Tokyo Literary Masters: Starting from the Late 1980s

Chapter 170 Akina Nakamori's Kiss

A long, deathly silence was quietly spreading around the four-person table near the floor-to-ceiling window.

The background noise from the coffee shop, which was originally meant to fill the gaps in conversation, now only made the pauses feel more unsettling.

Nozaki Toshio fell into a long silence.

For those in power who are used to giving orders at the negotiating table, silence is a form of concession when they find that their established leverage cannot overwhelm the opponent's position.

Yoichi Nakamori, who was sitting to the side, had been holding his breath, hoping that the shrewd president would come up with a new argument to refute him.

But what he got in return was the gradual disappearance of the composed and polite smile on Nozaki Toshio's face.

Instead, there is the cold indifference of businessmen after calculating their profits.

Locking in a popular artist with a contract that comes with harsh terms is certainly a high-return business.

After all, contracts, family rules, agency rules, GG, albums, tour arrangements, these things can still be brought up.

The problem is, if we keep talking about it, it won't be about Akina Nakamori anymore.

Instead, it was forcing Kitahara Iwa to make a move.

Akina Nakamori can be trapped by her family and contracts, and family members like Yoichi Nakamori are also easy to deal with.

But Kitahara Iwa is different.

Once Kitahara Iwao personally gets involved, the matter will transform from a private affair within the entertainment industry into news that will be watched by the entire Japanese media.

Nozaki Toshio wouldn't push himself and his agency into that position just for a contract.

Thinking of this, Nozaki Toshio raised his hand to straighten his tie knot, and when he spoke again, his voice was much lower than before.

"Teacher Kitahara."

"I misspoke just now."

Upon hearing this, Nakamori Yoichi, who was standing next to him, looked up in astonishment: "President, you—"

With his limited experience in the marketplace, he clearly couldn't understand why the situation had suddenly reversed.

Just a moment ago, he was able to firmly control his sister regarding the breach of contract and the penalty clause, but now, Nozaki Toshio has casually glossed over it.

Before he could question him, Toshio Nozaki turned his head and called out softly, "Yoichi-kun."

The voice wasn't loud, but the sidelong glance conveyed a cold, warning tone, as if ready to sever all ties with any trouble.

Feeling Nozaki Toshio's gaze, Nakamori opened his mouth, but the rest of the words got stuck in his throat.

His arrogance stemmed from the influence of Toshio Nozaki.

Now that this reliance had been taken away right before his eyes, Nakamori Yoichi was like a deflated balloon, unable to utter a single word of rebuttal. He could only stiffen his reddened neck and swallow back all the resentment in his heart.

Meanwhile, Kitahara Iwa, sitting opposite him, kept his gaze fixed on Nozaki Toshio, never sparing Nakamori Hiroshi even a fraction of his attention.

However, Kitahara Iwa's indifference, as if he were looking at air, only made Nakamori Yoichi feel more embarrassed.

After suppressing the uncertainty around him with his eyes, Nozaki Toshio met Kitahara Iwao's gaze again.

He secretly adjusted his breathing, trying to put on a businesslike composure.

However, the previous sense of confidence and superiority has faded, replaced by caution after weighing the pros and cons.

"There were indeed some communication misunderstandings in this matter."

Nozaki Toshio took a deep breath, glanced at the file folder on the table, and then softened his tone, saying, "From Ken-On's perspective, this real estate contract is merely a preliminary reference provided by the finance department. Since Ms. Akina feels it's inappropriate, the company will naturally respect the artist's wishes."

Kitahara Iwa didn't reply, but just looked at him quietly.

Feeling Kitahara Iwao's gaze, Nozaki Toshio took a deep breath, struggling to find fault with what he had just said: "As for the GG shutdown and album delay mentioned earlier—these are just minor adjustments to the planning department's schedule."

"If it's a regular schedule adjustment."

At this moment, Kitahara Iwa spoke up and asked, "It seems that this shouldn't be related to the 700 million yen penalty for breach of contract."

Nozaki Toshio's Adam's apple bobbed, and then he said with a forced smile, "Teacher Kitahara is joking, and the idea of ​​a penalty for breach of contract is utter nonsense."

"Ms. Akina's contract has never contained a clause that would trigger a breach of contract if she refused private investment."

Nozaki Toshio withdrew the bargaining chip he had used to decide life and death half an hour earlier with a set of businesslike words.

Faced with Nozaki Toshio's attempt to smooth things over, Kitahara Iwao did not respond, but simply sat still, looking at the other man with a calm gaze.

Feeling Kitahara Iwa's gaze, Nozaki Toshio gave an awkward smile and quickly reached out to take the document bag he had brought back to his face.

"I will take this draft back to the company for processing. From now on, no one will bother Ms. Akina with this kind of thing again."

After Nozaki Toshio finished speaking, he quickly stood up, straightened the hem of his suit, and then bowed slightly to Kitahara Iwao.

"I apologize for disturbing you today. Please make sure you, Kitahara-sensei and Akina-san, get plenty of rest."

Nozaki Toshio picked up his briefcase and turned to leave, but as soon as he took a step, he heard Kitahara Iwao's voice behind him.

"President Nozaki, stay."

Upon hearing this, Nozaki Toshio immediately stopped and turned around stiffly, quickly asking, "Is there anything else you need, Kitahara-sensei?"

"Since it's a misunderstanding, it seems we need to settle the score for what's to come."

Kitahara Iwao looked at Nozaki Toshio and said, "In the publishing industry, if an editor's mistake causes trouble for an author, the publisher usually makes up for it with actual royalties. The rules in the entertainment industry shouldn't be too different, right?"

Nozaki Toshio stood there, and fell silent.

As a businessman who had been navigating the business world for many years, he knew very well that at this point, continuing to play dumb would only make the situation more awkward.

Kitahara Iwao didn't want an apology.

Instead, KINK must provide a sufficiently clear and decent form of compensation.

After a brief silence, Toshio Nozaki spoke again, saying, "Teacher Kitahara is right."

"Ken-on did indeed handle this matter inappropriately."

Upon hearing this, Nakamori Yoichi abruptly turned to look at the other person, his face turning ashen.

Although his petty calculations were hardly respectable, one could still discern the underlying meaning behind his polite remark.

Nozaki Toshio's agency bowed down and made concessions, effectively tearing apart the alliance that had been working together to exert pressure.

If Ken-on chooses to withdraw from the situation to avoid trouble, then the huge debt gap and the infamy of forcing his sister to sign the mortgage contract will have to be borne by him alone as a family member.

The thought of facing Kitahara Iwa alone immediately made Nakamori Yoichi feel immense pressure.

However, Nozaki Toshio ignored Nakamori Yoichi's gaze, which was filled with both fear and resentment.

He simply looked at Kitahara Iwa and continued, "Regarding Ms. Akina, the company will reorganize the management team. From now on, the agency will not get involved in matters concerning her personal finances, real estate investments, and family without her confirmation."

"

Upon hearing this, Akina Nakamori's eyes immediately brightened.

Nozaki Toshio paused for a moment, then added, "As for her upcoming work arrangements, the company will draft a supplementary contract."

"Ken-On can give up a portion of its record royalties and endorsement revenue. The selection of tracks, production direction, and promotion schedule for the next album will also respect Ms. Akina's own opinions more."

At this point, Toshio Nozaki glanced at Akina Nakamori.

"The previously agreed-upon GG and tour will proceed as scheduled. Related public relations expenses will also be borne by Yanyin."

When Nozaki Toshio stated these conditions, although his tone remained polite, his knuckles, which were gripping the handle of his briefcase tightly, turned bluish-white from excessive force.

The concession of hundreds of millions in profits every year, coupled with the heavy investment in project leadership, is tantamount to cutting off a piece of flesh on the spot, even for a well-funded company like Yanyin.

Hearing Nozaki Toshio's words, Kitahara Iwao finally smiled and said, "I understand President Nozaki's intentions."

Upon receiving this confirmation, Nozaki Toshio's tense back relaxed slightly, but the regret over the loss of such a huge amount of profit was still hard to hide in his eyes.

"The supplementary contract will be drafted by the Ministry of Justice at Ken-On, and then submitted to Ms. Akina for review."

Nozaki Toshio bowed slightly to Kitahara Iwao and said, "I'm sorry to have bothered you today, I'll take my leave now."

From beginning to end, the president, who was preoccupied with how to fill the huge deficit, didn't even spare a glance for Nakamori Hiroshi next to him before turning around and leaving.

As the glass door was pushed open and then closed, the doorbell emitted a clear, lingering sound.

Yoichi Nakamori remained frozen in his seat.

He stared blankly in the direction Nozaki had left, the astonishment on his face gradually fading, replaced by an undisguised awkwardness.

As the fading echoes faded, he finally realized that there was no one left at this table to rely on.

The isolated and helpless situation forced Yoichi Nakamori into a corner with no way out.

To conceal his inner panic, Nakamori Hiroshi instinctively straightened his neck and turned his gaze to Kitahara Iwa, who was sitting next to his sister.

His roguish nature, typical of a street vendor, resurfaced, driving him to cling to the last shred of his pathetic pride as he blurted out a hollow, weak argument: "This is our family matter; it's none of your business, an outsider's, to interfere."

Upon hearing this blustering yet cowardly line, Kitahara Iwao seemed to have heard a ridiculous joke. He picked up the glass on the table, took a sip of ice water, and then slowly turned his gaze to Nakamori Yoichi's face.

"Housework?"

Kitahara Iwao slowly said, "Nakamori-kun, using your own sister as collateral for an 800 million yen loan to cover the hole left by your real estate speculation is not considered a family matter in Tokyo's financial circles."

"If you want to make a fortune by taking advantage of the bubble economy and want to play with high leverage, you can go to the Sumitomo Bank Shinjuku branch and find Shunichi Takahashi."

Kitahara Iwa looked at him as if dismissing a lowly speculator, saying, "Hand over the properties under your name, and he'll be happy to approve your loan."

Upon hearing the suggestion of "Takahashi Shunichi," which was so precise as to be a person's name, Nakamori Yoichi was taken aback for a moment.

Then Nakamori swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing loudly, and a faint light involuntarily welled up in his cloudy eyes.

Since even a big shot like Kitahara Iwao has said that the other party is willing to lend money—Nakamori Hiroshi quickly started calculating in his mind.

What if I really bypass Ken-On and go to Takahashi Shunichi with the property certificate under my name?

If we can just take money out of the bank to fill the hole, wouldn't the current deadlock be turned around?

Kitahara Iwa sat opposite him, taking in the petty scheming swirling in his eyes, but did not utter a word to expose it.

Kitahara Iwa continued, "If you dare to use 'blood is thicker than water' as leverage to force Akina to sign any worthless piece of paper with guarantee clauses—"

Kitahara Iwao slowly said, "The legal department of Shincho-sha happens to have quite a few idle people who are 'proficient in domestic affairs'."

"Article 249 of the Criminal Law is for intimidation, and Article 223 is for extortion. The combined sentence of both, including room and board, is enough for Mr. Nakamori to comfortably evade debt collection for the next few years."

Upon hearing this, the forced blush on Nakamori Yoichi's face instantly turned ashen.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

As an adult who has been around in society, he can certainly distinguish between bluffing and a real, decisive blow.

Compared to those petty thugs in the city who haggle over tens of thousands of yen, this man in front of me could easily mobilize the legal department of a top publishing group...

Literary figures who make sending people to jail sound like a welfare benefit are the ones who devour people without spitting out their bones.

Faced with this precise warning laced with mockery, his so-called confidence as an "older brother" shattered into dust.

From the moment he sat down until now, Kitahara Iwa has barely looked him in the eye.

It wasn't until the words "Shinchosha Legal Department" were uttered that Yoichi Nakamori finally understood that the other party wasn't just too lazy to deal with him, but simply didn't consider him a serious opponent.

Yoichi Nakamori's fingers froze on the table for a moment before slowly retracting back onto his knees.

He dared not say again, "This is our family's business."

I no longer dare to use words like "father," "brother," and "family" to pressure Akina Nakamori.

Because he had clearly realized that those words that worked every time at home carried no weight in front of Kitahara Iwa.

After sitting stiffly for a few more seconds, Yoichi Nakamori finally couldn't hold on any longer.

He stood up abruptly, the chair leg dragging lightly on the carpet.

Akina Nakamori subconsciously looked up at him.

However, Nakamori Yoichi's face was extremely pale. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He didn't even say anything to Akina Nakamori, but simply grabbed his coat from the table, turned around, and hurriedly walked towards the cafe entrance.

When the automatic glass door opened, his steps visibly faltered.

Just now, when he sat at the table, he tried to put on airs as an elder brother and family member.

But now, all that remains of that figure is a hurried and disheveled look; he doesn't even have the courage to turn around and take another look at Akina Nakamori.

The door closed again.

The coffee shop finally fell completely quiet.

Only Kitahara Iwao and Nakamori Akina remained at the four-person table by the window.

As the bystanders left, Kitahara Iwa's oppressive aura subsided. He picked up the water glass on the table, took a sip, and turned his gaze to Nakamori Akina beside him. His deep eyes held a layer of familiarity and gentleness that belonged only to the two of them.

"It's over now."

Kitahara Iwa asked in a low voice, "Would you like to come up and sit for a while?"

Akina Nakamori remained seated in her chair.

Meeting Kitahara Iwa's focused gaze, she felt her ears burning slightly, as if she couldn't immediately recover from this sudden tenderness.

She lowered her head and looked at her hands, which were still trembling slightly.

Over the past week, her father, brother, firm, and 800 million yen debt guarantee—these heavy burdens were like ropes cutting into her flesh, pushing her to the brink of suffocation.

Just now, Kitahara Iwa simply sat within her reach and, with a few words, severed all the marks on her wrists.

At this moment, the weight that held her firmly in place without needing to say a word spread along the subtle distance between them.

This subtle protection gave her a more genuine sense of excitement and reassurance than any direct words.

Akina Nakamori is still somewhat dazed.

Then she raised her eyes and looked at Kitahara Iwa.

My eyes are getting hot again.

This time, however, she didn't cry. She simply nodded gently and said in a low voice, "Mm."

Kitahara Iwa stood up, and Nakamori Akina followed suit.

As the two reached the entrance of the coffee shop, Akina Nakamori suddenly stopped.

She took a deep breath, turned around, and bowed deeply to Kitahara Iwa, attempting to give a very deep bow.

She did not speak.

Thank you, I'm sorry, I'm sorry to have troubled you. If it weren't for you, I don't know what I would have done.

All the relief and overwhelming gratitude I felt after surviving the ordeal were stuck in my throat, and in the end, they could only be expressed in this slightly clumsy gesture.

But before her back had even bent halfway down, Kitahara Iwa took a half-step forward, reached out and supported her arm, gently lifting her up with a gentle yet undeniable force.

"Akina-san————"

Kitahara Iwa looked at her reddened eyes and comforted her with a familiar tone, "We just had afternoon tea together today, there's no need for such formalities."

Once she straightened up using the force, Kitahara Iwah withdrew his hand and slightly turned his head towards the door.

"Let's go home and sit for a while."

"Um."

Akina Nakamori wiped her eyes and followed Iwata Kitahara toward the private elevator on the left side of the lobby.

Kitahara Iwa didn't say anything more along the way.

I didn't tell her "be stronger in the future," nor did I say things like "you should have rebelled a long time ago," which sound much easier after the fact.

I walked half a step ahead of her, at a slow pace, just like when I accompanied her downstairs, and slowly walked back with her.

The elevator lobby was very quiet.

The sounds of afternoon tea and the soft clinking of coffee cups against saucers in the lobby were kept far away by the thick walls.

Kitahara Iwa walked to the elevator and raised his hand to press the up button.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the button, Akina Nakamori behind him suddenly took a step forward.

This step came very quickly.

She was so anxious that she hadn't even fully figured it out herself.

All she knew was that if she didn't do some things now, she might never be able to do them again.

Because once the elevator doors open, once they and Kitahara Iwa return upstairs, and once the doors close again, Sakai Izumi will be waiting for them there.

Izumi Sakai would gently ask her if she wanted some tea, would reserve a quiet seat for her, and, just like before, would include herself in "you all."

It was precisely because that gentleness was so clear and so dignified that Akina Nakamori realized that she could only do her next move here.

This is a one-time event.

Nakamori Akina gently tiptoed and reached out to support Kitahara Iwao's shoulder on his suit jacket.

Kitahara Iwa noticed the movement behind him and instinctively turned around halfway.

Just as Kitahara Iwa turned around, Nakamori Akina tiptoed and pressed her slightly dry lips directly against his.

The kiss was anything but skillful; it even had a touch of clumsy desperation.

Akina Nakamori was like a drowning person trying to grasp the last glimmer of light, touching Iwata Kitahara with an almost reckless force.

Their breaths only crossed for a brief moment.

Before Kitahara Iwa could react, Nakamori Akina hurriedly backed away, her back slamming heavily against the cold marble wall next to the elevator.

The whole process took less than a second.

Kitahara Iwa's hand stopped in front of the button.

He turned his head and looked at her.

"Akina-san————"

Akina Nakamori had already taken two steps back, her face flushed bright red, the color spreading from the corners of her eyes all the way to her ears.

Her eyes were still brimming with tears, but she tried hard not to let them fall.

As if afraid she would lose her courage at any moment, she hurriedly said, "Thank you, Iwa-kun."

She herself was taken aback when she uttered the word "Iwa-kun".

But once the words have been spoken, there's no going back.

Akina Nakamori sniffed, her voice trembling softly, "I like you."

The lingering warmth on his lips caused a rare look of surprise to flash in Kitahara Iwa's eyes.

He subconsciously opened his mouth, about to say something, but tears welled up in Nakamori Akina's eyes and fell first.

She raised her hand and wiped it haphazardly, as if afraid of being interrupted, and her speech became rapid.

"I've wanted to say this ever since you blocked my way in the apartment last year—"

Akira Nakamori's thin back was pressed tightly against the marble wall, as if using it to support himself from falling.

"I know I'm in a mess right now, and I know you have Ms. Sakai by your side. I won't disturb your lives, I really won't."

Akina Nakamori paused for a long time before finally raising her eyes to meet Iwao Kitahara's gaze.

The panic from the coffee shop was gone from those reddened eyes; only the truth, long suppressed and revealed, remained.

"I just hope that you can reserve a small, inconspicuous place for me in your heart."

Even a tiny corner will do.

After saying these words, it was as if all the strength she had left had been completely drained.

This time, before Kitahara Iwa could even respond, Nakamori Akina abruptly lowered her head.

"sorry."

Akina Nakamori hastily left those words, turned around and walked out of the elevator, running towards the lobby exit without even bothering to put on her sunglasses.

Outside the revolving door, the Tokyo sky at 5:30 had already turned gray and gloomy.

Nakamori Akira's thinly folded figure quickly blended into the deepening twilight on the street.

Kitahara Iwa stood in front of the elevator, watching the direction Nakamori Akina had hurriedly left in.

A moment later, Kitahara Iwa slowly lowered his hand, which was still suspended in mid-air, before he could press the elevator button.

In the quiet elevator lobby, only the occasional sounds of conversation drifted from the distant lobby.