Chapter 39: 039, Actually, You Just Want to Show Off Your New Car Everywhere, Don't You?

Regardless of everything, after half a day of back-and-forth retakes, the filming for the first scene finally concluded.

Logically speaking, since Naoki Nagayama had wrapped his part, there should have been a farewell dinner.

However, after this round of filming, Shuichi Itodo was fuming.

Especially since he had missed his mealtime and could only fill his stomach with a single bento, he decided to skip the farewell dinner altogether.

Meanwhile, Masahiko Kondo had taken advantage of the break to go out for a meal with Masanori Matsuzawa; it seemed the production crew's bento didn't suit his palate.

"This Masahiko Kondo, is he really this much of a diva at such a young age?" Naoki Nagayama asked after seeing the two of them head out to eat.

In Japan, such antisocial behavior could be considered a form of acting like a big shot.

"He's a rising rookie idol at the peak of his fame; it's normal," Shuichi Itodo replied, not paying it much mind. "It was just a collaborative exchange anyway. No matter how it turns out, the producer will approve it. Let him do whatever he wants."

In the past, he would have tried to establish authority and control the set, but now that he had practically given up on this commercial, he didn't bother wasting energy on it.

The only silver lining was that he was no longer the producer of the commercial; as long as it was finished, it was fine.

"Sigh... I have to coordinate with the other female lead this afternoon. I wonder if the new actress will be just as difficult to deal with."

Seeing how much of a headache it was causing him, Naoki Nagayama didn't want to disturb him further. After chatting for a while, he politely took his leave.

Upon stepping outside, he saw Masahiko Kondo and Masanori Matsuzawa's Toyota Crown pulling up, suggesting they had finished their meal.

Naoki Nagayama's convertible happened to be parked right next to their Toyota.

Seeing the two of them, he gave a slight nod but didn't stop to greet them. Instead, he opened his door and drove off in his beloved car.

"Matsuzawa-san, look at that guy! He really has no manners!"

Currently, Masahiko Kondo was highly valued within Johnny & Associates. Other artists would greet him, and even his seniors treated him with warmth.

Thus, seeing someone ignore him clearly made him feel slighted.

"Just because he drives a sports car, he thinks he's so great! I'm definitely going to buy several of them in the future!"

Watching the receding taillights, Masanori Matsuzawa thought to himself: *Masahiko Kondo still has at least two years before he can escape the fixed-salary system. Even if he gets a share of record royalties, he probably can't afford a sports car like that yet...*

There was nothing else to do in the afternoon, so he went straight to inspect the DISCO. After all, a boss needs to show his presence from time to time.

Driving toward the disco from a different direction, the traffic in Takadanobaba wasn't very heavy. Although this side road was narrow, the roadside could serve as a temporary parking spot.

Upon arriving at the destination, he saw quite a few cars parked along the road. After getting out of the car, Naoki Nagayama scanned the area, noting several luxury vehicles among them.

In the future, this place might even become a street lined with high-end cars.

As the disco grew more famous, a significant queue had already formed at the entrance by the time the afternoon session opened. It was said that the business of nearby izakayas had improved significantly because of it.

Naturally, Naoki Nagayama didn't have to queue. While there were VIP-like clients who could enter early, cutting in through the main entrance would be too much of a nuisance to others.

He entered the disco through the staff entrance on the other side.

The disco had only just opened, playing rhythmic, mellow music to warm up the crowd, and Hiroshi Araki was currently patrolling the floor.

"Naoki-san, what brings you here?" Seeing the boss arrive, Hiroshi Araki hurried over to greet him.

"Hiroshi-san, I'm just checking on the daily operations of the disco. It was just a whim. You should get back to your work."

How could he ignore the boss's inspection? Hiroshi Araki accompanied Naoki Nagayama on a tour of the disco.

As the rhythm of the music intensified, the number of people dancing began to increase.

Naoki Nagayama observed that most were young students. The working crowd likely wouldn't arrive until after they finished work, which was when the disco would truly heat up.

Coming to a disco to play was a completely different feeling from coming as the owner to inspect.

It was a feeling of "the excitement belongs to them, but I don't belong here."

This made Naoki Nagayama feel a bit bored, and he quickly ended his impromptu inspection.

The disco's operations were better than expected. Should he open a few more?

Naoki Nagayama immediately dismissed the sudden thought.

Running a disco was essentially a game of capital.

After about six months, people would understand this new style of disco, and they could easily use their own capital to build similar venues. Competing with them on capital and spending money on hiring and operations would be a losing battle for Naoki Nagayama's plan for rapid wealth.

It was better to stick to being the first and most famous one. In the future, he could turn it into a brand that lasts decades, playing with the concept of being the "Original DISCO"—wouldn't that be interesting?

Leaving DISCO, Naoki Nagayama took advantage of the remaining time to visit his property in Bunkyo and his shops in Shibuya.

His thoughts began to wander again.

Should he rent out the Shibuya shops?

He could keep the Bunkyo house to stay in occasionally, but leaving the shops empty would be a waste. Renting them out wouldn't affect the land value and would bring in a considerable amount of rent. He would ask Keiko Fujita about it another day.

After inspecting his assets, Naoki Nagayama drove to Teacher Sachiko's place for his lesson.

Naoki Nagayama's music lessons currently only consisted of instruments.

The hands that used to type code in his previous life turned out to be quite decent at playing the piano.

"Naoki-san, you've mastered the basic piano techniques," Teacher Sachiko said. "If you want to pursue it deeply in the future, it would be best to enter a formal school. If you just want to play a few songs occasionally, your current level is sufficient. Just keep practicing~"

"Hai, Sachiko-sensei, thank you for your teaching during this time!" Naoki Nagayama bowed. "I may still need your supervision in the future."

"Well, it's nothing. I'm quite happy to have a handsome guy like Naoki-san accompanying me."

This teacher loved teasing her students.

By the time he drove home from the music teacher, it was almost 6 o'clock.

Come to think of it, the reason he had been driving all over the place today was because he bought a new car, so he was basically driving around to show it off, right?!

Before entering his apartment, he checked the mailbox.

Generally, aside from subscribed newspapers, magazines, and TV bills, there wouldn't be anything else in there.

However, there was an extra letter today.

With curiosity, Naoki Nagayama carried the pile of items upstairs, placed them on the living room table, and began opening the mail.

The sender was the Nakamori family. Upon opening it, there was a letter and a drawing.

The letter was written by Akina Nakamori, expressing her gratitude for the photos Naoki Nagayama had sent, followed by some pleasantries.

The drawing was by Akina; it was a simple sketch of a little girl and a family eating watermelon. Next to it, she had written: *Thanks to Naoki-san's watermelon, Akina has recovered. Arigato~*

"The drawing is quite expressive," Naoki Nagayama couldn't help but smile. He hadn't expected her to have talent in this area as well.

He placed it on the bookshelf.

To be honest, between his two lifetimes, Naoki Nagayama had rarely written letters; receiving one was a novel experience.

But since a letter had arrived, he had to reply, right?

He searched the house for a long time but couldn't find any stationery or envelopes.

He could only use a postcard as a substitute.

The postcard wasn't large, so he only wrote a few lines

"I'm so glad Akina-san has recovered~ The photos are nothing. I hope we have a chance to hang out together again in the future~"