Chapter 35

Chapter 35: 035, As Expected of a Young Person, So Knowledgeable About Nightclubs

Facts proved one thing:

Life does not allow people to sink into idleness.

Naoki Nagayama was actually very busy lately.

Every week he went to Sachiko-sensei to study music theory and instruments; the disco in Takadanobaba was nearing completion and preparations for opening were required; the house in Bunkyo Ward and the shop in Shibuya still needed ownership transfer procedures; he had to prepare for his driver’s license exam; and occasionally he also had to pay attention to the promotion of his new song.

Before even a single day of rest had passed, first-class architect Takashi Honma called. The disco’s renovation was basically finished, and Naoki Nagayama could come for inspection.

Time had already slipped into April.

Naoki Nagayama took the train to Takadanobaba, walked down a street, and found the warehouse whose coverings had been removed.

No — it should now be called a disco.

Takashi Honma led him inside. The renovation was complete, and the interior matched the design plans perfectly.

Directly facing the entrance stood a partition wall. Later, the disco’s logo would be installed there, or it would serve as a decorative wall for themed nights.

Passing through the small doors on both sides, the space suddenly opened up.

A dark-blue dance floor and the DJ booth at its edge occupied at least two-thirds of the area, surrounded by more than a dozen seating booths scattered around.

The ceiling used reinforced steel framing without a suspended ceiling, only coated with paint.

A massive rotating light sat at the center.

Near the top of the surrounding walls ran a structural bar designed to hang lighting effects and speakers, with a narrow maintenance passage reserved for a single technician.

On the right side of the hall stood the bar counter, with a small door behind it leading to a storage room and a small office.

On the left was an emergency side door leading to the exterior restrooms.

“Honma-kun, have the lighting and music been tested? How is the soundproofing?” Naoki Nagayama asked.

“Everything has been tested. A professional agency also verified the soundproofing. It fully meets standards. Here is the report.” Takashi Honma handed over the document, but Naoki Nagayama did not take it.

“I trust Honma-kun’s professionalism. I bought a record on the way here today. Let’s test it with that.”

Naoki Nagayama took out Yamashita Tatsuro’s album “Ride On Time,” released the previous year and said to mark the beginning of the City Pop era, and asked Honma to play it.

As the rhythm began, the disco lights shifted and interwove. The central rotating light shone in brilliant colors, transforming the space into something dreamlike, as if entering another world.

The effect could only be described as perfect.

In Naoki Nagayama’s plan, the disco would mainly feature City Pop, rock, and heavy metal. It would operate primarily during regular night hours, with additional afternoon and midnight sessions on weekends.

However, a nightclub manager still needed to be found.

Naoki Nagayama had no intention of personally running the business. It was too troublesome — especially because of the yakuza.

During the Showa era, the yakuza were extremely active. Opening a shop without sufficient methods or background meant local thugs could easily force a business to close.

Naoki Nagayama himself had not encountered them recently only because his social circle was simple and he lived a relatively homebound life. Most of his dealings and income came through agencies and intermediary companies, effectively isolating him from society’s darker side.

“So that’s why Naoki-san came to me?” Daitomo Yoshimura looked puzzled. “Why would you think I know someone like that?”

The nightclub manager Naoki Nagayama wanted needed to understand music, possess management ability, and also know how to deal with street-level yakuza.

No one in his own circle fit the criteria, so after thinking it over, he concluded that Daitomo Yoshimura, head of the planning department at the agency, might know someone suitable.

“Because Daitomo-san is well-connected,” Naoki Nagayama flattered him. “You’ve worked in the entertainment industry for decades. Among your contacts or juniors you’ve helped, there might be exactly the kind of person we need.”

“Well, I do know quite a few people.” Daitomo Yoshimura relaxed slightly. “But why suddenly open a nightclub?”

A genius songwriter like Naoki Nagayama had a bright future in the recording industry. If he had not refused, agencies were already eager to commission songs from him. Even advertising work alone brought many inquiries about his schedule.

“Whether it’s commercials or songwriting, you have great prospects,” Yoshimura continued. “If you want to enter the entertainment industry more deeply, we could collaborate.”

“Spare me,” Naoki Nagayama replied. “Shuichi-san’s fifty NG retakes nearly drove me insane last time.”

Songwriting depended on inspiration.

Commercial filming was fine occasionally, but he did not need it as a primary career, especially since money was no longer an urgent concern.

The first-quarter royalties from Matsuda Seiko’s song had already arrived. After paying this month’s loan, nearly forty million yen remained in his account. Although future royalties would continue going toward monthly repayments and might decrease, the long-selling song would undoubtedly keep generating substantial income.

Not to mention that more royalties from “Sakura Anata ni Deaete Yokatta” were still on the way.

“Opening a nightclub was honestly just a sudden idea,” he told Yoshimura. “After visiting several clubs, I felt their formats were too rigid, so I wanted to create a more modern disco.”

“A disco?”

“Yes. It’s a nightclub style that has recently become popular in the United States.”

“I see. As expected of a young person — you really understand nightclub trends.”

After chatting a while longer, Naoki Nagayama entrusted Yoshimura with finding the right candidate.

In Japan, once a person turned eighteen, they could apply for a driver’s license.

Training could be completed either through a driving school or residential training camps, with the fastest programs taking about two weeks.

In his previous life, Naoki Nagayama already knew how to drive, but only automatic cars. The older manual vehicles common now required relearning.

Since he had no urgent matters at the moment, he decided to obtain his license first and then buy a car, so Daitomo-san would no longer need to drive him everywhere.

This was something he could handle himself. He found a nearby driving school through a newspaper advertisement and enrolled directly.

The administrative staff worked efficiently. After collecting the 300,000-yen tuition, they immediately arranged an instructor. That very day he began preliminary study — the written exam preparation.

He received a large stack of materials covering traffic rules. Only after passing the test could students begin driving practice.

The material was actually simple. Most people could pass after reviewing it twice. Naoki Nagayama started practical driving on the third day.

Anyone who believed Japanese driving instructors never scolded students was mistaken.

Listening to an instructor harshly reprimand a young trainee beside him made Naoki Nagayama uneasy. Fortunately, his prior experience allowed him to learn quickly, leaving the instructor with little to criticize.

After a week, he was essentially just practicing driving. The instructor even said that without mandatory lesson-hour requirements, he could already take the license test.

At the same time, Naoki Nagayama began browsing cars on the market. There were already many models available in this era.

Maybe a sports car?

Too expensive.

That could wait until true financial freedom. For now, an ordinary vehicle for daily transportation would be enough.