Chapter 30: 030, Borrowing Another 100 Million Yen!

Under the powerful onslaught of the "money power" marketing, the song "Sakura Sakura Aitaiyo~" has been playing daily in Tokyo's record stores. Even students commuting to school can be heard humming a few lines from time to time. By its second week, the song had already broken into the Oricon Top 10, and its position within the top three was well within reach.

Thanks to the song's popularity, Hayae Kashiwabara was invited to perform on *THE BEST TEN*. For a newcomer, this was considered a massive breakout. Some programs also wanted to invite Naoki Nagayama to appear, but all such requests were declined. Whether as a songwriter or a record producer, it was rare for him to actually show his face on screen; old-school professionals believed that the singer should be the primary protagonist of the work. As for Naoki Nagayama, he simply found it a hassle—wasn't it better to make a fortune quietly behind the scenes?

His share of the acting income had already been processed; the acting fee alone was 15 million yen this time, with subsequent royalties from song copyrights, record sales, and more to follow. Although he would have to split the producer's share with his agency, by his calculations, his total earnings from this wave would definitely exceed 100 million yen. His wallet, which had been empty, was suddenly bulging again.

Suppressing the urge to buy more property, Naoki Nagayama decided to let Keiko Fujita wait a bit—at least for another half month. His next commercial engagement wasn't until April, meaning he had at least two weeks of rest ahead of him. After a period of intense work, Naoki Nagayama returned to his long-awaited, decadent daily life.

However, this time he felt more like a university student. He had twice-weekly lessons with Ms. Sachiko: one for music theory and one for an instrument. He chose the piano, of course. Although he didn't have one at home yet, he certainly had to buy one—otherwise, wouldn't his future ocean-view villa feel a bit empty?

After getting dressed, Naoki Nagayama put on a pair of light-colored non-prescription glasses, wrapped a scarf around his neck, and headed out. As the commercials aired, more and more people were recognizing him. Walking down the street, he was frequently spotted by young girls who would approach him to strike up a conversation, which Naoki found a bit overwhelming. He now had to cover himself up slightly when going out; if it weren't for the fact that wearing a mask would make people think he was sick, he would have worn one every time.

A few days later, Naoki Nagayama sought out Gentaro Nakai again.

"Nani? Another loan? Naoki-san, did you do something illegal?"

"Kuso, that's slander! This is perfectly legitimate, transparent income," Naoki Nagayama replied, nearly choked by the accusation.

The two met at an izakaya. When Gentaro Nakai walked in, Naoki was surprised: "Nakai-san, did you go to Africa? Why are you so dark and thin?"

"Thanks to you, I'm out there working hard every day running after clients. Of course I've lost weight." Although it sounded like a complaint, Gentaro Nakai had a wide smile on his face. After introducing Naoki Nagayama's loan application to his senior, Masayuki Ito at the bank, Gentaro had clearly begun to engage in actual business. Lending was just one part of it; running after clients was the beginning of building a professional network.

As they drank, Gentaro asked, "Do you have another need, Naoki-san? Another loan?"

"It's not anything else, really. I recently composed another song, and the royalties should be quite good, so I want to use the contract as collateral to take out a loan to buy more property."

"Ha? Didn't you just buy a house?"

"It's for investment."

"And didn't you just buy a plot of land?"

"Who ever complains about having too many houses?"

"Ha? You have to pay taxes, and you have to pay back the loan~"

"Kuso, of course I know that. That's why I'm coming to you. Shouldn't a good friend give me the best possible discount?"

Once Gentaro Nakai understood Naoki Nagayama's plan, he had nothing left to say. After all, buying property was one of the most correct ways for an ordinary person to use their hard-earned money.

"So, how much do you want to borrow this time?"

"I want to borrow 100 million yen again!"

"Ha??? Are you crazy? Do you think every song's copyright is going to make money like *Cherry Blossom* did?" Nakai nearly jumped out of his seat.

"Baka, haven't you heard the recent *Sakura~ Anata ni Deaete Yokatta~*?" Naoki Nagayama acted as if Nakai were uncultured. "It's already in the Oricon Top 10. Even though this isn't a top-tier idol's record, I'm the producer, so my share is even higher."

"You composed that song too?" Gentaro Nakai didn't follow the entertainment industry very closely, but he had heard the new song.

"Hai, hai~"

Gentaro Nakai marveled, "I didn't expect it. You really are a creative genius, kid~"

"Hahaha, do you want an autograph? It might be worth a lot in the future~"

"No thanks. Don't get too cocky, you guy."

There aren't many "evergreens" in the entertainment industry, but under a lifelong career model, being a banker is a profession that only gets better with age. Thus, Gentaro Nakai wasn't particularly jealous.

After some joking around, Naoki Nagayama asked, "So, how about it? Can you handle the application yourself now?"

"I can, but I've never handled an amount this large."

"Go ahead and try. Apply under the name of your personal studio. Using the copyright and record royalties as collateral, a business loan should be able to get approved, right?"

"You've already registered a personal studio?"

"Hai. It's called 'Halo'."

"In that case, I can try to apply to the manager." After all, a 100-million-yen deal was a significant achievement for a branch office and would be great for Gentaro Nakai's career development.

"Then I'll leave it to you!"

Afterward, the two continued to drink.

"How is Sumire-san doing lately?"

"She's graduating next year. We plan to get married right after!"

"Pfft—" Naoki Nagayama spat out his drink. "Married? That sudden?"

"What's so strange about that? I'm 23! Sumire is 22."

In Japan, there was indeed a phenomenon where female university students would marry immediately after graduation, but Naoki Nagayama was only 19. This felt far too early for him.

"It's just a bit sudden... Hearing you talk about marriage all of a sudden makes me feel like I've suddenly jumped into the middle-aged generation!"

"Kuso, I'm older than you to begin with!"

Later, Naoki Nagayama contacted Keiko Fujita.

"Nani? Buying another house?"

Keiko Fujita felt like she had been serving Naoki Nagayama for the past six months, but it wasn't bad; two consecutive deals had earned her quite a bit of commission. It was just that her colleagues at the company sometimes gossiped behind her back, wondering if she had some special relationship with a handsome young man, or if it was "pillow business."

"Didn't you just buy one a month ago?"

"Hai, I happened to make a bit more money, so I want to buy another one."

"Does money just fall from the sky for you, Naoki-san?" Keiko Fujita couldn't help herself.

"Hahaha, Keiko-san, you're such a joker~"

"So, what kind do you want to buy this time?"

"The same as the previous two."

"Two?"

"Hai. This time, I want to buy one residential property and one commercial property."

"Arere?!!!"