Chapter 38: 038, Scumbag, Masahiko Kondo Appears!

Nagayama Naoki had arrived quite a while ago. After chatting with Itou Shuichi for over half an hour, the newcomer had still not arrived.

"I heard the person taking over this time is a new idol being pushed by Johnny & Associates," Itou Shuichi said. "In this Peach Soda commercial, the new manager asked me to give this newcomer a little 'special treatment.' To think they'd be late on their very first shoot."

"Is that so? Johnny's Agency... I guess big agencies always have divas," Nagayama Naoki remarked indifferently. Since he had nothing else to do, chatting with Itou Shuichi was a fine way to pass the time.

"By the way, how is Otomo-san doing? Losing this commercial contract must be a loss for STARLIGHT Agency as well." Nagayama Naoki thought of Arimura Otomo, whom he hadn't seen lately; he seemed quite busy during their last phone call.

"What could be the matter? STARLIGHT is part of the BURNING system. For Johnny's to snatch this away, they must have exchanged a massive amount of cooperation with the agency," Itou Shuichi said with a wave of his hand. "Right now, Otomo-san is busy contacting new talent for the agency's upcoming gigs."

Having a powerful backer really made a difference; even when competitors stole business, it involved an exchange of interests.

One could say STARLIGHT Agency had gained access to an entirely new set of channels. If Johnny's didn't let go, then given its power in the entertainment industry, no one would be able to take those channels away.

"Haha, dirty backroom deals..." Nagayama Naoki hated such complex relationships. Fortunately, since he was destined to become incredibly wealthy in this life, he had much more room to maneuver when it came to choosing which interests to engage with.

"That's just how the entertainment industry is!" Itou Shuichi sighed.

Itou Shuichi and Nagayama Naoki continued their conversation, but the person scheduled to replace him in the commercial was nowhere to be seen, which began to irritate the rising director.

It wasn't until nearly another half hour had passed that a white Toyota sedan pulled up to the studio. A manager in a black suit entered the room leading a young man.

"Itou-san, my apologies, we were late due to traffic!" The manager gave a deep, practiced bow immediately upon meeting them, while the young man behind him watched from the side.

In the presence of outsiders, Itou Shuichi reverted to the persona he had when he first met Nagayama Naoki.

With a stern face, he said, "Matsuzawa Masayuki-san, traffic jams are something that should have been anticipated."

At that moment, Matsuzawa Masayuki was cursing inwardly: *Of course I anticipated it, but what can I do if the idol insisted on going shopping?*

"Hai, sumimasen! It was my mistake!" It is very common for a manager to take the fall for their artist. He bowed again, though this was the first time Nagayama Naoki had seen such a display.

"I hope you won't hold it against us, Itou-san. We will certainly be on time for all future shoots!"

Matsuzawa Masayuki stepped aside to reveal the young man behind him.

"This is Kondo Masahiko, the idol participating in this commercial. He previously appeared in *3-nen B-gumi Kinpachi-sensei*..."

Kondo Masahiko! The legendary playboy?!

Nagayama Naoki's interest was instantly piqued. Was this the big shot of the playboy world, known for breaking the hearts of three divas and being embroiled in countless scandals?

Dressed in white sportswear, Kondo Masahiko bowed to Itou Shuichi. "Nice to meet you. I am Kondo Masahiko. I look forward to working with you."

Itou Shuichi said nothing more and, with a cold expression, led the group into the studio.

Seeing Kondo Masahiko for the first time, Nagayama Naoki felt he was just an ordinary young man. At most, he was not unattractive; with a bit of styling, he could strive to be quite handsome.

He truly saw no potential for being a playboy. He hadn't paid much attention to the man's life history before.

Before filming began, Itou Shuichi introduced Nagayama Naoki, and Kondo Masahiko offered a standard greeting.

The story of the commercial was not complex; there were no scenes where the two had to act against each other. Overall, it was a standard professional collaboration between acquaintances.

Nagayama Naoki maintained his image from the previous commercial. He bought a bottle of cherry blossom-flavored soda from a convenience store vending machine and delivered his line: "White peach flavor?" With that, his role as the introductory element was essentially complete.

Next, Kondo Masahiko would appear, buy the white peach soda, and then follow with a "youthful story of white peach"—likely a progression of adolescent emotions and a "peach promise," forcibly linking white peach to youthful romance.

*Don't these creative agencies have any new ideas? Just copying the previous commercial's concept? They should at least look at the difference in symbolism between peach and cherry blossom...*

Watching the shoot from the side, Nagayama Naoki saw Itou Shuichi call for NG (No Good) after NG.

"CUT! Kondo-kun, there needs to be an emotional transition between seeing the soda and picking it up!"

"Kondo-kun, the smile of reminiscence needs to be full of nostalgia!"

"Kondo-kun, put more emotion into your eyes!"

"Kondo-kun, this one was even worse than the last. Pull yourself together!"

Kondo Masahiko was only 17, and the repeated NGs were clearly making it difficult for him to control his emotions.

The experienced manager, Matsuzawa Masayuki, clearly sensed something was wrong. He approached Itou Shuichi and requested, "Itou-san, why don't we take a break for a while? It will give Masahiko-san a chance to adjust."

Itou Shuichi was noncommittal, but he did say, "I have a craving for a cigarette. I'm going out for a smoke. Join me, Naoki-san?"

The studio staff also needed a moment to relax.

Outside, Itou Shuichi and Nagayama Naoki began to chat.

"Shuichi-san, didn't you say Kondo Masahiko had acted in dramas before? Why does his acting feel so stiff?" Nagayama Naoki asked, puzzled.

Even without professional training, his own filming process had been quite smooth, aside from that one instance of intense emotional outburst during the car crash scene.

"The dramas these young idols act in are mostly idol dramas suited to their age and personality. As long as they recite the lines and their expressions don't collapse, they're fine."

Itou Shuichi spoke with utter disdain. "The agency handles the promotion afterward to build hype. As for acting skill, how many 'traffic idols' can actually contribute a drama with real acting talent?"

"Eh? But aren't there still so many idols doing commercials? Don't commercials require acting?"

"Normally, standard commercials don't require much—just a smile and reciting the lines," Itou Shuichi said helplessly. "But this one is supposed to portray a story! Telling a good story within a few minutes is much harder than some of those TV dramas."

"Actually, Naoki-san, you have quite a talent for acting. Your shoot went very smoothly," Itou Shuichi added. "You weren't inferior even when acting opposite a professional like Higuchi Kanako."

"Hahaha, Shuichi-san, you praise me too much. It's because the director is so good at guiding me," Nagayama Naoki laughed.

"Hahaha, not at all. It's your talent that is the key. If you ever act in a drama, I'll definitely look for you," Itou Shuichi said, clearly pleased by being called a great director.

"Fortunately, my name isn't on the credits as the producer this time. Whatever. As long as it's good enough to turn in," Itou Shuichi said, no longer obsessing over perfection. The oppressive mood from the filming process had lifted significantly.

Meanwhile, Matsuzawa Masayuki was trying to persuade Kondo Masahiko.

"Masahiko-san, please try a little harder. Johnny's spent a lot to secure this opportunity."

"I'm acting as seriously as I can, and after all these NGs, that director is clearly making things difficult for me! He must be unhappy about the business adjustments!" Kondo Masahiko said indignantly.

Having acted in two dramas, released an album last year, and having another single released this March, Kondo Masahiko could be described as a rising star. At only 17, he was the definition of someone who achieved fame at a young age.

Looking at the hot-headed Kondo Masahiko, Matsuzawa Masayuki worried silently: *Idols pushed by capital are so easily lost...*

He could only offer more soothing words: "Masahiko-san, please bear with it a little longer. The director's demands have limits; he won't go too far."

However, Kondo Masahiko was in a fit of rage, and the more he was comforted, the more worked up he became. "And that guy named Nagayama Naoki, standing there watching the NGs... he must be feeling very smug! How dare he make a fool out of me! I'll show him later!"

*Heh, so Nagayama Naoki has been marked for revenge...*

Under Matsuzawa Masayuki's continuous persuasion, Kondo Masahiko finally adjusted his mindset before the retake.

Although there were still many NGs in the subsequent filming, the shoot proceeded with some bumps along the way.

It was said that the commercial would be three minutes long, and after the first act, there would be outdoor scenes featuring Kondo Masahiko and another youthful idol.

It seemed the upcoming filming process would be quite arduous.