novelraw Chapter 48: Jealousy
Chapter 48: Jealousy
Nohara Hiroshi was not some silly, naive university student; regarding this kind of recruitment, he saw through it very thoroughly.
It was just the other party's probing recruitment.
If he defected over, perhaps he could indeed obtain some resources at the beginning. But who says, as a betrayer, one could gain the other party's appreciation?
One must know, in neon culture, betrayers are looked down upon very much.
This kind of verbal promise hasn't the slightest legal effect.
In the end, being eaten clean and dry, hollowing out all those things inside his brain and replacing them with others' names to act as another's wedding dress, are all things very likely to happen.
So Nohara Hiroshi sneered at this kind of recruitment.
Returning to the TV Tokyo Production Bureau Headquarters Building, Nohara Hiroshi continued busying himself with the production of "Yamishibai Season 2".
He was busy all the way until the afternoon.
"Phew!"Nohara Hiroshi stretched his back, feeling thirsty, so he left the section and headed to the Production Bureau's public pantry.
Inside this high-speed operating giant steel beast, here was a rare oasis where people could catch their breath slightly. Here there were no strictly hierarchical titles, no swords-drawn performance pressure, only swirling steam and the gentle fragrance of black tea.
The key point was the black tea was free.
It belonged to employee benefits.
Nohara Hiroshi skillfully took out a clean bone-china cup from the cabinet, tore open a black tea bag, and poured hot water over it. The amber tea liquid rippled open in the cup like a small, warm sunset.
As he was preparing to find a quiet corner to stay for a while, a slightly familiar voice whose name he couldn't recall sounded from behind.
"Nohara-kun, right?"
Nohara Hiroshi turned around.
A middle-aged man wearing a plaid shirt and black-rimmed glasses, holding a cup of coffee, his face carrying a quite sincere smile mixed with curiosity and appreciation.
He recognized this face; it seemed to be a Level 3 Director from the neighboring section. They had met a few times in the corridor, a nodding acquaintance.
"Hello, Section Chief Sato." Nohara Hiroshi nodded lightly. His memory displayed its proper function at this moment.
"Haha, you still remember me." The director addressed as Sato was clearly somewhat surprised, the smile on his face growing even more eager: "Forgive my abrupt interruption, just wanted to tell you, my whole family is following that 'Yamishibai' of yours. Especially my daughter in middle school, she is your loyal fan now, and even said... said she no longer dares to go to the school's music room alone at night."
As soon as he said this, it was as if some marvelous switch was turned on.
The few staff members who originally were still conversing softly in their respective corners, like iron filings attracted by a magnet, gathered over simultaneously.
"Section Chief Sato is right! Nohara-kun, the concept for 'Paper' is simply genius! The few female assistants in our section now get scared and detour around whenever they see the photocopier jam!"
"I actually find that 'Contradiction' episode the most formidable. Pure logical terror, that is the true high-class way to play. I thought about it all night yesterday and still couldn't figure out which one was the real ghost, outside the door or on the phone."
"Nohara-sensei, how did you come up with these stories? Could it be you really... saw those things?"
For a time, the small pantry unexpectedly turned into Nohara Hiroshi's personal fan meet-and-greet.
These directors and planners who typically took charge in their respective domains, at this moment were like a group of curious students, surrounding him, exploring the mysteries of that mysterious world named "fear".
Nohara Hiroshi merely listened quietly, a gentle and polite smile hanging on his face, occasionally giving humble remarks like "just some unworthy thoughts", "everyone is overpraising", towards those questions.
He was like the eye of the storm he personally stirred up, standing firm and unmoving no matter how clamorous the surrounding world was.
That steadfastness and unhurriedness beyond his age gradually made a trace of true respect appear in the eyes of those seniors who came originally out of curiosity.
No one dislikes such a humble yet capable young man.
Except, amidst this lively surrounding crowd, Hashishita Ichiro and Minamura Hoshi also walked in holding cups.
Seeing Nohara Hiroshi surrounded in the center by the crowd, like stars surrounding the moon, unconcealed envy and adoration were instantly written all over Minamura Hoshi's young face.
"Wow... Nohara-sensei is truly the hotshot of our station now." He lowered his voice, lamenting to Hashishita Ichiro beside him: "Really envy his talent ah, if only I could make a work like this someday."
His words were very casual.
Yet like an unseen, tiny needle, lightly yet precisely stabbed into Hashishita Ichiro's heart.
The knuckles of Hashishita Ichiro's hand holding the teacup turned slightly white due to exertion.
Looking at that figure surrounded by the crowd who was almost ten years younger than himself, looking at those unstinting praises on those seniors' faces, a nameless fire called jealousy quietly burned within his chest.
He thought of himself.
Thought of himself following at Section Chief Suzuki's side, from Kanto Station to this TV Tokyo headquarters, working conscientiously and diligently, enduring countless sleepless nights, drawing how many storyboards while neglecting food and sleep.
But the result?
His application for promotion to Level 3 Director was unmercifully rejected. In the section, he was still just an Executive Director, an... assistant.
Whereas this young man named Nohara Hiroshi, how long had he been here?
Merely relying on an opportunistic "slideshow" with an art style as rough as children's doodles, relying on a few sensational ghost stories, he ascended to the sky in a single bound, becoming a "genius" in everyone's mouths, a hotshot that even Deputy Bureau Chief Asumi called to see by name.
Even Section Chief Suzuki, whom he had followed for so many years, now in the gaze looking at that young man, was also full of a deep appreciation and reliance he had never seen before.
On what grounds?
Within Hashishita Ichiro's heart, that cluster of nameless fire burned ever brighter.
He didn't feel "Yamishibai" was all that grand.
That was nothing more than a novel line of thought. As for production and visuals, it was simply amateur level.
He had also participated in the production. Those coloring, that editing, which one didn't have his painstaking effort? But in the end, all the credit, all the halo, fell onto the head of that young man alone.
Himself, along with this entire section, had all become the stepping stones for his path to the mountain peak.
Hashishita Ichiro gritted his teeth tightly.
This kind of realization was like a poison-tempered blunt knife, cutting back and forth slowly on his heart, bringing waves of sharp stabbing pain.
He picked up the teacup, wanting to use that warm liquid to extinguish that evil fire. But as that tea went down his throat, it only transformed into a deeper bitterness.
Right at this moment, from the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a familiar figure.
It was the assistant of the neighboring Iwata Section, Kojima.
Kojima was standing at the entrance of the pantry, not coming in, merely shooting a subtle look towards his direction, and then using his chin to nod lightly towards that secluded corridor beside him.
Hashishita Ichiro's eyebrows furrowed imperceptibly.
His relationship with Kojima was okay, not considered friends, but because their sections were adjacent, they occasionally ate bento together at the convenience store downstairs, chatting about a few inconsequential gossips.
He thought for a bit, and still put down the teacup.
Perhaps it was a desire to temporarily escape for a moment from that lively circle that made him feel suffocated.
He said a sentence of "I'm going out for a smoke" towards Minamura Hoshi who was still looking at Nohara Hiroshi with a face full of envy, and then calmly walked out of the pantry.
Following Kojima, he turned into that rarely visited fire escape corridor.
At the end of the corridor, was a meeting room that was vacant year-round and used as a storage room.
The door was ajar.
"What's the matter looking for me?" Hashishita Ichiro looked at Kojima, his tone flat.
Kojima didn't answer, merely a somewhat strange smile appeared on his face, and then he pushed open that door, making a "please" gesture to him.
"Why so mysterious?" A trace of inexplicable unease flashed in Hashishita Ichiro's heart.
But he still walked in.
The lights weren't on in the room, the lighting dim, and a smell of vintage dust floated in the air.
Then, he saw it.
In the deepest shadow of the room, a figure was slowly standing up from a chair.
That person wore a well-tailored suit. On his face, hung a sinister smile like a poisonous snake flicking its tongue.
It was Iwata Masao.
"Hashishita-kun."
Iwata Masao's voice sounded in this enclosed, dim room, carrying a hair-raising stickiness.
"Let us... have a chat."
Hashishita Ichiro looked at his face that appeared increasingly twisted in the shadows, feeling his back instantly soaked by a layer of cold sweat.
He subconsciously wanted to turn and leave, yet discovered, the door behind him, at some unknown time, had already been gently closed by Kojima.
With a crisp "click", decisive.
Like a cage dropping its final bolt.