novelraw Chapter 53: Celebration Banquet
Chapter 53: Celebration Banquet
The night scenery was like premium quality ink slowly smudging out on this gigantic piece of rice paper that was Tokyo, smudging away all the bustling noise and order of the daytime, transforming into a resplendent sea of stars composed of countless lights.
Inside a ryotei in Akasaka, wooden partitions separated the prosperity of the outside world and the tranquility of this place.
Floating in the air was the gentle, faint rice fragrance of sake, mixing with the sizzling sound and the slight milky-scented fat aroma forced out of the meat blocks as premium Wagyu beef was seared by high temperatures on the iron plate, making the smell within this retro-atmosphered room increasingly rich and mellow.
This was a celebration banquet, a banquet belonging to victors in the truest sense.
At the main seat, Deputy Bureau Chief Asumi held a small celadon sake cup. That square face that always appeared elegant and calm, at this moment also bore a layer of gentle red glow due to a bit of intoxication.
He looked at Nohara Hiroshi sitting beside him, the appreciation in his eyes almost undisguised.
"Nohara-kun." His voice was warm and mellow, carrying the unique intimacy an elder has towards a junior: "I heard from Kiyoto, this time's 'Yamishibai', whether it's Season 1 or Season 2, from beginning to end, was entirely your handiwork. To tell the truth, upon seeing the first viewership rating report, even I broke a sweat for you. But you, forcefully used a way nobody understood, to fight a beautiful battle... sufficient to be inscribed into the annals of our television station."
He raised his sake cup towards Nohara Hiroshi, gesturing slightly: "This cup, representing the Production Bureau, I toast to you, a genius."
"Hai! Deputy Bureau Chief Asumi!"
Nohara Hiroshi immediately put down the chopsticks in his hands, picked up his own sake cup with both hands, leaned his body forward slightly, and with an extremely humble posture, placed the rim of his cup slightly lower than Asumi's, clinking lightly.As a Northerner in his past life, he understood these worldly wisdoms extremely well. He was also very disdainful towards those in his past life who said foreign countries had no worldly wisdoms.
Foreign countries were actually too full of worldly wisdoms.
If you weren't one of their own.
Then there simply was no need to engage in worldly wisdoms with you.
Therefore, at this time he must be respectful, humble, and very polite! Moreover, the other party was around forty years old, roughly 20 years older than him, almost the same age as his father Nohara Ginnosuke currently in Omagari City, Akita Prefecture.
Though when Nohara Hiroshi thought about the personality of his old man, Nohara Ginnosuke, the corners of his eyes twitched slightly.
If Misae bore Shin-chan in the future...
He absolutely must keep his son far away from this unreliable father of his!
"You overpraise me, Deputy Bureau Chief."
Yet at this time Nohara Hiroshi's voice was calm, unable to detect the slightest complacency produced by these praises or his complicated internal fluctuations: "If it weren't for you and Section Chief Suzuki persisting over all objections, giving me, an intern, such immense trust, 'Yamishibai' would only be a few pieces of waste paper. This cup, properly speaking, should be me toasting you, toasting Section Chief Suzuki, toasting all colleagues who have put effort into this work."
He tilted his head back and downed the sake in the cup in one gulp.
Spicy warmth slid down his throat, yet not the slightest change could be seen on his face. Only those eyes appeared increasingly clear under the warm lighting of the ryotei.
What a fine, neither haughty nor humble young man.
The color of appreciation in Asumi's eyes deepened.
He knew, in this circle, talent is certainly important, but knowing how to place one's own position, how to accurately find one's role in the chess game of higher-ups, is the key to being able to go further.
Thus Nohara Hiroshi's words were neither conceited of his talent nor overly terrified.
He attributed the merit to the collective, lowered his posture extremely low, yet within his speech, imperceptibly bound himself, Asumi, and Suzuki Kiyoto onto a ship named "us".
This was no longer a maneuver a newcomer should possess; this was an acute sense of smell for the rules of authority.
"Well said!"
Suzuki Kiyoto to the side, at this moment his face was already glowing red. He forcefully slapped the table, as if wanting to smack out all the lofty ambition in his chest: "Deputy Bureau Chief, you wouldn't know, this kid, is the future hope of our Kanto Faction! Back when you promoted me, I said it, we from Kanto TV have hard bones and ideas! Now, look, hasn't an even harder one arrived!"
He spoke these words half out of intoxication, half out of sincerity.
He was both uplifting Nohara Hiroshi and expressing his loyalty and stance to Asumi, this old leader.
Hearing this, Asumi laughed heartily, the laughter filled with the hearty enjoyment of venting after being suppressed for a long time.
He pointed at Suzuki Kiyoto, then pointed at Nohara Hiroshi, and said to all the Suzuki Section members present: "You all heard it? From now on, at our Kanto gatherings, Nohara-kun is a core figure who must be present!"
"Hai!"
Nohara Hiroshi stood up again and bowed deeply, very deeply to Asumi.
He knew, from this moment on, he truly stepped into the core circle of authority of this television station, having paid his respects to the big boss and become a chess piece entrusted with lofty hopes under Deputy Bureau Chief Asumi's command.
"Nohara Hiroshi, continue to work hard. In a little while, I will give you a surprise. A huge surprise for you as the rising star of our Kanto Faction!"
Deputy Bureau Chief Asumi didn't stay too long. After drinking a few more cups and leaving behind a few words of encouragement, he departed thoroughly enjoyed.
The words left behind also made everyone extremely excited.
However, once he left, the atmosphere in the ryotei private room instantly relaxed.
Minamura Hoshi and Haseji Kakeru seemingly finally threw off some invisible shackles, starting to loudly play drinking games. Kitagawa Yao also took small sips of juice, her face bearing a satisfied blush.
Suzuki Kiyoto looked at this scene of jubilation before him, his eyes full of gratification.
He picked up a sake cup, stood up, that old face bearing somewhat post-drinking emotion.
"Everyone." He cleared his throat, waiting for everyone to quiet down before slowly speaking: "There is one matter I need to announce. The station's appointment regarding my promotion to Level 2 Director has formally come down."
"Oh!" A burst of sincere cheers sounded in the office.
"However." Suzuki Kiyoto waved his hand, gesturing for everyone to quiet down, "I also received new transfer orders. Next month, I will head to Kanto TV to serve as Deputy Director of the Director Group, responsible for a few key planning projects over there."
This news stunned everyone.
"Section Chief... you're leaving?" Minamura Hoshi's voice carried a trace of disappointment.
Suzuki Kiyoto smiled, that smile carrying a thorough understanding after seeing through worldly affairs: "There is no banquet in the world that never disperses. For this old bone of mine to be able to reach this step today is already thanks to everyone's blessings. Here in Tokyo, it's the kingdom of you young people."
His gaze slowly swept over the faces of Minamura Hoshi, Haseji Kakeru, and Kitagawa Yao, ultimately landing on Nohara Hiroshi sitting quietly in the corner.
"I hope, you three, can continue to stay in Tokyo, stay in Nohara-kun's Special Production Team." His voice became incomparably solemn: "Following him, the things you can learn will be much more than following me to Kanto TV. Your futures will also be boundlessly vast."
Hearing this, the eyes of the three grew somewhat red. They looked at Suzuki Kiyoto, then looked at Nohara Hiroshi, and nodded heavily.
Only Hashishita Ichiro, from beginning to end, merely lowered his head and silently drank the wine in his cup.
That face reflected by the lights was dark and unclear.