Chapter 46

Chapter 46: 046, “Why is that guy allowed to cut in line?!”

While CATS was still struggling with its future development, the cat-ear hair accessory had already begun to gain popularity on its own.

Because Nagayama Naoki had wisely applied for a design patent, several manufacturers began calling to inquire about licensing fees.

Naoki had originally thought this kind of patent would only generate a one-time profit, since many variations of cat-ear accessories would inevitably appear later, and as long as the design changed, a design patent would no longer apply.

However, to his surprise, large Japanese manufacturers were surprisingly cautious in this regard. Many preferred to secure official licensing before production.

Naoki licensed the patent to nearly every company that contacted HALO Studio for a fee of 1 million yen, with the condition that in the first year he would receive 1% of the profit per item, and after that, 0.1% for the remainder of the patent term.

Some companies considered the price too high, but most were simply trying to diversify their product lines and follow trends, not expecting huge profits. So far, six companies had signed licensing agreements with HALO Studio.

That immediately brought in 6 million yen. Once again, Naoki was reminded that “popularity equals money.” With future expansion of the cat-ear trend, this agreement alone would likely generate income for more than a decade.

Thinking about it this way, giving Akina and her sister a meal as payment for the original design felt a bit too casual.

He felt a bit guilty. Worse, if anyone stirred trouble later, it could even become a source of disputes…

Near the Takadanobaba area, new flyers suddenly began to appear.

On a leaflet-sized sheet it read:

“DISCO Club Weekend Special: ‘CATS Night’ Coming Soon!”

The background showed photos of the CATS performance with their cat dance, along with the disco’s address, schedule, and part of the program lineup.

On Friday evening,

Nagayama Naoki drove to the disco. The side street of this student district had become increasingly lively, and people had even started calling it “Disco Road.”

There were more and more luxury cars parked along the roadside, and taxi drivers could often be seen waiting to pick up exhausted or drunken young people heading to their next destination.

There was still a long queue at the entrance of the disco, but this time Naoki did not enter through the staff door. Instead, he went through the main entrance.

After discussing with Araki Shigetomo, the advance promotion for “CATS Night” and the themed event design had been entrusted to him, and it now seemed to be mostly complete.

As the owner, he naturally came to inspect it.

He passed through the long queue and reached the entrance. The black-suited security guards recognized him immediately and stepped aside to let him in.

From the waiting crowd came a clearly dissatisfied voice:

“Why is that guy allowed to cut the line?! We’ve all been waiting so long!”

The security guard replied flatly:

“Because he’s the owner of this disco.”

Honestly, cutting the line like that felt pretty good.

On the partition wall near the entrance hung a large CATS poster. The side door was decorated with cat-themed ornaments. Once inside, the first thing that hit him was the loud music and the sea of people. On the DJ booth sat a giant cat plush toy. The lead dancers were already wearing cat-ear accessories that moved rhythmically with the beat.

The exposed steel ceiling was decorated with long ribbons and balloons. One wall displayed a collage of CATS live photos.

Overall, the themed night atmosphere was well executed. Naoki was satisfied.

Araki Shigetomo, already aware of the boss’s arrival, quickly came over.

They left the noisy main hall and went to the backstage area.

“Naoki-kun, everything is ready for tomorrow’s theme night. The lighting and music will follow the CATS concept. The background behind the DJ booth will also be replaced with CATS posters.”

“Even the dancers and staff will be dressed as catgirls.”

“Shigetomo-san, your work is always reassuring,” Naoki said. “Have safety checks been done? Tomorrow’s crowd will likely be twice as large, and order must be maintained.”

“Don’t worry. We’ve doubled the staff, and we’ve already coordinated with the police. Officers will patrol the area.”

Weekends in Takadanobaba were always busy.

Especially in the student district, groups of young people could always be seen strolling together.

Since a famous disco had opened here, even the nights had become lively.

At least the street where the disco stood had seen a surge in business for nearby restaurants and izakaya.

This weekend, the disco was hosting a themed night with the recently rising CATS girl group, pushing the student district’s popularity even higher.

Some office workers also came hoping to see the girl group they had only seen on TV.

At the entrance, neon lights formed the shape of a cat, and a large CATS poster stood by the door.

Tickets for the night were raised to 5,000 yen, five times the usual price, and the performance event was limited to 500 people.

Entry included a free cat-ear accessory (non-numbered).

When the doors opened, the first to enter were the fans who had queued early, each of them immediately putting on their cat ears with excitement.

Inside, even the staff wore cat ears. The dancers’ cat costumes were strikingly eye-catching.

The once-cool DJ now wore a cat headpiece, looking like a mascot at a children’s party, standing on a raised stage and acting as a host.

As the crowd continued to pour in, the atmosphere grew more intense.

The opening music was no longer enough to satisfy the excitement of the audience.

As the energy peaked, the DJ officially announced:

“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome—CATS!”

From the crowd below, a unified chant erupted:

“CATS! CATS! CATS!”

After a signature intro, CATS jumped onto the stage in rhythm with the beat.

“Minna-san, I’m the center member Mihyuna Ōno!”

“I’m the sexy member Hisa Akiyama!”

“I’m the dance member Ayano Katagiri!”

“I’m the cute member Ayano Fukuhara!”

“I’m the singing member Saka Nakanono!”

“We are CATS! Welcome to our fan meeting! We hope you enjoy our performance!”

The crowd erupted.

Amid continuous chanting of “CATS! CATS!”, the girl group performed their signature cat dance.

Unlike traditional idol concerts, CATS did not yet have many songs to perform.

However, each member had their own segment based on their strengths, woven throughout the entire event.

In particular, a dance led by the “sexy” member Hisa Akiyama, accompanied by city pop music, drove the audience into a frenzy.

Interaction between CATS and the audience was intense.

The numbered cat-ear accessories were also distributed as prizes, becoming highly sought after by fans.

The fan meeting at the Takadanobaba disco lasted nearly three hours.

The cheers inside were so loud they even escaped through the thick soundproof walls, drawing attention from people outside.

Outside the venue, large crowds of fans who could not enter waved glow sticks.

They waited for a chance to see CATS as the event ended.

Police patrols could be seen from time to time, slightly concerned about whether order could be maintained.