From time to time there are reception staff walking around.
Nozaki Kenichiro's attitude was natural, as if he hadn't thought about anything. The smile on Watanabe Manyumi's face was a little faded, not as cordial as when she first agreed to take a photo with him.
Iwahashi Shinichi didn't care. He took the camera from Nozaki Kenichiro's hand, confirmed the operation, and then pointed the lens at the two people standing under the cherry blossom tree.
Under the camera, Watanabe Mayumi smiles gracefully, and Nozaki Kenichiro smiles brilliantly.
"Then, I'm going to take the photo."
Iwahashi Shinichi said and pressed the shutter.
He returned the camera to Kenichiro Nozaki, who thanked him politely.
Watanabe Manyumi looked at the two people who were talking. Nozaki Kenichiro was polite and well-educated, while Iwahashi Shinichi also had a certain level of advance and retreat, neither humble nor overbearing.
Putting aside the various standards by which superiors treat subordinates and entrepreneurs treat partners, Shinichi Iwahashi is regarded as a member of the opposite sex, and he is no less qualified than Kenichiro Nozaki, who has had a good reputation since his student days.
Just now, Nozaki Kenichiro ordered Iwahashi Shinichi, and at that moment, Watanabe Wan Yumi felt a little unhappy. After all, she did not regard Iwahashi Shinichi as a subordinate who came to serve as a follower.
Watanabe Manyumi was a little worried that Nozaki Kenichiro's approach of showing closeness would make Iwahashi Shinichi feel excluded and only there as a foil. In that case, it would be completely opposite to her original purpose.
Thinking of this, she suddenly suggested to Nozaki Kenichiro: "This is a rare opportunity. Nozaki-kun, can you please take a photo for me, Iwahashi-san?"
Nozaki Kenichiro was startled, then smiled and said: "Of course there is no problem."
The equal tone of Watanabe Manyumi was like a subtle reminder, making Nozaki Kenichiro realize that Iwahashi Shinichi was not an ordinary office employee.
Turning his head, seeing that Shinichi Iwahashi was still standing, Nozaki Kenichiro urged, "Iwahashi-san, please come next to Wan Yumi-senpai."
When Iwahashi Shinichi stood under the cherry blossom tree, he was still a little confused about the sudden proposal of the overbearing president. Watanabe Wan Yumi didn't think anything of it, "You're already here. Besides, it's rare for Nozaki-kun to bring a camera."
This explanation made Shinichi Iwahashi dumbfounded, "It sounds like a tour group taking a group photo at a scenic spot."
Watanabe Wan Yumi looked at him and said, "I keep saying this, isn't it possible that Iwahashi-san doesn't want to take photos with me?"
"how come."
The threat from the domineering president was ineffective and only made Shinichi Iwahashi laugh.
He guessed the source of Watanabe Wanyumi's sudden idea, and guessed that this was her way of showing intimacy in front of Nozaki Kenichiro. The person who came to the reception with her today was not a subordinate with no sense of presence.
When Kenichiro Nozaki asked him to be a photographer, Iwahashi Shinichi didn't have much idea in his mind. It was just a matter of effort. However, Watanabe Manyumi's way of conveying that it was her own made him feel comfortable.
The two stood side by side under the cherry blossom tree.
Kenichiro Nozaki pointed the camera at the two people, "I'm going to take a picture of Iwahashi-san, please smile again."
Click!
After Kenichiro Nozaki finished taking the photo, he did not stop there. Instead, he stepped forward, handed the camera to Watanabe Wanyumi, and suggested as if making a wisecrack:
"Iwahashi-san and I have already become photographers for once. Wan Yumi-senpai, you might as well ask you to take a group photo of Iwahashi-san and me so that you are not the only one left out."
Watanabe Manyumi was amused by his somewhat nonsensical suggestion.
Iwahashi Shinichi also felt that Nozaki Kenichiro was a wonderful person. If Watanabe Mayumi also became a photographer, then there would be no one instigating whom or excluding whom, but a mutual fun and amusement.
As a result, the atmosphere between the three people suddenly became happy. Nozaki Kenichiro's ingenious way of resolving the situation made Iwahashi Shinichi admire him. This buddy has a bright future.
That's it, this time Manyumi Watanabe was the photographer, and Shinichi Iwahashi and Kenichiro Nozaki took a photo together.
After taking the photo, Nozaki Kenichiro stopped the waiter who was passing by and asked him to help take a photo of the three of them. Three people of similar age gathered together and kept taking photos like tourists, as if they had forgotten that they were in the hotel.
Attending the reception. Occasionally, onlookers passed by and glanced at the three people having a good time, but they didn't care much.
Only these three parties knew that they had just tested each other a little.
After taking the group photo, Nozaki Kenichiro took back the camera and said to Watanabe Mayumi and Iwahashi Shinichi, "I will send the photos after they are developed."
"Then please, Nozaki-kun." Watanabe Manyumi said.
"No way." Nozaki Kenichiro smiled, "This is really a matter of duty."
Next, Kenichiro Nozaki almost always acted with the two of them. Although it was a threesome, the three of them were not the kind of people who couldn't read the air, so they had a good time.
Of course, even when they were having a good conversation, each of them kept a thin line, as if they were having a conversation through a layer of glass that they both knew but deliberately ignored.
The transparency of glass comes from the need for mutual communication and information exchange in the entertainment industry to move forward, so even people from different camps will be honest with each other to a certain extent. Similarly, belonging to different camps is also the source of barriers between glass.
…
In the evening, there was a band playing live in the hall. When the three people came down from upstairs, there were five or six pairs of men and women dancing, including a pair of foreigners with blond hair and blue eyes.
There were no artists present at today's reception. Of course, Kenichiro Nozaki, who is now an actor by profession, was not among the artists. At least people on this occasion would not regard him as a minor entertainer.
As an actor, his career was mediocre and had no improvement. He had been appearing in various TV series. Because of this, he had a good relationship with the grassroots TV staff.
It is normal for the second generation of an entertainment agency to have a dream of becoming a star. Have you ever seen Keiko Fujishima, the daughter of Mari Kitagawa, the vice president of Johnny & Associates next door? Although her conditions are mediocre, she has also worked as an actress. Of course, she
The most important task is to wait to go back and join the firm. If Mr. Kitagawa doesn't have an illegitimate son or something, he will inherit the family business from now on.
There were no entertainers present, but some girls were specially hired to liven up the atmosphere and add to the fun. Most of them were public relations girls from Ginza's high-end clubs. They were all very good people. To be honest, in such an occasion, they were more useful than entertainers.
When the band was taking a break, the dancing was paused. A young girl walked over from the crowd and came over to greet Watanabe Wanyumi and Nozaki Kenichiro, "Are you two here too?"
She is about the same age as Kenichiro Nozaki, has short hair, and is not very attractive, but has big eyes that look infinitely youthful.
The people present were not actors specially selected to act, so naturally they could not see the scene of handsome men and beautiful women drinking wine and dancing.
The girl did not speak to Iwahashi Shinichi, but nodded out of politeness.
Kenichiro Nozaki spoke to the two of them and quickly went dancing with the girl. The waiter carrying the tray came over at the right time, and Watanabe Wan Yumi took a glass of whiskey and soda and lightly touched it with her lips.
"That one is the daughter of Director Hosoda of Toei." Watanabe Manyumi said.
Iwahashi Shin nodded and smiled, "All the young people who came to participate have some background...except me, of course."
"Yes, except you." Watanabe Wan Yumi smiled slightly.
The two of them looked at the dancing partners swaying in pairs on the dance floor. After another song ended, Watanabe Wanyumi put down her glass and asked Iwahashi Shinichi, "Can Iwahashi-san dance?"
"Yes." Iwahashi Shinichi replied, remembering the time when he first came to Tokyo and danced with the bartenders in nightclubs.
Watanabe Manyumi didn't know that he had such a past, so she invited: "Then, let's dance too?"
"Okay."
The two stood up from their seats and walked to the dance floor together.
Watanabe Manyumi's dancing ability is not bad, but she didn't expect Iwahashi Shinichi to dance so well. At first, they were evenly matched, but later, they simply gave themselves over to him and followed his guidance, spinning in the beautiful melody.
"Iwahashi-san, I didn't expect you to dance so well." Watanabe Manyumi said.
Iwahashi Shinichi met her gaze and smiled: "Because this is the first time I dance with you."
The two of them had never been so close. Watanabe Mayumi put her head on his shoulder and danced with him. After finishing one dance, she danced the second one.
In the graceful and smooth dance steps and beautiful melody, and in the perfect tacit cooperation with him, Watanabe Wanyumi's heart filled up more and more, and she felt an unprecedented happiness, just like the rising tide, slowly surrounding her.
This happiness comes neither sooner nor later, at the right time.
She was deeply moved, had a sore nose, and almost shed tears.
After the dance ended, Shinichi Iwahashi let go of her. After walking out of the dance floor, Kenichiro Nozaki came over to talk to them, "Iwahashi-san, your dancing skills should not be underestimated!"
"Thank you." Iwahashi Shinichi replied.
"Iwahashi-san always brings me all kinds of surprises." Watanabe Manyumi looked at Iwahashi Shinichi's side face with a smile. In her words, she didn't have the usual confidence that she didn't draw an empty prize, but there was a sense of confidence in her words.
Tenderness.
Nozaki Kenichiro was a smart guy. He looked at the two of them, changed the topic, and took advantage of the situation to invite Watanabe Mayumi to dance. Iwahashi Shinichi was not alone and danced with other girls.
Kenichiro Nozaki was also very skilled in dancing, and Watanabe Watanabe danced effortlessly with him. But this time, dancing with him did not make Watanabe Watanabe feel the same happiness as before.
She felt anxious and uneasy, and she was worried about Iwahashi Shinichi.
After dancing with Kenichiro Nozaki, Watanabe Wan Yumi was invited to dance with an unknown man. Shinichi Iwahashi's dancing skills also attracted attention. When he let go, someone immediately came to invite him.
After dancing one dance after another, Watanabe Wan Yumi finally threw herself into the arms of Shinichi Iwahashi again.
"Wait a minute, let's go for a walk in the courtyard, Iwahashi-san." Watanabe Manyumi said while dancing.
Iwahashi Shinichi agreed, "Okay."
Sure enough, Watanabe Manyumi had something to say to him.
As soon as the dance ended, Iwahashi Shinichi went out with her.
The courtyard was dark and quiet. When I turned around, I saw the hotel was brightly lit, and figures of dancing men and women passed by the windows.
Perhaps it was the magic of the dance just now that not only made Watanabe Wanyumi feel the happiness that suddenly surged into her heart, but also made Iwahashi Shinichi feel close to her unconsciously. They walked in the courtyard, their shoulders pressed tightly against each other,
But no one thought it was strange.
Watanabe Mayumi asked Iwahashi Shinichi to come out, not to express her true feelings.
The question her mother asked made her hesitate for a while. However, while dancing with Shinichi Iwahashi, Watanabe Wanyumi felt that she had touched the answer.
When she saw the outline of the answer, Watanabe Manyumi suddenly understood why her mother asked her to think about such a question.
"Iwahashi-san, there is something I want to let you know."
"I am planning to separate from Watanabe Productions and establish a new agency."
"Yeah?"
Iwahashi Shinichi had been prepared early. When he heard her say this, he was not surprised. Instead, he felt like "it's finally here." When Watanabe Manyumi tried to get the answer from him, he was already prepared in his heart.
That answer.
"The previous series of events made me think a lot. If I continue to work at Watanabe Productions, I will inevitably be restricted in many matters because I have to comply with the company's policies. Therefore, my mother and I discussed this matter."
"Um……"
"Actually, this is not a whim. I had this idea because of these, but I really made up my mind because I found the goal and direction of my next efforts. And this was inspired by Iwahashi-san."
Speaking of this, Watanabe Wan Yumi paused and looked at Iwahashi Shinichi, as if waiting for his answer.
"Let me think about it..." Shinichi Iwahashi said, "It's a band, right?"
"Yes." The two coincided again, and Watanabe Wan Yumi was deeply moved.
"Iwahashi-san, just like now, we look at the problem from a very similar perspective and have a common goal." Watanabe Manyumi said, "I admire you very much."
"This time, if I want to establish a new agency, you are an indispensable person for me. If possible, can you please join me in becoming independent from Watanabe Productions, and together we can bring a new influence to the entertainment industry in the future?
Something new?”
Watanabe Manyumi looked at him with eyes full of expectation. If she got the answer she expected, then the answer to the question in her life would also clear up the clouds.
However, Iwahashi Shinichi hesitated.
This period of silence was a bit long. Watanabe Manyumi waited patiently at first, then felt a little uneasy, and the anticipation in her eyes slowly cooled down unconsciously.
Finally, he replied: "Sorry."
If it hadn't been for that conversation with Misa Watanabe, things might have been different. But now, Shinichi Iwahashi decided in his heart that he couldn't tie his fate to others.
"Yeah……"
The lottery wheel spun around, then slowly stopped and pointed to the first empty prize.
At the same time, the two unconsciously separated some distance.
