Chapter 47

Chapter 47: “This Is the Reward Akina Deserves”

With television promotion resources limited, CATS’s live-house tour proved highly effective.

Cats were appearing across nearly every live house in Tokyo, and even outside the city, the loyal fan groups nicknamed “cat nests” kept growing steadily.

Controversy is a key indicator of an idol group’s popularity. Although they still could not support a full solo concert, their fame had undeniably taken root.

Early morning.

Kikuchi Etsurō, head of public relations at BURNING Agency, was reading an entertainment newspaper.

“Hokkaido sighting of CATS!”

“CATS keeps appearing in the news lately. This girl group seems to have some connection to BURNING…”

He called in an assistant and ordered him to investigate the group’s background.

This rising girl group had finally entered the attention of established idol agencies.

Promotion of CATS was proceeding smoothly.

Nagayama Naoki could finally relax and have a drink with Ito Shūichi.

“Shūichi, Daitomo has been busy lately. We can’t even find time to meet.”

Ito Shūichi rolled his eyes.

“Isn’t it because you, the president, abandoned everything and dumped all the coordination work on Daitomo?”

“Tsk… Shūichi, aren’t you also pretty free?”

“That’s different,” the producer immediately emphasized. “The girl group’s new songs and choreography all take time. Someone is already handling composing and arrangement!”

Shameless. Not a trace of guilt for abandoning Daitomo and coming out to drink.

“So what’s next for CATS?”

Nagayama Naoki thought for a moment. Appearances on shows, releasing singles, holding concerts, and eventually performing at Kōhaku Uta Gassen—the idol path was already a fixed formula.

“Now that there’s a foundation, we just follow the normal idol progression step by step.”

“The original idea was to help Daitomo enter the idol business. As long as we avoid scandals, it should be fine.”

Ito Shūichi was optimistic too.

“If there’s a scandal, just replace members. That was the plan from the beginning anyway.”

While the two calmly drank and discussed strategy, the actual target of their conversation was boiling with anger.

Inside the STARLIGHT office, Yoshimura Daitomo was confronting president Hino Ken’ichi face to face.

“President, this is unacceptable! I cannot agree to this!”

At the same time.

After a bit of drinking at noon, Nagayama Naoki woke from his nap in the afternoon and realized he had no trace of alcohol left in his system.

Once again he admired the body of a 19-year-old.

Besides occasional piano practice and exercise, he had mostly been following CATS’s live-house appearances.

But now their activities had entered a stable, routine promotional phase, with Daitomo handling most of the workload.

Naoki could return to his idle daily life.

After spacing out for a while, he thought of the Shibuya shop.

The storefront had not been rented out. With CATS becoming popular, he planned to turn it into a merchandise store, centered on cat-ear headbands, and possibly expanding later into goods for all GG agency groups.

As June began, Tokyo’s temperature was clearly rising. Not yet the unbearable heat of July or August, but already warm enough for short sleeves.

Driving his beloved convertible to Shibuya, he received several looks from passing girls.

He opened the shutter. Dust burst out from the empty shop as fresh air rushed in, making him cough—after all, it had been months since it was last opened.

The space had originally been a clothing store, so most of it could be reused without major renovation.

Cleaning, hiring staff, designing signage, and handling administrative procedures—doing it alone would be time-consuming and exhausting.

But with professional help, it was just a matter of money.

Shibuya’s talent market had plenty of intermediaries for that.

But there was another matter that needed to be addressed first.

He dialed the phone.

Ring… ring…

“Hello, this is the Nakamori household.”

“This is Nagayama Naoki.”

He stated his name directly.

“I called before asking for Nakamori Akina. I’m calling for her again.”

“I see. Akina is at school and hasn’t returned yet. If it’s a message, I can pass it on.”

“This matter may also concern you, Mrs. Nakamori.”

“What? Me?”

“I’ll be direct. I previously asked Akina and her sister Akemi to draw a product design. The product has been selling well, but I never properly paid them for it. I feel responsible for that.”

“Also, the company needs a formal commission agreement to avoid future disputes.”

The Nakamori sisters were still minors, so any business contract required parental approval.

The cat-ear design had already attracted offers from over a dozen manufacturers for licensing. At least six million yen had already been secured in the initial stage, with profits likely to continue for over a decade.

Giving the design work only a meal in return was no longer acceptable.

If he were just a businessman, it might not matter. But Nagayama Naoki still had a conscience.

Mrs. Nakamori was visibly shocked.

“Akina and Akemi never mentioned this…”

“If it’s not inconvenient, may I visit this weekend? You can also confirm the details with them directly.”

“That would be fine. But what exactly is the compensation? If it’s not much, there may be no need for such formal arrangements.”

“They contributed to the realization of the design. Although the concept was mine, turning it into reality was thanks to Akina and Akemi.”

“I intend to share half of the licensing income with them. They will not participate in future royalties.”

“Some manufacturers have already paid licensing fees. Their share would be about 3 million yen.”

“This is the compensation they deserve.”

“Three million yen?!”

Mrs. Nakamori could hardly believe it. A working household in Tokyo might earn 2–3 million yen a year; her family earned only around 1 million yen in total.

Such a sum required discussion with her husband, Nakamori Akio.

However, the visit on Saturday was confirmed. Naoki would come to explain the agreement in detail and bring the contract and payment.