Chapter 66

Chapter 66: Teasing a girl early in the morning makes for a good mood all day

With September approaching and the weather growing increasingly hot, Nagayama Naoki once again felt the urge to buy land stirring inside him.

He had already discussed mortgage loan matters with Nakai Genta. If the commercial property and the disco under his name were refinanced, he could probably secure another loan of over 150 million yen.

Adding the more than 20 million yen currently in cash, plus the upcoming 90 million yen dividend from the short drama scheduled to be paid at the end of the month, the total funds would reach about 260 million yen.

Even without taking the loan, he could already start looking.

After calculating everything in his head, Nagayama Naoki dialed a number he had not called in a long time.

“Hello, is this Ms. Fujita Keiko?”

“Yes, this is Fujita Keiko speaking.”

“Keiko-san, long time no contact. This is Nagayama Naoki.”

“Ah, Naoki-san.” Fujita Keiko sounded delighted, then suddenly became cautious. “Um… could it be that Naoki-san wants to buy another property?”

After several dealings, she had begun to feel that Nagayama Naoki was like the illegitimate son of the God of Wealth—money kept flowing to him, and every time he earned some, he came back to buy real estate. She had almost developed a conditioned reflex.

“What? Does calling you mean I can’t have other business?” Nagayama Naoki’s mischievous side surfaced; he wanted to tease her a little.

“Haha, sorry about that. Of course you can. Then what can I help you with?”

Fujita Keiko laughed as well. As long as he was not buying another property, nothing could really surprise her.

“Actually, the Shibuya shop I bought earlier has been sitting empty. It feels wasteful, so I want to rent it out. Your company handles rental agency services, right?”

“Yes, we do. The Shibuya branch can handle that.”

Having such a major client consistently choosing her across different districts made Fujita Keiko feel she might soon be transferred to headquarters.

“Good. Then I’ll leave it to you, Keiko-san.”

Nagayama Naoki paused briefly.

“Actually… there’s one more thing. What you said earlier gave me an idea.”

“Huh? Does Naoki-san have another request?” Fujita Keiko was still immersed in the good mood of receiving a new assignment.

“In fact,” Nagayama Naoki said directly, “same as last time.”

She did not react immediately. “Same as what?”

“I currently have some idle funds again. I’d like to buy an apartment and another commercial property.”

“Eh?!”

“Yes, that’s the situation. I’ll trouble you again, Keiko-san. If you find suitable properties, please call me. Shinjuku or elsewhere is fine. I have something to do now, so I’ll hang up. Bye.”

Like a prank, Nagayama Naoki quickly hung up.

Listening to the busy tone, Fujita Keiko was left with only one thought:

“As expected… Naoki-san is buying property again.”

Teasing a girl early in the morning put Nagayama Naoki in an excellent mood. His grand plan of getting rich through land purchases was progressing smoothly, and that good mood continued.

There were still some finishing tasks for the filming of “Yonimo Kimyo na Monogatari,” and the editing of the remaining episodes was proceeding steadily.

Nagayama Naoki seemed to have entered another relaxed idle period.

Should he consider going on a trip?

Looking at the blazing sun outside, he immediately dismissed the idea.

Unless it meant escaping to Antarctica, nothing could convince him to go outdoors in this heat.

However, his empty refrigerator and hungry stomach forced him to change his mind.

Nothing mattered more than food. Braving the scorching sun, he went to the nearby supermarket. Not wanting hot meals in summer, he bought large amounts of sushi and cold dishes, along with plenty of iced drinks and popsicles.

He hurried home under the sun, stuffed the refrigerator full, and finally felt relieved.

Lunch was naturally sushi. The ready-made sushi taken straight from the refrigerated shelf still carried a chill, and paired with ice-cold beer, it cooled him to the core.

After eating, he took a cold shower, as if washing away all the summer heat.

Eating popsicles, sitting in front of an electric fan, and listening to the newly purchased sound system, he sighed:

“Summer really is best spent staying at home.”

Nagayama Naoki complained in a way that would make office workers wish they could trade places with him.

“When filming, it felt just like working… always busy. Rest time is always so short. When can I live that ideal life—countryside, bamboo mat, palm fan, watermelon, a small dog… the kind of life everyone longs for?”

Suddenly, he remembered a variety show with a similar concept called “Xiangwang de Shenghuo” (“Back to Field”).

It seemed like a good idea, though he was unsure whether Japanese audiences would accept it. He could discuss it later with Yoshimura Daitomo and the others to see if it had potential.

At that moment, noisy shouting came from downstairs.

“Kazuya, Edada, what are you dawdling for? Hurry up!”

“Shi-chan, help carry the water basin!”

“Yeah, can’t you see it’s heavy?”

“What are you talking about? I’m already carrying all these tools…”

The commotion drew Nagayama Naoki’s curiosity. From the third floor balcony, he looked down.

Three elementary school students were loudly arguing below.

Two of them carried a large water basin, while the other had many pole-like tools strapped to his back.

What were they going to do? Fishing? Why bring such a big wooden basin? Build a small boat? Maybe a water fight?

The three children argued endlessly, overflowing with energy. One idea after another popped into Nagayama Naoki’s mind. Who could possibly understand the logic of elementary school kids during summer vacation?

Then suddenly, the door of an old house across the street opened.

A white-haired elderly man in worn clothes shouted from inside:

“You three brats are too noisy! You woke me from my nap! Get out of here now or you’ll regret it!”

The shout instantly silenced the children, who hurried to leave obediently. Yet the bold leader turned back and made a face, full of youthful vitality.

The old man, apparently exhausted after that single outburst, quietly closed the door.

The yard of the old house was gloomy and overgrown with weeds, forming a sharp contrast with the summer flowers blooming in neighboring courtyards.

He probably no longer had the strength to take care of it.

Youth and old age—one beginning, one ending—just like the two contrasting yards.

Watching from upstairs, Nagayama Naoki felt a trace of emotion. Was this the cycle of life?

Memories suddenly surged uncontrollably into his mind:

The same summer, the same three elementary school children on vacation, the same stubborn old man, and a weed-filled courtyard just like the one below.

A film he had once watched, “Natsu no Niwa” (“The Friends”), suddenly surfaced in his thoughts.