Chapter 85: The Showa Beauty's Shura Field and Screams

Author Mu Qiyi is waiting for you with "Tokyo Literary Masters: Starting from the Late 1980s".

As the thunderous applause gradually subsided, and the entire studio was still reeling from the chilling afterglow, a tall and slender figure emerged from the shadows beside them.

This person was none other than Akina Nakamori.

Despite the lingering oppressive atmosphere on set, this original diva, who had just recovered from an emotional abyss, appeared composed and poised.

She walked straight through the astonished crowd and went behind the monitor.

As a top star in the entertainment industry who pays great attention to etiquette, Akina Nakamori has an extremely strong sense of propriety when entering a venue.

She first bowed slightly to Ichikawa Kun, who was sitting behind the monitor, and said in a clear and sincere voice, "Director Ichikawa, I'm so sorry for visiting the set so late at night. Everyone has worked hard."

Then, she turned around and nodded to the photographers, lighting technicians, and crew members who were still busy around her, and said politely in a soft voice, "Thank you all for your hard work. It's so late at night, please take care of yourselves."

This approachable and down-to-earth demeanor of a national idol instantly dispelled the chill that had settled on the set.

Even Ichikawa Kun, known for his strictness and fiery temper, softened his tone and nodded slightly in the face of this polite junior, saying, "Ms. Nakamori, you are very kind."

After completing all the formalities on set, Akina Nakamori then turned very naturally to Iwata Kitahara, who was sitting next to Ichikawa, and handed him an unopened bottle of mineral water, revealing a smile with a hint of melancholy and aloofness.

"Thank you for your guidance, Kitahara-sensei."

Then, Akina Nakamori turned her head slightly, her gaze shifting between Iwao Kitahara and Kun Ichikawa, and asked in a light yet professional tone, "I've recorded the demo for the theme song of 'Confessions' overnight. Director Ichikawa, Kitahara-kun, would you two have a moment to listen to it now?"

Upon hearing this, Yasuko Sawaguchi, who had just snapped out of Yuko Moriguchi's absolutely cold demeanor, had a slight change in her expression.

She and Akina Nakamori are in two completely different circles, film and music, and they hardly ever interact.

But at this moment, when she saw Akina Nakamori standing next to Iwata Kitahara, who always kept people at arm's length, with an air of familiarity and nonchalance, Yasuko Sawaguchi felt a sudden surge of intense, instinctive repulsion.

This is the film studio, Kadokawa's territory, and also her home ground as the absolute female lead in "Confessions".

Akina Nakamori, simply standing there casually, exuded a cool and aloof aura, as if she had just survived a tribulation and been reborn.

This unique charm, completely different from the pure and perfect image of Toho actresses, without any deliberate display of aggression, easily attracted the attention of everyone present.

The silent clash of their auras greatly stimulated Yasuko Sawaguchi's sense of territory and competitive spirit.

So, this Toho Cinderella, who had just completed her acting transformation, turned her head slightly and took a step forward without backing down.

Then, she deliberately interjected in a professionally exclusive manner, as if speaking only between actors, screenwriters, and directors: "Teacher Kitahara, I feel that I didn't quite capture the lingering emotional impact of that scene accurately enough."

"Could you please come to my lounge so I can review the situation again?"

As Yasuko Sawaguchi finished speaking, Akina Nakamori turned to look at her.

At this moment, two top beauties at the peak of their looks in the late Showa era exchanged extremely sharp glances under the pale spotlights on set.

There wasn't a single sound of gunfire in the air, but it was filled with the most primal sense of territorial struggle among women.

Despite being in the eye of the storm, Kitahara Iwao, who was at the center of the storm, remained calm and composed in the face of this extreme chaotic situation that could drive all the men in Japan crazy.

He neither accepted the water from Akina Nakamori nor agreed to Yasuko Sawaguchi's invitation. Instead, he first nodded slightly to Director Ichikawa, then turned to me and said in a gentle tone, "Regarding the professional evaluation of the demo, Ms. Nakamori, you can contact President Kadokawa tomorrow and ask him to arrange for Mr. Daisuke Nagato to come and make the arrangements."

"After all, Mr. Nagato is the expert when it comes to the details of arrangement."

Then, Kitahara Iwao turned to the side and gave Sawaguchi Yasuko, who was still somewhat flustered, a polite smile, saying, "As for the confusion regarding the performance, Ms. Sawaguchi, Director Ichikawa is the soul of the show."

"Given how satisfied he was with that shot, I believe that if you ask him again, he will definitely give you the most authoritative answer."

This response was perfectly worded, saving face for both of them and steering the conversation back to their professional fields.

After saying that, Kitahara Iwa looked up at the time and then said, "Sorry, I haven't finished my writing assignment for tonight."

"Now that the work here has been successfully completed, I must take my leave."

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With a bang, the door slammed shut.

Only after Kitahara Iwa's figure completely disappeared from sight did the previously deathly silent film set erupt into chaos, as if a spell had been broken.

"Feeding... Am I seeing things? These are Akina Nakamori and Yasuko Sawaguchi!"

A young lighting assistant lowered his voice, his tone filled with disbelief, and said, "He just... just left like that?"

"No wonder he's the man who wrote 'Confessions,' his composure is simply superhuman."

The photographer standing nearby shook his head and sighed, "And looking at their eyes, it's like they're looking at two ordinary work partners, without the slightest reaction."

"And Ms. Sawaguchi just made those points so clear—the dressing room, the debriefing…any man would understand those implications, right? How could he just pass it on to the director without batting an eye?"

"And then there's Ms. Nakamori, the original diva of all of Japan! She stayed up all night to record a demo and sent it over, and he actually told her to go see the company president tomorrow?"

"If word got out that he was being treated like this, every man in Tokyo would want to send him razor blades!"

The two women who remained standing reacted differently.

Akina Nakamori remained in the same posture, handing out water, until she felt the cold touch of the water bottle on her fingertips, at which point she gave a self-deprecating laugh.

There was no embarrassment in that smile; instead, it carried a stubbornness that said, "I knew it all along."

She knew in her heart that if she hadn't taken the initiative to hug him last time, she and Kitahara Iwa would probably never have had such a close interaction.

With this thought in mind, Akina Nakamori withdrew her hand, tightly gripping the bottle of water in her palm, the emotions deep in her eyes burning even more intensely.

Meanwhile, Yasuko Sawaguchi's cheeks flushed slightly from that polite refusal.

As the beloved Cinderella of Toho, this was the first time she had experienced rejection in front of everyone.

Yasuko Sawaguchi subconsciously bit her lip, and in her eyes as she looked at the door, besides shyness, there was also a hint of competitive desire that she herself did not realize.

At this moment, Ichikawa Kun sat behind the monitor, watching this scene, a playful smile appearing on his aged face.

"What an interesting guy."

Ichikawa Kun muttered to himself, then suddenly clapped his hands and said, "Alright! Since the original author has gone back to writing masterpieces, we can't fall behind!"

"All departments, prepare yourselves, next shot!"

Late at night, in a luxury apartment in Shinjuku.

Kitahara Iwa declined all subsequent celebratory invitations from Kadokawa Haruki and returned to his apartment.

The room was dark, with all the hustle and bustle blocked out by the heavy curtains. Only a desk lamp on the desk emitted a dim glow.

Kitahara Iwa sat quietly at the table.

In the frenzied night of 1989, at the height of the bubble economy and amidst Japan's rampant consumerism, Kitahara Iwao calmly observed the impending Heisei Great Depression in his writing.

The scratching sound of the pen tip on the green checkered manuscript paper echoed in the quiet room.

Kitahara Iwao, like a cruel creator, personally wrote and buried the tragic life of a woman named Suzuki Yoko at this desk.

It tells the story of how Yoko struggles in the trap of ordinariness, sinks into the quagmire of insurance fraud, and completes her ruthless evolution from prey to hunter amidst killing and betrayal.

Each line of ink was like a mournful cry, tearing apart the self-deceiving veil of warmth in the hearts of the Japanese people in 1989.

As the clock quietly struck past midnight, accompanied by a final, powerful jerk of his wrist, Kitahara Iwao wrote the final paragraph of the book on the last page of "The Cry":

"I will become the new Violet Tachibana."

"I slammed on the gas pedal and sped off at full speed."

The scenery outside the window keeps changing. The world I couldn't control has been left behind.

"I race forward."

Where am I heading? To my safe haven.

"If you don't have one, you can just make one."

"At dawn, through the windshield, I saw the bright moon still hanging high in the distance, and the rising sun dyed the sky the violet color represented by the word 'violet'."

"What a beautiful natural phenomenon. This is my whole new world. Let's leave everything behind and head towards our destination!"

Snapped.

Kitahara Iwa gently put down his pen and looked up. At that moment, a faint, dark purple light was emanating from the horizon outside the window.

In this dawn where despair and rebirth intertwine, the masterpiece "The Cry," destined to tear apart the facade of prosperity and pierce the deepest darkness of Japanese society, has finally been completed.