My Name is Hiroshi Nohara, Star of Neon Film and Television!

Chapter 88: Neon Fever! Mrs. Hashishita's Dogeza!

Nohara Hiroshi's apartment, warm and tranquil.

The soft lighting dyed this tiny apartment resembling an isolated cozy harbor.

On the dining table, inside an exquisite bone china plate held a freshly pan-fried flounder exuding a rich butter aroma, the fish meat dotted with several bright red peppercorns, beside it paired with a small portion of arugula salad dressed with olive oil and sea salt, crisp and tender as if capable of dripping water.

"Wu wu wu! Truly delicious!" Misae was currently taking small bites using a silver dining fork to deliver the fish meat into her mouth, on that pretty face always carrying somewhat of naïve charm, brimming with a kind of happiness enveloped by delicious food and love.

"Hm, the fish meat is very fresh and tender." Nohara Hiroshi chucklingly nodded.

"Hm... Hiroshi-kun, this lemon butter sauce you made, the flavor is simply superb!"

While Misae also took another large mouthful of fish meat, contentedly narrowing her eyes, like a kitty who stealthily ate the world's most delicious dried fish: "Even more delicious than the one we ate at that high-end French restaurant in Ginza last time!"

"Eat more if you like it." Nohara Hiroshi smilingly filled up the white wine in her cup, that clear liquid inside the crystal cup, refracting a resplendent and charming light.

His mood was very good.

Not merely because of that viewership rating report soaring all the way up resembling riding a rocket, but even more so because of this tranquility and daily life, belonging to him, within reach before his eyes.This is exactly the significance of his struggle.

'Ring ring ring——'

Right at this moment, a burst of rapid phone ringing surfaced from the corner of the wall, cutting through this cozy tranquility.

Misae placed down her knife and fork, just preparing to stand up to answer, Nohara Hiroshi yet had already stood up a step earlier, making a "eat at ease" gesture to her, himself unhurriedly walking to the living room.

"Hello, this is the Nohara household." He picked up the receiver.

"Is it Nohara-kun? It's me, Suzuki Kiyoto."

From the other end of the phone, transmitted a familiar and also carrying somewhat of weary gentle voice.

Nohara Hiroshi was very familiar with this voice.

A smile also revealed on his face: "Senior Suzuki! Truly didn't expect to be able to receive your call this late, you haven't rested yet?"

He always held deep respect towards Suzuki Kiyoto.

"Haha, can't sleep, can't sleep ah."

Suzuki Kiyoto on the other end of the phone issued a dry laugh, in that laughter, yet carrying a kind of irrepressible excitement and pride: "I just from the Kanto Station side, saw the viewership rating report transmitted over from the Tokyo headquarters. Nohara-kun, you... you truly... I indeed didn't misjudge you back then! 『Tales of the Unusual』 viewership rating 21.95%! You kid, simply created a miracle!"

His praise was full of appreciation arising from the bottom of his heart.

"You overpraise me, Senior." Nohara Hiroshi merely peacefully smiled, "This is all the result of everyone's joint efforts."

"No, this is different." Suzuki Kiyoto's tone became solemn: "I understand too clearly, this achievement, ninety-nine percent, is all the merit of you alone, exactly identical to 『Yamishibai』! You... you have already grown to, an altitude needing even an old fellow like me, to look up to."

This spiel of his was spoken sincerely and heartfeltly, Nohara Hiroshi could even from the phone, hear his sharing the glory gratification belonging to half a guide.

The two cheerfully chatted.

Without half a bit of estrangement.

Merely after exchanging pleasantries, the other end of the phone yet sunk into a long silence, inside carrying somewhat of hesitation of wanting to speak yet stopping, and a kind of awkwardness difficult to voice out.

Nohara Hiroshi didn't urge him, he merely quietly waited, inside those clear eyes, had long flashed past somewhat of speculation.

"Senior." Ultimately it was still Nohara Hiroshi who opened his mouth first, that voice gentle, carrying a power capable of calming people's hearts: "Do you... possess some matter you wish to speak with me about?"

"... Sigh." On the other end of the phone, transmitted Suzuki Kiyoto's sigh full of helplessness.

"Nohara-kun, I this old fellow, making this phone call to you today, is wanting to... is wanting to possess thick skin, on behalf of a useless thing, pleading leniency with you." Suzuki Kiyoto opened his mouth.

"Is it concerning Senior Hashishita." Nohara Hiroshi's tone was peaceful, taking the initiative to speak out his own speculation, lest Suzuki Kiyoto be awkward.

"Yes."

Inside Suzuki Kiyoto's voice, carrying a trace of surprise, immediately transforming into a denser bitterness: "Exactly that bastard thing."

"I... I also just found out. It was his wife, who just crying called me. Saying... saying that guy, after returning today, exactly acted like he was crazy, locking himself inside the room, crying and shouting, smashing things, drinking himself dead drunk. She's never seen him like that before, the children at home were so scared they were sent to their grandparents' house."

In Suzuki Kiyoto's voice, carrying an expecting better heartache: "I asked for a long while, only then knowing, he... he was penalized by the television station. Transferred back to Kanto Station, going to the Logistics Department to serve as a... Document Organizer."

"This... this compared to firing him, what's the difference? This is clearly making him, suffer a social death ah!"

Nohara Hiroshi didn't speak.

He of course knew, in this nation with strict hierarchies, extremely valuing "face", this kind of penalty, compared to direct firing, possessed even more humiliating nature.

There were many Neon individuals with similar situations, even finding the humiliation unbearable and directly going to hang themselves on a tree there were quite a few.

After all the face and dignity of Neon...

Sometimes bizarre enough that they value it even heavier than anyone in the entire world, and conversely towards life hold extreme lack of self-respect, wanting to leave then leaving.

"Nohara-kun, I know, that bastard thing, he betrayed you, betrayed our entire Kanto Faction, he deserves what he gets."

In Suzuki Kiyoto's voice, carried an almost pleading hoarseness: "However, he... he is after all the very first disciple I brought out. He possesses talent, merely... merely temporarily had his heart blinded by jealousy and ambition. I... I truly cannot bear, watching him be destroyed just like this."

"Therefore, Nohara-kun, I... am I able to request a favor from you?"

Suzuki Kiyoto appealed saying: "I know this request is extremely excessive. But... are you able to... go to his house to take a look at him? His house isn't far from your place, exactly in Koto Ward. You... go persuade him a bit, even if it's merely fiercely scolding him once, knocking some sense into him is also fine. Please don't let him... truly take things too hard, walking the path of no return."

"I understand."

Amidst Suzuki Kiyoto's waiting fully fraught with apprehension, Nohara Hiroshi's voice immediately responded: "Senior, please rest assured, I shall head over right now. Hashishita Ichiro also once was a comrade fighting side by side, of course it's impossible to watch him encounter any incidents in vain."

"Then... truly too grateful to you! Hiroshi-kun!" Suzuki Kiyoto was excited to the point of even using honorifics.

Hanging up the phone, Nohara Hiroshi returned to the dining room.

Misae was exactly using a gaze carrying somewhat of worry looking at him. "Is it matters concerning work?" She softly asked.

"Hm, a former colleague, encountered a little situation." Nohara Hiroshi walked behind her, leaning down, softly kissing her cheek once, his voice gentle: "I'll go out for a trip, will return very quickly. You eat first, no need to wait for me."

"Hm, pay attention to safety." Misae was obedient like a cute little calico cat.

...

The black Toyota Crown Majesta silently glided through the night scenery, outside the car window, were the brilliantly shining lights of this city that never fell.

Nohara Hiroshi according to the address given by Suzuki Kiyoto, very rapidly exactly found that somewhat aged looking apartment building in Koto Ward.

The light inside the stairwell was dim, permeating a damp smell unique to old buildings in the air.

He stood before that slightly mottled iron door ringing the doorbell.

'Ding dong!'

After a while the door was finally opened from inside.

Opening the door was a woman looking in her early thirties, she wore a set of plain-colored loungewear, hair somewhat messy, that face which should have been considered possessing quite a bit of beauty, at this moment yet was written full of haggardness and unease, a pair of eyes swollen red from crying, like two overripe cherries.

"Excuse me... who are you looking for?" Her voice was hoarse, carrying a trace of vigilance.

"Hello, I am Nohara Hiroshi." Nohara Hiroshi introduced himself: "Am Hashishita Ichiro's colleague."

When this name was spoken from his mouth, that woman's body violently trembled once, inside those red swollen eyes, instantly erupted with a kind of complex radiance mixing hope and shame.

"You... you are exactly Sensei Nohara!"

She subconsciously exactly wanted to bow performing courtesy, carrying a crying tone inside her voice: "Truly apologetic, letting you see our house's appearance like this..."

She turned sideways entirely opening the door, making way for a passage.

An intense alcohol stench almost piercing the nose, instantly assaulted the face from inside the room, also intermingling with the nauseating sour rot smell of vomit.

The living room was in a complete mess, shattered wine bottles, scattered cushions, overturned furniture, like having just experienced a miniature typhoon.

And from the inner bedroom, was transmitting out a deafening, thunderous-like snoring sound.

"He... after returning, was exactly this appearance."

Hashishita's wife, that woman named Hashishita Minami welcomed Nohara Hiroshi in.

While speaking, also simultaneously using the back of her hand wiping the continuously welling tears, her voice full of helplessness and despair: "I asked him what exactly happened, he also wouldn't speak, exactly merely continuously drinking alcohol, smashing things, his mouth also non-stop shouting 'why' 'on what basis'... I... I'm truly so afraid, I never saw this appearance of his before."

She looked at Nohara Hiroshi, that gaze like a person about to drown, grasping the final life-saving straw:

"Sensei Nohara, I listened to Sensei Suzuki speaking about it, that useless... he... is he going to be fired by the television station? Are we... are we going to lose this respectable job?"

Nohara Hiroshi looking at that face of hers written full of fear, remained silent for a moment, ultimately, still unable to bear it, lightly nodding his head a bit.

Although banishment to Kanto Station isn't considered firing.

But was also about the same.

A document clerk, how can it compare to a TV Tokyo Level 4 Director, and the treatment of a Deputy Section Chief?

And this motion, like the final straw, utterly crushed Hashishita Minami's nerves already taut to the limit long ago.

Her body violently went soft and slumped onto the floor.

A complexion of despair.

Tears in her eyes all emerged.

"Mrs. Hashishita." Nohara Hiroshi subconsciously extended his hand wanting to support this mature woman in her thirties still possessing quite a bit of beauty, but thinking of the distinction between men and women, both hands still slightly stiffened for a moment.

And at this time, this Hashishita Minami slumped on the ground actually regardless of everything, facing Nohara Hiroshi, with a plop kneeled down!

A standard, forehead tightly pressing against the icy floor, Dogeza!

Displaying that plump figure belonging to a mature woman entirely.

"Sensei Nohara!"

Her voice, transmitting from beneath that lowered head, full of humble and also despairing appeal: "I am begging you! Begging you to give him another chance! I know, he did wrong things, he betrayed you, he deserves ten thousand deaths! But... but he was also momentarily foolish ah!"

"We still have children, still have mortgage, if... if he lost this job, for this family of ours... it truly is over!"

She raised her head, on that face covered in flowing tears, was written full of breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats absolute decisiveness.

"Sensei Nohara, as long as... as long as you are willing to casually show mercy, preserving his job. I... I am willing to do anything for you! Willing to do anything!"

"..." Nohara Hiroshi was stunned.

This scene is so familiar.

The corner of his eye slightly twitched, remembering himself obviously transmigrated into the world of Crayon Shin-chan, not some bizarre weird Neon feverish world.

Nohara Hiroshi since his former life was already a person possessing abundant self-morals.

Therefore directly pulling out a business card from his pocket.

Placing it on the table beside.

"This is my business card, tomorrow let Hashishita Ichiro give me a phone call." Nohara Hiroshi immediately departed this room, furthermore with a clatter closed the door as well.

Rapidly going downstairs.

Getting onto his own Toyota Crown anew, his entire person also couldn't help but be speechless.

The car started, when Nohara Hiroshi drove away from the apartment, looking at this residential area although aged, but also situated within Tokyo's main circle, also understanding the reason why the other party was that humble.

Mortgage and respectable lifestyle.

Working at TV Tokyo, regardless if it was benefits or identical treatments, or perhaps salary, are all higher than Kanto TV by 30% and above.

Moreover Kanto TV's salary is already considered a not bad level.

But this doesn't mean a document clerk is also like this.

Estimating becoming a document clerk.

Then can only take the most foundational basic salary.

Benefits will also be weakened by a lot.

Adding social status, as well as the evaluation among relatives and friends, that basically is equating to plummeting like falling off a cliff.

Placed on any person they couldn't endure it.

Moreover in Neon the most emphasizing face.

Furthermore becoming a document clerk, after the salary declines, this currently seemingly tattered aged apartment, estimating wouldn't possess methods to continue residing within it anymore.

This is however an apartment in the core area of the Tokyo Metropolitan area before the economic bubble was punctured.

Residing here equates to status.

Once unable to repay the mortgage, departing this apartment, then equates to fleeing Tokyo dejectedly in front of relatives and friends, becoming a loser.

This is even more so a consequence of sweeping away all face.

Placed in ancient times estimating one would have to commit seppuku...

"However, if Hashishita Ichiro is able to be utilized by me, perhaps helping out a bit is also nothing. It can also make Senior Suzuki Kiyoto owe me a favor." Nohara Hiroshi stroked his chin.

Towards the matters happening tonight is also a bit dumbfoundedly amused.

Indeed quite possessing Neon style.