Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Akina Will Definitely Become the Idol Naoki-san Hopes For!

The cicadas singing in the trees announced the arrival of the hottest season of the year.

Shuichi Ito’s filming was progressing at full speed. Sometimes several story segments had to be filmed in a single day, and no one quite knew how he managed to arrange everything.

Daitomo Yoshimura was also actively expanding his connections. Besides Fuji TV, he had begun establishing contacts with Nippon TV, TBS, TV Asahi, and TV Tokyo. Because the first two episodes of “Yonimo Kimyona Monogatari” had received excellent reactions, these previously distant television stations at least showed some courtesy.

Yes, the shocking twist of the second episode, “Grandma”, gave countless young viewers goosebumps and even sparked controversy among parents. Some conservative viewers believed that such a storyline damaged the emotional bond between grandparents and grandchildren.

Yet the controversy, in turn, further increased public attention toward the program.

During filming and final editing, Nagayama Naoki also combined impressions from his future memories to offer suggestions of his own.

That day, not long after finishing work and returning to his apartment, the telephone rang.

“Hello, this is the Nagayama residence.”

“Good evening, Naoki-san!” Akina Nakamori’s energetic voice came through the receiver.

“Oh? Isn’t this Akina-san?” Naoki sounded pleased. “It’s been a while. How have you been recently?”

“Yes, thanks to the payment from before, things at home have become much easier lately… ah!”

Akina suddenly realized she probably should not have said that.

“Sorry! I accidentally said something unnecessary…”

“Hahaha, it’s fine. I’m happy if it helped your family.”

After reassuring her, Naoki asked, “So what made you call? It’s not just to thank me, right?”

“Ah… yes…” Akina hesitated slightly.

“Um… on August 1st, I’ll be participating in the televised preliminary round of ‘Star Tanjou!’ for the third time. I wanted to invite Naoki-san to come support me—no, I mean watch! Just watch!”

“Ah, the third time already. You passed the initial selection so quickly.”

Sensing the nervousness in her voice, Naoki answered firmly.

“Of course I’ll go. Don’t worry, Akina-san. I’ll cheer for you properly.”

This was Akina Nakamori’s third audition attempt. She had failed the previous two, so anxiety and fear were inevitable. As the first real fan in her memory, Naoki’s presence at the venue would undoubtedly give her confidence.

Understanding this, Naoki agreed without hesitation.

“Yes, thank you!” Akina sounded delighted. “Then please meet at 9 a.m. at the entrance of Nippon TV that day. Naoki-san can enter together with my family!”

She had even considered whether he might have trouble getting in. In reality, with Yoshimura Daitomo’s connections, entering Nippon TV would have been effortless.

“Alright, I’ll be there on time.”

With two days remaining, Naoki began thinking about how to prepare for cheering support.

Glow signs? Merchandise? Fan T-shirts? A large banner?

Since Akina had not debuted yet, none of those existed.

After some thought, Naoki decided to make a handmade cheering banner. He still had the negatives from the photos taken earlier.

He found colorful materials at a department store, asked the shop owner to write “Akina Nakamori” and “Go for it!” in decorative lettering, then attached an enlarged portrait photo. The cheering banner was complete.

It was slightly larger than a traditional spring festival couplet, just the right size for Naoki to hold above his head.

August 1 happened to fall on a Saturday.

Naoki arrived at Nippon TV twenty minutes early, carrying a bag containing the banner while watching different groups of people entering and leaving the station.

Soon, he spotted the entire Nakamori family approaching from afar.

Although Akina had already gone inside to prepare, the remaining seven family members were still very noticeable.

“Naoki-san!” Meie Nakamori greeted him. “You came so early?”

“I promised the other day, so of course I had to be punctual.”

Since this was already their third visit, the family entered the station with familiarity, and Naoki quietly followed along.

The studio setup looked familiar, resembling a university lecture hall. The podium had been replaced by a large stage, the blackboard by a scoring panel, the front seats by judges, and everything decorated more flamboyantly.

Audience seating was divided: invited performers and related staff in one section, family members and acquaintances in another.

Having passed the initial auditions and reached the televised preliminary stage, crowd size was no longer a concern.

The program ran smoothly without much direction needed. Under the host’s guidance, contestants went on stage one after another to sing and receive scores.

Watching from below, Naoki suddenly felt as if he were inside an assembly line factory. The staff resembled production workers, and the products rolling off the line were idol candidates who all looked somewhat similar.

But when it was Akina Nakamori’s turn, her soft, round face seemed to instantly bring life to the entire studio.

She sang Momoe Yamaguchi’s song “Yume Saki Annainin”.

Her naturally deep voice matched the original singer well. Combined with her long hair and white dress, it balanced her youthful features, making it feel as if the greatest idol of the Showa era had returned to the stage.

When the song ended, the flawless performance earned applause from everyone present.

Naoki unfolded his cheering banner, and together with the seven-member family cheering loudly, their support completely overwhelmed the other contestants. Akina smiled so widely on stage that her eyes nearly disappeared.

Even the host was surprised. “From here in the studio, Akina-san already has the presence of an idol!”

During the scoring segment, the judges immediately awarded high marks.

“There’s nothing more to say. Perfect!”

Akina Nakamori was directly declared the winner.

The Nakamori family nearly burst with joy.

After the program ended, Akina ran toward her family, first hugging her mother and spinning happily in place.

“Akina-chan finally won!”

Her sisters surrounded her with hugs while the family watched with relief and pride.

Only after a long moment did the excitement settle.

Noticing Naoki standing nearby, Akina looked slightly embarrassed.

“Thank you, Naoki-san, for coming to cheer for me.”

“Hahaha, congratulations, Akina-san. You’ve advanced to the finals.”

Naoki handed her the banner.

“I didn’t have time to prepare a proper gift, but this banner witnessed your success, so please accept it.”

Seeing such a meaningful present, Akina received it solemnly.

“Yes, I’ll treasure it carefully!”

Then she added expectantly, “The finals seem to be in December. May I invite Naoki-san again?”

She became shy after speaking.

“When I notice Naoki-san in the audience, I feel very confident… like good luck arrives.”

So she had started treating him as a lucky charm. Still, of course he would attend.

“Of course. I’m looking forward to the moment Akina-san officially becomes an idol.”

Although debut would still take some time, being selected by an agency through “Star Tanjou!” was almost equivalent to entering the idol industry officially.

“Yes! I will respond to my fans’ expectations, guide them forward, and become like a signpost in life! Akina will definitely become the idol Naoki-san hopes for!!”

Naoki thought to himself:

“Did I set the bar too high before? What if this girl takes it completely seriously…”