearing tender and serene.

Weather like this was, of course, perfect for nestling at home, tucked into a kotatsu table, eating hot pot while watching TV. Nagayama Naoki had been living such a decadent life for nearly a week. Aside from buying groceries and taking out the trash, he basically hadn’t left the house. He felt as if his entire being was about to fall apart.

At noon that day, he thought, “This won’t do. If I keep being this lazy, I’m really going to break!” Naoki forced himself to leave the warmth of the kotatsu, put on his coat, and head out.

But where should he go?

When you’re alone, you can seemingly go anywhere, yet every destination feels tinged with loneliness. Back when he had a “007” work schedule (9 AM to 9 PM, 7 days a week), he never had to worry about such things. Who had time for loneliness when there were bugs to fix? His days were filled with the satisfaction of being buried in work… Could that really have been a “blessing” like his old boss said? Hahaha.

No, he couldn’t think like that anymore. The “big picture” promises his old boss made weren’t going to follow him into this life! Even if I’m alone, I’m going out to have fun! Since it’s snowing, I’ll go see the snow at a famous Tokyo landmark.

He thought of Ginza and Shinjuku, places he was somewhat familiar with. Checking his wallet, he decided against them for now. Was there anywhere he could kill time without spending much money?

“I’ll go to Sensō-ji,” he decided. He had heard the snow scenery there was quite good, and there were all sorts of local snacks. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to get a bit closer to the Buddha. Given that his luck seemed a bit down lately—with his “get rich quick” plan being forced into a delay—he could also go and draw a fortune.

In truth, Nagayama Naoki was a typical “casual believer.” Whether it was Buddhism or Taoism, he’d believe if he needed something and ignore it if he didn’t. Since his transmigration, his attitude toward faith had changed slightly; after all, he had experienced a literal miracle. However, he wasn’t particularly superstitious about religion. Otherwise, if he got too deep into it, what if he discovered the one who sent him here was the fabled Flying Spaghetti Monster?

Sensō-ji was less than thirty minutes from Waseda. After Naoki exited the station, he walked slowly along the road with an umbrella. He had assumed there wouldn’t be many people out in the snow, but he was surprised to find the path lined with tourists who had come specifically to see the winter scenery. There were young students, couples, families, and groups of friends… and a few solitary figures like himself.

It had been over a week since New Year’s Day, so the peak period should have passed, but a famous temple is never short of devotees year-round. The gently falling snow had long since draped the temple surroundings in a layer of pure white, giving one the feeling of having arrived at a “pure land.” From a distance, one could see the vibrant wooden pillars, white walls, and black tiles of the Sensō-ji Five-Story Pagoda, which appeared even more Zen-like amidst the blanket of white.

After entering Sensō-ji, he wandered through the courtyards for a few laps. To be honest, he didn’t feel anything particularly spiritual; it just felt like a very well-decorated temple. After passing through the famous Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), he was led by the monks to draw a fortune.

After a series of rituals—he wasn’t even sure if his heart was sincere enough—he finally got a number. Naoki took the number he shook out and found his fortune slip: Number 2, “Small Fortune”.

“The moon is obscured by floating clouds, one stands in a daze. Fortunately, seek the blessing of the hidden gods, why worry about the brows not unfurrowing.”

Is it really this accurate?

The wealth plan was indeed under a shadow and temporarily unachievable. He was just thinking about getting rich without being determined to take action, merely drifting with the tide. He hadn’t found that person worth striving for yet, or he would be working toward happiness. But the future seemed to hold good things that would make all these worries vanish.

Naoki was a bit taken aback. He quickly tied the fortune slip to a designated rack in the temple courtyard.

“Bodhisattva, no need to point the way! I’m doing fine. I only hope the Great Bodhisattva Guanyin blesses me to get rich so I don’t have to work!”

Religion is always a matter of “believing makes it real.” The fortune from Sensō-ji was just something Naoki interpreted however he wanted based on his own subjective thoughts. From this perspective, he clearly lacked any “roots of wisdom.”

In this era, there were no smartphones or social media feeds. He couldn’t take photos, edit them, and post them with a profound-sounding caption to get likes. This certainly took some of the fun out of traveling.

However, the commercial street leading from Kaminarimon to the Hozomon Gate and the Main Hall was truly bustling. Not only were there many souvenirs, but there were also various specialty snacks: takoyaki, taiyaki, oden, and all kinds of dango… Naoki even saw grilled meat skewers.

“Is that really okay so close to the Buddha?”

“It smells so good!” After filling his stomach, Naoki wandered around a bit more, but there was nothing but more snow. After killing the afternoon at Sensō-ji, he slowly made his way home. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about staying out for the night, but Sanwa Daisei had called earlier to remind him that “Yoru Hit” was airing tonight. He had to watch it.

It absolutely wasn’t because of his wallet.

The final product of a TV show feels completely different from the backstage rehearsals. Naoki didn’t expect that after editing, his presence on the show would be so prominent. They had even recorded the footage of Seiko coming to the dressing room.

“I was careless. Japanese programs in this era are notoriously bold. I should have realized they were secretly filming backstage!”

Seeing the segment where he expressed his fervent support for Matsuda Seiko, he was cringing so hard he wanted to dig a hole with his toes. Recalling the fortune from Sensō-ji earlier that afternoon… this was what they called “good things happening”?

—

At the same time, in Kiyose City, Tokyo, a family was also watching “Yoru Hit.”

“Akina, Akina, look! Isn’t that the guy from the disco last time?” Nakamori Akiho couldn’t quite remember clearly.

Akina, who was looking through a magazine, took a look as well. “Probably not. Naoki-san was very thin and not that handsome… This must be some newcomer.”

Nakamori Akina still remembered her “fan.” However, when the host introduced him as Nagayama Naoki, Akina was shocked. It really was Naoki-san! All four Nakamori sisters crowded in front of the TV. They were all curious about the guy from that day—he was actually on TV!

Their mother, Chieko, also became curious. “This boy is Akina-chan’s fan? I didn’t expect him to be so handsome!”

As the program continued, they learned that Matsuda Seiko’s latest single was actually composed by Nagayama Naoki. “Naoki-san is actually a songwriter!”

When the host explained that this was a song written by a fan for his idol, Akina’s expression turned to one of surprise and slight dejection. “But he clearly said he was my fan…”

And when the program began showing the footage of him meeting Matsuda Seiko, Akina’s round little face turned red with anger. “Chikoushou! I didn’t think you were such a two-faced bad guy, a total scumbag!”

The others hurried to comfort her.

—

In Shizuoka, Tsuruko was also watching TV. She immediately called out to her mother, Nanako. “Okaasan! Ni-chan is on TV again!”

“Achoo!”

Nagayama Naoki sneezed for no apparent reason. “Could it be that I stayed out too long today and caught a cold?”

Truly, “good things” just kept happening.