Tokyo's bubble economy: From literary giants to great entertainers

The private room fell silent instantly.

But the next moment, an even louder burst of laughter erupted!

Many of Matsuzaka Entertainment's executives are former Yakuza members, and they don't really care about rules in this kind of setting.

Seeing their old friend Serizawa get sprayed all over his face, especially with a tattered lotus leaf still clinging to his eyebrow, everyone burst into laughter. Even Kanbaru Shuichi almost choked on his drink.

"Private Marseille! Private Marseille!"

Rie Miyazawa blushed and quickly stood up, bowing repeatedly, feeling extremely nervous and ashamed.

Just then, Shuichi Kanbara, who was laughing uncontrollably, took the half-full glass of Nevada from Rie Miyazawa and said with a smile, "Sorry, Uncle Serizawa. Consider this apologetic on her behalf."

After saying that, he tilted his head back and gulped it down.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the private room became even more lively, with everyone cheering and applauding. Matsuzaka Keiko also glanced at Kanbara Shuichi in surprise, and then looked at Miyazawa Rie, who was so nervous and shy that she clenched her fists.

"This kid, if he doesn't have ulterior motives... he's actually a pretty good man."

Despite the lively atmosphere, Serizawa, being the senior who had been criticized, definitely needed to give the other party a way out. And clearly, Miyazawa Rie couldn't offer that, and if Kanbara Shuichi were to, he would have to pay a price.

Even if it's just for fun, drinking three or four ounces of strong cocktail, combined with all the beer you drank before, is still quite alarming.

Indeed, although Shuichi Kanbara was in good health, he felt a little dizzy after drinking the whole glass.

"Brother Kanbara, you've got a great capacity for alcohol! I, Serizawa, am impressed! Haha, come on, have some food!"

Uncle Serizawa, who has a Mediterranean complex, is a peacemaker by nature. Now that he has a way out, he quickly returned the favor, helping Shuichi Kanbara to sit down while cheerfully continuing to cheer everyone up.

However, Shuichi Kanbara was still having a hard time, as the beer mixed with the cocktail was churning wildly in his stomach.

He quickly gulped down a few mouthfuls of food, but still couldn't hold it in. He didn't force himself to continue. When another uncle came up to toast him, he quickly said, "Let me go to the toilet and come back to fight again." Then, amidst the lively laughter of the group, he left the table and went to the toilet.

It has to be said that his completely uninhibited personality after drinking is very appealing in the party atmosphere of Matsuzaka Entertainment.

Although the excuse of needing to urinate was mostly to induce vomiting, no one present had any intention of mocking him. Instead, they all smiled and praised him, saying things like, "This young man is really good." "Oh dear, Keiko is getting on in years. How about considering a man like Shuichi-kun?" and so on.

And it's obvious that you can't touch a tigress's backside.

A drunken veteran of the Matsuzaka group, who was trying to establish a connection with the Red Line, had barely uttered his words when he was met with a fierce glare from Matsuzaka Keiko, which made him tremble with fear.

"What? Even if I'm of marriageable age, I'd never date a kid like that!"

Keiko Matsuzaka picked up her glass, amused and annoyed. Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rie Miyazawa grab a bunch of tissues from the table and quietly leave.

"Are you going to the restroom to find that brat?"

She raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly unconcerned. But suddenly, remembering Rie Miyazawa's background, her cold, beautiful brow furrowed, and she stood up, pulling down her sleeve.

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."

"Even Keiko is failing?!"

"You've definitely reached that age. I remember a few years ago you could drink us all under the table by yourself..."

"Shut up! You disgusting, smelly old men!"

"Haha! Be careful not to slip in the toilet like you did when you were a kid."

The noise and bustle continued behind her, and Keiko Matsuzaka rolled her eyes with a smile.

When we got to the restroom, the music was noticeably quieter, and the air temperature was also a little lower due to the ventilation system in the restroom area.

It's past nine o'clock at night. A normal bar would probably just be warming up, but this music restaurant in Qianye Hengding is already at its liveliest time.

Especially in the restrooms, many men and women who happen to have some alone time while using the toilet gather here.

Couples were either leaning against the wall smoking, chatting, and waiting for the toilet, or they were already drunk and hugging and kissing each other without a care in the world.

"Young people these days are truly immoral!"

Keiko Matsuzaka maintained a cool and aloof demeanor, but inwardly she was muttering viciously to herself.

She hadn't walked far when she saw Rie Miyazawa standing obediently by the sink like a dutiful daughter-in-law, while Shuichi Kanbara was rubbing his face with cold water in front of the mirror.

Seeing this, a slightly amused smile appeared on her lips.

"Didn't you pretend to be drunk and drag that girl into the toilet stall...?"

Although she genuinely lacked the talent and couldn't seem to grasp professional photography techniques no matter how hard she tried, she had still managed to work in the entertainment industry for several years.

She had heard many stories of men, relying on their high positions as directors or screenwriters, using the pretense of being drunk to forcibly drag girls into stalls in the restroom.

To be honest, because of her background and past experiences, she wasn't too averse to men being philanderers. But... underhanded methods were unacceptable!

"He's an interesting little rascal."

From afar, I watched as Rie Miyazawa very virtuously handed a piece of paper to Shuichi Kanbara.

Keiko Matsuzaka took out a pack of women's cigarettes from her pocket, lit one for herself, and a longing that she herself could hardly detect flashed in her eyes.

Although she was a legitimate graduate of the University of Tokyo, her family suffered a massacre when she was around ten years old. Her mother-in-law also lacked business acumen, so she actually had to work while still studying, helping to manage the company.

With such a busy lifestyle, she doesn't have time to think about romantic relationships, and besides, she's a workaholic. When she was younger, she didn't feel the need for love at all.

But as I get older, and as my former friends get married and start families, many of them even have children, when we occasionally go out to socialize, the conversations are mostly about how their husbands are doing and how their children are doing.

In this atmosphere, it would be impossible to say that she would be completely unaffected by these things.

However...

"I'll give you two seconds to get out of my sight, or I'll kill you."

Perhaps due to the effects of alcohol, she was still immersed in some subtle emotions. In this environment, the contemplative posture of a cool and beautiful woman elegantly smoking is always easy to attract some men.

It was obvious, however, that she was just a hypocrite, harboring a slight longing for romance. But when faced with this fairly good-looking man who approached her, her eyes instantly turned as cold as ice blades.

"...What a stinky woman...so great!"

The man was so frightened by her gaze that he shrank back, not daring to make any further moves. He slunk away, muttering curses under his breath.

"Tch, what a useless man."

Keiko Matsuzaka was too lazy to bother with such a person.

The restroom in front of the door was open, and she stubbed out her cigarette, preparing to go in. But just then, a familiar figure pushed open the curtain and appeared beside her, their eyes meeting instantly.

"kindness???"

"Suzuki?! What the hell are you doing here, you bastard?!"

The person standing in front of them was Honami Suzuki.

She paused slightly when she saw Keiko Matsuzaka. Keiko Matsuzaka also paused when she saw her, then her eyes turned fierce.

Honami Suzuki, who hadn't planned to come to a music restaurant tonight and was only thinking about going home to cook a celebratory dinner for Shuichi Kanbara, but had to come because of an interview with a famous musician, frowned instantly upon hearing this.

"Why can't I be here?! And who are you calling a bastard?! You delinquent biker girl!"

"You're talking nonsense! You're the delinquent! I'm a legitimate member of the Matsuzaka-gumi!"

Keiko Matsuzaka's eyes were fierce, like an angry black fox baring its fangs. Honami Suzuki was not intimidated at all, glaring at him while desperately trying to urinate, like a bristling silver ferret.

"So you admit you're from the Matsuzaka-gumi! Then I wasn't wrong to call the police and have you arrested back then!"

"You dare talk nonsense! I'll tear your mouth apart, you bastard!"

Matsuzaka Keiko, who had just been grumbling at by a man and didn't seem to care, also lost her temper, and Suzuki Honami, unusually, didn't maintain her composure in public.

At this critical moment, an unexpected and strange voice broke in.

"Honami? Ms. Matsuzaka?"

"kindness?"

"kindness?"

The two women turned around at the same time and saw that Shuichi Kambara, who had already washed his face, was standing not far away, looking at them strangely. But after they both responded, they turned back to look at each other and then looked at Shuichi Kambara again.

"Shuichi! How do you know this delinquent?!"

"Shuichi-san, where did you get to know this bastard?!"

"..."

.

Ten minutes later, in the private room.

Shuichi Kanbara sat upright like a well-behaved child, while Rie Miyazawa next to him was equally nervous, her head bowed, her fingers almost red from pinching her thigh.

Not only the two of them, but also Kento Kaku, who had been drinking very happily before, and a group of Matsuzaka Entertainment members, were now sitting upright, keeping their mouths and noses closed, not daring to make a sound.

Outside the semi-open private room, energetic music blared, but inside, the atmosphere was eerily quiet. Many passersby peered curiously inside, their eyes drawn to the woman seated in the center of the long table on either side.

After a long while.

Having regained her composure, Honami Suzuki put down her teacup and looked up at Keiko Matsuzaka across from her.

"So, you're saying that because you're getting old and have developed a taste for men, you hired Shuichi as the screenwriter and director of your new drama? Is that how I should understand it?"

Keiko Matsuzaka instantly went berserk, slamming her hand on the table like a yakuza vixen, "You're talking nonsense! I value his talent!"

"Although I know Shuichi is very talented, if the object is a woman of such low character as you, then things are a different story."

"you!"

Keiko Matsuzaka trembled with anger, and at that moment, Shuichi Kanbara's Adam's apple bobbed as he tried to speak, "Actually..."

"This is not a place for children to speak!"

"This is not a place for children to speak!"

"..."

Shuichi Kambara was completely dumbfounded. But looking at the two women who were grimacing and spitting out hoarse words, he shook his head, speechless and amused.

He had just learned the ins and outs of the matter from the Mediterranean-looking Serizawa uncle who was talking quietly.

Honami Suzuki and Keiko Matsuzaka are indeed old acquaintances. However... not the kind of normal old acquaintances.

It is said that when Honami Suzuki first started out as a reporter, she was in charge of investigating a case involving "dismounted photos".

It wouldn't have been a big deal, but Suzuki Honami was still a newbie back then, while Matsuzaka Keiko, who was still in high school at the time, looked more mature and had a background with the Matsuzaka Group.

And so, in this bizarre mix-up, Honami Suzuki reported Keiko Matsuzaka, who had sneaked into the bookstore through the back door just to buy bishoujo manga, as a criminal selling "Shimoma Magazine".

The end result was that Keiko Matsuzaka, who had always presented a cold and aloof image at the company and tried to appear "strong and cold," exposed her fatal weakness of liking to read bishoujo manga, and instantly became a laughing stock in the industry.

However, Keiko Matsuzaka is no pushover either.

Not long after, they arranged for a large pile of men's smelly socks to be sent to Honami Suzuki's company, and even had someone put on a show at the door saying that Honami Suzuki loved men's smelly socks the most, and loved them to bits.

It was a close call that Suzuki Honami, who is always known for her elegance, almost got so angry that she developed high blood pressure.

The feud between the two was thus established.

What's even more interesting is that, because the Matsuzaka group was undergoing a transformation during those years, and Honami Suzuki happened to be assigned by the TV station to be in charge of news content related to yakuza, the two of them eventually became old acquaintances.

Those old acquaintances who never speak to each other again.

Looking at the two women still locked in their verbal sparring, Shuichi Kanbara chuckled and shook his head. He took the premium sushi from the waiter and placed it in front of Rie Miyazawa, whose cheeks were flushed and eyes were somewhat dazed from drinking a little bit of sake.

"Ignore them, you should eat more. You seemed to have had about half a sip of that wine too."

"Hmm..."

Sensing the subtle relationship between Shuichi Kambara and the two women, and recalling how Shuichi Kambara had just helped her fend off a drink and then vomited horribly, Rie Miyazawa blinked her big eyes, picked up a piece of sushi, put her other hand underneath, and put it in her mouth, her little face moving like a sticky rice cake.

"Although I don't understand it, but..."

"Just being by Shuichi's side makes me feel both happy and at ease."

As the alcohol took effect, everything she had experienced with Shinbara Shuichi that day gradually began to surface in her mind. Her blush deepened, and a sweet and satisfied emotion welled up in her eyes. Her little feet, clad in white socks under her bottom, rubbed together happily.

The two women were eating their meal in an elegant manner, but they were actually engaged in a heated verbal battle.

A group of company veterans were hiding to the side, secretly playing drinking games, while Kento Kaku had already passed out and was lying in the back.

Meanwhile, Shuichi Kanbara and Rie Miyazawa sat to the side eating premium sushi, listening intently as the two women exposed each other's secrets.

Shuichi Kanbara stuffed a piece of tuna belly sushi into his mouth, smiled, and shook his head.

"It seems..."

"It looks like things won't be peaceful from now on."