Tokyo: My Best Actor Gear List

Chapter 19 The Shadow of That Man

Late October 1989.

Although the cherry blossom front has not yet fully reached Tokyo, the NHK Hall in Shibuya has been bustling with activity these past few days.

Today is the recording site of a large-scale joint charity gala called "Voice of Spring".

Although NHK is usually known for its seriousness, it still invites many popular idols from commercial television stations to participate in such large-scale annual events in order to boost viewership.

The backstage rest area was bustling with people.

Idol groups dressed in glamorous stage costumes mingle with traditional enka singers in dark kimonos and serious-looking Taiga drama actors, creating a peculiar panorama of the entertainment industry.

Kitahara Shin, dressed in a well-tailored black suit, stood next to the vending machine in the corridor.

He was representing the cast and crew of the drama "Kasuga no Tsubasa" at the promotional event.

As his role in the drama became more and more important, his status within NHK also rose accordingly, and he even had his own independent dressing room.

"Um... Kanai-kun, really, this won't do. This is company money; if it's discovered..."

A woman's voice, trembling with suppressed sobs, came from a blind spot in the fire escape next to the vending machine.

Kitahara Shin paused for a moment, holding the canned coffee.

That voice is so familiar.

He turned slightly to the side, using the shadow of the wall to look at that corner.

Akina Nakamori was seen leaning against the wall, her face pale.

Standing in front of her was a man wearing an extravagant white suit, with permed hair, and chewing gum.

Jinjing.

A top idol, the dream lover of countless girls, is also the leech slowly draining Akina's blood.

"What do you mean by 'public funds'? Isn't that money you earned?"

Kina leaned against the wall with one hand, a nauseating, self-satisfied smile on his face. "Akina, my team is just short of this money to buy an engine. If we win the championship, I can publicly thank you in front of the media. That's our shared dream, isn't it?"

"But... we haven't paid that money from last time..."

"Tsk, are you settling scores with me?" Jin Jing's face instantly darkened, his tone turning somewhat sinister. "You weren't like this before. Have you been listening to some gossip lately? Huh?"

Akina hunched her shoulders, not daring to speak, her eyes already red.

Kitahara Shin stood in the shadows, his eyes instantly turning cold.

He tightened his grip on the coffee can slightly, and the aluminum can made a soft "click" sound.

This is the man who made Akina despair and want to die in the middle of the night. The two of them had no relationship at all, but because Kanai was the heir of a capitalist family, Akina had to take the blame for him, and even got involved in a baseless scandal.

A complete scumbag.

In a shonen manga, the protagonist would rush up and punch the scumbag at this moment.

However, in the Japanese entertainment industry in 1989, this would not only not work, but would also ruin her career and even lead to Akina being labeled as having a "chaotic private life".

Kanai's agency is very powerful, and Kitahara Shin, although he has established himself in Taiga dramas, is still just a "supporting actor with some acting skills" in the face of capital.

A head-on confrontation is the worst approach.

We need to utilize "momentum".

Kitahara Shin's gaze quickly swept across the bustling backstage corridor.

Idols, backup dancers, stagehands... No, none of these people are enough to intimidate Jin Jing.

Suddenly, his gaze locked onto the other end of the corridor.

An elderly man with a full head of silver hair, dressed in a gray kimono and exuding the imposing aura of a lion, strode in with two assistants.

That's Ogata Ken.

A living fossil of the Japanese film industry, known for his fiery temper and unyielding integrity. What he dislikes most is that today's idols have neither acting skills nor professional ethics. It is said that he once berated a popular young actor who was late on set until he knelt down.

Even more coincidentally, he was also one of the "key figures" specially invited by the "Kasuga no Tsubone" production team. Although he didn't have many scenes with Kitahara Shin, he greatly admired Kitahara Shin's manners.

"May I borrow your knife?"

Kitahara Shin's lips curled into a faint, cold smile. He straightened his tie, casually tossed the can of coffee into the trash can, and then strode towards the old man.

His route was meticulously calculated.

Instead of heading straight to that dead end, they walked in the middle of the corridor, which would draw the old man's attention there.

When the two were still five meters apart, Kitahara Shin stopped, gathered his strength, and shouted in a deep, penetrating voice characteristic of Taiga dramas:

"Hello, Professor Ogata!!"

That shout, full of energy, echoed throughout most of the backstage corridor.

Kanai, who was busy arguing with Akina, was startled and froze in his tracks.

Ken Ogata, who was walking, stopped and looked over with lightning speed.

"Oh, it's Kitahara." The old man's tense face relaxed slightly when he saw that it was the well-mannered junior. "Why are you shouting so loudly? Are you practicing your voice?"

Kitahara Shin maintained a standard 90-degree bow, did not immediately stand up, but said loudly:

"I'm so sorry! I was just too excited to see you, teacher! I tried out the 'diaphragmatic vocalization method' you taught me last time during the rehearsal, and it worked wonderfully! I came here specifically to thank you!"

As he spoke, he straightened up, turned to the side, and made a "please" gesture, but his body "unintentionally" moved aside.

This gesture directly exposed the scene in that blind spot behind him to Ken Ogata's line of sight.

A man in an extravagant white suit is cornering a seemingly frail girl against a wall, his posture frivolous and his demeanor arrogant.

Ken Ogata's brows furrowed instantly into a deep frown.

As a representative of the old-school Showa era actors, what he hates most in his life is the behavior of petty thugs who take advantage of their fame to engage in backstage relationships and bully others.

"Who is that?"

Ken Ogata's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chillingly low pressure: "This is the backstage area of ​​NHK, not a nightclub in Kabukicho!"

The sound was like a thunderclap, clearly reaching even the blind spots.

Jin Jing suddenly turned his head.

When he saw the old man with a full head of silver hair staring at him angrily, his face instantly turned from arrogant to deathly pale.

The Japanese entertainment industry is strictly hierarchical.

Although Kanai is a top idol, he is nothing compared to a national treasure like Ken Ogata.

If this veteran actor were to casually remark to the media, "Today's idols are really outrageous," half of his sponsors would leave.

"O-Ogata-sensei..."

Kanai almost reflexively released his hand from the wall, bowing low like a frightened pug, his face plastered with a humble and fawning smile. "Hello! I...I'm Kanai from Johnny's! We're...we're rehearsing our lines! Yes! Rehearsing our lines!"

"Going over lines?"

Ken Ogata scoffed, his gaze sweeping over Kanai's flamboyant suit like a knife. "Dressed like that while rehearsing lines? Are you playing a gigolo?"

The staff passing by let out a low chuckle.

Jin Jing's face flushed a deep purplish-red, cold sweat trickling down his temples. He dared not utter a word of rebuttal, and could only bow repeatedly, saying, "I'm so sorry! I've disturbed you! I'll be leaving right away! I'll be leaving right away!"

After saying that, he didn't even dare to look at Akina, and with his tail between his legs, he slunk into the crowd, looking as pathetic as a stray dog.

The crisis is over.

Ken Ogata withdrew his gaze in disgust, but when he looked at Shin Kitahara, his eyes turned to one of appreciation: "Kitahara, stay away from shady characters like this in the future. Actors should cherish their reputation."

"Yes, teacher is right," Kitahara Shin replied respectfully, his face devoid of any extra expression.

"I'm leaving now; I still need to go over the procedures."

Ken Ogata waved his hand and strode away with his assistant.

He had no idea that he had just been used as a "pawn" by this seemingly honest and unassuming junior.

Or rather, even if he knew, he would still be willing to fire the shot in order to clean up the atmosphere.

The hallway returned to its normal hustle and bustle.

Kitahara Shin straightened up and adjusted his cuffs.

He walked past that blind spot without looking to the side.

It's like that corner is completely empty.

Akina Nakamori remained leaning against the wall, her hands gripping the hem of her skirt tightly, her heart still pounding.

She watched as that familiar black figure passed by.

He didn't look at her.

But in the instant the two brushed past each other.

"Click".

A crisp metallic clang rang out.

That's the sound of a Zippo lighter's cap opening and closing.

The voice was very soft, almost inaudible amidst the noisy backstage chatter.

But the voice acted like a stabilizing force, instantly calming Akina's panicked soul.

This is a secret code that only the two of them understand.

As Akina watched that receding figure, the tears she had been holding back in front of that scumbag finally streamed down her face.

But this time, it wasn't out of fear, but out of an indescribable sense of security.

She wiped her eyes, took a deep breath, and straightened her back again.

Compose your expression and step out of the shadows.

She is Akina Nakamori, and she will go on stage to sing that defiant song, "Nanpasen".

Meanwhile, Kitahara Shin had reached the end of the corridor, took a mint out of his pocket, and popped it into his mouth.

Old foxes don't need applause.

As long as the result matters.