Tokyo's Most Affectionate - Chapter 100

Stage Name

With the important matters of equity and related interests settled, and no objections raised, the remaining issues became relatively simple.

In terms of division of labor, Itsuragi was responsible for managing the company, handling most of the business, and serving as Kurosawa’s agent. Ninomiya helped when available, mainly working behind the scenes.

As the first artist, Kurosawa didn’t have to be involved in various company operations but rather served as the company’s main product, shining brightly.

Having settled various matters, the last order of business was the development of the artist’s image.

“I had thought of this image earlier; see if you have any objections.” Kurosawa took out a stack of papers and placed them on the table.

Hearing this, Itsuragi and Ninomiya both leaned in to take a look.

On the first sheet was an illustration of a character.

He wore a tuxedo and a suit, donning a gentleman’s hat. Under the hat, there was a black mask covering his face, with a white circle, or rather, 0, drawn on it. 

A few words were labeled beside it, “Piano Form.”

It wasn’t just an illustration; there were also various graphics, such as a top view and a side view, presenting an elegant appearance.

“Piano Form, you’re quite chuunibyou with this.” Itsuragi burst into laughter upon seeing the annotation. (1)

“Ahem hmm… The color of this mask corresponds to the black and white keys of the piano, and there’s another one.”

Kurosawa coughed awkwardly and opened the second sheet.

In the second illustration, the outfit changed to a more stylish coat and jacket, and the mask transformed into a half-face design. The base color was blue, and the previously white 0 turned into a vivid crimson, creating a striking contrast that looked cool.

Beside this illustration, there was a label saying “Singing Form.”

“I’m not very knowledgeable about this… What do you think, Runa?” Ninomiya, upon seeing the term ‘form,’ couldn’t help but smile and asked.

“Leaving aside the chuunibyou term ‘form,’ it looks pretty cool. The character design is excellent, and the contrast between the two forms is intriguing. Who helped you with this drawing?” Itsuragi, after laughing, carefully examined the two drawings and appreciated them.

She could sense that if Kurosawa were to become a masked singer with these two forms, the sense of mystery would attract a wide range of fans, from young to old.

“I drew it myself.”

“You can draw too? And you’re good at it.” Ninomiya, hearing this, was somewhat surprised.

The more she interacted with and got to know him, the more she realized that Kurosawa was unexpectedly talented.

“I’m not bad.”

“Here we go again… Well, let’s not talk about that. Have you thought about your stage name, Kurosawa?” Seeing him bring it up again, Itsuragi was used to it and didn’t delve into the matter.

Being able to draw as a singer wasn’t very useful, especially considering Kurosawa was going to be a masked singer who wouldn’t appear on variety shows.

“Zero Hour.” Kurosawa had considered it before.

“Zero Hour? It’s a bit subtle. Did you design this image thinking about your stage name?” Runa Fiftyarashi pondered on the stage name with some consideration.

For celebrities, there were many important factors, and among them, the stage name was crucial. A catchy and unique stage name could leave a lasting impression and be easier to remember.

“Yes, I thought that if one day I hold a concert, I could design a countdown on stage, and at the moment it reaches zero, I’ll make my entrance amid the cheers of the fans.”

“That’s a good proposal, quite well-designed. In that case, let’s go with Zero Hour.”

Realizing his intention, Itsuragi snapped her fingers.

Different from ordinary artists, Kurosawa had chosen a rather unique path, and with a focus on the element of zero, it was a good choice.

“Okay.” Ninomiya nodded, having no objections.

“Next, there’s one more crucial thing… What should we name our talent agency?”

Having settled this matter, Itsuragi brought up another important topic.

“I’m not familiar with the industry, so you decide.”

“Same here.”

Ninomiya didn’t plan to express her opinion on these matters and chose to go along with the decision.

In fact, she didn’t have an extensive knowledge of the entertainment industry either.

“How about ‘Zero Hour Agency’?”

Realizing that neither of them had objections, Itsuragi tossed the question back. After some thought, she proposed.

“It’s a bit subtle.” Kurosawa wasn’t sure how to evaluate it.

“Why would it be? Whether our agency becomes famous or not depends on Kurosawa… No, it depends on Zero Hour’s reputation. If we name it ‘Zero Hour Agency,’ it might become a brand in the future.”

“Indeed.”

“Is it really okay to decide so hastily?”

Seeing that even Ninomiya agreed, Kurosawa was a bit speechless.

“Where’s the haste? If you go with ‘Kurosawa Hikaru Agency,’ or just ‘Kurosawa Agency,’ it might be a bit subtle. But if you go with ‘Zero Hour Agency,’ it directly represents an image, and that’s a different story.”

Noticing his objection, Itsuragi became anxious.

“That’s true.”

“So, it’s settled then, ‘Zero Hour Agency.'”

“Clap, clap, clap, clap!”

Seeing her approval, both Kurosawa and Ninomiya had no objections and applauded in agreement.

“After discussing the important matters, let’s have some oden first.”

With these matters settled, Itsuragi breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and suggested.

“When will the first shoot be?”

Kurosawa picked up a piece of oden from the table, ate a daikon radish, and asked.

“I need to register the company first, rent a venue, purchase various equipment, and find someone to customize the costumes and props for those two forms you mentioned. I can only start working when everything is ready… I haven’t done this before, and these things were usually provided directly by the company, so I can’t be sure how long it will take. I’ll inform you as soon as everything is ready.”

“Then, is there anything I can do before that?”

Realizing that she would be handling all these matters, Kurosawa felt the need to contribute something.

After all, they were not just playing house; they were embarking on a serious entrepreneurial venture.

“Of course, you should focus on preparing for the performance. For example, what will be the content of the first video? Whether we can make it with the second video depends on whether you can gain popularity on the internet through videos.”

“The first video… How about ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’? I feel it’s quite good, very impactful, definitely the type young people would like.”

“Anyway, we haven’t started working yet. I’ll think about it more.”

Kurosawa didn’t give an immediate response. There was still plenty of time, and there was no need to make decisions right now.

“It’s best if it can provoke reactions, discussions, or even have a mind-blowing effect.”

Seeing him considering things, Itsuragi also offered a suggestion.

“I understand.”

Kurosawa nodded, having a clear idea in his mind.

Maxim was a rock pianist not recognized by the classical music world because his compositions incorporated elements of modern pop music.

For insiders, his works were not classical piano pieces; they were modern music.

However, for the general public, his compositions were familiar and had countless enthusiastic fans who thought they were exceptionally powerful.

Maxim had three famous pieces, namely “Croatian Rhapsody,” “Flight of the Bumblebee,” and “Exodus.”

Perhaps he played other piano pieces, but these three were the most renowned.

This was the route Kurosawa had considered before. He wondered if these three piano pieces could make the name “Zero Hour” enchant the world.

However, before that, he needed to meet Shiromiya Mirai, upgrade from entry-level piano skills to mastery level, and then make decisions accordingly.

TL Notes:

1. 1. 1. 1. Chuunibyou: delusional and edgy, believing to have powers, behavior typically displayed from early teens