novelraw Chapter 62: Content Hashishita Ichiro
Chapter 62: Content Hashishita Ichiro
When Nohara Hiroshi woke up alone from the soft large bed of the hotel, the sunlight outside the window was already like melted gold, slowly flowing along the glass curtain walls of the row upon row of skyscrapers.
The air lacked the familiar faint fragrance belonging to Misae.
He stretched his body, listening to the crisp sounds coming from his joints, feeling the reception task that drained all his mental energy over the past few days finally, at this moment, accompanying this peaceful sleep, drew a relatively perfect full stop.
He knew Misae's family was arranged by him into another three rooms.
Misae stayed in one room with her mother.
Convenient to say some intimately private words.
The eldest sister-in-law and youngest sister-in-law shared a room. Occasionally the mother and daughters would also visit each other's rooms, chatting about some topics concerning women.
While that father-in-law seemingly stubborn but in truth already thoroughly conquered by a bottle of 'Juyondai', solely enjoyed a suite overlooking the night view of Tokyo, with excellent scenery!
And convenient for taking photos!
Of course, this sum of accommodation expenses wasn't small, but towards that continuously growing string of numbers on the bank passbook, it was merely one hair from nine oxen.What Nohara Hiroshi wanted, was precisely this unhurried calmness.
Having finished washing up, when he appeared at the hotel's buffet restaurant wearing a casual and decent attire, the Koyama family was already waiting there.
"Uncle, Auntie, Eldest Sister, and Musae, good morning everyone!" Nohara Hiroshi was still very polite.
"Mhm, very good." Koyama Yoshiharu's face remained rigid, but those eyes always sharp as an eagle, upon seeing him, were noticeably much softer, even carrying a trace of imperceptible satisfaction.
"Hiroshi, come quick and eat something. It's been troubling you a lot recently eh."
Mother Koyama Takasae enthusiastically greeted him, pushing a piece of freshly toasted bread slathered with butter in front of him.
That look in her eyes, truly was a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law, the more she looks the more satisfied she gets.
"Brother-in-law! Where are we going to play today? To Senso-ji Temple, or to Tokyo Tower?" On youngest sister Musae's face was written undisguised excitement. In those dark and glossy large eyes of hers, flashed the purest yearning towards this prosperous metropolis.
"We're going to both." On Nohara Hiroshi's face hung a gentle smile. He looked at that small face of Misae beside him which appeared even more tender because of having slept enough, his tone carrying a bit of pampering: "I am your exclusive driver and tour guide, responsible for presenting the most beautiful side of this city before you."
The atmosphere was extremely harmonious right now.
...
The black Toyota was like a tamed giant beast, silently gliding within the intersecting blood vessels of Tokyo.
Outside the car window, was the bizarre and motley ukiyo-e of this city.
The ancient eaves of Senso-ji Temple and the modern silhouette of the Skytree in the distance reflected each other. The cold luxury goods inside Ginza's shop windows and the final few falling cherry blossoms in Ueno Park, conjointly staged a silent drama regarding time and desire.
The exclamations of amazement from the Koyama family became the best background sound for this drama.
The Tokyo Metropolis of the 1990s truly was an international metropolis.
A fusion of the classical and modern.
Even modern humans accustomed to seeing the numerous metropolises of future Huaxia, looking at the Tokyo Metropolis of today, would feel it was ridiculously prosperous.
This also wasn't surprising.
After all, the Tokyo Metropolis of now was still at the tail end of the golden era.
Although the Lost Three Decades had started brewing.
It hadn't arrived yet.
However, those Lost Three Decades were a blow towards ordinary commoners. For those with money and fame...
The chic remains chic.
Nohara Hiroshi merely drove the car calmly, occasionally looking through the rearview mirror at that small face of Misae filled with happiness and pride, his heart then feeling a piece of tranquility.
He wasn't interested in warning Neon.
After bringing the family out to play for the entire morning, lunch was arranged at the French restaurant on the top floor of the Imperial Hotel.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, was the magnificent scenery of Tokyo's entire Imperial Palace. Beneath the feet was a Persian carpet soft enough to sink high heels in, by the ears was the faint sound of violins.
Waiters wearing dignified and neat attire walked to and fro.
The service was extremely good.
Koyama Yoshiharu held a wine glass of red wine, his posture remaining impeccable, but on that constantly tensed face, not a trace of yesterday's stubbornness and anger could be found anymore.
He looked at the piece of greenery outside the window symbolizing Neon's center of power, feeling for the first time that he, this ordinary civil servant from Kumamoto Prefecture, seemingly also touched the paramount, unreachable sky of this country.
And the one giving him all this, was the young man beside him who was patiently cutting steak for his daughter.
'Beep beep beep!'
Right within this near-perfect harmonious atmosphere, the pager on Nohara Hiroshi's waist suddenly let out a rapid vibration.
He glanced at the number displayed on it, his brows frowning imperceptibly.
It was the section's internal line.
"Apologies, excuse me for a moment." He cast an apologetic look at everyone, getting up and walking towards the public telephone booth outside the restaurant.
The cold receiver pressed against his ear, instantly pulling him back from this tender illusion to that reality full of gunpowder smoke and scheming.
"Section Chief Nohara!" On the other end of the phone, transmitted Kitagawa Yao's voice which was so anxious it was somewhat out of tune: "Bad news! Just now... just now the deputy chief of the director group came over... they said, they hope to take over the production of the third season of 『Yamishibai』! And also said... also said they want to discuss purchasing copyright matters with you!"
"Purchasing copyright?" Hearing this, Nohara Hiroshi slightly paused.
Then within those always calm eyes, rippled an intriguing smile unique to chess players when seeing their opponent make a foul move.
The matter he was most worried about wasn't the opponent's strength, but the opponent's stupidity.
As a transmigrator, he knew clearer than anyone else, the life trajectory of 『Yamishibai』.
The sudden emergence of the first season was the flash of genius, sufficient to found a sect.
The pressing forward of the second season brought this novel pattern to the extreme, sufficient to confer the title of a god.
But starting from the third season, this fixed pattern would inevitably sink into the quagmire of 'aesthetic fatigue'.
The audience's freshness fades.
Viewership ratings encounter a bottleneck, even a severe... decline.
In his past life, the third season was a complete Waterloo, until the fourth and fifth season where the production team learned from the painful experience, adding more new elements and narrative techniques, to usher in the second pinnacle of creation.
And now, someone actually wanted to proactively jump out and accept this hot potato just when he, Nohara Hiroshi, rubbed this signboard the brightest and its value was the highest?
This was no longer a simple commercial behavior. This was targeted poverty alleviation, this was delivering a head across a thousand miles!
"I know." The corners of Nohara Hiroshi's mouth curled up slightly, his voice calm to the point not a ripple could be heard.
That calmness transmitted through the cold telephone line, instantly flattening the panic in Kitagawa Yao's heart: "Tell them, matters regarding copyright, wait until I return to the station on Monday and I'll personally talk with them. As for the production team's side, tell them not to panic, everything goes on as usual."
"But... but Section Chief, they want to snatch away our project ah!" Kitagawa Yao's voice still contained unwillingness.
"Rest assured." Nohara Hiroshi chuckled lightly. Within that laughter carried a confidence of perceiving everything: "Some things, cannot be snatched away. Let them be happy for two days first."
Hanging up the phone, he returned to the dining table. On his face was still that gentle smile, as if that phone call just now was merely an inconsequential greeting.
...
Whereas inside that 'Nohara Hiroshi Special Production Team' of TV Tokyo which had already hung up a brand-new doorplate, the atmosphere was far from being that peaceful.
"Deceiving people too far! This is simply daylight robbery!" Minamura Hoshi smashed his fist onto the table. On that young face was written full of anger: "The empire we painstakingly built up, on what basis should we let them reap the fruits without sowing?!"
"Exactly! Isn't it just after seeing our 『Yamishibai』 become popular, they want to come pick the peaches! Their eating appearance is way too ugly!" Haseji Kakeru was also trembling all over with anger.
Inside the office, everyone was filled with righteous indignation.
Only Hashishita Ichiro maintained his head lowered from beginning to end, silently drinking the tea in his cup.
He looked at those young faces filled with righteous indignation. That look in his eyes, was like looking at a flock of lambs about to be pushed onto the sacrificial altar yet remaining oblivious.
There was no anger in his heart. Only a calmness bordering on cruelty, and a trace of imperceptible smugness.
He knew, this ship seemingly riding the winds and breaking the waves, was about to hit a reef soon.
Without Nohara Hiroshi this soul figure, 『Yamishibai』 was nothing but an empty shell. Reeling in what Executive Deputy Director Takada and Section Chief Iwata wanted, was precisely this empty shell.
They will use the most gorgeous resources to repackage this empty shell, then, use a seemingly brilliant failure, to completely smack that recently risen myth named 'Nohara Hiroshi' down to the mortal realm.
While he, Hashishita Ichiro.
As the only smart person who saw clearly the truth and jumped off the ship in advance, will be on another more sturdy and gorgeous large ship, coldly observing all of this from the sidelines.
He had even thought it over already. Once the copyright transaction was complete, when the production rights of the third season were officially transferred to the Iwata Section, he would officially hand in his resignation to Nohara Hiroshi under the pretext of 'discordant concepts'.
Then, amidst everyone's amazement, perform a gorgeous turnaround, walking into that office symbolizing true power.
He seemingly could already see, those shocked and disappointed gazes of Minamura Hoshi and Haseji Kakeru.
He even had some anticipation.
Because he knew, this thing called jealousy, could only obtain the most thorough sweet consolation when watching the envied person fall from a high place.