Chapter 39

Chapter 39: 039, “Actually, he just wanted to drive his new car around and show off.”

No matter how it looked, after a full afternoon of back-and-forth NGs, the first part of the shoot finally came to an end.

Normally, when a shoot wrapped, there would be a farewell dinner.

But this time, director Ito Shuichi was already full of frustration, so much so that even missing the mealtime left him settling for a boxed lunch. A farewell dinner was off the table.

As for Kondo Masahiko, during the break he had gone out to eat with his manager Matsuzawa Masayoshi. It seemed the production staff’s boxed meals didn’t suit his taste.

“This Kondo Masahiko… is he already acting like a big shot at such a young age?” Naoki thought after seeing them leave.

In Japan, that kind of behavior could already be considered diva-like.

“Rising idol at peak popularity, that’s normal,” Ito said without much concern.

“This was just a one-time collaboration exchange anyway. Whatever gets filmed will pass the producer’s approval. Let him be.”

Previously, Ito had tried to assert authority on set, but now that he had almost given up on this commercial, he no longer bothered.

The only relief was that he was no longer the official producer—once filming was done, it was over.

“Sigh… this afternoon there’s still another female lead to shoot with. I wonder if she’ll be just as difficult.”

Seeing his headache, Naoki didn’t stay any longer. After a brief chat, he politely left.

Outside, he saw Kondo Masahiko and Matsuzawa Masayoshi getting into a Toyota Crown. It looked like they had just returned from lunch.

Naoki’s convertible sports car was parked right next to theirs.

He simply nodded at them, didn’t stop to greet them, got in his car, and drove away.

“Masayoshi-san, look at that guy. He’s really rude,” Kondo said, clearly annoyed.

As a rising star at Johnny & Associates, most people he met would greet him warmly—even seniors in the industry.

So being ignored irritated him.

“Driving a sports car like that, acting all high and mighty… I’ll buy several myself someday.”

Matsuzawa Masayoshi watched the taillights disappear and thought to himself: Kondo Masahiko still has at least two years before he can escape his fixed salary contract. Even if he starts earning royalties, he still can’t afford that kind of car…

In the afternoon, Naoki didn’t have much else to do, so he went to the DISCO to check on operations—after all, a boss still needed to occasionally show his presence.

He drove to the disco from another direction. Traffic around Takadanobaba wasn’t heavy, and although the side street was narrow, it could still be used for temporary parking.

When he arrived, there were already quite a few cars parked along the road—some of them luxury models.

It really might become a street of luxury cars in the future.

As the disco grew more popular, queues formed as soon as it opened in the afternoon. Nearby izakayas were even said to be benefiting from the crowd.

Naoki didn’t need to queue. Even though there was a VIP-style entry system, cutting in through the main entrance would have been too irritating.

He entered through the staff passage at the back.

Inside, the disco had just opened and was playing warm-up music. Araki Shigetomo was also on the floor, monitoring operations.

“Naoki-san, what brings you here?” Araki quickly came over.

“I just came to check how things are running. It was a sudden thought. Don’t mind me—go ahead with your work.”

Even so, Araki still accompanied him on a tour.

As the music intensified, more and more people started dancing.

Most were students. Office workers would likely arrive after work—that was when the real peak would begin.

Being here as a guest and being here as the owner felt completely different.

It felt like a lively world that didn’t belong to him.

That made Naoki feel a bit bored, and he soon ended his spontaneous inspection.

The operation was better than expected. Should he open more?

He immediately rejected the idea.

A disco business was essentially a capital game. Within half a year, others would understand the concept and replicate it. Competing financially and operationally would be inefficient for his wealth-building plan.

Being the first and most famous was enough. Turning it into a long-standing “original DISCO” brand would be more interesting anyway.

After leaving the disco, Naoki used the remaining time to visit his property in Bunkyō and his shop in Shibuya.

His thoughts drifted again.

Should the Shibuya shop be rented out?

The Bunkyō house could be used occasionally, but leaving the shop idle would be wasteful. Renting it out wouldn’t affect land value and would generate income. He could ask Fujita Keiko about it later.

After inspecting his assets, he drove to Sachiko-sensei’s place for music lessons.

His music training was now nearly complete.

Hands once used for typing code could surprisingly also handle piano keys quite well.

“Naoki-san, your basic piano technique is already solid,” Sachiko said. “If you want to go further, you should enter a formal school. If you only plan to play occasionally, this level is enough—just keep practicing.”

“Thank you very much for your guidance,” Naoki said, bowing. “I may still need your supervision in the future.”

“It’s fine. Having a handsome student like you is enjoyable for me too,” she replied casually.

A teacher who liked teasing students.

By the time he drove home, it was almost 6 p.m.

Today he had been running around all day. Maybe it was really just because he bought a new car and wanted to show it off everywhere.

Before entering the apartment, he checked the mailbox. Normally it only contained newspapers, magazines, and utility bills.

But today, there was an extra envelope.

He took everything upstairs, placed it on the table, and opened the letter.

It was from the Nakamori family. Inside were a letter and a drawing.

The letter was from Nakamori Akina’s sister, expressing gratitude for the photos and some casual greetings.

The drawing was by Akina: a simple sketch of a little girl and her family eating watermelon, with the words: “Thanks to Naoki-san’s watermelon, I’ve recovered. Thank you very much.”

“Drawn quite well,” Naoki couldn’t help but smile.

He placed it on the bookshelf.

Honestly, he hadn’t written many letters in either of his lives, so receiving one felt novel.

But since there was a letter, a reply was necessary.

He couldn’t find stationery at home, so he used a postcard instead.

On it, he wrote only a few lines:

“I’m glad Akina-san has recovered. The photos were nothing special. I hope we can meet again sometime and hang out together.”