Tokyo Literary Masters: Starting from the Late 1980s

A few days later, in the afternoon, at Fuji Television, in the third casting room.

The casting for the "Grandma" episode of "Strange Events" is proceeding smoothly.

Director Masayuki Ochiai sat at the head of the long table, his brow furrowed, with piles of child star profiles from various agencies in front of him.

Kitahara Iwa sat quietly next to him, holding a cup of tea in his hand, mostly like an observer, and rarely even said a word.

After all, every profession has its own secrets, and Kitahara Iwao was not familiar with these faces in the Japanese entertainment industry. Therefore, he was very clear about his position: to observe but not to speak unless necessary.

"Next."

Following Ochiai Masayuki's command, a little girl dressed in an elegant dress and with pigtails walked in.

She was a promising candidate recommended by the Sunflower Theatre Company. Although she was only ten years old, she already had a wealth of experience in filming GG (Girls' Love).

The audition process went very smoothly.

The little girl has a sweet voice, can cry on cue, laugh when asked, and even knows how to find the camera.

After the performance, she politely bowed to the judges and gave them a sweet smile.

"Not bad..."

After the little girl left, Masayuki Ochiai couldn't help but circle the resume, then turned to the assistant director beside him and said, "Your acting is very solid, and your crying scenes are also powerful. If there are no retakes, the filming will proceed quickly."

"I think this child is the best right now."

After speaking, Ochiai Masayuki subconsciously looked at Kitahara Iwao beside him and politely asked, "Kitahara-sensei, what do you think?"

"This child is very cute, which should fit Miho's character and evoke sympathy from the audience, right?"

Kitahara Iwa put down his teacup, not refuting directly, but looking at the resume thoughtfully, he said, "His acting skills are indeed impeccable, perfect."

Hearing the original author say the same thing, Masayuki Ochiai breathed a sigh of relief and was about to make a decision.

"But, Director Ochiai."

Kitahara Iwakura abruptly changed the subject, asking in return, "Don't you think... she's all too aware of how cute she is?"

"Why?"

Upon hearing this, Masayuki Ochiai was momentarily stunned.

"The greatest tragedy of Miho's character lies in her innocence. She is a blank sheet of paper, and it is precisely because she is a blank sheet of paper that it is most heartbreaking when she is stained with black ink."

Kitahara Iwa turned his head and looked at Ochiai Masayuki, saying incisively, "That child just now, her innocence was an act."

"This is the kind of innocence that adults want to see, with a hint of pandering. If the audience thinks she's very shrewd, then the sense of despair she feels when her grandmother possesses her later will be greatly diminished."

"Rather than a perfect doll, don't we need... a child who seems a little clumsy, even a little dull?"

At this point, Kitahara Iwa pointed to the transparent water glass in front of him: "Only the purest and most unaware container can hold the most extreme malice."

"this……"

Ochiai Masayuki looked at the water glass on the table and fell into deep thought.

A few seconds later, he slapped his thigh, the hesitation in his eyes vanishing, replaced by an excited realization: "I understand! You're right!"

"Overly professional child stars actually ruin the sense of realism! We're not looking for actors, we're looking for the real Miho!"

Masayuki Ochiai immediately picked up a pen, crossed out the child actor's name, and turned to the assistant director, shouting, "Bring back that kid... that one who was a little nervous and forgot his lines once, but whose eyes were so clear! I want to see him again!"

The assistant director rushed out.

Ochiai Masayuki wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to Kitahara Iwao, saying with a sigh, "Kitahara-sensei, thank goodness you were here. I almost had a professional accident because I was rushing to meet the deadline."

"If that child from earlier were to play Miho, the script would probably feel completely different."

Kitahara Iwa simply shook his head, picked up his teacup again, and said, "I'm just talking. How exactly we film it will depend on Director Ochiai's skill."

With this incident, the direction for casting became instantly clear.

Instead of pursuing skills, we pursue unique qualities.

Under Masayuki Ochiai's professional guidance, the roles were finalized one by one.

Until... the last resume was placed on everyone's table.

"Miho as an adult thirty years later".

Although this character only appears in the last minute of the script and doesn't even have a single line, all he needs to do is stand in front of the funeral hall humming a song and tossing sandbags.

But Masayuki Ochiai knew very well that this character was the source of all the horror in the entire series.

They need the actors to portray not only the grief of losing their mother in middle age, but also a kind of ruthlessness after experiencing vicissitudes, a gloomy and triumphant feeling of finally outlasting everyone and achieving ultimate victory.

"Those actors just now were no good."

Ochiai Masayuki tossed a few resumes aside, sighed, and said, "His face is etched with the weariness of struggling to make a living, and his eyes are numb."

"There is absolutely no sinister air about someone who usurps another's place and manipulates life at will."

"Let's see. If all else fails, we'll have to poach talent from those theater troupes..."

With casting nearing completion, only a few auditionees remain.

Masayuki Ochiai rubbed his slightly sore neck and casually picked up the next resume.

However, the moment his gaze swept over the name on the resume, he froze.

On the name field, four neat Chinese characters were clearly written: 【中森明菜】.

Upon seeing this, Masayuki Ochiai thought he was hallucinating from staying up all night. He blinked hard and then looked again.

"Feeding...is this too outrageous?"

Pointing to the name, Masayuki Ochiai, both amused and exasperated, handed the resume to the assistant director beside him, saying, "These days, agencies are even willing to use such outrageous stage names just to grab attention?"

"Aren't you afraid of getting a cease and desist letter from Ken-On (Akina Nakamori's agency)?"

The assistant director leaned over for a look and couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "Haha, it's probably just someone with the same name, right? After all, while there aren't many people with that name in all of Japan, there are some."

"But thinking about it, it's obvious that this couldn't possibly be the real person."

Then, while organizing the documents, the assistant director joked, "Ms. Nakamori is a top-tier singer right now, preparing for her concert. How could she possibly come to our late-night film set to audition for a minor role with no lines?"

"Yeah, probably a newcomer trying to ride the wave of popularity."

Ochiai Masayuki shook his head, not taking it too seriously, and casually waved his hand: "Then hurry up and call them in, don't keep them waiting. The sooner we finish watching, the sooner we can call it a day."

"Okay."

The assistant director cleared his throat and shouted loudly towards the door, "Next! Number 14, Ms. Nakamori Akina!"

The voice just fell.

Squeak!

The heavy, soundproof door to the casting room was gently pushed open from the outside.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you."

As a slightly hoarse yet highly recognizable voice rang out throughout Japan, a slender figure slowly walked in.

There were no flashy newcomers trying to ride the wave of popularity, nor were they wearing cheap imitation clothes.

The woman who walked in was wearing a slightly oversized black trench coat and sunglasses that covered half of her face.

She was so thin that she looked as if a gust of wind could blow her away, and she exuded a heartbreaking fragility, like a broken black swan.

Under everyone's gaze, she walked to the center of the room, stretched out her pale, slender fingers, and gently removed her sunglasses.

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze.

Her pale, delicate face, and her eyes that seemed to hold a thousand unspoken thoughts...

pat.

The assistant director, who was drinking water, suddenly dropped his paper cup onto his pants, spilling scalding hot coffee all over him. However, he didn't feel the heat at all; he just opened his mouth wide, like a duck being choked.

Ochiai Masayuki was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out of his head, his jaw nearly hitting the table, and his mind went completely blank.

They are not the same person with the same name.

It wasn't some kind of imitation show.

"Ms. Nakamori?!"

Ochiai Masayuki suddenly stood up, the chair scraping against the floor with a screeching sound.

He stammered, "You...you've come to the wrong room? This is the audition venue for the late-night drama 'Strange Events,' and the music program recording is in the building next door..."

Are you kidding me!

Standing in front of me is Akina Nakamori!

Although her recent relationship scandal with Masahiko Kondo has caused her condition to plummet, and there were even rumors of her having a mental breakdown.

But even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse; she is still the undisputed Top 1 diva in all of Japan!

How could a superstar of this caliber possibly appear at an audition for a minor role in a late-night drama with only a few lines?

"You didn't go to the wrong place."

Akina Nakamori gently shook her head.

Then her gaze swept past the panicked crowd and landed precisely on Kitahara Iwa, who was sitting calmly next to Ochiai Masayuki.

Then, she turned to Masayuki Ochiai, her voice soft yet exceptionally clear: "I heard they're casting for 'Grandma' here... I'd like to try out for the role of adult Miho."

Although it all seemed absurd, like a dream, Masayuki Ochiai would have to be out of his mind to refuse Akina Nakamori's offer.

After a simple clearing and preparation, the audition began.

There was no complicated decoration; just a chair served as the mourning hall.

Akina Nakamori took off her trench coat, revealing a long black dress underneath.

She stood there quietly, without saying a word.

Just by looking at his standing posture, Masayuki Ochiai got goosebumps all over.

At this moment, Akina Nakamori didn't need to act at all.

Her emaciated appearance, her empty eyes concealing deep hatred and resentment...

It's practically tailor-made for the role of adult Miho!

Akina Nakamori slowly raised her head and looked at her mother's portrait in the void.

There were no tears, not even a facial expression.

Then he took out a handkerchief from his pocket, skillfully folded it into a beanbag, and gently tossed it into the air.

"One...two...three..."

At this moment, Akina Nakamori's voice, though light and cheerful, carried a chilling quality.

"A seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl... holding flowers and incense..."

As she sang the last line, a very slow smile appeared on her lips.

It was a smile that was neither a smile nor a smile, but a smile full of irony and coldness.

It's like a demon that has been suppressed for thirty years finally tearing off its mask at this moment, silently mocking the world.

In an instant, the temperature in the entire casting room seemed to drop by five degrees.

This is not a staged horror.

Rather, it is malice born from genuine despair.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

Just then, applause broke the suffocating silence.

Kitahara Iwa was the first to applaud.

Immediately afterwards, Masayuki Ochiai and the assistant directors also burst into applause as if waking from a dream.

"That's...that's amazing."

While clapping along, Masayuki Ochiai exclaimed incoherently, "Ms. Nakamori, this was absolutely a divine performance!"

Faced with the crowd's astonishment, Akina Nakamori simply bowed politely, put her sunglasses back on, and replied, "Thank you."

With Akina Nakamori's performance over, the audition also came to an end.

If it were an ordinary actor, Masayuki Ochiai would definitely stay and talk to him slowly.

But the person in front of me is Akina Nakamori!

She's a top-tier singer right in the eye of the storm!

It's like a gift from heaven that she agreed to star in it!

Masayuki Ochiai knew very well that this impulsive decision had to be implemented immediately, otherwise, once her agency Ken-On reacted, or if she changed her mind herself, the cooked duck would fly away!

"Quick! Assistant Director! Go and call Oshima from the Ministry of Justice! No... go directly to the Director!"

Ochiai Masayuki grabbed the documents on the table, sweating profusely, and whispered to the assistant director beside him, "This is huge news! We need to draft a special appearance contract immediately! It has to be done tonight!"

After saying that, Masayuki Ochiai turned to Akina Nakamori and bowed repeatedly, saying, "Ms. Nakamori, please wait a moment. Because your contract level is too high, I must personally report to the station director and apply for the highest level of special invitation treatment!"

"I'll be right back!"

Overwhelmed by the immense surprise, Masayuki Ochiai didn't care about anything else and led a group of people out of the casting room to deal with the tedious administrative procedures.

As Masayuki Ochiai and his large entourage left in a flurry, the once crowded and noisy casting room instantly became empty.

The sweltering heat from the excitement in the air slowly subsided, leaving only the soft hum of the central air conditioning.

Kitahara Iwatsu slowly tidied up the pens and documents on the table, stood up, nodded to Nakamori Akina, and then walked straight out of the room to the rest area at the end of the corridor.

There is a vending machine here with a warm yellow light.

"Akina-san! Time to go! Next announcement..."

The manager, who had been waiting anxiously at the door and was already sweating profusely, rushed over to try and pull this willful ancestor away.

However, Akina Nakamori seemed not to hear her manager's urging at all, and didn't even give him a glance.

She simply wrapped her oversized black trench coat tighter around her, walked straight past her manager, and headed towards Kitahara Iwa.

Seeing this, the manager opened his mouth, about to say something, but then remembered Kitahara Iwa's identity, and in the end did not dare to stop him. He could only tactfully retreat to the other end of the corridor to stand guard.

Clang.

With a dull thud as something heavy fell, the vending machine dispensed two cans of drinks.

Before Nakamori Akina could speak, Kitahara Iwao had already bent down and taken out the scalding hot tin can.

Then Kitahara Iwa turned around, as if he had expected her to follow, and casually handed one of the cans to her.

"Give."

"Unsweetened black coffee."

Kitahara Iwao looked at Nakamori Akina's pale, almost transparent face, which seemed as if it might shatter at any moment, and said calmly, "Although it's a bit bitter, it's very refreshing, just like your current state."

"Thanks."

Akina Nakamori took the coffee but didn't drink it; she just held it in her hand to warm it.

After a while, she lowered her head, looking at her toes, and said in a very soft voice, "Ever since I heard what you said that day... I went to the bookstore and bought 'The Ring' to read."

"I watched it all night, and I was too scared to turn off the lights."

At that moment, Akina Nakamori suddenly raised her head, her eyes, once as bright as stars but now filled with gloom, staring directly at Iwao Kitahara and saying, "Teacher Kitahara... I want to ask you a question."

"Sadako was pushed into a well by her father and remained in darkness for thirty years... Was she lonely?"

"If... if she had resisted when her father pushed her down... even if she had bitten or scratched with her nails... would the outcome have been different?"

"Wouldn't that mean she wouldn't have to become a vengeful ghost that only harms people?"

Kitahara Iwa looked at the girl in front of him who was on the verge of breaking.

He knew that Akina Nakamori wasn't asking about Sadako, but about herself.

That self, pushed to the bottom of the well by a lie called love, is slowly rotting in the darkness.

"Sadako was certainly lonely."

Kitahara Iwao looked into her eyes and answered earnestly, "But her tragedy lies not in the fact that she is a vengeful ghost, but in the fact that she dared not rebel against her father, and against the world that wanted to erase her."

"If she resists, she might die, or she might live; no one knows what the outcome will be."

Looking at the girl in front of him, who seemed about to shatter at any moment, Kitahara Iwa said, "But at least... she won't be trapped at the bottom of the well for thirty years, turning into a monster that only curses and kills the innocent."

Upon hearing this, Akina Nakamori tightened her grip on the coffee can, and her body trembled violently.

Silence spread through the corridor.

After a long while, Akina Nakamori slowly raised her head.

The initial confusion and deathly gloom in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a faint glimmer of light.

"That's why I'm here."

Akina Nakamori looked at Iwata Kitahara, her lips twitching into a bittersweet smile. "You're a great writer," she said, "you must be thinking: why would Akina Nakamori choose to play such a dark and twisted minor role with no lines?"

Kitahara Iwa didn't deny it, he just looked at her quietly.

Akina Nakamori took a deep breath, turned her head, looked out the window at the night that was gradually swallowing the city, and said softly, "Because... I want to obtain Grandma Miho's power."

Akina Nakamori turned around and looked at her thin reflection in the glass window: "The grandmother in the script is a thoroughly evil person."

"But in order to survive, and to get revenge on her daughter-in-law, she could ruthlessly take away her granddaughter's body, and endure it for thirty years..."

"She's wicked. But she's full of life, isn't she?"

"I am too weak right now."

"So weak that they can only be slaughtered at will, waiting at the bottom of the well for the water to rise over their heads."

"So I wanted to play this kind of bad woman. I wanted to know... what it feels like to have malice that lives for oneself and for revenge."

"Is it to counter Masahiko Kondo?"

Kitahara Iwa suddenly spoke, tearing open the window paper.

Upon hearing that name, Akina Nakamori's face turned deathly pale, and she dug her fingers into the aluminum of the soda can.

Facing Kitahara Iwa, who saw through everything, Nakamori Akina let down her guard and, as if she had found an outlet, began to confide in him intermittently.

"Everyone tells me to be patient and to be sensible... My family treats me like a cash cow. Whenever I don't give them money, they call and scold me for being ungrateful."

"My agency treats me like a commodity. To maintain my image, they hold my head down and prevent me from speaking."

Akina Nakamori gripped the coffee can tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white from the force, her voice chillingly cold: "And... that man is even more terrifying than them."

"He always used excuses like 'his racing career needs funding' and 'wanting to break away from the agency and become independent' to take money from me time and time again."

"Millions, tens of millions..."

"Every time I tried to resist or refuse to give him money, he would look at me with that utterly disappointed look and say to me..."

"Akina, you're ruining me."

"It's because you're so famous that you've stolen my thunder, which is why my racing career is going so badly. Shouldn't you make it up to me?"

"With your gloomy and hysterical personality, besides me, what other man in this world could put up with you?"

At this point, the light in Akina Nakamori's eyes completely died, leaving only deep self-loathing: "I thought I was helping him through a difficult time. But what was the result?"

"He had just taken the savings I had painstakingly accumulated from my tour when I saw photos in a weekly magazine of him spending lavishly in New York, driving sports cars, and partying with other women every night."

"Teacher Kitahara, do you know what that feeling is like?"

Akina Nakamori closed her eyes in anguish, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

"When I called to question him, he instead accused me of being paranoid, and accused me of not only not supporting his dreams, but also trying to control him with money."

"I feel like Sadako at the bottom of a well."

"The man stood at the well's edge, throwing stones into it while saying to me: 'The reason you're down there is because you're sick, because you're not good enough.'"

"And I... actually believed it."

"Now I feel like the sky above my head is getting smaller and smaller, the water is up to my neck, and it's freezing cold... I can't breathe."

Kitahara Iwa listened quietly, his fist, hidden under his sleeve, clenching unconsciously.

This is not a romantic relationship at all.

This is textbook-level psychological abuse and brainwashing.

Masahiko Kondo, that scumbag, destroyed Akina Nakamori's self-esteem through constant belittling and suppression, turning this most dazzling diva in all of Japan into an ATM who only spits out money and then has to reflect on her actions afterwards.

Kitahara Iwa knew the course of history.

Not long after, came the infamous Golden Screen incident.

This naive girl was swindled out of more than 80 million yen by a scumbag, and was completely drained of her last bit of value.

Then, after a failed attempt to cut her wrists in despair, she was tricked into going to a press conference where she publicly apologized to the vampire and took all the blame.

In the end, she lost both her money and her life, and the once-great songstress perished.

How can these be lovers?

These are clearly leeches crawling on her and sucking her blood.

"She is now only one step away from self-destruction."

Thinking of this, Kitahara Iwa took out an envelope from his briefcase that he had originally intended to give to Editor-in-Chief Sato.

Inside was nothing other than half a copy of his newly completed manuscript, "Confessions."

"If you want to learn bad habits, then learn them thoroughly."

Kitahara Iwa handed the envelope to Nakamori Akina and slowly said, "You can't save yourself by just acting."

"Ms. Akina, this thing... might be more suitable for you right now than the script for 'Grandma'."

"What is this?"

Akina Nakamori took the envelope in a daze.

"A guide to revenge, or rather... a book of awakening for a wicked woman."

Kitahara Iwa continued, "Go back and read it."

"You'll understand when you finish reading it."

"When neither law nor morality can protect you, besides crying at the bottom of the well, you actually have another option."

"That means climbing out of the well and kicking the person who pushed you down into the well."