Chapter 29

Chapter 29: 029, “A Stunning Song, A Love That Will Be Remembered!”

As expected, a small Thursday tabloid published rumors about Nagayama Naoki and Higuchi Kanako.

Even though it was only a minor magazine, anything connected to the entertainment world inevitably attracted attention.

That weekend, whenever Higuchi Kanako entered or left her agency or attended outside appearances, she kept being asked:

“Kanako-san, are you in a relationship?”

“Kanako-san, is the other person from the industry?”

“Kanako-san, how long has the relationship lasted?”

Questions like these continued endlessly.

Nagayama Naoki also received a call from home. Tsuruko excitedly asked:

“Onii-chan, are you dating someone? And she’s a celebrity too?”

“Nothing like that. She’s just a work partner. We discussed work matters, had a meal, and took a walk.”

“Really? Don’t lie to me. If you get a girlfriend, you have to bring her home so we can meet her.”

“There’s nothing yet. I’ll tell you when there is. Dad and Mom already know too, right? Were they shocked?”

“Not at all. They’re just waiting for you to bring her back.”

“Then they’ll have to wait.”

“Onii-chan, have the cherry blossoms bloomed in Tokyo yet?”

“Not yet. Probably late March.”

“I want to visit when they bloom. You didn’t forget, right?”

“Of course. I’ll treat you properly.”

After finally calming his sister and explaining everything again to his mother, Naoki was finally free.

Meanwhile, Higuchi Kanako’s agency made no attempt to suppress the rumor, allowing it to spread freely. For a time, it created noticeable waves in the entertainment industry, and Kanako’s name began reaching a wider audience.

Early March afternoon.

The sunlight had grown brighter, and the air warmer.

Along Tokyo’s streets, greenery flourished. Unknown flowers dotted the grass like scattered paint.

Carefully cultivated flowers bloomed everywhere—white here, red there, pink clusters, patches of purple. Some fully open, others still buds waiting their turn.

Hanada Mayu, now a high school student, loved this season the most.

Perhaps because her surname contained the character for “flower,” she had been fascinated by plants since childhood. Her dream was to open a flower shop someday.

Cherry blossoms were her favorite of all.

On her way home from school that day, she suddenly craved a drink. Sweet, warm red bean soup felt perfect for early spring.

But at the vending machine she noticed an entire row of newly released drinks—typical when a product launched.

Pink packaging.

Cherry blossom flavor… soda?

A new soda?

What did cherry blossom even taste like?

Curious, Hanada Mayu bought a bottle, but before she could drink it, friends called her over. She placed it in her bag instead.

At home, dinner was already prepared by her mother, so the soda remained untouched.

After washing dishes and finishing chores, it was already seven in the evening. Her father sat reading the newspaper while she turned on the television, searching for something to watch.

While changing channels, a captivating melody suddenly filled the room, followed by a sweet female voice:

“sakura sakura aitai yo iya da kimi ni ima sugu aitai yo”

The instantly catchy tune grabbed her attention.

A new song?

The handsome man in the MV immediately drew her eyes. The female lead was beautiful too.

Accompanied by the music, she watched the two meet, fall in love, marry, and have a child. This was what a sweet romance should look like.

Then came the sudden braking sound.

During those silent seconds, Hanada Mayu truly held her breath.

When the music resumed, the same voice returned—but now filled with regret and sorrow.

At the end, the couple returned to the rain shelter where they first met. The image of the wife slowly faded away…

Overlapping with the figure of their daughter.

Love.

Sweet and romantic.

Painful and full of regret.

What cannot be obtained, what one cannot bear to let go of—those are the feelings that remain engraved forever.

With slightly moist eyes, Hanada Mayu suddenly remembered the drink that connected the couple in the MV.

Cherry blossom flavored soda.

What did it taste like?

A faint sourness.

A gentle sweetness.

Then, carried away by the bubbles, the flavor faded from the tongue, leaving only a lingering cherry blossom fragrance.

Perhaps love tasted exactly like this.

A five-minute advertisement.

NHK’s advertising department had never received such a request before.

Department head Takeda Masahiro was shocked when he received the proposal and confirmed it several times.

Was Tomomasu Beverage really this wealthy?

The cost could have purchased three normal time slots—and this was prime evening time.

This time, Tomomasu Beverage truly invested heavily.

During the proposal meeting, Itō Shūichi had said:

“President, department heads—what you will gain is the opportunity to bind Tomomasu Beverage to a social phenomenon.”

“When people think of torii gates, they think of shrines. When they think of skiing, they think of Hokkaido. When they think of katana, they think of samurai spirit.”

“After this advertisement, perhaps when people think of love—besides the cherry blossoms of Meguro River—they will think of Tomomasu’s cherry blossom soda.”

After watching the sample video, the company executives approved the plan and tripled the promotional budget.

The advertisement moved from an afternoon slot to prime time.

An unprecedented commercial.

A stunning song.

A love story impossible to forget.

The newspapers promoted it exactly like that the next day.

Was it an advertisement built around an MV?

A soda promoted through a song?

Or a song launched through advertising?

With simultaneous releases of records, posters, and commercials, even industry insiders could not identify the true centerpiece of the project.

Within one week, the advertisement achieved an astonishing 15% viewership rating. Offline, cherry blossom soda became a trend among young people. Record sales exceeded fifty thousand copies, and the song rapidly climbed the Oricon charts.

Every objective was achieved—surpassing expectations.

This tightly integrated promotional strategy astonished the industry with its originality, and producer Nagayama Naoki’s name began spreading throughout the entertainment world.

“Naoki-san, we succeeded,” said Yoshimura Daitomo.

Throughout the project, Yoshimura Daitomo had been the silent supporter behind the scenes, though everyone knew he bore the greatest pressure.

If the project had failed, Nagayama Naoki and Itō Shūichi would have suffered little loss—but Yoshimura Daitomo could have lost the career he had built over decades.

This balding middle-aged man had relied purely on determination, supporting their risky ideas. Even the shocking five-minute advertisement existed only because he relentlessly persuaded the company president and leveraged his personal connections to secure the proposal meeting.

“Thank you for everything, Daitomo-san,” Naoki said, bowing deeply. “Without you, this project would have failed.”

Itō Shūichi also bowed. “Daitomo-san, thank you for your tolerance.”

Daitomo spoke emotionally:

“I don’t have much talent. Thanks to Shūichi-san and Naoki-san, I was able to participate in a miracle-like project. This may be the most glorious moment of my life. Arigatō.”

“There will be many more in the future,” Nagayama Naoki said firmly.